The swim is the number one concern among new triathletes.

Here’s the problem:

You decide you want to do a triathlon. Yay! You might have ridden a bike or run a bit in the past, but you probably have no idea how to swim (at least swim freestyle.)

This is because the overwhelming majority of triathletes do not come from a swim background.

Most of us are adult-onset swimmers, and it’s much harder to learn the most technical endurance sport when you’re 30, 40, 50.

Let’s say you do learn how to swim well enough to get from one side of the pool to the other. Great! But, now you have to learn something completely different… how to swim in open water.

Swimming in open water is different than pool swimming for many reasons.

There are no lane lines to follow. There’s no wall to grab ahold of.

You’re facing unpredictable conditions- dark water, low visibility, temperature changes, waves, current, aquatic creatures, other athletes.

It’s A LOT to think about, and most athletes get overwhelmed.

I get messages like this all the time—questions about technique, breathing, open water nerves, and how to actually improve.

Instead of answering them one by one, I finally put everything into one place.

- Simple, easy-to-understand explanation of the freestyle stroke

- How to stay calm with breathing techniques to activate the parasympathetic nervous system

- Open water prep in the pool with sighting skills

- Using shorter intervals to build endurance by varying intensity and rest

- Swimming in a wetsuit (dos and don’ts)

- Common mistakes triathletes make in open water

And links to 8 articles I’ve written about the triathlon swim including: my favorite drills, how to overcome open water swim anxiety, myths about the triathlon swim, and more.

And it’s completely free- designed to help you feel more confident the next time you get in the water.

👉Check out Open Water Swimming For Triathletes (Beginner Guide)