Open Water Swim

Training

The swim training will include a safe swim environment, open water swim instruction, swim race simulations, and wetsuit demo nights. Swim Coach Anita Krier and Professional Triathlete & Endurance Coach will lead the open water swim instruction and clinics. The swims will take place at Pewaukee Lake June through August on Monday evenings from 5:30-7:30 pm at the beach front on Wisconsin Ave. Each open water swim will have a ¼ mile course, switching swim directions weekly. Each swimmer will receive a goodie bag with discounts from our partners and a swim cap based on novice or intermediate+ level.

Clinics

Here’s your chance to get comfortable swimming in open water while learning everything you need to know about the swim segment of a triathlon. The coaches will demonstrate key open water swimming skills and provide you with time to practice course sighting, turning around buoys, drafting and mass starts. You will be provided tips on dealing with pre-race jitters, positioning yourself at the start of the race, swimming in a wetsuit and remaining calm in the water. Each clinic will be 60 minutes and include an optional ¼ mile swim where you will practice everything you learned! For those in the introductory clinic your coach will help you decide if you are ready for the ¼ mile swim.

Beginner or new open water swimmers

Ease your open water anxiety and make your swim experience a success.
Topics to include:
• Differences of pool to open water
• Wet suits
• Cramping – how to prevent and what to do if you get one
• Sighting
• Swim drills to improve your comfort in the water
• Treading water
• Breathe control
• Goggle issues: fog, clear, kicked off and put back on
• Challenges of lake: weeds, dark murky water and water temperature
• At the end based on what each swimmer learned, they will have the opportunity to swim the ¼ swim course

Intermediate

Aimed at swimmers with prior open water experience looking to increase comfort and speed. Adapt your pool strokes to the waves, chop and current of open water. This clinic will provide realistic but low-pressure simulations of open water racing for current and aspiring triathletes. All participants MUST be able to swim at least 500 meters in a pool to participate.
Topics to include:
• Safety
• Ins and outs of a wetsuit – how to properly put on and take off
• Entry & exit techniques
• Beach starts verses deep water starts
• Buoy navigation and effective turning
• Sighting tips
• Drafting
• 400 meter race simulation at the end of the clinic

Wetsuit Demo Clinics

Learn from the experts on how to find the proper fitting wetsuit, differences between the brands and have the opportunity to do a test them out in the open water!

Inclement Weather & Water Conditions

In the event of inclement weather or water conditions we will post the decision by 4:00 pm.
Find cancellations on P3 home page lower left column under Open Water Swims. We apologize in advance if we have to cancel any of the 12 open water swim sessions but your safety is our first priority. There will be no refunds if we are unable to have the swim.

Swim Coaches

Anita has been coaching swimmers for over 25 years, from the beginner to national caliper swimmer. She is the head coach of Lake Country’s Wavemaster’s swim team, located at St. John’s Military Academy in Delafield and leads a women’s triathlon team that includes a group of breast cancer survivors. Anita competed at the collegiate level in swimming while attending UW-Madison and currently competes in US Master’s swimming events and sprint triathlon distances. In addition, Anita is a certified massage therapist and personal trainer at be fitness in Delafield.

Heather is a six-time All American Triathlete, former USAT Triathlete of the Year, and 7-time Ironman Finisher including 4 top 5 finishes. Since 2004 Heather has continued to race professionally while coaching triathletes of all abilities to advance in the sport. Her clients include numerous age group award winners, world championship qualifiers and successful Ironman race finishers. Her passion is helping others achieve their goals all while implementing a realistic, but purposeful training program into their current lifestyle.