another swim death...USAT race (Page 2)

I really like the idea of seeding by time instead of gender/age groups. I know some people would seed themselves incorrectly, but at least it'd be potentially closer to having the faster swimmers up front and going back to the slower/more nervous swimmers.

At a recent, local tri, the 30-34W were followed by the 20-24M. I had one of the speedy guys catch up to me and hit my leg. Thankfully there was no pull along with that (which would've likely ended up with me going backwards). Maybe seeding by time would help prevent some of that?

Only if the RD were not pressured by the police/hosting community to "compress" the race.  Most races that I've been at (even the women only newbie ones) start with the pros first and then follow with the slowest/oldest first down to fastest.  So, you will have the fast swimmers having to swim past/around/over the slower ones. 

If they started the slowest swimmers first (and probably that would mean slow on the bike and the run) the race could last at least an hour (or more depending on length) longer.  I'm not so sure the police/community would go for that.  You could say, "Pull them off the course".  And that's true.  But RD want their athletes to succeed.  Even the slow ones.  (I'm one of them )

Thanks for this Crowny.

Triathlon swims are safe.  I would go as far to say you're safer doing a triathlon swim then you are driving your car, flying, riding your bike in training, running in training, riding the subway..

Would only the coughing up blood and frothy cough be the only symptoms that would seperate it from a person who has some anxiety in a particular part of the course....some people with anxiety will also feel a little short of breath, chest tightness, nervous etc...this is not a challenge but a real question, because I can see early on before the respiratory symptoms that people could confuse it.

Preach on!!

How many people have heart attacks ...

mowing the lawn

cleaning the basement

eating dinner

going for a walk

driving a tractor

Let's see how these statistics stack up against triathlon.  Oh wait, they probably don't keep stats on these events, just that there was a heart attack etc.

I do agree that one should be prepared for the swim.

The great thing about triathlon, or any endeavor we do for pleasure and entertainment, is that you don't have to participate if you think it's too dangerous.  A real triathlon starts with a mass swim and everybody racing each other....always has, always will.  

That being said, I'm really good with all the variations that have risen......there is absolutely something for everyone.....as it should be.  Find a race that starts with a pool, or a TT, or whatever you are comfortable with.....but DO NOT impose regulations on those of us who enjoy the race as it was conceived.

Hey...I know of a triathlon in a 50M pool that is 4ft. deep from end to end.  Many of the participants walk a large portion, if not all, of it.  Whatever....it's all good.  I've done the race a few times and it's very well run and very well received, over 400 participants. If you are REALLY scared of the swim, PM me and I'll tell you where the race is.....you'll have a blast.

I heard something that athletes who compete in endurance events such as marathons (I'm sure we can include tri's) develop scar tissue around the heart, thus causing heart attacks and other problems. Could this be why all these "super fit" and "highly trained" athletes are dying? If so, there needs to be research done and more put out about it so that it doesn't keep happening.

It's very scary. I had tests done a couple years ago because I've always gotten 'pains' in my heart area and they found nothings. Maybe it's just some sort of indigestion. I don't know. My dad said he's always had the same thing, but now, after 60 years and very exstensive testing, they found him to have some heart condition (can't think of the name). But it makes me want to go back and have a all out "heart physical".

Thanks for sharing that story...I am a notch or two lower in the tri experience than you completing 2 HIM and several olys and assorted sprints but I had a very unsettling experience a couple weeks ago also.  Dont think I had the same "lack of air feeling" that you had but just a wekk earlier I had done a oly swim in 28 min and a couple months earlier a HIM swim so this short 500 m swim should have been a breeze, or I thought.  There was a lot of contact and it was unnerving to get bumped around but it was one shot to the head that I had not had since my football days that really got me nervous...I started to get a little gaspy and felt like the swim would never end....again I am reasonably experienced but I got out of the water feeling a little demoralized for such a short swim considering I had done longer swims pretty easily with no incidents...guess it goes to show you , no one is immune to having an issue in the water at times

If you don't mind me asking, what did you do to recover and get going again?

Can someone clarify for me...

This is getting REALLY concerning?  For you?  Your safety?  Other's safety?  Are you going to quit or make changes to how you swim based on this?

It seems to be happening in EVERY race?  Man, we have lots of races in this area over many years.  Not one death.  I can't imagine ever getting the feeling that it seems to happen in EVERY race.  Even if it happend 3 times in one year.  With a dozen races in the valley alone, it wouldn't seem like it's happening every race.  It would seem like an anomoly to have so many, but not EVERY race.

Threads like this bother me because they are just an over reaction, IMO.

The best thing I can compair this to is when I lived in Denver and there were always ski related deaths every winter.  Usually around a half dozen a year.  Probably MORE than die in triathlons.  Just like triathlons, many times it's inexperienced skiiers/boarders on terrain beyond their limits OR experienced people that just had an accident or nature/conditions got the best of them.

It's part of the sport.  People need to excersize judgement.  And even THEN bad things can still happen.  No one in Denver is cying "what can we do" about skiier deaths.  You do what you can.  Mark off boundaries and mark trails and tell people to be careful.  Ski resorts do avalance control and provide ski patrol.

There are risks and we all know what they are.  The sky is not falling, IMO.

All of the concerned people.  What are YOU doing about it then with your concern?  What changes are YOU making?  Or just voicing your concern?

Is it really concern just to say that, but continue to do everything exactly as you have been doing it.

I have to be honest and say that all of the recent deaths were on my mind as I began my swim on a race this Sunday.  It gave me some anxiety that I've never had before.  I won't say it affected my swim or my time, but it was there.  Anyone else experiencing this while racing after all the hype on the swim fatilities this year?

I also noticed, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but were all 9 or however many USAT sanctioned event swim fatilities this summer men?  And were they all over 50?

Regadless of all that, such a sad loss.  When really fit people die prematurely it seems so unfair.

I've said it before.

"When it is your time, it is your time.

Now, go out there and make the most of your time before it IS your time!"