I'm in two minds

elvis jones

In Feb of last year i couldn't swim 10 metres but i was determind to get to the end of a sprint tri. I did that and a few more.

But my swimming is still rubbish, i'd now like to take the step up to open water:eek: and Olympic distance but if i'm honest i'm not the biggest fan of swimming.

So i'm wondering if i do the work can i get to the end of 1500M in open water in Aug

The cycle and run are fine and i always feel my race starts when i get out of the water.

I've had some good coaching and help along the way but i feel progress is slow.

CK open Sunday morning and i have to make a decision by 9 tonight as my club so entries for us.

BTH

elvis jones wrote: »

So i'm wondering if i do the work can i get to the end of 1500M in open water in Aug

Of course you can

The cycle and run are fine and i always feel my race starts when i get out of the water.

Thats how I've always felt too.

RacoonQueen

Only one way to find out. Go for it.

elvis jones

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Only one way to find out. Go for it.

I can see my headstone..........he tried.........he drowned:D

tunney

elvis jones wrote: »

In Feb of last year i couldn't swim 10 metres but i was determind to get to the end of a sprint tri. I did that and a few more.

But my swimming is still rubbish, i'd now like to take the step up to open water:eek: and Olympic distance but if i'm honest i'm not the biggest fan of swimming.

So i'm wondering if i do the work can i get to the end of 1500M in open water in Aug

The cycle and run are fine and i always feel my race starts when i get out of the water.

I've had some good coaching and help along the way but i feel progress is slow.

CK open Sunday morning and i have to make a decision by 9 tonight as my club so entries for us.

yes you can. I know some lads who went from not swimming at all to Kilkee in 5 months.

nerraw1111

So in terms of training for 1500 in open water, is it simply a case of being able to swim 1500 in the pool?

Redzah

nerraw1111 wrote: »

So in terms of training for 1500 in open water, is it simply a case of being able to swim 1500 in the pool?

I've only done 1 tri, killkee last year and my training was all in the pool for 2 weeks before (i always leave things way too late) until i was happy with the 1500 distance in the pool. I nearly raised my hand and pulled out once i reached the pier in kilkee (about 50 metres into swim) but ploughed on and finished. Moral of the story is it is much harder but if u can do 1500 in the pool and don't feel like you're going to pass out then with a strong mind u can do 1500 in the open water.

BTH

Redzah wrote: »

I've only done 1 tri, killkee last year and my training was all in the pool for 2 weeks before (i always leave things way too late) until i was happy with the 1500 distance in the pool. I nearly raised my hand and pulled out once i reached the pier in kilkee (about 50 metres into swim) but ploughed on and finished. Moral of the story is it is much harder but if u can do 1500 in the pool and don't feel like you're going to pass out then with a strong mind u can do 1500 in the open water.

Conditions in Kilkee were fairly rough for the swim, and worse once you got out of the water. CK will be much calmer waters.

pgibbo

Plenty of time to build to 1500m OW.

If you want to you can and will. If not you won't.

johnnyb1

elvis jones wrote: »

In Feb of last year i couldn't swim 10 metres but i was determind to get to the end of a sprint tri. I did that and a few more.

But my swimming is still rubbish, i'd now like to take the step up to open water:eek: and Olympic distance but if i'm honest i'm not the biggest fan of swimming.

So i'm wondering if i do the work can i get to the end of 1500M in open water in Aug

The cycle and run are fine and i always feel my race starts when i get out of the water.

I've had some good coaching and help along the way but i feel progress is slow.

CK open Sunday morning and i have to make a decision by 9 tonight as my club so entries for us.

I started swim training in Jan last year and also could barely do 10 metres without stopping but I just kept at it and ended up doing the (shortened) Galway 70.3 swim.Open water swimming is harder but so much more enjoyable than the pool so my advice is to definitely go for it and have a blast:)

couerdelion

You also have to remember that you get a wetsuit to aid you in the open water so if you want/need to have a rest you can more or less just lay back and float for a short while.

