HOW TO TRAIN FOR WINTER SWIMMING EVENTS
Racing in cold water is very different to dipping , says Simon Griffiths
SIMON GRIFFITHS
Winter swimming events usually run to a strict time schedule. There isn’t much scope for faff when being invited to undress in potentially sub-zero temperatures and climb into icy water. Your fellow competitors will also not appreciate being made to wait.
On entering the water, you will be required to submerge your shoulders before the start signal. At most, you will have a handful of seconds to prepare before you need to swim. Whether you’re in it to win it or there for the fun, you should ready yourself for this in your training.
COLD WATER SHOCK
Our standard advice for cold water is to enter slowly and make sure your breathing is under control before attempting to swim. The reason is that cold water shock typically lasts a minute or two. During this time, if you’re not used to it, you may panic and gasp involuntarily – not a good move if your face is in the water. In a winter swimming race, you may have finished before you get through the cold water shock stage.