I know there are several tips out there in different threads, but I’ve got my first HIM this weekend and was looking for tips on dealing with the crowds in the water. I’m happy with my swim times, but this is my first year in Tri’s and my warm up race had the swim cancelled. My only other swim was a disaster because I didn’t know how to deal with all the people. I would hit someone’s feet and decide I better pass them, spend a bunch of energy doing that, only to have someone else crawl over my back.
So - what I’m looking for are tips for things like:
When people are hitting my feet, I assume I just keep swimming my race, right?If I’m coming up on someone else’s feet at my normal pace, what’s the best way to proceed? Draft a bit? Pass? I’ve even been told just to swim through/over and let them deal with it.How many strokes between sighting? (I swam 1/4 mile long in my only other swim)How long before the race spreads out a bit?Best places for me to head out (beach start)? Outside of the group in the MOP (~1:30 scy pool times for 2500 straight - yes i did 2500 straight to help build my confidence)
You’ll be fine. I swim pretty much your pace in the pool.
The only advice I have - take it easy at the start. You may feel the urge to fight for position or keep up with the scrum, but it will be a huge waste of energy as you’re not going to be way out front. Try your best to find clear water, but don’t work hard doing it.
I guarantee after about 5-10 minutes, you WILL find clear water, and only then should you start to exert race effort. That way you wont’ have wasted a ton of energy oversighting and trying to avoid collisions early on. Also, you’ll keep your HR down which is key for the long day.
Sighting will be whatever’s required. If it’s calm flat conditions and you have good fellow swimmers, you may barely have to sight. If there’s a current, or it’s a zoo out there, you may end up sighting every other stroke for awhile until you get oriented.
When people are hitting my feet, I assume I just keep swimming my race, right? Yes, keep your comfortIf I’m coming up on someone else’s feet at my normal pace, what’s the best way to proceed? Draft a bit? Pass? I’ve even been told just to swim through/over and let them deal with it. Draft if you can, otherwise adjust and go around. Do not go over as it’s not cool, not as easy as i may seem and again it’s not coolHow many strokes between sighting? (I swam 1/4 mile long in my only other swim) Whatever is comfortable to you. I don’t do sight at the same interval. I do it when I am comfortableHow long before the race spreads out a bit? Not too long. Just keep swimmingBest places for me to head out (beach start)? Outside of the group in the MOP (~1:30 scy pool times for 2500 straight - yes i did 2500 straight to help build my confidence) I like to go to the outside and front/middle when I am in group swim. I am MOP or a little back in the swim and don’t rush in if I can help it. You’ll make up the time on the bike.
Short of it is, just enjoy the swim as much as you can. 70.3 is a good distance and the swim once over will seem easy. Until then, just keep swimming. Good luck!
Get on the far side whatever that is. If the race goes out to a buoy and turns RIGHT, then you start on the far LEFT of the group. Don’t aim directly for the buoy. Aim for a spot about 5 yards outside (to the left) of the buoy.
You will end up swimming just a few yards farther than others but it will be more than made up for by the fact that you won’t be fighting a crowd.
When you are standing at the start and picking that spot (the one about 5 yards away from the first buoy), see if you can spot some sort of land feature that is directly over it on the far shore. Or maybe some boat that’s just outside of it. Some point of reference that is a lot taller than a buoy. You can even use the Sun if that’s within view. That point of reference will make sighting a lot easier than using the buoy itself.
Whoever told you to swim over someone else and let them deal with it is a douchebag
Ha - well, I don’t want to misquote him. I was referencing my first swim and how someone climbed over me and pulled me under. His response was more in the lines of 'It probably wasn’t intentional. If you’re in that situation you just have to swim your race and if it happens don’t let it get to you, just keep going". He then referenced people hanging onto his calf during a race and not letting go, which terrified me even more.
Best tip I’ve ever gotten: start on the side you prefer to breathe to.
Curious why? I breathe to the right (buoys will be on right). Is it to eliminate seeing everyone and the chaos? I’d think if be pinned inside with faster swimmers?
Just swim your own race. Don’t worry about trying to pass too many people/what others are doing around you.
If people are touching your feet, let them. Usually someone will touch your feet a couple times, then settle in to draft off you, or pass you, or fall back. If they are aggressively hitting you further up your leg, like at the calf, just kick a little harder and they will get the message.
If you are touching someone else’s feet constantly and they are slowing you down, just pull around them, but don’t sprint. Take your time in passing them, because guess what, there will just be another few hundred people ahead of them.
I like swimming on the outside shoulder of the pack. You can still draft, but it’s spread out enough that you have clear breathing to one side and it’s easy to move up or down the pack as you need to. I never feel “trapped” swimming close the shoulder of the pack.
Best tip I’ve ever gotten: start on the side you prefer to breathe to.
Curious why? I breathe to the right (buoys will be on right). Is it to eliminate seeing everyone and the chaos? I’d think if be pinned inside with faster swimmers?
At the start it will make it a bit easier to breathe and, for me personally, it’s nice to have one side “open”. I’ve done it in my last two races and felt much better. Not sure what sort of pace you swim at but things tend to thin out after the first few hundred meters.
Best tip I’ve ever gotten: start on the side you prefer to breathe to.
I have trained myself to be able to breathe on either side equally. I know when I start a swim I go out hard, breathing 1-1. I always try to start on the right side of swims
for some reason. But with my 1-1, and I can what is happening quickly on either side. No idea how this tip really makes any difference in a swim.
This is my first year in tris and completed a few olympic swims and 1 HIM swim.
Start swimming as early as you can and swim as far as you can at the end. If you end up beaching yourself, that’s a good thing.
As for drafting—it’s a great idea if you can do it but in my experience, it’s hard to find someone exactly your speed to draft off of in a race. I usually just swim past people or have others pass me.
How quickly the race spreads out depends on the race. In a point to point race, it doesn’t really spread out much.
I sight every three or four breaths – otherwise I get dizzy.
Agree with what others have said about taking it easy at the start and swim your own race. Everyone is going to be amped for the start and it’s SO easy to over do it. Two things that have helped me:
Do a swim warm up. I spend about 10 to 20 minutes warming up regardless of the distance. Helps me to shake out that nervous energy and adjust the fit of my wetsuit and goggles.I start at the back of the pack of my age group. When I used to start near the front, it created too much stress to try and hang with the main group. Now at the back, I let everyone take off redlining it, and ease into MY pace. Within 15 minutes, I’m in a great rhythm and start passing people. Though my goal is not to pass people, but swim my own race.
If you line up on the inside, it is allowed to swim inside the bouyes as long as you come in to go around the bouyes…That make sense. At swimming a straight 1:30 for 2500 in the pool you will be clear in 300 - 400 yrds if you do not sprint the start and hyperventilate. You will be in the top 10%