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Sara McLarty is a professional triathlete training in Clermont, Florida. She started competing at the elite level in 2004 after completing college at the University of Florida and narrowly missing the USA Swimming 2004 Olympic team. Her first triathlon was 20 years ago and she has competed in over 200 events since that fateful day as a 7-year-old.
Sara's passion is for all things triathlon...coaching, racing, training, and writing. While she travels the world representing the USA at races, she contributes to Triathlete Magazine as a swim specialist and USAT Life as a youth columnist. Sara is looking forward to sharing her swimming knowledge with BeginnerTriathlete.com's readers and newcomers to the multi-sport world!
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Learn to Swim - Month 5
This installment of the BT Swim Series will focus on open water swimming and four drills to help you better prepare for your event.
Join this Group!
Part Five of a Five-Month Beginner Learn to Swim Series
By Sara McLarty
If you are like most triathletes, a large percentage of your swim training will take place in a pool. There are a few exceptions for the lucky people that live in warm climates and have easy access to open water. With the right tools, drills, and preparation, training in a pool can properly prepare anyone for open water swimming and triathlons.
A beginner triathlete must be aware of the challenges that open water swimming presents. There are no walls to hold on to, no lane lines to separate people, no solid bottom to stand on, no black line to follow, and (usually) no clear water to swim in. Right away, on perfectly dry land, these realizations can cause panic and fear.
Panic is good! Fear is great! You need a little bit of both to keep you on your toes and prevent you from undertaking a challenge that is beyond your current capabilities. If you cannot swim four lengths of the pool (100 yards) without stopping, you are probably not ready for a quarter mile (400 yards) swim in open water. Making smart decisions is the first step to being a triathlete.
If a personal assessment of your abilities concludes that you are capable of completing the open water distance, here are some ways to train for open water in the pool.
Turning @ the ‘T’
No matter how quick you turn at each wall, you are still getting a moment of rest every 25 yards (or 50 meters for long course swimmers). To prepare for the non-stop swimming that is required in a triathlon, do a long swim once a week where you don’t touch any of the walls! I call this “Turning @ the ‘T’”. Think of the black ‘T’ near each wall (about 1 meter away) as your turn marker. Push off the wall only at the very beginning of the swim, a 300 for example. Every time you near the wall, turn or flip your body in the opposite direction without using the wall. This will replicate the fatigued feeling you might get during open water swimming.
Tarzan Drill for Sighting
Triathlon events will place large and brightly-colored buoys in the water marking the swim course. It is your responsibility to understand the course, know which buoys designate a turn, and what direction to go. Once you are in the race, you will use a method of “sighting,” or lifting your face out of the water, to see where you are going. This is one of the easiest things to practice in the pool with Tarzan Drill. Swim half the pool with your head out of the water, looking forward toward the opposite wall. This will make your neck very tired at first, but with practice, it will strengthen important sighting muscles.
Lifting your head out of the water will help you with direction, but it will also affect your swimming technique. Counter balance your sinking hips and legs by arching your back even more to keep your feet at, or near, the surface.
Hypoxic Breathing Drills
The crowds of people in the water can be the most daunting part of triathlon swimming. Many times, another competitor might accidentally swim over you or push you under the water. Bring prepared for these situations before the race starts is a good idea! Hypoxic breathing drills are a simple way to improve your lung capacity and make some of the open water fear disappear. A Hypoxic breathing set will look like this: 6x50, :30 sec rest, with 3/5 breathing pattern by 25. This means you will swim six 50s with :30 seconds rest between each 50. During the first 25 you are allowed to breathe after every third stroke. On the second 25 you are only allowed to breathe after every fifth stroke. Intermediate swimmers can try breathing every seventh stroke while advanced swimmers should practice nine strokes between breaths.
Practice Swimming with Friends
Bumping, touching, and other forms of friendly and unfriendly contact are common in a triathlon swim. You can use your teammates and friends to help you get comfortable swimming close to other people. Start with one other person in the same lane. Push off the wall next to each other and swim one lap. Did you touch the other swimmer? Are you comfortable with that?
Next, try swimming Three-Wide. Add a third person to the lane, push off at the same time, and swim one lap. Things should have been a little more crowded with lots of bumping and jostling. After each lap, trade places and let a different person try being in the middle!
