The Triathlon thread - Ironman, 70.3, Olympic, Sprint
Discussion
Highway Star said:
I'd say anything under 22.30 for a triathlete. For a pure swimmer anything under 20 is respectable.
Sub 22.30 is very good for a triathlete. As an example, that would have got you the quickest swim at the London Triathlon open male category last year (1397 starters). Only one person in the 'Sub 2:30' group beat 22.30. I'd suggest anything below 28 is better than average in most races, and 25 a good time to be aiming for and will see you in the top 10-15% of most Olympic distance tris.
GBDG said:
Really enjoyed the swim. Much more interesting than a pool. There are various circuits set up, the biggest being 500m, and you do laps of that.
Man, sighting is really difficult, i was swimming zig zags, ended up miles off course a couple of times.
Yeah, open water swimming is wicked, eh? Totally different ball game to the pool!Man, sighting is really difficult, i was swimming zig zags, ended up miles off course a couple of times.
Have you had much experience with it before? Were you throwing in proper sighting strokes or just trying to grab a look whenever you could for navigation??
nick s said:
Even that is still fast! I'd say for a person who maybe swims once a week and doesn't have much background, anything under 35 mins is pretty good going. You have to be of a reaosnable level to go sub 30 minutes for 1500m i'd say.
I do tend to agree. But this is a triathlon thread, we're all superhuman atheltes! 
Once a week swimming isn't really enough to improve your swimming a great deal, but if you're training for a triathlon I would suggest you swim at least twice a week.
If I remember rightly Highway Star is a bit of a demon in the pool (based on some of his posts). He's a comptitive swimmer, so his standards are much higher than ours (and rightfully deserved no doubt). At the pool a couple of weeks ago Richard Stannard came flying past me with a kickboard whilst I was swimming full stroke. I'm sure he was laughing. Totally different league of swimming.
Fourmotion said:
Richard Stannard came flying past me with a kickboard whilst I was swimming full stroke. I'm sure he was laughing. Totally different league of swimming.
Stannard is a bit of a beast in the swim and no mistake, he occasionally turns up at meets I'm at and cleans up (at least in his age group, if not overall), though he was a top swimmer in his youth. Couple of years back at Masters Nationals he set several GB records.Its a shame he's stopped running the open water series he put on a couple of years back at Little Marlow, they were really excellent races for people who'd not done much OW swimming and a really good mix of standards.
Highway Star said:
Its a shame he's stopped running the open water series he put on a couple of years back at Little Marlow, they were really excellent races for people who'd not done much OW swimming and a really good mix of standards.
They're still on at Datchet if you can make it there. Next race is Wednesday 8th August 7pm. Fourmotion said:
They're still on at Datchet if you can make it there. Next race is Wednesday 8th August 7pm.
I'm away on holiday then, but might have a look at other races there if you have a link? Is it a different company organising it to OWS?Swimming training for speed has not been so good this year as have had shoulder and back problems, but am doing a few longer sea swim events over the summer.
I received it on an email from OWS, I can't find any details on either the OWS or B2P websites.
OWS said:
B2P SWIM SERIES 2012 RACE 2 – 750/1500m WEDNESDAY 8th AUG 7pm
August 8th will see the return of the 2012 Swim Series, you will have the opportunity to do a timed 750m or 1500m swim around our Datchet course.
Important information:
Race distance – 750/1500m
Registration - on the day only £10 from 6pm-6:40pm
Race start time - 7pm
PLEASE NOTE NORMAL SWIM WILL BE AVAILABLE DURING SWIM SERIES RACE 2. 6-8pm
B2P Swim Series 2012 Race 1 Summary
Thank you to everyone who braved the thundery showers and helped to launch our 2012 swim series on August 11th, we had swimmers off all abilities and enjoyed a relax BBQ after.
Congratulations to Jobe Winter (8.39) top male, Antonia Knowles (10.39) Top female, Jordan Sexton (9.00) Top U16, and Zena Barrett (22.47) Fastest breastroker!
August 8th will see the return of the 2012 Swim Series, you will have the opportunity to do a timed 750m or 1500m swim around our Datchet course.
