Walking during swim?

It is not against the rules.
Some races even highlight the fact that their swim portion is parallel to the shore where participants can "stand up" the majority of the way if the need to.

 

i would think that you not only use more energy but go a lot slower if you walk the swim course.  I understand standing up or touching the bottom to catch your breath, but isn't the point of a swim... er.. to swim?

Yep, not against the rules.  I actually did it once because the water was so shallow that my hand was hitting the bottom with a normal stroke.

I was wondering though in a two loop swim course that makes you exit the water (a la IMFL) if you're allowed to just stand there...  I assume you technically can?

Is there something in the rules to stop you from jogging along the shoreline out of the water, so long as you are on the proper side of the buoys?  I don't see anything in Article IV of the USAT rules preventing this.  For example, in IMLP, the road around Mirror Lake is about 2.6 miles, and it's a two-lap swim, so call it a 5.2 mile run.  I can do this faster than I could swim 2.4.

that wouldn't be a triathlon then now would it?

Off topic, but using a noodle in a triathlon?!? Does Danskin allow flotation devices?!?

If you can't swim... you can't do a tri. If you have to walk the swim, you didn't do a tri. Plain and simple.

I understand if someone does it so they don't drown... but the rules should be that they are DQed.

I'm not really sure who could be PROUD of finishing a tri... and calling themselves a triathlete after WALKING the swim. Come on people.

I know this stuff is just for fun... but we need to SWIM the SWIM portion.

Obviously... people who are about to drown... or in places where they HAVE to talk (too shallow) it makes sense.

They actually let people use a noodle in a race?

Danskin does a triathlon for women and they have swim angels in the water with noodles. To help women who are worried or scared.

I think it's a nice way to introduce women to the sport and to help a lot of them with their fears. There are a lot of women who are too scared to even try this sport.

Been there, done that. My first tri was that way.

The organizers mis timed the race with the tide so the 300yrd bouy (turnaround) was still only chest deep on me (5'6). I was ready to swim it, b/c the swim is my strength. Instead half the time I was digging sand from my hands and having to dodge walkers and runners. I was thoroughly disappointed.

The bad part was the folks bragging afterwards they they could save their energy in the swim b/c they could touch the whole time.

Personally, I'd hope you can swim it. It'll help calm your mind and your anxiety too!

At one tri I did, it was faster to walk in to shore than to swim in.  I tried swimming next to someone who was walking.  They were going much faster because I was getting pushed out.  In this case, I think it would have taken a lot more energy to swim and I don't think I should be penalized for it.

Playing devil's advocate here...
Would you apply this same theory to the run portion? If you can't RUN the run portion (it is swim/bike/RUN after all), you didn't do a tri?

I've seen plenty of people "float" their way through a swim in what I would not call "swimming" at all. Just like I've seen people walk the entire run portion of a tri.

I'm not advocating walking the swim by any means, but your first statement turned a few wheels in my head.

EDIT: Slake beat me to it. 


 

Edited by lisac957 2009-07-14 5:37 PM

I beileve with the noodles you can hang on to get your breath and relax if needed, but not move forward.

i think you guys might be missing the point by defending the walking during the swim.

First off, walking up the shore instead of swimming until you're beached is a normal way to exit the water. 

Secondly walking the entire distance of a swim is NOT comparable to walking during the run.  A more adequate comparison is that walking during a swim portion is like riding your bike during your run portion.  Totally different sport.

Treading/Grabbing a bouy/Standing on the floor while swimming is taking a break. Walking your bike up a hill is taking a break (sort of).  Stopping for a drink/Walking during the run is taking a break.

Walking on the shore the entire distance of a swim portion is NOT taking a break nor is it swimming.  It's walking.


Edited by jtaddei 2009-07-14 7:29 PM

Yeah, you'll never be faster walking through water than swimming through it.  I've done Vineman and, yeah, it is very shallow in a few spots, esp. at the turnaround--I stood up there to have a good look at my split on my watch and dove back in--but not so shallow that I'd want to try to walk any of it.

Edited by tcovert 2009-07-14 7:42 PM

I received a flyer at a Race in June where it advertised for an upcoming Tri and had a rule that if you stop swimming and went to the shore line and could touch bottom and stand you could do that for a rest, but couldn't use the shore to move forward.  You had to swim.

What I'm saying is that if you cannot SWIM the entire SWIM portion... and if you weren't able to touch the ground to walk... you would drown... you shouldn't be doing a tri. You need to learn how to swim.

If you walk, you won't die. If you coast on your bike, you won't die.

People you MUST walk the swim to SURVIVE are a liability to the sport. That's what I'm saying.

More deaths in our sport isn't going to do anything for ANY of us. People need to be prepared to SWIM the entire swim portion. Because you can't rely on being about to WALK the swim... and if you can't make it... and you drown.. you die.

Without being quite so alarmist as this struck me as being, I'd agree as far as to say that you can't count on standing up--let alone walking--in alot of (if not most) tri swims.  If you need to rest, it's probably more likely that you're going to have to hang onto a kayak or maybe a buoy.  In my last Oly, the 1.5K swim was mostly straight out to sea and then back in...at the halfway point, you were about 700m out in the ocean with no buoy close by and only a couple kayaks.  Certainly didn't strike me as any place to be for anyone with any doubts about swimming the whole distance.

It is a pet peeve of mine that there are people signing up for triathlons with open water swims who literally aren't prepared to even swim 50 yards in a pool...my wife is mentoring someone at her company for the Malibu Tri in early September (a half mile ocean swim) who just revealed that she both has a fear of the water and hasn't even gotten in the pool yet, 8 weeks before the race.  She's going to have a hard time just getting ready to swim 800m in a pool, let alone in the Pacific Ocean with a hundred people from the next wave swimming around and over her.

jeebus!  i just don't understand this.  who in their right mind thinks this is a good idea??  i signed up for the santa barbara long course at the end of august.  i'm a somewhat weak swimmer.  back in april i got my arse in a pool.  i got a wetsuit a couple weeks ago.  i've been in the ocean weekly practicing.  i can do a mile in the pool no problem and i swim 3-4 times a week now.  i'm doing a sprint distance first.   i have a healthy fear of the ocean swim...  you don't sign up for, oh, a fencing match without ever having picked up a weapon, right?  so why sign up for something where you could DROWN without adequately preparing for it?       

In the women's events I have done (in the river), you are allowed to stand up and rest but you are not allowed to walk or run in the water unless you're exiting the swim leg.  I can see if you're nervous then walking would seem very comforting but it's a swimming leg so I agree with the rules.  It is good to be able to put you're feet down if you get a jellyfish in the face though. 

I remember in my first try-a-tri the water was rough and at one point I took a breath and noticed the people beside me running in the water.  It sort of pissed me off because I was really struggling with the swim.  IMHO If you aren't going to swim it - then do a duathlon.  If you need a break - stop, stand and catch your breath, tread water, or roll onto your back and float.  But these three weren't taking a break - their intent was to run the water portion and move on to the next part of the race.