If you are doing 3K at swim practice, you will be fine. Don't stress on it. Heck, so what if you have to tread water for a second to re-orient yourself? 10 seconds? Even 30 seconds?

Don't go out too hard -- just swim through it. A pool is a good place to have a first tri. My first had the lane lines and several grabbed them for a second or two to get their head back in the game. Shoot, I hit 25 yards and wondered where the wall was! (It was long course -- 50 yard- setup, which I had never swam in).

You will be fine.

Did you say that you normally swim 3,000 meters in one of your training sessions?

If you're swimming 3k per session you'll be fine. You won't be kicking like it's a sprint unless you're name is Katie Ledecky. I would do some pacing sets to get acclimated to the race distance. Warm up, then go 4-5 x 200m with 15 seconds rest between each 200. Try to keep your pacing even between 200's. If you go too hard on the first one or two 200's you'll pay for it on the last few.

You will be totally fine. I did a pool triathlon last year, and it was a blast. You will most likely self-seed in the swim start based on your anticipated pace. If you are in the ballpark, you will swim near other swimmers the same speed as you. If you are swimming that long and in a pool, then this will be a walk in the park.

I agree with the others - you'll do fine. To gain some confidence in making the race distance try a 1000 yard straight set at the pool next time. I find these long sets really help me hash out my pace and bring down my overall time. Go out easy, stick with open turns, and don't fret if you have to take a second at a wall at first. Try the long set a few times and it will get easy.

Why should he do open turns?

Feel free to recommend your own advice, but if someone is concerned about swimming 750 straight I don't think flip turns are needed for the first distance attempt. It's easier to stay out of oxygen debt with open turns.

I read that as advice to not sweat the details.

It sounds like the OP is doing 3,000 meter workouts and a 750 meter race is a joke.

If they are currently doing flip turns, why should they do open turns?

A good flip turn does not create oxygen debt.

Keep it simple - go hard!

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Trust me I’m a doctor!
Well, I have a PhD :-)

Go have fun!

Practice your transitions in the garden.

Do it 20 times so it becomes something you can do without thinking, or dropping stuff or falling over..

You must be a real newbie to triathlon if you think this is true!


I also thought you were taking the piss as the most I'll train for a sprint is 1000-1200m swim (each sesh)... so if you're swimming for over an hour (at ~3km) well, surely you must be a good swimmer to be able to do that. Then I read your old posts and you mentioned sinking legs and breaking a lot. Can you elaborate on why you're swimming so long, so far but feel so unconfident in the pool?

Relax and enjoy your first tri. In my first triathlon, I swam the breaststroke the whole way, because I did not think I could do a crawl for the whole distance. Just get the swim done anyway you can, nice and easy. I road a mountain bike with knobby tires for my first bike leg, I just got it done. I did not own a road bike or a tri bike back then. Your first race is an experience, an experiment. You should not be putting pressure on yourself the first time through. That's my advice. By the way, that first tri for me was 10 years ago. I was hooked from then on, and it's become a big part of my life.

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"The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue."
- Napoleon Bonaparte

Hi Snail,

Thanks a lot for your response.

It is true. I had a major problem with my legs in the water. I just couldn't get my body in a pure horizontal position (to flow naturally) and with ease. Additionally, the sinking legs problem was mainly associated (as other members stated) with the head and chest position. However, with a lot of training, I've managed to overcome that issue partially.

Furthermore, I'm doing 2.5-3k swim in each session, including drills.
Sometimes I have a major problem with keeping up the tempo while breathing normally. Even though I breathe properly, at some point I'll get out breathe and I have to stop for moment. I'm afraid that when I swim, my legs (I don't kick a lot) will gradually sink which will decrease my speed and I will have to kick hard in order to get my body in a flat horizontal position, which will waste my oxygen.
I have a zero experience with triathlon and I don't know what will happen in the pool, since there will be a lot of people swimming in the same lane.

Ah ok that clarifies things a lot for me - thanks for the response. What type of drills are you doing? Re: breathing, I noticed you mentioned breathing on one side in your old posts... do you still do this? When do you breathe (every 2, 4, 6 stroke? Or odd numbers if you breathe bilateral?) Do you hold your breath when you're swimming?

