For many triathletes, the swim can be one of the most stressful parts of a triathlon. With anywhere from 50-2600 people churning up the water around you, it’s understandable!
Here are some tips to help you get through the swim calmly and quickly:
- Get in the water at least 5-10 minutes before you start and warm up a bit. If the water is cold, warm, choppy, etc, you want to be prepared for it before you start racing.
- Seed yourself according to your swim ability. If you’re a newer or a weak swimmer, seed yourself toward the back and/or outside of your wave. Stronger swimmers should take the “prime” spots at the front and/or inside.
- If you’re at all nervous, wait 10-20 seconds before you start swimming! Let the rest of the swimmers get a bit of a head start, and then start your race. The few seconds won’t make a difference in your time, and will give you a lot of peace of mind as you swim.
- If the water is cold, make sure you put your face in the water before the race starts. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to warm up, but sometimes this is not possible. Flinging yourself headfirst into 65 degree water can take your breath away, so find a way to get your face wet before you start!
- Look for a draft. While swimming in a triathlon, drafting is legal. It gives you anywhere from a 5-20% increase in speed. Swim immediately behind another swimmer to maximize your draft–get your hands as close to their toes as you can (but don’t touch)!
- If you get kicked or swatted, do NOT retaliate. They didn’t do it on purpose. Getting pissed will only screw up *your* race. Contact during the swim is par for the course. Keep moving forward!
- Breathe away from any surf or harsh sunlight you encounter. This is where your bilateral breathing in training gets put to good use! If surf is coming from your left side, breathe on your right (and vice versa).
- Sight every 6-12 strokes. Don’t lift your head out of the water more than is necessary to get a quick glimpse of the next buoy. Don’t sight too often (sighting slows you down) but don’t delay your sighting more than every 12 strokes or so, as you may end up swimming off course.
- Know how to do a “dolphin dive,” and execute it in shallow water. Dolphin diving, or performing a shallow dive in thigh-deep water, is faster than swimming or walking. Do several dolphin dives as you start (if it’s a beach start) and exit the water.
- Get out of the water SLOWLY. The transition from swimming (in a horizontal position) to running to your bike (in a vertical position) is very stressful. Even though you’re racing, it’s worth an extra second to shed the dizziness and disorientation that comes from this switch in body position.
I disagree with the stick your face in the water if it’s cold. What works for me is to get in the water and let some of that cold water INSIDE THE WETSUIT from the neck, then let your body warm that up (that’s the point of a wetsuit), and then pee in your suit (another warmth tactic)and then wait for gun/horn and then put your face in the water. Sure it will still be cold, but all you need to do is EXHALE HARD to get the jitters out of your system. The exhalation measure also helps to warm you up, I think.
The exhale hard thing works even in water that’s not cold. It helps you fight your hyperventilation response.
When you finish, stand up and take your goggles and cap off, THEN begin exiting the water. Those seconds to let yourself orient to the vertical really help!
In your practice swims, occasionally go ALL OUT for like 200-300 yards and then settle into a comfortable pace. That is what racing will feel like, so you may as well practice what you can.
Cheers!
This crackhead has just provided unusually sane and accurate advice. Take heed, fellow non-crack-addicted triathletes!
One more thing. If the water is cold, wear 2 swim caps to keep your head warm.
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