• Critical to get a good warmup and raise your heart rate before any hard sets in an open water training swim or before the start of a race. 
• Make sure to get plenty of open water swim practice. Swimming in a pool is very different than swimming in open water.

Open water workout:

1. 15 min warmup – include a few hard efforts as you would before a race 
2. 3 x 10-20 min (depending on your key race distance) trying to go further with each swim. Take 1-2 min rest between each 10 min. 
3. In open water your line is as important as your speed so make sure you are sighting frequently to swim straight

Meet Kevin McCormick,  NCCP Certified Triathlon Coach; Triathlon Ontario Certificate –Exercise Physiology for Triathlon; CanFit Pro Personal Trainer Specialist [in training]
Kevin has been working in the endurance sports world for 12 years and competing as an athlete for 21 years. He is the Owner of GoFasterGetFurther Coaching. Kevin is motivated by helping athletes achieve race distances and times that they never thought possible. He helps athletes train with consistency and focus, balanced with the rest of life. Outside of triathlon Kevin enjoys hockey, golf, time with his family, and having a beer while talking about all things sports.

Classic Speed Set by coach Tara

Here is a classic speed workout for the run:

8 to 12 X 400m, 60s rest.  This back-to-basics workout should be done at ~5k race effort.  

Try to be consistent with the pace throughout the set.  If you are still holding the time at the end, you can pick it up for the last few.

Don’t forget at solid 2k warm up and 2k cool down

Meet Tara Postnikoff, Hon BA, RNCP, NCCP-certified coach

As the owner and founder of HEAL™ (HEALTHY EATING ACTIVE LIVING™), Tara Postnikoff has been coaching people through healthy eating and active living since 2006.  As a sports nutritionist, triathlon coach and personal trainer, Tara is passionate about helping athletes eat better and perform better and focuses on a balanced approach to eating, training and life in general.   As a Triathlete, Tara over the past 15 years, has competed in all distances from Try-a-tri to Ironman, and is currently training for the ITU Sprint WC in Montreal and the Ironman 70.3 WC in Utah.