Swimming

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Think of us as your active-lifestyle agony aunt. From gear recommendations to running hacks, we’ll answer all your event-related questions. Our favourites will feature across our social pages and in these newsletters.

Think of us as your active-lifestyle agony aunt. From gear recommendations to running hacks, we’ll answer all your event-related questions. Our favourites will feature across our social pages and in these newsletters.

To get your questions answered, either DM us at @letsdothis_ or email in at askusanything@letsdothis.com.

The best ones we’ll share here on our blog, in our newsletters and across social media to help others in our community. 

To view the latest questions and answers from our community, click here.

A few things to bear in mind:

  • While we will endeavour to get back to as many questions as possible, we sadly can’t commit to answering every question submitted.
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  • As none of us are trained physios or medics, we can’t offer any advice relating to injury (preventing or rehab) and/or health
  • The responses and recommendations shared are on behalf of our team members who are passionate participants in the various sports we offer on the platform - they don’t necessarily reflect the views of Let’s Do This.
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Open Water Swimming - Why do it?

Open water swimming is becoming increasingly popular, with people all over the world taking to the outdoors in a lake, ocean, or other bodies of open water, but the question is why are so many people taking the plunge? Let’s take a look at the benefits.

Open Space

With no pool walls or lanes, you can swim in your own space and at your own pace without the concern of anyone tapping at your heels and avoid the lane rage that some people get which can ruin a session. You also feel like you’re getting somewhere rather seeing the same wall over and over again. There is a great sense of achievement looking back to where you’ve swam from and seeing the fruits of your labour.

Being at one with nature

It is a relaxing yet exhilarating experience to be out there as nature intended with plenty of stimulus to keep your mind occupied. It’s recommended to swim in a lake in a controlled environment first before trying out the ocean.

Expanding your social circle

The social benefits are great! There are lots of groups of open water swimmers who get together on a regular basis to enjoy a nice and often cold dip. There is a camaraderie in this sport like no other. You don’t have to participate in the sport to race or even be competitive; you can do it for the sheer enjoyment of being out there.

Physically and mentally challenging

Acclimatising to the cold temperatures of the open water is pretty testing – pushing you both physically and mentally! The heat loss from your skin can be up to 70 times greater than air of equal temperature, therefore training your body's cold responses is sometimes as much of an achievement as completing the swim itself!

For beginners, wetsuits are recommended to help adjust to the water’s temperature and can improve buoyancy. It is also a great challenge knowing you have no floor to stand up on or side to hang onto, so it does offer a challenge that isn’t there in a confined pool environment.

Increases energy

Cold water can increase energy levels, nerve endings stand up and your heart starts racing - it is the best possible way to get a natural high!

Weight loss

When your body is exposed to cold, it requires more heat to warm you up. Therefore, to do so your body has to process more energy, helping you burn fat more efficiently and increase your metabolism. You will burn approximately 200 more calories per hour more in cold water than in warm pool water when swimming at a similar speed and it provides an all over body workout, so is one of the best forms of exercise there is (and you can get stuck into that bacon sarnie guilt-free afterwards!)

Minimise Pain

Cold water immersion is a healing technique used among amateur and professional athletes to help with injury and muscle pain. Swimming in such cold water temperatures can have the same desired effect, helping to minimise pain if you have an injury – reducing chronic pain, body aches and inflammation.

Personal Achievement

Whether you complete your first open water swim or your first competition - simply adapting to the temperature of the water compared to the pool and not being able to see what’s below you is an achievement in itself. The sense of personal accomplishment is pretty amazing, whatever distance you want to cover, from 100 metres to 5k or even as part of an Ironman there is no limit to your enjoyment.

Immune system boost & other health benefits

It has been proven by scientists that by being immersed in cold water three times a week increases your white blood counts which helps fight infection and boost your immune system by activating antibodies and increasing metabolic rate. It also helps flush your circulation pushing blood through your arteries, capillaries and veins as well as flushing any impurities giving you a better feeling of wellbeing. It has even been proven cold water can reduce stress levels and even depression.

Its lots of fun!

It’s a great way to push your fitness, meet new people, laugh a lot and it won’t break the bank. However, beware it is addictive and once you try it you might get hooked like I did!

Let's Do This

Beginner sprint triathlon training: the essential guide

Expert tips from Triathlon Steph for each stage of a sprint triathlon, including a training schedule.

Training for your first sprint triathlon? Don’t be intimidated. We had Let’s Do This’s own Stephanie Ede (better known as  Triathlon Steph) break down the keys to each swim, bike and run round so you can be at peak performance for race day.

Swim: 750m

Breathing: This might be the single most important factor in your swim. Though you may not even think about breathing on dry land, your technique in the water is essential for keeping your body fuelled with the oxygen you need.

A steady inhale/exhale rhythm will eliminate the need to breath every stroke and help you stay relaxed. Breathe out through your nose when your face is in the water, and then tilt your head to the side on every other stroke and take a deep breath in.

