Ironman 2018 - PE

[HDW]

For interests sake (and I know it is very relative) - If I want to try and swim a 1:10 to 1:15 Ironman swim, what pace must I try and achieve in the pool for about 2000m of swimming?

[mon-goose]

is that for the 1.9km or the 3.8km?

 

I wouldn't purely use my pool pace as a guide for open water time. You have to get ocean experience as it's very different. You can have a great pool time and be able to do 3km in under an hour in the pool and then completely fall apart in the water.  But if you're doing 22-25min for 1500 in the pool and you can get the ocean experience then you're already well on your way

[HDW]

is that for the 1.9km or the 3.8km?

 

I wouldn't purely use my pool pace as a guide for open water time. You have to get ocean experience as it's very different. You can have a great pool time and be able to do 3km in under an hour in the pool and then completely fall apart in the water.  But if you're doing 22-25min for 1500 in the pool and you can get the ocean experience then you're already well on your way

Cool, thanks, makes sense. Seems like my wife will have to be meeting me in town for post swim breakfasts on a regular basis quite soon... 

[IceCreamMan]

For interests sake (and I know it is very relative) - If I want to try and swim a 1:10 to 1:15 Ironman swim, what pace must I try and achieve in the pool for about 2000m of swimming?

 

Following is not scientific. That said I have found my ocean swims to closely mirror my pool swims thus you should be aiming for 36 minutes per 2 km to get a 70 minute IM swim. Bear in mind the ocean is a lil more buoyant than the pool and no doubt you will take some rests and sighting stops. And a wet suit will make you faster. A 1:10 swim is fast by AG standards and will need loads of practice. If you can swim 18 to 19 minute kilometre in the pool you should be ok for a 70 to 75 minute IM swim. But of course it depends on the ocean on the day. I have always found PE to be fairly mild even when its turbulent. I have done maybe 50 bay swims in PE by the way. (From Hobie to Kings and back)

 

I have won my age group at IM events for the swim and then realized its just not worth it. Rather take it nice and easy and relax than go all out. The few minutes it costs me to relax is well worth it as I wont be threatening the AG winners anyway come the red carpet. So enjoy the swim, you in for an hour plus may as well make the most of it.

 

The swim really is the easy part of the day, impossible to drown in wetsuit and loads of time to complete it.

[Jakopregop]

Following is not scientific. That said I have found my ocean swims to closely mirror my pool swims thus you should be aiming for 36 minutes per 2 km to get a 70 minute IM swim. Bear in mind the ocean is a lil more buoyant than the pool and no doubt you will take some rests and sighting stops. And a wet suit will make you faster. A 1:10 swim is fast by AG standards and will need loads of practice. If you can swim 18 to 19 minute kilometre in the pool you should be ok for a 70 to 75 minute IM swim. But of course it depends on the ocean on the day. I have always found PE to be fairly mild even when its turbulent. I have done maybe 50 bay swims in PE by the way. (From Hobie to Kings and back)

 

I have won my age group at IM events for the swim and then realized its just not worth it. Rather take it nice and easy and relax than go all out. The few minutes it costs me to relax is well worth it as I wont be threatening the AG winners anyway come the red carpet. So enjoy the swim, you in for an hour plus may as well make the most of it.

 

The swim really is the easy part of the day, impossible to drown in wetsuit and loads of time to complete it.

 

Agreed. Regard the swim as the warm up for your bike.

 

In total, you will be spending less than 15% of your total race in the water. The 5mins that you maybe loose on a terrible day (or 5min that you make up because of ALL the good training) gets negated by how you do on the bike and suffer on the run later on.

 

After 20min in that cold water, I start telling myself I WILL finish the swim...even though it is another 60min for me to the finish. One Buoy at a time. One sighting of the Crane/Raddison at a time   

[Jakopregop]

oh...and pack a steers rave burger in your transition bag...nothing as good when you exit the water and want to get rid of the salt and catch up on some breakfast!!

[HDW]

Following is not scientific. That said I have found my ocean swims to closely mirror my pool swims thus you should be aiming for 36 minutes per 2 km to get a 70 minute IM swim. Bear in mind the ocean is a lil more buoyant than the pool and no doubt you will take some rests and sighting stops. And a wet suit will make you faster. A 1:10 swim is fast by AG standards and will need loads of practice. If you can swim 18 to 19 minute kilometre in the pool you should be ok for a 70 to 75 minute IM swim. But of course it depends on the ocean on the day. I have always found PE to be fairly mild even when its turbulent. I have done maybe 50 bay swims in PE by the way. (From Hobie to Kings and back)

 

I have won my age group at IM events for the swim and then realized its just not worth it. Rather take it nice and easy and relax than go all out. The few minutes it costs me to relax is well worth it as I wont be threatening the AG winners anyway come the red carpet. So enjoy the swim, you in for an hour plus may as well make the most of it.

 

The swim really is the easy part of the day, impossible to drown in wetsuit and loads of time to complete it.

 

Thanks, guys. I actually feel a lot better about the swim after all the advice. Will stop focusing too much on pace, and rather try and be more effective and "comfortable", and hopefully then catching some speed as an added bonus.

[IceCreamMan]

oh...and pack a steers rave burger in your transition bag...nothing as good when you exit the water and want to get rid of the salt and catch up on some breakfast!!

damn true that. I had a small mcdonalds burger in T1 once.

 

Am thinking of pot noodles for T1 this year. In a flask of sorts. Make it in the morning and put in the bag...after the swim "drink" the noodles. You get a brand here called Pot Noodles, would be perfect as a snack

 

Also thinking of a cup of coffee , either in flask or do they make cups of coffee where when you open it it heats up for camping etc...

[Jakopregop]

Now you got me thinking!

 

We'll start calling T1 and T2, P1 and P2

 

(picnic 1&2)

[Chris_]

I'll set up the skottel - bring-and-fry

[EmJayZA]

You need a warm drink after the swim, ICM? Could the coldness cause stitches? Just wondering as I came out of the water with a stitch at EL. 

[shaper]

You need a warm drink after the swim, ICM? Could the coldness cause stitches? Just wondering as I came out of the water with a stitch at EL. 

Stitch more likely related to breathing perhaps...... which could be as a consequence of not being comfortable in cold water

[SeaBee]

Warm drink?! A warm beer with CBlake's skottel braai is not lekker. 

 

Agree with Shaper - stitches are breathing-related according to what I know. (More often than not short breathing instead of deap breaths.)

[IceCreamMan]

You need a warm drink after the swim, ICM? Could the coldness cause stitches? Just wondering as I came out of the water with a stitch at EL.

 

It’s an idea i am toying with. A nice warm meal or drink after the swim would be a treat.

 

Again, I am no scientist and concur stitch may be more breathing related BUT the cold water could affect yr breathing an in turn result in a stitch. So to answer yr question, it’s possible. Lots happening in the swim, a lil anxiety, a lil rush, cold water etc.

 

I always find api only start relaxing after bout 30 kms on the bike. Then I breathe out and relax and just enjoy the event. I should work on that.

[WW87]

Really glad the bike route remains the same!  Rough roads, but no big climbs and great views

[HDW]

To the guys who comes home on the bike in under 6 hours - what does your training speeds look like? Say for eg, your long weekend ride of about 100 - 120 km, what speed do you average? Also, the average speed for your mid week rides?

 

All this on a bike route more or less similar to that of Ironman PE.