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Why is the IM Swimming leg so short?
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 2010-03-01 5:33 PM |
 8 |  Subject: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short?I realize that with all the people competing in triathlons and out there all at once, there's definitely a lot of havoc going on and therefore an increased risk of drowning, as swimming is really the only "dangerous" leg of a triathlon, but is there any other reason why the swimming leg is so short? I swim 2-3 miles just about every time I swim, and have no trouble endurance wise in completing the swim. Sure, if I were to crank up the intensity that would change, but that's true for biking and running too... even jogging at a slow pace or biking at a slow pace for 26/112 miles is way more ridiculous than swimming at a slow pace for 2.5 miles. |
| 2010-03-01 5:36 PM in reply to: #2700916 |
Sneaky Slow 8694       Herndon, VA, | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? because the group of people who conceived of the first Ironman triathlon incorporated 3 already-existing competitions, one of which was the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, which was 2.4 miles. |
| 2010-03-01 5:48 PM in reply to: #2700921 |
Sensei Sin City | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? This doesn't answer the thread, but if you kept the same relationship (more or less) between the bike and run legs going from sprint to IM, the swim would need to be 3.75 miles. The relationship gets lost between the Oly distance and the HIM, where the swim is about the same. Edited by Kido 2010-03-01 5:48 PM |
| 2010-03-01 5:51 PM in reply to: #2700921 |
Pro 5169 Burbs | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? newleaf - 2010-03-01 6:36 PM because the group of people who conceived of the first Ironman triathlon incorporated 3 already-existing competitions, one of which was the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, which was 2.4 miles. this. I don't think the risk of drowning is the reason the swim portion is comparitively short --- I think it's just because of the Roughwater swim distance ^^ |
| 2010-03-01 5:55 PM in reply to: #2700943 |
Sensei Sin City | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? trishie - 2010-03-01 3:51 PM newleaf - 2010-03-01 6:36 PM because the group of people who conceived of the first Ironman triathlon incorporated 3 already-existing competitions, one of which was the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, which was 2.4 miles. this. I don't think the risk of drowning is the reason the swim portion is comparitively short --- I think it's just because of the Roughwater swim distance ^^ Just imagine if the fools lived in/around London/Paris. We would be swimming the english channel for an IM... |
| 2010-03-01 6:06 PM in reply to: #2700937 |
| Member 587 | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? Kido - 2010-03-01 5:48 PM This doesn't answer the thread, but if you kept the same relationship (more or less) between the bike and run legs going from sprint to IM, the swim would need to be 3.75 miles. The relationship gets lost between the Oly distance and the HIM, where the swim is about the same. Yeah, the swims are too long for Sprint & Oly's. They should shorten the swim length for those 2 distances, in particular the Oly.  (We all have dreams don't we?) |
| 2010-03-01 6:12 PM in reply to: #2700937 |
Champion 19812 MA | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? Kido - 2010-03-01 6:48 PM This doesn't answer the thread, but if you kept the same relationship (more or less) between the bike and run legs going from sprint to IM, the swim would need to be 3.75 miles. The relationship gets lost between the Oly distance and the HIM, where the swim is about the same. Yes the relationship is different but how they started is different as well. IM is based combining the three long events in swim, bike and run in HI so swim is based on the swim race mentioned already and HIM is half the IM distance so those two the relationship is the same. |
| 2010-03-01 6:16 PM in reply to: #2700974 |
Sensei Sin City | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? KathyG - 2010-03-01 4:12 PM Kido - 2010-03-01 6:48 PM This doesn't answer the thread, but if you kept the same relationship (more or less) between the bike and run legs going from sprint to IM, the swim would need to be 3.75 miles. The relationship gets lost between the Oly distance and the HIM, where the swim is about the same. Yes the relationship is different but how they started is different as well. IM is based combining the three long events in swim, bike and run in HI so swim is based on the swim race mentioned already and HIM is half the IM distance so those two the relationship is the same. Oh, I know. Just the engineer in me looking at numbers and always trying to find relationships/patterns. None, in this case (or the bike and run are just coincendence.) Trust me, I'm perfectly fine swimming the 2.4, especially knowing what I have next... I don't need 3.75. Edited by Kido 2010-03-01 6:16 PM |
| 2010-03-01 6:53 PM in reply to: #2700951 |
| Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? Kido - 2010-03-01 1:55 PM trishie - 2010-03-01 3:51 PM newleaf - 2010-03-01 6:36 PM because the group of people who conceived of the first Ironman triathlon incorporated 3 already-existing competitions, one of which was the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, which was 2.4 miles. this. I don't think the risk of drowning is the reason the swim portion is comparitively short --- I think it's just because of the Roughwater swim distance ^^ Just imagine if the fools lived in/around London/Paris. We would be swimming the english channel for an IM... People have been swimming the Kaiwi channel (from Molokai to Oahu) since about 1940. So it is very possible that they could have incorporated that distance (26 miles) into the mix. But it's not an official race held each year. Like swimming the English Channel, people just decide to do it on their own. Would be pretty funny though. That you have to set up T1 on one island, then fly to the start on another island. Realistically speaking, they wanted a race that you could finish in 1 day, so the 2.4 mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim was the logical race to represent the swimmers portion. |
