Open Water Swimming

7/30/2019 Open Water Swimming

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INTRODUCTION TO OPENWATER SWIMMING

Te ollowing guide has been pu ogeher o ry o give you a basic inroducion o openwaer swimming. Wheher you are a novice swimmer who would like he condenceo ake a dip oudoors, or a compeen pool swimmer preparing or your rs openwaer swim, or even someone who has already experienced he hrill o open waerand are keen o improve your skills and progress; hopeully here will be inormaionhere ha you will nd useul.

Te aim has been o creae a comprehensive, bu no exhausive resource. Whaever your saring abiliy, we hope you can use his guide o build he condence and skillsrequired o enjoy your Swimrek rip, saely and eecively.

By deniion, open waer swimming, means swimming in any naurally occurring bodyo waer – in lakes, rivers or he sea and more recenly, ha may also include many man-

made lakes and waerways. I could include a social dip wih riends, aking a Swimrekholiday, enering your rs open waer riahlon even or even swimming he Channel.

Wih a range o abiliies in mind, we have spli his resource ino 3 clear secions o coverhe essenial skills we hink you should know abou beore aking o he open waer.

Hopeully, hese secions can ac as a oundaion on which you can build your swimmingexperiences. You can dip in and ou o his resource o nd inormaion ha s yourabiliy. Each secion acs as a building block or he ollowing secions. So, i you are anovice swimmer coming on your rs Swimrek rip, i will be valuable o sar a hebeginning and make sure you are happy wih he basics. I you are conden in yourabiliy you may wish o pick and choose relevan inormaion.

For many people, heir rs open waer swim is an anxious occasion, bu i cerainlydoesn’ have o be ha way. Wih a bi o preparaion, and armed wih some basic skills,we are conden ha you will enjoy your rs, and subsequen, dips in he open waer.

Mos open waer enhusiass will aes o he hrill o swimming oudoors; here is noeeling like i!

Te sense o exploraion and challenge coninue o arac people and he eelings o exciemen and euphoria las long aer you have le he waer; wheher you have jushad a social dip down a your local lake or i you have compleed your rs Swimrek rip.

So, take a dip inside….the water’s lovely!

SWIMMING

TECHNIQUE

Ability to swim...

Concenraing on Freesyle andBreassroke, e mos commonlys srks ar.

SWIMMING

TRAININGAbility to swim the

distance...

Advice on ow o srucure yourswimming o ensure improvemens ss a s

OPEN WATER

SWIMMINGAbility to swim the

distance in open

water conditions...

Sks and advce n akng yr swm-m rs



FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE –ARM ACTION

General Introduction

As you will no doub see i you ake a look a he swimmers in your local pool, or evenmos Olympic nals or ha mater, here can be quie a range o inerpreaions as o whaconsiues an eecive arm acion. Tese variaions will come abou because o individualdierences in srengh, exibiliy and experience. However, he ulimae aim is he sameand he eecive principle is very simple and easy o undersand.

Your arms will provide he vas majoriy o he propulsive orce in reesyle. Be clear wha you are rying o achieve. Ulimaely, you are rying o use your hands and arms as leverso propel your body orward; raher han pushing waer backwards.

Specifics

1. A his urhes reach o your sroke your armneeds o be relaxed and weighless, so don’hold your arm on he surace o he waer orpress down. Keep ngers and hands ligh. Tiswill help wih he nex phase where your handsshould move down and ou ino he “cach”

posiion

2. Your whole ocus here shis o eeling or a pressure agains he waer. I is imporano keep he elbow high and wris rm a his poin o ge he bes hold on he waer.You are now in a posiion o use your hands, orearm and even upper-arm o propelorwards. As you begin o accelerae orwards, aim o keep your hand suck o he waerand don’ le your arms srech oo ar away rom your body

3. Keep he arms rm and uilize he sronger muscles around he orso o assis wihhe acceleraion orward. Only press as hard and as as as you can mainain ha holdon he waer. (Tis “eel” improves wih pracice and raining.) As your body acceleraesover he op o your arm, keep ocused on holding he waer unil your hand has rav-

eled beyond your wais and owards your high

4. Don’ coninue o accelerae he hand ou o he waer. Once your hand has reachedhis posiion you need o relax he arm and release he waer, allowing he elbow o bendand begin he arms recovery over he waer. Tis reurn o he sar posiion needs oremain as conrolled and relaxed as possible.

1.

2.

3. 4.

Focus Points

• T rar rsv ar arm srk accras rm s,a r, as, a back

• A r srk k arm rax a ss

• K b as y r cac

• K arms cs by vrby rar

• Maa ar• C s by s• Rax arm as b xs ar r

rcvry

2.

Practices / dril ls

Single-ARM SwiMS

Tese are very se r hghghng weak-nesses in e pull and ocusing atenionr ass srk.

1. Sm 25m s y arm r arm src r –c mbr srks. Maa asr kck.

2. Ra r arm – cmarsrks s b qa

3. Sm 25m srk cras.

4. Ra ss 13 a ms, amrsy s arm cs qa, rc srk cs.

5. T, ry ss 1 & 2 srk arm by yr s.

Mid-poin SCulling

Tis is a useul exercise or developing aeel or e waer and mainaining a igb s

1. ly r s yr arms

a ba yr srs. us aby r kck y maa arza s.

2. l yr bs a a ckm r, k yr rarmsa – ma y a Sss ba!

3. w bs ck, s asa rarms a back a ra a cs m.d’ as mv backarsr rars.

4. As as s amss b c ars a asy mv ams c ars.

5. Am cra a csa rssr as a rarms a sc s s ac rarms r y rars.



FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE – LEGACTION


Alhough hey will provide relaively lile in he way o orward propulsion, your legswill sill play an imporan role in he balancing and iming o your sroke. In reesyle,he leg acion is relaively simple compared o he arm movemens. However, ime spenmaking sure he legs are working as efcienly as possible wil l have a proound eec onhe eeciveness o he whole sroke.

