As part of our series of blogs on open water, Total Immersion coach Penny Wilkin gives us the lowdown on how to stay safe as you embark on your next river swimming adventure. By Penny Wilkin and Sarah Hill Since the lockdown has been lifted I’ve made it a point to check out a wider range of open water and wild swimming spots local to me. In fact, I’m on a mission to swim in a different spot each week - which I’ve named “Wild Swim Wednesdays” Along with some friends from local swimming group Swim and Tonic, I’ve ventured to lots of new swimming spots, most of these have been river dips and, as many more people are swimming in rivers I thought it would be useful to share some of the things we do to keep ourselves safe: Get local knowledge before you swim in a new place - from local people, other swimmers, one of the wild swimming books, a Facebook group, Google and OS maps. Consult water quality resources - see our last blog W ater Quality101 for all you need.  Never swim alone and ...

Salka Hintikka is a Total Immersion Coach in Cumbria and a keen open water swimmer. Her background is in environmental engineering. When not coaching or swimming she works for the Environment Agency.   As swimming pools and many open water swimming venues are still closed, many of us keen swimmers have headed out to find new waters to swim in. This can come with a great sense of adventure and discovery, but also uncertainty about the water quality. Here’s a little “back to basics” on water quality and where to find more information in England. For similar information in Wales or Scotland, please see  Natural Resources Wales  and SEPA . Pollution There are many definitions of pollution, but let’s concentrate here on things that can make swimmers ill. Main culprits in the UK generally would be agricultural runoff and sewage. How does it get to the river? Point Source Pollution Point source pollution is from a pipe, drain or other distinct source that discharges in...

By Penny Wilkin and Sarah Hill Many of us are lucky enough to be able to swim in some beautiful open water and whilst we should of course take time to appreciate our surroundings, without a clear focus we can easily become distracted and drift away into a long slow swim that can often become ‘mindless’.  There is certainly a place for this kind of swim and it is a great place to start in the open water as it can help you get used to your wetsuit, acclimatise to a different environment and temperature as well as building endurance. However, for many swimmers, particularly those aiming for triathlon or competitive swimming of some kind you will probably start to look for a little more interest in your swim, and, whilst a long slow no-pressure swim is enjoyable it will not provide the opportunity to practice the physical and technical challenges of   faster race-pace swimming. For competitive swimmers it is crucial to step outside of this easy zone - competitive swimming can be...

By Penny Wilkin and Sarah Hill It looks as though we might be able to get back in the water in the not too distant future but don’t worry – you won’t have forgotten how to swim! If you’re an experienced swimmer, those thousands of repetitions will have forged their way into your nervous system and you may find that your stroke hasn’t deteriorated much at all whereas the less experienced may need to take some time to re-establish their confidence, good stroke habits and re-develop their feel for the water. It’s tempting to rush back in and go all out to make up for lost time once you hit the water but your aim for your first swim should be simply to enjoy yourself! Don’t even think about missed training, cancelled events or lost technique, just remember how fantastic being in the water feels and allow yourself to relax, de-stress, have fun and just swim! Once you’re swimming more regularly it’s important not to put pressure on yourself to ‘get back to where you were’ in terms of d...

By Penny Wilkin and Sarah Hill Now that many of us have managed to have a few swims and are hopefully starting to feel better in the water, our thoughts are turning to rebuilding our swim fitness. TI founder Terry Laughlin said “Fitness is something that happens to you while you practice good technique” , so whilst it’s tempting to go all out, it is crucial to keep your discipline and focus your swim on technique. It can be daunting knowing where to start so we’ve put together some tips: · After many weeks without swimming make sure you take it slowly; you can’t force fitness. · It’s all about technique - remember swimming is a technical sport so keep focusing on your stroke and focal points. If the water is warm enough then definitely practice some drills, this might be tricky in the UK as the water is still quite cold so if drills aren’t possible then make sure you swim with focal points. · Don’t try and do it all at once – avoid swimming every day or doing 3 huge swims i...

By Susan Cheshire and Sarah Hill As the pools are still closed, we thought it would be useful to look at how can we make the most of our time in the open water, enjoying every moment and leaving the water a better swimmer. Whilst our fitness levels may have changed during the lockdown, your swim can be more than simply a physical workout; a swim session gives us the opportunity to exercise our brains too. Being back in the water gives us a chance to find our flow, reconnect and redevelop our feel for the water and its myriad benefits; for many being in the water allows the stresses of life and current challenges to melt away. If you are swimming in open water, for some people the lack of structure and longer distances involved can sometimes feel overwhelming and it can be more challenging to swim with a clear plan and purpose. We’ve put together a few ideas about how to get the best mental and physical benefits from your open water swim: Mentally manageable chunks – in open w...