This article appeared in Triathlete Magazine a while ago. You might be interested in reading it. FIRST RACE OF THE SEASON
It's April and you're gearing up for your first open water race of the season. Just the thought of it gives you goose bumps.
Some questions and doubts are always present as the season opens. Am I prepared? Have I trained hard enough? Can I finish the swim in the open water? Will I get beaten up at the mass start? How cold will the water be? Should I wear a wet suit? What will the strength and direction of the current be?
The first race will tell you a great deal about how well you have trained up to this point. But remember, it is not the end, only a beginning!
Here are my recommendations for a successful first race. The most important factor is to familiarize yourself with all of the race. Familiarity leads to calmness; the race is not a time to try something new.
1. Make sure you can first swim the race distance. Remember, there are no walls or lane lines in an open water swim. You cannot stop to rest in the middle of the swim. If at all possible, do an open water swim as part of your training.
2. Choose the right wetsuit. Neoprene skinsuits are now referred to as speedsuits because they do help you swim faster. You float like a cork and stay toasty warm in one. If you have a poor kick and don't float well, you'll feel like you're wearing three pull buoys when you're in a speedsuit.
There are some drawbacks however. If the water temperature is fairly warm a wetsuit can cause you to overheat and experience heat exhaustion. Wetsuits also are made to be worn snugly and if you plan to wear one you will notice some constriction in your chest area. For a beginner, this tightness may add to a feeling of anxiety at the beginning a race. Be able to tell the difference between anxiety and constriction. Practice swimming with your wetsuit in the pool first. Be aware of any abrasion under the armpits or behind the neck and lubricate (use Pam spray, not vasoline)these areas before you start the race. Check the ease or difficulty with which your suit comes off (spray lower legs with Pam) at the transition.
3. Go to the race site a day early. Check the water temperature. Put on your race gear (goggles first, then cap) and go into the water. Make the water a friendly place - play in it! Go for a short swim. Adjust cap, goggles and wetsuit if you plan to use one.
4. Race day. Notice the wind direction. Wind causes waves. If possible rotate your head to the opposite side for calmer water when breathing. NOTE - When you take a breath on the left you should be looking between 10:00 and 12:00, and on the right, you should breathe between 12:00 and 2:00. You will be able to sight markers with every stroke cycle and never veer of course because you will have constant directional feedback.
The start - We know from geometry that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. But sometimes that line is blocked by hundreds of people. If you are an inexperienced swimmer you might get freaked out by people kicking, punching and climbing over you while trying to get started. You might remain calmer by moving to the outside and giving up a few initial seconds. You will catch these people later because you will not have incurred a massive oxygen debt fighting for your life at the beginning.
If you are an experienced swimmer, make your way to where the faster swimmers are lined up. Go with them at the start. Catch their draft (it is legal). A little extra energy used at the beginning will be compensated for by drafting off a fast swimmer throughout the rest of the race.
Workouts to help you prepare for a 1.5K event.
The main set is called "beat the segments." The purpose of this set is to give you a feeling of easing into the swim by building your pace as the segments get shorter. It allows you to finish strongly. Warm up as usual. Go through your progressive set to see how you feel. Next, the set. It is 2,100 yards in length and looks like this: 600 - 500 - 400 - 300 - 200 - 100. There is a 30 second R.I. (rest interval) between each segment. As the segments get shorter, the pace increases. Finish with some drills and then 6 - 8 sprints. Look at the far corners of the pool as if you were sighting a maker buoys.
Another variation of this set is the ladder swim. Swim a 50 - 100 - 150 - 200. Start with a pace which you want to hold for a 200. Let's say 2:40. This time breaks down to 40 seconds per 50 yards. When you swim your first 50 yards, you should hit 40 sec., 100 yards should be 1:20, 150 yards should be 2:00 and then the 200 yards will be 2:40. This set lasts for 500 yards and can be repeated many times. The R.I. gets longer as the distance gets longer. A typical R.I. would be 10 seconds at the 50, 20 seconds at the 100, 30 seconds at the 150 and 60 seconds after the 200 to prepare you to start the set again.
Continue to monitor your stroke by doing drills throughout the season. No matter how well conditioned you are, if your technique is poor the water will beat you. The shortest distance between marker buoys is a straight line. An open water race is no time to practice writing your name in the water.
Good luck on your first race. I hope these suggestions have helped you prepare for your event.
Call for Highland Triathon application May 21, 2005
Come practice your technique at my Open Water Swim Camps in May and June in Upstate New York. E-mail DWRSWIM@nyc.rr.com. Phone (212) 22 0720 Fax (212) 222 0924
DougStern
It's April and you're gearing up for your first open water race of the season. Just the thought of it gives you goose bumps.
