Two very unfortunate deaths during the swim leg last weekend's NYC Triathon made international news. Coupled with similar incidents at even shorter distance races over the past several years, many people have suggested that race directors change registration protocols. Some have suggested that races require entrants to prove that they have successfully completed shorter distances. Others have argued that race directors should impose mandatory physical exams. Miriam and I thought it worthy of our time to step back and think about how we would react if we were running a major event next month.
Paul: Miriam, triathletes are infamous for boasting after a race about how many times they got kicked in the head or smacked on the back. Is bodily contact in a stressful swimming situation just part of the inherent appeal of the sport?
Miriam: There is nothing appealing about getting swum over or punched in the face. During my swim at Ironman Lake Placid, I was lucky enough to land a knuckle sandwich right to the face splitting my lip open. An experience like that can leave any athlete a bit panicked in the water. I feel as though when you enter a mass swim start or in a wave 100+ in size, you have to be ready to take the hits and stay cool and in control without losing the ability to stay afloat.
Paul: Ironman races are famous for the mass swim starts with several thousand people. When I did Lake Placid in 2009. I think they had just slightly expanded the race that year. I could tell on the start that the venue was close to capacity. Do you think there's a formula for the number of people to be included in a wave start to keep the experience, but make it less like a mixed martial art fight?
Miriam: I feel strongly about leaving the mass swim start just as it is because it is part of what makes it so amazing, unique and adds to the hype of it being a crazy sport to tackle in the first place. The idea of getting beat up in the swim start is what made me nervous yet forced me to be strong and confident. If they switched it to individual wave starts, the race would lose the unique quality of being able to know that when you pass somebody at any point during the day, that you are actually beating them.
Paul: I hear you on that one. I missed placing in the top 10 at the NYC Triathlon and getting an invite to the Hy Vee championship - by less than 20 seconds. Because of the wave start, no one was around me to give me a sense of my place. However, if triathlon is to continue to pull more people into the sport, it needs to be safely managed. Let's face it, any water sport deserves a lot of respect from participants due to inherent risks. But those risks can be managed. I have a 5 Point Plan for Reducing Risk on the Swim, yet still keeping the sport exciting. Want to give me your reactions?
Miriam: Sure. Fire away.
Paul: Point #1: Dramatically increase the number of pre-race clinics before every race. Let's expect every race director to hold at least three course-specific clinics prior to their event. At least two should focus on the swim. Get local clubs to host them. Not only will it help safety, but it will help build membership for the backbone of the sport.
Miriam: Paul, as you know, I like to play the Devils Advocate. I am a huge proponent of athletes having a full understanding of what they are getting themselves into when they enter this sport. When I first started in this sport, my coaches told me that if I wasn't comfortable with the huge wave start, to simply wait until they go, then hop in. This is a helpful tip which all novice athletes should consider doing as they begin to get their feet wet. On the flip side, I do feel that it would be an added bonus for race directors to offer a crash course in safety, but lets face it, if you sign up for the race you know the inherent risks involved. The sport is already thriving as is.
Paul: Yes, there are maybe a million triathletes, but well over 10 million runners in the U.S. The fact of the matter is that much smaller countries like New Zealand have done a better job at putting athletes on the medal stand by pulling a higher percentage of the population in. Point #2 - Work with local government officials to give as much pre-race access to the swim venue as possible. This isn't realistic for sites like the Hudson River, but it is for 95% of the venues. Get people comfortable with the water environment.
Miriam: Again, I think that most races do a fine job ensuring and educating athletes about their venues. If you reflect on all of the recent deaths in the sport of triathlon, 99% of them have been related to the athlete's health, not the swim venue or race conditions. Any time somebody reads about a "death" on a triathlon, it is unfortunate that they automatically assume it had to do with the lack of safety on the race director's part. The recent deaths during the 2011 NYC Triathlon are a perfect example. While it is heartbreaking to read that these athletes passed away during and after the swim portion, it wasn't due to the safety conditions of the Hudson River. The racers were provided with ample support. It just so happens that you had 2 athletes with cardiac conditions who passed away while racing.
Paul: Perception is everything, though. A Google search on "NYC triathlon drowning" returns over 500,000 results. Point #3- Provide additional support for charities who purchase slots for these races. They typically attract a much higher percentage of first-timers. Since most successful races actually charge a premium for the entry slots that the charities use, the revenue should support it.
Miriam: It would be an added bonus and sounds like a great idea. Personally, I have mentored with Team in Training (TNT) for the past 5 years. Their coaches do an amazing job of preparing the novice athletes with the guidance and confidence they will need on race day.
Paul: Good. I have heard great things about the program. We need more of that. Point #4 - For the big races, break the swim wave starts into smaller groups - maybe AG competitive, and AG general. It would reduce the congestion at the start and even make it more enjoyable for the more competitive athletes in the race.
Miriam: The NYC Triathlon and St. Anthony's Triathlon are perfect examples of races that have already jumped on board to do this. NYC only allowed 20 swimmers to enter the water at a time, rather than a mass AG wave start, which normally consists of at least 100 racers. St. Anthony's has a specific wave dedicated to novice racers. The only downside to starting in that wave is that you go into the water last which puts racers on the hot run course last as well. In my mind, the novice athletes shouldn't be out on the course when it is that hot out, but they have to compromise somewhere. So yes, if more races take consideration into giving the novice athletes a special wave, it will not only make it easier for them, but it can help the more serious athletes in that they won't clash heads with them. We all know who those serious athletes are that do not like to get slowed down.
Paul: The NYC Triathlon wave start helped, but I was still mixed in with athletes of many different levels. I like what St. A's did. Finally, and probably the most controversial one is the last. Point #5 - Promote better swim etiquette in the race guide, at the pre-race briefings and on race day. We have all learned how to not draft bikes and to properly pass slower riders. Why can't we do this on the swim? It isn't acceptable to intentionally kick or swim over "annoying people" in the water. We have a culture, though, where it is still acceptable to brag about what you did to "right a wrong." Just because numbers aren't visible doesn't mean it's okay to forget about civility. What do you think about that?
Miriam: Absolutely. I find that all too often I get beat up in all of my swim starts simply during the swim. Sadly, the men tend to be a bit rougher in the water and in mass swim starts like Ironman iron-distance races, the women and men are clearly separated by color swim cap. In general, I have found that if a woman bumps another woman, they both tend to move out of one another's way. Whereas with the men... they will bump or hit you not once, not twice but at least three times until you move out of their way. Whether or not they are aware of the fact that they are doing it or not, it seems to be extremely unsportsman-like. If a female is faster than a male, suck it up and deal with it. She isn't competing for your award. I think there is a certain level of acceptance of physical contact in the water, however, there are far too many racers that take it a bit too far. Adding a section on etiquette might be the single best thing races can do to help athletes.
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We recently had the opportunity to interview triathlete Chris Thomas, member of Team Timex since 2003. Based in Easton, CT, Chris, age 40, just came off a strong 2011 season. This fall he earned a second place finish in his age group at the 70.3 Ironman Championship in Nevada. He then placed 8th in his age group at Kona with a time of 9:07:08. 
Chris thomas, 
