OK to rest during swim

I think it is fine to rest since it is a pool swim. I worry about the safety aspect if people can't swim the full distance at an OWS and their plan is to swim from kayak to kayak.

The only "uncool" thing at a pool swim is to report a grossly inaccurate swim time. I've seen a couple 2:30/100yd swimmers who placed themselves in the 1:20/100 yd crowd causing problems with many people trying to pass. If you put in 20 minutes as your time, there will plenty of people resting along with you.

^^^ This is accurate info.

That's great advice about make SURE to be honest when reporting your swim time. Slow swimmers ahead of fast swimmers is frustrating for both.

For my first pool swim tri last year that was 400m in a pool, there were many people on the wall, especially in the later lanes. Just stay to the side away from the next lane, and you are practicing good etiquette. Wait to go until there is a space for you, and stay to the right when swimming so anyone wanting to pass can do so on the left. You will not be alone.

BTW - If you can swim 200y uninterrupted now, you'll be able to swim 800 in a month. I've posted this on BT many times before, but what clicked for me to get over 200y was watching my wife swim. She swims very, very slowly, but doesn't stop - like 3:00minutes/100yds. I realized that there is a third swim "gear" besides the only two I had then, which were STOP and SPRINT!!!, and that gear is JOG. Slow way down, breathe every stroke and just keep going. For some reason, 200yds/m is a mental block. Once you get past it just once, your confidence will soar. Just tell yourself you are going to do 250, and your mind somehow knows that it can do it, and then be able to rest. Same thing with 300, 400, etc. If you set out to swim "as far as I can", you will not be able to resist the urge to stop early. Like the old saying goes, a dream without a plan is just a dream, but a dream with a plan is a goal!!!


Your 800 "pieced together" in 20 minutes works out to either:
2:19/100y pace, plus 1:30 minutes rest, or
2:30/100y pace, if you did it without rest

Calculator Source: http://www.swimbikerun.net.nz/sbr/Calculators/SwimmingPaceCalculato...

So, try slowing down and swimming at a 2:30/100y pace once and see how that feels. Once you have the confidence to go the full 800, you can add the speed back in the last few weeks before your first triathlon.

lastly - Are you breathing every stroke?



Edited by DannyII 2014-02-17 9:05 AM

If you just started swimming in January, and you can already do a 2:19/100y pace, you must have at least some swimming background.

But, I would still recommend seeing if your pool facility has a swim instructor. Usually, they do, and for not a lot of money, they will help you with your basic stoke mechanics to make it as efficient as possible before your tri. Efficiency means fewer strokes per 100y, and more available oxygen.

You are probable also kicking too hard, or too much. Google "two-beat kick" "Total Immersion Freestyle" and watch this series of swim videos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5kTKpKFbXk

The first of them is not too informative on mechanics, but it is good on philosophy. There are similar ones on YouTube.

They helped me a ton last year.

Hey!

I could not swim and could barely float at the start of this year. I began swimming 3x a week and have been amazed at my progress. Once I relaxed and began swimming at a reduced effort (like. Zone 2 cycle or easy long run) I noticed my Continous swim jumped from 200M to the 700-800M range.

Hopefully you can avoid the wall with some disciplined practice. Alot of BT people told me just get in the pool as often as possible and one day your Continous swim length will just skyrocket....this was definetly true for me. Cheers,

Thanks for the input and the confidence building.

I breathe every stroke, right side only. I am practicing bi-lateral breathing, I do like the longer exhale. Still looking for that just right stroke and breathing pattern.

I am trying to slow down, i notice that does help. My wife is a slow, steady swimmer and does 800 non-stop. I rest and then play catch up with her, then rest,,,,, We usually finish 800 at same time.

Working on many aspects of form, particular my heavy, sinking feet.

I do have a message out to a swim coach, I hope to employ him/her soon.

I have one month to go, maybe I will sign up for the first one before it fills and use it for motivation.

Thanks again to all

Rather then stop and rest completely, try working a breath stroke lap into your series when you feel that you need to have a break. that way you are at least always moving forward a lap of easy breath stroke will allow you to easily catch your breath so you can continue free styling after that lap. the trick is to try and get your self slotted into the right group so that when you a free styling that you aren't running over people and when you are breath stroking that you are not holding people up it can be done but its can be a bit tricky.

Edited by RRH_88 2014-02-17 10:27 AM

Bet you $5 if you slow down and breathe more, you can go out and do 800y right now. Once you can do 150ish, you can do whatever you want, provided the pacing is right.

Im with you. My sticking point was right around 150 to 200 yards when i first started. One day I just decided that I was going to push off the wall and just keep pushing off even if i thought I couldn't push off again. I seriously forget how far I went, but it was upwards of about 1000 yards without stopping before I finally had to leave. (ran out of time). But I agree, once you get to about 200 ish yards, you should be able to just keep going (to a certain extent), but I have no doubt you could jump from 200 to 400 instantly. Just slow down and relax. Good luck with it

Good to hear you are working hard.

