presents BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO OUTDOOR SWIMMING PART2 YOUR FIRST MILE LONG DISTANCE SWIMMING OPEN WATER SKILLS Editor's letter Dive in, the water's lovely! Welcome to part two of our two-part guide to 4 outdoor swimming, in association with online swim shop ProSwimwear. Whether you want to swim your frst mile or cross the English Channel, read on to fnd out all the practical advice you need to start your outdoor swimming journey. We have a training plan for your frst mile as well as an introduction to open water racing. Plus, we teach you how to hone your open water skills so you can have a faster and more enjoyable swim. If you have your sights set on more distant horizons, we explore the world of long distance swimming. And for the adrenaline junkies among you, we look at the endurance sport of swimrun and adventure swimming. Enjoy the guide and I hope to see you in the water soon. Jonathan 6 Myth Busting 4 Outdoor Swimmer’s top 10 swim myths Distance 20 Swimming Mass The world of distance Participation swimming, where the 20 6 impossible is possible Events How to get started in open water racing Adventure 24 Swimming Skills It’s time to throw out the Outdoor skills to make swimming rulebook and 12 your swim more enjoyable heed the call of the wild Mile Training Swim Run 16 Plan 28 Try a bit of trail running Face your first event with with your swimming 18 confidence Land Training 18 Your swim needs to start before you hit the water Founder & Publisher Simon Griffiths Editor Jonathan Cowie Contributing editor Alice Gartland Art Editor Juliet Boucher Sub Editor Stuart Churchill Cover image Andrew Kenyon Printed in the UK by Pensord Press Ltd on behalf of ZG 24 28 Publishing Ltd You can only WILL #2be an outdoor swimmer if you MONSTERS swam for a club EAT ME AND as a child False! Whether you’re are masters swimming DO I HAVE learning to swim for the clubs, adult learn to swim frst time as an adult, courses at local leisure returning to swimming centres and specialist following years out of open water coaches that TO COVER the water, or you’re a can help you develop regular club swimmer, good technique and build outdoor swimming confdence in open water, ofers something for in addition to the many MY BODY IN everyone. friends and informal Making the transition swim mentors from from pool to open the outdoor swimming water can be daunting community you will meet GOOSE FAT? for anyone, but there along the way! OUTDOOR SWIMMER’S TOP 10 SWIM MYTHS #3 YOU HAVE TO WEAR A #1 Outdoor WETSUIT swimming is False! It’s up to you what you wear! However, some swim events will stipulate that a wetsuit is required or may request evidence of acclimatisation and dangerous experience if you're seeking to participate without a wetsuit. Other events will be non-wetsuit only. There’s something for everyone! False! As with many outdoor activities there are a few safety issues to keep in mind, but with a litle common sense, wonderful adventures await. Wear a bright coloured swim hat so you are visible to other water users; YOU Don’t swim when under the influence #4 of alcohol; False! You can swim Swim within your capabilities; HAVE TO whatever stroke you Don’t swim alone; like. However, for swim Know your entry and exit points; SWIM events front crawl and Assess conditions on the day. If breaststroke are likely to you’re not sure, don’t swim! FRONT be the preferred strokes. For more information on staying Backstroke is sometimes safe when swimming outdoors see CRAWL not allowed at swim bit.ly/2nigIhz events. 4 Outdoor Swimmer MYTH BUSTING #5You must cover yourself in goose fat False! Contrary to the evocative pictures of grease-clad English # Channel swimmers of the past, goose 8 fat does not keep you warm. Rather, Channel swimmers train to acclimatise to the water temperature. The main reason for covering your skin in a greasy substance is to prevent chafing, which can be a real issue for swimmers, especially in salty water. Vaseline is adequate for short JAWS! swims. For wetsuits, it’s best to use non-petroleum based products. Don’t even think about it…or may be with. Calm breathing, re-directing your you won’t be able to help yourself…But thoughts and building up experience rest assured, there aren’t any records can all help. If you’re swimming YOU’LL of sharks attacking swimmers around elsewhere, do your research and get #6 the UK. Te fear of what lies beneath local advice frst before venturing into GET Getting ‘dragged down is