10 TIPS TO MASTER OPEN WATER… IN THE POOL!

The following tips and sessions are best practised with others in a quiet pool. That sorted, get ready to boss sighting, drafting, turns and starts!

SIGHT RIGHT

01

Open-water sighting is worthy of a feature in its own right, but key is that when your hand has entered the water, press down so that your head is lifted out of the water to just below your nose. This helps to keep your head low and, importantly, doesn’t disrupt breathing pattern. Vary how many times you look up.

FOLLOW THE FEET

02

Similar to cycling – although not in draft non-legal races – drafting in swimming can save you up to 20% energy. That’s a real bonus when you still have two disciplines to come. So, swim 30cm or so behind a slightly faster swimmer. Keep sighting regularly and don’t rely on their navigation; in other words, you don’t want to keep swimming into lane dividers. Keep one arm in front of your shoulders at all times, and watch out for their feet or if they suddenly turn to breaststroke to sight. Keep as close as you can so you don’t lose the draft and you’ll be pulled around faster, meaning a quicker swim time than crawling solo.

SHADOW THE HIPS

03

Or you can ignore the feet and hit the hips. Swim 30cm to one side of a slightly faster swimmer. Breathe in towards them so you know where they are. Again, keep sighting regularly yourself. You can see and sight more effectively in this position while still benefitting from the drafting effect.

GET IN LINE

04

Complete a 200m circuit (1-23-4) where each of you and your friends performs one section (50m) on the front of the line, before peeling off to the back of the line. Note: you’ll need plenty of room for this drill. Key is that you stick together so, to start with, keep the pace relatively easy. Swim with two or three friends and tune into how much easier it feels to sit behind someone. It’s really noticeable and a real motivational boost during the long winter months.

NAIL THE TURNS

05

This drill teaches you to turn around buoys effectively in open water. It’ll also acclimatise you to continuous swimming without touching and pushing off the pool wall. Simply practise turning around the ‘T’ at the end of the lane. It’s an easy technique, but make sure you sight straight after your turn to re-align with your navigation point ahead, which will be guided by the lane dividers. Try to make your turns as tight and fluid as possible.

CLOSE YOUR EYES!

06

Zig-zag swimming’s common at every race, so it’s key to practise this drill. Push off from the pool wall and during the middle 10-15m, close your eyes to see if you can remain swimming straight. This highlights if your stroke pulls you to one side or is uneven, which you’d then be likely to do in open water. A simple solution if you’re veering off-course is to sight more often – ideally do this if the lane’s empty, though!

GO AT THE GO

07

Many open-water races will start in slightly deeper waters. That’s why, in the pool, tread water for around 10-15secs as though waiting for your race to start. Ask someone to shout, ‘Go!’ and swim briskly forwards for 10-15m. Repeat – if the person’s happy to keep shouting, ‘Go!’

BRIDGE THE GAP

08

You can do this solo or with others. Simply start off the length slowly and then kick faster and accelerate your arm stroke to bridge a gap. This speed increase is a useful skill to have for reeling the competition in so you can enjoy the ‘free speed’ drafting effect.

SMASH THE START

09

This is an evolution of the previous drill in tip number seven. Tread water, keeping yourself vertical in the water. Again, ask some kind-hearted soul to shout, ‘Go!’ and perform 10 powerful strokes to generate momentum. Unleash the polo drill for a few strokes so you can see. (Essentially, this is swimming with your head up.) When it comes to the open water, I’d advise beginners to tread at the back of the pack or off to the side so they’re in clear water. More experienced triathletes, who’ll be in the pack, should expect to have your legs pushed down, bumped a lot and generally have your rhythm upset. Ah, the joys of pack swimming!

START HORIZONTAL

10

Again, this one needs some room. Hit the horizontal and scull with your hands, moving your legs in and out sideways. Stay horizontal and in the same spot. When you hear, ‘Go!’, swim five to six fast strokes to get going. This is a much more proficient technique than the vertical start because you won’t be bumped so much, your legs won’t be pulled down and you’ll enjoy much more space. You’ll also fall into your rhythm much easier and faster.