Question about training plans

My guess would be because OWS conditions are very, very different than swimming the same distance in a pool.  Particularly the part about not having a wall to push off of every 25 or 50 m.  For my first sprint, I trained for double the distance (800m swim, I worked my way up to 1650 nonstop) and even with that, I nearly bit it.  Open water race conditions are just so different from pool swims.  The extra distance helps make up for the forced breaks. 

Also, with swimming you are not necessarily going non-stop, particularly if you are doing drills.  So you need more in-water time to get the workout done than it would actually take to do the same distance straight through.

Interested to hear what others have to say...

I totally appreciate the reply!

I THINK I'm already accounting for open water, but I could be wrong. I've done 2 sprint tri's w/ thousand yard open water swims. Even DOUBLING those times would be 40ish min; and the Olympic tri is like 1640 or something, not even 2 thousand or a complete mile. The 2 tri's I've done were at the beach. I've done one open water swim the past 2 years in a river for 3 mi. The Bay Bridge, was obviously in the Chesapeake Bay. For information's sake this olympic will be in a river but a different one. My pool mile splits are running about 32 min each. I slow down a bit on mile 4, but not more than 2-3 min.

This is why I'm confused. I think I've already accounted for open water v the pool at 40 min or so.
I desperately need the extra time spent on running. Given that, and that I'm just so broed w/ swimming after like 12 mi a week for the past 6 months; it's entriely possible I'm just trying to justify the switch. It woulnd't be the first time I talked myself into a bad idea!

Maybe I need to do more research to see what the current usually is on race day, and compare it to the currents I've swam in the past?

Edited by asgate99 2010-06-14 12:33 PM

Typical OLY is around 1500 yds.  I agree that if you are a decent swimmer with OWS experience,  I would drop to a distance oriented workout to make sure you are doing 1500 - 1700 yd swims and use the extra time on bike, run and bike/run.

That's just my personal feeling though.  I'm doing an HIM in Sept. and I am putting a lot more emphasis on bike conditioning since a weak bike means you blow out your legs before the run.  I see the real bang for the buck in the bike and run.  Especially as a clyde.  My OLY OWS time in May was 29 min.  The HIM is 1.2 miles so I'm shooting to complete 2100 yd swims in 38 min or less by Sept.  I do 45 min, 3x a week.  I don't see the need to take time from biking or running to do any more than that right now.

Thanks again! I appreciate the info. Not so much looking forward to the running, but it seems necessary.

I agree about there being more time to lose in the bike and run. If even knew WHO to approach I would be lobbying hard for the swim to come LAST of the three legs of a tri and be THREE times as long!

But as it's structured now, I just need to get faster w/ the run and the bike. ugh!!

VERY guilty of just swimming for gobs of distance w/o doing drills. That's why I can always add endurance, but never seem to get any faster. Right now - comming off a 3.5 mi swim as a short swim of the week, I find it hard to believe that a mile would leave me w/o energy left over. But that's right now in June. Come September, once I haven't been swimming 3 or 4 mi at a shot, that will obviously be different.

Do you think I could train to still have energy left for the bike & run if all my swims are done just before a run? Logistically, it just works out to do running and swimming back to back. Bike rides just take longer, and it's easier to find time in the day to do them if that's ALL I need to find time in the day for. Then run & swim on the other days. 

That's partly why my running and biking have been so sporadic since January. Training for the 4.4mi swim was a HUGE chunk of time every day. Like 2-2.5 hours; which seems longer when all you can do for amusement is stare at the black line on the bottom of the pool. So I did swimming all by itself on those days, and did the running and biking together on the other days. Or that was the plan, when I stuck to it ... I have WAY more dedication when it comes to swimming, just like it more.

But to improve the overall time I to make way bigger gains in the run and bike. I need to learn to run at even a normal speed.

I am a total newbie and no expert.  However, it sounds like you've got the swim down.  I was told to focus on my weaker sports when training and not to favor my favorite.  I'm in the pool probably twice a week, and if I have limited time and need to pick swim or run, I run.  I hate it, and I'm not good.  The swim is usually the shortest piece and as long as I know I can finish the distance without bein wiped out, I would rather concentrate on improving my bike and run. 

Thanks guys - Now to get on w/ the actual working on the running part!! sooo not my favorite. Just couting down til I can say I'm at least where I was last year again!!

If you read the Eagleman HIM race reports you can see that many are reporting that their swim was much longer as well... so great point!

I found my training plan too easy so I upgraded my membership and loaded a new one.  This one has some swims going up to 4000 and 4500 yds.  The HIM swim is only around 2100 so I probably won't do all of those extra long swims.  If it were not such a time trade-off it wouldn't be such a big deal but I really need bike and run work. 

Edited by Pector55 2010-06-15 11:44 AM

I agree with others that you seem to have enough swim endurance that will get you through the 1500 meters of an OLY. I would just try to maintain your swim fitness by doing 2000 meters twice a week. The bike and run is where you need to concentrate your efforts over the next several weeks, especially the run. Your body needs time to adapt to running, especially for us clydes. So I suggest that you start out running frequently at shorter distances or times and gradually build up.

For example: Run 5-6 times per week at 30 minutes each time. After a couple of weeks, gradually add a few minutes (around 10%) to one or two runs each week. I think this works better to build endurance and avoid injuries along the way. Getting injured and having a setback will adversely effect your training more then anything else.

Biking is less stressful on your body then running so you can increase the time and distance a little faster. I suggest biking 3-4 times a week at least and hour each time and then build so you are doing a ride of 2 - 3 hours on one these times each week in 4 or 5 weeks.

Good Luck! Remember to listen to your body so you don't push to hard to fast. If you feel like you are not progressing as fast as you think you should and don't feel that you will be ready for this race, don't stress over it, this is something we should be doing for fun. You can always pick another race to do when you feel you are ready.