OVERCOMING YOUR FEARS IN YOUR TRIATHLON AND OPEN WATER SWIMMING (PART ONE)

Participation in triathlon has boomed over the last decade. Many people of all levels have veered away from distance events like marathon running (for various reasons) and thrived on the challenge of completing in a triathlon.

At Strictly Swimming London, we have found that the majority of our clients coming to their lessons, express that the swimming leg of their triathlon, to be the weakest of their three disciplines (the swim, the bike, the run).

Triathlon is a challenging endurance sport and the prospect of swimming in open water can be so intimidating, that it can discourage even the toughest participant from entering a race.  

No matter how much triathlon training you’ve done or how many races you’ve completed, there’s just something about open water swimming that arouses fear, panic, and an increased heart rate at the start of an event. However, all of this can be a thing of the past through some calm and controlled practices.

Whilst pools were closed during the coronavirus pandemic, many swimmers have taken up open water swimming and discovered a whole new world. Many novice triathletes and open water swimmers realised that they needed to learn some steps to feel more comfortable and safer in open water.
 
Here are some helpful steps to conquer your fear and go into the open water with confidence.

1. Use a swim buoy. This makes you visible to motorboats and other swimmers.
2. Swim with people who are familiar with the area.
3. Do your research about where you’re swimming and if motorboats are allowed.
4. Be familiar with currents and tides.
5. Pay attention to the lifeguard recommendations. If the red flag is up on the beach and there’s a strong rip tide, it’s not safe to swim there.
6. Know the air and water temperatures to avoid hypothermia.
7. Have a plan of where you’ll be swimming and for how long.
8. Gradually increase the time that you’re in the open water.
9. Swim along the shoreline so you can easily exit the water at any time.
10. Hire a coach to give you extra support (on the shore or in a boat).

​Please contact Strictly Swimming London for adult lessons

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