Triathletes train hard in the pool and achieve personal best times in the pool but sometimes they go to a triathlon and end up disappointed in their swim result. One thing to keep in mind is that in open water the exact measurements are not always a certainty. If you add currents and wind your swim times can easily be affected. Consider looking at your performance against your peers and your placing in order to track swim progress.

The other possibility when race swim times do not match pool performance is that you are not training for open water swimming but just for pool swimming. What can you do in addition to the swim workouts in order to give yourself a better chance on race day? Here are my top recommendations.

Find out if your swim can potentially be a wetsuit swim and practice with your wetsuit. A wetsuit will allow you to swim much faster but it may feel a little constricted and it takes a little time to get used to it. Some wetsuit companies sell neoprene shorts which you can use in training to get a little closer feel to what swimming with a wetsuit feels like. But you can also wear the full wetsuit in the pool. You do want to be careful with overheating when using it in a warm pool. Even when wetsuits are not allowed you can use a skin suit or speed suit. These are suits made out of fabrics that slide easily on the water and make you go faster. Our friends at Kiwami make one that you can use for the whole race and you do not have to take it off at transition. The Amphibian by Kiwami

Practice in open water to get familiar in this environment. If you are not a former competitive swimmer and even for those that used to be swimmers, the open water can seem very intimidating. The more you practice in open water the more you will feel comfortable. It is really that simple. Many athletes hyperventilate from the stress of race starts. Some of this is related to the unfamiliarity of open water swimming causing your body to protect itself. If an open water swimming opportunity arises take advantage of it before your events.

Practice sighting when you swim in open water. You can even practice this in the pool. Do you swim a straight line? Do you swim left or do you swim right when you close your eyes and take some strokes? This will dictate how often you need to sight. Can you stay on a straight line and take 4 strokes? Find this out so that you can execute a sighting plan on race day and swim as close to a straight line as possible.

Get familiar with contact in the water. If at all possible swim with some triathlete friends side by side and get used to some physical contact. We are all used to our private space in the pool. But there is no such thing in a triathlon. For the most part all contact in a triathlon is not meant with ill will; if you can manage to relax and go with it you can still maintain pace and stay the course. Do not let some contact irritate you and spend precious energy.

My last tip is to make sure you warm up before the triathlon. Many races offer a warm up area so take advantage of it. If this is impossible you can use runner bands to simulate the swim motion and warm up. Trying to start a race with cold swim muscles is never a good idea but I see this at every race I go to.