Specifics

Dieren imings are oen used or he leg acion depending on how as/ar he swim-mer is going.

• Shor disance/ sprining oen employs six kicks per arm-cycle.• Middle disance/ pace oen employs our kicks per arm-cycle.• Long disance/ slower pace oen employs wo kicks per arm-cycle.

Simply pu: aser or shorer swims, you can kick aser. Longer or slower swims youshould kick easier.

Noe ha hese numbers increase in muliples o 2, so naurally ino he rhyhm o aull arm-cycle (2 srokes). Whaever empo o kicking you employ, i is imporan ha icomorably slos ino he rhyhm o your arms and ollows a ew simple undamenals.

Te larger leg muscles will use up a disproporionae amoun o energy unless youemploy hem appropriaely and economically.

For hem o work eecively i is imporan ha he legs are relaxed enough o allowexion in he knees and, especially, he ankles. Te aim is o alernaely kick he legs inan up/down moion whils keeping hem wihin he sreamline o he body. So he eeshould no leave he waer, nor kick oo deep.

I you mainain his relaxed shallow kick, your legs can operae eecively in andemraher han ineecively, in isolaion.

Te legs should be long and sraigh, bu avoid deliberaely poining he oes as herelaxaion in your legs is all imporan o allow he ex o he ankles, and also or ha allimporan “eel” o he waer.

Focus Points

• ls rma rax kck a rm s

• T kck ras js b srac

• K aks xb – ’ yr s!

• Am k kck sram by

•

Kck a a arra sy yr sac

Practices / dril ls

Side KiCKing(wih/wihou FinS)

1. lay yr s r armx, r arm a yr srs yr . Fac ca br s y ca bra a.

2. Kck 25m smy s sc, a kck 25m r s.

3. As y mr cmrabkck yr s, sc rm s r ar asa mbr kcks . 6kcks / 6 kcks r.

VeRiCAl KiCKing(wih/wihou FinS)

1. Fa r ar, sa b, arms ca b bys r acrss cs.

2. Kck a arr, cmacr kck

3. Kck 10 sc brss ar am r ar.



FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE –BODY POSITION


When swimming, because you are moving hrough a medium roughly 1000x denser hanair, i is imperaive ha you adop he mos sreamlined posiion possible. Have you everried o run across he shallow end o a swimming pool? Never has he maxim, “ learn ocrawl beore you can walk” been more appropriae!

o move ecienly hrough he waer you are looking o minimize resisance along helengh o your body, rying o achieve a near horizonal, sreamlined posiion. Alhough ican someimes be emping, you are no going o ry o swim over he op o he waer;more precisely, you are going o cu hrough i. Te advanage you have when workingin he waer, is ha achieving his near horizonal posiion is really a case o relaxing andallowing he waer o suppor your bodies’ weigh. Mainaining a long, relaxed andsreamlined body posiion hroughou your sroke is he key o eecive swimming.

Wih is relaively heavy weigh and leading role a he ron o he swimmer, your headand where you posiion i will have a grea inuence on your balance and posiion inhe waer, and ulimaely, your eciency as a swimmer. Sel-augh swimmers, or yearso lane swimming in crowded pools oen leads o adoping a “deaul” head posiionwhich may no be he mos ecien. I is imporan ha you become aware o your ownhead posiion and adap i i necessary.

Specifics

Ulimaely, you are looking or a neural head posiion, which mainains he relaxaiondown your neck and along he lengh o your body. o do his, your head should be in

line wih your spine and suppored by he waer. As a rough guide you should be look-ing down; eyes slighly orward. Te aim is o keep your head sill and allow your bodyand limbs o move around his xed poin.

Focus Points

• d’ b ara vaa r

aa by/a s

• Rax a b sr by ar

• Am r a a sramby

• ha s a ckrax

• lk a sy rars

• ha rmas sby rsar s axs

• warv b cr ara

Practices / dril ls

oRpedo:

1. ly ac ar,as by yr s

2. gy kck s a maa rza s

3. Ra by b a sy s

4. T r back va cr sams s s

5. C, vary r ra a maa smrym

gliding:

1. ps s, as byyr s, a s– ar y rav

2. ry aa; s m yr a, k rar – cras br wa a yrs?

3. Aa; s m s a ,k ra y – h

ac yr baac asram?

4. Rr a ra s a ms cmrab acv a s

*Noe: A ew acors may have an eec on your head/body posiion relaive o he waer.

• Swimming in resh/sal waer• Swimming in calm/choppy waer• Wearing (or no) a wesui•

Sprining/swimming longer disance

Tese variable condiions may mean ha you need o make sligh adjusmens o youroverall body or head posiion. Te imporan hing is ha you are aware o i and canadap accordingly – he undamenals remain he same!



FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE –BREATHING


Once you have a grasp o he mechanics o he sroke i will be breahing (or lack o i!)ha will be he nex limiing acor. As wih he arm and leg acions, i is imporan o he breahing naurally ino he rhyhm o your whole sroke.

Mos people breahe every second, hird or ourh arm-sroke. Adop a breahing paternha suis your circumsances (disance/speed/condiions ec.). You may need o be able obreahe eiher side, in case choppy/rough condiions make breahing o one side difcul.

Whichever paern you choose will be a maer o preerence, bu you should alwaysaim o be comorable wih any combinaion o breahing paterns should circumsancesrequire i.

SpecificsWhenever you decide o breahe, you should look o he side and slighly backwardso ake he breah. urn he head owards he side o he recovering arm as i begins isrecovery. urning he head early allows you o complee he breah beore he recover-ing arm reurns o he waer.

