Triathletes - Pool Now for PR’s and Podiums Later
Why the first three months of the year are the most critical for race day.
The new year is a new season with fresh goals and a countdown to the first event. There’s excitement, as there should be!
Perhaps you’re able to get outside to run and bike, and if the weather doesn’t permit, the indoor track or treadmill and cycling away on the trainer. You’re in the gym for strength training. Meanwhile, the open water may be too cold, the wetsuit is tucked away, and the local pool feels like a necessary evil.
But here is the reality - PR’s and podiums aren’t built in the open water in April or May, they’re built in the pool in January and February.
If you wait until the water warms up to “start training” for the swim, you’ve already lost. To shave minutes off your swim, you need to treat the pool not as a placeholder for open water, but as your technique laboratory and speed shop.
Too many triathletes just hope to survive the swim.
We want you to THRIVE in the swim!
The Plan: January to March
The first three months of the year is your window for a mechanical overhaul. Now is the time to fix your shit stroke.
You aren’t going to fix crossing over or bad body position in the open water the week before your first race. You need the pool for that. As detailed in our previous article, All Good Open Water Swimmers are Built in the Pool, the pool is where you develop the muscle memory that remains despite adrenalin or rough water.
Be consistent! Get to the pool at least twice a week but aim for three. It is even better if these are coached pool workouts with your triathlon club or Masters team. If you need more help - find a qualified swim coach for a few 1:1 lessons to iron out the kinks.
March to May
You aren’t abandoning the pool but you’re likely swapping a pool workout for some open water time. It’s time to acclimate to cold water and get used to swimming in the wetsuit again. You’ve built a solid foundation of a swim stroke in the pool. Now you can add to your skill stack by practicing:
Sighting
Swimming in chop / wind / waves
Entries and exits
Buoy turns
Breathing patterns
If you’re swimming with a group or club, these can be some of the most fun practices of the year. It’s exhilarating! Just remember to stay alert and follow Best Practices in Open Water Swimming.
June - October
Whether you have one race or a few, you’re likely enjoying the sunshine and out on training rides and runs. Keep your pool time focused and productive, continuing to work on your technique.
Make your open water time count by staying in the water longer and building in some speed work such as sprinting from point A to B and then leisurely swimming from point B to A. Build in open water swim repeats just as you would hill repeats on a run.
It’s also a great time to be supportive of your fellow triathletes. Go cheer teammates on at races or be a swim buddy to a new triathlete trying to find their way in the water. Give back to the community that has given to you!
The Bottom Line
Your race day performance is a direct reflection of your winter consistency. Don’t view pool or open water swim practices as a chore. View them as a foundation of your future PR.
If you want to exit the water feeling fresh and on fire to hammer the bike and the run, you have to do the work now.
The black line is waiting. See you at practice!