Finished my first sprint today at the Youngstown YMCA Davis branch sprint triathlon. What a blast.
Here in NE Ohio you never know what you are going to get on one of those "tweener" days in mid May, we have seen 80's in recent days, low 40's as well. This morning was upper 40's. The swim was held between two pools, one indoor and one outdoor. I think I found this forum looking for advice about wet suits in case I had to swim outdoors. Have since gotten advice on use of my Garmin, wet suits for open water, how to wear a tri suit, how to solve swim breathing problems, and a load of other stuff.
Anyway they put on what seemed to me to be a great race. Amazingly friendly people of both the Y and the local tri club (Steel Valley tri club, I'll be joining!)
My swim was LOUSY. The issue I asked the forum on early lap breathing was nearly eliminated and for sure controlled in training haunted me BIG TIME.
Coming in I considered my swimming the strongest leg as far as my training is concerned. I have my eye on a OLY in late June and was exceeding all of the sample sprint tri training so I pretty much considered this race a stepping stone towards that race. Sort of a celebration of my training enroot to the other race. I know you folks have a letter for that. Not sure what it is;)
The problem I was having, and had today is in the first couple laps I lose my breath. Seems to be a warm up issue but I think the adrenaline of being a first timer and the race environment sent me out to fast and exponentiated it. In the last month I got stupid and did a 2 mile swim in training, most of my swim workouts are at least a mile, but I never ever "got my groove" for more than a lap of the 10 today where I was swimming solid.
Warm up was ZERO. They were letting folks get in the pool to warm up as soon as the lane cleared and I thought we had some time. as I got in I THOUGHT I heard someone say "Go ahead" which I thought was just an official telling someone it was OK to warm up. After about a second of that I began to wonder why I was the only person not swimming like a dolphin for the other side. Not even quite ready for my warm up I learned "Race is on!" So that didn't help my breathing issue. BUT I learned something! Watch the clock, know where you are!
Anyway after that I hit the bike, it was solid (cold). I threw on 2 layers of tops in transition and felt comfortable.
Run was great although dismount from bike to run was VERY Clumsy. Being new not wanting to spend loads of money on gear I just wheeled out my vintage 80's Club Fuji from my bike racing in High school, used toe clips and wore my running shoes. Getting out of them was a little tricky. Need more practice. I didn't taste any cinder and tar though so it wasn’t a complete disaster.
The goal was just to finish comfortably and I did that.
I am hooked. Will be joining the local tri club, meeting them for open water time and looking forward to the late June oly!
Thanks folks for all the great advice getting here. I had so much fun and can't wait to do it all again. And the summer has only started!
Rick
Congrats! Sounds like a
Congrats! Sounds like a great race -- had fun and learned something new and got addicted :)
Oh sure did. Even as bad as
Oh sure did. Even as bad as the conditions seemed all I could think was if it is this fun in the cold, imagine what it would be like when it is warm I know, be careful what you wish for. . . .
What I really need to do is figure out why I can not breath. Or some sort of trick to get myself back on track. Its one thing to gut it out in a pool for 500 yards, but in a lake is another, with I am sure MORE degrees of difficulty. Worst case I can breast stroke, but it really soils the start when after months and months of pretty strong swimming, plenty of training (mile long workouts for a sprint!) you end up head above the water breast stroking.
UUUgh.
Congratulations. The swim
Congratulations. The swim will come with time. Keep at it.
Just remember to exhale.
Just remember to exhale. Tell yourself I need to exhale. This way you will breath right away. Good that you liked tris. Remember what you said: becareful for what you wish for, the heat will eat you up. hahaha. Not really but it will feel like it.
Congratulations! Think how
Congratulations! Think how much more you'll kick butt in better weather conditions.
getting the air out wasn't a
getting the air out wasn't a problem! I just couldn't get enough in!
Congrats on your race!! It
Congrats on your race!! It sounds like a good starter - get that crappy weather experiance out of the way. Just keep at the swim...you may find that with your first tri out of the way it gets easier...less anxiety.
congrats- you are officially
congrats- you are officially a triathlete!
As some have said before,
As some have said before, the breathing will come! It definitely takes practice. If you feel you are doing all the right things, it just a matter of you conditioning your lungs and finding the right rhythm. Are you breathing bilaterally (every third stroke) or unilaterally (every stroke)? From the day I started swimming, it took me almost 4 months to swim continuously and I did it unilaterally. I did switch sides on each lap so I wouldn't be accustomed to breathing only on one side. Once I got that down, I transitioned to bilateral breathing. There was a learning curve there too, teaching your body how to deal with taking less breaths. But once you get it, you will feel like you can swim forever...as long as you don't get bored:) Hence, a swimP3 player...greated invention! Listening to music while you swim.
Congrats on the race and glad you are hooked!
