7 Tips On Surviving Your Tri Swim Start
There’s a certain training method for starting tri swim that’s always been dear to my heart…
But if you want some real tips, TriSwimCoach.com (who’d have thought?) comes through with this helpful list:
- Expect the worst. Go into the event expecting that the start will not be easy. Know that you will bump into people, others will bump into you, but 99% of the time it is all by accident. Also know that the chaos at the beginning will not last for the entire swim, it will break up quickly as different speed swimmers separate.
- Prepare. Learn the course before the gun goes off. There’s nothing worse than having to wonder which way to turn around the upcoming buoy.
- Don’t panic. Keep your breathing from getting short. Stay as relaxed as you can while everyone else tries to get pole position. Don’t let others being frantic affect your state of mind, and realize that 99% of the other swimmers are just trying to find some open water and are not out to hurt you!
- Stay to the outside. Many will try to stay to the inside, as close to in line with the first buoy as they can get. Don’t follow the pack. Start outside and work your way in as you approach buoy #1. You many not get perfectly clean water, but you will save yourself from much of the madness.
- Run until the water level is at your knees. This will maximize your time on land without being slowed by running through water.
- Use shorter strokes to get through the chop. If you are swimming in the ocean and it is a choppy day, this technique helps tremendously. Once you get to some smoother water, go back to long strokes to maximize efficiency and conserve energy.
- Practice. Swim in the open water often when you are preparing for a race that has an open water start. The more experience you can develop getting used to the conditions and variables in open water vs. pool swimming, the better off you will be mentally on race day.
7 Tips to Surviving the Triathlon Start
1 opinion for 7 Tips On Surviving Your Tri Swim Start
triahlete
Jan 28, 2008 at 8:44 am
One final tip is make sure that you can get your wetsuit off or all your good work will be undone..
Unfortunately, wetsuits feel differently when your heart is racing, you are dripping wet and a little bit disorientated than when you are in the shop or trying it on at home
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