Folks,
I'm debating whether to get into triathlon's and much is riding on how well I can re-acclimate to swimming. I swam competitively almost 30 years ago. That is the bad news. The good news is I have had 3 re-immersions, so-to-speak, since then (1982/1988/2000) and the stroke mechanics seem to come back after about 6 weeks. I've been an avid cyclist x 18 years and runner x 3 years so I'm still pretty fit for a 46 year old. Each time I went back in the pool I relied on pull bouys to improve my buoyancy (my kick was weak as a kid too). My questions:
1) should I go cold turkey and not even look at the pull buoys?
2) should I do distance as oppposed to sprint intervals?
3) back then, I was told to look forward during freestyle (waterline should be in middle of forehead), but it seems that hydrodynamics would favor looking down...am I wrong here?
P.S. back in the 70's, there were no hydophilic suits, backstroke did not allow a freestyle turn and the underwater portion of the fly could not go past the 5 yard marker. How times have changed.:frustrated:
Thanks.
Wayne, welcome to the Forums, and greetings from a fellow Metro-DC Area swimmer!
I have dabbled in Tri's, mostly sprint-distance, and I almost always come out of the pool top 10. However, I get passed a lot on the bike and destroyed on the run. So that leads me to believe you'd be better off focusing on the bike and run.
That being said, I also believe that swimming helps out your total fitness, as my fitness level due to swimming has allowed me to stay competitive through the bike and run, despite getting smoked the rest of the race by folks who know how to bike or run properly.
Like gull, I say ditch the bouy. I'd vote for a combination of faster (not necessarily sprint) swims combined with longer, aerobic swims, and mixing in the occasional IM in there as well. Variation will hold your attention better and keep you interested.
Also, if you're interested in working out with masters programs in the area, PM me and I will be happy to point you in the right direction!
Wayne, welcome to the Forums, and greetings from a fellow Metro-DC Area swimmer!
I have dabbled in Tri's, mostly sprint-distance, and I almost always come out of the pool top 10. However, I get passed a lot on the bike and destroyed on the run. So that leads me to believe you'd be better off focusing on the bike and run.
That being said, I also believe that swimming helps out your total fitness, as my fitness level due to swimming has allowed me to stay competitive through the bike and run, despite getting smoked the rest of the race by folks who know how to bike or run properly.
Like gull, I say ditch the bouy. I'd vote for a combination of faster (not necessarily sprint) swims combined with longer, aerobic swims, and mixing in the occasional IM in there as well. Variation will hold your attention better and keep you interested.
Also, if you're interested in working out with masters programs in the area, PM me and I will be happy to point you in the right direction!
