I'm flirting with the idea of training for either a sprint or Olympic triathlon and am currently trying to get a base in each discipline. I had no delusions that swimming would be easy but after going to the pool today I feel blown away with its difficulty. My real question is how discouraged should I be from my initial performance today.
Swimming 50m without stopping seemed to be just about my max. So I ended up just doing 25m at a time trying to focus on doing proper technique but even this felt very uncomfortable, short of breath etc. So for someone who has never taken swim or swam laps is this normal and how long would it take someone in my situation to develop the requisite amount of ability to start a tri training program?
This is what alarmed me the most the triathlon training programs I have looked at I can definitely perform the first week of suggested training for running and cycling but swimming has 2x200m sets that I can't perform and certainly not comfortably. Even the 100-200m warm up seems too hard if it is without rest because as I said even when I tried to do lengths at a very slow focused pace I had trouble. The slow pace made me feel as though I was sinking I think.
The book I am looking at has some base levels of ability before starting the program which for swimming is being able to swim for 20 minutes. I am assuming this means 20 minutes straight without rest which seems very difficult for me. So sorry for the long post but how long should it take me to improve to this level and what would be the best way to go about it? I have plenty of free time at the moment and can practice swimming as many days a week as is optimal. Any advice would be appreciated.
I'm looking to do some triathlons and what to get better with my swim stroke....
Way to go on digging up an old thread. But...IRT the tri swim...as a frequent tri participant for three decades I will tell you this. Keep doing whatever you're doing in the pool. But you need to get in the open water. Not necessarily for "workout's" per se...but just to acclimate yourself for what it's like swimming in open water. You might think it's no big deal, but for some swimmers it is. I've witnessed the the best high school and collegiate team swimmers go to swim in the open water and just freak out. Can't see the bottom, there are no lines to follow, aquatic creatures, plants, currents, weather. All of that can cause anxiety, fear, and paranoia. Maybe it won't be like that for you. But diving in at the start of your first tri is not the optimal time to discover if it is or isn't.
Good luck
Dan
I'm looking to do some triathlons and what to get better with my swim stroke....
Way to go on digging up an old thread. But...IRT the tri swim...as a frequent tri participant for three decades I will tell you this. Keep doing whatever you're doing in the pool. But you need to get in the open water. Not necessarily for "workout's" per se...but just to acclimate yourself for what it's like swimming in open water. You might think it's no big deal, but for some swimmers it is. I've witnessed the the best high school and collegiate team swimmers go to swim in the open water and just freak out. Can't see the bottom, there are no lines to follow, aquatic creatures, plants, currents, weather. All of that can cause anxiety, fear, and paranoia. Maybe it won't be like that for you. But diving in at the start of your first tri is not the optimal time to discover if it is or isn't.
Good luck
Dan
