3 months till open water swim - advice needed!!!

Options
emmab0902
emmab0902 Posts: 2,338 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone. I have (probably foolishly) agreed to do the swim leg for a team in a half ironman in early January. I am a former competitive swimmer and could likely swim 3-4km any day in a pool, but have never done open water swimming. Does anyone have good tips on a 3 month panic training regime?? The swim is 2km and it will be mid summer here at that time. I am only just getting back into exercise after a slack *kitten* few months!

Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I doubt technique will be much of a problem/concern for you, so really it just comes down to getting comfortable in open water... Only way to do that is to get in and swim it.

    Will you be wearing a wetsuit? Depending on the water, buoyancy/head position is a bit more important. Also, sighting your line/the course can be difficult when looking into a low rising sun. Other than that, the mass start can be a little chaotic, but the crowd thins out fairly quickly.
  • Farburnfred
    Farburnfred Posts: 333 Member
    yes all those things, you need to get intot eh water as often as possible esp if its going to be colder than a pool. You need to practice sighting as its very different when you are trying to sight a buoy some way away rather than lines on the bottom of a pool, you may need to get some new googles with a wider range of vision. and there are the wetsuit issues

    I imagine the distance will not be a problem for you once you get going. H2Open magazine sends you some basic OW info when you sign up and try the open water swimming society too :)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories