Mastering Open Water Swimming: Strategies for Pool-Trained Triathletes

One of the biggest understatements in endurance sports is, “open water swimming is not pool swimming.”

Many triathletes put in hours and hours of training in the pool only to see a massive underperformance come race day. Hundred meter split times and smooth and efficient tumble turns and underwaters mean nothing when faced with the argy-bargy of a mass swim start. Once we get passed that phase of an open water swim we have to contend with navigating the shortest route between buoys while battling currents and wind and, obviously, no black line running beneath us. Then, of course, the biggest fear of the pool-trained swimmer, waves and chop.

It is all very well listing all of the differences between swimming in the pool and out in the open water but what can we do about it if all we have access to, is the local pool, and no safe open water venues to train in during the week?

Just like we don’t train our running and cycling like our single sport counterparts, we should also not try to emulate what swimmers do to prepare for their events. For one thing, open water swimmers generally do incredible mileage. We don’t need to do that because we are benefitting from the cardio-vascular conditioning of our terrestrial training. Athletes who compete in the pool will also focus heavily on technique and very controlled and specific pacing of sets and reps. While we will still follow a ‘set and rep’ approach to training, we will adapt our sets to focus more on changing of pace than a pool competitor will expect to do.

Back to technique – While there is no arguing that good technique in swimming is just as important, some will argue, even more important, than physical conditioning, open water technique has different challenges to those thrown up in the still water environment in the pool, and our drills should reflect those demands.

To follow is an eight week schedule that will aim at making us better open water racers. We are going to focus on four sessions a week as these will be worked into a week that includes bike and run sessions as well. There will often be a range in the number of reps and sets and what we choose will depend on our level of experience and conditioning.

Session One

This session is going to be focused on aerobic endurance and building our ability to sustain a high pace for the duration of the swim leg of our triathlon events. This is the session that will most closely resemble a ‘normal’ swimmers workout.

Warm Up and cool down – These are exactly what they sound like. We are loosening up the muscles. Shuttling blood and oxygen to the areas that are going to be working hard and preparing the body for what is to come. It is not somewhere to add volume to our session. That would be counter-productive to its objective. So, 2-400m of easy swimming using different strokes to loosen up the shoulders and prepare the swimming muscles. The cool down’s focus is to ease down the muscles with easy activity and to avoid stopping the session after a hard effort.

Activation Set – This is an extension of the warm up. The muscles are loose and ready for action and now we are going to give them a little wake up, in order to prepare them for the harder work to follow. Again, this is not somewhere that we try to add volume. More is not better in this set. We are looking to gradually increase our effort levels so that the body is ready to go in the main set.

Activation sets for each week:

1. 6-10 X 75m with :20 recovery. Building each 25m length as 50% / 75% / 90%.
2. 12-15 X 25 with :15 recovery. With pull buoy.
3. 6-10 X 75m with :20 recovery. 1^st 25 normal cadence / 2^nd 25 slowing cadence down / 3^rd 25 speeding cadence up.
4. 12-15 X 25 with :15 recovery. With pull buoy and band around the ankles.
5. 5-8 X 100m with :30 recovery. 1^st and 4^th 25 easy freestyle. 2^nd 25 left arm only. 3^rd 25 right arm only.
6. 12-15 X 25 with :15 recovery. With only the band around the ankles.
7. 5-8 X 100m with :30 recovery. Easy for 75m / accelerate the 4^th
8. 12-15 X 25 with :15 recovery. With small fins.

Main Set – This a set aimed at the half iron distance of triathlon and will consist of a set of 20 X 100s. We will progress through the eight week period in order to build from week to week and peak at our event in the eight weekend. The goal of this session is to teach the body to sustain a consistent hard effort from start to finish and deal with the demands for oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles under load that this will require.

1. 20 X 100 at a constant pace. Leaving on a fixed time period that will allow us roughly 30 seconds rest at our race pace. Using round numbers, if our race pace over this distance is 1:30 per 100m, we would start every repetition on 2:00. So, if we swim slower we will get less recovery time and vice versa, if we swim faster we will get more, but will probably need it. This session is a balancing act between going fast enough without exceeding the effort level that out body can handle in the short amount of recovery time.
2. 20 X 100 reduced recovery. Swimming at your average for the 100s the week before, today we are going to reduce our recovery time every 5 reps as follows:
   • 1-5 = 40 seconds rest.
   • 6-10 = 30 seconds rest.
   • 11-15 = 20 seconds rest.
   • 16-20 = 10 seconds rest.

