For many
first-time triathletes, an open water swim can be intimidating. With no
pool-bottom stripes to guide you and the frenzy of the other athletes splashing
around you, an open water swim is a whole other experience! It is not a
swimming pool with a bottom you can touch or even see, many times it is cold.
Those qualities are enough to freak out even the toughest athletes. We all have
stories about our first open water swim experience. My first triathlon in Ann
Arbor Michigan in 1992 was my first open water swim experience. The water was
dirty and warm. I just wanted to swim as fast as I could because I could not
see anything and was pretty freaked out. For the next couple years all
triathlons in the mid west were swim in a lake and with experience open water
was not scary anymore.
My first open water swim
experience in Colorado, 1995, was different. I had lived here for 2 months and
signed up for the Evergreen Half Iron Distance Triathlon, at altitude, which is
a little chillier then Michigan Lakes. I
did not warm up, took my first plunge when the horn sounded, my breath was
taken away. I swam most of the distance with my head out of the water and even approached
a kayak and considered jumping aboard. I did not have a wetsuit.
Fast forward to 2013 and every City offers open
water swim clinics. There is no excuse not to be ready. With the right kind of
preparation, the swim can be the easiest part of your event! The cardinal rule
of triathlon is "Never do anything new on race day." This includes
swimming in open water! Below are my 5
tips to have a successful experience.
- Invest in a wetsuit. Wetsuits will certainly keep you warmer in cold
water, but the added buoyancy will also keep you high in the water. There
are two common styles of triathlon wetsuits: full sleeve and sleeveless.
With the additional coverage, a full sleeve wetsuit will be faster,
warmer, and more buoyant in the water than a sleeveless one. You
want to practice putting on and getting off your wetsuit and swimming in
it before your event to ensure it fits and you can comfortable stroke
while wearing it.
- Catch your breath. If the race
venue allows, warm up for at least 15 minutes before your wave start time.
This includes getting in and out of the water 4 times. Slowly wade out into the water until you're about
waist deep and water seeps into your wetsuit, then get out. The
second go under once to get wet and get
used to the temperature, especially if it's cold, then get out. The third
time practice bobbing, breathing (exhale immediately under water before
you inhale). Exhale completely before coming up. Do this a few times until
it's comfortable, then get out. The fourth time take some
arm strokes and practice sighting.
- Practice
sighting. A technique to site the buoy is called “alligator eyes.” Lift
your chin so your goggles clear the water looking forward while exhaling,
then turn your head to the side and inhale like you normally do in the
pool. Try not to lift your head completely out of the water as this will
cause your hips and legs to sink. During your event sight every stroke
until you round the first buoy to ensure you are swimming straight and on
track not to swim more than the race distance.
- Position
yourself in your wave. Know the course. Ease your anxiety race-day and consider
lining up on the outside edge of your wave to get a clearer view for the
swim. You can also wait a few seconds after the start for an easier
swimming position. That way people are less likely to run into you in the
water.
- Draft during the race. Drafting
is legal during the swim portion of the triathlon. What this means is swimming
directly behind, or to the side of and behind, another swimmer. You will
expend less energy and have a faster split if you are able to pace behind
someone slightly faster than you. We are all looking for free speed,
right?
