Five years ago I was excitedly planning my first middle-distance triathlon. Training was going well but then an incident in a deep lake left me in such a state that I was unable to race. The event involved a sea swim at Weymouth, Dorset
"There is nothing like pink toilet paper or a floating plaster to come at you from the deep to make you swim faster!" says Duncan Hough, vice chair of the Birmingham Running and Triathlon Club (www.bratclub.co.uk). But your first open-water swim
Q. I’m a strong swimmer but I struggle with sea events. Any ideas why?A. Alongside my academic work, I’ve been a beach lifeguard since the mid-90s and one major change I’ve seen is an increasing number of triathletes moving their regular swim
.There's no doubt that swimming in cold, choppy, murky water is more difficult than doing lengths in a clear, warmish pool that has lane markers, but with practice you'll develop the confidence and skill to ensure you take to the open water with confidence and
If you've only ever swum in a pool, with its clear, clean water easily reachable sides and nicely arranged lanes, the idea of swimming outdoors in cold, choppy, unpredictable water can be unsettling. It's a perfectly rational feeling, but as a
's no doubt that swimming in cold, choppy, murky water is more difficult than doing lengths in a clear, warmish pool that has lane markers, but with practice you'll develop the confidence and skill to ensure you take to the open water with confidence and
for this in training. You're less likely to be nervous if you aim to swim one of your three weekly sessions in open water, with a group of triathletes if possible. Remind yourself that the water may be cold and choppy at the start of a triathlon
It would never previously have occurred to me to seek out external help to improve my swimming or even to have a sense of introspection about it. But now, on the cusp of my first serious triathlon season, the obvious limitations of my swimming have become
