Open water training

Head coach Martin writes: In our preparation for Open Water Regional Championships, which are also qualifying rounds for the National Championships in July, four Leander swimmers ventured out of London into the unknown waters of Shepperton lake. Ten degrees colder … Continue reading →

Head coach Martin writes: In our preparation for Open Water Regional Championships, which are also qualifying rounds for the National Championships in July, four Leander swimmers ventured out of London into the unknown waters of Shepperton lake.

Ten degrees colder than the pools we’re used to, no black line to follow, no wall or lane ropes to rest or turn, no ground to be seen. Just dark water and rain. That did not stop us from having a fabulous day out on Sunday morning.

We opted for wetsuits and did a few acclimatisation short swims before making two laps of the lake practising pack swimming and sighting. The swimmers worked great in the group. In the end we took wetsuits off and tried ‘real’ Open Water swimming for a short swim, as this is the way it’s done at Regionals and Nationals. All had a great time and really enjoyed their open water experience. We will be back again soon!