Swimming is often the mosted feared and weakest portion of your triathlon skills.  Keri-Ann Payne and Cassie Patten from guardian.uk.com sayto use the following tips on you next workouts.

Sighting
It’s much easier than you think to swim off course during an open water swim (witness David Davies’ mistake in the Beijing 10km open water event) – wasting time and energy. The way to prevent this is to learn how to ’sight’.

Sighting basically means looking where you are going – and the best way to do it is to look up every few strokes – combining a quick check of your position with an inhalation. “As the arm extends forward in the water, press it down in order to help you lift your head up,” instructs Kelly. “You’ll need to get your head clear of the water in order to see above the waves. As soon as you’ve looked forward, turn your head to the side to inhale, in one smooth movement.”

Tip: Swim a lap, sighting every 6-8 strokes. Don’t just go through the motions of sighting. Did you actually confirm your position? “You sometimes need to sight twice in a row in order to see where you’re going,” says Kelly.

Swimming straight
Swimming no further than you have to also means being able to swim in a straight line. When Kelly got me to swim with my eyes closed (in an empty lane), it quickly became apparent that I had a tendency to veer to the right. This is normally down to faulty stroke mechanics (for example, pulling more strongly with one arm than the other, or allowing the arm to cross the midline as it pulls through). “It’s well worth having your stroke looked at by a swim coach to identify and help you correct faults,” says Kelly.

Tip: Try swimming 10 strokes with your eyes closed before looking up to see where you are. If you always veer the same way, try to work out what’s causing the imbalance.

Swim with a pullbuoy
Powering your way around the swim using a vigorous leg kick is not advisable – these are muscles you need for the bike ride and run. “Try to kick just twice during each stroke cycle,” Kelly advises. “The aim of the kick is to stop the legs from sinking, rather than to propel you forwards.” He gets me to swim a few laps with a ‘pullbuoy’ placed between my legs, to stop me kicking. “The other useful thing about the pullbuoy is that it emulates the higher body position you get when you wear a wetsuit,” he adds.

Tip: Alternate laps with and without a pullbuoy. if your local pool (or lido) allows it, practise swimming in your wetsuit before your triathlon race. While a wetsuit enhances buoyancy, it can feel decidedly odd if you’re not accustomed to it.

Drafting
Given that conserving energy is of paramount importance in triathlon, drafting is a skill well worth mastering. Drafting entails gaining a tow in the slipstream of a swimmer close in front of you, and, according to a study from the University of St Etienne in France, can yield a 9.5 second improvement in 400m swim time. “But don’t rely on the person you are drafting to navigate for you,” warns Kelly. “There is no guarantee they are going in the right direction!”

Tip: Practise swimming ‘on the feet’ of a swimmer in front of you without touching them. You can gain the same benefit from swimming slightly alongside their lower legs rather than directly behind them.

Breathing
While in a race, you will probably be working at an intensity that requires you to breathe every second stroke (either always on the left or always on the right) breathing ‘bilaterally’ (every third stroke – alternately to left and right) is an important factor in developing a symmetrical stroke. The added advantage of being able to breathe on both sides is that if conditions, such as glaring sun, choppiness or other swimmers, require that you breathe only to the left or right, you are able to do so. “Many people find breathing during front crawl difficult, but often it’s because they try to inhale when they haven’t exhaled,” says Kelly. ‘Breathe out forcefully when your head is in the water to empty the lungs – this enables you to get air in more quickly when you turn to breathe, interrupting your stroke less.’

Tip: Swim one length breathing only to the right, one to the left and one bilaterally.