Category: SWIM

Open water swimming

Essential open water swimming kit for winter

GRTW CEO, Rachael Woolston, shares her essential kit guide to open water winter swimming. I started swimming in the open water five years ago, when I first took up triathlon. One of my first open water triathlon events was early in the season in the river Arundel. I was so worried about the cold, I ended up purchasing a lot of different bits of kit. Something that I now REALLY need. I’ve been through a lot of different kit, and these are my pick of the best, as tried and tested in rivers, reservoirs, lakes and the sea. Orca Thermal

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FOUR WAYS SWIMMING CAN HELP YOU STAY RUN FIT

Out of running due to injury or because you’re off on holiday? Don’t panic. Discover how you can use swimming to overcome injury and stay fit for running Swim with a training focus In order to reap physiological benefits from swimming that are transferable to running, you need to challenge your body to a specific workout in the water. Get your heart rate up; don’t just go for a gentle up and down of the lanes. GRTW running coach and swimming champion, Katie Wright, recommends the following speed swim set. ‘200 metre sets – that’s eight lengths of a 25

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FIVE WAYS TO OPTIMISE YOUR SWIMMING WORKOUT

Girls Run the World open water swimming coach, Kelly Gentry shares 5 great ways to get the most out of your swimming workout from warm-up to cool down. As busy women, we want to get the most out of our time in the water. How do we do that? Avoid garbage yardage! Swimming a designated time or distance without choosing a focus or varying what you’re doing can often prevent you from gaining the benefits of your time and effort. Break your workout down into achievable segments. Avoid focusing on what is ahead in your training. Swimming takes constant conscious, mindful effort.

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BEST OPEN WATER SWIMMING GOGGLES

Goggles are an essential part of open water swimming kit. Our latest Real Women review asks our community of female swimmers what brands and models of goggles for open water swimming they most love and why Come on in, the water’s lovely. TYR Special Ops 3.0, £32 and Speedo Vanquisher 2.0, £25 – Coaches Recommendation “For marathon swims, the TYR Special Ops 3.0 available in a Femme and Normal size. I’ve worn these for up to 9 hours without a goggle mark after! Super comfortable and most swimmers I recommend them to also love them. For up to 10k or

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Open water swimming

3 of the Best Swimming Drills

We all know that drills are important. But which ones are the best to do for triathlon and why? The Pull What is it? Swim freestyle with a pull buoy between your thighs. Why? The pull drill is good as it helps to improve your freestyle stroke by keeping your legs buoyant so you can focus on the front end of your stroke. Particularly good for runners who take up triathlon and have sinking legs! The Kick What is it? Kicking, while holding a float at arm’s length. Why? This drill isolates your legs, enabling you to practice your leg kick. Try to drive

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