Your head should no need o li or move rom your cenral axis, so use your bodiesnaural roaion o ime he breah. Make sure you reurn your head o he cenre-lineaer each breah.

As your ace will only be clear o he waer or a limied ime during he sroke cycle, i

is imporan o make bes use o his ime. By exhaling whils he ace is in he waer youwill allow more ime o inhale whils he ace is clear. Tis also has he added bene o aiding relaxaion, so make sure you exhale long and conrolled; avoid snaching he breah.

Focus Points

• F bra ar srkrym

• Cs arra rqcy2,3,4 srks – b bcmrab a

• lk s a sy

backars. ry a k ar bra

• us by r asss m bra

• Rr a cr arbra

• exa y rar

•

Bra y a cr

Practices / dril ls

BReAh-Couning

1. Sm 50m rsy – bravry sc arm srk 25m 25m r

2. Ra – s m bra vryr srk

3. Ra – s m bra vryr srk aa 25m 25m r

4. Y ca ra srs 13r c cras mbr srks r bra 5,6 av 7. Ts ca rym mrv yr aby vary yrbra a v y s a y may ar cs. i ca asac as a s arbc rk.

*Noe: as wih body posiion previously, you may have o adap your breahing osui specic open waer condiions. I i is choppy, or example, you may need o rolland urn your head urher o make sure ha i is clear o he waer, o enable you ocomorably ake a breah.



FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE –TIMING/ROTATION


I you have he basics in place hen your nex sep or improvemen is in he iming o he sroke. You should no need o add much more deail; insead, you should aim o wha you already have ino a complee and eecive package. A echnically correcmovemen can easily be rendered ineecive by incorrec iming.

Look a he leaders in many elds o aciviy, and hey usually have he appearance o making i look very easy and swimming is no excepion. iming is he key.

ime spen working on he overall co-ordinaion o your sroke will have as much o aposiive impac on your swimming as any individual area you care o work on. Ge heiming righ and he ease wih which you can move hrough he waer can be a revelaion.

Specifics

Te aim is o uilize he naural roaion o he body caused by he alernaing arm acion,o creae a consanly sreamlined and sable body posiion.

As your hand eners he waer a he ron o your sroke, ake he ime o reach orwardand role ou ono your side. Tis posiion needs o eel sable and relaxed. As your armsalernae roles, your whole body should swich rom one side o he oher. By relaxingand keeping he head sill you should be able o roll smoohly rom one side o heoher around your bodies’ cenral axis. Use he core muscles o your body o sabilizeand conrol your hips as hey roll.

By using his rolling moion eecively, you can;

• Use he larger back and core muscles o generae propulsion

• Achieve a more ecien and sreamlined posiion in he waer

• Make i easier o breahe above chop/waves

All movemens should be smooh and conrolled, so be paien wih your sroke, asrushing a any poin will have a knock-on eec.

• Focus on eeling your way hrough he waer raher han orcing i. Te waer is

probably he bes coach you’ll ever have!• As all grea swimmers know, you will bene rom working wih he waer raher

han agains i.

So, i we can be allowed o paraphrase Capain Mahew Webb’s amous saying, jus omake our poin;

“Nothing great is easy”…

except great freestyle!

Practices / dril ls

¾ CACh-up

1. B by smm rmarsy.

2. n sar ay yr rcvr arm bs r ar.

3. Mak sr a rs sr a xs asr acrss cr

4. T rs, rs a rarms r r sam .

5. As rs b r a arm s cac ar a acr smmr.

6. Fay, rv s ra

ar yr r s as r arm cs s’xs. Ts s v y a cc m rsv mvms sr rv s.

lAY-ou

1. Sar by kck yr s r arm x.

2. Kck r sc mbr

kcks 63. pac ac ar a ak 3srks bra. Am x a r y ac srk.m ac cc r s.

4. Ar 3r srk mmay ay s 1 b r s.

5. C r sas 24.

Focus Points

• R yr by m yrarms’ ara ac. As arm rs ar rarm s b b s sas

• T r yr s scc r s a arm srk

•

K mvms sm acr• A by ra

rm ck • Sabz s yr cr

mscs



BREASTSTROKE TECHNIQUE


Breassroke may be chosen in preerence o reesyle or a number o reasons:

• Diculy masering he alernaing naure o reesyle• Inabiliy o mainain reesyle or duraion o swim• Easier o navigae in open-waer• More sociable opion / enjoy surroundings

Essenially, a well-execued breassroke can be more efcien and enjoyable han apoorly execued reesyle and hereore, may be he preerred opion or a number o swimmers. As wih oher srokes however, many o he principles remain he same andobserving a ew basic rules can make your breassroke an eecive alernaive o reesyle.

Arm-action

Te arm movemens can be broken down ino 4 disinc phases:

1. Ou-sweep – rom ull exension he arms pull wide and sraigh2. Cach – as he arms ravel wide o he shoulders he elbows begin o bend and

press down on he waer3. In-sweep – he arms coninue o accelerae in a semi-circular movemen o bring

he hands underneah he body4. Recovery – as he hands release he waer hey coninue up, in and orward unil

hey reach he surace and exend again o he sar posiion

Noe: he our sages should combine o produce a coninuous acion and here shouldbe a smooh acceleraion o hand speed rom he beginning o Phase (1) o he end o

Phase (4).

Leg Action

Te leg kick is imporan in breassroke because i generaes a much larger proporiono he propulsive orce han i does in he oher srokes.

Again, he kick can be broken down ino 4 phases:

1. Recovery – rom an exended posiion, he heels are drawn up owards he butocks.Keep he ee exended and he knees close ( inside line o shoulders).

2. Cach – as he heels approach he butocks he ee should be roaed ou and

dorsi-exed (urned up).3. Ou-sweep – he hip and knee joins exend o drive he legs backward and ouward.4. In-sweep – he legs coninue o accelerae, now sweeping back ogeher and nish-

ing compleely exended.

