Pool to open water
Graeme
Posts: 48
in General Chat
Is there much difference in technique between pool to open water ?
I've only ever swam in a pool and I'm like to do new forest Tri next May, but it means realistically, I'd get about a month of open water swimming training in before.
Are the two different types of Swimming so vastly different ??
What do you guys (and Girls) reckon ?
Graeme
I've only ever swam in a pool and I'm like to do new forest Tri next May, but it means realistically, I'd get about a month of open water swimming training in before.
Are the two different types of Swimming so vastly different ??
What do you guys (and Girls) reckon ?
Graeme
0
Comments
I also want to do the NF Oly and at that point in the season you're right, there won't have been much time for O/W training. This year I competed at Southwaster and really enjoyed it, except for the swim.
Lots of people have problems with O/W swims; lack of visibility in the water, sighting, turbulence and breathing especially with massed starts, and the lack of regular turns, the cold and wearing a wetsuit which feels totally different. Don't worry about it and try to get some training; they don't allow you to use Ellingham lake except for the competitions. If you live near enough to Horsham then Southwater lake is regularly available.
You can change to breaststroke to give yourself a break, i've even seen people doing backstroke!(makes sighting difficult), repeated dunking sessions are the only way to deal with the psycho-demons in your head.
See you there
David
I have southcerney lake just a few miles from my house, so when I gets warm enough around early arpil, I'll get down there and get some practice in.
Thanks again for the advice, and see you at NF tri. (I'll be the one giving the slow guys someone to overtake haha)
Graeme
A good way to help with sighting is to go round the lake before you start and pick out markers on the horizon for each stretch of the swim as often the buoys are too small to see or you get dazzled by the sun.
Tom
I have my first open water swim next may also and will only have limited (at best) OW experience by then too.
All i can say is that if you get pool experience with a wet suit it will make alot of difference! (if you have not got any experience allready)
Totally different kettle of fish IMO
You wont sink if things go wrong!, you can slow down your arms get stay balanced and still make progress. The suit will make you feel more restricted and your arms feel more heavy but the drag factor of your body will be less.
A decent pair of goggles like the xp mask or the 'eagle' type will make your range of view far better also.
Im a newbie to all this but I learn fast, especially when im s*****g myself about doing my first triathlon swim[8D]
Good luck with it all.[:)]
penny
I should be able to get around a month of practice in during April next year, (maybe earlier if it's not too cold) at a lake local to me, so maybe twice a week for 4-6 weeks before, so hopefully open water wont be too new by then,
I'm a bit worried about tomroom's comment about strong strokers struggling becasue of the thrashing and the turbulance in the water as the stroke is the strongest part of my Swim, but we'll wait and see what happens. At the moment I'm swimming about 3 times a week in the pool with around a 3min 40sec 200 using 16-17strokes per length in a 25mtr pool which is generally quite empty and subsequently calm.
I'm quite looking forward to NF tri in May as it'll be my first triathlon as well as my first open water swim, so hopefully the addrenaline with drag me through all the slashing about of the mass start and getting half the lake in my mouth at least I wont get dehidrated with a few million gallons of mucky water slushing around in my system. haha.
Anyway, thanks again for all the helpfull advice. This weekend I'm off to get a wetsuit.
Graeme
The Lanzarote Ironman, May 19th
visibility is about 10mm and there are no lines on the bottom.
David
This is more of an adaptation to drafting racing then a different kind of swimming, with regards the differences in swimming then advice in the thread about sighting, practice and putting yourself in the right place etc is by far the most important message to apply to your own races.
Although when it does get turbulent have the confidence to get in the thick of it and dont take the knocks to the head personally, just try and plough through and you'll be fine.
Tom
Wearing a wetsuit will affect your bouyancy. Depending on the strength of your kick you might find that your legs move closer to the surface and you splash a bit more... I used to compensate for sinking legs in the pool by looking at the bottom of the pool forcing my legs up but I've been working on my technique in the pool since. It'll be interesting to get back into OW next year...
In OW you obviously need to sight more, so you want to look forward every few strokes. In terms of basic technique though, nothing should change fundamentally. Your catch, rotation, breathing, kick, roll, etc... should all be the same. It's been said already that it does feel different in a wetsuit - if anything it makes it easier. I did my first OW swim in the Cotswold tri (lake 32) in September after having practised in Lake 12 (Saturday mornings 0815 from about May - well organised with lifeguards) so it is good when you can get into OW to practise.
I haven't done any sea swims yet though!
Rob
Can't use that for Wimbleball prep then [&:]
& why not ???
Um the toughest ironman followed by the toughest Half Ironman only a month apart...nah!! I am gonna pass I think