Practice at Least One Open Water Swim
These four simple drills will prepare you for many aspects of open water events. Mix them into your swim practice routine to add creativity and fun. Before your first open water competition, I highly recommend at least one Swim in Open Water. The best option is swimming at the race site a week or a month before the event. When that option is not feasible or permitted, find somewhere close by that is open and safe. Bring other people, a safety boat, and brightly colored swim caps. Don’t rush into the water and immediately start to swim. Instead, spend a few minutes playing in the water with friends and teammates. This will create an enjoyable atmosphere, give you a positive attitude, and help to bury your fears.
Before you know it, you will be swimming in open water and enjoying the new experience. Bring the same positive and fun attitude on race day. It will help keep your energy high and create a successful race experience. I want everyone to have a fantastic swim…now, get in the water!
Good luck and happy swimming,
Coach Sara McLarty
TERMS
Workouts can be swum in a 25 yard, 25 meter or 50 meter pool
Kick: use a kickboard, keep your feet at the surface of the water
Drill: Single-Arm, Fist Drill, Finger-Tip-Drag, Thumb-Drag, etc
Pull: use a pull-buoy between your thighs, do not kick your legs
Fins: optional piece of equipment, but good for improving kick strength and flexibility
Rest: when you complete an interval, look at the clock (or your watch) and wait the suggested rest period before starting the next one
Open Water drills: Turn @ ‘T’, Hypoxic Breathing, Tarzan, Three-Wide
Safety first when swimming in open water situations! Be prepared!
Week # 17
Workout #1 1500 total
:60 seconds rest
with :30 seconds rest after each 75
Turn @ the “T”
:60 seconds rest
Workout #2 1700 Total
:60 seconds rest
3/5/3 breathing pattern by 25
with :30 seconds rest after each 100
with :15 seconds rest after each 25
count the number of strokes you take on #1
try to take at least one less stroke on #2, less on #3, less on #4, less on #5
start over and repeat for remaining #s
3/5/3 breathing pattern by 25
with :30 seconds rest after each 100
Workout #3 1600 Total
:30 seconds rest between each 100
With :60 seconds rest after each 100
With :60 seconds rest after each 150
After 100 pull, quickly remove buoy and immediately start 50 swim
Week # 18
Workout #1 1700 Total
With :30 seconds rest after each 75
With :20 seconds rest after each 25
Swim #1 easy, swim #2 a little bit faster, #3 a little faster, #4 even faster
Start over and repeat for remaining #’s
Workout #2 1700 Total
Alternate 50 swim/50 kick
1:00 min rest
Use kickboard between legs
With :20 seconds rest
With :20 seconds rest
25 with right arm/25 left arm
With :20 seconds rest
Workout #3 1700 Total
:90 seconds rest
Turn @ the “T”
:90 seconds rest
:90 seconds rest
Swim the 2nd half (200) faster than the 1st half
:90 seconds rest
Mix some backstroke/breaststroke into your cool down swims
Week # 19
Workout #1 1700 Total
:60 seconds rest after total warm up
With :45 seconds rest after each 75
Swim #1 easy, swim #2 a little bit faster, #3 faster
Start over and repeat for #’s 4-6 & #’s 7-9
If you have training partners: 2-Wide & 3-Wide
With :30 seconds rest after each 25
Workout #2 1500 Total
With :45 seconds rest
Swim the last 25 Tarzan Drill (head out of the water)
3/5 breathing pattern by 50
With :30 seconds rest
Workout #3 1800 Total
With :60 seconds rest
With :15 seconds rest
With :20 seconds rest
With :30 seconds rest
Turn @ the “T”
With :60 seconds rest
With :30 seconds rest
With :20 seconds rest
With :15 seconds rest
Week # 20
Workout #1 1750 Total
With :30 seconds rest
Count number of strokes on #1, try for 2 fewer on #2, and fewer on #3
Start over and repeat on #’s 4-6 & #’s 7-9
w/:60 seconds rest
first 25 is easy, second 25 is medium, third 25 is FAST!
With :30 seconds rest
Workout #2 1800 Total
:60 seconds rest
3/5 breathing pattern by 50
:90 seconds rest
2:00 minutes rest
2:00 minutes rest
Turn @ the “T”
:90 seconds rest
Workout #3 1700 Total
:60 seconds rest
With :20 seconds rest
With :20 seconds rest
With :20 seconds rest
With :20 seconds rest
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