Important information:
Race distance – 750/1500m
Registration - on the day only £10 from 6pm-6:40pm
Race start time - 7pm
PLEASE NOTE NORMAL SWIM WILL BE AVAILABLE DURING SWIM SERIES RACE 2. 6-8pm
B2P Swim Series 2012 Race 1 Summary
Thank you to everyone who braved the thundery showers and helped to launch our 2012 swim series on August 11th, we had swimmers off all abilities and enjoyed a relax BBQ after.
Congratulations to Jobe Winter (8.39) top male, Antonia Knowles (10.39) Top female, Jordan Sexton (9.00) Top U16, and Zena Barrett (22.47) Fastest breastroker!
dangerousB said:
Yeah, open water swimming is wicked, eh? Totally different ball game to the pool!
Have you had much experience with it before? Were you throwing in proper sighting strokes or just trying to grab a look whenever you could for navigation??
Never done it before in my life! I didn't really know what spotting was, until someone mentioned it while I was putting my wet suit on. After the disaster yesterday, i've watched a few youtube videos and am clued up for next time! Have you had much experience with it before? Were you throwing in proper sighting strokes or just trying to grab a look whenever you could for navigation??
The main benefit for me is being able to get into my stride. My gym pool is only 20m, which is about 12 or so strokes. Swimming 200m staright means you can get a nice rhythm going.
If I can make it down on a Thursday, there is a swimming coach from Manchester Tri club giving pointers, which would be good. The also do an aquathon, where you do a bit of a run as well.
So to compare running and swimming, i'm thinking something along these lines, in terms of comparative performance.
Sub 20min 1500 = Sub 15min 5km
Sub 22 min 1500 = Sub 18 min 5km
Sub 25 min 1500 = Sub 20 min 5km
Sub 30 min 1500 = sub 25 min 5km
Edited by GBDG on Wednesday 18th July 13:55
Highway Star said:
Stannard is a bit of a beast in the swim and no mistake, he occasionally turns up at meets I'm at and cleans up (at least in his age group, if not overall), though he was a top swimmer in his youth. Couple of years back at Masters Nationals he set several GB records.
Its a shame he's stopped running the open water series he put on a couple of years back at Little Marlow, they were really excellent races for people who'd not done much OW swimming and a really good mix of standards.
Stannard's an awesome swimmerIts a shame he's stopped running the open water series he put on a couple of years back at Little Marlow, they were really excellent races for people who'd not done much OW swimming and a really good mix of standards.
If you're talking international triathletes though - Andy Potts is your boy. I believe he was an Olympic swimmer pre ironman.
Open water swimming's great as long as you've got a nice clear lake
Have any of you guys tried lake 32 near Cirencester ? It's clear and relatively shallow too, so makes swimming in a straight line a bit easier (if you're generally lost without a black pool line and T like I am
)I did a VOTWO Long Swim event there (I think it was there) a few years ago - like a bath, and Sherborne Castle lake was thoroughly unpleasant by comparison.
That was my first OW swim, and whilst the bouyancy of my wetsuit was a happy surprise, I discovered that I could turn through 90 degrees in just three or four strokes if I stopped looking where I was going.
Eventually I got into a rhythm, and counting between sighting strokes is a good way to pass the time - of which there is a lot in a 3.8km swim...
That was my first OW swim, and whilst the bouyancy of my wetsuit was a happy surprise, I discovered that I could turn through 90 degrees in just three or four strokes if I stopped looking where I was going.
Eventually I got into a rhythm, and counting between sighting strokes is a good way to pass the time - of which there is a lot in a 3.8km swim...
Just thought I'd chip in and share my recent result - I did the NYC Tri a couple of weeks ago for the first time
http://www.nyctri.com/Event_Information/Course/Cou...
1500m swim - 26:43
Transition 1 - 4:40
40k ride - 1:17:48
Transition 2 - 1:30
10k run - 1:05:27
2:56:05 Finish
The run was brutal, it was warm and humid and I cramped in my right calf coming off the bike. Other than that, I'm happy with a first effort of sub-3hrs, but I'd be lying if I didn't add up all my training times and secretly want a 2:45 result.