I know, folks say "it will
I know, folks say "it will come". I have been swimming as part of training since last September, took 18 weeks of masters swim. My instructor was able to help with everything but the breathing. I have fantastic swim endurance, once I get to lap 10 I can swim forever as you mentioned. Actually swam 2 miles just to TRY it 5-6 weeks ago, at least two of my swim workouts a week are simply swim 1-1.25 miles. In training I have over come by not just jumping in and going at it but relaxing, adjusting googles, getting good and wet and sort of aclimatized. Seems to be a temperature thing because when I swim is one of our pools that is WAY overly warm I rarely have the problem. Thing is, I want to enjoy triathlons not swimming leisurely laps in the warmest pool I can find. Yesterday frankly they may as well have sent us off from blocks. It was get in and go. they DID have a swim warm up time but it ended 1.5 hours before I started. Would have cooled down. Can never count on warm water. So I have to find a way to conquor the moster I am facing!! To top it off the next race is open water. I WILL have oppertunity to train in open water between now and then, at least a half dozen times.
Swimming 2 miles is
Swimming 2 miles is fantastic! You will be ready for an Ironman in no time! From what I've been told, colder water has an effect on breathing, especially if you've been training in a warm pool. And since you were anxious on race day, it sent your HR spinning out of control.
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine turned me on to Total Immersion swimming technique. With my first tri 10 weeks away, it probably wasn't the best move since I have to learn how to breathe all over again. The stroke is so different than what I was doing that I am not relaxed or have found a rhythm. I've been at it for nearly a month and although my technique has improved, my breathing has not. My first open water swim is Memorial Day. I too, have been in a pool for the last 3 months.
Where is the swim, I assume a lake? And did you buy a wetsuit? I assume you did since living in Ohio doesn't produce warm water:)
Yes, I did purchase a wet
Yes, I did purchase a wet suit. Yesterdays race was in a pool, the oly will be in a lake. By that time it will be boarder line suit or no suit but will wear.
I was thinking of the cold water issue and short of warming up which simply is not an option I was even considering a very cold shower if available. I know it won't help much with HR but at least it might speed up the water adjustment??
I have no idea. I know what the problem is, I know how to control it under TRAINING circumstances, but under race conditions all the solutions are not options!! Its not that I am not fit enough, obviously with 1-2 mile swims (foot note, that was an extreem swim for me, I was DONE after that swim, there was no way I was doing anything else let alone what you real athletes do!) a 500 should be and I told my wife on the side lines it would be "more or less just getting wet to start the day".
One thing I am considering, and hopefully someone more experienced can tell me if this makes sense or not is simply making every day a swim day. I'll have "real" swim days where I will go for long swims, but on what would be "off swim" bike or run days simply getting in a 10 lap swim to work through the issue?? Shouldn't impact my other training, just a quick 10 minute dip more or less??
make sense??
Definitely someone with more
Definitely someone with more experience can chime in on your swimming session suggestion (daily swims) but it seems your issue isn't swimming itself, it's controling the prerace nerves. So perhaps try controlling your breathing....learn how to meditate. It might sound foolish but when your thoughts and HR start racing, take yourself to a quiet place and bring your HR down. Granted, I've never done a tri yet and I know I will experience the same prerace jitters so clearly, I don't have real life experiences to share with you. I've just read what other people have said. However I noticed when I transition from the bike to the run, my HR is through the roof so I do practice taking deep breaths that expand the belly vs the chest. It does help.
You ARE a real athlete!!! The only difference between a sprint tri and an Ironman, is training...body and mind. One thing I am learning about being a triathlete (in training) vs being a runner or cyclist, is that no matter what distance you do, completing all three disciplines in a single event is a huge accomplishment! Look at the dedication you are putting into being the best swimmer you can be... that sounds like a real athlete to me!
For the Olympic tri, are you following a specific training program?
As far as training, I
As far as training, I donwloaded one here and have been using it as a guide, but am a bit ahead running and ALOT swimming, which is strange while I was non athletic for 20 years I both ran and biked competitively when young. Likely with that in mindd am over compensating on the swim, at least I THOUGHT until I fell apart yesterday.
Don't get me wrong, I just refuse to put myself on the same GROUP as someone who can knock out 12+ of intense cardio anything. Same specieses but VERY different. I mean it as a matter of respect for much of the present company.
Ah yes, I agree...definitely
Ah yes, I agree...definitely a whole different ball game when training for an endurance event! I will say, just a couple years ago, doing an Ironman was OUT of the question! Maybe it has to do with turning 40 this year...who knows! I too am using the trifuel training program, so far so good.
Good luck with the swim and keep us posted as your OLY draws close and of course, please give us the report once it's over!
Congratulations! Sounds like
Congratulations! Sounds like you got the tribug too.
Good luck at the OLY