differences between ironman triathlon competitors and swimming competitors

For many newcomers to Ironman, swimming is the most challenging part of the triathlon. This is not only because of the cold open water but also due to physical collisions during the race, fear of deep water, etc. It also affects the athletes' overall performance in cycling and running, and even their experience of the entire event.

For a triathlete with a certain swimming foundation, improving swimming performance is quite significant. However, many triathletes are latecomers and are not very clear about the differences between a swimming pool and the open sea.

About the environment

A swimming pool is a strictly controllable environment with regulated temperature, humidity, pH value, bacterial content, and even smell. However, open water has too many unknowns. It could be a calm sea, a windy ocean that needs to be conquered, or even a lake with rain. Triathletes need to constantly change their techniques to adapt to the weather and water conditions, such as flexibly changing breathing methods and rhythms to avoid side waves and prevent choking, using short, quick, and aggressive strokes when positioning with others, etc.

Bilateral breathing

Competitive swimmers often use unilateral breathing throughout the race. However, for triathletes, there are more reasons to choose bilateral breathing: weather conditions, underwater conditions, interference from other athletes, buoy placement, the clockwise or counterclockwise setting of the course, and even the position of the sun. These frequently changing factors require triathletes to have confidence in their weaker side breathing, or rather, triathletes should not have a shortcoming in their choice of breathing direction.

About kicking

Pool swimmers can complete each cycle with 4-6 kicks from start to finish, while triathletes usually use two kicks with less force. After all, besides swimming, there are also cycling and running segments, so they need to conserve energy and allocate it reasonably.

Low-position breathing

In the complex environment of open water, the undulating waves and splashes from others often cause you to choke when using low-position breathing. Try to maintain your posture while breathing from a higher position or turning your head more backward to find a suitable breathing space in the armpit of your backward-stroking arm.

Secrets of open water swimming in triathlon

Avoid kicking at the start of the race

Yes, you read that right. Let me repeat: avoid kicking at the start of the race. This is not a joke. Unless you are like Phelps, the propulsion from kicking is not enough to make you stand out in the crowd, especially in long-distance swimming events like Ironman. Moreover, many athletes who kick desperately will cause their heart rate to rise too quickly.

Starting the swim by sprinting forward will inevitably cause rapid breathing (frequent head-up breathing) if you don't have strong cardiopulmonary capacity, which will affect your technique and disrupt your swimming rhythm.

What you need to do is take a deep breath, submerge your head in the water, let your legs float, and mainly rely on upper body strength to move forward (wearing a wetsuit makes this easier). Once you gradually get into the rhythm and find a comfortable pace, then start kicking.

Identify buoys or conspicuous reference points

Buoys or other conspicuous reference points help you navigate while swimming. Swimming along the buoys provides the shortest distance and makes it easier to swim in a straight line.

After the start, use the buoys in the water as reference points, and on the return, use tall buildings, tall trees, or very obvious objects on the shore, such as the starting arch (floating platform), as reference points. When you look up to check your direction, swim straight towards them.

Know which side is your weak side

Did you know that the vast majority of swimmers have a strong side and a weak side when swimming freestyle? In other words, swimmers tend to use the side of their body with better strength and flexibility, but this brings a problem—they tend to swim crookedly towards their weak side.

However, many beginners are not aware of this. Find an open pool (one without lane lines, preferably when there are fewer people), close your eyes and swim forward. When you reach the other end of the pool, if you veer to the left, then your right side is your strong side; if you veer to the right, then your left side is your strong side.

So, during the race, remember to consciously reduce the force on your strong side and appropriately increase the force on your weak side. Use visual cues to swim as straight as possible.

Wear a wetsuit if possible

A wetsuit is a swimmer's best friend. Not only does it help protect your body from the cold water, but it also allows you to swim faster.

Why? Because a wetsuit provides more buoyancy, raising your position in the water (especially allowing your legs to float), thereby reducing resistance and enabling you to swim faster.

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