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2014-03-24 6:08 AM

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Subject: Things I learned at my first Tri
I just completed my first tri, race #1 in the Tucson Sprint Tri series, and here a few things I learned. 1:18.53 if you're wondering.

The serpentine swim and swimming in general.
- No matter how well they try to group you in ability, it will be a traffic jam, at least with the slower swimmers where I was at.
- Don't be afraid to pass but don't blow yourself up doing it. Maintain your pace. Your are entitled to pass as much as the guy coming back in your lane.
- You may have to slow up, maybe breast stroke a few, to sight and plan a pass in a crowded lane or turn but get back into position quickly
- Remember form. So easy to break form while worrying about other swimmers. Many pictures showed my head was way out of position, too high, too often.
- If you can't kick turn (which I have not mastered yet) at least learn to push off and dive under lane ropes

Cycling. Cycling is my strong event so not too much learned here
- I always ride with heart rate monitor and my Garmin, do so in a tri, or use similar
- Quickly ramped up to a heart rate and tempo that was close to max for this distance. Kept it there
- Pre-ride the course. I knew the course from years of living in town however the condition of one road was unfamiliar to me and miserably rough.
- Form practice on bike as important as form in pool, almost.

Run
- The first 1/4 mile was rough, legs (hamstrings) really tight. Do brick workouts
- The first 1/2 mile too slow. Could've pushed harder.
- The second mile too slow. Could've pushed harder
- The third mile too slow. Could've pushed harder.
- Running is the last event, push it hard and leave it all out there

Transitions
- Unless you are trying to podium, take a big breath before transition, think clearly and switch gear smoothly. A couple of seconds of clear thought may save a mistake
-


2014-03-24 8:33 AM
in reply to: dloehrs


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Subject: RE: Things I learned at my first Tri
Originally posted by dloehrs

- Don't be afraid to pass but don't blow yourself up doing it. Maintain your pace. Your are entitled to pass as much as the guy coming back in your lane.
- You may have to slow up, maybe breast stroke a few, to sight and plan a pass in a crowded lane or turn but get back into position quickly

I have never done a pool tri. But I don't know if I agree with these.

I would think the person passing would need to ensure that they are not going to hit the person head-on. I think that they hove more of a right to that section of the lane. I view it like driving and passing on a 2 lane road. I would think that if you need to pass someone you touch their foot and then pass them at the wall.

I am also leary of breast stroke while splitting lanes. I would want to make sure my kick isn't going to get someone either in the other lane or in my shared lane. Once again taping the person infront of you on the foot and passing at the wall seems easier.

I am also thinking SC where you are at a wall every 20-30 seconds. On a LC it could be a longer wait to pass if you catch someone at the beginning of the length.
2014-03-24 8:44 AM
in reply to: Sidney Porter

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Subject: RE: Things I learned at my first Tri
Maybe a little clarification.

Absolutely pass when clear and announced with the tap, but I meant that you as a passer are just as entitled as opposing passer, not the sole swimmer by him/her self coming at you. I'm saying that don't delay your pass because you think that other guy might pass.

Breast stroke is a wide stroke, yea, not recommended, but for a stroke or two it was necessary just so I could see and not slow down too much. Hated doing it but it was necessary a couple of times to sort out the traffic jam. We were fortunate that the lanes at the U of A are very wide at over 8'.

It was a long course.
2014-03-24 10:04 AM
in reply to: dloehrs

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Subject: RE: Things I learned at my first Tri
Originally posted by dloehrs

Maybe a little clarification.

Absolutely pass when clear and announced with the tap, but I meant that you as a passer are just as entitled as opposing passer, not the sole swimmer by him/her self coming at you. I'm saying that don't delay your pass because you think that other guy might pass.

Breast stroke is a wide stroke, yea, not recommended, but for a stroke or two it was necessary just so I could see and not slow down too much. Hated doing it but it was necessary a couple of times to sort out the traffic jam. We were fortunate that the lanes at the U of A are very wide at over 8'.

It was a long course.

I don't have a ton of experience with indoor tris, but the one that I do does not allow passing within the lane during the race. You tap indicating that you are there, they hold off on the next wall and let you by then. So, yeah, you might have to wait to get your pass in, but overall it won't slow you down in total time by more than a couple of seconds on the lap.
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