Open Water Swim Prep – What You Need To Think About

Open water preparation is so much more than getting into the open water and doing some steady swimming on your own.

It is better than nothing.

But athletes could be doing so much more to prepare for their race day swim. I still see athletes complain of anxiety, not settling down, unpredictable swims … and then post much slower swims than they’d hoped for because of this.

Your race day swim is unlikely to be in flat water, with lots of space. It’s going to be unpredictable and choppy. You will likely have other swimmers in your face, tapping your feet, swimming over your legs, stopping in front of you. Being familiar with this type of environment will give you a great advantage on race day.

💥 Swimming close to others.

💥 Dealing with bouncy water.

💥 Dealing with unpredictability.

💥 Switching pace.

💥 Putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.

💥 Swimming strong and straight in amongst the chaos.

You don’t need to come to our open water sessions to help prepare for this – although we’d be delighted to see you! Try and get in with other swimmers and simulate some of the above.

Your race day self will thank you for it!