ironmam swim

Nothing to add really, I was a woeful swimmer, swallowed my pride, too k lessons, got beat by the toddlers in the lane next to me but stuck with it.

5 ironman races later I still consider myself a poor swimmer, but I'm much better than I was.

Just wanted to wish you all the best, get your crawl sorted and enjoy the Bolton experience.

I was trying to learn by just plugging up and down the pool. I had a 1 to 1 swimming session with a good teacher who basically said "forget the distance, concentrate on the technique for now". Her point was that anyone who was able to handle the bike and run bits was generally fit, and wouldn't have a problem from a cardio POV - they needed to slow down and get the technique right so that they weren't wasting energy flailing around. Then slowly build the distance forward from there. My times picked up by slowing my stroke down and concentrating on the details - which also helped the breathing problems, as by slowing down I was able to breathe more easily and swallowed less water.

seren nos wrote (see)

one guy i saw who breaststrokes a swim.....ripped a pile of hairs off the areas of his arms / backs caused by the friction......ouch

That's shameful personal administration. Surely a bloke doesn't enter a long distance tri with hairy armbacks? I'm disgusted. Had he not heard of waxing? Hope every hair ripped out individually and painfully. In fact, I hope he DNF'd. There. I said it .

Oh yeah... swimming.... horrible, isn't it? Do ditch the BS for FC and +1 for using a pull buoy to stop yourself over-kicking. You can then just concentrate all your energy into turning the arms over, which is all you'll need to do to complete the Bolton swim (albeit in a slow time).

I think all hairy men should be waxed at registration the day before   

Volunteers? Anyone? Wait, guys, the race doesn't start until tomorrow...come back....

crooky, judging by your username i'm guessing youre local (bwfc). i'm not a great swimmer myself but if you wanna come to the flash with us when it opens in april i'll help you....2 years ago my mrs wouldnt put her head in the water in a pool in mexico...and last year she became an ironman finishing the swim in 1.40...its not quick...but right now you'd take that right??? Also my mate almost pulled out last year cause he said he couldnt swim....6 weeks to race day i convinced him to have a go and come swimming with us....his race swim time..1.21..happy days.

there are coaches on hand at the flash too and they have free group coaching regular. theres also 3 sisters...they are group sessions but decent coaches. and you just pay for the swim as normal.

PM me...we can hook up for rides and swims anytime come the spring...i'm doing wales but i'll be training on the course too cause mrsB is in for imuk again

last thing i'll say is...everybody worrys about the swim....but dont...cause its the easy bit....bit of practice and a pointer here or there and you'll be flying.

AndyB99 wrote (see)

last thing i'll say is...everybody worrys about the swim....but dont...cause its the easy bit....bit of practice and a pointer here or there and you'll be flying.

Very wise words I know a few tri types some very good friends I don't know a single person who doesn't regarding of where they are what to get better or think they have it spot on it's all tecnic (sorry for the spelling) and always can be better regardless of what stroke you use. I'd take up with the other bolton folks mate training for a ironman with other's is very useful and can be a bit isolated otherwise.

Crooky, I was you!

I went from 250 mtrs max to an ironman swim last year in 3 months with 1 or 2 sessions a week and finished in 1:09. Forget breast stroke, streamline your legs, get your body position right, watch videos online for technique, slow it down, don't always go for distance when you practice. There's a lot to gain from 'wasting' a session a week on technique, and you can gain plenty of speed by going slow!

There are some really useful and revealing videos online and I found it quite easy to extract the information I needed from them.

Have a look at the 'Total Immersion' technique too - there are instructors in the UK.

1st April - 25m crawl and knackered. Stop, get HR down repeat.
Joined tri club.
Got coaching there, at a ratio of 2 coaches to 14 swimmers. 1-2-1 isn't necessary, because the coach will be bored for 90% of the time while you try to put into practice what they just told you.
4 weeks later and major progress. I could do 1000m. Not fast, but dead proud. Daughter reckoned I was still cr@p though. 
8 months on, and I'm at a stage where coach reckons I have a lot more confidence in the water, and it's time to really focus on particular aspects of the stroke.
43 minutes for a mile at the moment, but that's not the point.

1- get some coaching
2- the kick is just about the thighs, fish have no muscles in their tail fins.
3- get the breathing timing organised
4- it's called "crawl" not "windmill". You pull your body through the water.
5- rotate, otherwise you'll get injured.

Getting a reasonable version of technique together isn't about being poncy. It's about being easy. If it's easy, you'll be less fatigued.

I think most of us have been there having done 2 lengths and collapsed shattered. It was a revelation when taught myself to do freestyle nice and slowly. Recently had a lot of help at masters sessions at the local pool. Lots of good advice on this thread, I got a wetsuit and became a swimming god, well at least in my head, it makes SUCH a difference it's like a different sport......

I did try out my wetsuit for the first time on Sunday, in the pool, at the tri club session. OK, so you get a bit of light hearted banter.
People have said that the wettie makes you faster. I was gob smacked at the difference it made. All of a sudden I was quite clearly 20% faster. It made me think that I must be generating a huge amount of drag from my legs.

Obviously, come race day, everyone will be in wetties, so we will still be at the back. However, the clock is our main fear. I'd hate to be chucked out before getting on my bike.

Do any of you guys find a pull bouy beneficial? as ive just started out swimming front crawl in preperation for my first triathlon.

A suplimental WW rule of getting better at front crawl ... leave the toys at home 

To get better at swimming ... swim

WW you sounds just like my tri club swim trainer, but she's a lady. I finally admitted to my plans for this year and she didn't laugh!

Robert Matheson wrote (see)

Do any of you guys find a pull bouy beneficial? as ive just started out swimming front crawl in preperation for my first triathlon.

yes - and don't listen to WW on leaving the toys at home

I always use a pull buoy as a) my kick is crap and b) it emulates a wetsuit swim.

and you might be intersted in reading this article by Brett Sutton who is head coach of teamTBB - he's coached a number of IM champs incl. Chrissie Wellington (early on).  his writing is shit but he talks sense.  he advocates pull buoys all the time - and bigger ones than normal so you get more leg lift.

http://www.teamtbb.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1426%3Alooking-for-clues-&catid=37%3Anews-headlines&Itemid=17

I'm waiting on delivery of one of these babies!  http://storehuubdesign.shptron.com/p/big-buoy?pp=12&pp=12

Agree with FB ... but the reason i agree is that the people being trained by Brett Sutton are in the large much better swimmers than us mere mortals and a lot better than those starting out.

BUT to get the advatage of this sort of swimming you need to be at a level of goodness (cant spell the words i was going to use)

Basics need to be in place .. such as swimming in a smooth and efficant manner and sorting out ones balance in the water ... toys change balance.

And as far as using a pull bouy cos they will rase in a wetty .. a lot of the old hands on here had a shock when they were not allowed to wear the wetty at IMDE .. and that has now happend twice ... learn balance and learn to swim and then get to the level that you need to introduce intervals and toys