| 2010-03-01 7:46 PM in reply to: #2700937 |
Master 2406 Bellevue, WA | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? Kido - 2010-03-01 3:48 PM This doesn't answer the thread, but if you kept the same relationship (more or less) between the bike and run legs going from sprint to IM, the swim would need to be 3.75 miles. The relationship gets lost between the Oly distance and the HIM, where the swim is about the same. The sprints I've done varied their distances a lot. The swim has been 250 yards, 500 yard, .25 mile (708 yard), up to .5 mile (880 yard). The bike leg has varied from 12 miles to 25K to 20 miles. The run IIRC has always been a 5K. And I have the opposite issue of the OP. I have no problems knocking out a 26 mile run, but a 3 or 4 miles swim would be a nightmare. Edited by brucemorgan 2010-03-01 7:47 PM |
| 2010-03-01 7:50 PM in reply to: #2701135 |
Champion 6503 NOVA - Ironic for an Endurance Athlete | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? Irongirl sprint has a swim of 1000 Meters. I like the IM distance splits. I think that the swim should just be a cannonball, into the shallow end, with a wetsuit and a swim buoy. If their are no pool stairs, the ladder should be at the swim exit. |
| 2010-03-01 9:51 PM in reply to: #2700937 |
Elite 4564 Boise | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? Kido - 2010-03-01 4:48 PM This doesn't answer the thread, but if you kept the same relationship (more or less) between the bike and run legs going from sprint to IM, the swim would need to be 3.75 miles. The relationship gets lost between the Oly distance and the HIM, where the swim is about the same. Isn't your math off? 90k/40k = 2.25*1500=3375 meter/6750 meters for the IM |
| 2010-03-01 10:06 PM in reply to: #2701330 |
Master 1929 Midlothian, VA | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? Isn't your math off? 90k/40k = 2.25*1500=3375 meter/6750 meters for the IM
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| 2010-03-02 1:06 AM in reply to: #2701330 |
| Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? JoshR - 2010-03-01 5:51 PM Kido - 2010-03-01 4:48 PM This doesn't answer the thread, but if you kept the same relationship (more or less) between the bike and run legs going from sprint to IM, the swim would need to be 3.75 miles. The relationship gets lost between the Oly distance and the HIM, where the swim is about the same. Isn't your math off? 90k/40k = 2.25*1500=3375 meter/6750 meters for the IM Or he could have used the run ration 21.1k/10k = 3165 meter/6330 meters for the HIM/IM. But we get his point... |
| 2010-03-02 1:17 AM in reply to: #2700916 |
Pro 4828 The Land of Ice and Snow | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? Because swimming is so lame???? |
| 2010-03-02 5:53 AM in reply to: #2701448 |
| Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? |
| 2010-03-02 8:52 AM in reply to: #2700916 |
Veteran 155 Virginia | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? i don't know why the IM swimming leg is so short. but if it were up to me, all the swimming distances would increase. |
| 2010-03-02 9:04 AM in reply to: #2700916 |
| Veteran 353 41° 4' 36" N 71° 56' 10" W | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? What has puzzled me is that, time-wise, the swims are short. For example, a HIM bike leg might take me 3 hrs to complete, but the swim might only be 40 mins. Ain't that strange? |
| 2010-03-02 10:39 AM in reply to: #2701349 |
Sensei Sin City | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? faded_memories - 2010-03-01 8:06 PM Isn't your math off? 90k/40k = 2.25*1500=3375 meter/6750 meters for the IM
This... Also, I wasn't going to be too exact with the math since it's irrelevant. Just seeing what a swim would be if they kept the relationship. I bolded the two numbers that were projections, not actual... |
| 2010-03-02 10:40 AM in reply to: #2701135 |
Sensei Sin City | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? brucemorgan - 2010-03-01 5:46 PM Kido - 2010-03-01 3:48 PM The sprints I've done varied their distances a lot. The swim has been 250 yards, 500 yard, .25 mile (708 yard), up to .5 mile (880 yard). The bike leg has varied from 12 miles to 25K to 20 miles. The run IIRC has always been a 5K. And I have the opposite issue of the OP. I have no problems knocking out a 26 mile run, but a 3 or 4 miles swim would be a nightmare.This doesn't answer the thread, but if you kept the same relationship (more or less) between the bike and run legs going from sprint to IM, the swim would need to be 3.75 miles. The relationship gets lost between the Oly distance and the HIM, where the swim is about the same. I know this as well. Sprints are basically just what the course has to offer. I know they very. But in general, I personally like to think, and tell other new people, they are about half of an Oly... Is that always true? No, of course not. most of the time it isn't but it in the ball park. |
| 2010-03-02 11:01 AM in reply to: #2701823 |
Champion 5868 Urbandale, IA | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? vApoLY04 - 2010-03-02 8:52 AM i don't know why the IM swimming leg is so short. but if it were up to me, all the swimming distances would increase. You and I are no longer speaking  |
| 2010-03-02 1:01 PM in reply to: #2700916 |
Extreme Veteran 574 Southwestern Ontario | Subject: RE: Why is the IM Swimming leg so short? Okay - let's all quit and do du's...(not doo doo) |
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