Races with pool swim - Strategy and Logistics?

The only pool swim tris I've done were swum like a time trial--one swimmer at a time, leaving 15 seconds apart, snaking up and then back each lane, going under the lane rope after each lap.  When entering the triathlon, you are required to give an estimated swim time, so they try to "seed" the race fastest to slowest.  But you still will get behind slower people and have to try to pass.  It's not perfect, but short of actually requiring verified swim times, I don't think there's a better way.

Now your situation sounds different as you would have to have a 10-lane long course pool to do 1000 m in a snake fashion.

Did you have to give an estimated swim time when you registered?  In theory, that's supposed to make it so that you're in a lane with people going around the same speed as yourself. In practice, I don't know how well it works.

Also, I've heard people suggest that before going in, you loudly announce "if you need to pass me, tap my feet and I'll let you pass at the wall."  That should hopefully make it clear to the other people in your lane that a foot tap means they should let you pass as well.

Hi,

I've not done a competition yet - but my triathlon is pool based and is 4 laps in each lane before moving over to the next lane. We are also put in 20 seconds after the swimmer before us (for the faster racers its 30 seconds).

I guess all you can do is hope the realise your there and let you pass? Or mabye this is something you need to ask - it might be as simple as the feet tap is a recognised ettiquette. I certainly know that if I did that in my pool I'm likely to get a whack round the face for touching somebody!!

My first 3 sprints were pool swims sharing with 4 of us per lane.  Staged to start every five seconds for 'spacing' and you quickly learn who was a little off on the registration estimate.  Making the point to the others when you first get in the lane that tapping the foot means pull over at the next wall is helpful.  In one of the 3 races, there was only 1 guy that did not oblige. I guess in the heat of the race, you feel like the tap means speed up....

But tap the foot and be patient til the next wall, if they don't stop on that length, tap again on the next 25.  If they don't stop again, well try to pass, but that can get a little dicey as you will be 'sprinting' down the middle of the lane, hopefully not into an oncoming swimmer. I've only had to do that the one time and then was gassed and the guy I passed started tapping my foot cause he was now drafting.

It actually gets sorted out pretty quickly though and unless the others were way off on their estimated timing, you will only pass the same person or get passed by the same person once in the 500 swim.

Good luck and have fun.

Hi,

we only have pool swims for TRIs here in this country so I am used to that much more than OWS.

Here we are usually 4-5 people per lane but we do one TRI in Germany every year (season opener) where we have 10 (!) people per lane (50m pool) and we all start at the same time. The first year I couldn't imagine how it would be and was really freaking out. This year is the 5th year we are doing it and I know it will work.

Before the start we line up in the lane according to our predicted swim time and we remind everyone to swim as far right as possible and of course in circles, that leaves some space in the middle to overtake.

Its chaos in the beginning during the first lap when everyone finds their position but usually everyone finds their spot within the first 50ms. Usually also the slowest 2-3 people wait a few seconds before they start as to not have it too crowded.

If you need to overtake than try to be smart and try do do it right before or after a turnaround which usually works out best.

And other than that, enjoy the fun of drafting once you found someone with the same speed

Here is a video from the TRI. You see the swim start at 0:43 sec:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOzK0RMm5LM&feature=related

^^^ This. ^^^

(I'm assuming a serpentine swim where you work your way from lane to lane.)  My advice:  seed yourself correctly, and just accept the fact that you will get hung up, especially at the turns.  Without putting anyone in danger, be aggressive about passing when you get caught behind someone who won't get out of the way.  Then bike hard.  (In my world, 'bike hard' is a solution to many problems, including this one.)

I didn't have much trouble at all with the 2 pool swim tris I did a couple weeks ago in the pool.  (Check my race logs for more details). 

If there is room to go around someone, don't tap their foot and expect them to stop.  In fact, I wouldn't expect anyone to stop and let you pass.  The right thing to do is move over as far as you can, but there should plenty of room to pass without anyone needing to let you by.  I went 4-wide in a lane at one of the races.  There was some good bumping and rubbing, but we all came through fine.  If you're not moving fast enough to pass them in one length of the pool, then waiting behind them isn't going to hurt you.

My experience was probably helped by being in the first wave in one race and the second in the next.  The few people that didn't belong, I passed easily and without problem.  In fact, if you're not able to quickly pass someone, chances are they are seeded correctly.

Some good advice already here.

I have my first pool swim tri coming up this weekend. I was going to seed myself 15 seconds faster but my conscience wouldn't let me do it. Lucky for me though it is not a snake swim. They are going to do 2 people per lane, do heats, and count your laps for you.

I was still surprised to see I am seeded about 50th out off 300 or so people. I actually did fudge my time by 2 seconds I swam 5:01 last week and I put down 4:59. Based on prior years results I would finish about 30th on the swim so we'll see how it goes. Lot's of folks were right at 5:00 so if I put down the 5:01 I would have been seeded about 65th.

Can't wait to see how it goes though, I was worried with the seeding, then happy to find out it wasn't snake, and based on proir years results either lots of people got faster, or they fudged a bit.