I’ve come from a running/cycling background and have decided to branch into Tri’s, so picked up swimming training 6 months or so ago. Having swum in a squad as a kid (18 years ago), I was shocked to discover that in the pool I was unable to even complete 50m straight.
Fast forward 6 months of perseverance and I’m now doing 1300m speed/technique sessions in the pool, but the longest continual distance I can manage is 200m. I tire quickly and struggle aerobically. Pool swimming makes me tense and I have to continually tell myself to relax, slow my kick down (instead of furiously kicking to stay afloat).
In stark contrast, I can swim 1500m OWS in a wetsuit with 1m swell and chop yet walk out feeling fresh as a daisy. OWS is fun, interesting, relaxing and I can get into a rhythm.
Speed is comparable between the two, probably slightly faster in OWS (much slower kick rate).
I’m trying to do some reading on this and work out how I can convert my OWS into better performance in the pool - yet everything I find says that people struggle with OWS and love the pool (weirdos). So I’m reaching out to see if anyone else out there has had a similar experience and how they solved it. Im suspecting poor technique that is “solved” by wearing a wetty, lifting my legs and reducing drag.
(Conversely, The Girl is an awesome swimmer in the pool but shocking in OWS).
Your suspicion is likely correct. Wetsuits help poorly conditioned swimmers or swimmers with poor technique (or a combo) more than they help good swimmers.
Do more kick sets, spend more time in the pool (keep persevering), and maybe get a coach to take a look. I’m sure the fish will chime in as well.
I empathize. Swam competitively as a kid too and so when I get in a pool, it’s race time. Fortunately I swam longer distances, but still anything over 500m in a pool and I need a break. OWS is fun and so I frolic about…in and out of a wetsuit. I don’t think about distance and can go further and faster.
The best I can do is just think of both as “pools”. One just happens to be a touch longer than the other, but when I’m in OWS, I try to think of pool conditions (lap lanes, etc.) and in a pool, I try to think of all of the fun of OW. The mental trickery sorta helps.
Also, I spend my pool workouts as time to work on technique and drills. Whereas OW is stamina and distance.
P.S. I’m also a faster runner outdoors than on a treadmill, but I don’t think anyone would suggest I spend more time working on my treadmill run technique.
This was my first year in tri’s. Started training last December, all pool swimming. Got a wetsuit and started OWS with it towards the end of May. 1st race was mid-June. Week before the race, did my first OWS without a wetsuit and was about 15% slower with the same (perceived) effort. Few days later put the wetsuit on and was back to normal speed with the same exertion.
Having said that, it’s very technique dependent. I’ve never been a terrific swimmer and never raced, but I still swim towards the FOP for my AG and my technique is pretty good IMHO.
Try doing an OWS with it, and then without it a few days later and see what happens.
It’s the wetsuit. Especially if kicking is a problem for you then the wetsuit is helping you with that. A wetsuit allows a swimmer to kick easier as well as kind of correcting technique. Plus in general it’s just helping you float.