Some questions and doubts are always present as the season opens. Am I prepared? Have I trained hard enough? Can I finish the swim in the open water? Will I get beaten up at the mass start? How cold will the water be? Should I wear a wet suit? What will the strength and direction of the current be?
The first race will tell you a great deal about how well you have trained up to this point. But remember, it is not the end, only a beginning!
Here are my recommendations for a successful first race. The most important factor is to familiarize yourself with all of the race. Familiarity leads to calmness; the race is not a time to try something new.
1. Make sure you can first swim the race distance. Remember, there are no walls or lane lines in an open water swim. You cannot stop to rest in the middle of the swim. If at all possible, do an open water swim as part of your training.
2. Choose the right wetsuit. Neoprene skinsuits are now referred to as speedsuits because they do help you swim faster. You float like a cork and stay toasty warm in one. If you have a poor kick and don't float well, you'll feel like you're wearing three pull buoys when you're in a speedsuit.
There are some drawbacks however. If the water temperature is fairly warm a wetsuit can cause you to overheat and experience heat exhaustion. Wetsuits also are made to be worn snugly and if you plan to wear one you will notice some constriction in your chest area. For a beginner, this tightness may add to a feeling of anxiety at the beginning a race. Be able to tell the difference between anxiety and constriction. Practice swimming with your wetsuit in the pool first. Be aware of any abrasion under the armpits or behind the neck and lubricate (use Pam spray, not vasoline)these areas before you start the race. Check the ease or difficulty with which your suit comes off (spray lower legs with Pam) at the transition.
3. Go to the race site a day early. Check the water temperature. Put on your race gear (goggles first, then cap) and go into the water. Make the water a friendly place - play in it! Go for a short swim. Adjust cap, goggles and wetsuit if you plan to use one.
4. Race day. Notice the wind direction. Wind causes waves. If possible rotate your head to the opposite side for calmer water when breathing. NOTE - When you take a breath on the left you should be looking between 10:00 and 12:00, and on the right, you should breathe between 12:00 and 2:00. You will be able to sight markers with every stroke cycle and never veer of course because you will have constant directional feedback.
The start - We know from geometry that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. But sometimes that line is blocked by hundreds of people. If you are an inexperienced swimmer you might get freaked out by people kicking, punching and climbing over you while trying to get started. You might remain calmer by moving to the outside and giving up a few initial seconds. You will catch these people later because you will not have incurred a massive oxygen debt fighting for your life at the beginning.
If you are an experienced swimmer, make your way to where the faster swimmers are lined up. Go with them at the start. Catch their draft (it is legal). A little extra energy used at the beginning will be compensated for by drafting off a fast swimmer throughout the rest of the race.
Workouts to help you prepare for a 1.5K event.
The main set is called "beat the segments." The purpose of this set is to give you a feeling of easing into the swim by building your pace as the segments get shorter. It allows you to finish strongly. Warm up as usual. Go through your progressive set to see how you feel. Next, the set. It is 2,100 yards in length and looks like this: 600 - 500 - 400 - 300 - 200 - 100. There is a 30 second R.I. (rest interval) between each segment. As the segments get shorter, the pace increases. Finish with some drills and then 6 - 8 sprints. Look at the far corners of the pool as if you were sighting a maker buoys.
Another variation of this set is the ladder swim. Swim a 50 - 100 - 150 - 200. Start with a pace which you want to hold for a 200. Let's say 2:40. This time breaks down to 40 seconds per 50 yards. When you swim your first 50 yards, you should hit 40 sec., 100 yards should be 1:20, 150 yards should be 2:00 and then the 200 yards will be 2:40. This set lasts for 500 yards and can be repeated many times. The R.I. gets longer as the distance gets longer. A typical R.I. would be 10 seconds at the 50, 20 seconds at the 100, 30 seconds at the 150 and 60 seconds after the 200 to prepare you to start the set again.
Continue to monitor your stroke by doing drills throughout the season. No matter how well conditioned you are, if your technique is poor the water will beat you. The shortest distance between marker buoys is a straight line. An open water race is no time to practice writing your name in the water.
Good luck on your first race. I hope these suggestions have helped you prepare for your event.
Call for Highland Triathon application May 21, 2005
Come practice your technique at my Open Water Swim Camps in May and June in Upstate New York. E-mail DWRSWIM@nyc.rr.com. Phone (212) 22 0720 Fax (212) 222 0924
DougStern