Gallery
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR TRIATHLON OPEN WATER SWIM
OPEN WATER SWIM SESSION 1
REDUCE YOUR STROKE COUNT -YOU NEED TO COUNT YOUR STROKES PER SEGMENT
WARM UP 6 MINUTES
MAIN SET
IF YOU ARE ABLE TO SWIM BETWEEN 2 BUOYS OR JETTY'S ETC COUNT YOUR STROKES
THE DISTANCE NEEDS TO BE BETWEEN 50-250M
WIND CONDITIONS AND WAVES WILL AFFECT THIS SESSION
AIM TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF STROKES IN EACH DIRECT
LEARN TO USE THE WIND AND WAVES TO HELP YOU GET FROM A TO BE QUICKER AND WITH LESS EFFORT
EXPECT IT YOU MAY TAKE UP TO 25% MORE STROKES IN ONE DIRECTION COMPARED TO THE OTHER WAY
4 -8 X 200M WITH 30 SECONDS REST AT EACH END
LEARN TO SWIM IN A STRAIGHT LINE OR USE THE WAVES AND WIND TO GET THERE QUICKER
WARM DOWN 6-8 MINUTES EASY SWIMMING
TRI OPEN WATER SWIMMING -SESSION 2
DON’T HAVE A SPORTS WATCH OR UNABLE TO SEE YOUR WATCH DUE TO MURKY WATER ETC. THEN THE EASIEST WAY IS TO COUNT YOUR STROKES - COUNT THE NUMBER OF STROKES YOU TAKE WITH YOUR RIGHT ARM (approx 80 left and right arm stokes = 100m)
WARM UP 6-8 MINUTES EASY SWIMMING
PYRAMID SET
PYRAMID SET
10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 8 OUT OF 10 (PRE WARM UP)
20 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
30 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
40 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
50 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
60 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 30 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
50 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
40 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
30 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
20 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 8 OUT OF 10
WARM DOWN 6-8 MINUTES EASY SWIMMING -EFFORT LEVEL 7 TO 3
OPEN WATER SWIMMING - SESSION 3
NO LANES TO SWIM UP AND DOWN THEN THE EASIEST WAY IS TO COUNT YOUR STROKES -
DONT FORGET IF YOU CAN SEE THE BOTTOM (SAND ROCKS ETC) USE THIS TO HELP YOU SWIM IN A STRAIGHT LINE AND AVOID LOOKING UP TOO OFTEN AND SLLOWING DOWN
COUNT THE NUMBER OF STROKES YOU TAKE WITH YOUR RIGHT ARM
WARM UP 6-8 MINUTES EASY SWIMMING EFFORT LEVEL 4 INCREASING TO 7
(GUESSTIMATE HOW LONG 6 MINUTES IS BY THE DISTANCE YOU WOULD NORMALLY COVER)
MAIN SET
50 STROKES HARD 10 STOKES EASY - EFFORT LEVEL 8 OUT OF 10
REPEAT 4 TIMES
100 STOKES HARD 20 STROKES EASY - EFFORT LEVEL 8 OUT OF 10
REPEAT 2 TIMES
200 STROKES HARD 30 STOKES EASY - EFFORT LEVEL 8 OUT OF 10
ONCE ONLY
100 STOKES HARD 20 STROKES EASY - EFFORT LEVEL 8 OUT OF 10
REPEAT 2 TIMES
50 STROKES HARD 10 STOKES EASY -EFFORT LEVEL 8 OUT OF 10
REPEAT 4 TIMES
(RECOVERY TIME CAN ALSO BE 15 SECONDS TREADING WATER RATHER THAN EASY SWIMMING)
WARM DOWN 6-8 MINUTES EASY SWIMMING EFFORT LEVEL 7 TO 3
OPEN WATER SWIM - SESSION 4
LOOK UP - GOOD SIGHTING PRACTISE SESSION
WARM UP 8 MINUTES - EFFORT LEVEL 3 INCREASING TO LEVEL 6 OUT OF 10
MAIN SET EFFORT LEVEL 5-7 EASY SKILL SESSION LEARN TO IMPROVE SWIMMING THE SHORTEST ROUTE
SWIM FROM TWO BUOYS COUNT YOUR STROKES - (DISTANCE 50-250M)
SWIM FOR 120 STROKES - LOOK UP EVERY 4 STROKES TO SEE YOU ARE SWIMMING IN A STRAIGHT LINE
SWIM FOR 120 STROKES - LOOK UP EVERY 6 STROKES TO SEE YOU ARE SWIMMING IN A STRAIGHT LINE
SWIM FOR 120 STROKES - LOOK UP EVERY 8 STROKES TO SEE YOU ARE SWIMMING IN A STRAIGHT LINE
SWIM FOR 120 STROKES - LOOK UP EVERY 12 STROKES TO SEE YOU ARE SWIMMING IN A STRAIGHT LINE
REPEAT SWIM FROM TWO BUOYS AND SEE HOW MUCH YOU IMPROVED WITH PRACTISE SWIMMING IN A STRAIGHT LINE
WARM DOWN 6-8 MINUTES - EFFORT LEVEL 6 SLOWING TO EFFORT LEVEL 3
OPEN WATER SWIM - SESSION 5
IMPROVE SKILL IN OPEN ROUGH WATER
IRONMATE'S BEST TIP IS TO FIRST LOOK AT THE SIZE AND SPEED OF THE WAVES AND ALTER YOUR STROKE ACCORDINGLY
YOU MUST HAVE A MUCH HIGHER RECOVERY WITH YOUR HAND IN ROUGH WATER OTHERWISE
THE NEXT WAVE WILL CAUSE YOUR HAND TO ENTER THE WATER BELOW YOUR SHOULDER.
