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How much chaos am i going to cause

So, it's my first tri in may - sprint in stratford.



The swims the bit i'm most worried about - having plucked a finish time out of the air some months ago - i've just been doing intervals since then - i'm doing the 400m distance on Sunday as a trial run.



The question is: How much chaos am i going to cause if i'm say 1 minute slower than my predicted time. Say 9 mins instead of 8?!?!?



Fingers crossed i'm not but - any tips if i end up being like a Sunday driver doing 50mph in the fast lane??



Cheers,



Will.



Comments

  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    Don't stress about it, willtri.



    Is this a pool swim? If so, just let anybody quicker pass you at the end of the lane. They'll tap your toes if they want to swim through. You'll also see them gaining on you at every turn, so it won't come as a surprise.



    If it is an open water swim then just start at the back. Easy!



    Honestly, nothing to worry about. All part of the learning experience. Just don't spend too much time with these negative 'what if I'm rubbish?' thoughts. Start to think to yourself about how YOU are going to be tapping the toes of the swimmer in front.



    Enjoy your training and the run up to your big day. [8D]
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    Cheers Bopomofo,



    It's in the pool. Really looking forward to it.



    Already got the "fear" as i call it! The nervous anticipation.... By the time may 10th comes i'll be itiching to get on with it!!
  • JoddyBearJoddyBear Posts: 66
    As said above, don't worry about being in the way. they use a lane system in the pool at stratford where you do two lengths each way in the first lane, duck into the second and do two more each way, then duck into the third and dwo your final two lengths each way. It sounds confusing, and looks it initially but is pretty easy to follow and means that the lanes are nice and wide with plenty of space for people overtaking.



    Stratford is a lovely little sprint tri, i would have been joining you but unfortunately have to go to a wedding the day before so i've decided to give it a miss. I've done tri's with a hangover before and it's no fun for the guys waiting behind me in the queue for the pool [:'(]



    Enjoy it
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    No probs, willtri. Now... if you're looking for tips for a pool based swim:



    It'll be just like a swim training session, so there will be other people in your lane (possibly up to 5 of you in total) going at 10s intervals. It gets choppy. It can sometimes be an advantage to be comfortable with suddenly switching your breathing side, or to miss a breath if there's sombody very splashy on the other side. Don't worry about it, though. Just a minor point.



    If you let somebody quicker go through, make the extra effort to push off hard behind them and get right on their feet. You'll get a useful draft off them.



    Practice getting out of the pool with knackered arms! Sounds silly, but if they have you starting from and therefore exiting from the deep-end you'll be doing a walrus impression on the pool-side. I've seen lots of people have 3 or more goes at getting out!
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    they use a lane system in the pool at stratford where you do two lengths each way in the first lane, duck into the second and do two more each way, then duck into the third and dwo your final two lengths each way.


    Thanks JoddyBear



    That's answered another of my questions - how to count up to 12!! [:D]
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    If you let somebody quicker go through, make the extra effort to push off hard behind them and get right on their feet. You'll get a useful draft off them.


    Going to give this a go tomorrow.... How close behind them do you swim???
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    Right up their chuff, me old fruit. The closer the better.



    For an open water swim you can actually draft alongside, with your head at about hip level. Anywhere from this position backwards is OK, subject to flailing feet.



    In a pool you don't have this luxury, you just have to get as close as you can behind them - being careful not to start tapping their toes otherwise they'll be inviting you to take a go on the front at the next turn.



    Some swimmers are easier to draft than others. People who really splash around and churn the water up are difficult to follow because they leave a 'messy' wake and often produce a lot of visibility-reducing bubbles. Smooth swimmers seem easier to draft.

  • diddsdidds Posts: 655
    bopomofo to the rescue yet again :-)



    I'd been wondering about exiting the pool after the swim - dunno about walruses I'll be more like a beached whale that can't quite get beached properly! I'm bloody useless at getting out of the pool!



    didds

  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    tomorrow it is - whilst trying not look like a complete nutter - i'll save the trisuit test-run for another day!!



    Don't think watford pool is quite ready for that yet!
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    I'm bloody useless at getting out of the pool!


    It is funny, in a very cruel way, watching people plop back into the pool. I also saw the pool marshal make somebody get back in once after they got out using the steps, so there's no dodging it!



    I tend to drag my carcass up far enough to flop over the side - at about stomach level - then bring my legs around in a kind of sideways twist. Hence my 'walrus' description.



    It is one of those stupid things that I think about, though, because I'm not used to getting out of the pool: the puddle I train in is 1.4m deep everywhere and is a deck-level pool. I can actually shove with my arms and jump to get my feet directly onto pool side. These 2m pools with high edges leave me floundering.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Stratford is the closest pool swim to an open water swim I have ever been in, loads of people, short intervals & narrow lanes, other than that its fine! They do allow use of steps to get out, so no worries there, ducking under the ropes is OK, just make sure you time it ok, with the person in front pushing off & a person on your left doing the same. Oh & the steps outside to transition are slippy metal steps, take care.
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    loads of people, short intervals & narrow lanes, other than that its fine!


    errrr. sounds easy!! [:D]











  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    better than it sounds...I was being a little unfair.
  • MrSquishyMrSquishy Posts: 277
    It's a bit of a bun-fight, but it's all good clean fun. The lanes will fit 3 people wide so overtaking / being overtaken mid-length isn't too challenging.



    They line you up down the side of the pool ready for your start time so you get a good 5-10 minutes to see how everyone else is doing it plus I've found the other competitors quite friendly so normally get chatting to somone which helps calm the nerves.
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    Cheers everyone.



    34 days and counting....
  • I'm new to this Tri game and I too was worried about the swim.



    I put down 11 mins for a 426m pool swim ( Thames Turbo) and got out the water a minute faster than I expected. Don't worry about the time - you'll be quicker than you think but don't rush and lose rhythm.



    Stick with what you have done in training and you'll have a blast.



    Oh and as it's a pool swim - don't worry about getting out with jelly arms - they should make the finish at the end with the steps. [:D]



    Good luck





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