In this edition of Workout Wednesday powered by Bioastin, I share some of my proven tips for improving your race day swim splits.

Practicing open water swimming is an important component of your triathlon training. Here are some of my favorite tips to make sure you are prepared and ready for a personal best in the swim at your next race.

  1. Swim Hard Intervals to Simulate the Race Start. The start of open water swim races are often fast and furious and it’s important to prepare yourself in training for these faster starts and heart rate surges so you won’t be left behind by your competitors. Add several blocks of very hard efforts — or what I call VO2 sets — of 3 to 7 minutes into your swim sessions. These will simulate the start of a race and help you get comfortable with the higher speeds of the first 200 to 400 meters of a triathlon start. Here’s one of my favorite workouts to help you prepare for the swim start.
  2. Swim Side-by-Side in Your Lane on Hard Repeats. If there are 3 to 5 people in your lane, then mix up the order and try to draft off of one another.  There is nothing like a little bumping and pushing to simulate the race!
  3. Practice Floating 50s. In my sessions, we practice floating 50s at the end of some workouts to simulate a floating start of a race. Tread water at the overhead backstroke flags in the pool, and then take off.  This forces you to generate power in the first 10 meters of your swim and provides the feel of a fast start from a stationary position.
  4. Practice Race Pace in Open Water. It’s easy to get in open water on a training day and slog along at an easy pace. Instead, try this session with your swim mates to help dial-in your race pace.
  1. Don’t Forget Wetsuit Practice. Make sure you can get into open water and practice while wearing your wetsuit. Wetsuits are great — and can make you faster — but they also alter your body position by making you swim higher in the water.  This, coupled with frequently lifting your head while sighting — can cause calf cramps and lower back tightness if you haven’t trained with your wetsuit.  Watch this video on how you can calm yourself down before the start of the race and while swimming in open water.

Give these a try and let me know how they go.  Remember: your swim times will almost immediately improve if you deliberately train in race conditions (including HIIT segments in open water while wearing your wetsuit)!