Noe: as wih he arm acion he sages should combine o produce a coninuous move-men, hough here should be a noable acceleraion hrough sages 3-4

Body position

Breassroke, because o he movemens involved, ends o creae more resisance, and

so, ends o be he slowes o he srokes.

However, jus like reesyle, he aim in breassroke is o mainain as sreamlined a bodyposiion as possible. I helps i you can pu your ace in he waer a he ron o he sroke.Tis will help o keep he body sreamlined and he hips up near he surace..

Treading Water

Anoer valuable skill o maser is eabiliy o read waer. Tis skill can beuilized and adaped or a wide range crcmsacs ar. Ymay s :

• Rs

• Rra yrs

• ak bar r rk

• Fx ak s

• Arac a r ca r

• wa r sar a sm rac

• ak smmrs

• ejy v

Ts ama, b vrsa sk make you muc more comorable andsar ar.

how o:

• S sra ar

• B ks r y akck a s brassrk rbar arabrassrk kck

• Maa a csa arrssr a sc ac

as

• Bra rmay; ’ yr bra

• Mvms s b sma say

• lay mr yr back yr ac car ar, y a ajs s rak a rk c.

• i y ar sa ar a/rar a s y arayb bya a s av vry r raar



BREASTSTROKE TECHNIQUE

Breathing

Breassroke swimmers should breahe once every sroke cycle. Tis should no be aproblem as i more likely helps propulsion raher han hindering i.

You should inhale as he arms nish heir in-sweep and he ace is clear o he waer.

Tere should be no need o li he head up oo ar, as he acion o he hands shouldraise he head and shoulders sucienly o breahe

As he arms exend orward hrough he recovery he ace should drop back ino hewaer and as wih reesyle, you should exhale srongly and smoohly whils your ace isin he waer, prior o he nex sroke cycle.

Timing

As wih all oher swimming srokes, he aim o he iming in breassroke is o maximizeorward propulsion whils minimizing drag resisance. o achieve his ry o complee hepropulsive phases o he arms (Sages 1-3) beore saring wih he propulsive phaseso he legs (Sages 2-4).

I may help o visualize his i you hink:

• As he arms propel and li, he legs will be exended.• As he legs ex and begin o drive, he arms should be exended

And remember each whole sroke cycle begins and ends in a sreamlined posiion.

Focus Points

• Sar a s ac srk ax, sram s

• ia r rs arms as aracs s maxmm

• drv a back sas arms rac r xs

• ha s cs

accra r a ass arm srk

• As cm r a kck x armsrk bs

Practices / dril ls

2 KiCKS / 1 pull dRill

Swim breassroke bu complee 2 ullkick cycles wi e arms exended,bere akng ne p and a breah. Amr maxmm dsance wh each kck andensre a as hand mvemen n he p.Tis encourages a srong kick and asas.

pull wih dolphin leg KiCK

use a dphn r bterfy eg kck whspng sng breassrke arms. use nekck r arm a y s kck ashe arms sweep . Ts heps encr-a rv s a cra aa by m.



SWIMMING TRAINING


As every grea swimmer knows, geting is wha happens when you are working on your echnique!

Likewise, every grea open waer swimmer knows ha heir abiliy o cope wih he vasarray o condiions is dependen on a solid base o physical condiioning.

Obviously he ideal place o rain or open waer swimming would be he open waer,bu we realize ha his may be no always be possible, or realisic. So, we will assume hamos o he raining is likely o be done in a swimming pool.

Training zones / Energy systems

Tere is a wealh o lieraure available on he bodies’ energy sysems and specic rainingzones. Wha is imporan is ha you undersand he principles enough o rain appro-

priaely a level suiable or you. I you are jus swimming or pleasure hen a very basicundersanding o hese subjecs is all you would need, bu i you inend o compee andimprovemens are wha you are aer, hen a more horough undersanding would behelpul, and you may wan o research he subjec more.

Pu simply, he body produces energy in 2 ways:

• Anaerobic sysem (wihou oxygen)• Aerobic sysem (wih oxygen)

As a general rule he shorer and more inense he aciviy, he greaer he percenage o energy comes rom he anaerobic sysem. As he duraion o he exercise increases and

he inensiy drops, hen proporionally more energy comes rom he aerobic sysem.

So, a 5 second burs o aciv iy wil l likely be uelled 100% anaerobically. Whereas, a seadysusained hour long swim will be close o 100% aerobic. Tis has implicaions or how youmay wan o rain or your swimming.

Wih his inormaion we can spli raining up ino any number o caegories. I you wano keep i simple jus divide your raining ino 2 caegories (aerobic and anaerobic).

However, here as an example, we have used 4 caegories.

1. Aerobic base training – this is low intensity training 60-75%(longer sets, short rests)

2. Aerobic endurance training – this is higher intensity 75-85%(long sets, short rest)

3. Anaerobic training – higher intensity again 85-95%(short sets, longer rest)

4. Sprint training – maximum effort 100%(very short sets, rest to full recovery)

Using hese caegories you can vary and arge your raining, making i more eeciveand enjoyable.

Planning your

Training

w ms a smmrs a y ray js swim a a moderae pace, wi litle or cca mass. Ts s ara mak y br c smslowly wi e same sroke weaknessesas beore. And i’s no very ineresinga a!

ake he me pan wha y are gng

d. Makng par a prgressn wardsa goal will ensure a you coninue omprve. By pannng yr ranng y cana vary a cs yr rks,whch w keep neresng and hep whmva.

i s mpran remember bere decd-ng hw ran, exacy wha y are ran- r. Rc yr ra a yar ry acv.

i y are pannng a 750m swm as par a rahn, yr ranng shd refec hsn s dsance and nensy. lkewse, yar ra r a am a esCa, mak a ra yr ra s b scc ar ca.



