A Swimming Pyramid and Learn to Count

As soon as I hit the water at the pool, I lose all ability to count. How far do I swim? No idea. How many laps do I usually do? Not a clue. I've have certainly tried to count. Usually, around 4 lengths I lose count. This obviously is not helpful.

I think this has to do with the fact that swimming has become a meditation for me. There is something about the feel of the water, the methodical stroke, the controlled breathing, the buoyancy, and the repeated swimming path. And it also might have to do with the dim lights and the jazz music that they play evenings at Evans Pool in Seattle. The combination of all these definitely allow me to zone out or think about all that is going on in my life (except counting.)

Sometimes by best thinking comes during swimming and therefore I like to refer to the pool as the THINK TANK.

Dan has asked me several times how far I swam in my workout and usually all I can come up with is "at least 4 lengths." Tonight, prior to my swim he suggested writing down a workout to take with me that I would follow. This way, I would only have to keep track of segments, not the entire workout. Here is what he suggested:

400 yrds Warm-up (16 laps*)
2 x 200
2 x 150
2 x 100
2 x 50
4 x 25
...then repeat back up the list.
Cooldown
* based on a 25 yard pool

This workout is considered a pyramid because you are working all the way down and then back up the list. I wrote the above workout on a piece of paper and put it in a zip lock bag. I was then able to keep this on the pool side as reference. Wow, this definitely helped. I think only at one point I lost track and may have done an extra 2 laps on one of the segments.

The above workout equals 2500 yards is about 1.42 miles. I was only able to complete 2300 yards with the last 200 segment as my cooldown. I just ran out of time! This was the first swimming workout that I actually followed and it definitely helped keep me focused. Plus, I really liked that about half way I was able to add some speed with the 25 yard lengths. I think I will continue to organize some workouts prior to going. And then I can report how far I have been swimming.

1 mile = 1760 yards (approx 70 laps)

Triathlon Swim Distances
Sprint: 750 meters (820 yards)
Olympic: 1.5 km (1640 yards)
Half Ironman: 1.93 km (2110 yards)
Ironman: 3.86 km (4221 yards)

Efficient Swimming Open Turns

Oh seasoned swimmers and your fancy flip turns, how smoothly and effortless you change directions in the pool. Maybe I have turn-envy. With each approach on every lap I think how nice it would be to have such a quick change. Well, its not going to happen...at least not while I am practicing with 4 other swimmers quickly approaching my tail. In my previous attempts at flip turns I think I flipped and pushed myself straight into pool bottom, only then to get water in my nose and then lose sight of the direction I should be swimming.

But I think flip turns aren't natural, PLUS when is that useful in a triathlon. Yup, never.

So, happily avoiding the flip, I have started to look into increasing my speed and efficiency of an open turns. This is a lot easy to practice and could potentially be just as quick. Plus, I have 100% success rate of now banging my head on the bottom of the pool. The following videos are pretty thorough...ok, really thorough. There is still opportunity for style points with this one.

Julie's First Tri: Lake Meridian, WA

Ok, Dan you were right: I'm already thinking about the next race. Is it too early to say I am addicted? I am sitting here, anxiously waiting results of my race...

While I outwardly spoke out that my goal for my first triathlon (sprint at Lake Meridian, WA) was to finish the race. Quietly I knew this wasn't enough I wanted a good showing; its the competitor in me. So I was thrilled when things went smoothly...like not getting a flat tire and no digestive issues. Thanks for getting me prepared for this. Also a big thanks to my friends Schuyler and Tara for showing me the ropes and doing the race with me.

I was a little concerned about how I was going to perform after only an hour's nights rest. The night before a race I can never seem to sleep...we will need to cover this as a topic later on! Luckily the previous night I had slept well. Breakfast consisted of a pb&j, banana, and a Gatorade Prime. Everything stayed down (as opposed to the day of my first half marathon.)

I definitely was pretty intimidated when we arrived at the race and started to set up transition. People have some fancy bikes and some pretty techy gear. I didn't let it get to me thought, I mean my goal was to just finish, right?

This tri started with a deep water start, and with the temperature of the water at 74 degrees (warmer than the air) it was a pretty comfortable and calming pre-start. Of course once everyone started, I definitely felt the "washing machine" effect and at one point just stopped cause there was no where to go. One swimming for about 5 minutes I was able to find my own space and get in the groove. Reviewing the race, the swimming was actually my favorite leg! I think I definitely entered "the zone."

I was definitely worried last night about not being fully prepared for the bike. I had really only been on that particular bike twice! Also, I was doing this race without the proper equipment to change a tire. I was just hoping that I wouldn't have to stop racing if a tire went flat. Phew! Another thing I learned was to take the bike for a little spin after taking it out of the car. When I first jumped on the bike, my gears were not catching and I almost thought I was going to have to get off the bike. I think I should have just double checked everything before I put it on the rack! Another topic we will have to discuss in the future is rules of drafting and passing. While this triathlon was not super strict, for future races it would be nice to know to avoid penalty.

