Last tri of season questions...

It depends on the pool. I just participated in a tri in an outdoor 50 yard pool. The event is limited to 40 individual participants plus teams. The swim was done in 5 waves, 10 participants in a wave. At registration you must give your estimated time to finish the required 900 yards. First wave has the slowest swimmers working to the fourth wave which has the fastest swimmers and the fifth wave has the team swimmers. Once everyone from the last wave is done then the next wave goes in. Swimmers just jumped in and waited for a start whistle. There are no lines or markings in the pool so flip turns weren't permitted. Knowing this I didn't bother to learn flip turns, but now that my tri season is probably done I am going to learn flip turns just for my own knowledge. There were volunteers at the one end of the pool with numbered plastic boards so when the swimmer approached they stuck the board in the water and you would see what lap you're on...1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc. When you saw 17, it was time to swim back and get out for the bike leg. I have heard of other pool swims where you somehow start in one lane, swim, and return in the next lane, and snake your way through the pool from one side to the next.

Most women just wore a swimsuit and put running shorts on at T1. Another option might be a one piece tri suit. Good luck and let us know how it went. And try not to get a flat tire. It really sucks.

Edited by nxm165 2008-08-17 12:46 PM

I would just wear the tri shorts and top.  I bet adrenaline will keep you warm enough once you get out of the pool.  My first race a couple years ago was a pool swim in April and the outdoor temp was about 40 degrees.  We were freezing waiting around in our bathing suits to get in the pool at 7 am (had to wait outdoors).  In T1, I had to dry off completely to put on biking tights and a shirt or two to keep warm.  Then I ditched the tights and one of the shirts for the run.  I don't remember being cold at all after I got out of the pool.  There's a picture of me in T1 in just a wet bathing suit in 40 degree weather and I honestly don't remember feeling cold.  Maybe you could get away with the tri shorts and top, with a lightweight zip-up jacket that you put on in T1.  It's going to be really hard to put any other clothing on.

Aren't you gonna be just as wet in a swim suit as what you wear now?

Most races shorter than IM don't have a place for you to change. And you can pull on warmer clothes over either your swim suit or what you wear now.

Please practice this now. Take a quick shower in both the swim suit and later your current race outfit. Then practice a quick transition. Try pulling on your warmer clothes after the same amount of toweling off you would do at a race.

You will find it hard to put on dry clothes, no matter how much toweling off you do, unless you spend 5 minutes in transition.

Try getting your swim suit wet, putting on dry clothes over top, then bike and run in them.

Sometimes swim suits have a seam that may rub you raw as you bike or run.


Pool races almost never allow diving. Don't want someone landing head first on another racer, or head first into the bottom of the shallow end of the pool.

Check your race site web page. Some pool swims are in waves, and the next wave goes off after a set amount of time. Some you give your estimated swim time, and one person goes off by herself, and the next person leaves a few seconds later.

Some swims are snake swims, you go up one lane, duck under the rope and come back in the next lane until you are done. Some have lightweight plastic buoys in the pool that you swim around a few times.

If you have waves, usually you start in the water. Everyone is hanging on the side of the pool or floating near the start line.

You do Not need to know how to flip turn, although some people do. Most flip turns, you somersault and come back in the same lane you started. In a snake swim, you would want to go at an angle and come up under the rope in the next lane.

You may have a bunch of other swimmers right next to you, and if you flip turn, you could bang heads or come up right underneath another swimmer.

You could also bring arm warmers if it seems to be very chilly that day?