SWIMMING TRAINING

TrainingCategory % Effort

Trainingeffect

Approx.%of weeklytraining

Work / Rest Ratio

Arbc bas1

6075%imrvsarbccaacy

2030% ~ 5:1

Arbcrac2

7585%imrvsrac 6070% ~ 4:1

Aarbc

3

8595%imrvsaarbc

caacy

1015% ~ 1:1

Sr 4 100%imrvssm s 5% ~ 1:2+

As you can see rom he able above, his gives you a emplae upon which o srucure your weekly swimming. You can adap i o sui your own goals.

raining or a longer swim e.g. 10k would require ha he vas majoriy o raining would

be in caegories 1 & 2.

I, however, you were raining or a 750m race hen you would need o increase hepercenage o raining in caegories 3 & 4.

All open waer swimming relies primarily on aerobic capaciy and endurance, so heseareas should be emphasized in raining, bu here may always be occasions where inenseburss o work or speed may be required. So, raining on all he energy sysems o somedegree is advisable.

Long swims

Anoher aspec o raining o consider is one-o long swims. Tis essenially involvesswimming a se disance in one go, wihou a res. Tese prepare he mind and bodyor swimming long duraion coninuously. Tey can be buil up rom an iniial base andideally hey should mimic as closely as possible he lengh and anicipaed condiionso your arge swim.

For example, i you were planning a swim o 5k, you may sar wih a one-o swim o 2.5k, maybe 6 monhs beore. Ten each monh you may add ½k o your one-o swim,culminaing in 5k pracice swim he monh beore your planned swim.

Ideally hese swims would be in open waer acclimaizing o he condiions o your argeswim. However, ha may no be possible and in such cases swimming he righ disance

in a pool would be he mos imporan hing.

Mental Training

Te menal aspec o raining is ofennegleced or e pysical. Bu i sould b vrk. d crbaaaby ma by a m a vs ysca ra, s ma asc a b m acr.

Aspecs o menal raining o considerc;

• S yrs as – rasc arrssv; sr a rm

• Ca yrs – k y caaays mrv

• psv a – k a vryca as a ry

• Fcs – k ab a y ar y ar , ’b srac r rr by xramars

Mva r ra cm a .Tis is normal or everybody, even eras as. Y s acc sas par he chaenge ranng. (openwaer) swimmers know a e ardespar o raining is geting ou o bed orn he waer. i y earn hw mvaeyrse hen y have prbaby maserede mos imporan ingredien o yoursccss ar smm.



SWIMMING TRAINING -SAMPLE SESSIONS

Aerobic Base Workouts

Shorter workouts Mid-length workouts Longer workouts

Warm-up300m Frsy F/S200m p by100m Kck

400m F/S3 x 100m p by2 x 100m 50 Kck50 dr1 x 100 Bra 2,3,4,5

300m 75 F/S25 BK300m 75 F/S25 BS300m 75 F/S25 dr300m Bra 3,5,7

Minor Set 4 x 75m M 25m dr5 x 100m#1,3,5 F/S#2,4 My

@ 20 scs rs

3 x 200m#1 p by#2 Kck

#3 p by

Main Set(60-75%)AerobicBase

1 x 25m,1 x 50m,1 x 75m,1 x 100m,1 x 150m,1 x150m,1 x 100m,1 x 75m,1 x50m,1 x 25mA F/S @ 5 scs rs r 25m

1 x 400m, 1 x 200m,1 x 300m, 1 x 150m,1 x 200m, 1 x 100m,1 x 100m, 1 x 50mAll F/S @ 10 scs rs r 100m

1 x 400m2 x 300m3 x 200m4 x 100mAll F/S @ 10 scs rs r 100m

Swim-down

2 x 50m 25 dr25 F/S

a 1800m

200m Backsrk BK 200m F/S

a 3400m

6 x 50m 25 Cc25 F/S 300 F/S

a 4400m

Aerobic Endurance Workouts


Warm-up

200m F/S4 x 25m Kck100m F/S Bra 2,3,44 x 25m p by

200m F/S200m Kck200m i. My200m p by200m F/S

400m F/S300m 75 F/S25BK200m 50 F/S50BS100m i. My

Minor Set

2 x 25m

2 x 50m #1 F/S, #2 Cc2 x 75m2 x 100m

10 x 50m

Ara 50’s Cac

@ 15 scs rs

10 x 75m

25 Kck25 dr25 F/S

@ 15 scs rs

Main Set(75-85%)AerobicEndurance

6 x 100m F/S @ 30 scs rsAm k csa ac

5 x 300m F/S @ 30 scs rsAm asr #13, 4510 x 50m @ 10 scs rs

1 x 500m2 x 250m5 x 100m10 x 50m20 x 25mA F/S @ 10 scs rs

Swim-down

100m vry 2 25m Cc

a 1700m

150m BS4 x 50m F/S150m BKa 3500m

250m Cc250m F/S dr250m Cca 5000m



Sprint Training

You can also add shor sprin raining ses ino your raining sessions.Use hem requenly, bu sparingly as hey only need o make up a small percenage o

your oal raining.

Te aim o sprin raining is o achieve and develop your maximum speed, so youshouldn’ be swimming o aigue. Very shor, as repeas wih ull res.

