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Ironman CDA has a 2 loop swim, where the swimmers exit the water and run around a marker on the beach before re-entering the lake for the second loop. I've never done one of these 2 loop swims, and wondered if it would be slower/faster than a 1 loop swim, and if there's any tactical issues I should be aware of, which would make my swim faster exiting/re-entering the water in the loops (without expending extra energy).
Thanks!
Pain is temporary. Pride is forever.
Yeah, actually I do have advice. Don't go apesh*t running out and surfdashing back in. It can really throw you for a loop. I of course am mature and responsible and never made that mistake before (as if). The next time I did that swim (IMLP) I relaxed, defogged my goggles with a little water, jogged easy to the entrance and did a couple of calm surf dashes back in. I probably lost 5 seconds over the year before, but a 3 minute faster swim made up for it. Swim steady, stay strong.
Good luck
"Maybe you should just run faster..." TM
I've never done one in an ironman but have in a half IM a few times. For me the 2nd loop is always faster since I don't sprint very well so the first loop means lots of traffic (and the inevitable punches and kicks to my body). I use the run up onto the beach to take a quick look around and position the "second swim start" to get me clear of the mass of bodies around me so I have more swimming space when I get back into the water.
Yeah, be careful when suddenly standing upright after swimming for a long time!
As for positioning, if you can take advice from a guy who swims in 1:12 or so...(as if anyone should!)
I've tried it a few different ways. If I start way in the back to avoid the thrashing, I wind up having just as much trouble swimming past all of the slower swimmers. If I start in the middle - most all of the people I'd like to draft off of are already ahead of me and I never find that perfect person to follow. So I start up in the first 1/3rd, realizing I'm not the fastest but not slowest swimmer and I keep a lookout for a faster swimmer, when one of the faster folks swims by me I try to jump on their feet and stay there. The last time I did IM I started up in the fist 1/3 and had a great swim.
The going is pretty rough for the first half of the first loop generally, but its not the worst thing you'll ever experience - Richter pass may be from what I've heard. If you happen to find that perfect person to draft off of, keep a VERY close eye on him/her as you exit the water for the first loop. You may never find another on the 2nd loop.
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Elivis needs boats.
Advice -- take that little run easy. At Lake Placid I swam until my hands touched bottom (as usual) and then bolted out of the water and ran hard back to the launch-in point. As soon as I took my nice big dive back in, my hamstrings cramped up. My heels locked up onto my butt, and I had to wallow around in knee-deep water for a while stretching my hamstrings out.
During the remainder of lap 2, I had to stop 4 times to get cramps out, and even held onto the lifeguard surfboards twice. The second time, the guard waived a boat over to pull me out. Sorry, not today, pal.
I finished lap 2 in 32 minutes after going 28 in lap 1. Lesson -- do not jump out of the water, do a 20-yard sprint and start swimming again. Walk and take it easy.
I don't know what's best tactically, but as a fairly weak swimmer, I'm looking forward to a short walk to collect myself and take a few deep breaths for the next lap.
See you in Idaho, I don't know about you, but I'm fairly stoked to get there!
Barry K
wow...more and more people seem to go there, including me!
I agree to the above messages and in addition I try to catch that draft from a better swimmer and hold on to it as long as I can.
Usually towards the end of the first loop everybody starts to pickup the pace, like it would be the finish, but it's only half of the distance.
Try to resist a fast finish of the first loop and also the second, keep it steady!
see you all up there
Am stoked about IM CDA. Will write "SAMOK" on the soles of my bare feet, so you'all will know who I am, when I'm swimming. Be kind - no punching please!
I've done IMUSA twice and am training for IMWI this year. As a 'competent" mid-pack swimmer, I found getting out of the water at the halfway point to be well down on my list of concerns during the swim, which (at least from where I was swimming) was basically a 2.4 mile battle-royale with 1,800 other people.
Damn, I was happy to get out of the water for a few seconds!
Anyway, have a ball!
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Last edited by:
Quadzilla: Jun 17, 03 9:21