Will I drown

I have decided to pay a lifeguard to help me with my stroke.  Can somebody post some swim workouts for me to follow.  Please be detailed as I may not understand what you mean...

6 weeks in not much time...

http://forums.usms.org/forumdisplay.php?f=96

Click on the weeks, gives you all sorts of workouts.

Or even better, click on the "Programs" link at the top of the BT page and find a swimming schedule that works for your time available.

Former lifeguard/swim instructor here.

Lessons are (usually) a great start. 

The mistakes new swimmers make are:
1)  trying to go too fast
2)  not relaxing and therefore tense breathing

You're not going to drown. 

If you're practicing in a pool, start with pushing off the wall and gliding as far as you can go without kicking or moving your arms.  Experiment with different body positions (e.g. toes hooked and toes pointed, hands together and hands shoulder-width apart, head position).  See which changes let you glide farther and which cost you that last meter.  This will help you understand body position and get comfortable in the water. 

i did my first tri in april

signed up on a whim... 

no swim background

swim portion: 800 meters

started training 2 weeks before tri

i completed the swim, but it was gruelingly slow!

you can probably do it, but don't expect too much your first time

just keep swimming! 

Thank you all for your help..  Ok, my plan is to swim 3 - 10 min segments with a few min rest in between.  I just hope I can swim that long.  I guess speed at this point does not count.  I am working off a basic training program that out lines some basic swim, run and bike times.  Looks like there are a couple of "bricks" in there as well.  The plan has me training between 5-7.5 hours a week.

Also another question.  Since this is my first tri.  Where should I line up on the start line for the swim.  I heard in the back at a corner.  I dontr want other swimming over me.  And if I need help, do I signal to the guys in the boat..  I really hope this does not happen....!!!  How do you guys swim over 3 miles?

Not sure what OWS means but here is the link for the race. Looks like fun.

http://www.maxperformanceonline.com/buzzardsbayrace.html

http://ruthkazez.com/ZeroTo1mile.html

This is the plan I am doing and I feel good every time. Realy easy to follow but stick with it.

Here's a couple more tips that may be obvious, but I think are worth repeating:

Get goggles.  I know that seems obvious, but my co-worker is starting to train for a mini sprint with me in September.  Her first swim she did without goggles.  She didn't tell me that until she did another swim with goggles and reported shaving 5 minutes off on her second try.

Breathe. When I first started to swim, I would try to hold my breath, and ended up doing very poorly.  Breathe on your dominant side with every stroke on that side.  Don't worry about bilateral breathing (both sides).  If you continually breathe in and out, you will get more oxygen, clear more CO2, and generally be more comfortable.

Slow down.  Others have mentioned this too. Whatever pace you are going, you will want to consciously slow down so you don't panic and burn out.

Start in the back and to the outside. You will be less likely to get beat up in the crowd. For your first race, your goal is to finish, and learn what it is like.

For the OWS, when you train, have a friend alongside in a kayak or canoe to give you chance to rest if needed.  You will be allowed to do the same thing in a race if you get panicky, and still finish the race if you can recover yourself and continue the swim.

I found having some sort of mental trick to keep myself focused helps prevent the head games you might otherwise play yourself (like "Hey, I can't touch the bottom here", or "What the heck was that thing that just brushed against me?", or "Hey this is a long swim without a wall to rest at!" ).  I have found that counting my strokes to a predetermined number (like 5 or 10) and then doing a breast stroke to catch my bearings keeps me focused enough on the here and now, and also keeps me from drifting too far off to one side or the other.

Finally, when you are nearing the end of the swim, wait to stand up until your hands are touching the bottom. That way you will know you are close enough to the shore to stand up and not fall over.

Remember that after the swim, you will not drown if you have to stop moving or slow down.  Feel free to ride at a slower pace, or to walk part or all of the run.  Then use your results to fine tune your training for the next race!

im a newbie swimmer - these videos helped me in the beginning - check here, specifically the breathing (that seems to be where us newbies need to focus) -

http://www.goswim.tv/pages/5/videos.html

..search and read these forums - there are LOTS of smart and experienced athletes here.

Best of luck on your first tri! ..believe you can do it, and you will.  Trust yourself.

-Mike