Aquathlon Tips
My Top Aquathlon tips
Check out the course (Swim & Run)
Aquathlon Swim
Familiarise yourself with the course so walk around the lake river and look at the buoys to see the line you must swim.
Observe the wind (flags) waves & current (the wind will move the surface of water) this to help you use the conditions to your advantage.
Use large tall building Large Tree Electric Pylons etc to guide you to swim in a straight line.
Aquathlon Warm up
35-25 minutes before the start
Warm up with a light jog for 5 10- minutes finishing 20-25 minutes before the Aquathlon start. Run – jog the final part of the run out and back so you know where the finish is.
20 minutes before the start
Start putting on your wetsuit and use a non petroleum jelly to avoid the neoprene rubbing and speed the removal of your suit with the least amount of effort. Run the protelulm jelly on your neck wrists and ankles.
10 minutes before
Keep sipping a carbohydrate drink up to 10 minutes before the start then get into the water.
Swim – Get into the swim and look back to where your exit is to allow you to swim exactly where you need to go to get out of the water.
Avoid getting too hot and sweaty otherwise you will be sticky and find it hard to get your wet suit on.
Rinse anti fog in your goggles to avoid them steaming up, this helps you see where you are going reduces the fear factor.
Swim Warm up
Get in & get use to the water temperature & clarity of the water and make a mental note of large landmarks in line with the buoy you need to swim to.
If you have time practise getting out where you exit the Aquathlon swim.
Establish where you can safely stand up.
Swim in a straight line will save you lots of time so keep looking up. Don’t worry about losing fractions of seconds sighting much better than swimming fast off course!
Put your goggles on and do not remove them before the start, a wet face will cause them to steam up.
Only really KICK HARD at the start around the buoys to cross the gap with a swimmer in front and in the final 20-50 seconds before exiting the swim to get your legs ready to run.
You should still kick fast and shallow in training then in the aquathlon.
If you are boxed in and cannot over take towards the finish or are becoming hot in your suit allow water to get in through your neck area.
Keep looking where you are swimming and avoid others who may go off course and swim extra distance.
Breathe to both sides to see who else you are swimming with.
Draft behind another swimmer and SAVE energy.
NEVER EVER keep tapping the toes/feet of the swimmer in front it slows them down and if you are drafting you as well.
On exiting the water make sure you un do the Velcro flap to allow you to pull down the strap to unzip the wet suit.
Transition.
If you have the choice and it takes you longer than most people to take off your wetsuit have your run shoes the furthest place away from the swim exit (providing this does not cause you a disadvantage) & you are allowed to do so, this will give you more time to start removing your wet suit, (unzip pull it down off your arms and down to your waist)
Save time and do not wear socks (you must have practised this in training) a blister can lose you minutes much longer than putting on a pair of socks.
You can use Vaseline in your shoes to avoid blisters.
The Aquathlon Run
Take short fast strides, your leg muscles will soon lengthen when they get use to running.
It may take you some time to get into your running, use your arms to drive your legs forward.
Hydrate and have a carbohydrate drink within 5 minutes of finishing then continue with a protein drink within 40 minutes.
See you at the races!
Mark has won Aquathlon competitions.