Mass swim starts can be intimidating
The mass start of an open water swim race, especially the Ironman triathlon swim start with over 2000 swimmers or the Swim Across America swims, can be a very intimidating experience.
The key to a successful swim race lies with starting and maintaining emotional and breathing composure during the event. Swimming is an exercise in stroke technique AND breathing composure (a relaxed exhale underwater).
Tips for maintaining swim breathing composure during a race
Here are tips to help maintain your breathing composure during the swim:
- Emotional composure. As the race day approaches begin your process of starting the swim emotionally ready and composed.
- Establish your swim strategy. Prior to race start, view the racecourse and buoy placements and set your race strategy.
- Race start speed placement. Seed yourself in the crowd according to your expected pace so that you are surrounded by swimmers with a similar pace. By so doing, you will not get run over by faster swimmers or bogged down and frustrated behind slower swimmers. Ask the swimmers near you their expected finish time and place yourself accordingly.
- Race start location placement. For competitive swimmers hugging the buoy lines provides the shortest distance to swim. However, that placement may have the largest crowds. A start placement on the outside tends to be less crowded. You can toward the buoy lines once the crowd thins out.
- Slower initial swim pace. It is best to start your swim at a more relaxed pace, until you get your ‘wind’. Increase your pace, after you get in the groove of the workout. After your body has warmed up, is the best time to increase your speed. For 1 mile or more distances, the first 200 yards should be at a more relaxed pace to maintain breathing composure.
- Maintain a positive mindset. Mind over matter. Negative thoughts create apprehension. Apprehension increases pulse rate. Increased pulse rate can wreck breathing composure and stroke technique, making swimming more difficult. Develop a pre-race strategy to combat negative thoughts during the race.
- Swim stroke technique focus. From swim start to finish stay focused on maintaining your good stroke technique. Over distances it takes discipline to focus on stroke technique for the entire swim. It’s a positive focus though.
- Embrace/enjoy the moment. Mass distance swim events are fun experiences. Take the time to enjoy the moment. Feel the competition. Feel your movement through the water. When you come up for air, enjoy the views of the water horizon.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Swim!
See distance open water swim champion and English Channel swim record holder Trent Grimsey Triathlon Race Day Swim Tips.
See also open water swim champion Eney Jones How to Maintain your Poise and Composure during a Swim Race
More about Ralph Teller