Last minute triathlon swimming training advice

pc11

I've done almost no swimming in a year due to bad shoulders but I've impulsively registered for a sprint triathlon in 2 weeks. Now, I'm just a moderate swimmer and I'll be quite happy to get around, but what can I do in 2 weeks?

Should I:

• give up, it's too late
• do some pretty long steady swims
• do intervals
• practice technique mostly
• use paddles or gloves to turbo-train my upper body?

What would you do in 2 weeks? My running/biking should be ok.

Woddle

Just go to the pool and swim as many lenghts as you like till the sessions over as often as you can in the 2 weeks, mainly working on correct technique.
Not alot fitness wise you can change in 2 weeks but you'll still finish, best of luck.

shg101

pc11 wrote: »

I've done almost no swimming in a year due to bad shoulders but I've impulsively registered for a sprint triathlon in 2 weeks. Now, I'm just a moderate swimmer and I'll be quite happy to get around, but what can I do in 2 weeks?

Should I:

• give up, it's too late
• do some pretty long steady swims
• do intervals
• practice technique mostly
• use paddles or gloves to turbo-train my upper body?

What would you do in 2 weeks? My running/biking should be ok.

Is it a pool, river or OW swim? What distance can you swim right now (ie are you concerned with not finishing at all, or just being slow?). Get 750m done in the appropriate one at least once to have the confidence that you can and will do it.

If I was you I would do plenty of swimming between now and then. Personally I would do long steady swims to make sure I can actually swim the distance required, working to make sure you are doing it with good technique.

On the day, start at the back and to the side, and relax into a steady pace, don't get caught up in a hectic start where you waste a lot of energy.

pc11

shg101 wrote: »

Is it a pool, river or OW swim? What distance can you swim right now (ie are you concerned with not finishing at all, or just being slow?). Get 750m done in the appropriate one at least once to have the confidence that you can and will do it.

If I was you I would do plenty of swimming between now and then. Personally I would do long steady swims to make sure I can actually swim the distance required, working to make sure you are doing it with good technique.

On the day, start at the back and to the side, and relax into a steady pace, don't get caught up in a hectic start where you waste a lot of energy.

Thanks. It's in a quarry apparently (the quarryman triathlon in Meath), so it's fresh water and no current presumably. I imagine it will be cold, and I'll wear a swimming wetsuit of course. I can certainly do 750m, just I want to do it efficiently. I did about 35 mins in the pool yesterday doing drills with kickboard, gloves and freestyle lengths. I'm hoping to get a private technique lesson this week also.

I'd like to do a freshwater OW swim for training, does anyone know a good place within easy reach of Dublin?

interested

imho

if you've been out due to bad shoulders ... and are fully over the problem

a) dont even think about using paddles of any description for a good while .. never mind over the next 2 weeks.

b) if you can, go back and do some swimming every second day or so - and gradually build the distances you're covering in your session. A mix of a good warm up (including stretches), some stroke sets that'll help you get a feel for the water again and a couple of faster efforts to keep it interesting would be all Id do at this stage.

c) if you can get one open water swim in before the event with the wetsuit you intend to use on the day then it might help identify any outstanding problems with your shoulders before the event itself. Depending on the wetsuit, you're shoulders may feel very differently when swimming with it on than when you're swimming in the pool.

If you've swam before, then you'll know theres not a whole lot you can do in a couple of weeks ... but ... by swimming regularly you should definitely regain some of the feel you had for the water which will help in the quarry swim.

pc11

Hi interested,

thanks for that.

No, my shoulders are not completely ok, but they seem calm enough at the moment to give this a go. Once I get this event done I can rest from swimming again, I just want to notch up one tri this year.

(a) I take it you mean not to use paddles because they may aggravate the shoulder? I haven't used them but I have used the webbed gloves for the one session on Saturday, do you think they are easier on shoulders than paddles?

(b) Yes, that's pretty much my plan, every 2nd day or so to0 get the feel back. I just did Gaelforce so run/bike is ok. It suits me to concentrate on swim for now and continue to let the legs recover fully.

(c) I'd like to try out the wetsuit, but I'm wondering where I could do that safely in fresh water? It's a good tri wetsuit, but I've only worn it once as I did no swimming this year, so all the more reason to try it out.

interested

pc11 wrote: »

Hi interested,

thanks for that.

No, my shoulders are not completely ok, but they seem calm enough at the moment to give this a go. Once I get this event done I can rest from swimming again, I just want to notch up one tri this year.

(a) I take it you mean not to use paddles because they may aggravate the shoulder? I haven't used them but I have used the webbed gloves for the one session on Saturday, do you think they are easier on shoulders than paddles?

(b) Yes, that's pretty much my plan, every 2nd day or so to0 get the feel back. I just did Gaelforce so run/bike is ok. It suits me to concentrate on swim for now and continue to let the legs recover fully.

(c) I'd like to try out the wetsuit, but I'm wondering where I could do that safely in fresh water? It's a good tri wetsuit, but I've only worn it once as I did no swimming this year, so all the more reason to try it out.

No worries, if you're shoulders are still not 100% Id be inclined to leave the gloves at home in the bag - since they'll only put more pressure on your shoulders (not as much as a paddle, but Ive never worn the gloves myself) and it may not be worth the risk.

Difficult to answer your question re: safe fresh water locations. Of course theres a difference between the sea/lake/quarry/river swimming but for the purposes of getting a feel for your suit ... head to whatevers handy ... and safe ... if the suit feels alright in the sea .. it'll feel alright when swimming the course the day of the tri.

Good luck and hope the worst of the shoulder problems are behind you