Your heavy, sinking feet are probably due to too high of a head in the water. Try looking at the bottom of the pool when swimming, keeping one goggle in the water as you breath, and look sideways, not up to the ceiling.

Advice more for an OWS than a pool swim - Practice breast stroke. It is an easier stroke and allows you to catch your breath and is great for sighting during an OWS where there are no lines on the bottom of the pool.

Edited by Oysterboy 2014-02-17 11:54 AM

Are you exhaling completely underwater? Holding your breath only leads to faster fatigue, and CO2 build up. No good for endurance. :-(

Swim right next to your wife. I mean, literally go exactly the same speed as she goes. That's how she's doing it continuously, and you are not. 20 -30 seconds per hundred doesn't sound like a lot of difference, but it is.

You'll love your first tri. Sign up. You might even decide to do both of them!

I tried to edit my earlier post, but I was too late!

Good to hear you are working hard.

Your heavy, sinking feet are probably due to too high of a head in the water.

Try:
1. Looking at the bottom of the pool just forward of yourself when swimming,
2. Keeping one goggle in the water as you breath (that one took me a while!), and
3. Look sideways, not up to the ceiling when your head is "out of the water".
4. Relax the head when breathing. It should rotate somewhat naturally with the shoulder. If your neck is sore/stiff after swimming, you're not relaxing it.

Swimming is really hard work! There's a lot to think about when you're just learning.

It took me a while, but I found this article that I re-read many, many times last year:

http://www.archive.totalimmersion.net/2008articles/september/ferris...

IMHO-don't go for a euro speedo, jammers are better for the rest of us! Please tell me you haven't been swimming in baggy board shorts have you?

No I don't swim in board shorts. That's funny. I have a jammers and a square leg suit, but no tiny briefs. I am comfortable with, ahem, my body, but not overly proud.

Sure you can rest. Just be careful not to get in the way by doing so.

That said your description of your swim training tells me you need to not worry as much about swimming as far as you can on a rep and swim shorter repeats FASTER.

Thank you for all your replies.
I am in a similar situation and this is immensely helpful!
I also only have two speeds - sprint and stop!
I have been working on TI and slowing down!

Since slowing down my distance has gone up, but I am only approaching 200 yds.

Congrats on getting to 200 yards!

Keep reading, keep learning, and keep swimming. Soon, 200y will be your warm-up!

It's ok to rest, just try to stay out of the way as much as possible. And make sure you seed yourself correctly when signing up for the race. One of the questions you'll be asked while registering is your 300m (or whatever distance you're racing) swim time. Lots of people think they're better than they are. Just like the people with strollers and stuff line up at the front of a running race.
As far as doing a continous swim in a pool.....I did this last summer when I hadn't been swimming for several weeks. My gym has an indoor pool and an outdoor pool. The outdoor pool does not have lane dividers and no one is usually out there. So instead of swimming in 1 lane back and forth, I made a loop. So, if you can picure this...I swam 25m down in lane 1, didn't touch the wall, but instead turned right while I was still swimming over to lane 3 and then up 25m in lane 3 and turned back to lane 1. In OWS you have to turn anyway, so this was also good practice. And it got me ready to do a 750m continous swim for my upcoming race.

Thought I'd give an update for anyone else in the same boat and following.

I hit 400 yards non-stop yesterday, a big gain, and finished 800 with 2 more 200 yard swims. Might have been able to go beyond 400 but it seemed a logical, even place to rest. That was a big improvement for me in a short time. Here's what I am practicing.

1. Total immersion, as suggested, works. It may not be the only technique but I really like it.
2. Form improvement, especially looking straight down, pulled my feet up to where they weren't dragging.
3. Stroke memorization and improvement by playing "catch up" using a kick board and swim fins.
4. Slowing down my kicks. I use to think my legs always needed to be moving. They don't.

I went ahead and registered for my first tri. It is one month away. I will swim it non stop.

5. Visualization and positive mental reinforcement.

1. Whooo-hoooo!!!



2. Yes, you will.

check this website out, it's what I used to get started in swimming longer distance. This program really worked well for me!! They even have an app that you can download to your smartphone to keep track if you want to.

http://ruthkazez.com/swimming/ZeroTo1mile.html

I have done two serpentine pool swim tris, one had you submit an estimated time and started people fastest to slowest and the other started people in random order. For the one that had you submit a time it was obvious when someone lied about their time, the second wasn't as big a mess as you would think but I was fortunate to have a few decent swimmers in front of me.

If they ask for a estimated time I would definitely be honest. I think stopping is fine as long as you stay out of everyones way but swimming relatively quickly then resting is going to be kind of inconvenient for you and everyone around you. I would try to work on maintaining a steady pace as much as possible. As you get to the slower swimmers I am sure people stopping to rest will be more common.

I am trying to picture how 800 yards works as a serpentine swim, one I did was 250 yards, up and down 5 lanes. The other was up and down 5 times at a pool that was a non-standard distance but ended up being less than 250 yards. Is the pool gigantic, like 16 lanes wide?