Where do i start - advice needed....

Hi All - Having done a sprint last year at 6 weeks notice, i guess i kind of caught the competition bug. Not to say i actually train, but loved the comradeship etc that you get on race day (or the 1 i have experienced).

Ive now entered the Henley half IM - for reasons i am not too sure and have a few questions - Has anyone done this event?

My main concerns are the usual ones - finishing last, not making the swim time etc but more specifically i have little OW experience - will i need a different technique with a wetsuit in OW compared to pool swimming? I am fairly competant but usually dont push myself past 500m due to boredom, i guess that will need to change rapidly.

Any other advice more than welcome!

Thanks

doing the Henley half in Sept - so have some time on my side.

Hi Rob. Are you local to Henley then? There's a thread for Henley this year, as there's a few of us doing it - pop over and say hi!

As for OW swimming - as Cougie says, you need to get use to sighting, but apart from that most people find OW much easier as a result of the extra bouancy from the wetsuit.

The bike course is likely to have a few little hills, so get some practise in!!

Hi

I am a Tri newbie. Took the bull by the horns and entered the short distance Virgin Tri this July. Like Rob Green 10, the OW is a bit of a worry. I am enjoying the swimming which will be my weaker part, trying to learn bi-lat' breathing and sighting. It's getting the right wetsuit that worries me..lots of companies...so much advice...any advice please ?

Sue - to add to whay cougie said, some of the open water lakes have local Triathlon shops selling wetsuits at the lake. Its worth trying to find one of these and actually having a quick swim to test the wetsuit out.

Hi Rob, I'm doing Henley Half too, and I'm a slow swimmer. There is one great upside of being one of the last out of the water though... and that is that you get to blast past loads of people on the bike, and hopefully more on the run. 

As Rafiki says, swimming in a wetsuit is a lot easier so any pool practice you can get in before the lakes warm up will pay extra dividends - good luck!

Thanks for above advice. Have booked some 1-1 swimming sessions to get a handle on the breathing malarky (?spelling). Will start investigating the wet suit as my first OW water experince is looming ...

Sue, I hope you are off somewhere warm if you are OW swimming soon.

Just for info, a few of us use Thorpe Park when it's a bit warmer. The "base" is that big red bus next to the lake by the M3/M25 junction. It's alright and they have hot showers and tea and burgers too.

ooer...  Does OW not start in March? Am I ahead of myself? I am more than happy to put it off .......wetsuit hire talk about hire season being from March to September....see?..total newbie

It all depends on the weather Sue - I know my local lake (Reading) is schedules to open on 22nd April, and even then it might be a little chilly!!

Checked  mine- April. Phew....