Swimming well in triathlons takes more than just hard, smart training. Tactics play an important part and in this article, the third in a series of six blog posts, Professional Ironman and Triathlon Coach Brendon Downey looks at some key points for athletes to consider on the day of their event. Checkout the triathlon category if you missed Bendon’s first post.
Exiting the Swim
It’s important to also check out the swim exit. How far from the shore can you stand? What land marks can you sight off? And what’s the Depth when you can see the bottom? It’s not unusual to see the bottom and think you can stand up but it’s actually deeper than it looks, again check this out pre event.
In other situations you won’t see the bottom when it is shallow enough to stand and run. In such situations its worth making a note of the distance from the shore that you can stand and to also test the depth with some deeper swim strokes every 3 or 5 strokes as you approach or make a point of sighting a bit more.
It’s worth checking also that it is safe to stand early or does the bottom have sharp objects, Oysters and other hazards can end your day early.
If the water depth is very gradual or for a long distance at a shallow consistent waist deep level you may need to duck-dive or run further before starting to swim, pre event check out how many you may need to do or for how far both at the start and on exit. Having this in your mind pre event can make a big difference.
On exiting the swim your strategy is obviously to get from standing at the exit up to speed on the bike as quickly and safely as possible. We’ll leave that for another article, but be sure to subscribe to my blog and receive the rest of the triathlon series, as well as other expert advice and insights that can help you.
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