[Boyerdavea]

<span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:medium;">I am three weeks away from my first triathlon. I am doing a sprint tri with the swim portion being in a pool at 500 meters. My question is: how do I train from this point forward? I don’t plan on changing anything this week, but what about the two week leading up to the triathlon. I am a weak swimmer and really still learning. My goal time for the swim is right around 9:30.</span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:medium;">What is the best thing I can do between now and then to improve my swim time? Over the last several weeks I have been working on breathing and technique. Should I work on speed at all between now and then?</span></span>

 

[NBjunkie]

I am sorry I dont have any suggestions--but I want to wish you luck on your first tri--and wow--that is some fast time (for me any way--I would like to just swim it in under 15 minutes--never mind under 10)-----cant wait for your RR!!!!

 

[melonella]

Continue to work on breathing and technique. At the stage you're at (which I wouldn't consider to be a weak swimmer, btw) I suspect you're still going to get way more speed from reducing drag and working on the size of your paddle than you would from building more strength. Besides, your race is not going to be won in the pool...so you just need to come away in good shape for the bike/run.

 

[em73]

as my husband learned to his great dismay during his first triathlon, don't leave it all in the water. gaining a little bit of time on the swim by pushing very hard will lose you even more time on the bike and run.<br><br>
take the swim as a learning experience so you can plan for race #2, and don't stress too much about your time. spend your two weeks focusing on swimming strong and with good technique.<br><br>
also be thankful you don't have to worry about sighting or people kicking you in the face (or ripping off your timing chip - I lost mine in the first minute of my first triathlon.)

 

[Thor]

If it were me with 3 weeks remaining and only 3 days per week to swim in the pool, I'd take one swim session completely devoted to drills, and then take the other two and do 500m intervals. So I might do:<br><br>
Day 1: WU, 2 x 100, 2 x 500, 2 x 100<br>
Day 2: Drills... do whatever, just don't go all out<br>
Day 3: WU, 4 x 500<br><br>
But I'm no expert swimmer, just a hard worker. But the truth is, if you've been doing drills for a while, I don't think an added emphasis on drills will make you nearly as faster in only 3 weeks as will getting in race pace or faster at race distance. Then after the race, fall back to your normal routine of drills.

 

[dragonsrouges]

3 weeks away, I'd just continue doing what you're doing and make sure you don't get injured!

 

[TheProFromDover]

David,<br>
Do you know how the pool swim will be run? The ones I've done have been every lane, whcih means you have to get under the lane divider at the start end to switch lanes. Other pools use counters and they flag you with one lap to go. If you have to duck under ropes you shold practice how to do it.

 

[Boyerdavea]

It is 10 laps in a 25 meter pool. Up and back in one lane and then under the lane divider. I have not specifically practiced going under the rope. Not that it would be a problem. My worry is more whether I will be slowing someone down or waiting on someone when i get to the rope. I think I guessed pretty accurate to my 100 time, which is how we will be seeded. 10 sec interval start.

 

[neil donnelly]

David good luck for the race - as has been mentioned I wouldnt get too worked up about the swim if you are already thinking of a 9:30 for a 500m swim Thats pretty good - What you also want to remember is the difference to your body for the rest of the race between going at 100% for the swim (and hardly being able to get out of the pool and get yourself to the bike ) and going at 85% and feeling fresh and warmed up for the rest of the race .<br><br>
My best stand along 500m swim time is 8:35 and at the end I could barely breath never mind get on a bike - My best in a Triathlon is 9:13 and I was able to sprint to the bike and record a reasonable split for the bike and run So for that extra 38 secs on the swim I would have lost that and more just getting to T1<br><br>
So dont worry too much about the swim and have fun<br><br>
Neil

 

[Tithers]

Dave-I agree w/Neil.<br><br>
A 9:30 is pretty good for a 500M.<br><br>
If that's bad, I better start swimmins more.

 

[3chilipeppers]

Yeah, 9:30 is a decent time. I wouldn't call that weak. That's about what I'd do, and I always come in above average for the swim. I would just keep doing what you're doing. Practice the 500m straight a few times, but keep working on drills and such. The swim is such a small portion, so you aren't going to make up much time swimming faster. You want to swim a hard but not too hard pace so you have something left for the bike. The bike is where you'll make up the time. Practice your transition from swim to bike so you know what you need to do. Good luck! You're going to do great! Most importantly, have fun!

 

[Silly Sally]

I think your goal time is quite obtainable. You've done the work. Keep doing what you're doing in the pool, or try what Thor suggested, so long as you don't get injured.<br><br>
Have you practised transitioning yet? Any brick work? That noodle feeling in your legs when you start the run portion may throw you off a bit.<br><br>
Sally

 

[Boyerdavea]

A have done brick work. Both swim/bike and bike/run. However, I really haven't practiced the transitions yet. I think the time got away from me and it is getting here quicker than I anticipate. Now I just need to figure out how to lay everything out and what works best for me.

 

[Tri_coach06]

I agree w/Thor, except I would devote 90% of the time left to longer sets and just about skip everything else.<br><br>
UNLESS, you have already been spending a lot of time on longer swims. If you have been doing 500's continuously, then the drills might help, however, at this point the only thing you really need is confidance that the 500 is not that far to swim, so swim it, repeatedly.<br><br>
CS

 

[Boyerdavea]

I have been doing one 1000 meter time trial every four weeks. I did just to guage my improvement, I will be due another one next week since it has been 8 weeks now since I start training. I have been doing one day with sets of 500 each week. The first time I did it I only did two sets with my times at 9:26 & 9:46 and the second time I did 3 sets with times of 9:47 - 10:01 - 9:58. I haven't been keeping a complete log of everything I have done for each lesson in the past. I am getting better so I can go back and compare workouts.<br><br>
My TT are the same each time. That much I did do right. Tomorrow I am going to do 3 x 500 with a 200 WU and I will see what I have at the end. I may through some drills in after the 500's for a CD of 200 or so. My goal tomorrow is to do each 500 m set at 9:45. I suck at pacing my self. What can I do to learn how to pace myself in the pool?

 

[Flip]

Consistency will be key for the next few weeks. Just make sure to get into the water as you have been doing so that you keep your 'feel' for the water.<br><br>
Pacing will come. You can practice doing your swims on a set time (100s on 2:30, for example), and try to get yourself to come in at the same time every rep. In longer swims (1500m TTs), I find I always go out too hard for the first 100, and then have settled into a fairly consistent pace by 300, and then the last two are usually faster again). Pacing is something that will come with time.