We have officially hit summertime, which means that open water swimming is in full swing, and it is important to take a second to revisit Playtri’s 5 Pillars of Open Water swimming. These 5 Pillars drive our coaches to build the most confident swimmers in the open water as possible, so whether you are a beginner in the open water or trying to find that extra little bit of speed, here are the 5 Pillars that will allow you to achieve your best swim possible.
Visualization
Open water swimming is a totally different sport than pool swimming, and it is important to practice in the open water prior to race day. However, if you are in a place where open water swimming is not easy to get to, visualization is a great tool that can help you show up on race day confident and strong. Visualization helps eliminate surprises that may happen on race day, and taking as little as 5 minutes a day to visualize the race course can help ensure you are making the best decisions possible on race day. Some potential things to keep in mind during the visualization process are;
- Study the race course and conditions. Swimming into the sun can mean that you need tinted goggles, while a cloudy day may call for a clear set of goggles. What type of weather will there be on race day? Is it an in water or beach start? Are you keeping the turn buoys to your right or left shoulder?
- Have a goal in mind and visualize yourself doing it. Always use positive self-talk, as we want to envision the success of a great open water swim. However, prepare yourself for the various events of race day, such as goggles leaking, which way you will breathe, and how to exit the water confidently!
Warm Up
The swim warmup is the most important aspect of warming up on race day, since it is the first discipline that you race. Some races allow in-water warmups, and some do not, so it is important to be prepared for either case. If you are allowed to warm up in the water, swim easy for a couple of minutes, and practice your sighting. Increase the tempo of your stroke to race pace every now and then to get the heart rate up and to prepare yourself mentally for the first stroke you will take in the race. If you are not allowed in the water, then it is important to have something like resistance bands to get your shoulders warmed up. You can do shoulder rotations, arm circles, and specific stroke movements with the bands to prepare for the swim stroke. Any sort of movement that mimics the swim stroke will get your mind and body prepared for the first stroke of the day and help you have the best swim possible.
Starting Position
Many races now are wave starts, meaning you will start alone or with 1 or 2 other swimmers. However, if there is a mass start, find a position in the front of the group on the side opposite that you breathe. Starting in the middle is a perfect recipe for getting swam over and redlining your heart rate as your jockey for position. By starting on the outside opposite the side you breathe, you can take a clearer line of site to the first buoy, you can see the other swimmers with you breathe, and you will have outside clear water.
Drafting and Sighting off Other Athletes
Finding the draft of another swimmer will greatly reduce the effort you are putting forth in the swim, and thus set you up for a strong bike and run. Ideally, you find an athlete that you can draft off of; this can be achieved by staying on an athlete’s hip (staying about 2 feet away from their hip and staying in their wake), or finding their feet and staying on their feet while swimming. This is a skill that can be practiced with teammates and other swimmers, but it is important to note that drafting in practice without the consent of another athlete can be irritating, so if you are going to practice drafting, make sure everyone is on the same page!
Continuous Swimming
Once you have the momentum of swimming, it is important to always move forward! Unless there is a significant instance in the water that brings danger, you want to always move forward while swimming; coming to a full stop can not only be dangerous for others around you, but it can be part to start up again from a dead stop. There is nothing in the rules that says you cannot change strokes, so if you feel tired or need some extra air, try doing breaststroke or backstroke to get your breath back, but always try to move forward!
Building on these 5 Pillars of open water swimming can help you have the best start to your race possible. If you have any questions about swimming, whether that be pool or open water, you can contact me at michael.rourke@playtri.com. As a head high school swim coach, and triathlon coach for all level athletes, I have worked with athletes of all skill levels, from National ranked athletes to brand new swimmers. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at all! Happy swimming!
Coach Michael Rourke is a Level 3 Playtri Coach and an American Swim Coaches Association Level 4 swim coach. He coaches junior and adult triathletes of all levels, as well as high school elite swimmers. He is also a 70.3 World’s Qualifier and USAT Age Group Nationals Qualifier.