Improving the Mass Swim Start
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Tamara posted 23 weeks ago.
On the one hand, it'd be nice. On the other hand, if I'm really that slow of a swimmer (and I am!), that extra 30-60seconds isn't really going to impact my overall finishing time. I just worry about getting through the swim successfully and then taking back that time on the bike.
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TryScott posted 23 weeks ago.
In my first race, about 50 guys jumped from a boat, but only around 10 at a time jumped. A few minutes later, the 50 or so girls did the same thing.
In my next 3 races, there were wave starts according to age/sex and race distance. The waves start 2 minutes apart, and your time doesn't start until your chip crosses the mat if it's a beach start, or until the group with your age/sex/distance is scheduled to start if it's a water start.
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beads1985 posted 23 weeks ago.
I have not seen a timing mat close to the water in a mass swim start.
It might be a good idea, but I think the logic of how it is set up now is that everybody does have a chance to go up front if they want to, so it is not a limitation of the race but a limitation of the individual doing the race.
I know I am a MOP swimmer and I am not winning the race, and I may not ever get to the podium so I haven't been so concerned with it in the past.
Nothing to it, but to do it
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Joe_H posted 23 weeks ago.
Memphis in May has a time trial start which sounds interesting. but for entertainment value I'd go w/ the mass start.
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TriSooner posted 23 weeks ago.
beads1985 wrote:
I know I am a MOP swimmer and I am not winning the race, and I may not ever get to the podium so I haven't been so concerned with it in the past.
This
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beads1985 posted 23 weeks ago.
TriSooner wrote:
beads1985 wrote:I know I am a MOP swimmer and I am not winning the race, and I may not ever get to the podium so I haven't been so concerned with it in the past.This
This.......What? Don't leave me hanging ;-)
Nothing to it, but to do it
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cjhoffmn posted 23 weeks ago.
Can't avoid it.
Trisooner - I agree.
To tri or not to tri - that's not a question at all!
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TriSooner posted 23 weeks ago.
beads1985 wrote:
This.......What? Don't leave me hanging ;-)
This, as in "this is what I would write," and thus is a more nerd-ier way of saying +1.
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beads1985 posted 23 weeks ago.
TriSooner wrote:
beads1985 wrote:This.......What? Don't leave me hanging ;-)
This, as in "this is what I would write," and thus is a more nerd-ier way of saying +1.
Gotcha. I tend to be wordy so 1 word stumps me ;-)
Nothing to it, but to do it
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ChunkyB posted 23 weeks ago.
TriSooner wrote:
beads1985 wrote:This.......What? Don't leave me hanging ;-)
This, as in "this is what I would write," and thus is a more nerd-ier way of saying +1.
I don't know. "+1" is pretty nerdy. It's math!
"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice
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kylie posted 23 weeks ago.
IMKY had a time trial start, and so you stepped on a timing mat as you jumped in the water. I think a mass start should just be how it is -- if you want you can start in the front. Your choice if you want to or not, but it keeps all the racers at the same total time. Without that it takes longer to find out your actual place. I'm even less of a fan of marathons where your start is by your chip and your place is by your gun time, so I don't think that is a great solution.
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Joe_H posted 23 weeks ago.
tripike wrote:
Joe H you doing Arkadelphia?
not planning on it. what is it?
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jperubog posted 23 weeks ago.
not to get off topic but I never understood why they do that in road races?(place by gun time, but use your chip time for the start?)
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TryScott posted 23 weeks ago.
TriSooner wrote:
beads1985 wrote:This.......What? Don't leave me hanging ;-)
This, as in "this is what I would write," and thus is a more nerd-ier way of saying +1.
I think "++" is a nerdier way of saying "+1".
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ChunkyB posted 23 weeks ago.
TryScott wrote:
TriSooner wrote:beads1985 wrote:This.......What? Don't leave me hanging ;-)
This, as in "this is what I would write," and thus is a more nerd-ier way of saying +1.
I think "++" is a nerdier way of saying "+1".
Awesome.
"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice
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hateloveschool posted 23 weeks ago.
I would think that where you place yourself in the swim start is part of the competition. To do a triathlon is to compete, and part of the race is putting yourself in a spot at the beginning of the swim so you can strategically place yourself where you do your best. If you put yourself in the back, well, that's your strategy...
Yeah, your time might go down a minute or two if they put timing mats at the beginning, but my time would also go down if they put water stations every 1/4 of mile in the run portion. Part of being a triathlete is the ability to deal with the conditions and adapt to them to be able to perform your best.
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GGehrke posted 23 weeks ago.
Wildflower used a timing mat at the start this year. They had an all-new timing system in general that apparently didn't work properly on the first day (long course) but was working perfectly by the international distance on sunday. I definitely took advantage of it, hanging back until the melee cleared out a bit and then ran in. I was able to start at my own pace, keep that pace as I weaved through the thinning out crowd, and generally had a great swim leg. I suppose if everyone jockeyed for starting position like I did it'd be a little weird, but the capability does exist.
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kylie posted 22 weeks ago.
Just thinking... I have seen some mats at swim starts. But they were used to register who got in the water, not to start chip times at different points. Your time still started with your wave.
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Sully800 posted 22 weeks ago.
That's what I've seen as well Kylie. The Black Bear half used that system
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Sully800 posted 22 weeks ago.
That's what I've seen as well Kylie. The Black Bear half used that system
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vanjames posted 22 weeks ago.
IM OZ is a mass start but has different "corrals" based on your swim times from previous races to seed you (denoted by different color swim caps). It is a more narrow swim than most but decreases the size of the washing machine and makes a more orderly swim. It puts the slowest swimmers at the front then spaces everyone else back with about 10m between corrals.
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rebekahliz posted 22 weeks ago.
kylie wrote:
Just thinking... I have seen some mats at swim starts. But they were used to register who got in the water, not to start chip times at different points. Your time still started with your wave.
Yup. This was the setup at a spring I did last weekend. Actually each wave crossed the mat together and then waded out about 100 yards to the actual start between two boats--gave us 2:30 to get to the start.
Di mana ada kemauan, di situ ada jalan (Where there is desire, there is a road). – Indonesian proverb
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Socket posted 22 weeks ago.
ChunkyB wrote:
TryScott wrote:I think "++" is a nerdier way of saying "+1".Awesome.
perhaps:
for (var c = 0; c < 0; c++) {
print "+1";
}
for infinitely nerdy "this" ;-)
I've always felt cheated starting at the back of a big group (I'm a slow swimmer) and getting into the water up to a minute after time already started. Have any of you been to races where they put a Timing Mat before you enter the water? Or do you like things the way they are? Just wanted to see if I'm the only one who thinks like this.