The run was definitely the worst leg. Although going in I was thinking that this would be my strong part, I was not prepared for the tightness and jelly feeling (how contradictory) that I was going to feel. The first mile was definitely the worst as it felt like I was running on new legs. As I continued to run I could feel my legs loosening up a little more which allowed me to increase my stride. I think in my continued training I want to practice more bike/run bricks to help tackle this feeling.

Overall, this was an awesome experience! The weather was ideal and French toast was served for athletes...uh, awesome! I will post my times when they are made available. Really stoked to see how I did...especially when I had no expectations for how fast I would be going in. Will keep you posted.

Race Week: Wetsuit Rental from XTerra

Green Lake, Seattle WA

I can float! Hello buoyancy.

My rental wetsuit from Xterra came in the mail the other day and I have been anxious to take it out for a spin. As you mentioned here, I knew it was also important to try out an open water swim.
Renting the wetsuit from Xterra was really easy and financially was the best decision. For $49 they will send you either a long sleeve or sleeveless wetsuit, ship it for free, and will send it out 10 days in advance of your race. If you choose to purchase a wetsuit from Xterra, you can then apply the $49 towards the price of the wetsuit.

Although they claim a 99% fit rate, this may be an exaggeration, or I just happen to fall in that 1% category. My wetsuit came in too large. I recommend if you fall towards the lower end of a weight group and it falls on the border between two sizes, go smaller.

Of course, since this is my first time ever wearing a wetsuit, I wanted instruction on how to actually put it on:


Swimming with the wetsuit got me pumped. It helped alleviate some of the anxiety I have been having about the swimming portion of the race. The buoyancy felt great. I also felt like I was swimming really fast! I kind of felt like a triathlete too, pretty bad ass.

Water Week: Swimming Equipment

Everyone has their favorite swim equipment and when you get to the pool you may notice some equipment resting on the end of the pool: kickboards, leg buoys, fins, and pull paddles. Swimming novices may look at that stuff and ask, "what the heck are these people doing with a bag of equipment on the side of the pool?"

Julie you may be able to attest to that. What were your initial thoughts upon entering a Master's swimming class or the pool for the first time? I know my initial thought was "isn't the goal to swim? Don't you just hop in and go?"

Julie: I was really intimidated going to my first Master's swim class, maybe because first and foremost the class is called "Master's" and I felt I really wanted to be in a class called "First Timer's." Luckily the woman I was sharing a lane with was really welcoming and informed me that I should grab a kickboard and a leg buoy (which I wasn't exactly sure how to use at first.) She then basically was like, "ok, just copy me and keep up" and blew by me.

Kickboards - will help improve the strength of your kick and the strength in your hip flexors for improved form. This will help to keep your legs towards the top of the water.

You can buy a plethora of kickboards from a variety of sport goods stores or online and many YMCA's or gyms will have some that you can borrow.

Pull Buoys and Paddles



Fins

Water Week: Rules of the Pool

I am sure I could probably count the number of times I have gone to the pool to swim laps on two hands. Because I did not grow up going to pool or ever join the swim team, I feel like I never learned the rules of the pool. The first day I started swim training I took a peek at the posted pool rules: No Running, No Diving yadda yadda yadda, but nothing about lap etiquette or other rules that conditioned swimmers know.

Now that I can at least put my swim cap on correctly, I figured I would research some pool etiquette so at least I can learn to play nicely.

Here are some overall basics I gathered from research from the US Master Swimming, open water swimmer and blogger Donal Buckley, and endurance athlete Art Hutchinson.

Check lane speeds: Lanes may be marked slow, medium or fast. Spend time observing swimmers already in the lane and choose according to your pace.

Joining a lane: Always choose an open lane if possible. When entering a lane, it is your responsibility to inform all other swimmers that you are joining that lane either by dangling legs in the water or standing to the side. At this time desired swim pattern can be determined.

Swimming pattern:

Split: Two swimmers in a lane may agree to split the lane meaning each swimmer gets on side of the lane and stays on that side. Both swimmers must explicitly agree to this!

Circle: Three or more swimmers must circle swim meaning always staying to the right of the lane. In this format, swimmers should never stop in the middle of a length.

Resting: If you are going to stop, move to the far side (ideally far right when facing the lane) of the lane to allow sufficient room for continuing swimmers to turn.

Speed & Passing: Slower swimmers need to yield to the faster swimmers in the lane. Push off almost immediately after a fast swimmer has passed, but keep back enough distance to let them turn safely. Move to side of lane to allow faster swimmers to pass.

