We are doing a ton of work within Ironman training and the more I think about it, the more I believe the weekly open water swims could be the most valuable. I think of the Ironman swim in two ways:
1. It may be the shortest “time section” of the race, but it can absolutely wreck you if you’re not comfortable and ready. I’m on a continuum between insatiable and utter fear.
2. The faster you get out of the water, the fewer people you’ll have ahead of you on the bike course. You’ll also be with faster people who will naturally raise your game.
So, our Coach, Robbie Bruce and his swim clinics, have been a major gift. He’s there four days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday) ready to show us everything he knows about swimming in open water. Sundays are at 4 pm, all other days 6 am. He teaches mass starts, sighting, drafting, and anything else that will take your pool training to a completely different level. I’ve been in open water 5 times this year and it has given me unbelievable confidence, along with transforming my comfort and abilities. If you live in Nashville, I can’t recommend it enough. Here’s a video I made as part of the Crushing Iron series that gives you more information.