swimming advice

Hi,
Ive recently competed in my first o/w tri, and although enjoyed it I really did not enjoy being literally swum over and the vomitting all over my bike due to scabby lake water. I am doing Plymouth on sunday- and wondered if there are any tips to avoid this without compromising my swim time much?

Hi Kerry,

Best advise I've been given when swimming in the sea is: 'don't drink the sea water'!!! Obvious, maybe, but soooo true!!!

Good luck in Plymouth!

Karen

Hello Kerry

Now some might say (possibly me included ) that this is half the 'fun' and challenge to open water swimming.... However I do remember my first experience being a bit of a shocker too! I was grabbed by an ankle, had my head pushed under and all for this rather large bloke to get past... That was in the first 2 minutes. If he had waited a moment he would have realised that I was clearly faster than him and would not have been in his way. I neither confirm or deny if I got my own back in my own little way as I past him 5 minutes later.

Basically you have 2 choices, stay at the back where the slower, weaker swimmer, less confident, less competitive, - any combination of the mentioned, are.

Or, swim more aggresively and fight it out with those around you! If your a strong swimmer this will be ok once you get used to what the deal is, and what to expect.

I would recommend getting used to swimming with others in open water, I regulaly go out with my friends and so am used to swimming in close proximity to others in open water. The Monday eve tri sessions at Teignmouth provide a safe haven for beginners to do this. The group sizes can be quite big, so can simulate race conditions well.

I always swim the first minute of so front crawl head up to avoid the inital kicks to the face once a mass start begins, things even out a little after that.

Hope this helps a little, and good luck!

Amanda

Thank you, that does help.
I have been going to the monday swim sessions and am quite comfortable in open water. Its just, im nervous about the mass start. Maybe youre right and I need to get my aggressive head on and get on with it... Its all part of the fun of tri eh?

Now then next problem.. Plymouths run. Ouch.

Kerry.

The swim at Plymouth is a bit of a bun fight at first. They start you in 2 waves but you have to swim under a gantry thing where the route narrows and turns right. On the first lap this will be chaos so I suggest you either sprint to get out in front if yoyu are strong enough or hang back let faster swimmers go on ahead then draft in their slipstream and get an easier swim.

The swim is ok. Its the run that might get you vomiting.

Andy Evans

Kerry,
Re: Plymouth, if you want to stay out of the mayhem around the buoys take them a little wide; i.e., don't hug them on the way round. Ok you might loose a few seconds but you'll avoid the bottle neck. Good luck on Sunday, just keep a little back for the run! specialy if it's hot

Thanks for the advice guys.. Now im worried about running as well as being swum over!!

Im sure it will be fine, after all, thats what we do the training for huh?

Good luck to anyone else doing it. hopefully you wont be able to recognise me floundering at the beginning of the race!!

ker

Thanks for all the advice peeps. I should have swum in front and got sprint on, got stuck behind the slower swimmers- hey. you live you learn.

Altogether, enjoyed my first olympic distance despite mega bike problem. (no use of little ring in front at all!! ouch for the thighs!) Managed third in category and raised over 400 for help for heroes, so not too bad at all .
Proper impressed with the exeter members too, monica- storming!!!

Well done, Kerry. As you say, you live and learn!

Karenx