When you want to pass a slower swimmer, tap the feet of the swimmer. Pass on the left. Faster swimmers should give slower swimmers a large head start.

My favorite rule from the US Master's is to keep your fingernails trimmed, but by all means, PLEASE don't clip them at the pool. Yuk. Not sure if anyone would do that. But don't.

Water Week: Getting Started in Open Water

Julie: Ok, I've been to the pool a couple times. What about open water swimming?

Dan: Make sure to do an open water swim at least one time before your race (especially if it is in the ocean). The wave starts can be intimidating and overwhelming if you are not used to the them. Learning to get in and out of the water is something that many people will not pay attention to, but should know how to do. When running out to an ocean swim from the beach, hop the small waves, until you are about knee-quad deep then dive under crashing waves. This will keep you from being knocked back from a wave and more efficient (you will swim much faster than you can run in the water with it that deep).

For novices, I would suggest walking or jogging into the water. Let the competitive athletes in your age group go. The worst thing for a newbie triathlete to do is to get caught up in what other athletes are doing. You need to race your own race, not someone else's. This will also allow you to have less people around you when you start and will decrease any anxiety you may have. ( I would suggest a different approach to a newbie triathlete that has a swimming background)

I know many triathletes that suffered through their first swim. The heart races, you begin to breathe heavy and you are not used to swimming in a crowded situation. You will have people bump, hit, climb, pull you at some point during the swim. Do not panic, let those athletes work their way around you.

When exiting the water or coming to the end of your swim, I always use the rule that I swim until my stroke hand can hit the bottom of the water (I have long arms being 6'6) so this will differ amongst athletes. I think the less time you have to run through the water the better, again you are going to be faster swimming than running. When you stand up I use the "high knee" method where you spring off one foot and bring the other leg up above your waist in a bent position and alternate.

Running in sand when you first get out of the water is also a sensation you might want to experience before your first race.

In open water you will also need to practice "sighting". I recommend every 7-10 strokes to pick your head out of the water to ensure you are traveling in a straight line. Nothing worse than adding a few hundred meters to the swim portion of the race. Or what I try and do is make sure I can always see someone to my left (I have a habit of only breathing to my left- niche I acquired when first swimming and feels comfortable). I still sight though in case the person to my left is offline, but tracking a competitor while breathing allows me to sight without lifting my head out of the water.

Julie: When should I wear a wetsuit? (per USAT)

http://www.usatriathlon.org/resources/multisport-zone/rules-education/swim-conduct-wetsuits

Dan: If you are afraid of the swim (and most are- don't let anyone fool you) and your goal is just to finish the race you can still wear a wetsuit even if the water temperature is above 78 degrees. The only stipulation is that you will not be able to claim an award should you post a top 3 or top 5 (depending on race) finish in your age group.

Also note that your body will heat up rapidly so you will want to ensure that you hydrate upon completing the swim.

SAFETY
1. Always swim with at least one other person in the open water, never swim alone.
2. Try and wear a bright colored swim cap or something visible from the shore so someone can spot you.
3. Do not swim out too deep. You will be fine swimming just past the breakers.
4. Before swimming, make sure and check to see if there is an undertow.
5. In an open water swim, I swim with my Road ID on (www.roadid.com) this bracelet or anklet is customized by you with all your pertinent contact information (age, emergency contacts, allergies, medical conditions, insurance carrier etc)

Water Week: How to At Least Look Like a Swimmer

Welcome to Pool Week! (Kind of like Shark Week without the sharks.) We will be tackling several different topics related to swimming this week and I will be asking some very beginnerly questions.

I've never had swim lessons before. Maybe a little instruction a few days at a summer camp, but for the most part I still find swimming pretty intimidating. Included in this intimidation is the anxiety I get just going to the pool. Swimmers are bad ass with their broad shoulders and sleek goggles.

My first goal for starting to swim at the pool is to just know what to expect, know how to play by the rules and not look ridiculous as I stretch my cap over my head.

So that brings us to the first lesson of the week: how to put on your swim cap without looking like an idiot. Check out these videos to see two different techniques:



I especially like the message at the beginning of this one.

Welcome to Water, Rubber & Road

Hello readers!
This is me and my brother. This photo was taken the day my brother ran his fourth 70.3 Ironman. This is also the day that I decided I would not be a spectator anymore.

Welcome to our blog. Our mission is to make getting into triathlons less intimidating by covering the topics and many questions that arise surrounding this sport. We aim to provide a reference covering topics ranging from gear to training to race day, everything to get started in triathlons. We will train hard but also laugh at ourselves and share our stories.

Between the two of us, we will be able to cover perspectives from the beginner to experienced, both male and female, and from the northwest to southeast.

This is a sibling blog about a beginner triathlete trying to keep up with an Ironman.