SWIMMING
Open water swimming can be scary. It doesn’t have to be. My humble opinion is that swimming is mostly about breathing. Sure mechanics come into play, but not until you master breathing. That’s the part that tends to freak people out when they first start out.
If you are not an avid swimmer:
Get in the pool! If you don’t have access to one, many parks and rec departments or YMCAs have a pool. You do not need much gear to get started in the pool: a swimsuit, goggles, and a a swim cap. You can add gear later to compliment your training as you progress.
It’s all about breathing in the beginning: My first pool session consisted of learning to breathe in the water and a couple hundred yards of swimming. Here’s a link to a couple of short videos demonstrating my first breathing exercises in the pool. They only take a few minutes to practice, but mastering these will propel your swim training:
Step 1: Basic Breathing: Basic Breathing Exercises
Step 2: How to breathe while swimming
My favorite gear:
You don’t need much to start working on the swim leg:
- Goggles
- Swimsuit
- Swim cap (optional)
The above list will get you started in the pool. You can add training gear as you progress, like paddles, kickboard, fins. Some pools have these for use so don’t run our and buy them out of the gate.