login
Swimming straight doesn't matter very much (Page 2)
-
No new posts
|
 2009-06-29 3:02 PM in reply to: #2250209 |
Master  3127     Sunny Southern Cal |  Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very muchJust jump on the feet of someone going your pace who is already doing the sighting. Then you can just swim and not worry about the sighting except for an occasional glance to make sure you are both still on the swim course. No sighting, no worries. |
| 2009-06-29 3:05 PM in reply to: #2251078 |
| Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much SevenZulu - 2009-06-29 1:02 PM Just jump on the feet of someone going your pace who is already doing the sighting. Then you can just swim and not worry about the sighting except for an occasional glance to make sure you are both still on the swim course. No sighting, no worries. As long as they aren't the OP  Actually, my HIM swim PR was when we were swimming into the sun and my goggles would not stop fogging. I could see a line of guys through a little fog free slit, and I just followed along on the train. Hit every buoy straight on |
| 2009-06-29 3:09 PM in reply to: #2250209 |
Master 2277 Lake Norman, NC | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much I totally disagree. Swim with a gps in an Aquapac and measure distance as well as time. One problem with your numbers is you don't take into account acceleration and deceleration. You assume a constant 1:45/100 pace and that wouldn't be the case. The constant course-alterations will have a much more serious impact on speed. Hydrodynamic drag is to the CUBE. When you slow down to correct, you slow down a lot. When you get back on course, it takes a lot to get back up to speed. So you're not just swimming the extra distance at a constant speed. |
| 2009-06-29 3:13 PM in reply to: #2250209 |
Elite 4564 Boise | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much For all those people who say to just sight off other people, that's a horrible idea. You may get someone like me who is a much better pool swimmer than an OW swimmer who veers off course but is leading the swim. yes this did happen last year in a race where I lead most of the front of the pack off course because the sun was right above the next buoy and I swam to the wrong spot. |
| 2009-06-29 3:19 PM in reply to: #2250934 |
Pro 6011 Camp Hill, Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much Daremo - 2009-06-29 3:30 PM Nah, swimming straight doesn't matter at all and neither does sighting. I HIGHLY recommend that approach to everyone in the M35-39 field! (Especially in you are in the same race as me .... I need all the advantages in the water that I can get!) I think you're trying to trick us somehow. |
| 2009-06-29 3:31 PM in reply to: #2251138 |
Cycling Guru 15134 Fulton, MD | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much Shhhh! It is also really prudent to not use any sort of aero equipment as it is a waste, that everyone should bring buckets into transition to sit on and always wear socks (bucket allows you to sit down while you put your socks on), and it is really important to slather on a ton of sun tan lotion in an oly. or sprint race! I swear, this is what I see all the fast M35-39 AGers do, so everyone should do it!! |
| 2009-06-29 3:40 PM in reply to: #2251184 |
Elite 2793 Denver | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much Daremo - 2009-06-29 3:31 PM Shhhh! It is also really prudent to not use any sort of aero equipment as it is a waste, that everyone should bring buckets into transition to sit on and always wear socks (bucket allows you to sit down while you put your socks on), and it is really important to slather on a ton of sun tan lotion in an oly. or sprint race! I swear, this is what I see all the fast M35-39 AGers do, so everyone should do it!! You're talking about compression socks, right?!? |
| 2009-06-29 3:53 PM in reply to: #2250209 |
Bob 2194 Binghamton, NY | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much If you're sighting correctly there is almost no extra energy used to sight. Why would you want to swim 25 yds (or 75 yds) without sighting? I sight every 2-3 stroke cycles most of the time, it's just the rhythm that I have gotten used to. I can go 20-30 strokes without sighting and under perfect conditions would still swim in a straight line but throw in a little wind or current and after 20 strokes I might not recognize what I am looking up at. I think most of the sub 1:15/100 swimmers would agree with this. |
| 2009-06-29 3:55 PM in reply to: #2251258 |
