I’m almost 18 and I’m going to do a sprint triathlon june 20th. its a 600 yard swim, a 15 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run. so far the running and the biking is not too difficult and I feel confident that I will be able to do them. but right now swimming is very difficult. I have no prior swimming history and have no idea about technique. I have a program in place and I’m learning how to swim pretty much. right now I can only swim like 50 yards or so without stopping. my question is do you think I can improve enough to make the 600 yards by june?
It is definitely possible for you to improve your swimming by June. Try to spend at least three days a week training on your swimming. Concentrate on improving your form, technique, rythm, and endurance. You should increase your nonstop distance in each training session. Try to get to 600 yards non-stop by May. Then you should do combined workouts in which you do at least two and preferably all three events consecutively. Try not to wait until race day to combine them all for the first time. Just because you can swim 600 yards on Monday, bike 15 miles on Tueday, and run 3.1 miles on Wednesday does not necessarily mean you can do all three in a row on Saturday.
Posted on July 1st 2010 in Beginner Triathlete Techniques
July 1st, 2010 at 4:10 pm
If you get in the water enough, for sure. The key thing is to not give up on swimming and go several times a week. Apparently, missing out on a week of swimming is equivelant to not running for a month… something to keep in mind when planning out your workouts
good luck
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July 1st, 2010 at 4:55 pm
The good news is that 600 yards isn’t very far. You should be able to do that by June. Obviously, you’re not a regular swimmer; you need to spend more time at it. You might also talk to the people at your pool and see if they have any adult lessons or if they at least know someone who gives lessons.
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July 1st, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Get some coaching if you can. It’s REALLY important that you not practice bad habits. With a good coach you should be able to make massive improvements in just a few weeks.
It might help to keep in mind that it is legal to WALK the swim if you need to. If your triathlon swim is conducted in a pool, go check out the pool depth. The last sprint I did was in a pool that was no more than 5 feet the whole length of the pool.
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July 1st, 2010 at 5:47 pm
June 20 would be in Nolte Lake in Enumclaw. Water is freezing cold. Rent a wetsuit from raise the bar. $35 for 2 days. You will float like a cork! That helps a ton. Reach forward…pulll…
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July 1st, 2010 at 6:03 pm
It is definitely possible for you to improve your swimming by June. Try to spend at least three days a week training on your swimming. Concentrate on improving your form, technique, rythm, and endurance. You should increase your nonstop distance in each training session. Try to get to 600 yards non-stop by May. Then you should do combined workouts in which you do at least two and preferably all three events consecutively. Try not to wait until race day to combine them all for the first time. Just because you can swim 600 yards on Monday, bike 15 miles on Tueday, and run 3.1 miles on Wednesday does not necessarily mean you can do all three in a row on Saturday.
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