The first five reps should be very comfortable and here we should focus on good technique and stroke rhythm. The 2^nd five will feel like a good, tempo effort, while the 3^rd five should start to become challenging. This sets us up for the very tough last five reps where we the short recovery periods break are more counter-productive than helpful as they break our rhythm more than providing any significant recovery. In these last five reps we need to focus hard on keeping our technique together and staying efficient.

3. 20 X 100 changing pace 1-4. Today we want to leave on out fixed interval as we did in Week One. This time we are swimming reps 1-4; 5-8; 9-12; 13-16 and 17-20 as follows:
   1. Easy.
   2. 70%.
   3. 90%.
   4. FAST.
4. 20 X 100 at a constant pace and the fixed leaving time of Week One. This week we want to aim at improving that constant pace. Remembering that even 1-2 seconds for each rep, across the whole set, is a considerable improvement. So we need to be cautious starting out. Rather aim a bit lower in the first few reps and realise that we can pick up the pace a bit, than going out too hard and then fading towards the end.
5. 20 X 100 with differing recovery periods. Here we want to simulate the demands of a race, where we very rarely get to build our effort and negative split the swim. Because of the benefits of swimming in a group, it is often advantageous to start hard and then be able to settle in to our rhythm without requiring any additional recovery. So, todays set will consist of reps 1-5 with only :10 recovery before settling into the recovery schedule from Weeks One and Four. The pace that we swim the 100s should match what we averaged last week with roughly 30 seconds of recovery all the way through. This should have us feeling pretty gassed after rep 5 today and then we will aim to gradually get comfortable with the pace from there, as we add 20 seconds more recovery time each rep.
6. 20 X 100 changing pace again 1-3. Similar to Week Three but this time we are doing it in reverse. Again, to simulate a fast start but also a fast finish. Recovery times are constant throughout as for Weeks One and Four but the pace and effort changes as follows:
   1. Full gas.
   2. Cruising speed.
   3. Easy.

Reps #19 and #20 are both full gas to finish strongly.

7. 20 X 100 changing pace and reducing recovery. Combing the sessions of the previous weeks into one. We are going to reduce the recovery in sets of four as follows:
   • 1-4 = 50 seconds rest.
   • 5-8 = 40 seconds rest.
   • 9-12 = 30 seconds rest.
   • 13-16 = 20 seconds rest.
   • 17-20 = 10 seconds rest.

We are also changing pace and effort through each group of four reps as follows:

1. Easy.
2. 70%.
3. 90%.
4. FAST.

8. 20 X 100 with :40 rest. This is our taper week and although we still do the full session today, we are beginning to allow more recovery. So, the rest periods are generous. The pace should be the same as Week Four but with an acceleration for every 5^th So: 5; 10; 15 and 20.

Secondary Set – Here is where we add volume to our session and build some specific strength in the swimming muscles using paddles. Paddles not only increase the load on each stroke but also slow the stroke down a little, allowing us to focus on good hand and arm positioning for the most efficient contact with the water. During the secondary paddle set, we are not focusing on speed. Trying to swim too fast with paddles can be counter-productive and result in poor stroke mechanics and possibly over-load injuries. This set is simply aimed at increasing volume through the eight-week block of training:

1. 10 X 50 paddles with :20 recovery.
2. 10 X 75 paddles with :20 recovery.
3. 10 X 100 paddles with :20 recovery.
4. 10 X 75 paddles with :20 recovery.
5. 10 X 100 paddles with :20 recovery.
6. 10 X 125 paddles with :20 recovery.
7. 10 X 150 paddles with :30 recovery.
8. 10 X 50 paddles with :20 recovery.

Session Two

A more specific open water session where we are going to swim a 2000 repetition with no breaks at the wall. This kind of swimming can be mentally challenging as well as counter-productive to our speed as it is easy to ‘plod’ through long stretches of swimming in the pool. The warm up and cool down as well as the activation sets are the same as for Session One. Our base pace for all these sessions will be aimed at our (20 X 100 pace) + 5-6 seconds per 100.