Example Sprin Ses:3 ses o (2 x 25m @ 60 secs hen 2 x 12.5m @ 60 secs)or8 x 25m (1s 15m Fas hen 10m Easy @ 60 secs)

SWIMMING TRAINING -SAMPLE SESSIONS

Anaerobic workouts


Warm-up

100m F/S Bra 2,32 x 50m Cc100m F/S Bra 3,42 x 50m dr100m F/S Bra 4,5

500m F/S3 x 100m i. My6 x 50m p by12 x 25m Kck

800m F/S vry 4 25 dr4 x 200m #1Kck, #2 p, #3 dr,#4 F/S

Minor Set 400m p by 750m F/S Bra 3,4,5 6 x 150m 50 BK50 BS50 F/S

@ 15scs rs

Main Set(85-95%)Anaerobic

2 x 75m F/S @ 2 ms50m F/S @ 1:30100m easy @ 3 ms

6 x 100m F/S @ 2:3050m F/S @ 1:15

2x 10 x 50m F/S @ 1:15200m easy @ 5 ms

Swim-down

200m easy Cc

a 1650m

600m easy Cc

a 3650m

750m easy Cc

a 4650m



SWIMMING TRAINING

Distances to achieve prior

to SwimTrek trips

ScotlandScillies

AlcatrazHellespont

CroatiaBavariaFinland

SardiniaGreeceGozoEgypt

LakesRiverSwims

VirginIslands

LongDistance Training

Average DailyDistances

3km 34km 4km 5km 56km 6km Vars

MonthsPrior toSwim

Week

3

1 1km 1km 1km 1km 1km 1 r

2 1km 1km 1.5km 1.5km 1.5km 1 r

3 1.5km 1.5km 2km 2km 2km 1 r

4 1.5km 1.5km 2km 2km 2km 1 r

2

1 2km 2km 2km 2.5km 1km 2.5km 1.5 rs

2 2km 2km 2.5km 3km 1.5km 3km 1.5 rs

3 2.5km 2.5km 3km 3.5km 1.5km 3.5km 1.5 rs

4 2.5km 3km 3.5km 3.5km 2km 4km 1.5 rs

1

1 3km 3km 4km 4km 2.5km 4.5km 2 rs

2 3.5km 3.5km 4.5km 4km 3km 5km 2 rs

3 4km 4km 4.5km 5km 3.5km 5km 2 rs

4 3km 2km 3km 3km 2km 3km 1 r

Te disances given above indicae he one-o weekly disance o achieve in he period leading up o your rip.We obviously recommend swimming more han once a week bu his is he minimum required.



SWIMMING TRAINING

Cross training / Variety

You may consider adding supplemenal aciviies o your raining. Tese could include;

• Weigh raining• Circui raining• Flexibiliy raining / Yoga• Oher aerobic aciviies (e.g. cycling / running)

Tese would all be valuable addiions o your raining program and can help overallcondiioning. Te imporan hing o be aware o is ha adapaions will only occur in hemuscles and organs sressed in he raining process. So, make your raining as specic o

your goals as you can. Waer-based work is he mos specic raining or swimming, so dry

land aciviies should supplemen waer raining, bu no subsiue i.

Tere are also many oher ways o add variey o your swimming workous:

• Vary he imes o day ha you swim• Change he locaion o where you swim (no always same pool, same lane!)• Swim wih ohers / swim alone (a he pool)• Mix indoor and oudoor swimming• Use a variey o srokes and drills

Rest and PlayFinally, i you are going o increase your raining and challenge yoursel, hen i is equallyimporan o make sure ha you are resing properly and recovering rom previous eors.Fiing your raining ino a longer-erm plan helps o make sure ha you don’ over-rain.

Alernaing hard and easy sessions can help o make sure ha you are recovering romhe previous workou.

Also, don’ assume ha everyhing needs o be raining orienaed. Ask yoursel why childrenlearn skills so quickly. Give yoursel ime o play and enjoy he waer. Regular ime spenplaying and jus enjoying he sensaion o being in waer will always have a posiive eec;boh on your abiliy in he waer and on your rame o mind.

Enjoy being in he waer and you can’ help bu improve!

Focus Points

• pa yr ra – brmrvms a asr ar r cmmms

• Mak yr ra scc a y a acv

• A s arbc bas s atrm c b, sy say smm

• Mak sms a ar yr rram

• d’ c ma asc ra

• A vary a cmmaryacvs yr r

• Rs a ay ar ra yrvm – mrvms b s m



OPEN WATER SWIMMING


As can be seen rom he successul ransiion o many pool-based swimmers ino successulopen waer ahlees, a solid base o pool swimming is a very good platorm rom which olearn he necessary skills o become a sae and conden open waer swimmer.

aking your swimming ou ino he open waer does no require wholesale changes, buhere are a ew imporan dierences ha you should be aware o. Wih some knowledgeo hese variables and a bi o orward planning you will be well equipped o swim saelyand enjoyably in many condiions.

Te way o approach open waer swimming is o conrol wha is conrollable; and adapo wha is no.

Te previous secions on echnique and raining are areas ha you can conrol, as are someo he echniques in his secion. However, as you are swimming in a relaively unconrolledenvironmen, you should expec ha he circumsances may change and be prepared o reac.

Tere is no beter preparaion or open waer swimming han acually geting ou hereand doing i. Even i you have diligenly worked on your echnique and raining in he pool,nohing will properly prepare you or he euphoria, elaion, anxiey and nerves ha maywell make up your rs open waer swim.

Te aim o his secion is o give you he knowledge and skills o saely ake your swimmingou o he sric connes o he pool and ino he more varied, and less predicable realmo he oudoors.

Key dierences beween pool swimming and open waer include:

• Temperature

• Visibility / navigation

• Weather conditions

• Support / safety

We can go hrough each o hese acors and look a how we can adap o hem.



OPEN WATER SWIMMING -TEMPERATURE


Deciding o swim in open waer means you could quie realisically be swimming in waersbeween 10 and 25˚C (50 – 77˚F). So, probably subsanially colder han he averageswimming pool.

Te body loses hea more quickly in waer han in air, and more quickly in cold waer hanwarm waer. How well your body copes and how you experience his, will depend on yourbody composiion and your previous exposure o cooler emperaures.