In the end though, as the great Henry Ford said "whether you think you can or think you can't, you are probably right!".

hardCopy

Learn the breaststroke as a fallback, it's the swimming equivalent of walking in a road race, dead easy but slow enough to get your breath back and sight.

Oryx

Of course you can do this, if you have a mind to. Once you have a wetsuit open water is fine, no matter what you won't sink What distance are you up to in non stop (not even pausing) swimming now?

shotgunmcos

If you can get over the fears of what lies beneath, wetsuits help A LOT as a rookie.

Build up to a 2k swim set including warm up, sets of work, cool down etc... Its not as hard as doing a 1500 straight and knowing you can clock 2k in the pool will give you confidence when you put the W/S on that you are fit enough. Swimming OW is just about getting used to it. Takes some people 1 session, others never.

The reason 1500 OW would feel harder than the pool is because you are wastingyour energy on everything but swimming!

Fazz

The answer is yes, definitely.

You will get out of it what you put in, but you will have no problem doing it.


I remember going to my first club swim session and hearing the coach say right, in ye get 800m warm up....
800m?
Straight like?
I'd never swam that in my life...

Now I struggled on, it wasn't pretty, I got lapped numerous times and stopped for breath/rest, sorry, I mean to fix my goggles ...

You get through it, you adjust and get out of swimming what you put in, much like the other disciplines in fairness.

You have loads of time, have already done sprints and know what's required.
We all started somewhere. Go for it.
Think of all the people you can chase on the bike after it

Trig1

I'm in the same boat (i wish), did my first try a tri last august and only got into the pool again 3 weeks ago- delighted that i am up to 750m without stopping in u.l. pool in 17minutes(slow I know but i'm getting there), have already registered for 2 sprint tri's and aiming for kilkee to be my big open water swim of the year and really looking forward to it- Hey even if it takes us an hour to complete the swim my goal will be to complete the Hell of the west, not to win it!!!:)

couerdelion

elvis jones wrote: »

CK open Sunday morning and i have to make a decision by 9 tonight as my club so entries for us.

I see you managed to MTFU and enter

elvis jones

couerdelion wrote: »

I see you managed to MTFU and enter

Indeed i did, getting to bed at 5am Sunday morning and back up before 9 to make sure i got an entry as i missed the club deadline !

Anyway i have to face facts and live in the pool for a while.

EC1000

Elvis,
Fair play for signing up. I'm race director for CK this year so If you fancy popping up to mullingar when the water warms up a bit I'd gladly swim the route with you. It may help put your mind at ease prior to the race itself.

PM if you wish to arrange at any stage.

BTH

EC1000 wrote: »

Elvis,
Fair play for signing up. I'm race director for CK this year so If you fancy popping up to mullingar when the water warms up a bit I'd gladly swim the route with you. It may help put your mind at ease prior to the race itself.

PM if you wish to arrange at any stage.

You might have a few in for that offer!!

elvis jones

EC1000 wrote: »

Elvis,
Fair play for signing up. I'm race director for CK this year so If you fancy popping up to mullingar when the water warms up a bit I'd gladly swim the route with you. It may help put your mind at ease prior to the race itself.

PM if you wish to arrange at any stage.

Ya i'd be up for that in July when i have my 1st open water sprint done and some confidence is there !

eoglyn

I just signed up for this one - its the closest triathlon to me all year so i should get plenty of practice in on the course

eoglyn

Sorry I thought this was the ck thread - on Open water practice elvis, if you are in the midlands area the aquathons on wednesday evenings in July are an excellent introduction to the specific open water 'challenges'. I found it a good intro last year - once you have experienced the thrashing crowds the first time you are well prepared for the next event. Aquathons are reasonably priced too, so you don't feel you waste an entry fee if you are thrown by your first mass open water start