1. 2000 straight – Mostly at base pace but with an acceleration for every 10^th 25m length. So, there will be eight in total.
2. 2000 straight – All at base pace but turning short of the wall (at the T) every 10^th Here we do a tumble turn short of the wall which will force us to pull hard for a few strokes to get back up to our base pace without the aid of a push off the wall.
3. 2000 straight – Mostly at base pace but with an acceleration for every 8^th 25m length. So, there will be ten in total.
4. 2000 straight – All at base pace but turning short of the wall (at the T) every 8^th
5. 2000 straight – Mostly at base pace but with an acceleration for every 5^th 25m length. So, there will be 16 in total.
6. 2000 straight – All at base pace but turning short of the wall (at the T) every 5^th
7. 2000 straight – Mostly at base pace but with an acceleration for every 4^th 25m length. So, there will be 20 in total.
8. 2000 straight – All at base pace but turning short of the wall (at the T) every 4^th

Session Three

Warming up and cooling down as before but this is a drill and strength session. Our first set will consist of a set of specific open water drills and the second set another one with paddles.

Set One

1. 12-16 X 75 with :30 rest – Swim as: 25 easy / 25 head up / 25 sprint.
2. 12-16 X 75 with :30 rest – Swim as: 25 easy / 25 eyes closed (swim straight) / 25 sprint.
3. 12-16 X 75 with :30 rest – Start away from the wall, treading water as for a wet start. Sprint the first 25 to get up to speed and then cruise the next 50.
4. 12-16 X 75 with :30 rest – Start each 25m length easy off the wall and then accelerate at the midpoint of the length into the next turn or the finish.
5. 8-10 X 150 with :45 rest – Swim as: 25 easy / 25 head up / 25 sprint X 2.
6. 8-10 X 150 with :45 rest – Swim as: 25 easy / 25 eyes closed (swim straight) / 25 sprint X 2.
7. 8-10 X 150 with :45 rest – Start away from the wall, treading water as for a wet start. Sprint the first 25 to get up to speed and then cruise the next 50. Then turn short at the 3^rd turn and repeat the process for the second 75.
8. 6-8 X 150 with :45 rest – Start each 25m length easy off the wall and then accelerate at the midpoint of the length into the next turn or the finish.

Set Two (all with paddles) – Focus on good technique and strong pulling with good body rotation.

1. Pyramid – 25; 50; 75; 100; 125; 150; 125; 100; 75; 50; 25 with :20 rest between each rep.
2. Upside down pyramid – 150; 125; 100; 75; 50; 75; 100; 125; 150 with :20 rest.
3. Ladder – 250; 225; 200; 175; 150; 125; 100; 75; 50; 25 with :20 rest.
4. Climbing the ladder – 25; 50; 75; 100; 125; 150; 175; 200; 225; 250 with :20 rest.
5. Pyramid – 50; 100; 150; 200; 150; 100; 50 with :30 rest.
6. Upside down pyramid – 200; 150; 100; 50; 100; 150; 200 with :30 rest.
7. Ladder – 400; 300; 200; 100 with :30 rest.
8. No strength set in Week Eight because of the taper.

Session Four

Open water and race in Week Eight. There are a number of things that we can do in the open water rather than just plodding along at a steady pace. The reality is that our steady pace generally falls away as we go while swimming in the open water as we fatigue and that is not a good way to train. It is also not ideal for stroke mechanics as we are ‘learning’ to swim with poor technique, the more we swim at slower speeds. Instead of structuring each session for the seven weeks that lead up to our event, we are going to list the different components that we can incorporate into an open water session and these or combinations thereof, can be included depending on conditions, training partners etc.

• Changes of effort – Steady, controlled effort and speed for 10-15 strokes / swim hard for the equivalent 10-15 strokes. Continue to alternate through the session or alter the ratio of easy strokes to hard strokes to make things easier or harder overall.
• Drafting – Heading into an open water swim in a group is a great opportunity to practice drafting off other swimmers. Practice sitting directly behind another swimmers feet and maintaining the distance. Also try swimming on the hip of the swimmer ahead as well as between the hips of two swimmers side-by-side. Work in a paceline as for cycling with each swimmer spending a set number of strokes in the front before easing up and allowing the next swimmer to come through to the front.
• Changing direction and sighting – I there are buoys placed at our swim location we can use these for sighting and turning practice. Otherwise, using landmarks such as piers or boats will also work. If in a group, swimmers can take turn in being ‘buoys’ for the other swimmers to navigate towards and turn around.
• Starts and finishes – Running into the water or practicing deep-water starts, depending on what will be used at our goal race. Perfect if we have a group for these sessions to also practice close-proximity swimming at the start. Finishing should entail pushing all the way to the shore and running 20-30m out of the water.