login
Shallow Water Swim Legs
-
No new posts
 2011-04-19 8:41 PM |
Expert  661    Maui, Hawaii |  Subject: Shallow Water Swim LegsIs there a rule of thumb for races where the water is shallow? For instance, at the knees - wade/run; above the waist, swim? If you are scooping up handfuls of sand with every stroke, wade? Where is the cost/benefit margin? At what point do you save your legs by not wading/running? Do you give up speed one way or the other? I'm asking this because there is a tri I want to do and I've heard there's an issue with the swim being excessively shallow. That won't keep me from entering, but I may want to change/modify my strategy.
|
| 2011-04-19 9:37 PM in reply to: #3455709 |
Champion 7595  Columbia, South Carolina | Subject: RE: Shallow Water Swim Legs I don't know about mid-swim -- I'd be inclined to try to maintain some sort of consistent rhythm rather than frequently switching from swimming to running and back. But entering and exiting, the usual advice I've heard (and followed) is to swim as long as your hands are not touching the bottom and run otherwise. |
| 2011-04-20 5:16 AM in reply to: #3455709 |
Pro 6520 Bellingham, WA | Subject: RE: Shallow Water Swim Legs I have done a few races that had stretches that were quite shallow, maybe a hundred yards or so. So shallow that fingertips dragged along the bottom. Conventional wisdom seemed to be that it was faster (and less energy) to keep swimming if at all possible. If it becomes so shallow that you cannot maintain a normal pull, I'd get up and run. In one race I did though as soon as people starting running/walking it was impossible to keep swimming because most were just kind of shuffling along. They should have kept swimming but it was just too tempting to get on their feet. Edited by popsracer 2011-04-20 5:17 AM |
|
|
|
View profile
Add to friends
Go to training log
Go to race log
Send a message
View album
CONNECT WITH FACEBOOK