SBR Challenge 2014

MojoMaker

Exceptional figures zico, really putting the rest of us to shame.

joey100

That's some serious swimming in the last month Zico. Are you getting in every day? What sort of improvements are you seeing in your times?

zico10

joey100 wrote: »

That's some serious swimming in the last month Zico. Are you getting in every day? What sort of improvements are you seeing in your times?

I'm swimming 5/6 times a week. I miissed my Saturday morning swim last week as I was out Friday night. I would have made up for it on Sunday only I wasn't in Dublin. A pity because Peter told me to do 10x400 and I like to do exactly what he says.:)Three of the sessions are coached, so I'm happy quality work is being done. Since the start of the month I spent 90 minutes in the water anytime I went to the pool myself. So it starts to add up. (Still some way off the 120+ kilometres Dory Dory swam in May.

90 minutes feels like a long time, but I think if I can get used to it, I'm hoping it will make my 3.8km IM swim next September feel like a piece of pi$$. Obviously I hope to become a more efficient swimmer in the meantime, but volume worked well for my running and biking last year and I want to try the same with my swimming.

Re times; 12 months ago I wouldn't have broken 7 minutes for a 400TT, last week I managed 6.34. Last year I was probably swimming hundreds off 2 minutes, now I reckon I could hold 1.50 for an hour. I think it takes a while to see any significant improvements with swimming, but two weeks before the 6.34 400TT, I swam 6.45. I'd like to think I can get it under 6.30 before Christmas. There could be several reasons for the 11 second difference, and the real test will be in races next summer, but I feel I am improving.

I'm getting more confident in the water, which I think will be crucial. Also I think I'm starting to realise what it means to work hard in the water, which is not as simple as it sounds.

catweazle

Was the swim short in Mallorca Zico or did you just outperform, a 1.02 without wetsuit - I would have thought your 400pb would have been quicker

zico10

catweazle wrote: »

Was the swim short in Mallorca Zico or did you just outperform, a 1.02 without wetsuit - I would have thought your 400pb would have been quicker

I didn't have any GPS to measure it. I was told by other people it was a full 3.8k, but based on my time I find that hard to believe. Some pros came out of the water in 45 minutes, which for a non wetsuit swim was incredibly fast. So make of that what you will.

Dory Dory

zico10 wrote: »

Re times; 12 months ago I wouldn't have broken 7 minutes for a 400TT, last week I managed 6.34. Last year I was probably swimming hundreds off 2 minutes, now I reckon I could hold 1.50 for an hour. I think it takes a while to see any significant improvements with swimming, but two weeks before the 6.34 400TT, I swam 6.45.I'd like to think I can get it under 6.30 before Christmas. There could be several reasons for the 11 second difference, and the real test will be in races next summer, but I feel I am improving.

Two words: skin suit.

zico10

Dory Dory wrote: »

Two words: skin suit.

I have a skin suit, but I'll save it for proper races. An improved 400m PB isn't all that important to me.

Dory Dory

zico10 wrote: »

I have a skin suit, but I'll save it for proper races. An improved 400m PB isn't all that important to me.

It was a joke. My second suggestion was going to be....try a diving start. All tongue in cheek.

MojoMaker

Do skin suits really make much of a difference? Anyone able to quantify the value - e.g. on average 1s over 100m etc. Not that we get any opportunity in tri in Ireland I suppose but for the odd pool race is there any value over a standard trisuit?

Dory Dory

MojoMaker wrote: »

Do skin suits really make much of a difference? Anyone able to quantify the value - e.g. on average 1s over 100m etc. Not that we get any opportunity in tri in Ireland I suppose but for the odd pool race is there any value over a standard trisuit?

Do (legal) swim skins really make much of a difference? Yes. To quantify just how much is tricky....as I would assume the same issues with quantifying how much time a wet suit saves you are also in play here. However, from my personal (and limited) experience timing myself in my pool - comparing my "every day Speedo" with the swim skin over a timed 400 - I would estimate it saved me on my best day 2 or 3 seconds per 100.

If you've never worn a swim skin, the first thing you notice when you enter the water is the "lift". There is buoyancy, you can't tell me there's not. You will also notice that water beads up on the suit as it is made of hydrophobic fabric. And of course it's tight and compressing to make you as hydrodynamic as possible.

But one of the best things in my personal opinion is that you can wear your full tri kit under the swim skin. I like this for two reasons: 1) tri kits (based on my experience) are not fast in the water (too much drag!), and 2) there is very little time wasted in T1 due to the simplicity of whipping off the swim skin. I'm swim skin all the way....and I love the one I have - a Blueseventy PZ3TX.

sconhome

Dory you need a 2 in 1 and ditch the changing in T1 http://orca.com/ie-en/w-rs1-killa-race-suit/

Dory Dory

AKW wrote: »

Dory you need a 2 in 1 and ditch the changing in T1 http://orca.com/ie-en/w-rs1-killa-race-suit/

Oooo...nice. And I love the name - "Killa". I wonder if there are pockets in the back of the suit?? Don't like pockets when I swim, for obvious reasons. If there are no pockets, this could be a nice option for short distance races.....but I'd still bet a swim skin would be faster in the water.

MojoMaker

Trouble with this is over here wetsuits are mandatory in all open water tris, and there are so few pool tris to make sure of a good skin suit. Are they legal for Swim Ireland OW races does anyone know?

sconhome

Dory Dory wrote: »

Oooo...nice. And I love the name - "Killa". I wonder if there are pockets in the back of the suit?? Don't like pockets when I swim, for obvious reasons. If there are no pockets, this could be a nice option for short distance races.....but I'd still bet a swim skin would be faster in the water.

Nope no pockets, and made from the same material as their swimsuit so the only way this is slower is if you did the first 400m tt in the swimsuit

EC1000

catweazle wrote: »

Was the swim short in Mallorca Zico or did you just outperform, a 1.02 without wetsuit - I would have thought your 400pb would have been quicker

My rationale is that people underestimate the effect of how salty the med sea is and the boost this gives. I swam 31min for the half there and measured it 1.96km iirc. I wouldn't get anywhere near that in fresh water (swam approx 40 mins in shadowman 2 months later, albeit that course was way long...)

shotgunmcos

Unless there is a mammoth last minute update

Well done
ZICO10 (3 Golds!) & Shell To Run
SBR 2014 Champs

2015 version will be up soon.

Kurt Godel

Well done on 600+ swim km's Zico! As mentioned earlier, I have a bottle of the finest red for the swim winner, which I'll give to you when next our paths cross.

mossym

well ball$, finished just 65km short of a silver in running, which would have given me silver across the board.

next/this year..:)