Transitioning from the pool to open water
Open water swimming and racing can be an intimidating concept. Not everyone was fortunate enough to grow up playing on the beach or at the local lake. And swimming is already a challenging sport for adults who did not learn to swim as a child, being the most technical of the three involved with triathlon. And now you want to throw in things like rip currents, waves, sand bars, and aquatic life?
If you have not started swimming yet, then your first step is going to your local pool on a regular basis and swimming two or three times a week. Private swim lessons with a good coach will help you to learn the correct technique, and avoid a lot of common errors. As you start, you do not need to cover huge distances – a few laps (200 to 400 yards per workout) for non-swimmers is a good starting point.
Once you are comfortable swimming in the 1,000 yards and -over range in a workout, it is time to consider open water swimming - especially if you have any triathlon goals involving an open water swim!
I personally like my athletes to be capable of swimming at least a quarter mile non-stop in the pool with no distress (400 meters or 450 yards) before trying out open water. An example workout for a swimmer at this level would be:
- 3 x 100 easy warm up on 30 seconds rest
- 100 easy kick with kickboard
- 4 x 50 drills on 20 seconds rest
- Rest 1 or 2 minutes
- 400 to 500 meters straight, no pausing at walls
- Rest 1 minute
- 2 x 50 easy cool down on 20 seconds rest
On a side note: 50 meter training pools are great for triathlon because there are less wall breaks; it is more similar to open water training.
Many open water venues may be unguarded, so it is your job to find a swimming partner or someone who can paddle/kayak along next to you. Regardless of your experience level, swimming in open water deeper than your chest by yourself is very risky business. It is imperative you keep safety in mind when venturing to open water. You could suffer a cramp, a medical emergency, swim into a submerged object and cut yourself, or be invisible to boat traffic. Having an extra pair of eyes on the lookout is a good thing.
Another big issue for newer open water swimmers is anxiety or sudden distress. This is a serious challenge and another reason why it is so crucial to have a partner or guide. If you lack open water experience, the notion of being several hundred meters from shore, with water 20 feet below you, can induce a real anxiety attack. A kayak right next to you will do much to calm those nerves.
I have my athletes keep near to shore in water that is not over their head the
first few times they swim in open water, preferably in a calm lake or on a
quiet day at the beach. This helps them
become comfortable with “the notion of the ocean,” the scenery, and the unique
experience of swimming outdoors in a large body of water.
Going back to our newer swimmer, he could swim down the beach a few minutes, then stand up with no difficulty, catch his breath, and either continue onwards or reverse course and swim back to his starting point. If he gets tired or a bit anxious, he can simply walk out of the water and call it a day.
After a few rounds of this you should be ready to head away from shore (with a partner or guide). The best course at the beach will usually be a swim-boundary marker buoy, typically around 100 to 200 yards offshore. In a lake you will want to find a course that is free of boat traffic, and pick a spot you can navigate to – water ski markers work well (as long as the water skiers are not out). It might be across a narrow part of the lake. Swim out to the marker or across and then and back to shore. Depending on the distance, you can do this just once, or several times.
Swimming to a specific point rather than just down the beach will help you learn the finer aspects of course sighting and navigation in open water. You need to lift your head and look, otherwise you will eventually wind up veering left or right and swim in a time-wasting circle.
Once you’re comfortable with both deeper open water and navigation, it is time to add in open water workouts. Below is a sample for our now more experienced swimmer:
3 x courses (200 yard out – 200 yard back = 400 yards total)
- 1st course easy pace
- Rest 2 minutes
- 2nd course – 20 stroke cycles hard / 20 stroke cycles easy
- Rest 2 minutes
- 3rd course – easy to the marker / fast back to the beach
With a beach start you can also practice running into and out of the water quickly – that will help shave a few seconds during the race.
One final safety note – rough ocean conditions require a lot of practice to deal with. Don’t overestimate the power of the ocean and err on the side of safety if you lack that experience.
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Marty Gaal,