Swimming Tips!

It’s the one we most struggle with!

Practice

It can be a daunting experience to swim in open water. Triathletes who have many years experience often have apprehension in their first early seasons preparation swims in open water, this is perfectly normal.

The difference between a nice warm swimming pool and open water is comparable with crazy pitch & putt and a championship golf course similar but not specific. In an indoor pool you can see where you are going, often able to stand up, use the black lines to swim in a straight line. Compare this to a large expanse of water, cannot see the bottom sometimes not even your hand in front of you and have to navigate around a route. Swimming pools have no wind (unless outdoor) no big waves no currents no floating debris and no buoys to swim around. You have to learn to swim in different conditions to learn personally. Continuous swimming in open water can be tiring because there are no ends to stop and turn.

There may not be a current but a head wind can make it difficult and top drift can push you off course. Every time you make one wrong stroke that takes you off line it takes at least another one to get on track .If you only swim an extra 3% in 1500m you have covered an extra 50m which for a swimmer taking 30 minutes is an extra 1 minute wasted effort.

Swimming of the three sports is the event you can waste the most amount of energy not going in a straight line.

Indoor Swimming Training Tips

Tread water then start swimming to get use to deep-water starts and turning around in preparation for swimming around buoys in open water. Get use to turning at the end either treading water or doing a u-turn without touching the end. Aim for a point and swim diagonally across the pool rather than up and down.

Learn to look up every 6-14 strokes aim for your water bottle at the opposite end or a clock. Swim water polo style, or doggy paddle keeping your head out of the water it uses different muscles and can cause fatigue. Learn to look up every 6-14 strokes aim for your water bottle at the opposite end or something else like a clock.

Swim at busy times get use to swimming around others and wavy conditions, the more you do this the easier open water swimming will seem.

Some pools have wave machines use this as practise, some adventurous triathletes try and do lengths when the fun sessions are on, they are wavy and lots of people to swim around.

Relaxed in Open Water

Think positive staying calm uses up less energy.

If possible walk along the edge of your open water swim and the course will seem a lot shorter.

Wear a neoprene hat and ear plugs, this prevents heat loss from the head and cold water getting into your eardrums or alternatively wear 2 swim caps one to keep the heat in the other to keep the cold out.

Alcohol will lower your resistance to the cold so refrain from drinking any in the 48 hours before cold open water swimming.

Never train alone and let people know on dry land how long you will be and give them a signal if you are in distress i.e. one hand in the air. Swim together practise swimming behind at the side and overtaking.

Wear a brightly coloured swim cap not black or navy to make you visible to other users of the water i.e. wind surfers and swimmers.

Don’t panic. Take deep breaths and try to relax.

Once acclimated to cold-water swimming then use only one thin swim cap in training, by the time you get to compete in open water wearing a thicker neoprene hat will make you feel more confident. Build up the time you go into cold water will help when in a race. Cold baths and showers help with initial shock. Tap water is a lot warmer in the summer so you may need ice cubes in your bath to chill the water for 5-15 minutes before you take the plunge in the summer.

Start off with cold baths of 2-5 minutes building up to 5-12 minutes lying. Best to warm up slowly afterwards by drying and putting on some warm layers this helps you adapt much easier than having a warm bath or shower afterwards. In a Triathlon there are no warm showers once you have exited the swim.

Cold showers and sitting in cold bath waters help but there is no substitute for being totally immersed in water.

Land warm up for cold-water swimming with general gentle arm swinging. In circular motions 10 forward 10 back windmills on either arm. Do this for 5 minutes before getting into cold water this gets your body ready for swimming. Some swimmers prefer to splash water over their face and feet just prior to getting in to acclimatise to the temperature.

Cold-water warm up after land exercises enter and swim for 1-3 minutes with fingers wide apart this gets arms moving quicker without creating fatigue (this is like cycling in a easy gear) then 1-2 minutes swimming with fingers together ready for the main set or competition. Warming up all depends on the water temperature an individual preference and what each competition allows.

Cold water constricts blood supply when you try and swim this will have the opposite effect. Start off swimming slowly and build up your pace.

Mistakes

Avoid the following pitfalls.

Concentrate all the time as soon as you fail to think about taking the correct route you will almost certainly deviate.

If you find yourself short or out of breath due to the cold, slow down or stop. Focus on your breathing even changes your stroke to breaststroke or backstroke until your breathing gets back to normal. Caution though does not make sudden powerful movement changes as this could cause you to cramp if the water is cold.

If your swim goggles fit do not tighten them up more for your open water swim this may cause them to leak. When wearing 2 swimming hats put goggles on after first cap when you put on second swim cap. If they come off you do not lose them.

On a cold day put your swim hat on at least 10 minutes before to conserve heat and help keep you warm.

Know the course beforehand you may not plan on leading but you do not want to follow someone in front who is also lost, remember it is far more difficult to ask for directions!!

Learn to breath each side to avoid waves and be able to monitor landmarks buoys and other swimmers so you know where you are at all times.

Wetsuit Tips

Put on your wetsuit 20 minutes before the start, taking clothes off to put on suit can make you cold on a cool day.

Depending on water temperature usually a full piece wetsuit is worn alternatively a shortie or sleeveless long john is sometimes used. Full wetsuits provide more warmth but can be more restrictive and claustrophic also take longer to remove compared to a shortie wetsuit, which can literally be removed in seconds.

Wetsuits provide buoyancy, No gaps in body or arms stops water moving thru suit.

2-5 ml in thickness. Usually the thinner section panels allow for more shoulder arm movement while the thicker leg panels help with buoyancy and warmth.

The thicker the material then generally the more buoyant they become.

Fit is vital, good range of motion, not too tight so you cannot breath.

A windsurfing wetsuit will keep you warm but will not give you range of movement and are often too tight around neck for breathing when swimming front crawl.

Always use lubricant i.e. baby oil or body glide a wetsuit specific lubricant.

Vaseline can destroy neoprene wetsuits so use instead baby oil, non-protelum or vegetable oil in a spray can.

Rub this around wrists and ankles and neck will reduce chaffing and help with easier removal of wetsuit.

Earplugs keep out bacteria and cold water.

For effective sighting always use objects like tall trees brightly, coloured buildings or shapes exactly behind your intended target this makes it easier to swim in a straight line. So if the suns glare stops you seeing the next buoy you have a target on the horizon to aim for until you get closer. Swims are often out and back or in a square or circular shape so during the swim you will have the suns rays reflected from the water which could blind you. It may be fine to see with the sun behind you but soon as you turn back and as the sun rises in an early morning swim you cannot see where you want to aim for. Using tinted swim goggles can help.

Clothing

One-piece Triathlon suit hybrid can be worn under a wetsuit or for a pool based swim Triathlon. The material should be made for quick drying.

Race clothing can also stop friction between your skin and the wetsuit.

Comfortable not too tight or lose. Any excess movement will cause chafing.

Quick drying so you can swim bike and run in same clothing.