For the safety of all, can we have all slow swimmers move to the outside of the course (inside is ok, let’s just agree). For their safety and the safety of all it would be nice to agree. There will be slower swimmers in other waves. Cyclist have to move to the right if they are slower, why not a similar rule (ok, not a rule with penalties) for swimmers. If you are breast stoking after 100 yards- get out of the way. Lets pick the side with paddle boarders. Slow swimmers are on the outside.
I hate official rules with penalties. Race directors! Just get the word out at the beginning of each race, move to the outside.
This would eliminate some of the complaints about which wave you are in.
If you have a better idea, I would love to hear it.
I unfortunately don’t think that people have enough directional control in the water to practically do this in a race. I think the least interrupted swims I’ve ever had have been TT starts. One person goes off every 3 seconds. You barely ever run into the back of a huge pack of breaststrokers since everyone is spread out on the swim course. Not sure this can or should be implemented in very large races but I don’t know why more races don’t do it.
For the safety of all, can we have all slow swimmers move to the outside of the course (inside is ok, let’s just agree). For their safety and the safety of all it would be nice to agree. There will be slower swimmers in other waves. Cyclist have to move to the right if they are slower, why not a similar rule (ok, not a rule with penalties) for swimmers. If you are breast stoking after 100 yards- get out of the way. Lets pick the side with paddle boarders. Slow swimmers are on the outside.
I hate official rules with penalties. Race directors! Just get the word out at the beginning of each race, move to the outside.
This would eliminate some of the complaints about which wave you are in.
If you have a better idea, I would love to hear it.
So…you want to penalize someone that is slower (or having a bad swim, or…) by making them swim longer distances? Maybe we should assign you an escort boat so you can motor through unimpeded in its draft. Or we could have a second marked swim course, and if you don’t meet a certain time standard you get to swim the B course.
John
If you have a better idea, I would love to hear it.
Duathlon.
Define “slow”. Are you going to generalize by saying 2:00/100M is slow? What if you’re in an older AG where my slow produces the fastest time in their AG for an older athlete.
And what about mass starts or the rolling starts that were implemented at some races last year, where you got to essentially seed yourself? Seems like the recent Tri Mag interview with Messick indicated that was a general success from those polled.
Define “slow”. Are you going to generalize by saying 2:00/100M is slow? What if you’re in an older AG where my slow produces the fastest time in their AG for an older athlete.
And what about mass starts or the rolling starts that were implemented at some races last year, where you got to essentially seed yourself? Seems like the recent Tri Mag interview with Messick indicated that was a general success from those polled.
Works in road running all the time. Doesn’t matter if you’re 16 or 60, if you run a 6:30 mile pace, you’re in corral 6. Or whatever.
John
I would not want to penalize them. I am not thinking they swim 50 yards outside. How about ten yards?
OR we let them have the inside, near the buoys. I do not want for them to get ran over by faster swimmers and I do not want to have to swim around and/or get kicked (breaststrokers) by a group of 3 abreast breastrokers. Give the slower swimmers a safer place, relieve their anxiety.
How slow? We know when others waves are passing us. Like in cycling, let faster swimmer choose a line.
Yes, it is idealistic, but if it were a general rule, we could improve safety.
I do not want to have to swim around and/or get kicked (breaststrokers) by a group of 3 abreast breastrokers.
Unless the race has wave starts, it would be rare for a breaststroker (or 3) to get ahead of anyone doing free. If the breaststroker is from a wave ahead of you, then swimming to the outside won’t help as there will still be a cluster at the buoys. I wouldn’t mind if excessive breaststroking was illegal.
Like in cycling, let faster swimmer choose a line.
The faster swimmer does choose the line and the line goes around the slower swimmers in front of him. The slower swimmer can’t detect someone coming from behind and then move out of their way as you can in cycling.
I would not want to penalize them. I am not thinking they swim 50 yards outside. How about ten yards?
OR we let them have the inside, near the buoys. I do not want for them to get ran over by faster swimmers and I do not want to have to swim around and/or get kicked (breaststrokers) by a group of 3 abreast breastrokers. Give the slower swimmers a safer place, relieve their anxiety.
How slow? We know when others waves are passing us. Like in cycling, let faster swimmer choose a line.
Yes, it is idealistic, but if it were a general rule, we could improve safety.
You’re trying to legislate stupidity which never works. FWIW, I’ve never seen “3 abreast breaststrokers”. Likewise, I’ve been in triathlons off and on since 1985, and have yet to be kicked by someone doing breaststroke. I’ve been mauled more often by freestylers than anything.
John
We can’t even get them to stay right on the bike!
I don’t like this one bit. As somebody with a history of swimming and palying H2O polo, I can say that there are few things that bring me more joy in this sport than motoring over people in the swim.
I too played water polo. I have swam over the slow swimmers when they converge in front of what I thought was a good line. I do not like doing that to anyone.
I do not want to legislate. I want they idea out there so slower swimmer are safer.
Oceanside, two weeks ago, I had a early/mid wave start and had 3 buddies breaststroking and chatting away ahead of me. Thought there was room inbetween two of them, they closed the hole and I got kicked in the throat. No big deal, I played water polo, but why not try to share this idea and make it safer for all.
Yes, it may never happen, but why not encourage the idea at races? If the race director said before the race, “Hey, if you are a slower swimmer, move outside?”
Yes, seeding races by swim times would help too.
I would not want to penalize them. I am not thinking they swim 50 yards outside. How about ten yards?
OR we let them have the inside, near the buoys. I do not want for them to get ran over by faster swimmers and I do not want to have to swim around and/or get kicked (breaststrokers) by a group of 3 abreast breastrokers. Give the slower swimmers a safer place, relieve their anxiety.
How slow? We know when others waves are passing us. Like in cycling, let faster swimmer choose a line.
Yes, it is idealistic, but if it were a general rule, we could improve safety.
You’re trying to legislate stupidity which never works. FWIW, I’ve never seen “3 abreast breaststrokers”. Likewise, I’ve been in triathlons off and on since 1985, and have yet to be kicked by someone doing breaststroke. I’ve been mauled more often by freestylers than anything.
John
For what it’s worth, I have been kicked by breaststrokers.
**If the race director said before the race, “Hey, if you are a slower swimmer, move outside?” **
I don’t think that would completely solve the problem either. The few races I have done that allow self seeding a lot of people WAY over estimated their swimming ability.
You are awesome. Feel better now?
If you have a better idea, I would love to hear it.
Duathlon.
“Swimming is for the birds” - Kenny Souza
I unfortunately don’t think that people have enough directional control in the water to practically do this in a race. I think the least interrupted swims I’ve ever had have been TT starts. One person goes off every 3 seconds. You barely ever run into the back of a huge pack of breaststrokers since everyone is spread out on the swim course. Not sure this can or should be implemented in very large races but I don’t know why more races don’t do it.
I respectfully disagree. They did a TT start at Lifetime Miami a few weeks ago and the whole course was clogged up. I got kicked in the face three times and had to stop each time to put my goggles back on (fwiw, it was choppy so you couldn’t really see someone until you were on top of them).
Kenny would say that. Then he would race duathlons in Speedo’s.
You are awesome. Feel better now?
Yup.
Sounds to me like someone is a slow swimmer who has been swam over.