Acclimatization

Te key is o acclimaize he body o he colder waer and his should be done over anexended period o ime. ry o ge ino colder waer regularly and ry o build up he

ime spen in he waer.

Sar wih 5-10 minues and add a ew more minues each ime you go. I you can’ accessopen waer, reduce he emperaure o bahs or showers and say in or longer.

Your body will improve is abiliy o cope wih colder emperaures, i you give i he imeand opporuniy o do so. I will become eecive a moving he blood away rom heexremiies (skin and limbs) and keeping i where i is mos needed (cenral organs and brain).

In ac, experiencing mild hypohermia (body emp. 95-98˚ F, shivering and goose bumps)can help you o subsequenly cope wih he colder emperaures and comorably remainin he waer or longer periods.

Getting In

Each ime you ener he waer, ake your ime and ry o warm up gradually. Your body willadap o he change o condiions, bu needs ime o do so. A large emperaure dierencebeween he air and waer can cause you o gasp or air. Allow your breahing o normalizebeore exering yoursel physically.

Weting your hands and ace prior o geting in will prime your body and help headapaion.

ry o swim easy and relaxed or he rs ew minues, unil you eel comorable wih he

emperaure. Avoid rying oo hard sraigh away, as his can cause breahing problems andpoenially lead o injury. I you are racing, ry o allo ime prior o he swim, o warm up.

Swimming Caps

As mos people are aware, and all open waer swimmers know rom experience, a highproporion o your bodies hea is los hrough your head.

One o he simples, and mos eecive ways o ackle he cold is o wear a good qualiyswim cap made o eiher silicone or neoprene. Tis should be brighly coloured so ha iis easier o see in open waer condiions.

Focus Points

• Accmaz vr a r m ry rary a

• B c ar xsrraay – mrar ara

• er ar sy v yrby m aa

• w as a ac br

• gv yrs m arm –ak asy a sar a sm

• war a qay sm ca –sc r r

• Mak sr y ar ayra

• i y ar a s, mak sr s arra a s

•

warm mmay x ar



OPEN WATER SWIMMING -TEMPERATURE

Wetsuits

For personal swims, i is obviously your choice wheher o wear a wesui or no. For orga-nized races i may be a requiremen one way or he oher depending on he organizersand he waer emperaure.

Tere are now many swimming specic wesuis on he marke and heir perormance hasimproved markedly over recen years. Tese are made o specially designed neoprene,which is exible enough o allow you o swim normally wihou oo much compromise.

I you are using a wesui he mos imporan acor is ha i s well, as is aim is o mainaina hin layer o waer around your body. Tis layer o waer, in addiion o he neoprene o he wesui, insulaes your body agains he colder ouer waer.

*One added bene o wearing a wesui or weaker swimmers is ha i provides exrabuoyancy. So resing is easier and many nd hey can swim aser wearing a wesui.

Getting out

Whaever he lengh o swim i is imporan o be prepared o warm up immediaely uponexiing he waer.

When you leave he waer here is oen a secondary cooling eec as warmer blood romhe bodies’ core is allowed back o he colder limbs and skin.

Ge dry immediaely and remove we cosumes. Ge clohes on quickly and again, a warmha will be very eecive. I you don’ have one, leave your swimming cap on.

Shivering is your bodies’ way o warming up he muscles and as long as i doesn’ coninueindeniely, is absoluely normal.

ry o ake on warm uids as soon as possible. Beware very ho drinks, as i can be diculo sense exremes o hea when iniially exiing he waer.



OPEN WATER SWIMMING - VISIBILITY / NAVIGATION


Te rs hing ha you will probably noice once you have adjused o he colder waeris he relaively poor visibiliy in he waer. Even i he waer is clear here will be no laneropes running in nice sraigh lines down he pool.

Alhough you may no have paid a grea deal o aenion o hem beore, you may bequie surprised how relian you are on hem or swimming in a sraigh line.

Nex ime you are in an empy lane ry swimming a lengh o he pool (slowly!) wih youreyes closed. See how ar you go beore you hi he lane rope and how conden you werein your sense o direcion.

So, how will you know where you are going wihou hese visual aids in he open waer?

Sighting

Tis is an imporan skill o develop or open waer swimming. As he visibiliy may nobe good and here will be no lane lines, you will need o li your head regularly o seewhere you are going.

For breassroke swimmers his is no much o a problem, as you will be looking orward

every ime you li your head o breahe. For reesyle swimmers i will ake a sligh adapa-ion o your sroke o li your head clear o he waer.

As you should be aware rom he echnique secion, liing your head oo much wi ll causeproblems or your body posiion, so you need o be able o do i as eecively as possible.Te key is o each li o he head ino he naural rhyhm o your sroke and only li asmuch as necessary.

Tere are 2 subly dieren ways o doing his and i is worh experimening wih boh.

Sighting Method 1

1. As arm xs a rs ar a r srk,b yr a.

2. prss a a br yr ac car ar.

3. Y ca ak a bra a s a ra yrs a samm.

4. dr a back aras r arm rcvrs vr ar.

* Tis meod as e advanage o enabng y yr head hgher o e waer, bu can ave problems incr ar r bra r ca b fc.

Sighting Method 2

1. As yr arm bs s’ rcvry,ak yr bra a rmam.

2. Sar yr a as armbs r ar.

3. l yr a sfcy ra, ras yr ys abv srac as a sars rss .

4. dr a back ara c srk cyc.

* By akng he breah bere sghng, ca mak ac ss rs aas redces he rsk getng a mho waer. however is opion doesn’a y a rsm.



OPEN WATER SWIMMING - VISIBILITY / NAVIGATION

How oen should you be sighing o orienae yoursel?

