by Dan B » Fri Apr 11, 2003 2:37 pm
It may be my Minnesota blood, but I was actually quite warm Sunday after the 500m swim. I went out into the open air to transition, but I don't seem to remember being cold. I was wearing cycle-length lycra shorts from the Gap that I bought years ago, then put on a shirt at T1.
Most pools are 25m, like Ardingly's on Sunday. I've never heard of a pool 33m long. 50m pools are a rarity - the Welsh swim team just celebrated getting one - as I think there's only 3 or 4 in the entire country. Crystal Palace, Loughborough, Cardiff and Manchester, maybe. I still haven't swam in one, that would rock.
There were 4 racers to a lane, two people counting laps for you, and a stick in the water indicating 2 lengths to go. You can rest at the end of a lap, provided you don't get in the way of others. Crashing only occurs if someone is trying to pass, very rare as most folks are seeded near the same speed.
Also - and this surprised me - flip turns are legal this year. Not that a lot of people are fazed by this, but apparently most races outlawed flip turns because most people don't know how to do them properly. But the BTA has put its foot down, and races now allow flip turns on the proviso that competitors use their own discretion about their abilities. As a result, I think three or four of us were doing flip turns.
You can use a towel - some were wrapped up coming out of the pool. Dry feet are essential when trying to put shoes on. A lot of racers will coat the insides of their shoes with talc.
As far as bulking up for TI, you don't have to. The idea is to be as tall and skinny in the water as possible - I'm handicapped both ways! - as efficiency, not thrust, is the goal. You then come out of the water less puffed, with more energy to devote to the bike and run. Still, most people do find that they get quicker in the water as well!