“First Triathlon, Any Advice?”

“I’ve got the Southport Triathlon at the weekend. Any advice for the swim, Bryan?”

This question came from a developing swimmer who is taking on his first triathlon this weekend.

In theory, the swim should be the easiest discipline to execute. It’s first. You are full of energy. No nutrition issues to worry about. There is minimal kit. Compared to the bike and the run, it’s short. You find some space and you swim at your own pace for 750m, 1.5k, 1.9k or 3.8k. Simple. Right?

The triathlon swim is plagued with fear, adrenaline, nerves, chaos.

It is easy to get this wrong and have a terrible start to your day.

Things to watch out for …

• Starting too fast because “it doesn’t feel hard”.
• Getting caught up in the chaos, bodies everywhere.
• Following others “because they know what they’re doing”.
• Allowing external factors to get in the way and disrupt your rhythm, concentration and create anxiety.

I could offer so much advice and guidance – pacing, skills, mindset, technique – but how do you boil it down to a few key points to remember?

Here was my condensed, simple advice to this developing swimmer.

Find Your Own Space.

Don’t jump in the middle of the chaos and hope for the best. Move to the side. Start at the back. Wait a few seconds to let others go. Whatever it takes, just find some space to swim in. Your swim will be calmer and more relaxed (and probably quicker).

Start Easy.

The gun goes, the adrenaline spikes, it’s a race, you feel you need to start fast. Don’t. Get in and ease your way through the first few hundred metres. Nice and relaxed. For many swimmers, these first few hundred metres should be your slowest of the race.

Don’t Worry About Everybody Else. Think About You.

Focus on you and what you’re doing, not how chaotic it all is, how much splashing, how many bodies. To distract from negative thoughts, I often advise swimmers to count their strokes. This helps keep things calm and allows the swimmer to focus on their technique, on the process.

The swimmer seemed happy with the advice!

However, if he had asked you, what would you have advised? Would you have focused on skills? On specific technique cues? On mindset? Any other things he should consider?

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