Most triathletes fear the swim more than any other leg. I felt the same for years. I lost time, energy and confidence because I treated the swim like an afterthought. If I could do it all again I would start with a clear, step-by-step plan. This article lays out that plan.
I write as a triathlon journalist and coach who has watched hundreds of athletes progress. The plan is practical. It is simple to follow. It is built to get you comfortable and fast in open water.
You will find technique work. You will find open-water skills. You will find a weekly training template. Read this and you will save months of trial and error.
Start small
Begin with an honest assessment. Swim a short set and note what breaks down. Record breathing, body position and tempo. Short recordings reveal the most telling errors.
Get baseline coaching early. A single 30 to 60 minute session with an experienced swim coach is high return. They correct hidden flaws faster than self-practice.
Build confidence with pool time before moving to open water. Start with short, frequent sessions. Keep distances manageable. Confidence grows through repeated, successful practice.
Develop technique
Technique is the biggest lever in triathlon swimming. Good technique lowers effort and increases speed. Focus on three fundamentals: body position, streamlining and a balanced catch.
Use targeted drills to practice each skill. Below is a short set of essential drills that I would use first:
- Kick on side – Improves balance and reduces drag by teaching a flat body line while breathing.
- Fingertip drag – Encourages high elbow recovery and relaxed forearm alignment.
- Paddles and tempo trainer – Build a feel for catch and set a steady cadence without overloading the shoulder.
- Single-arm drill – Focuses on rotation, reach and entry angle on each side separately.
Practice these drills in short blocks. Keep the focus narrow. Do four to six short drills per session, not every drill every day. Repetition makes technique habits permanent.
Record periodic video of your stroke. Video offers a simple way to see small but meaningful improvements. Compare videos across weeks to track progress.
Open-water skills
Pool skills do not automatically transfer to open water. Wave action, sighting and contact alter how you swim. Treat open water as a separate skill set.
Practice sighting and bilateral breathing first in calm water. Swim short intervals while lifting the head to find your line. Keep the lift small. Maintain rhythm between breaths.
When ready, simulate race conditions with controlled chaos. Practice group starts with a handful of swimmers. Focus on staying relaxed and maintaining rhythm through contact.
Work on these specific tasks to master open-water racing:
- Sighting – Lift the head minimally and find a fixed landmark every 6 to 8 strokes to stay on course.
- Pack positioning – Practice holding position behind a stronger swimmer to save energy and learn drafting.
- Rolling with waves – Train in chop to learn breathing timing and small course corrections.
Race-specific training
Triathlon swimming requires race-pace practice. This is different from endurance sets in the pool. You must be able to sprint, recover and hold a strong rhythm.
Include intervals that mix speed and recovery. For example, repeat 100 meters at race effort followed by a short rest. Repeat sets of 4 to 8. These teach you how to recover while moving at pace.
Also practice exits, sight-to-sprint transitions and quick starts. Add a few bricks where you swim then immediately run a short distance to simulate the swim-to-bike transition.
Weekly plan and drills
Consistency beats intensity when you are learning. I recommend a weekly structure that balances technique, endurance and open-water practice. Follow this simple template to keep progress steady and measurable.
Use the following weekly plan as a starting point. Adjust volume based on fitness and time available:
- Two technique days – Short sessions focused on drills, video review and stroke correction.
- One interval day – Sets at race intensity with short rest to simulate pack swimming.
- One long aerobic swim – A steady, comfortable pace to build base endurance and efficiency.
- One open-water session – Practice sighting, starts and group positioning in natural water.
Keep each session focused and short when you start. Sessions of 30 to 45 minutes are highly effective for most athletes learning technique. Increase duration as skill and comfort grow.
Track metrics that matter: stroke rate, perceived effort, and sighting success. These simple measures show improvement more clearly than distance alone.
Gear and safety
Right gear makes practice safer and more productive. A snug wetsuit, a clear pair of goggles and a simple swim buoy are essential. These items remove friction from learning.
Never practice open water alone. Swim with a group or use a kayaker or paddle-board safety partner. Open-water incidents are rare but real. A safety plan reduces risk.
Use a bright swim cap and consider a tow float for long training swims. Mark your planned route in advance and keep it simple. Avoid unfamiliar currents and strong wind without a partner.
Key Takeaways
Start with a brief assessment and quick coaching. Fix the worst errors early. Small corrections save big amounts of time and effort.
Prioritize technique over distance at the start. Use targeted drills and short, frequent sessions. Transfer pool skills to open water with progressive exposure and simulated race scenarios.
Follow a simple weekly plan and track a few key metrics. Add gear and a safety plan and you will build speed and confidence steadily. This path would have changed my early triathlon years. It will change yours too.