A man in a Dryrobe standing next to a lake
COACH,  Training and Technique

How to practice your swimming technique in cold water

Open water swimming and triathlon coach Richard Mowat finds cold water ideal for focusing on swimming technique

I read with interest your thoughts on the worth of cold water swimming in your article “Should You Winter Swim in a Wetsuit”. For me, the rapid autumnal decrease in water temperature marks the welcome change from my summer to winter schedules.

I am a keen open water swimmer but at heart a triathlete and indeed triathlon coach. For me,  the change is much more significant than generally a wetsuit in the summer to skins in the winter months. 

“Summer swimming” sees me enjoying long swims and endurance sessions in the open water with maybe, at most, one pool session a week to concentrate on technical aspects of the stroke.

“Winter swimming” on the other hand sees me balance an endurance session in the local indoor heated pool with three or four technical sessions at the local loch.

Let me explain further.

I am in the lucky position of staying 3.5 miles from the nearest indoor pool and 3.7 miles from my local open water, so why would I choose to move my technical sessions to the open water as the temperature starts to drop?

The seasonal change is all due to my relationship and respect for the White Loch, a small body of water on moorland just on the outskirts of Glasgow. It’s far enough away to feel remote but near enough civilisation to feel safe. In summer, I feel free and will travel. In winter I respect the cold water and swim well within my limits in a body of water I know well.

My White Loch technical sessions start as any coached session would, by preparing at the house. I make sure I have all the necessary equipment and am in the right frame of mind. In winter, this is more about having the right clothing, a hot drink and a chocolate bar for after the session to tackle the after-drop. The focus changes when I pull into the White Loch car park and make my way to the shore. In a way similar to when you walk poolside and discuss the morning session with your coach, I stare purposefully at the loch. Today the water temperature will be 4oC, the sun is starting to rise and a biting wind is coming in from the east making the water slightly choppy. These are ideal conditions for focusing on high elbow recovery, a good strong catch and a nice rotation of the shoulder and hips. My coach (the White Loch) has set out the key focus points for today’s session.

A man swimming in a lake

I enter the water with purpose, knowing the longer it takes the more impatient “my coach” will become. The session starts with time spent purely focused on my breathing. As your body and face come to terms with the cold water you have no alternative than to bring your breathing under control. Nothing else matters. Just focus on breathing until you get it right. After 2 minutes or so I am in control, breathing comfortably and as I should be. 

Without warning, I now realise I am acutely aware of my hands. The cold water biting at my fingers starts to cause pain. For some reason, the pain allows a further dimension and you appear to know exactly where your heavy-feeling hands are entering the water. You can feel the catch like you never feel it in a pool or in warmer water. Clipping the top of a couple of waves reminds you not to be lazy and that one of the focuses for this session was the high elbow during recovery.  

Attention soon changes to the feet which also remind you they need some attention. The vice grip the cold water has strengthens across the foot until they have been brought into line and are now gently paddling along in a delicate flutter kick.  

As you try a few different drills, the cold water has tightened the skin and starts pinching different muscles around the body, reminding you of the areas that need the most work. Today it is the upper leg that gets attention and before you know it you are subconsciously working on body position as you try to synchronise the shoulder and hip rotation. Determined not to be beaten by the cold, you work hard, knowing that time is limited to get it right and show the White Loch how good a swimmer you are.

After 10 minutes or so the White Loch appears to have had enough and tells you to get out. Just as a disgruntled coach might say after a mediocre effort: “that’s enough for today.” The White Loch unceremoniously spits out your lobster-pink body and sends you scuttling to the car to get changed before after-drop kicks in.

Although 10 minutes sounds too short to be effective, the freezing waters of the White Loch provide an intense and purposeful session. There is no time to chat at the end of each length, there is no loss of focus, and there is certainly no time to mess around.

For me, winter sessions at the White Loch provide me with some of the best technical sessions available. And very occasionally, as the sun rises, the temperature will be cold, the air will be still and you will cut through the mirrored water with perfect front crawl. After this, the White Loch will place you gently back on the shore, still lobster pink, but this time with a pat on the back and a gentle whisper: “Good effort today lad”. You know that the coach/athlete relationship is truly working.

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