Dexter-morgan Posted February 3, 2012 Posted February 3, 2012 I am also planning on doing my first tri sometime this year and this is my biggest hurdle, thanks for the advice.
Disylizzy Posted February 3, 2012 Posted February 3, 2012 To help create space around you at the start, run with your arms out wide and elbows out to the sides. It sounds weird, I know - but it works! Definitely agree about starting off to the side though!
hayleyearth Posted February 3, 2012 Posted February 3, 2012 Swimming urgh - my biggest mental block! Wish I can get over it as I want to do more tri's - doing the Xterra Grabouw end of the month!
LukeV-2 Posted February 3, 2012 Author Posted February 3, 2012 Q: How do you see where you are going all the time, I always ended up going off course..A: If the buoys are quite small and hard to see, before the start and as you go around each buoy look for a landmark (tree, building, something that’s easy to see) behind or roughly in line with the next buoy, it’s easier to swim towards a bigger landmark that you can see easily than some small buoys. Q: How do i save my energy for the cycle and the run..A: Make sure you warm up in the water before the start, and don’t sprint for the 1st buoy.Be prepared that you might feel a bit light headed by the time you reach the transition area, usually when you’re trying to stand on one leg putting your shoes on Q:How do i go about dealing with hundreds of others around me?A: Start on the outside edge of all the swimmers, stay away from the inside “line” especialy for the 1st buoy as you get closer to the end you can swim closer to the buoys depending on the amount of other swimmers around you. A warm up swim before the start will go a long way to helping you relax and to get into a rhythm from the start.Keep a decent space between yourself and people swimming breaststroke (breast stroke kick is out sidewards and can hurt), this often happens when going around buoys. Great, thanks...
SwissVan Posted February 3, 2012 Posted February 3, 2012 Great, thanks... Oh yes anudder fing Darren.... Incorporate looking up into your regular swim training (assuming you do regular swim training....) by practising to look up while swimming for 2 or 3 strokes every 100 metres. This requires swimming like a water polo player would i.e. swimming crawl but with the head raised looking forwards. Can be difficult but with practise becomes easy, helps to imagine your trying to "dribble" a ball floating between your arms but with your chin or chest.... oh and keep your mouth closed...Enjoy
Robrider Posted February 3, 2012 Posted February 3, 2012 To help create space around you at the start, run with your arms out wide and elbows out to the sides. It sounds weird, I know - but it works! Definitely agree about starting off to the side though! Haha, maybe people just avoid you cos they think you are looney! But seriously, relax relax relax. That is the biggest thing. As soon as you relax you wont waste so much energy. Also dont start too hard. Its easy to get caught up in the first 200m and then blow (I speak from experience). If you blow or panic, flip over onto your back for a few seconds, catch your breath, even do some breast stroke for a bit.
mon-goose Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) So how did the your first triathlon go? How was the swim. I have started doing swimming again at the gym, after many years of doing nothing, and have set myself a goal of doing a 600m open water swim in the second half of the year. Does anyone have, or know where I can get, any training programs I could use while swimming at the gym? I have done a triathlon swim before but didn't train properly and almost drowned on the swim, not fun. Also, I'm trying to get hold of someone with info about the open water swimming at Ashanti farm. Can anyone tell me if it's open to the public or if I have to go through a club? I have tried to contact two clubs via email but no reply as yet. and can anyone tell me if that's the closest open water venue to CT? Edited February 13, 2012 by mon-goose
Barend de Arend Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 How do you see where you are going all the time, I always ended up going off course.. You can practice this in the pool. You have to learn to look and sight regularly. The idea is to look up every 12th stroke or so (if you breath every third.) Put a water bottle at the end of your lane in the pool with a bright cap (you probably have a water bottle anyway) and just look up. The idea isn't to look and focus at the water bottle; just quickly look and confirm you're swimming in the right direction. The idea in the pool is to just get used to it. Try not to pop your head up too much to look. You don't need to read the advertisers writing on the buoy. Just a quick confirmation that you're heading in the right direction. Your next open water swim remember that there could be a current. So you could be pushed left or right continuously. In the beginning look a bit more often until you adjust. Once you're always bang-on-target every time you look you can look every 20th stroke or so. When you turn around the current changes. If you can't get a good look, don't panic. Swim a bit more and look again. Especially in sea swims in the swell you can't always see the buoy. In some triathlons (like IM70.3 this year) the buoy can be:smallhidden in the mist700 meters awaybelow the horizon of the swellso before the start look for landmarks if you can.
