Open water swimming requires more than fitness. Discover practical triathlon swimming tactics covering race-day preparation, breathing control, warm-ups, drafting, sighting, currents and waves. Coach Ray shares advice for Ironman Florida, Challenge Wānaka, Ironman New Zealand and Mount Maunganui to help you swim confidently and conserve energy for the bike and run.
View More Open Water Swimming for Triathletes: Race-Day Tactics, Confidence & Smarter Swimming 🏊🌊
Learn how to pace an Ironman 70.3 with Coach Ray’s complete race-day strategy. Discover how to swim efficiently, control your bike effort, manage hills and headwinds, and run strongly. Avoid common pacing mistakes, optimise your fuelling and hydration, and maximise your performance across all three disciplines on race day.
View More How to Pace an Ironman 70.3: Swim Smart, Ride Controlled & Run Strong
Prepare for the triathlon course you’re actually racing. Learn how terrain, weather, open water, hills, road surfaces and race conditions should influence your training. By making key sessions increasingly race-specific, you can improve your pacing, skills, fuelling and confidence while reducing unnecessary surprises when race day finally arrives.
View More Train for the Triathlon Course You’re Actually Racing
Open-water swimming can feel very different from the pool. Learn how to stay calm, control your breathing and build confidence when conditions become challenging. With specific open-water practice, smart positioning and better race-day skills, you can manage anxiety, find your rhythm and enjoy a stronger, more confident triathlon swim.
View More Learn to Stay Calm in Open Water: Build Confidence for Your Triathlon Swim
Preparing for your first sprint triathlon involves more than building fitness. Practising open-water swimming, transitions, brick sessions, race-day equipment and your pre-race routine can make the unfamiliar feel familiar. Discover seven practical things to rehearse before race day so you can arrive at the start line confident and prepared.
View More 7 Things to Practise Before Your First Sprint Triathlon
Swimming every session at the same pace can limit your progress. Discover why triathletes benefit from purposeful variety in the pool, including endurance, technique, tempo, threshold and speed work. Learn how developing different swimming gears can improve your fitness, efficiency and confidence while preparing you for the demands of race day.
View More Stop Swimming Every Session at the Same Pace
Swimming harder doesn’t always mean racing faster in an Ironman. Learn why a controlled, efficient swim can conserve valuable energy for the bike and marathon. By pacing wisely, staying relaxed, and focusing on efficiency, you can exit the water ready to perform strongly throughout the rest of your race.
View More Want a Faster Ironman? Swim Easier
Week 12 is the final taper week of the Ruby5 Swim Success Formula, designed to reduce fatigue while keeping your technique sharp and confidence high. These sessions help you arrive at race day feeling fresh, relaxed, and ready to swim your best.
View More Saturday Swim Session: Ruby5 Swim Success Formula – Week 12
Build the endurance, confidence, and open-water skills needed to conquer the Ruby5 Lake Wanaka Swim. These structured swim sessions target technique, pacing, and long-distance resilience for 5 km success.
View More Saturday Swim Session: Ruby5 Swim Success Formula – Week 11
Build the endurance, confidence, and open-water skills needed to conquer the Ruby5 Lake Wanaka Swim. These structured swim sessions target technique, pacing, and long-distance resilience for 5 km success.
View More Saturday Swim Session: Ruby5 Swim Success Formula – Week 10