Are Triathletes worth the dues they pay toward Masters Swimming?
I say we force all Triathletes to spend one day a week in the sprint lane, one day a week doing stroke (i.e. IM) work, and then make them focus on their starts and turns.
This invasion needs to be controlled.... :-)
John Smith
:)
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by gull80
Why do you suppose the swim portion of a tri is the shortest segment and always comes first?
A couple of reasons. The first is the one you were after. Triathletes as a whole are not great swimmers, particularly in the sprint distance races. As you might imagine, many have a background in just one sport, mostly runners who are picking up cycling and swimming. For most of them, a 500 to 800 yard swim is more than enough of a challenge.
The second reason is also a practical one. The swim course takes the most volunteers, costs the most to keep open with paid lifeguards, and is the most dangerous if a particpant gets in trouble. If it was the second or third event, participants would be much more spread out, harder to track, and the swim course would have to be maintained longer.
When you move up in distance, say to olympic, 1/2 Iron, or Ironman distance, the average swimming skill improves, but the second reason becomes the overriding factor.
Originally posted by gull80
Why do you suppose the swim portion of a tri is the shortest segment and always comes first?
A couple of reasons. The first is the one you were after. Triathletes as a whole are not great swimmers, particularly in the sprint distance races. As you might imagine, many have a background in just one sport, mostly runners who are picking up cycling and swimming. For most of them, a 500 to 800 yard swim is more than enough of a challenge.
The second reason is also a practical one. The swim course takes the most volunteers, costs the most to keep open with paid lifeguards, and is the most dangerous if a particpant gets in trouble. If it was the second or third event, participants would be much more spread out, harder to track, and the swim course would have to be maintained longer.
When you move up in distance, say to olympic, 1/2 Iron, or Ironman distance, the average swimming skill improves, but the second reason becomes the overriding factor.
