How much do triathlete need to learn about swimming?
Former Member
I do not mean this as a heartless criticism of triathletes. I actually enjoy the sport. But many of them start doing triathlons with almost no knowledge or experience in swimming. Here are a couple of choice comments to the thread I linked below. Thank goodness I knew how to ride a bike and run before I started doing tris - but not well. Give them credit for taking it on, but I do think they should learn to swim before entering one.
"The swim is short ( 150 yards ), and I can make it..not without stopping a couple of times at the end of the pool."
"A lot of pool sprints are so newbie friendly that they let you get through the water any way you can. I have seen people water walk the 300 meters in a pool swim in my area."
"My wife did an indoor tri a few months ago and I think 1/4 of the people walked the swim."
I recommended that the person do breaststroke.
www.beginnertriathlete.com/.../thread-view.asp
Parents
Former Member
So how would the tri community (which I still consider myself be a part of) react to someone who said the same about the bike leg - and not because they were 100 miles into the IM bike leg. People walking the bike leg . . . able to cycle 400 yards before they either got off or fell off . . . You get the picture. I think universally it would be suggested they learn how to ride before they enter a tri. Just saying.
So how would the tri community (which I still consider myself be a part of) react to someone who said the same about the bike leg - and not because they were 100 miles into the IM bike leg. People walking the bike leg . . . able to cycle 400 yards before they either got off or fell off . . . You get the picture. I think universally it would be suggested they learn how to ride before they enter a tri. Just saying.
