The art of Ironman swim preparation came up in conversation yesterday. For those of us who have raced an Ironman before, we know what it is like to be among the 1400+ bodies thrashing it out for position. I somewhat doubt however, that any of us have forgotten how we felt just prior to our first Ironman start. Nervous. Scared. Niggling self doubt. All pretty normal really.

         

So this post is aimed at those yet to start their first Ironman, and also those who wish to move up the pack with some more specific training tricks. Although I say “tricks”, really, swimming well in an Ironman is little more than consistent swim training that is specific to the task at hand.

It’s said you can’t win an Ironman in the swim, but you can certainly lose it. You’re probably not contemplating the overall win but you can set your day up nicely by exiting the water in a good position whilst conserving energy. My best two Ironman swims so far have set up my two fastest Ironman times – 52 and 54 minute swims for the 3.8km. Keep in mind that is a good five minutes or more behind the leaders – so certainly nothing super special – but they are achievable times that give you a good head start on the majority of the field once the race hits the road.

Swim Consistently – As elite swimmers and triathletes know, getting in the water almost every day of the week plays a big role in being able to swim fast. We are essentially teaching our body to do something completely foreign (move through water) and as a result, need to practice that on a daily basis – like any new skill. For age group athletes with time constraints, a good rule of thumb is to never have more than two days in a row without a swim.

Start Fast, Then Hold – The start of an Ironman race feels like one big sprint. I guarantee you that unless you start in the front line, you will at some stage have someone in front of you slow down dramatically within the first 500m. The incredible adrenaline rush that comes with an Ironman start always sees athletes start out too hard.

Here’s a secret. The front quarter of the field starts fast and then settles into a slightly slower pace. How do they do this? It’s as simple as training your body – and can be applied to any distance race. For example, incorporate some sessions where the first half of your repeat interval is swum at a faster pace than you can comfortably hold for the whole interval, and the second half maintain your usual target pace (eg. 5 x 400m (1st 200 of each simulating race start, 2nd 200 settle into race pace and manage the lactate build up). Training your body to adapt to the uncomfortable burn of the race start will mean you can settle into your own rhythm once the madness of the start dies down a little.

Get Strong – Swim with hand paddles for some of your training sets. Alternate intervals with and without paddles. Tie a band around ankles for some of these (use with a pull buoy if you sink like me!). If you are new to paddles, take care at first not to do too much with them – to begin with they will place additional stress on your shoulders.

Practice Sighting – You will most likely get to practice this when training in open water. Make sure you also try and regularly do some of this in the pool. Not practicing this could leave you with quite a sore neck/back on race day after negotiating 3.8km of the busiest water you’ve ever seen – not what you want on the bike or run.

Find Your Space – An Ironman swim start can be a particularly difficult pace to find your own space. You can expect to feel quite cramped for space over the first 4-500m, though after that you should have an opportunity to move into some clear water and relax a bit. You can often swim 10-15 metres to the side of everyone on the long straights, enjoy clear water and avoid the thumping and zig zagging that goes on in the commotion of the pack. In my opinion, unless you’re at the pointy end, clear water is a bigger advantage than drafting in a disruptive environment.

Those five elements of Ironman swim preparation form the basis of what I use in the lead up to a race. Hopefully you can apply them to your approach and enjoy a faster (or at least more comfortable) swim in your next Ironman.