Things You'll Need:
- Swim suit
- pool or large body of water for training
- goggles
- cap
- (optional) wet suit for cold water
- Stop watch
-
Step 1
Plan on starting your training about three to four months before the race, this will give you time to work up to the required distance and acclimatize your body to the workout. Use a neighborhood pool for most of your workouts but find a lake/ocean and a buddy to try your hand at open water swimming.
-
Step 2
Find out how long the swimming portion is in the race. Swimming distances range from 300m to 4 miles, so check to see if there is a race that you can realistically compete in. Check by swimming this distance in the pool. Most pools are standard 25 yard or 50 meter length, but can be less. If you can't make the distance swimming a slow strong stroke with only occasional breaks, find a more beginner race or plan on training for next years race.
-
Step 3
Once you have your place to practice and your race distance to train for, plan on training at least 2-3 days a week for 1 hour. A half triathlon is a good beginner race. The swim is about 3/4 mile. The following workout plan is ideal for this distance. Add or subtract distance and intervals depending on the race your are training for and your fitness level. Plan on alternating your workout; interval training one day, distance the next. I will use meters for distances, you can easily substitude yards.
-
Step 4
Interval training will increase your lung capacity and endurance. To find your interval time swim 100m at about 75% intensity (swim hard, but not completely all out). Time how long it took you. Keep timing yourself at the wall to see how long it takes for your breathing and heart rate to slow down, so you no longer feel short of breathe or a racing heart. If it takes you 3 minutes to swim 100m and 25 seconds to recover, add 10 seconds and your interval time is 3.35. This means you have 3 min 35 sec to swim and recover from each 100m swim, time yourself with a stopwatch to keep your intervals consistent. I suggest a set of five 100m intervals or 5x100m.
-
Step 5
A good interval workout is; warm up 300m, 5x100m interval swim, 100m kick only, 100m pull only (swim strong, but slow) 5x100m interval swim, 300m cool down. You can vary the workout by swimming some intervals with your head out of the water, or changing your breathing pattern ex: every 2 strokes breathe, next interval every 4 strokes breathe, etc... To keep yourself challenged add another 5x100m to your workout and add 200m to your warm up and cool down. If you are starting to recover faster from each interval, subtract seconds from your time and if it is too challenging, add seconds.
-
Step 6
For every other workout, I suggest a distance workout. Try to swim continuously with few breaks for 45 minutes. Don't try to push yourself too much, and the first 10 min and the last 10 min should be slow and easy. Mix it up with different strokes, head out swimming, and kicking and pulling only laps. Add 10 min to each consecutive workout.
-
Step 7
Your training should work up to at least swimming 3 times the distance of your race in one practice and half of it should be about 75% intensity. You want to have alot of energy left after the swimming portion, remember you still have to bike and run to finish the race. Good Luck!
