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Anyone fancy swapping my London Triathlon Sprint distance?
Stevecantswim
Posts: 22
in General Chat
Hi..it's with a heavy heart that I've come to the conclusion I wont be able to complete the swim leg of the Sprint distance London Triathlon (750m). Basically I've had a heap of personal and work stuff on my plate over the last 6 months thats prevented me from getting any swim training in and with 5 weeks to go I've got to be realistic and admit defeat, I just wont be able to manage the 750m swim on the day not matter how much training i get in over the next 5 weeks.
I know its a long shot but if anyone on here has a Super sprint entry and fancies "upgrading" to the Sprint distance let me know - I'll swap places with you in a heart beat.
Just an idea.
Cheers all.
Steve
# Mods - pls note that this is topic is also posted in the Events section - sorry for the double post #
I know its a long shot but if anyone on here has a Super sprint entry and fancies "upgrading" to the Sprint distance let me know - I'll swap places with you in a heart beat.
Just an idea.
Cheers all.
Steve
# Mods - pls note that this is topic is also posted in the Events section - sorry for the double post #
0
Comments
You can crawl a bit, breast stroke a bit, doggy paddle a bit!?!?!?
Need to start today though!!
What can you swim now? Can you do 400m front crawl? If you give up your spot you may kick yourself later. Loads of people on here who are willing to give you advice and support. No question too silly!
Do it, di it, do it!
problem, I'm sure you can do itin 5 weeks! I started front crawl in April (first
time since I was 12 and I'm now 32). I did about 4 weeks
(maybe 2-3 45min sessions per week) of training before cracking a rib.
I started again two weeks ago and I did 2x750m OW on Sat and 750m in the
pool last night... I'm racing on Sunday
My personal experience was focusing on drills and not distance (I got
disheartened by the fact I could only string together 4 lengths at a time). It
really surprised me how much say, 10 intervals of 2x25m sprints
improved my swimming fitness. Another good one is the pyramid that I
got from someone on the forum I can't remember (and now can't search
for to thank... thanks forum). Basically 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 lengths with a
fast lap at beginning and end (e.g. 1 fast, 3 easy, 1 fast, 1min rest;
1 fast, 2 easy, 1 fast;...). There's always breast stroke as I'm sure I'll have to fall back on on Sunday
Hope you decide to stick with it!
I expect to meet you on the pontoon I'll be the pea green one
Last year I was stood looking down the barrel of a 750 swim and crapping my pants, but I did it!!! It took me 28 minutes but what a feeling I felt like I'd just done a deca ironman.
Dont give up you've got loads of options take a longer slower stroke, do a bit of breast stroke. If you can why not try and get down to the Blueseventy lakes near reading (if time and geography allow) and just have a play in the water.
But you will be fine and I think your new tri family will look after you they have me and I just did my first OD.
This advice comes from an idiot who entered his first half-IM with just 6 weeks to go. I managed that with no specific training, no clue and no food strategy. I did it powered by stubborn stupidity, grim determination, a hand-full of jelly babies and a manly chunk of Soreen.
Get on with it, old bean.
good to have you back Bopomofo
Seriously, think what you are doing it for: Do something that is a challenge. It's not supposed to be easy! You're not competing against anyone other than yourself, and adversity.
If you think you _can't_ do it, just think how great it will be when you _do_.
You don't have to be first out of the water; just get out of the water. If you can do 400m, you can do 750m. Just a case of slowing down, taking it easy, a bit of breastroke etc. So what if you don't perform to your potential - you will have done the best you can under the circumstances - and, next year, you'll have an easy target to beat!
Put a 5 week plan together, nothing too ambitious - just enough to give you confidence. Have an OW swim session - perhaps do the 750m, at a slow pace, just so you know you can do it!
Go for it!
(shouted from the rooftop of his house):I WILL DO IT AND NOT BE A LILLY LIVERED CHICKEN AND BACK OUT..
Right then, where do I start ? My current situation is I can basically swim 3 lengths of my local pool (orpington) before having to take a 1 min breather. I believe a length in my local pool is 33 m so thats only 99m before having to stop (!!!!!!!!!). After the breather I'm able to cover a couple of lengths at a time before taking another 1 min rest. In total I only covered 15 lengths before getting out the pool totally dejected by my lack of swim fitness.
What can I do to reach the magic 750m distance training wise to make the grade? I can dedicate 3 swims a week (maybe 4 at a push). I like the idea of a training plan rather than just trying to push myself and hope for the best...maybe a pyramid training plan as suggested would be good...although I'm a bit concerned i'll not be able to even start it due to only being able to cover 2 to 3 lengths anyway. PLEASE, PLEASE any suggestions will help at this stage.
It's good to hear the wetsuit will help although I dont want to reply on that if I can help it.
Lastly, thanks for all your encouragement...I so wish I had joined this forum before.
Cheers again everyone.
Steve
Anyway I started from a very similar position to you, I'm still no fish but I get by. My advice would be to get into a lake asap, although it was the most scary thing I did, it was so much easier than pool swimming it gave me a massive confidence boast. Plus I discovered that I couldn't sink in a wetsuit.
