Swim like a pro at your next race with these 5 tips

Swimming in open water is very different than swimming in a pool. Toss in a hundred or so other people, and you’ve suddenly gone from a familiar activity to something entirely new. However, if you’ve done the training, you should have no problems in the water at your next triathlon. At their core, pool and open water swimming are the same, but there are some things you can do to maximize your potential in a race setting. Try these tips in your next race to help you reach new levels and enter T1 with great momentum.

Warm up

You can and should take some time to swim before the race starts, but it will be more to make sure that your goggles and wetsuit are fitting well before the starting gun. You don’t want to spend too much time in the water before your race, as this will lead to you getting cold. Instead, do a dry-land warmup to get your body ready for the swim. Do some shoulder rotations, arm circles, leg swings, and jumping jacks to get everything engaged and firing before you hop into the water.

Take a beat

We know you want to be as close to the front of the pack as possible, but let’s be honest, that can be pretty scary. Unless you’re fast enough to get out ahead of everyone else and avoid the chaos of the pack, it’s worth waiting a few seconds to let things clear out. It might feel like you’re losing so much time, but if you dive into the pack right away and try to fight for position, you could freak out and lose even more time. Even the most seasoned swimmers can have panic attacks when they’re surrounded by so many other athletes in open water. Take a breath, wait for a gap, then head out on your swim.

Catch some feet

Once you’re in the water and feeling comfortable, try to position yourself behind someone going the same pace. You can get in their wake and draft for as long as they let you. This will save you time and effort, and you’ll get out of the water feeling much fresher than you would if you swam solo the whole way.

Practice sighting

You need to practice sighting in the pool. It might feel silly, but you don’t want to show up to your race and have no experience with sighting. Find a rhythm that works for you and sight every few strokes. Even if you’re following someone else closely, still be sure to sight every now and then. You might think they’re taking you the right way, but if you never look up, you might find that they’ve led you on a detour.

Quick and tight turns

Get as close as you can to the buoys on the swim course. Take the turns as tightly as possible and fly around them. There can be traffic jams at the buoys in races, but if you find your line and stick to it, you’ll avoid these and put time between yourself and your competition.