How to Overcome Triathlon Swim Workouts and Self Consciousness
The sad truth is that few people are completely satisfied with their bodies. This even applies to triathletes; people known for having some of the best looking and fittest bodies. One of the things we notice with folks that are new to triathlon- guys or gals- is that some folks are a bit self conscious when it comes to the swim workouts.
This could be due to lack of swimming history, fear of the water or just plain unhappiness about how a busy family / business life has distracted us from taking care of ourselves the way we know we should. Whatever the flavor, we’ve seen it all. Trust us. The challenge is to not let that derail the goal of completing your first triathlon, PRing at Arizona Ironman or making it to Kona for the Ironman World Championships. Time to jump in the pool and get some work done, not beat yourself up for not being Michael Phelps or Natasha Badman.
The good news is that you are not alone! ALL of us feel some sort of insecurity at some point when we get into triathlon. The trick is to focus on the work you need to get done in the pool so that you can have a more comfortable or faster swim time in your race.
Here’s what we suggest:
- Go the pool at a time that makes sense for your schedule
- Arrive with your swimsuit already on, under your clothes (if possible)
- Walk immediately to the area where you’ll leave your bag (locker room, pool deck, etc…careful to keep an eye on stuff if you are not using a locker)
- Keep all of your swim items (swim cap, water bottle, workout cards, ear plugs, goggles) in a small mesh stuff sack that can get wet and you can toss on the deck right next to your swim lane
- Get into the water
- You can do some stretching in the water or on the deck. It’s up to you.
- Do workout
- Jump out and towel off and walk to changing room to get street clothes together and off you go
The key is to not think about it too much. The person in the lane next to you that looks like they should be on the cover of Beautifully Fit Person Monthly could care less about what your belly or butt looks like. They are just as self conscious as you are, but in ways that you can’t even tell.
To help with all of the actual workout portions, check out or swim specific triathlon DVD. You’ll love it.