TriOurWorld

It’s July. Finally the heat of summer has warmed lakes and oceans to a comfortable temperature. Now is your chance to do some open water swimming, preferably without the wetsuit.
All triathletes prefer to wear a wetsuit for buoyancy and for speed. It’s just so much easier to swim properly with the suit; but you can’t always wear it.
Keep in mind that World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) and USA Triathlon (USAT) have different rules regarding type and thickness of wetsuits allowed, and the temperature at which they may be worn. The new WTC rules (as of Sept. 2010) lower the legal wetsuit temperature for ironman and ironman 70.3 events to 76.1 degrees Fahrenheit; USAT sanctioned sprint and international distance events will still allow wetsuits up to 78 degrees. It’s best to check with race organizers about legality of wetsuits before the event.
Open water swimming is a much greater challenge than swimming in a pool: seas can be choppy; there are no lanes to separate you from other swimmers; and there are no marks on the bottom to keep you going straight. So July is the time to get out on the ocean or a large lake and practice swimming in waves, and constantly sighting to keep on course.
Every open water swimmer should master bilateral breathing. If you breath only on one side, and the race happens to be laid out so that the waves are hitting you from your breathing side, you will be in for a miserable time.
Sighting also takes some getting used to; a quick glance to keep on course without losing momentum is essential to a great swim in a race.
So while the weather is nice and the water is warm, get out in the open water and hone the skills that get neglected in the pool.The information party rocks on: Commission Seeks Safeguards at Open-Water Races