The Thrill Of The Open Water!

The importance of open water swimming during training is underrated by a lot of Triathletes. 99.9% of Triathlon competitions are in open water and yet a lot of us prefer the warmth and security you get from the local leisure centre pool! The only way to adapt and feel comfortable in open water is to don the wetsuit and brave the water. Open water swimming is not something to fear. I find lane swimming monotonous, and hate having to stare at the same line of tiles on the bottom of the pool lap after lap. Below we have set out a few pointers that we feel important in open water swimming.....

Warm Up - This is something that is considered good practice with indoor swimming but for an open water training session you MUST warm up. Why?.... because, unless you live on a tropical island, the water temperature is going to be colder than your local pool and this will have a far greater effect of you muscles. Start with all the usual forward and backward stretches that you would normally do with indoor swimming and additionally add in a short jog or skipping session to really get the blood flowing into the major muscles.

Keeping to the course In the pool this is made easy by the colored tiles on the floor but with open water swims it is more difficult to stay on course unless you use markers for reference. Before you enter the water try to pick out a couple of markers to use by way of a reference. Always remember not to use a marker that is likely to move, for example a bird or car, instead use buildings, flag poles or trees. On race day be sure to count how many buoys you will pass. If you have to swim around a buoy make sure that you know which one it is and which side you have to pass it on to avoid Disqualification.

Get the Target in your sights Sighting is so important with any open water swim. You need to find a pattern that works best for you. When I'm swimming I will aim to sight my chosen target about every 30 seconds. When I fist started I found myself sighting with almost every breath as I was terrified that I was swimming off course and thus increasing my total swim distance but, as my confidence in the water grew and I relaxed more I was able to limit it to every 30 seconds. What works best for you?

Adapting your breathing/strokes to suit the conditions Everyone loves to swim in the sea when it is as flat as a pancake, however, not so keen when it is very windy or there is a large swell. It is so important to try to train in all types of conditions as you never know what the water will be like come race day. Adjust you swim stroke and breathing techniques to suit the conditions. Above all conserve your energy!