The swim leg of a triathlon is where most first-timers lose the most time and confidence. Whether you're preparing for a sprint, Olympic, or Ironman-distance event, the swim portion requires specific skills that differ significantly from pool lap swimming.
Open Water vs. Pool Swimming
Pool swimming gives you lane lines, clear water, walls to push off, and a fixed distance per length. Open water removes all of these. This program teaches you to navigate, sight buoys, draft off other swimmers, and manage the chaos of a mass swim start.
Race-Specific Skills
Sessions cover: sighting technique (lifting your head every 4–6 strokes to navigate), bilateral breathing, wetsuit swimming technique, drafting (swimming in another athlete's wake to save energy), and the beach-to-run transition.
Stamina Building
Triathlon swim training builds the specific endurance to complete your race distance without stopping, and to emerge from the water with enough energy left for the bike and run.
First Triathlon Preparation
For athletes doing their first triathlon, the focus is confidence and completion. For experienced triathletes, the focus is time improvement and race strategy.