From a stroke point of view, a long SLOW stroke is the order of the day and although bilateral breathing is the way forward, I would try breathing every 2 strokes to see how it goes. I suspect you may be trying to go too fast.
Anyway the swim should be the least of your worries, it's the run that really hurts.
Nothing wrong with breathing on one side either! Most coaches will recommend it for evening out your stroke and to enable you to breathe either side should you need to (i.e. waves on one side or someone uncomfortably close). If breathing every two is more comfortable at this stage I'd go for it.
I can't stress enough how valuable having a coach look at your stroke can be. If cost is an issue, ask around at the local pool you might be able to get a coach to look at your stroke cash in hand. I did a swimfortri underwater filming session last year and it was a revelation.
There are a lot of experienced swimmers on this forum who can offer there own advice. But for the time being go as often as you can. Maybe see how far you can go breaststroking just as a back up and again, if you need to breaststroke you won't be the only one!
Great that you're going to have a go. I agree with everything that's been said so far. Don't forget:
1. You have to try really hard to sink in a wet suit
2. Drafting is a good thing in the swim - that'll make it easier
3. As long as you get out of the water it doesn't matter if you have to do doggie paddle
4. You certainly won't be last out (I'm sure)
Try for a long slow stroke, make a conscious effort to breathe out through your nose (I count the rhythm in my head to make sure I get the breath out through the stroke), if you don't want to breathe in yet you can do another stroke or one less if you need to - you're in control of the breathing don't let it control you - you decide when and what side you want to breathe on and if you need to - lift your head in the middle of the stroke - you can call it sighting Keep your head down and use your body rotation to breathe - that will give you a bit more time. If you need more time then you can always swim on your side with the stroking arm by your hip and the other extended out in front with your head turned just so you can take a breath for a few seconds to give you the time - it doesn't need to be fast to begin with
Try not to rely on a fast "butterfly" kick but a strong slow two beat kick - only about 10 % of your power comes from the kick but it uses about 80 - 90% of the oxygen - and you need your legs for later any way.
I suggest you start off with one length then a 30 second rest then two lengths and a minute rest and so on up to a distance you feel comfortable with and then down again. don't think too much about how many more lengths you have to do, try to just concentrate on each stroke - after all you can always do one more stroke right?
Does that help?
Good luck!
try and get someone to kick you in the face at the same time for added realism
The points are valid though, but if you keep to the side or back of the pack, then you won't be in the melee and shoud be OK. As to OW swiming, I would recommend it, but let's get the pool bit done first.
Practice a bit of drafting in the pool - its amazing how much energy it saves.
Don't know if you got my pm - but i'm off to liquid lesiure on 11th or 18th if you fancy it....
Good luck!
I found that learning to breath bilaterally really helps, it took a but more practice and it requires me to be very relaxed, so the race i did last night I had to start with breathing every 2 strokes until i got more comfortable, then gradually switched to bilateral ..every now and then i switched back to a breath every 2... but the final stretch i did bilateral non stop which got me past a few people
Keep practicing .. you're definitely able to get through that 750m, you'll get to the end and feel like doing more
I took all of your advice (well the best bits from each) and put it all into practise...I did the open water swimming session in at the london docks and it went really, really, really badly. I managed about 250m before panicking and getting negative (telling myself I wont make it, that my wet suit is too tight, etc, etc). Overall the day itself didnt do much other than freak me out - it was poorly attended with very few coaches, etc and I didnt get any advice at all regarding breathing or stroke technique. Later that evening I was ready to throw the towel in and call it a day. After virtually living at my local swimming pool for the last month to not be able to cover the distance in the open water was really demoralising (and yes I know a month isnt long enough...but I know for next time!). Anyway, I came to work yesterday (via bike of course) and found my local tri club (white oaks) on the net. So with the intention of letting them know that someone more worthy than I can have my place in the London tri and I noticed they were holding an open water swimming session at a local lake that night (!!). A phone call later and the chairman was only too pleased to talk me out of giving up and insisting I come along. I cycled home, grabbed my wetsuit, googles and hat and drove all the way there telling myself I'll end up drowning for sure.
Anyway, I managed 2 laps of the 400m circuit, albeit with some stops to catch my breath and generally got used to floating around in a wetsuit in a lake. After 10 mins I relaxed and starting to get a slow rythum to my stroke and started to love it. Better still I can manage to get another 2 monday night open water swims in before the event itself - result.
So, a big BIG thanks to all those that told me to persist. I'm a confident, overally optimistic person normally so I'm not used to giving in easily but this time I really thought I'd screwed up..until I saw all your posts. Thanks a lot and I look forward to seeing you all sometime at an "above Super Sprint" distance tri soon. I'll be the one at the back of the swim, smiling and loving every minute of it.
Really chuffed for you mate and good on you for sticking at it where many would have given up!
You do realise now you're getting into the world of triathlon you'll start spending every penny on stuff you don't need and start thinking of stupid challenges to do.
Good luck, not that you need it.
How do you edit a pot
I've already got well and truely bitten by the "buying kit" bug. £1000 on a carbon bike has been my biggest spend so far although I am cycling to work on it so it get used a lot (unlike the HRM, GPS, too tight one piece tri suit, etc which will all be making an appearance on Ebay soon!).