REDUCE THE TIME YOUR HAND IS ACTING AS RESISTANCE PADDLE SO EITHER IN THE WATER OR HIGH ABOVE.
BIG WAVES - REMEMBER BIG WAVES ALSO MOVE WATER DEEPER BELOW THEM AND SO BREAK MUCH EARLIER WHILE
LITTLE WAVES BREAK CLOSE TO SHORE
BREAKERS IS A WAVE WHEN IT REACHES SHALLOW WATER - A BREAKER WILL CRASH OVER OUR HEAD
AND TRY AND PUSH US TO THE BOTTOM.
WAVES TRAVEL IN ONE DIRECTION AND CAUSE YOU TO GO UP AND DOWN.
THE WATER CAN BE MUCH ROUGHER AND HARDER TO SWIM IN CLOSE TO LAND DUE TO WAVES BUILDING UP
AND CRASHING. IT CAN BE MUCH EASIER SOMETIMES SWIMMING OUT A LITTLE FURTHER.
UNDER TOWS - THIS IS WHEN THE WATER IS RETURNING TO THE OCEAN UNDER THE INCOMING WAVE.
THIS WILL NOT AFFECT A SWIMMER WHO IS NEAR THE SURFACE.
RIPTIDES MOVE FASTER THAN WE CAN SWIM BUT ARE NOT VERY WIDE, EITHER SWIM TO THE SIDE OR LET THE CURRENT TAKE YOU OUT UNTIL IT WEAKENS THEN SWIM BACK BUT NOT DIRECTLY BACK INTO THE RIPTIDES THAT TOOK YOU AWAY FROM LAND.
SWELLS MAKE LIFE INTERESTING. LOOK UP AND AHEAD AT THE APEX (TOP) OF THE SWELL TO SEE WHERE YOU NEED TO GO. THEY CAN BE SMALL OR BIG SWELLS CHANGE THE SPEED OF YOUR STROKE RATE TO ACCOMMODATE THE SWELL
HEAD WIND OR CURRENT SWIMMING REQUIRES STRENGTH AND SKILL YOU NEED TO LEARN WHAT LENGTH
OF STROKE IS BEST TO HELP YOU MOVE THE FASTEST. IN A TAIL WIND MAKE YOUR STROKE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. AVOID COMPROMISING A SHORT STROKE WHEN THE WIND IS BEHIND YOU.
REMEMBER THE WIND MOVES THE SURFACE OF THE WATER LIKE A CURRENT.
OPEN WATER SWIM SESSION - BODY SURFING 6
YOU NEED A STREAMLINED POSITION TO ALLOW TH WAVE TO CARRY YOU
AIM TO SWIM JUST SLIGHTLY FASTER THAN THE WAVE, SWIM TOO FAST AND IT WONT GET HOLD OF YOU
SWIM TOO SLOW AND IT PASSES YOU BY
BODY SURFING TIPS
YOU WONT GO ANYWHERE IF YOU ARE BEHIND THE WAVE WHEN IT BRAKES.
