Hundreds of athletes who are in good shape decide to enter triathlon competitions to see how well they can perform in what many consider to be the ultimate test of endurance. Most come to triathlons with a background in running and that is a great place to start. However, the muscles used in swimming and the way the body performs is significantly different than it is for running and biking.
Step 1
Get your body familiar with the water. Many first-time triathletes are not strong swimmers, and that means they need to work on the fundamentals of their swimming stroke and their breathing. The swimming portion of a triathlon is almost always in open water and without lane configurations. You will get shoved, jostled, pushed and perhaps dunked. Get used to the water by putting your head in the water and opening your eyes. Stay in the water and realize that depending on the length of the swim in your triathlon you will be in the water for 30 minutes or longer.
Step 2
Begin your training with two goals in mind. The first is to improve the quality of your stroke. You want to swim efficiently to keep from using up too much energy too quickly. You also want to lessen your anxiety level in the water. The swim can be a rough event physically as competitors will often swim right next to you or even on top of you. You are also swimming anywhere between 1/2 mile (mini-triathlon) and 2.4 miles (Ironman) and you will have to be in the water more than 30 minutes.
Step 3
Try to keep your body as even as possible in the water. You want your hips to be high in the water and your head to be low. Your face will be in the water throughout your race until your turn with every other stroke you take to breathe. Many swimmers wear goggles in order to get used to having your eyes open during water.
Step 4
Train by swimming sprints. One of the best training routines is 50-yard sprints. Start by pushing off the wall. Do four 50-yard sprints, resting 30 seconds between each sprint. Take a one-minute break and do four more 50-yard sprints, resting 20 seconds between each. Take a one-minute break and do four more 50-yard sprints, resting 10 seconds between each.
Step 5
Swim 200 yards at a time to get your endurance up. Push off the side of the pool to get started, then push off the wall when you complete each lap. Take a one-minute break and swim another 200 yards. As you get closer to your triathlon event, push the distance to 400 yards and eventually to 800 yards to gain confidence at swimming for distance.
Tips and Warnings
- Relax as much as you can when swimming because anxiety during this event leads to fatigue.
Things You'll Need
- Goggles (optional)
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