by Ann Svenson
Published: August 2010
Years ago, John Flanagan, my swim coach during my winters in Virginia, served as open water coach for the US Swimming team going to FINA World Swimming Championships. His “Ten Commandments of Open Water Swimming” still stand as useful advice for anyone undertaking an open water swim or triathlon.
1 Thou Shall Not Swim Alone – Safety is number one. Never swim alone. If you can’t get a friend to swim with you or accompany you in a boat, have someone walk the shoreline while you swim parallel to shore. “Definitely have a buddy system,” John says. “Swimming alone is a bad move.”
2 Thou Shall Not Be Intimidated – No lines on the bottom to guide you, waves, currents – all these things can be distracting or even disturbing to the “debutant” (read: beginner), but with proper training and preparation, can be easily managed. (See Commandments 3 to 5.) These are the things that distinguish open water from pool swimming.
3 Thou Shall Start Small – If you’re looking for a race or a good training spot, think small and tame. Adirondack District Masters Swimming offers lake swims that loop around a quarter-mile underwater cable (so much for no lines to follow!) in Mirror Lake in Lake Placid. The 9th Annual Betsy Owens Memorial Lake Swims, one-mile and two-miles, will be held Saturday, August 14. Entries close August 8, but if you’ve missed it, try something else short (open-water races can be as little as a half-mile), calm (lakes are a good place to start) and fun (guaranteed).
4 Thou Shall Learn to Sight Breathe – Learning to swim straight takes practice. When you’re in a pool with a lane to yourself, try swimming a length with your eyes shut (count your strokes so you don’t run into the wall). If you hit the lane line before the wall, find something to “sight” while looking up every few strokes. Pick something at the opposite end of the pool or on the wall. To get used to it, take a few strokes with your head out of water (“Tarzan Drill”), then find your “sight,” and put your head back down for a few strokes. Eventually reduce the number of strokes with your head out, then reduce the amount you raise your head. Then increase the number of strokes between sighting strokes. Be aware that lifting it too high, too often is strenuous, so you’ll tire more quickly doing it. You want to lift it just high enough to see.
5 Thou Shall Alternate Breathe – Learning to breathe on both sides (bilateral or alternate-side breathing) will help you swim straighter, reduce shoulder strain, and reduce the stress caused by having to breathe to the outside of the swim course. It takes time to get used to – start in the fall after the open water swim season is over. Start by breathing to the same wall – in other words, to the left in one direction, and the right on the way back. Believe me, you’ll get used to in time for next year! It was one of the earliest swim tips I got, and now I swim that way, regardless of the distance or venue.
6 Thou Shall Not Kick So Hard – Your quadriceps muscles use more oxygen than any others in your body, so save energy and learn a two-beat kick. Use your core for power (think Tiger Woods, A-Rod) instead of your legs. This is especially important for triathletes who need those legs for the bike and run. Be especially aware of kicking as you start to swim (in the pool or open water) – it will make you winded very quickly. The mantra I tell beginners is “breathe, don’t kick” – remember to exhale and drag your legs behind you during the first 100 yards of your swim. It will make the rest a lot more enjoyable!
7 Thou Shall Not Covet a Pool Stroke – As Total Immersion coach, Terry Laughlin, (another of my mentors) pointed out in a recent article in this magazine (April 2010), an open water stroke should be a lot longer with slower turnover than in a pool, as you’re not getting rest from gliding off the wall.
8 Thou Shall Let the Mind Wander – Runners know the feeling – getting to a “zone” during a long run. Let the same thing happen in open water swimming. There’s no wall to anticipate, no clock to tell you how fast or slow you’re going. Settle in and cruise along.
9 Thou Shall Start Smart – Besides remembering to breathe and not kick, avoid the crowd. It can be harrowing to be kicked or have your goggles knocked off or be swum over during the mass start of an open water swim or triathlon. If you’ve never been part of a mass start, gather five or six friends in the pool, and all get in one lane. Put the slower swimmers in front and the faster ones in back and all start together. That will give you a slight idea of what to expect. When you get in an open water race or the swim in a triathlon, hang back or swim wide.
10 Thou Shall Have Fun – Open water swimming can be an amazing sport… As long as you follow the Ten Commandments!
And a final word to the wise: If you are an inexperienced swimmer who is afraid of the water, take a swim class before venturing into open water swimming, or entering a tri. Most area Ys offer instruction year-round for all levels of ability. Make sure you are comfortable in the pool before venturing into open water.
Ann Svenson (annb48@earthlink.net) is vice chair of USMS’s Long Distance Committee and director of the Betsy Owens Memorial Lake Swims. She has been a USMS Long Distance All Star the last three years and a national record holder in four long distance and open water events. She coaches and teaches at the YMCA of Saratoga.