IN FRONT OF THE WAVE WHEN IT BREAKS IT WILL LIFT AND PUSH YOU BEFORE IT PASSES BY
BEING ON TOP OF THE WAVE WHEN IT BREAKS YOU END UP STAYING ON TOP OF IT UNTIL IT RACHES THE SHORE.
AS THE WAVE STARTS TO BREAK TAKE ONE OR TWO STRONG PULLS GET STREAMLINED WHILE HOLDING
YOUR BREATH AND KICK AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO STAY JUST AHEAD OF THE WAVE.
SAFETY TIP - AVOID HURTING YOUR FINGERS BY JOINING YOUR HANDS TOGETHER OR CLENCHING YOUR FISTS
OPEN WATER SWIM SESSION – BACK TO BACK
IN TRIATHLON WE CYCLE AFTER WE SWIM. TRY RUNNING IT’S MUCH HARDER THAN CYCLING AND MAY TAKE YOU A WHILE TO FIND YOUR RUNNING LGES.
SWIM EXIT THEN RUN 300M BEAR FEET THEN SWIM AGAIN THEN RUN
RUNNING THROUGH WATER ABOVE THE KNEE IS ANOTHER GREAT WORK OUT
AVOID INJURIES - AVOID RUNNING ON THE CAMBER FOR MORE THAN 2 MINUTES IN ONE DIRECTION.
SOFT SAND CAN WORK THE ACHICLES TENDONS A LOT SO CHOOSE FIRM SAND RATHER THAN DEEP OR VERY WET SAND
OPEN WATER PROGRESSION SET 2 B
COUNT YOUR STROKES FOR APPROXIMATE DISTANCE
WARM UP 6-8 MINUTES EASY SWIMMING
PYRAMID SET (continous swim -you can stop and tread water between each rep)
10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 8 OUT OF 10 (PRE WARM UP)
20 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
30 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
40 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
50 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
60 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 30 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
50 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 8/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
40 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 8/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
30 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 8/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
20 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 8/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 8 OUT OF 10
OPEN WATER PROGRESSION SET 2 C
COUNT YOUR STROKES FOR APPROXIMATE DISTANCE
WARM UP 6-8 MINUTES EASY SWIMMING
PYRAMID SET (continous swim -you can stop and tread water between each rep)
10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 8 OUT OF 10 (PRE WARM UP)
20 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
30 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
40 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
50 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 7/10 THEN RECOVERY 20 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
60 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 8/10 THEN RECOVERY 30 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
50 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 8/10 THEN RECOVERY 30 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
40 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 8/10 THEN RECOVERY 30 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
30 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 8/10 THEN RECOVERY 30 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
20 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 9/10 THEN RECOVERY 30 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
10 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 9 OUT OF 10
20 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 8/10 THEN RECOVERY30 STROKES EASY EFFORT LEVEL 5
10 STROKES HARD EFFORT LEVEL 8 OUT OF 10 THEN RECOVERY EFFORT LEVEL 5
WARM DOWN 6-8 MINUTES EASY SWIMMING
THE ABOVE SESSION ARE FOR FIT EXPERIENCED POOL SWIMMERS WHO HAVE PASSED A MEDICAL
ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTRO BEFORE STARTING UP A NEW FITNESS PROGRAMME
****WARNING*****
NEVER SWIM ALONE – NEED I SAY MORE
***NO MATTER HOW FIT FAST AND STRONG A SWIMMER WE ARE ALL AT RISK FROM DROWNING***
MAKE YOURSLEF VISIBLE - BRIGHT COLOURED CAP (ALWAYS HAVE A SPARE ONE)
KICK HARD & SHOUT IF YOU NOTICE A JET SKI OR BOAT NEARBY OR USE YOUR ARMS TO MAKE SURE THEY SEE YOU
FLIPPERS ARE A GREAT WAY TO TRAVEL FURTHER IN OPEN WATER, DON’T GET TIRED AND TOO FAR OUT STAY CLOSE TO LAND
TREAD WTAER AND SPIT OR RINSE OUT GOGGLES IF THEY STEAM UP. GIVE THEM A THORUGH CLEAN FOR THE NEXT SWIM BODY OILS FROM OUR FACES CAN STOP THEM CAUSING A GOOD SEAL.
OPEN WATER SWIMMING IS FUN, THAT'S WHY WE DO IT
MISTAKES
WE ARE MORE BOUYANT IN THE SEA SO AVOID TOO MUCH BODY ROLL.
SEE YOU AT THE RACES - FOR MORE UPDATES LOG ON AGAIN TO