Tis can depend on several acors, bu basically you need o be sighing oen enougho be conden ha you are swimming in he righ direcion, bu no so oen as o ire

yoursel ou.

Factors that may affect how oftenyou sight include:

• How dicul your arge is o see• How conden you are ha you swim sraigh• Te diculy o he condiions (sun, waves, cloud ec)• Wheher you are swimming in a group or wih suppor• How accurae you need o be or your arge• Wheher you are swimming along a shoreline or ino open waer

So, i condiions are dicul or you are no conden you may need o sigh every 3 or 4breahs, o be cerain ha you are on course. However, i condiions are beter or you canuse ohers o help guide you, ha number may increase upwards o10 or even 20 breahs.

Bu however conden you are i is pruden o ge ino he habi o checking your direc-ion regularly.

What do you need too look forwhen you are sighting?

1. Use obvious and visible poins o relie in he landscape

2. Choose highly visible permanen srucures e.g. wind-urbines, pylons, buildings

3. Avoid basing you direcion on objecs ha could move e.g. cars, moored boas

4. Objecs low in he waer may become obscured by waves or swell

5. Beware; disances can be very dicul o judge

6. I he sun is in your eyes i can make sighing dicul, so you may have o ake visualcues rom eiher side

7. Use any boa suppor and oher swimmers o help you mainain your course

Pre-Swim Check

wr y ar ak ar a ranzed swm r are js swmmng r pea-sre, s advanages and saer check he can bere y swm. Tngs cck r c;

• h ar ac ca?

• wr ar arra /s?

• is r a /crr?

• w r b r srs / ar?

• Ar r sbmr rcks/rs?

• wr s ars sr/asssac?

• lk a a ma ara a vra v yr m

• lk a s rm a vary vs, scay smvvs cas rc

1.2.3.

5.

6.

7.4.

Goggles

Te prevailing weaer condiions and

s s ca cmb cas a ra cs a ar srac. Ts ca cmrmsvisibiliy i you don’ ave appropriaeyar.

i s wrh nvesng n 2 pars ggges;

• 1 ar – r br r ar cs mr/v

• 1 car ar – r r

vrcas cs



OPEN WATER SWIMMING-WEATHER CONDITIONS

Te prevailing weaher condiions will have a massive eec on how you experience anopen waer swim. Unlike in a swimming pool where wo similar lengh swims will be subjeco roughly similar and consan condiions; wo similar open waer swims may be renderedunrecognizable by dierences in he weaher.

No only may condiions vary rom swim o swim, i is no uncommon or condiions ochange during an individual swim.

All weaher condiions can cause hazards or diculy, so, be aware o hem and ake hemino accoun:

• Sunny – may aec visibiliy and increase risk o sunburn/sunsroke• Fog – reduced visibiliy and mufing o sound• Wind – can cause choppy condiions and waves. Also possibiliy o blowing you

away rom your course.• Rain – may cause increased waer ow and ooding• Tunder/Lighning – obvious danger o anybody ou in he open

Be aware o changing or deerioraing condiions, keeping one eye on he weaher a allimes. Make sure you have a plan or wha o do i condiions worsen and ha you cange ou a shor noice.

Par o he aracion o open waer swimming is experiencing and aking on hese vary-ing condiions. Only swim in weaher ha you are comorable wih and eel adequaelyprepared and suppored o cope wih. I in doub: say ou!

Focus Points

• g a accra ar rcas

• K y b ar

• d’ sm cs y arcra ab r ar byyr aby

• Sm aqa sr r cs

• K a csa y ar



OPEN WATER SWIMMING -SUPPORT / SAFETY

Probably the most important rule of open waterswimming is; never swim alone.

Tere should always be someone a hand should you need heir assisance.

Open waer is a challenging environmen, so difculies such as cramp, hypohermia,anxiey, iredness ec. can oen require assisance o ensure hey don’ escalae ino amore serious siuaion.

I you are swimming wih a suppor boa or kayak, as well as providing saey cover i canalso be useul in helping you navigae. A person on a boa will have a beer viewpoinhan you, down a waer level.

Posiion yoursel (or he boa) where you can see i easily when you breahe. I you arebreahing o he righ, ge he pilo o posiion o he righ and slighly in ron. Ta wayhey can share some o he responsibiliy or navigaing and you may no have o sigh sooen o ollow a sraigh course.

A boa can also be posiioned o shield he swimmer rom he wors o condiions suchas waves, sun and spray.

Swimming in groups is an enjoyable and sae way o enjoy wha is oen seen as an indi-vidual spor. Less conden individuals will usually eel less anxious in a group and he socialaspec can be a break rom he rouine or more seasoned swimmers.

Finally

We hope ha his guide has provided you wih some useul inormaion.

Whaever he ulimae goals are or your open waer swimming; compeiive or social,challenging or relaxing, mos o he inormaion here can be applied a any level.

Te vas majoriy o skills needed or open waer, can be praciced in any swimming poolor incorporaed ino mos workous. Use your ime in he pool producively.

However, here is no replacemen or he real hing and we hope ha his guide will alsoac as moivaion and inspiraion o ake your swimming oudoors and enjoy wha is ruly

one o he mos accessible and enjoyable aciv iies available.

Support

Regardless o ow good a swimmeryou are or ow conden you eel youshd aways have cmpany r sppr.Ts c c ay :

• Caab smm rs

• A cac

• Say ba r kayak

• ra cmas

• lars

Focus Points

• Sm r .

• hav ba sr ssb.

• Say cs sr.

• Sk ca avc

• Cck r crrs / rs c..br .

• K a y r bas.

• d’ sm rsrvrs.

• war a br sm a. g rk arm a r b asys.

Wrien by Neil Bowers..

www.mvspor.co.uk

[email protected]

Documents

Open Water Swimming