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2018-07-29 7:50 PM


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Subject: Rookie here
Hello everyone!

I am a cyclist at heart but recently got into spartan races last year and after doing a handful of races I am now working toward my first Half IM. I’m sure like most swimming is where I need the most help. Any tips would be appreciated and I look forward to learning from this group.


2018-07-30 8:14 AM
in reply to: Rtmatlin


701
500100100
Subject: RE: Rookie here
Welcome to the madness.
In the best possible way, that is. Because it's mad fun.

Swimming. Here's the good news....you'll make great strides in swimming....fast. Comparative to everything else.

You're a cyclist at hear and don't seem to indicate issues with running. Most fit people...seem to be able to run. I wasn't fit when I started "fitnessing" which was a couple months before I even thought about triathlon. I still can't run....at least...not very fast.

I was a confident swimmer. You know. Swim lessons as a kid. Boy Scouts...swimming merit badge. PE class in college taught by Big 10 swimmers. (Surprisingly, I remember a lot from that class). But I was no swimmer. One length and I'm hanging on the edge. Now it is consistently my best leg against my AG. And I have taken no classes or used a coach, etc. In fact, I've done relatively little in the way of "drills". Sure, I've done some. But, very loosey goosey. Along the lines of "swim 400 at race pace, swim 400 more faster than yesterday" kind of stuff.

If you get in the water, spend time thinking before you do it...while you do it...and after you do it....you will get better. There's videos. Articles. Blogs. And people here with great information. All sorts of stuff you can do before you get to coaches and classes. I'm sure the coaches and classes can get you further, faster...for sure.

But, getting in and doing it with effort will pay off. But you have to think about it. Apply things you read or watch. And evaluate what it does for you and how well you execute it. If you're like a lot of people starting out more or less from scratch, you can do 100 -200 meters before you're hanging on a wall. Within a few weeks, you can literally turn that into 500....600 meters. Or more. And if you think of improving your cycling to that degree? It would take months. Or maybe even years. You've already done that work and with diminishing returns and all, it's hard to make zero to 60 improvements in that arena.

And from the get go....open water swimming is fun. Just put that into your head. So often newcomers can get a little anxious after hearing stories of open water swims. Those things are infrequent and overblown....often. I think of it this way, we spend a lot of money to go on vacations at beaches, lakes, and rivers where we can get in open water. Nobody goes on vacation to swim laps in a pool. Embrace it from the get go, and for me, it's one of the things I almost always look forward to.
2018-07-30 1:14 PM
in reply to: #5247083


16

Subject: RE: Rookie here
@jhaack39 thanks for the tips and confidence boost. I am watching different you tube tips and tricks and studying all about the swim.
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