Swimcaps in a pool-based triathlon? - Triathlon

Gladys M.

30/04/2010 at 22:18

Is it acceptable to wear a swimcap in a pool based traithlon?

I only ask coz...

1) I have a nice shiny new Pirate cap to wear! And

2) The weather on Sunday is not meant to be warm so I'm thinking a cold wet head at 6.30am as I hit the bike won't be particularly pleasant and is avoidable with aforementioned classy headwear.

But it does somehow feel a bit gaylord...

Wear it or just HTFU and JFDI etc?!

Gertie

30/04/2010 at 22:20

Since I've never done a pool based tri what I'm about to say could be complete bollocks but,

Wouldn't they provide you with a swimcap to make you easier to identify for the lap count etc??

Cona.

pirate

30/04/2010 at 22:21

Seem alot of woomen do it for that exact reason.

Ruins the perm and turns the hair green cause of the chlorine as well!!!!

Gladys M.

30/04/2010 at 22:57

Gertie wrote (see)

Since I've never done a pool based tri what I'm about to say could be complete bollocks but,
Wouldn't they provide you with a swimcap to make you easier to identify for the lap count etc??

D'oh! Good point!

Only other pool based tri I did you sort of migrated from lane 1 to lane 8 of the pool so no one was counting, but having checked the instructions you are quite right - they supply a cap.

Maybe I can pursuade them to let me wear my pirate one anyway - it's quite distinctive enough

Bushwacka1973

30/04/2010 at 22:58

Plenty of people wore one at the pool based one I did last year. Some for comedy effect, some for that extra 0.05% speed. Lap counting wasn't an issue as it was up and down in one lane, move to the next lane, up and down that lane, move to the next and so on zig zagging up and down the pool was basically the way the laps were counted.

If you have a piratey one, I say wear it!

Saffers

01/05/2010 at 00:43

The last pool based tri I did, they provided different colours to identify and aid the lap counting.

Good luck at Steyning.

Gladys M.

01/05/2010 at 07:27

Saffers wrote (see)

Good luck at Steyning.

Thanks!

I'm off first with the other drowners at 6am! Which means about a 4am start from home

SwimsLikeAWalrus

01/05/2010 at 12:06

I've never done a pool tri where you don't wear a hat. Generally they give you one to wear to aid lane counting. I have worn my own one in one as well and they just called me blue and counted me as blue, in a pink hat.

Fun2Tri give you a hat but I might try my own this year as theirs come off my head.

M...eldy

pirate

01/05/2010 at 17:24

my tuppence worth

They will either provide you with one for ease of counting or would request that you wore one for hygiene reasons?

Farnie

pirate

01/05/2010 at 20:51

All the fun2tri ones (cheshire and NW) let you wear your own (or one of theirs - yuck)

Bionic Ironwolf pirate

pirate

03/05/2010 at 17:10

I still think this ducking under ropes and changing lanes business is weird, must cost you time. The pool tris I've done here in Germany you swim up to 8 in a lane, seeded in expected finish times so in each lane you have swimmers of different speeds, it works perfectly. Each swimmer is given a different coloured cap and the lane timekeeper puts a tick against each hundred metres under the colour every time the swimmer completes a lap. When a swimmer has completed all but the last 100m, a helper shows them a kickboard to indicate last lap. Easy-peasy.

Little Ninja

03/05/2010 at 17:14

Interesting Wolf. It does take time but it seems to free the lanes up a bit more because otherwise I could see quite a bit of congestion happening if the numbers are quite high. On the plus side, I can see more would be in the pool at the same time....

Little Ninja

03/05/2010 at 17:14

Bionic Ironwolf pirate

pirate

03/05/2010 at 21:25

There's never any congestion because of the seeding and the lanes are wide enough for faster swimmers to overtake.

SwimsLikeAWalrus

03/05/2010 at 21:35

The Fun2Tri 4 lengths in a lane and swap over are the least congested I've ever swum in. There is a local tri to me which is terrible, get behind someone slow and you are doomed. Others I've had people I've lapped 3 times (in 400m) and they've been a pain in the bum to pass each time.

I think it comes down to pool size. A narrow 25m and it makes for congestion. Smaller than that and you just have every man for himself.

Bionic Ironwolf pirate

pirate

04/05/2010 at 06:35

Yes, you're right SLAW - but ours are wide 50m lanes, so no prob.

SwimsLikeAWalrus

04/05/2010 at 22:59

Proper pools then IW. I think a 33m is huge!!

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