The organizer for the local sprint (250m open water swim, 15km bike, 2.5km run) just announced that they want to try a change for this summer’s race:
First run, then bike, and swim as the third leg.
Normally the water temeratures are between 65 and 70, but might be down to 60.
Wetsuits will never be mandatory (and nobody will spend time using them if it’s the last leg).
There are normally 150 competitors, with AG/Elite heats, making about 50 as the maximum heat size. Most competitors are “normal” fit people, a minor part is active triathletes.
What do you think of this regarding security?
Will emiminate most of the normal “fighting” in the water start - but jump into cold water after 30-45 minutes very intense run&bike?
Personally I’ve always found going into cold water much easier after doing a run and getting my pulse rate up (if the ocean is cold running a few kms along the beach always makes it far more bearable).
Of course there’s a MASSIVE difference between 60 and 70. Does the water seriously vary that much? Regardless, you’ll know well in advance. If it’s 65 or above I don’t think you’ll have any trouble, especially for a sprint (you’re only going to be in the water 5 minutes right?).
If you’re not used to it though, definitely advisable (read: essential if you’re not a strong swimmer) to practice and get your body used to that sort of transition.
What about possibillity for cramps, hearth attacs etc due sudden change in temperature.
People of “all” ages and fitness level will attend.
I agree that it’s nice with a swim after an training run - but this is a sprint competition where people enters the water exhausted and with close to max heart rate.
This is great fun. The triple T does it every year. Bike, swim, run oly distance. I love it. It makes for great entertainment when people cramp hard. Luckily, I’ve never had those problems. Water last year hovered around 55 degrees I think?? It was freaking cold.
Yeah, fair enough. I was approaching it from a “how will you be” point of view rather than a “is this increasing the overall risk for everyone” point of view.
If you’re intelligent about things and the water is 65 plus, I think you can do it no worries.
In general though, how intelligent are people?
So yeah, you’re absolutely right. This does increase the risk.
Never done a tri in reverse order, however two years ago I raced a 10k, got home earlier than expected, so I biked to swim practice. Made it about 2/3 of the way thru the practice before my hamstring and calf cramped up (which, in water is a fairly awkward experience).
That said, I did significantly more distance than 2.5k running/250 swimming before this happened.
kure beach sprint by set up is a swim, short run, bike, short run, swim…water is always warmer but was very rough the 2X i did the race, being a mid pack swimmer i never liked finishing with the swim but it had nothing to do with safety, just that I hate coming to the line in my worst discipline and having some of the closer competitors retake ground I gained running/biking at the end, usually finish this race more wiped out than if we finished with a run as well for some reason…
There’s an annual 4th of July 5K run/200M swim event here that’s older than Ironman, and I can’t think of anyone ever having serious problems with the format. (Though granted the water’s in the high 70s/low 80s by that time of year)
having been race director and helped organize several other races I cant really think of a good reason to move the swim to last. The only way I would do such a thing is if the race finished with a pool swim. A swim in a lake that has poor visibility with people who are already 9/10 of the way through a race is asking for trouble. This is asking an aweful lot from your lifeguard team to keep track of everyone with an increased chance of cramping and fatigue being issues. The only saving grace might be that the participants are spread out enough that it will be easier to devote more attention to them as they are swimming. The downside with having the participants spaced out is that it could be easier to have someone enter the water without being noticed by the safety crews. Pool swims are different since its much easier to view everyone in the pool.
I have always worked from the idea that people will do the most unbelievable things at races and as race director you have to try to make the race safe for everyone involved…even the really really stupid people. The other thing to consider is that the longer the race has been going on the more mental mistakes people make. The swim is the only part of the race that if you stop you die, which is why I feel it should be first unless every participant in the water can be accounted for at all times.
I think there are pros and cons from a safety standpoint. Having it last will have athletes more fatigued when they swim, yet for many people who went out too fast, they will have already reset their pace and recovered under their anaerobic threshold before starting to swim so that is not a clear problem.
It’s a short swim so that helps
The competitors will be quite spread out by the race before entering the water, so the safety personnel will have far fewer people to watch over at a given time.
When people start a triathlon in the water it’s quite possible that they reach heart levels much higher than they will at the end (I’m assuming they’ll pretty much settle in just over threshold having it last) because they weren’t properly warmed up or were too hyped up on adrenaline.
Frankly it could save lives. The few heart attack deaths last season might not have been fatalities if they had collapsed on the run in plain view of people and surrounded by oxygen rather than water.
I used to bike, then swim at the gym… then after a few tries, i switched the order. Calfs/hamstrings/stupid tendon at the bottom of your foot. everything cramps up. then every time you point your toe to kick, everythign locks. personally, not a fan of that.
hardly have i seen a clump of racers in the swim. if it happens, it’s a pool, what can really go wrong, just keep your eyes forward instead of down at the black line. head on head is never nice.
on a lighter note, as a spectator or having finished the race earlier than most competitors, it’s funny to watch people jump into the pool and cramp up. i know i shouldn’t laugh and point, but hamstrings and calves are the biggest culprits in addition to lack of preparation.