Biggest thing is the extra fatigue you may have from not swimming prior to the race.
Sure you'll have no issues completing the swim, crushing the majority of folks and at worst you'll probably only be 10-15 spots back from normal in your AG.
Once a fish always a fish.
I'd expect some extra residual fatigue on the back end of the race. Does that mean 3 min slower, 23 min slower or somewhere in between? IDK
From experience I know I can stay out of the water for months and months, put in about 4 weeks of 8-12k/wk and swim sub 30 on a legit course. But to swim in that 28 range requires more work, at least for me. In all but 1 half I've done since 2018 going 1:30 slower would have meant the difference between winning a race and finishing 2nd OV, winning my AG in a 70.3, placing 2nd in my AG in another and the 70.3 I rode 45km with 15psi in my front tire 1:30 slower would have been the difference between 5th and 7th in my AG. I passed 6th & 7th inside the last 7 & 4k of the run.
What I can't do if I've not been in the water and I have people on my feet is surge into a buoy then sprint out of the turn gapping the people on my feet. I can't get into a drag race to the 1st turn or if I see a group 25-30yd ahead surge for the 2 min it's going to take to get onto their feet or if there are 2 lines of swimmers heading for the first buoy get into a drag race and see if I can chop their turn off at the buoy.
Now give me 8 weeks and pretty much all of the above becomes moot if I'm consistent. I've seen that same sort of pattern from the many FOP swimmers/former college swimmers that I coach(ed).
(fwiw I consider 30:00 and under FOP for AG racing, well really 26 and under for truly FOP but that 26-28:30 range lets you exit the water in contention and that 28:30-30:00 will leave you near the back end of the top 10-15 in most AGs. 30:30 well.....and one should never, ever say that is FOP. Ever.)
Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta
Sure you'll have no issues completing the swim, crushing the majority of folks and at worst you'll probably only be 10-15 spots back from normal in your AG.
Once a fish always a fish.
I'd expect some extra residual fatigue on the back end of the race. Does that mean 3 min slower, 23 min slower or somewhere in between? IDK
From experience I know I can stay out of the water for months and months, put in about 4 weeks of 8-12k/wk and swim sub 30 on a legit course. But to swim in that 28 range requires more work, at least for me. In all but 1 half I've done since 2018 going 1:30 slower would have meant the difference between winning a race and finishing 2nd OV, winning my AG in a 70.3, placing 2nd in my AG in another and the 70.3 I rode 45km with 15psi in my front tire 1:30 slower would have been the difference between 5th and 7th in my AG. I passed 6th & 7th inside the last 7 & 4k of the run.
What I can't do if I've not been in the water and I have people on my feet is surge into a buoy then sprint out of the turn gapping the people on my feet. I can't get into a drag race to the 1st turn or if I see a group 25-30yd ahead surge for the 2 min it's going to take to get onto their feet or if there are 2 lines of swimmers heading for the first buoy get into a drag race and see if I can chop their turn off at the buoy.
Now give me 8 weeks and pretty much all of the above becomes moot if I'm consistent. I've seen that same sort of pattern from the many FOP swimmers/former college swimmers that I coach(ed).
(fwiw I consider 30:00 and under FOP for AG racing, well really 26 and under for truly FOP but that 26-28:30 range lets you exit the water in contention and that 28:30-30:00 will leave you near the back end of the top 10-15 in most AGs. 30:30 well.....and one should never, ever say that is FOP. Ever.)
Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta
Last edited by:
desert dude: Mar 9, 21 6:44