First Sprint Tri this Sunday!!

Hi Kate,

Welcome to BT.  I don't think you will have a problem with your swim.  I am not a swimmer either, and I have done one sprint and one Olympic tri so far.  I did most of the Olympic swim going breast stroke, and also stopped a few times to hold onto the lifeguard kayak.  On the sprint the water was shallow enough that I could stand in the mud for the last .25 of the swim and half walk the rest of it.  I also believe that Danskin offers "swim angles," someone to swim with you to help give you the encouragements to get though the swim, and is with you incase of a problem and can get you help should it be needed.  With all this, there is no reason to be nervous, you can do it.  I also know that this is easier said then done.  Good luck, you will do great.

Dirk

My two races were the opposite, in the sprint in a lake in South Jersey, there were no wet suites allowed, how ever for the Olympic two weeks later I was able to wear a wet suite in the Schuylkill River.  However as you said in your post to Kate, just take your time and not worry about the swim time, you can try to make up the time on the bike and run legs.  If you take a look at my race reports you will see that I was near the bottom in all parts of the race, so winning my AG is not going to happen, but I had fun anyway.  Congrats on your AG win in your sprint and good luck with your Olympic.  Which race are you doing this weekend?

Yup, that is the Olympic I did.  I did it with Team in Training.  I was 1000 out of the 1003 individual finishers.  I thought it was well organized too, but then I didn't have much to compare it too.  I just was not sure about swimming in the river; I grew up around here, and still remember all the dead fish floating in the river from years ago when it wasn't safe to swim in.  Good luck in your Olympic in VA, if you were going closer I was thinking of trying to stop by and cheer you on.