Expert 2547 The Woodlands, TX | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much rstocks3 - 2009-06-29 3:53 PM If you're sighting correctly there is almost no extra energy used to sight. Why would you want to swim 25 yds (or 75 yds) without sighting? I sight every 2-3 stroke cycles most of the time, it's just the rhythm that I have gotten used to. I can go 20-30 strokes without sighting and under perfect conditions would still swim in a straight line but throw in a little wind or current and after 20 strokes I might not recognize what I am looking up at. I think most of the sub 1:15/100 swimmers would agree with this. Yep. I would agree. |
 2009-06-29 4:00 PM in reply to: #2251258 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
| 2009-06-29 6:51 PM in reply to: #2250209 |
| Master 2460 | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much If TJ Fry and his huge swimming background needs sighting every 4-6 strokes, you'd better believe that 99% of us will need sighting at LEAST that much or more. I do think that the original post with the 75m of sighting VASTLY underestimates sight distance. Every 10m sounds about right for a below average swimmer like me, if I'm in ocean with waves and current. |
| 2009-06-29 7:06 PM in reply to: #2250209 |
| Veteran 196 Arlington, VA | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much I was not recommending sighting every 75m. My only point in the original post was that even substantial deviations don't really add up to much extra distance based on simple geometry. I don't think most people come anywhere close to deviating at a 45 degree angle. Sight as often as necessary and swim as straight as you can, but if you end up off course, point back toward the next turn and keep going because you haven't swum that much extra distance. |
| 2009-06-29 7:14 PM in reply to: #2251693 |
| Champion 8936 | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much kcb203 - 2009-06-29 7:06 PMI was not recommending sighting every 75m. My only point in the original post was that even substantial deviations don't really add up to much extra distance based on simple geometry. I don't think most people come anywhere close to deviating at a 45 degree angle. Sight as often as necessary and swim as straight as you can, but if you end up off course, point back toward the next turn and keep going because you haven't swum that much extra distance. Races are based on time and not how much distance you cover. You've now heard from all kinds of people with experience doing this. You're way overestimating the ability of most people to keep even a relatively straight line and underestimating the time and energy it takes to continually correct. |
| 2009-06-29 8:25 PM in reply to: #2250209 |
| Extreme Veteran 682 Canton, MI. via Detroit | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much For what it's worth, I'm one of the lucky ones who can swim straight with little or no effort. |
| 2009-06-29 8:45 PM in reply to: #2250209 |
| Expert 1170 Southern Pines, NC | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much |
| 2009-06-29 9:53 PM in reply to: #2251949 |
| Champion 7233 | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much hahahahahahaha. also, to the OP, i know for a fact, and have photos to prove it, that many poeple do in fact go MORE THAN 45 degrees off course, and often much further, and not just once, but through the entire swim. or, for a bit more math, say its an oval course, and you swim 10m, or 30 m wide of the bouys, many poeple routinely stay further than this, 750m loop. how far extra would you swim staying those distances wide? how about for two loops? i am not even going to think about math right now, but just on a 400m track those lines are pretty far apart, and thats for the width of ONE LANE around the curve. |
| 2009-06-29 10:26 PM in reply to: #2250209 |
| Extreme Veteran 767 Alexandria, VA | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much just had to add that the people that were back stroking towards the shore (90 degrees off course) at my last race would have probably gained a bit more than 31 seconds from sighting a bit more often. |
| 2009-06-29 10:34 PM in reply to: #2250209 |
| Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much I know it's beginnertriathlete and all, so I'll give you a bit of a pass on this one... but you're basing this advice on one open water swim in your career? |
| 2009-06-30 12:21 AM in reply to: #2250209 |
| Extreme Veteran 335 Herriman, Utah | Subject: RE: Swimming straight doesn't matter very much I am SO Hurrr! My problem when sighting is that it seems my whole head pops out of the water and I can't just peek over the surface. Oh well, I like being the dude who swims like he drives a bumper car. Edited by mrwrite 2009-06-30 12:23 AM |
|
|
|
|
View profile
Add to friends
Go to training log
Go to race log
Send a message
View album
CONNECT WITH FACEBOOK