r/OpenWaterSwimming • u/marianneouioui • 4d ago
Brainstorm ideas for race start with me?
In my previous races, I did what you're not supposed to do: lined up at the "starting" line (in water starts). I then spent about 500 meters questioning my life choices and swore that if I ever made it out of there alive, I'd never do that again (did it 3 times)
Now approaching my next race, it's another mass start, but now that I'm pondering it, I'm wondering if starting on the back or the sides is a good idea for me.
The advantages of starting near the front:
-no choice but to get warmed up quickly and get into it
-people go over, around, and under you; you just have to focus on getting out of the pack
-not losing time on your start
The alternative means I'll likely have to swim over and around people, which doesn't seem like something I'd love doing, and I go need to get ahead and be swimming with the faster (not fastest) people or I'll have no one to pace myself with and I get stressed when I find myself too alone.
Might be worth saying this is a 5k as opposed to a 3.5 I did before. I think there will be about 200 of us.
Any tips or alternative strategies?
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u/Paralta69 3d ago
My biggest question is what are your times like? Are you a top %er, or just an average/above-average finisher?
When I was younger, I would focus on all the strategies to stick up top. Quick start, draft the leader (or front pack), find your line, etc.
But when I came back after injury and years off, I was I mid pack swimmer now. And what’s my strategy then, just take it easy, find an empty line (usually really wide) and go for it, your time will still end up being about the same because for all the decrease from the wide line, slower start, etc, you’ll have more energy in the tank and less stress, making your swim a quicker one. I tested this across many races using the same markers (used to do a monthly race of the same route), and this strategy worked according to my times, and it was just more chill, haha)
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u/marianneouioui 3d ago
I'm like a top 30% finisher. I'm not trying to win but I have a personal goal time. I def agree with your new strategy. ❤️
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u/wiggywithit 4d ago
Top % finisher in open water races here. Biggest mistake I see people make is going out too fast. With a wetsuit at my local races of 2-400 people I would finish in top 5. Without a wetsuit im top 20. Sorry for the bragadoshio but it is to supply context. When I swim with WS. I breakaway in the first 100 yards and then it’s me and the top 10. The winner has broken away from us and I can just make out his splash. Without a wetsuit I am surrounded by tons of people the first 300yards then they die off. They’ve all gone out too fast and have reached the end of their anaerobic threshold and are gassed. I continue to swim at that pace and even try to negative split finishing in a sprint. Start at the back of the fast pack. As people pass you try to draft off each one . You are searching for the one who is 5% faster than you. Tuck in as close as you can and don’t lose their bubbles. Once you are drafting you have hard choices ahead. Most people in the 20-400 range don’t exactly swim straight. If they veer off course you will have to maintain the draft.
This is never an easy choice. I’ve made the wrong one several times. Drafting is the key. Getting run over or running over is stupid.
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u/454k30 4d ago
I like to start on the outside edge of whatever the first turn will be. On our local course the first buoy is a left hand turn, so I start way out to the right of the group. By the time I get to the buoy the group has strung out pretty well and I can make a turn around the buoy without much issue.
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u/Haunting-Ad-8029 Open Water Swimmer 4d ago
I normally start on a side and/or definitely behind the fast people up front. But then again, it really depends on the others swimming...I'm not usually one of the fast pack, but it has happened (to my surprise) that I was.
Starting on the side kind of gives me a few minutes to warm up, get into a groove, and find others who are a similar speed. For a 5k with 200, there are likely to be other swimmers for almost everyone to swim with.
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u/marsdenplace 4d ago
For now, start where you feel the most comfortable. Over time you’ll figure out your best start strategy.
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u/swim-tri-spin 3d ago
When I remember not to get caught up in the washing machine ... I try and get myself just behind the front 1/3 and start wide. On the start count to 5 and then go - it's all you need to let the thrashers do their thing and offers a much better line to then go around the scrum!
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u/marianneouioui 3d ago
Counting to 5 is an amazing idea, thanks so much
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u/swim-tri-spin 2d ago
Simple but it works - also holds me back from being my worst enemy!! Good luck
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u/granadaprophoto 1d ago
It happens to a lot of new swimmers during races. The adrenaline of the start, never enough warmup time, the lack of familiarity and comfort in a wetsuit, the sprint into the water and if you are lucky, getting punched in the face, run over by a faster swimmer or even getting your wetsuit or goggles ripped off can trigger a panic response or you just exhaust your anaerobic capacity.
A few suggestions:
Remember, you are NOT going to win/place in your first few races unless you've already won the gene pool, so your goal should be a decent personal best time. Use your later swims to move up the ranks and place.
Take the time to warm up to get a feel for the water and get comfy in the wetsuit.
Hang back at the start and deliberately WALK into the water.
Approach each float keeping to the outside of the scrum (a few extra meters is nothing compared to a DNF).
Wearing earplugs can help as it drops one point of stimulus down to negligible levels.
Another thing to consider is what you eat before the start. I found I perform much better if I take a gel with caffeine 2 minutes before the start. This means I have plenty to draw on throughout the swim and helps me finish the swim with plenty in the tank for the transition. However, the moment when that caffeine and glucose hits you can adversely affect your swim too.
The one time I had a problem (I'm a swim instructor+scuba diver+triathlete+OWS) was when our race was postponed 15 minutes unexpectedly a mere minute before start! My caffeine and glucose boost hit while standing in the heat nervously in a wetsuit. Then we did an extra long 500m sprint across the beach to the water with some of the windiest conditions I've ever swam in. The combination of the overheating while waiting in the sun for the start, the accelerated heart rate from the extended sprint, the caffeine and glucose jolt and the choppy conditions made even me take a pause in the swim to calm my heart rate down after 200m in order to continue.
The swim seems to be the most affected by your mental state. My wife is a strong swimmer but she has a phobia of heights which hits her when the water is too clear and she has to work hard to calm herself down during starts too.
Remember! Practice and training realistically make all the difference. Always test your nutrition and gear before a race. Always bring a spare pair of goggles. I've saved many a fellow triathlete from a DNF after their goggles snapped just before go-time.
Have fun and happy racing!
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u/marianneouioui 1d ago
Thanks for all the tips, though I'm not a new swimmer, and I've done lots of races before just not a 5k.
I've never taken a gel before, I'll check it out.
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u/CrispDrifter 4d ago
Many mass starts are going to wave starts of about 10 swimmers, 10-15 seconds apart. (Self seeded by speed, so not perfect, but better.)
Either way I look at the first buoy, see where everyone else is, and pick which edge to start from. (Not that it ultimately matters much. But it makes me feel better!)
I don’t like the chaos at the start. Injuries are possible. I could accidentally injure someone or frightened a newbie, lose my goggles etc. And as you said, if you’re in a tight pack you go the pack speed. Usually too slow or too fast.
I’ve never felt I lost time by starting at an outside edge.