So your front crawl is awesome and your endurance off the charts. But you need to prepare for a few more surprises open water can spring on you.
Sighting
- In the open water there are no lane lines. You need to practice looking ahead during your swim to find a marker in the distance to follow.
- Looking up is a simple thing to practice in the pool. Try perfecting it so you don’t disrupt your rhythm.
- Practise swimming in a straight line. Close your eyes while swimming and see whether you veer left or right (most people do). Try tweaking your stroke to straighten your natural line.
Treading water
- There is no wall to hold or kick off from in open water. Use pool time to get used to treading water in the deep end. You could spend a lot of time treading water in open water.
Turning
- Most events will involve turning around a marker buoy, often four or five times a race. If you have space in the pool and a willing practice-mate, swim up to and round your friend without touching the walls or bottom of the pool.
Breathing both ways
- Breathing on alternative sides in open water events is a necessity. It may not feel natural at first, but focus on your technique in the pool and it will become more comfortable.
- Let your head and spine join the rotation of your shoulders, inhale sharply then turn your face smoothly back in time with your shoulder rotation.
Group swimming
- Lots of people swimming together can come as a bit of a shock the first time you swim in an open water event. Practise group swimming with four or five of your friends in one lane of the pool to help get used to the feeling.