I'm forever hearing, "I just need to get through the swim." It is kind of like the guy that excels in fly, back, and free and wants to swim a fast I.M., yet never trains breaststroke. He thinks, "I'll just have to get through the breaststroke."
So, think of folks showing up to swim USMS open water swims like breaststrokers showing up to swim breaststroke, and think of triathlons like a swimmer showing up to swim an I.M. who hasn't done any training for breaststroke.
Still think a qualification process instead of a certification process would be the way to go.
"Don't hit me with the rollin-pin Elise" nailed it!
It used to be kinda ok for triathletes to be lousy swimmers when the race numbers were small. And most people who tackled triathlon still held a decent level of fitness and "athleticism".
In the old days of swimming IM races, a swimmer could kinda get by with a sub-par breaststroke and still win.
Neither applies now.
Lochte and Phelps had to work on their breaststrokes.
IMers have to be stroke specialists and be able to race at world level in all strokes to be the best in the IM.
The top professional triathletes rarely finish way back in the pack on the swim leg any longer.
If they swim off the back, they often pay dearly on the bike and have to lay down an amazing run to pass the earlier leaders.
What spectators generally don't see is the level of burnout, single race careers, and injuries that occur when a triathlete neglects training for the swim.
BRAVE and BOLD are two completely different qualities.
I like my athletes brave - and I'm sorry to admit I have been described as bold!
I'm forever hearing, "I just need to get through the swim." It is kind of like the guy that excels in fly, back, and free and wants to swim a fast I.M., yet never trains breaststroke. He thinks, "I'll just have to get through the breaststroke."
So, think of folks showing up to swim USMS open water swims like breaststrokers showing up to swim breaststroke, and think of triathlons like a swimmer showing up to swim an I.M. who hasn't done any training for breaststroke.
Still think a qualification process instead of a certification process would be the way to go.
"Don't hit me with the rollin-pin Elise" nailed it!
It used to be kinda ok for triathletes to be lousy swimmers when the race numbers were small. And most people who tackled triathlon still held a decent level of fitness and "athleticism".
In the old days of swimming IM races, a swimmer could kinda get by with a sub-par breaststroke and still win.
Neither applies now.
Lochte and Phelps had to work on their breaststrokes.
IMers have to be stroke specialists and be able to race at world level in all strokes to be the best in the IM.
The top professional triathletes rarely finish way back in the pack on the swim leg any longer.
If they swim off the back, they often pay dearly on the bike and have to lay down an amazing run to pass the earlier leaders.
What spectators generally don't see is the level of burnout, single race careers, and injuries that occur when a triathlete neglects training for the swim.
BRAVE and BOLD are two completely different qualities.
I like my athletes brave - and I'm sorry to admit I have been described as bold!
