Open water swimming

Then the day has finally arrived. Today you are going to your first open water competition and are looking forward to a nice trip in the water with Onsite Lifeguard Training, but you are a little unsure of how it will all go. Here we try to best guide you through the day, so that you come home with your arms over your head.

We start by rewinding time to the day before the competition. Here we recommend that you first check the weather forecast for the following day and then pack your swimming bag with all your equipment, including: wetsuit, goggles, swimming cap, swimwear, towel, clothes according to the weather, Vaseline and maybe sandals and earplugs. If these things are in your bag, you should be driving well. Next, you should check your email to make sure you know your participant number (the organizers like to send these out a week before the competition), as well as any new information about the event.

On the day itself, we recommend that you eat a good breakfast, preferably with a lot of carbohydrates and protein. The diet can wait for another day, because you have to go out and give it gas today. Unless the organizers inform otherwise, I recommend arriving well before the start, preferably one and a half to two hours before the start. That way you have plenty of time to relax and get to know the place without having to stress around. The extra time you have at the meeting place can be used, for example, to look for aiming points when you have to swim, refine your strategy for the race (just survive, fast outlay, progressive race or whatever you want) or visualize the race. Especially visualizing the race can be a good thing if you are a little nervous. Then you can think through possible scenarios and consider what you want to do if the glasses fog up,

An hour before the start, you should have checked in, been given a swimming cap, start number and probably also a timing chip. At this point, I typically eat a muesli bar, banana or something good, while I regularly pour a little water or juice down. Then I'm sure to be well hydrated when I start. At the same time, it is also the time for the last toilet visit(s) before jumping into the wetsuit.

Somewhere between half an hour and three quarters of an hour before you have to start, you can start jumping in the wetsuit. Remember to apply Vaseline under the arms and especially around the collar, as these are typically the places where the suit chafes. If you're really smart, you get someone else to lubricate you or use a Vaseline stick, so you avoid greasing your glasses with Vaseline when you put them on. When you put the suit on, pull it tight around the crotch and a good distance up the arms. Both of these tricks give you a bit more freedom of movement around the shoulders, which tend to get tired in a wetsuit. Once the wetsuit is on, it's time for a little warm-up trip in the tub. Make sure to get some water into the suit, then you can easily move the suit around so that it fits as it should.

At the same time, you warm up the body to give it gas. If the water is unreasonably cold and you don't want to get in it at all unless absolutely necessary, we recommend that you do it anyway. This is because with very cold water you can risk getting a cold water shock if you have not got your body used to it. It is much easier to control when you go quietly into the water yourself than when you throw yourself into the water when the start sounds.

At the start of most open water events and triathlon events, a phenomenon popularly known as the "washing machine" often occurs. When 50-100 people throw themselves into the water at the same time and want to move forward quickly, you get thrown around a bit and into each other if you are not prepared. If you want to completely avoid getting hit or if you know you swim slower than the others, then it pays to let the other swimmers go before you jump in.

The few seconds you lose can be quickly gained by avoiding being hit of a hand or foot. If you want to leave quickly but avoid the worst fights, try to position yourself on the far right or left of the field. The one in the middle is always used the most.

During the competition, follow your chosen strategy and ensure that you follow the most optimal route by orienting yourself, even if you may be behind some others, they could very well be astray and there is certainly no reason to swim extra just because they do that.