something all swimmers contend the water. TANGLED by weeds’ is a common fear for beginners but is UP AND The people most extremely unlikely, if not fearful of jellyfish HELD impossible. Nevertheless, stings are those pond weed and other who have never been # YOU’LL GET DOWN BY plants can impede your stung, so celebrate your 9 swimming and possibly first jellyfish sting as it STUNG BY WEEDS induce panic. Stay will reduce your fear. This doesn’t mean jellyfish calm and gently extract stings are pleasant. Far JELLYFISH yourself. from it. They can hurt a lot. However, experienced AND DIE swimmers usually find they can cope with the pain and #7 just keep swimming. The risk is low and most I'll get ill swims pass without incident. However, it is possible to pick up bugs that may cause from the vomiting and diarrhoea. To The water is reduce the risk, use beaches # that meet bathing water 10too cold to swim water standards. In inland waters you need to rely more outside, even in on your own judgement and the experience of other the middle of swimmers. Avoid swimming in rivers afer heavy rainfall that might wash contaminants summer or sewage into the water. Weil’s disease is also something to be aware of. It’s a bacterial infection that is Te average sea temperature spread by animals and can affect people. around the UK ranges from You can catch it through contact with about 8 degrees Celsius in February soil or water that’s been contaminated to 17 degrees in August. Inland waters have a wider range by urine from affected animals. That and can freeze in winter and exceed 20 degrees in summer. means swimmers are at risk, but it’s a While cooler than a heated indoor pool, most people can very low risk. It's all about common sense: adapt to swimming in typical summer water temperatures. avoid water that looks A more immediate danger is cold water shock. It can suspicious, cover cuts, cause a sharp intake of breath and a sense of panic. It wash your hands before passes within about two minutes and the more experience eating, avoid swallowing you have of swimming outside, the easier it is to manage. lots of water, and shower To stay safe, it’s best to slide into the water gradually. afer swimming. Outdoor Swimmer 5 RACES AND CH ALLENGES Simon Griffiths explains how to get started in mass participation swimming events t’s just getting light on a mid-summer blustery afernoon, staring out to sea from the before – and it’s awesome. morning. You’re standing in a crowd by Jurassic Coast. Te sea is choppy and agitated. Te next weekend you’re in Cumbria. Te a river. Mist hangs over the mirror-fat You try not to think about jellyfsh or ‘jokes’ water is a few degrees cooler.You notice its water. In a few moments, you – along about great whites. Tis is going to be a tough bite, but appreciate its clarity. It’s raining Iwith all the people beside you – are going to swim and you hope you’re ready for it. gently, but sunlight breaks through to light up disturb that calm and swim 2.1km upstream Next month you’re in an East End London the mountains. You’re about to swim 5km, the towards Henley and the church which you dock. A few weeks ago you didn’t even know furthest you’ve ever done, and you wonder if can’t see yet, but know is there. Your stomach it was possible to swim here and now you you’re up to it, but you know there’s only one tingles. You’ve been training hard, but this is see hundreds of people doing it. Te water is way to fnd out… still going to be a big challenge. slightly briny but you barely notice; you’ve Welcome to the world of mass participation A week later you’re standing on a beach on a never seen the city from this perspective racing. Unlike the pool where you swim pretty 6 Outdoor Swimmer outdoorswimmer.com MASS PARTICIPATION Image: Swim Serpentine CH ALLENGES much the same distance, in the same type of could you swim further, or could you do it friend on the way around could be out there water at the same temperature every time, no without a wetsuit? for 90 minutes or more. open water race is the same – these events will Know what you are signing up for and take you to rivers, lakes, the ocean, docks and So, how do you get started? prepare accordingly. A sea swim is very estuaries and conditions will always change. Find an event that appeals to you. With When it comes to organised racing, distances about 200 in the UK each year and many more range from a few hundred metres to more around the world, there are plenty to choose RACING WILL than 10km.