Edited to add - I'm a Clydesdale (i.e. 17.5 stone of rugby player, the quintessential PH 'powerfully built')
http://www.nyctri.com/Event_Information/Course/Cou...
1500m swim - 26:43
Transition 1 - 4:40
40k ride - 1:17:48
Transition 2 - 1:30
10k run - 1:05:27
2:56:05 Finish
The run was brutal, it was warm and humid and I cramped in my right calf coming off the bike. Other than that, I'm happy with a first effort of sub-3hrs, but I'd be lying if I didn't add up all my training times and secretly want a 2:45 result.
Edited to add - I'm a Clydesdale (i.e. 17.5 stone of rugby player, the quintessential PH 'powerfully built')
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 18th July 22:12
This is weird! You guys must be local to me then? I'm a member of B2P aswell.
As someone has mentioned, Richard Stannard still runs the Aquathlons down at Liquid Leisure. He wins every time aswell!
In fact i was there last night for the weekly B2P swim session. Are either of you guys members?!
As someone has mentioned, Richard Stannard still runs the Aquathlons down at Liquid Leisure. He wins every time aswell!
In fact i was there last night for the weekly B2P swim session. Are either of you guys members?!
nick s said:
This is weird! You guys must be local to me then? I'm a member of B2P aswell.
As someone has mentioned, Richard Stannard still runs the Aquathlons down at Liquid Leisure. He wins every time aswell!
In fact i was there last night for the weekly B2P swim session. Are either of you guys members?!
I live in Guildford and tend to go to Mytchett lake. Not a member of a tri club, work and baby commitments mean I train when I get spare time, which doesn't fit with the structrured sessions of my local club (Phoenix tri). As someone has mentioned, Richard Stannard still runs the Aquathlons down at Liquid Leisure. He wins every time aswell!
In fact i was there last night for the weekly B2P swim session. Are either of you guys members?!
I haven't been this year, but I did a couple of aquathlons at Liquid Leisure last year, and will be doing the 1.5k swim on August 8th this year. I'm the fat one!
nick s said:
This is weird! You guys must be local to me then? I'm a member of B2P aswell.
As someone has mentioned, Richard Stannard still runs the Aquathlons down at Liquid Leisure. He wins every time aswell!
In fact i was there last night for the weekly B2P swim session. Are either of you guys members?!
I'm north of Oxford, so Marlow was a nice trip down the M40. I'm not a triathlete, more a swimmer, but am toying with the idea of a tri next year as I've started running again this year and am doing 40 min 10ks. I cycle to work some days, but have none of the kit (I ride a MTB with knobblies) and am by no means a cyclist. As someone has mentioned, Richard Stannard still runs the Aquathlons down at Liquid Leisure. He wins every time aswell!
In fact i was there last night for the weekly B2P swim session. Are either of you guys members?!
Thanks for the link Fourmotion, seems to be the only place those swims are being advertised.
I've also swam at Cirencester, also did one of the VOtwo long swims there, 2010 I think. Was a good facility and the water clarity wasn't too bad for a lake.
Fourmotion said:
nick s said:
This is weird! You guys must be local to me then? I'm a member of B2P aswell.
As someone has mentioned, Richard Stannard still runs the Aquathlons down at Liquid Leisure. He wins every time aswell!
In fact i was there last night for the weekly B2P swim session. Are either of you guys members?!
I live in Guildford and tend to go to Mytchett lake. Not a member of a tri club, work and baby commitments mean I train when I get spare time, which doesn't fit with the structrured sessions of my local club (Phoenix tri). As someone has mentioned, Richard Stannard still runs the Aquathlons down at Liquid Leisure. He wins every time aswell!
In fact i was there last night for the weekly B2P swim session. Are either of you guys members?!
I haven't been this year, but I did a couple of aquathlons at Liquid Leisure last year, and will be doing the 1.5k swim on August 8th this year. I'm the fat one!
Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff