Triathlete Swim Experience

[grandall]

Its always great to hear from other triathletes on thier swim experiences and the obstacles they confronted and how they handled it in both preperation and during race time. I've proposed a few questions:

Did you set specific goals for the swim?

Did you feel you had prepared yourself prior to the swim?

If yes can you list some of them and how it might have positively effected your swim.

If no where do feel you need to change or improve in order to gain more positive results?

Did you wear a wetsuit and why?..other reasons besides cold water temps as most tri's are in the summer months.

Five minutes before the gun goes off how did you feel-scared? confident? nervous? What was going through mind? Did you have any pre-race plans and thoughts?

If so what were they?

While you were swimming what was your focus and thoughts?
Did you feel anxious, or calm? Did you feel great on each stroke(mojo) or at some point did you feel your stroke and pace start to breakdown.

If yes to the latter what do you think it was and did you do anything to try to correct or improve it?

Once exiting the water how did you feel exhausted? untired? alert? full of energy?

In what way (good/bad) do you feel your swimming performance impacted your cycling performance?

What would you do differently the next time? Or do feel overall that you are satisfied with your results and performance and nothing needs to be improved or changed?

Appreciate your replies
Thanks
George

[andyinnorway]

George I don't have my first triathlon until June 2013 so I'll answer this as a visualisation based on current efforts. My first triathlon is olympic distance.


Did you set specific goals for the swim?
My goal is to be pedaling inside 30 minutes

Did you feel you had prepared yourself prior to the swim?
Yes, fully, I need to do some dummy transitions especially fast wet suit removal.


If yes can you list some of them and how it might have positively effected your swim.

experience in open water swim races means pyschologically the swim leg of the triathlon isn't daunting, also since it is relatively shorter than the other legs and I am a novice triathlete I will not be looking for personal best swim time, just nice steady pace.

If no where do feel you need to change or improve in order to gain more positive results?

Did you wear a wetsuit and why?..other reasons besides cold water temps as most tri's are in the summer months.

Yes, its normal in England and water temps are 16-20deg C

Five minutes before the gun goes off how did you feel-scared? confident? nervous? What was going through mind? Did you have any pre-race plans and thoughts?

Happy and excited, ready to enjoy the occasion

If so what were they?

While you were swimming what was your focus and thoughts?
Did you feel anxious, or calm? Did you feel great on each stroke(mojo) or at some point did you feel your stroke and pace start to breakdown.

My swim focus will be on staying inside my fat burning zone, preferably getting a tow from a suitable swimmer, relaxing into the first leg of the event, my favourite.

If yes to the latter what do you think it was and did you do anything to try to correct or improve it?

Once exiting the water how did you feel exhausted? untired? alert? full of energy?

Ready for the bike, try to stay calm and not rush the transition, rip the wet suit or pull a muscle getting it off, also try not to get a penalty for jumping on the bike too soon.

In what way (good/bad) do you feel your swimming performance impacted your cycling performance?

I'll tell you in June

What would you do differently the next time? Or do feel overall that you are satisfied with your results and performance and nothing needs to be improved or changed?

I will change my approach to the swim when I feel a 3-5 minute faster time in the swim leg will make a difference to my overall placing. First event is keep calm, enjoy the process and go for it in the second 5K of the run if I feel full of beans.

[grandall]

Hi Andy
Thanks for your input..good luck with your race..I'm sure you will do fine.

[Craig74]

I've completed several sprint and Olympic Tris. Currently 4 weeks away from my first 1/2 iron.

Did you set specific goals for the swim?
>My goal for the swim is just to try and keep with the main pack, stay relaxed, and try not to burn too much energy.

Did you feel you had prepared yourself prior to the swim?
>I usually wish I had spent a little more time training the swim, but it is the shortest part of the race, so I give it the least attention


If no where do feel you need to change or improve in order to gain more positive results?
>Need to work on perfecting that stroke

Did you wear a wetsuit and why?..other reasons besides cold water temps as most tri's are in the summer months.
>If it is wetsuit legal and greater than 1/4 mile, then yes. If you don't you are putting yourself at a disadvantage. Except on really short sprints where you are probably just wasting T1 time.

Five minutes before the gun goes off how did you feel-scared? confident? nervous? What was going through mind? Did you have any pre-race plans and thoughts?
>Excited. Like a bomb that's about to explode. If it is a mass start, I try to resist the urge to run with the crowd. Take a sec. Let the crazies run in, and then walk in calmly. I'm here to race a Tri, not win the swim.

While you were swimming what was your focus and thoughts?
Did you feel anxious, or calm? Did you feel great on each stroke(mojo) or at some point did you feel your stroke and pace start to breakdown.
>usually calm. Just try to focus on my stroke. I only get nervous when I get off course. When suddenly there is no one around me, I start frantically trying to get back to the pack.

If yes to the latter what do you think it was and did you do anything to try to correct or improve it?
>sighting!

Once exiting the water how did you feel exhausted? untired? alert? full of energy?
>Every race is different.

In what way (good/bad) do you feel your swimming performance impacted your cycling performance?
> If I have a bad swim, it takes a good 10 mins on the bike before I feel put back together. Spitting up seawater, can't catch my breath. Not fun. With a good swim, it is out of my mind and I'm ready to focus on cycling.

[grandall]

Craig74,
Thanks for your input. Its always great to read about other triathletes and their experiences.