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What's the fastest way to "swim" in shallow water?

John WithrowJohn Withrow
in Racing Forum 🏎

I'll be doing the Vineman Full in 11 days.  The Russian river is notoriously "shallow" for parts of the swim and during the 70.3 this year, many people walked some of the shallow sections.  I think the bottom is pretty rocky (not smooth dirt or sand).   If I care most about completing the swim as fast as possible, what is the best way to approach these shallow sections when I come to them?  I'm a slightly above average IM swimmer and expect to finish in ~1:10:xx plus or minus 4 mins in a "normal" wetsuit legal IM swim. I'm leaning towards options 2 or 3 below, but I really am just guessing.  Here are the options I could think of:

1) Keep swimming freestyle but take your hand a little less deep

2) Keep swimming freestyle, but use the ground to grab onto and pull with

3) Do a series of Dolphin dives

4) Stand up and high knees run (like on Baywatch)

5) Anything else I may not have thought about...

Thoughts or advice???

 

Comments

  • JeremyBehlerJeremyBehler
    1 all the way!

    I've experimented with a few. I think you've listed them in the order of speed/efficiency. Expecially when you get to 3 and 4 the aerobic cost of these is much higher and you can't get into a groove. Stay in a good position and imagine climbing a ladder by keeping your hands closer to you chest/body with each stroke.
  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    I sez Baywatch style and we need video 

  • Robert SaboRobert Sabo
    Dolphin Dives in that shallow water has cervical spinal cord injury written all over it.
  • Brad MarcusBrad Marcus
    I did the 70.3 a few years ago. They were in drought conditions (seems like they always are) and it was pretty shallow on race day. I specifically remember swimming at about the half way point and turning my head to breathe and seeing some guys knees at eye level who was trying to run through the water. It turned out that a hand full of people thought this was the best way to go. I'm here to tell you it is not! As I'm sure you know, swimming is faster all the time. I'm a MOP swimmer all the way and I was passing these guys left and right by just doing my thing. Depending on where you are in the river, the depth is going to vary from fairly deep to barely swimable. That being said, I'd go with a your #1 choice and switch to #2 only if absolutely necessary. The 70.3 was an "in water" start when I raced it so there was no reason to dolphin dive the start. Also, I remember it being rocky coming out of the water so be ready for that. Lastly, the hill coming out of T1 to the road is a little crazy. I opted to jog my bike out of the lot to the road and hop on rather than mount at the bottom .... People were falling and knocking each other over at the bottom.

    Lastly, if you can take a ride up to the river a day or 2 before the race and get in a practice swim, you'll get a sense of what you're dealing with. It's an awesome venue! Have fun!!
  • Mark MaurerMark Maurer
    John, that's the first thing l thought about when I saw that the swim was one loop. In the past it was a two loop swim and the only place I had to walk was at the turn around. That said, there were plenty of places where people were walking but if you take the right line you should be fine. The other thing that might work in your favor is that they had a large flood there last winter so hopefully that scoured things out a little.

    I've done Vineman 4 times and I found that if you stay close to the middle of the river, i.e., close to the bouys then I can swim the whole way. Get up on the pedestrian bridge and survey the course and you'll be able to see the curve of the river. The main channel hugs the bank outside the curve and that's where the deepest water is. In the past they have placed the bouys pretty much in the channel. So if you swim from bouy to bouy then you'll be in deeper water. If you try to short circuit the course and swim to the outside in a straight line then you'll hit the shallow water. I'm not that fast a swimmer, but I always went faster swimming than those who were walking. Plus the cost on the legs is huge. But then again, it might add to the challenge for you.

    As for grabbing the bottom, I tried that but it's hard on the hands so I stopped pretty quickly. It's rocky, but the rocks are mainly rounded, gravel size.

    2X on running the bike up the hill.

    Good luck.
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    Posted By Jeremy Behler on 19 Jul 2016 09:26 AM
    1 all the way!

    I've experimented with a few. I think you've listed them in the order of speed/efficiency. Expecially when you get to 3 and 4 the aerobic cost of these is much higher and you can't get into a groove. Stay in a good position and imagine climbing a ladder by keeping your hands closer to you chest/body with each stroke.
    This has always been my thinking and practice. Like Brad, I have marveled at my ability to pass the Baywatch guys at the end of swims.
  • rlh2000rlh2000
    Do as Dory would say- "just keep swimming, just keep swimming"
  • Chris CiannellaChris Ciannella
    John - I consider myself to be a better than average swimmer. Yes, keep swimming. If the water is super shallow, on your pull try bending your elbow to keep your arm closer than normal to your chest so not to hit the bottom. You can also try sweeping your arms aways from your body on your pull. Done properly, your arm shouldn't be but a few inches under the water. Unless you have massive guns, haha. Try both and do what is more natural/comfortable.

    Be careful for the Johnny who loses his/her balance and falls on you trying to run or do Dolphin dives.

    Finally, wear a GoPro so we can see the madness first hand.

    Good luck man!
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