traininng

I wouldn't panic. Five weeks should be plenty of time to get back on track. I had a nearly three week interruption in my training schedule 6 weeks prior to my first tri. I was able to pull it together in the last couple of weeks. I called it "tapering early"(tic) Just get in the pool as much as you can and you'll get back on track.

Lou

Swimming is a lot of muscle memory, to me. It forgets the first time back after a break but then it remembers. You'll be fine. It happens to me, too.

For my first tri, I hadn't swum competitively since ninth grade. Let's just say that was more than awhile ago, and I was in the bottom half of the slowest lane then.

I had two months before my tri. The pool closed one month before my tri. I live in NH, no OWS that early. So, I had one month to prep.

I went to the women's swim coach and begged for some tips. Got 'em, wrote 'em ALL down, and did nothing but drills for the next three weeks. NOTHING BUT DRILLS. Swam one OWS the week before my tri.

Came in top 5% overall women.

So my suggestion: do drills. Get your muscle memory down. Once your muscles know exacly what they are supposed to do, you'll be fine. Save the panic for the run.