TRIATHLON COLD WATER SWIMA triathlon cold water swim is one of the biggest concerns for many triathletes, but there are ways to prepare for it in order to make the swim far less difficult and less of a concern. I was in town for the CDA 2008 Ironman and a cold-swim for the race was one of the biggest concerns I heard when I went down to the swim area where many of the entrants were getting in some last minute swimming. Over and over again I heard them talk about how cold the water was and I could tell that it was a major concern for many of them. A triathlon cold water swim can be pretty unnerving for many triathletes. In this particular year there had been a lot of rain in that part of Idaho and often stormy weather will cause a thermal inversion in lakes and it appears that was the case this year.
The same thing happened in Penticton back in the 1980's in a few of their earlier races and the water was "really" cold. The very same thing happened with the running of the inaugural Ironman Calgary 70.3 in August 2009. Because Ghost Lake(the swim venue)is fed from mountain run-off, all people could talk about was how cold the water was going to be. I could sympathize with them and completely understood their concerns because a cold water was one thing I feared most when it came to the Ironman swim. That was what prompted me to look into ways of overcoming the cold when it came to long open water triathlon cold water swims. It was actually the owner of a local vitamin store who educated me on the benefits of pantothenic acid. He told me how it is often used by long distance open water swimmers to ward off the cold.
When I looked into it I discovered that swimmers who had crossed the frigid water of the English Channel had used pantothenic acid to help build a resistance to the cold. Pantothenic acid is a non-prescription vitamin and can be purchased at most vitamin and health food stores. I used it myself in several colder Penticton Ironman races and have to say it made a noticeable difference and I never had a problem with triathlon cold water swims again. I would take 500 mg a day for one month up to and including the day of the race. It is inexpensive and I never noticed any side effects of any kind. If it is something you might be interested in trying, I would suggest doing your own search on it and check it out for yourself. It's just a simple matter to google it and you will find lots of information on the subject. Having the right wetsuit can really help as well. Some of the wetsuits are getting pretty thin these days. It seems that they are being constructed more for speed than anything else. If cold water is an issue for you I would consider going with a wetsuit that is manufactured more for comfort than for speed. In other words look for a suit that is thicker as far as millimeters and not the lighter, faster variety. Proper fit is important as well. Water will seep into any wetsuit and the idea is that the water seeps in becomes warmer from your body heat and provides a buffer against the cold. If the wetsuit is too "loose fitting" the water will keep circulating and will not warm up.
Just as a side-note. The water did warm up for the swimmers in the 2008 race. Early Ironman week it was cold and each day as the race got closer the water warmed up a little more. It was nice to see, because it can be a serious problem for many competitors. I talked to many triathletes who competed in Ironman Calgary 70.3 and most said it was much warmer than they expected. EFFICIENT SWIMMING WILL FIGHT THE COLD One of the best ways to fight cold water is to improve your swim stroke. The more compact, smooth, and energy-saving a swim stroke is, the less energy will be used to move through the water. It only makes sense that a swimmer will retain more body heat if their swim stroke is as effortless as possible. If you are just beginning your triathlon career, TOTAL IMMERSION is the perfect system to incorporate into your swim training as your career develops. If you are completely new to swimming, then you have the advantage of developing a great stroke from the very beginning without having to break bad swimming habits. This is turn will help negate the effects of cold water. TOTAL IMMERSION....Simply one of the best swimming techniques in the world today for triathletes of any level. TOTAL IMMERSION is offering all ironstruck visitors a 10% discount on Books, DVD's, and all other TI teaching tools. Simply click on this linktotalimmersion.net/store/go to the store page and type ironstruck(all small case)into the shopping cart coupon box and you receive your 10% discount automatically.
Triathlon Cold Water Back To Triathlon Swim Training
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I have written three books that all serve a specific purpose when it comes to those new to the sport of triathlon or those who perhaps have the Ironman on their mind.
"Ironstruck...The Ironman Triathlon Journey" is a perfect book for those who have the Ironman on their mind and perhaps need some motivation, inspiration, and encouragement to help them make that final decision to challenge the Ironman and make it to the finish line.
"Ironstruck? 500 Ironman Triathlon Questions and Answers" is most like the only Q+A book in the world on the subject of triathlon in general and the Ironman.
This is the perfect book for the triathlete who has decided to take on the Ironman for the first time, or perhaps has done one or two and would like some insight from a different point of view.
It is a great companion book for "Ironstruck...The Ironman Journey" and the pair of books would make a great gift.
"Triathlete in Transition" is a book that was inspired by all the people who would stop by at my Ironstruck book signings and suggest I write a book for the very beginner triathlete who just wanted to know more about the sport.
I suppose because I had this passion for the Ironman that it seemed natural to write about it first almost six years ago now.
So in effect I have gone from the most difficult and challenging of triathlons and ended up at the beginning of the triathlon journey.
Triathlete in transition is full of information about how to get started in the sport and like my Ironstruck books, are inspirational and motivational as well as full of practical advice on triathlon that make the sport much more enjoyable.
Regardless, now I have three books that cover the full range of triathlon from just learning about triathlon in general, to ultimately reaching the Ironman finish line.