I've got my first sprint tri in one month and one week. I bicycle commute and train all week long and during the weekends for fun rides. (which is easy because I love biking) I run a couple times a week but not hard. I've REALLY slacked on the swimming mainly because it is so hard to go to a pool when it is nice outside.

I have a sprint tri in June and an Olympic in July. I've never tri-ed before and I'm VERY worried about the swim. Is there any way I can recover from this? At this point I have difficulty doing a couple laps without being tired and out of breath. Do you guys have any suggestions that might help close the gap that is due to my lack of preparation?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

this is a pretty risky tranning method but here goes:

GO SWIMMING, you have a month and a half to get ready so if you are worried about it, then get in the pool.

buy the total immersion book and video. Definitely focus on swimming in your training in the next month. For people who are not gifted swimmers it's usually the hardest part (and the only part where you can drown)

If you get tired in the pool during your event...WALK.

Come on it's a sprint...if you know how to swim you should be fine.

If you get tired in the pool during your event...WALK.

I think he means he is in the pool for training.

I say best thing to do is hire a coach, or join a team for the month and a half. That will get you the best bennifit.

Second best, total immersion, I hate it(drills drive me bonkers), but for a novice swimmer, its gold.

Can't walk, it is in a reservoir. I guess I was just curious how much swimming per week would be helpful versus hurtful. Don't want to bonk myself if you know what I mean.

I am also in Denver area and tend to swim 5-days/week year round and am a long course person. Although, I have done a few 1/2 IM's over the last 20-years with no swimming 3-months prior to the event and still was able to swim fine and keep up with my heat. I think you need a min of 3-4 days/week.

Well MHR, his problem seems to be lack of technique....If you are serious about the Tri, get a proper coach, cant beat that. Other then that, for the swim, make sure you are at the back of the wave so you have the safest swim possible.

Six weeks ago I started to learn crawl; I have a novice tri on Sunday and a sprint at the end of June. I got one lesson for technique, then spent my lunchtimes, 2-3 times a week, down at the pool.

The gasping for breath thing, partly thats breathing efficiency and technique; those come together eventually. I can even do a length of breathing every other stroke now ;)

So practice, practice, practice until your cat doesn't recognise you 'cos you always smell of chlorine, and you'll be now worse off than me!

Just remember that you can swim any stroke you want. Swimming on your side or breaststroke are easier for some people. This won't make you very competitive during the swim but it is the shortest leg of the Tri. If you're looking for a magic bullet to help you speed through the swim, it ain't gonna happen in 6 weeks. The swim is technically the most difficult discipline to master out of the three. Get the Total Immersion stuff, get a coach, and swim as often as you can. You should be putting the most time into your weakest part.

I guess I should have included that I used to be a lifeguard. So my stroke isn't perfect, but it isn't awful either. I just needed to motivate to get back in the pool. I rented the Total Immersion from the library and although I don't have time to do all of the drilling, some of the form stuff has really helped in the past week. My backside hasn't been sinking as much due to my four o'clock positioning of the arm during my stroke which translates into a longer glide.

I've decided to get my butt in the water every morning before work. Lets just hope it doesn't overtrain me, cause I still bike to commute and run here and there.

I guess I should have included that I used to be a lifeguard. So my stroke isn't perfect, but it isn't awful either. I just needed to motivate to get back in the pool. I rented the Total Immersion from the library and although I don't have time to do all of the drilling, some of the form stuff has really helped in the past week. My backside hasn't been sinking as much due to my four o'clock positioning of the arm during my stroke which translates into a longer glide.

I've decided to get my butt in the water every morning before work. Lets just hope it doesn't overtrain me, cause I still bike to commute and run here and there.

I guess I should have included that I used to be a lifeguard. So my stroke isn't perfect, but it isn't awful either. I just needed to motivate to get back in the pool. I rented the Total Immersion from the library and although I don't have time to do all of the drilling, some of the form stuff has really helped in the past week. My backside hasn't been sinking as much due to my four o'clock positioning of the arm during my stroke which translates into a longer glide.

I've decided to get my butt in the water every morning before work. Lets just hope it doesn't overtrain me, cause I still bike to commute and run here and there.

Ok, if you gaurded then you should have the basics down. Keep workin with the TI stuff, it will definatly help.

For the race itself. I think I said it once, but stay to the back of the wave. the front of the waves get really rough(depending on age group). Just let them go, give them a few seconds then go. Dont go all out at he begining, just hold a nice steady pace.

Maby you could try and get a timed swim in before the race, so you will get an idea of what speed you should be swimming at to do the whole distance. So its a sprint tri, so it should be like a 750m swim, or 30 lengths.

I don't think overtraining is really a consideration given the yardage you're apt to be doing. Like MHR said, you'll be fine on the sprint, but you need to train for the longer distance. Technique is obviously important, but it's just part of the larger picture which is developing some endurance in the water so you can do a mile without redlining. I would spend a small part of your workout doing drills, and then focus on some more middle distance stuff. Think 200s on intervals, or pyramid sets (100, 200, 300, 200, 100 sort of thing). Get that heartrate up and keep it there a while. You'll be fine. Oh, and in case you hadn't figured it out, that fitness you have from cycling and running really doesn't translate in the water... Sorry!

Oh, and in case you hadn't figured it out, that fitness you have from cycling and running really doesn't translate in the water... Sorry!

I'll vouch for this unfortunate bit - I've been swimming 2-3 times a week since February- each workout about an hour and 2200 yards of drills, intervals, and some longer swims. Yesterday was the first swim workout day where I had no serious desire for an afternoon nap.

I'll vouch for this unfortunate bit - I've been swimming 2-3 times a week since February- each workout about an hour and 2200 yards of drills, intervals, and some longer swims. Yesterday was the first swim workout day where I had no serious desire for an afternoon nap.

Maybe that is because of the sheer distance you were swimming?