Pool vs. open water

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi STers!

I’m new to racing triathlons, did one sprint last year, but have been training for over two years though. I would like to get a clue about what to expect from my swim.

My goal times are 22.30 for an Oly and round 30 for HIM. Considering I can do these times rather comfortably at training in an LCM pool, is it fair to expect that I could do it in a race with a wet suit?

I do wanna avoid coming up out of the water, looking at the clock showing 26 min, panicing, frying myself on the bike and hit the wall on the run. Last years race was a 400 m swim and I expected to do six minutes tops, but was well over 7. Much due to the zig-zaging my way through 60 degree water with only a pair of speedos on me. I hadn’t been training any open water swimming at all so my navigating skills where non existing. That has been taken care of, but what I’m concerned about is How much slower you are without kicking off the wall in the pool and how much the wetsuit buoyancy thing will compensate this.

I hope some people with experience are willing to share their findings on this matter.

Johan

2

I was +5 minutes from pool time to lake time in the WF.

3

It’s hard to compare pool times to open water races. Depending on the race course it may not be measured accurately, for example one year I swam 53 minutes at the Great Floridian and I typically swim 1:25-1:35/100 in SCY (not send off time pace of actual 100). Measured a little short wouldn’t you say? Other factors to be considered the black line in the pool, turns in the pool, potential currents, ability to draft…

4

Don’t worry about it if you swim is slower than you expect. It’s hard to measure a swim course in open water very accurately unless it is a point to point course. Even then, it’s very possible to mess it up. Besides, there is nothing that you can do about your swim once it’s done. Just get to T1, get on the bike and then try to follow your plan from there.