From: tomas@leland.Stanford.EDU (Thomas J. Monica)
Subject: Re: Open water swimming - strategy
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 21:26:50 GMT

In article <95117@bu.edu> kuchar@buast7.bu.edu (Tom Kuchar) writes:
>
>I've been involved in a masters swim program this summer, in training
>for my first triathlon in a few weeks.  Although I feel really
>comfortable swimming in a pool, I have virtually no experience in open
>water swims, let alone a couple dozen people around me. Can the experts
>here give some advice to a novice?  


Well I guess I'm an "expert" having won a few age groups races 'round these
parts. In my opinion there are three key parts to the races.(1) In the beginningyou need to get out of the pack. If you can, the best thing to do is to sprint
hard for ~500 yds (I'm assuming a two mile race - pretty standard length in
Northen Cal). (2) In the middle of the race, settle down to a pace that's right
at your aerobic threshold - the pace you can hold for 2 miles without dying! If
possible get a good draft off of someone who's a little bit faster than you. This is perfectly legal and even Paul Asmuth does it. (3) Be prepared to have a 
kick for the last 500 yds. The guy in front of you will want to lose you, and 
the guy drafting off you plans to pass you!

>
>For the past few weeks I've been swimming in a large pond (Walden
>Pond, for those familiar with the area). I have two questions from
>this experience:
>
>	1) I have problems maintaining a direction.  I think this may
>           not be a problem in the actual race, since the course will
>           be marked and I can see where others are going. Am I correct?


What I do is set up a rythym of looking foreward on every third breathe. I 
correct my course on these looks. But you need to be able to swim straight
between corrections. I have a freind who's a very fast pool swimmer, but I
beat him in every race last year (ok, I'm outa shape this year) because he
couldn't swim straight. In one race he swam in front of me going perpendicular
to the race direction!

Try swimming laps in the pool sometime with your eyes closed. If you're good
you can go 20 yds without hitting the lanes lines. If you can't make 10 you
should find out why your not swimming straight. It's probably indicative of
a stroke flaw.       

>
>	2) Although Walden Pond has very little current to speak of,
>	   how does one deal with currents and wind, for that matter,
>	   in a plan of attack and pacing?
>

Currents and wind can be very difficult to deal with.  At the Donner Lake swim
this year (2.7 miles) the wind came whipping across the Pass and down the lake towards us. It made for some very difficult swimming as you can't establish a rythym at all.

I can't really answer that one except that you have to keep you head in tough
conditions. 
>These questions concern me now. Since I have not actually competed
>in a race, there may be other issues I should be considering. Again,
>any help is appreciated.
>
>
>-- 
>Tom Kuchar			  
>kuchar@buast7.bu.edu		  -or-                      kuchar@plh.af.mil
>Department of Astronomy		                     Phillips Laboratory/GPOB
>Boston Univerity		                                  Hanscom AFB



tom monica



-- 
Porpise: run, bike, swim, make cookies


"long distance runner, what you holding out for?"