How To Race the "Pool-Sprint" Races
What follows is an attempt
to help each triathlete for the preparation, strategy, and "game-plan"
of racing a "Pool-sprint" style race.
We approach this in a format to answer real questions that we have been
asked about these types of races.
1-What
time on race day should I begin my warm-up? With the pool-sprint
format, realize that [because the swim is a staggered-start] you may not begin
until well after some folks have finished. Upon checking in, time your warm-up
so that you begin it about 1 full hour prior to your start-time & be in
line on the deck ready to go w/ 5-10minutes to spare. Remember because people will be on the course
before you, a bike warm-up will have to be done prior to race start.
2-How do
I approach the swim portion of a pool-sprint? The temptation is to go
out way too fast in a pool-sprint race because there's a lane-line to follow,
the swim-distance is much shorter than a regular tri, and there's a crowd (500+
spectators stadium-style) watching YOU
for your start.
Of course, you don't realize this until the 100 to 150m
mark when you're gasping for air and must slow down. In a pool-sprint the
strategic theme of the race is to 'BUILD'
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EVENT. So
for the swim, your last 50m should be as fast (or faster) than your 1st
50m. This sets you up for the bike.
Here are some bullet-points of some other swim-tactics.
*-Aim to swim for the wall right next to the lane-line
you're getting ready to go under. This prevents the chances that you'll come up
directly UNDER the lane-line (OUCH on the head!).
*-If you get caught by the person who started behind you
(& their smart enough to tap your foot)…by all means…LET THEM PASS! First,
it's a nice gesture. Second, you can DRAFT off of them and go faster @ a lower
heart-rate. But let 'em pass at the wall…then push off and follow closely in
their wake. Thank them later.
*-Use the walls. How often in a tri do you get free speed
in the swim by pushing off the walls? In a pool-sprint, push-off and glide as
far as possible. This gives you a rest and ensures that you'll take fewer
strokes through the whole swim…all while going just as fast.
*-After ducking under the lane-line to
'lane-exchange'…begin with an arm-stroke w/ the arm that's opposite the
lane-line you just went under (back to the lane line). This ensures that you
don't 'hook' the lane-rope slowing you down, breaking your rhythm, and cutting
up your hand/fingers. Trust me, there will be several bloody fingers after a
pool-sprint race.
*-In the last 50m of the swim, increase the beat-count of
your kick. This transfers blood from the upper body into the legs BEFORE you
get out of the water and need to actually USE those legs. Failing to do this
means setting yourself up for the "T1 Tango". The little dance you
see people do when they're in T1 and bend over to put on the shoes/helmet and
start wobbling because they're dizzy. Use the legs before you need to.
*-When you exit the water...if you check your swim split,
DON'T be alarmed if it's slow. Contrary to popular belief, a 500m pool-sprint
swim is NOT 500m. If you swam
that many laps in the SAME lane, it'd be 500m…But you've got to traverse your
way down to the other end of the pool (50m away!), so it's longer. {Why does no
one believe me when I point this out?} Don't pay attention to the watch.
3-How do I
approach the bike leg of a pool-sprint? You're out of the water, made
your way through transition, & now out on the bike. Here's what you should
know:
*-Leave transition in a smaller gear. The last thing you
want to do is hop right on and start to mash a big gear and dump a lot of
lactic acid into the legs.
*-Gradually begin to shift into larger gears…but always
maintain a 90+rpm cadence.
*-Since pool-sprints often are centered near bike-courses
w/ plenty of corners...predict the gear you'll need to spin OUT of those
corners to reaccelerate and do the same w/ hills. Don't try to stand & mash
huge gears up the hills. Stay seated and spin up them and then stand to attack
the top and reaccelerate your speed for the trip down the other side.
Increasing
your cadence (ANY time) spreads the wattage that you're producing over a
greater number of pedal strokes with less pooling of lactic acid in your legs. Your
bike-split can be improved and you're certainly improving the condition of your
run-legs BEFORE you get off the bike.
*-Set yourself up for a great run. Your intensity on the
bike shouldn't be so hard that (while you may gain 40 seconds on the bike)…you
may end up losing 1:30 on the run. Focus
on setting yourself up so that the last 1.5 miles of the run is the most
intense part of the pool-sprint race.
4-Any
tips for T-2? The 2nd transition is crucial in that you
dismount, put on your shoes (use lace-locks or ez-laces) grab your number-belt
and take off. How you leave T-2 is maybe the most important point of the whole
race.
Towards the end of a pool-sprint nearly everyone will be
gradually slowing down and struggling to overcome the effects of the swim and
bike on their body and legs. As you exit T-2, you should picture yourself
jumping rope. Have you ever jumped rope while landing on your heels?
Of course not. You're up on your forefeet while you're
heels barely touch. LEAVE T-2 THE SAME WAY! It'll help you get your run-legs
under you A LOT sooner. Focus on short strides, avoiding the heel-1st
strike, and getting your heels and knees up higher.
5-How do
I attack the run? At this point, the goal is to set yourself up for
a strong finish. MOST folks will gradually die on the way to the finish line.
Your goal is the opposite. You want to make the final mile the fastest…so begin
by being patient with those 'bike-heavy' legs and, again, stay away from that heel-1st foot-strike.
Find a rhythmic breathing pattern that corresponds to a
higher cadence leg-turnover. This helps to ensure that, as you fatigue, you
don't try to maintain your pace by lengthening your stride (&
heel-striking). Also, make sure to keep moving your arms and not in such a way
that it causes you to twist at the waist. Arm movement should be straight up
and down.
As you approach the "half-mile to go" mark,
REALLY begin to pick it up. The closer to the line you get…the more you can
afford to open-it-up.
In a pool-sprint you're essentially racing against your
toughest competitor...YOURSELF,
since the swim-starts are staggered. DRIVE yourself ALL the way to the line.
6-Anything
I need to know about after I'm done?-Absolutely. Realize that in the
pool-sprint format that other people are still racing after you're done.
Walking into the transition area to gather your gear while others are still making
the mad-dash through transition (as part of their race) is NOT a good idea.
Kick back, get some calories and fluids in yourself, and
cheer others on to their best pool-sprint ever.
Be safe and have fun.
For more information on the TRImyCoach.com training programs, you can visit our website at www.TRImyCoach.com