Some people can swim very well with minimal kick but I know that I need to kick to actually propel myself... I'm not a coach by any means but perhaps try a handful of sessions where you're kicking a bit more and see if you still have the sinking leg issue? Also, I have found for myself that if I lift my head up instead of to the side when I'm breathing - my lower body sinks. So when I tilt my head to breathe, I always make sure that my other ear is submerged (a tip I got from a swim coach) and not out of the water.

I've never done a pool tri before so unfort I can't give much advice re: the environment in the pool - but I'm sure others would be more than happy to give you some pointers.

The swim, for many triathletes, is the most intimidating part of the race - so I can only suggest to take it easy when you start and to remember that you've done the training so you can certainly complete the distance. The swim can be more psychological than physical for some people and the most important thing I reckon, aside from doing the proper training which seems like you've done - is to feel confident in your abilities.

Are you sure the swim is 750m in the pool? I know of several pool swim tris, the longest swim for any of them is 400m using a 50m pool and turn buoys for sort of an open water like swim... snaking back and forth.

But no, swimming in a pool isn't hard or impossible. I staff with a race company and I see people regularly get through pool and open water swims with little to no training or swimming ability. I don't recommend that but people get through it, pool swims especially.

buwahahahaha

most triathletes are hydrophobic twits that only train in the pool enough to not drown while obsessing over the aerodynamic benefits of a 3 degree movement in their pinky finger position on the bike. (there are of course , lots of exceptions to this statement, it mainly refers to most of the triathletes I know personally)

anyway, looks like you're getting some good advice from others, that line just made me laugh this morning. Thanks.

Do the 1st 50 “fly” to intimidate the rest of the racers.

750 is nothing if you regularly do 3k.

You're confused - You must mean they are good cyclists

I've done many Sprint Tris in the pool and I wonder how they can manage to have 750m swim in the pool???????
The longest I've seen is 350m. As most of us know, you usually swim zig zag/snake pattern crossing the line.

Here's my advice.
1. Get there early and rack your bike in the good spot. If you get there late, space can be so tight!! See where is swim out, bike out & in, run out and finish line.
2. Put a bright color t-shirt or towel somewhere by the bike, so you can spot your rack easily. After the swim, you might be a little disoriented and empty transition area will look different.
3. When you jump in the water, hold your goggles. You can dive, so you usually jump straight down. I use anti-fog for my goggles and it helps.
4. Don't carry too much water on your bike. It's just extra weight you don't need. Carry just about right amount.
5. Don't drink too much before you get off the bike. You might get a stitch.
6. Put your stuff in order, so you can wear them easily. Take off swim goggles, swim cap, ear plugs(if you use them). Put on socks, cleats, helmet and sunglasses and take off! There are mount and dismount line for the bike, so go out there check where they are.
7. When you get off the bike, your legs might be jelly, so be ready. I almost collapsed in my first Sprint Tri because I went hard on the bike.
8. You can get a cramp, so try HotShot, Crampsaway, mustard or pickle juice when you train. I know it's a short race, but sometimes you push yourself more than before because you don't want other people to pass you.
9. Rack your bike, take off helmet cleats and put on running shoes, race number, hat and go out for the run.

Sprint Tri is so competitive. If you are 20 sec faster, you can beat like 5 people easily, so try to do everything efficiently and fast.
It's a fun race and I really enjoy Sprint Tris.

I'm not going to give specific swim advice, rather just more general stuff.

1) anxiety and nerves are normal. Everyone gets them, and they're a good thing. It shows that you care. The trick is to manage those nerves.

2) if you haven't already, establish a routine that you do every time you get in the water. Do it before practice, every day. then do it before the race. It can be anything, as long as it helps you focus and gets you in a race ready state.

3) simplify. part of the routine's purpose is to clear your mind of extraneous crap and focus on one thing. Breathe.

4) the one thing you focus on needs to be controllable by you, then and there.

5) remember all the training you've done. You're prepared. Now just execute. Don't think too much, don't TRY, just DO.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueFo1OuXGpc

Buschhütten, last weekend. Won by Jan Frodeno and Laura Philipp. 1000m swim. No snake pattern here in Germany, just up and down the pool, up and down, up and down...

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Greetings from the German Wine Route,
Roland

Hi Xeon,

Yes, the swim is 750m. I'm positive. Followed by 20k bike and 5k run. Since you say people get through it with little or no training at all, I'll give my best to preform well on the swimming part.
Thanks a lot for your response.