SMASH YOUR OPEN-WATER SWIM GOALS

WHETHER YOU'RE NEW TO OPEN-WATER SWIMMING OR WANT AN IRONMAN-SWIM PB, HERE IS ALL THE TRAINING ADVICE YOU NEED

- ANDREW SHEAFF

As the weather gets warmer, that means warmer water, and warmer water means only one thing – a return to open-water swimming (hurray!). Whether you love it or fear it, though, it’s a simple fact that most triathlons are completed in open water, so it makes sense to perform some of your swim training in the same environment as you’ll be competing. After all, swimming in open water is not the same as swimming in a pool!

However, many triathletes make the mistake of performing their open-water sessions without much of a plan. They’ll often swim for a set amount of time, with no specific goal beyond completing the mins or covering a certain distance. While doing so can be effective for re-acclimating yourself to open water, it’s not necessarily the best strategy for optimising your progress and accomplishing your goals on race day. Yet most triathletes have a solid game plan whenever they train in a pool, so the same structured approach should be taken for open water.

Aiming to swim for a certain amount of time or cover a set distance during a training session is a sound goal. But within that, the key is to have a plan to also focus on improving certain skills, mixing up the speeds you swim and preparing for some of the unique challenges the open-water environment presents. Open-water sessions should complement the pool training you’re doing, so that you’re fully-prepared come race day.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how to approach open-water training when aiming to accomplish four different goals. 

IF YOU ARE NEW TO OPEN-WATER SWIMMING

TRAINING GOAL LEARN OPEN-WATER SKILLS, BE COMFORTABLE