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When preparing for a triathlon, don't just rely on pool swimming for training..... When preparing for a triathlon, don't just rely on pool swimming for training.....
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I decided to enter my first triathlon recently (5/4) after getting in what I consider decent cardiovascular shape. I hadn't gone swimming for distance since the navy, and spent some time in a local pool to get ready for that leg of the race. The race was held next to a local lake (Boulder, CO). In a nutshell, at about the 100 M mark, when I rolled up for a deep breath, I was accidently pushed under by a fellow competitor and aspirated a fair amount of lake water into my lungs. I tried to tough it out for another couple hundred meters, but when I finally saw what I was coughing up, I was mentally and physically done.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to anyone entering a triathlon to spend some time training in the type of water the race will be held in (lake, ocean, etc.) and prepare yourself mentally for race conditions (breathing harder, bumping/pushing, swimming in a wetsuit, cold water, etc.).

I am fortunate that I ended up with only a bruised ego and not aspiration pneumonia. I would not want to see anyone else go through what I encountered that day.
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Creator: DonnieV
Category: General/Other
Posted: 5/6/2008
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Comments: 5
Views: 135
Votes: 2
Helpful/Unhelpful %: 100% /  0%
Popularity Score: 24.5

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mike “ This is really good advise but it is not only hectic starts. I was training with a group in Nelson BC and swam the course (across a lake) in pretty sketchy conditions. It really blew up about 3/4 of the way through and I took a facefull of wave on a big breath. I ended up spending the night in the local hospital after biking. You really need to practice swimming in rough conditions. I was totally surprised how little it takes to really create problems for your body. I will not train across open water again if it is rough or looks rough. There are other options. ”
-  mike on 7/24/2008
DonnieV “ i hear you. while i was a little embarassed about writing what happened to me down, it's worth it if it keeps someone else from doing the same thing. ”
-  DonnieV on 7/19/2008 in response to runningbear
runningbear “ A swimming buddy of mine just did a triathlon this past weekend, and even though it wasn't her first, she assumed she'd get through the swim ok without trainng in open waters. Never again, she told me. She was one of the early ones to enter the water, and the pace was WAY faster than what she's accustomed to swimming. She panicked and literally feared drowning, struggling to keep up, unable to slow down. This woman has been swimming 3 days/week for years, but that didn't prepare her for swimming the tri - the conditions are vastly different from swimming solo laps in a pool. ”
-  runningbear on 7/19/2008
plucky “ Sorry to hear it didn't work out. I have been considering a triathlon for a while now and I will definitely take your advice. ”
-  plucky on 5/7/2008
runningbear “ Thank-you for this great tip. You touched on a lot of issues I'd never considered before! ”
-  runningbear on 5/7/2008

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