Triathlons challenge talented athletes to excel at three sports. Swimming might be the most unpopular member of the trilogy, though. Fast swimming requires excellent technique and it does not necessarily favor the leanest or most muscular athlete. Open water swimming differs from pool swimming, but following a few basic tips helps you transition from 50 meters to endless horizons.
Group/Individual Workouts
You can work out individually or join a swim group such as U.S. Masters Swimming, which accepts swimmers of different abilities older than the age of 18. Organized swim workouts led by a coach generally focus on pool or open water swimmers rather than triathletes, so if you find the regimen unhelpful for your specific interest, you can always swim solo. As a triathlete, you might not have the endurance or the interest in putting in high-yardage workouts, but you should at least swim your race distance every time you get in the pool.
Workout Elements
Just thrashing your way full-speed through your race distance every day eventually wears you down and encourages bad technique. Unless you address inherent weaknesses in your stroke, swimming harder just puts you at a greater risk for muscle strain or injury. Do drills such as distance-per-stroke or zipper drills to learn about body position and high elbows, and mix fast sprints in with distance work. Kick sets help build your strength for swimming in rough water conditions. Forgo pull buoys, because you need to build strength to stay high in the water instead of relying on flotation aids. When you get out of the pool, you benefit from dry land training, building abdominal strength and stabilizing hip and shoulder joints.
Breathing
Breathing properly saves you energy and can keep you safe in open water conditions. Learn bilateral breathing or breathing on both sides. Not only does bilateral breathing build strength evenly, it allows you to avoid large waves and helps you avoid collisions with fellow racers. Practice "sighting" and lift your head above the water as you take a stroke. Sighting is the technique of looking around during a swim without breaking your momentum. Sighting helps you avoid swimming off course or missing an important race marker. Do flip turns instead of open turns even if they initially tire you out. Flip turns more accurately mimic the continuous effort needed in open water, and they build lung capacity as well.
Body Position/Stroke Mechanics
Whether you swim in the pool or in open water, rotate your body during your stroke to help reduce drag and move easier through the water. Keep high elbows and a low hand, using a relaxed arm "return" to make your stroke more efficient and to avoid entanglements with fellow swimmers. Usually, you aim for long strokes and low stroke counts in swimming, but choppy open water conditions might force you to revert to a higher stroke count, and shorter, straight-arm strokes to avoid getting slapped by waves.
References
- USA Triathlon; Swimming 101; Kate Schnatterbeck
- USA Triathlon; Six Corrective Exercises Triathletes Should do Everday; Justin Levine
- Amateur Endurance; Introduction to Triathlon Swim Training; Felipe Louriero
- U.S. Masters Swimming; About USMS
- U.S. Masters Swimming; Swimming in Circles; Emmett Hines; 1994
- U.S. Master Swimming; Preparing for the Open Water -- Training; Marcia Cleveland; 2009
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