Make sure your wetsuit fits properly and that your goggles, swim cap and other accessories work properly. When incorporating interval training into your Ironman swim training plan, it’s important to start gradually and increase intensity and duration over time. It’s also important to make sure that you have a proper warm-up and cool-down before and after each interval training session to prevent injury.

Let’s find out from three of the world’s best, brought to us by Zone3, on how you can conquer the Ironman swim in 2021. The real differences emerge when you consider the following factors: the size and physicality of mass starts; the anxiety levels at the start of an Ironman; the impact of bad pacing on energy levels; the pure complexity of tactics with so many swimmers around you.

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Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! I talk to swimmers about considering the number of sessions per month they are doing rather than per week. Four sessions per week is an admirable aim and it may happen, but 14 sessions per month is a challenging but more flexible goal. Trust in your training and your coach’s expertise, and realise that most stuff online has a rose-tinted glow about it. JA 21. Remember tri is fun They are designed aerodynamically for the swim, a small amount of padding for the bike, and still, let you run comfortably. Triathlon wetsuits are designed for added hydrostatic lift (buoyancy) and greater hydrodynamics (speed) in the water. Published studies have highlighted serious benefits for inexperienced swimmers as well as lean individuals with low body fat. [ 1 ]

Get them nailed and you’ll pull more water, stay straight, reduce drag and go faster. JA 14. Increase stroke rate ROKA has meticulously designed the Viper X2 Swimskin to ensure it meets USAT and IRONMAN legal requirements, giving athletes the confidence to perform at their best in any race. In the water, triathletes have reported that they can barely feel it. They can swim as they normally do in their trisuits or wetsuits. Many beginner triathletes said that the little boost of buoyancy gives them an extra edge on race day. Clearly, at 3.8km the IM swim is much further than the Olympic-distance swim at 1.5km. But when you think about it, they’re not that different – in essence they’re both relatively long, aerobic swims.Extra Small, Small, Small-Tall, Medium, Medium-Tall, Medium-Large, Large, Large-Tall, Extra Large, Extra Extra Large Paddles are another popular piece of swim gear that can help improve arm strength and technique. Paddles are flat, plastic devices that are worn on the hands, which increase the surface area of the hand and provide more resistance in the water. Using paddles during training can help improve arm strength and technique, as well as increase endurance and overall performance.

This workout is ideally done in a 50m pool with no wetsuit for a true and fair evaluation. On various training camps we have seen accurate predictions come from this swim for those needing to know their current IRONMAN swim ability. Use This Key Workout for IRONMAN Swim Pacing Given that you’ll spend less time training for the swim than the other disciplines, increasing your weekly swim total by a relatively small amount – for instance, swimming 5hrs instead of 4hrs – will see a dramatic reduction in your swim leg, potentially cutting your swim personal best by up to 20mins. The last biggy for the majority of age-group swimmers is the grip. We want to promote a slower, longer, more energy-efficient stroke for distance swimming, so we need to be pulling on the water all the way through the stroke.

4. Swim Straight

Less constriction– Although full-sleeve wetsuits are designed to allow for motion in all the necessary areas, eliminating the sleeves provides even more freedom for your shoulders and elbows. If wetsuits make you claustrophobic then a sleeveless wetsuit could also be beneficial for you as there’s less overall constriction. But exactly how much faster are triathlon wetsuits? There are a lot of reports that claim varying speed gains. But based on our research, you can expect a speed improvement between 3 and 7 percent. See our wetsuit FAQs for more. Wetsuit Sizing & Fit Guide Should you wear a wetsuit for your Ironman race? Yes, you almost definitely should. Wearing a wetsuit has multiple benefits that will help you have your fastest, most efficient swim. For events with a rolling swim start, don’t overestimate your ability. Please line up in the appropriate position based on instructions provided in the event athlete guide.