Once you get used to this method, you can start to take breaths in on every 3rd stroke, which will allow you to take air in on both sides. This is an important skill when it comes to open water swims, where you may be hit by waves on a certain side.

Stay loose: Keep your body as loose as possible so you can rotate your shoulders, torso and hips with each stroke as you glide through the water.

Save your legs: When it comes to your legs, you need to save as much energy as you can for the cycle and the run. To keep your legs fresh, rely as much as possible on your arms to pull yourself through the water. Try training with a float between your calves so that you only focus on your upper body.

Training: Try to swim 250-500m once or twice a week. If you’re not feeling quite up to that, break the distance into intervals by swimming 25m (a standard pool-length), resting, and repeating.

Cycle: 20km

Now use your legs: Unsurprisingly, cycling is all in the legs. Your upper body should stay relaxed and motionless as your legs and core do all the work. Similarly to the swim, keep your upper body loose so you’re not holding unnecessary tension.

Pedal evenly: Maintaining a nice, even pedal stroke will generate maximum power and efficiency. This means applying the same amount of pressure through each leg and through each pedal. If you’re doing it correctly, your hips, shoulders and torso should stay stationary.

Training: If you’re fairly new to cycling, start by going to the gym a few times a week and cranking out 30 mins on a spin bike or gym bike. After a while, you’ll be ready to hit the road. Get out on your bike about twice a week, and remember to vary the kind of routes you’re doing. You might need to prepare yourself for some hills.

Run: 5k

Stay relaxed: Notice a pattern here? As with the first two thirds of your triathlon, keep the muscles you're not using relaxed. Your arms should be loose and bent at a 90-degree angle, and your fists should be unclenched. Keep your jaw and shoulders loose too to make the running as comfortable as possible.

Shorten your stride: Try to run at 180 strides per minute, or 3 steps every second. That may seem like overkill, but a shorter stride will lessen the impact on your body and massively cut your risk of injury. A 3-mile run may not seem that bad under ordinary circumstances, but your muscles will be very fatigued by the time you get this close to the finish line during a triathlon.

Training: As with all training, start slowly, with 20 minutes of running a few times per week. After a few weeks, start to increase the time and distance you’re running for every week. Always warm up and stretch before you head out running, and stretch again when you’re finished. Finding a 5k training program online is a good idea if you’re not already a regular runner.

Bricks: Your Bonus Training Tip

Any good sprint triathlon training plan should include bricks. These are back to back swim-to-bike or bike-to-run sessions, and they are an essential part of triathlon training. A brick run prepares you for the triathlon’s transition zone and the changes between biking and running. Though the first mile of the post-cycle run may have your legs feeling like jelly, don’t worry; if you stay within your bounds, you’ll be able to crank out a speedy running time once you’re in a rhythm.

An Example One-Week Training Schedule

Finding (and following) a complete and detailed training calendar is by far the easiest way to make sure you’re ready for race day (here’s an 8-week plan we swear by). But if you want to make your own, here’s a beginner’s sample week that Steph made just for you!

Monday: Easy run with intervals

Tuesday: 60 minute bike ride or spin class

Wednesday: Easy swim with some hard 50m intervals

Thursday: 60 minute bike ride or spin class

Friday: Rest day

Saturday: Longer run with intervals

Sunday: Brick:1.5 hour cycle, straight into a 20-minute run.

Let's Do This  

Swimrun competitors

How to train for a swimrun

Check out these tips to help you train for your next swimrun challenge.

Swimruns (or aquathlons), typically undertaken as a team of two, add a whole new challenge to training for event day. For swimrun events you run and swim in the same kit through multiple swim and run sections so practising with all your kit and with your partner are pretty key. The following are some top tips to help with your training for event day.

Run training

Start your running training by getting your endurance up and achieving a solid base of fitness. Once you’ve got that, you can change up your routes, distances and importantly, the terrain you’re covering so that you practise dealing with the different challenges a swimrun course will throw at you.

Swimming training

Similar to your running training, try and build up your endurance for swimming and add in some speed work. If you can do some open water swims too, then that will definitely give you a good idea of what to expect on event day and will be a good opportunity to practise swimming with a wetsuit and trainers.

Get used to the equipment

Having the right kit and getting comfortable with it is a key part of swimruns, especially considering you won’t be changing at all and have to carry any kit you’ve got for the entirety of the event. Try to practise with all your kit in event day simulations so that you can deal with any problems before the event itself, such as rubbing wetsuits or constantly loose laces. Also practise the transitions in full event kit as you might find these more difficult when you’re all decked up.

Practise running as a team

You can do a lot of the training on your own, for the fitness side of things, but the majority of swim run events require you to be in pairs and to remain within a certain distance of eachother. If this is the case for the event you are taking part in, make sure you’ve trained and practised with your partner before event day. Try and master the team dynamic and where your strengths and weaknesses lie, so that on event day you can support and push eachother to achieve your best.

Enjoy it

Swimrun events are challenging but fun, so make sure you relax and enjoy yourself. You’ll be surrounded by some stunning scenery and swimming and running in the wild should give you a real sense of adventure and achievement.

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