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We might race in open water, but for most triathletes a huge amount of our total swim training will be ticked off in the pool. And whether your love or loathe the world of chlorine, lane ropes and the slight carnage that can come with public swim sessions. Getting the most out of your pool training can play a significant role in helping you to get faster at open water swimming, so you can improve your triathlon swim time come race day.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the pool swimming essentials you’ll want to have in your kit bag to support your swim training.
An obvious must-have...
Swim suit / swim jammers
First up is a swim suit or swim jammers – an obvious one if you don’t want to get carted off for public indecency! There’s nothing like new swim wear to motivate you to hit the pool. So if you’re struggling to resist the temptation to hit snooze on your morning swim alarm, this is your ‘TRI247 made me do it’ sign to treat yourself to some new gear.
Look for chlorine-resistant material to ensure your new suit will last the off season. For women, a muscle back or string back option is great for ensuring you’re not restricted around the shoulders. We’ve been testing out the TRI-FIT RAPID-X women’s swim suit for a few months now and it’s performed really well. For men, opt for jammers (or trunks/briefs if you prefer) with a drawstring so you can get a secure fit around the waist. No one wants to lose their shorts half way through a 50m sprint!
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Focus on your swim training
Goggles
It’s likely your goggles are looking a bit worse for wear after race season. With the best will in the world, they’re going to get a bit battered when you’re throwing them into your transition bag with haste in T1. We’ve all had the pain of spending most of a pool swim session fiddling with our goggles. Whether it’s leaking, fogging or digging in. Goggles that are on their last legs are a sure fire way to get distracted from doing the quality pool work you need to come out of off season a better swimmer than you started.
If you’re thinking about changing your goggle of choice for next race season, the off season is also a great time to experiment with different brands to find one that works for your face shape. Without having the annoyance of being in the middle of the lake with leaky goggles and no easy way to change them for a different pair.
We’ve pulled together a list of our top rated swimming goggles here if you’re looking for recommendations.
Kit bag space saver
Microfibre swimming towel
If you haven’t got a microfibre towel yet, it’s one of those things you’ll soon wonder how you ever lived without. Particularly if you’re swimming on your way to/from work, getting rid of the bulky beach towel in favour of a lightweight, packable, fast-drying option will free up some serious space in your kit bag.
Head in the game
Silicone swimming cap
Even though you’re not swimming in open water and you don’t need one for visibility, it’s still a good idea to wear a swimming cap in the pool. If you’ve got long hair, it’ll keep it out of your face – and it helps to keep the pool clean. Wearing a swimming cap also makes you more streamlined, so don’t miss out on the free speed!
While you might have some swim caps hanging around from race season, it’s worth getting a high quality silicone swim cap. It’ll be comfier to wear, it’ll last longer and it won’t pull on your hair line.
Build strength and improve technique
Hand paddles
Hand paddles are a great tool, when used in moderation. They’re good for helping you to work on your hand entry, catch and pull phases. If your hand isn’t entering the water at quite the right angle, the paddles will really exaggerate this so you’ll be more aware of it. They also help you to develop a better ‘feel’ for the water and notice at what stage of your stroke you need to be applying force to get better propulsion. Using paddles also helps to build strength in your shoulders and lats.
Just beware of becoming a bit dependent on your paddles. They’ll make you swim faster, which can get quite addictive. But overuse can lead to shoulder injuries. Everything in moderation!
There are several types and sizes of paddles available. But we’d recommend opting for smaller ones such as the Arena Elite finger paddles if you’ve not tried swimming with paddles before. You’ll get the benefits we’ve outlined above, with less risk of putting too much pressure on your shoulders compared to some of the big dinner plate-sized options!
Fight back against chlorine damage
Swimming-specific skincare and haircare
We all know that the chlorine in the swimming pool can take its toll on our skin and hair. And in the winter months when you’ve also got the weather outside doing it’s best to dry your skin out. The combination of pool swimming and cold weather can leave your skin feeling uncomfortably tight and irritated. And your hair feeling decidedly straw-like. This is where using skin and haircare products designed specifically to reduce the impact of pool chemicals can work wonders.
We really like the range from TRIHARD, and it’s become a kit bag essential.
Focus on your stroke
Pull buoy
A pull buoy is a small float that goes between your legs to keep them lifted and keep you afloat without having to kick. They’re a useful tool for working on the pull phase of your swim stroke. By taking away any propulsion from your legs, you’ve got to really focus on being strong, smooth and efficient with your arms.
Swimming with a pull buoy can also be useful to help you feel where your legs and hips need to be to keep a good body position in the water. But like hand paddles, you don’t want to become too reliant on your pull buoy. Use it in your warm up/cool down and for specific drills, but resist the temptation to use it for your entire set.
Embrace the kick drills
Swimming fins (aka flippers)
Kicking: a triathlete’s least favourite swim activity. But working on your kick is more important than you might think. It helps with maintaining a better body position in the water so you’re not relying on your wetsuit to keep your legs lifted – you never know when you might end up with a last minute non-wetsuit swim announcement. Alongside kick drills, fins are also a useful tool for helping you to maintain good propulsion when you’re doing stroke-focused drills, such as the single arm drill or sculling.
Look for fins like the Arena Powerfin Pro rather than a completely closed heel option. This style of swimming fins give you freedom of movement around the ankle joint and maintains a natural ‘flutter’ kick feel. If you’ve found using fins gives you cramp, freeing up the ankle might help to alleviate the issue.
Now that you’ve got the essential gear sorted, it’s time to hit the pool and get training. Looking for inspiration for your next pool workout? Check out these top tips from Jonny Brownlee for the pool-based swim drills you can work on now to help you get faster once it’s time to head back out into open water. Or take a look at these insights from top level swimmer Helen Gorman, along with elite coaches and athletes, on how to improve your swim endurance.
