When preparing for an open-water race, a swimmer must try and control as many factors as possible, everything from their training in the water to nutrition. Unfortunately, there is one aspect of open-water races that cannot really be replicated in a pool: the cold water you get in a lake or in the sea.
Although most open-water races are organised in the summer, the season (including the triathlon season) begins and ends when the outside temperature, particularly the water temperature, is low. So, what should you do in this kind of situation?
First of all, you need to know that as soon as your body enters the cold water, the receptors on your skin trigger off the so-called “cold shock response”: this results in breathlessness and a rise in your heart rate and blood pressure. It takes your body about two minutes to get used to the new conditions.
In this article we will give you a few tips to prepare you for all this.
The first thing to take care of is your physical preparation and clothing.
In FINA open-water races, it is compulsory to wear a wetsuit (Read here to find out more) when the water temperature is below 18°C., making it an essential accessory. It must be both tightfitting and comfortable. It must allow you to swim freely without…