Barend de Arend Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Does anyone have, or know where I can get, any training programs I could use while swimming at the gym? A lot of gyms have a swimming coach or class. This might be happening at different times of your swim, and at Virgin Active it isn't advertised. Ask reception.
mon-goose Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 A lot of gyms have a swimming coach or class. This might be happening at different times of your swim, and at Virgin Active it isn't advertised. Ask reception. Thanks
The Drongo Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 So I'm doing my first triathlon on sunday and I've only swam once in the open water and it didnt go down to well.. Any tips guys?? Be grateful. ' Going down' in water is usually always fatal.. How do you see where you are going all the time, I always ended up going off course.. Hold on to the ankle in front of you... How do i save my energy for the cycle and the run..Don't swim. How do i go about dealing with hundreds of others around me? Panic and thrash. I dont want to win, I just want to finish. If i can get through the swim its basically smooth sailing from there. Leave out the sailing too... How much time do i get for 750m? 15 to life depending on whether you drowned them by accident or deliberately... This is a challenge for, some people are probably gonna laugh. Seriaaas challenge for me mate, and I do not laugh at open water! Someone please help. Call 911, I'm busy, and I swim to stay afloat... Just freaking out a bit.. haha. A BIT? Just A BIT?! Ha ha indeed. HELP...is a term you use when drowning!
The Drongo Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Thanks Wheelsuck, seems like quite wise words there.. Seems the key is to not panic and stay calm and concentrate on the rhythm. Ha **bloody** ha, ha...
ianhoy Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 So how did the your first triathlon go? How was the swim. I have started doing swimming again at the gym, after many years of doing nothing, and have set myself a goal of doing a 600m open water swim in the second half of the year. Does anyone have, or know where I can get, any training programs I could use while swimming at the gym? I have done a triathlon swim before but didn't train properly and almost drowned on the swim, not fun. Also, I'm trying to get hold of someone with info about the open water swimming at Ashanti farm. Can anyone tell me if it's open to the public or if I have to go through a club? I have tried to contact two clubs via email but no reply as yet. and can anyone tell me if that's the closest open water venue to CT? Contact Claire Honer from www.mytrainingday.com for open water swimming in CTN. I know they use a dam somewhere - alsothe Big Bay Lifesaving club has a swim every Thursday at 16:00 at Big Bay (it might be Wednesday been a while since I have been in CTN to swim)
Disylizzy Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Also, I'm trying to get hold of someone with info about the open water swimming at Ashanti farm. Can anyone tell me if it's open to the public or if I have to go through a club? I have tried to contact two clubs via email but no reply as yet. and can anyone tell me if that's the closest open water venue to CT? Which clubs did you contact? I've got a contact at WP swimming so can find out for you. As for swim programs, I like these workouts: http://ruthkazez.com/50swimworkouts.html and they also have a beginner plan that you can use. Just follow the links up at the top.
gadget Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Also, I'm trying to get hold of someone with info about the open water swimming at Ashanti farm. Can anyone tell me if it's open to the public or if I have to go through a club? I have tried to contact two clubs via email but no reply as yet. and can anyone tell me if that's the closest open water venue to CT? Try www.atlantictriclub.co.za. They do an open water swim in the Waterfront Canals every Friday morning (only time anyone is allowed to swim there) and also there are open water swims at Clifton on Saturday mornings. BUT these swims are farking cold, so wetsuit is advised. You can try Silvermine Dam as well. much warmer.
mon-goose Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Thanks guys for all the info. Disy - could you perhaps find out for me.
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