In the US, almost all short course pools built before the early 1980s were 25 yards but starting about then, most new outdoor or municipal pools are in meters. But, yards is still the norm for the winter/college/indoor competition season so there are still plenty of 25 yd pools around and colleges with 50m pools generally build them so they are 25 yards wide and/or have bulkheads so they can also run short course meets in yards. The NCAA championships for example are still done in yards.
We’ve always done long course (50m) in meters but many areas on the US are pretty short on municipal/pubic long course pools as the climate in much of the US makes them hard/impossible to use for half the year if they are outdoors and indoor 50m pools are relatively expensive.
They’re fun. I used to swim faster in pools than open water because of them. Not sure how much they carry over to triathlon but they’re good to know. More continuous swim workouts without the mini breaks every lap. Also they just look cool.
This thread is making me want to start swimming again.
I’m planning on getting in at least one open water swim per week once Tahoe becomes a bit less frigid. Great excuse to plan a family beach day and get used to swimming in uncontrolled circumstances.
As of now, open water swimming seems pretty terrifying, so I’m looking forward to breaking down that fear.
Its really just technique and the years i spent swimming growing up. Its a nice advantage but its instantly erased when i get caught in the run. Its fun being out front in the swim and bike but can be so disheartening when people just start reeling me in on the run…
My wife let me go to my college friends bachelor party one week after our second child. It was in montreal and i promised i would be gone for less than 24 hours. Customs immediately got alarmed when i was coming back through within 24 hours with no luggage but laughed when i showed them texts of my wife and baby.
That was 7 years ago and she still reminds me i owe her.
It’s good to practice in the pool, I can’t really describe the technique (maybe one of our resident fishies can) but I found the key to be a quick forward glance whilst mid glide, as if your hand were on a kickboard.
Apologies if this classes as the mansplaining you’ve talked about on the pod.
There was a terrific video of one of the Aussie open water swimmers on YouTube but I’m struggling to find the right one.
Not at all! I find it helpful
This morning during my warmup set I placed the clock at the end of my lane and did my best to read the time twice per lap in an effort to help with sighting. Anything that introduces a change in rhythm is really challenging for me, so I’m glad I’m working on this now. Quite sure my rhythm would be easily disrupted in a mass start, open water swim, hehe
I would definitely practice as much open water as you can, it is completely different than the pool. My first open water swim was an Xterra with 20mph wind and rain, waves were braking on my breathing side and I thought I was going to drown. Learn how to breathe bilaterally. Also get your self a swim safe buoy, it makes you much more visible to others on the water and if you get tired (you will) out in the middle of the lake, you can grab it and use it as a float and rest a bit. I used to swim across Boca before the twilight races, also Donner is a good place to swim on the west end, you can hug the swim beach buoy line.
Looking down at nothing whatsoever takes a bit of getting used to. At least that was what always struck me. Also the water tastes different.
Re: sighting, you can’t really practice this in a pool but I did a lot of indirect sighting by tracking distinct landmarks on shore. ie, looking at whatever tree happens to be directly perpendicular to me and keeping it there (ish, the further away the tree is the easier this is to do). You don’t see where you’re going but you can maintain the same heading and it doesn’t drop your hips like forward sighting.
Amateurs look for the buoys, pros are taking quick peaks at landmarks and doing a lot of their navigating by what they see while breathing. Before they look they know what they are expecting to see which makes it a quick smooth process to see, process and adjust.
That’s a better description of what I tried to describe. The only time I’m really looking for the buoys is when I know I’m near them so I don’t swim inside (or into, surprisingly painful) them.
It’s also a point in favor of being comfortable breathing to either side. If you’re only used to breathing on the right and the course goes leftward along the coast than this isn’t going to work.
Assuming you are talking meters, that is a very impressive pace to have achieved in the time you’ve been at it. Even if it’s yards, that is respectable. Good work, dude my A race is EX2 Xterra in July- excited to hear you talk about your experiences on the podcast.
As someone who started triathlon just a couple of years ago (and still doesn’t swim well), this is exactly my experience.
Open water swimming is very different to pool swimming…
Open water racing is very different to Open water swimming. So much more pressure, adrenaline and stress. I find it really easy to get gassed, and end up floating on my back trying to calm down!
If I were you I’d try and do a really short triathlon with an open water swim (XS or S), even with a road bike leg just to get race and transition experience. And make sure that your wetsuit isn’t too tight (or too loose)
Oh yes, forgot to mention… tri swim times sometimes don’t start in the water, some races involve running down the beach and wading out, then wading/running up to the timing mat. As well as conditions, this can have a significant effect on the swim distance and the recorded times if you’re looking at past races and trying to work out whereabouts you’d be based on an estimated pace. Best thing is just to rock up and do your best! Good luck !
It could take a practice or two but a good wetsuit can make you a significant amount faster. They trap air underneath and help keep your hips and legs from sinking. I’ve never used a full on wetsuit but I swam when the buoyant suits were a thing and they were pretty amazing.
Not sure what the number is but I could make you 5 or so seconds per 100 faster. And that would be amplified at longer distances as you’d become less fatigued.
@Jonathan TBF racing puts on Icebreak in Folsom every year. It’s a sprint tri in April. Perfect for getting the swim and transitions figured out. The bike is on road. Super short race, and lot’s of fun!
my A race is EX2 Xterra in July- excited to hear you talk about your experiences on the podcast.