Is Masters Swimming Good for Triathletes? Pros, Cons, and Training Tips

Many triathletes come to the sport from running or cycling, which can mean that swimming is their weakest link. It’s a common issue among triathletes, but one that Masters swimming can help solve. 

Here, we dive into what triathletes should look for or avoid when joining a Masters swimming group and how to make the most of your time in the water. 

Pros

Masters swimming provides several key benefits to triathletes at all levels of the sport. These include:

Access to a coach. Many Masters groups have a coach on deck who can help you improve your swimming technique and address any imbalances in your stroke that could lead to injury. 

Structured workouts. Masters coaches and groups typically use a structured, written workout that can help orient athletes who are newer to swimming to training best practices. These workouts can boost your fitness and swim pace over time. 

Built-in training partners. Exercise is always more fun and sustainable when done with others, and Masters swimming provides ready access to a group of similarly paced swimmers who you can train with right from your first day. No more logging laps alone and getting bored; you’ll now have a crew of lanemates to keep you accountable. And some of them will likely be faster than you, which can help spur you to bigger improvements. 

Cons

Although most triathletes find adding Masters swimming to their training routine is a net positive, there can be a few drawbacks. Pitfalls to watch out for include:

Too much focus on pool swimming. Most triathlons take place in open water, and some Masters swimming programs don’t really address the skills needed to gain comfort and mastery in open water. Look for a group that offers “pool open water” training or that sometimes takes their workouts outside to a local open water swimming site.  

Too much sprint work. Some Masters programs also prioritize swim meet performance and may cater to sprint swimmers versus the type of endurance training you’ll need to swim in most triathlons in open water. Although it’s important to work on pace and speed, you also want to be building stamina, so speak with coaches in your area to find a program that cycles through the various types of training modalities to get a well-rounded training program. 

Scheduling challenges. Some Masters programs offer only a few workouts per week, which can make it difficult to squeeze in those swim workouts, especially when you’re trying to balance training for running and cycling too. Larger Masters groups tend to have more workouts, and some run multiple sessions per day. These larger Masters groups might give you more flexibility versus a smaller group with more restricted pool time. 

Training Tips for Triathletes

Use these training tips to get the most out of your time with Masters swimming:

• Balance pool and open water. Aim for two to three Masters workouts per week to focus on technique and fitness. If you’re training for a longer swim, supplement these sessions with some continuous swimming or open water sessions to practice sighting, pacing, swimming without walls, and the other open water skills you’ll need on race day. 

• Balance swimming with your other training. Swimming isn’t the only discipline you’re training for, so consider how it should fit within your whole training picture. For example, if your Masters group is working on all-out sprints on a day when you’re in the midst of a heavy cycling week, it’s OK to back off the pace a little to not burn yourself out. You have to balance three disciplines and keep up with the rest of your life too. 

• Prioritize technique over yardage. The more efficient you are in the water, the less energy you’ll expend during the swim portion of your race, which leaves more in the tank to blaze through the bike and the run. Masters workouts are a terrific time to focus on improving your stroke, often with the help of an expert coach.  

• Be consistent. As much as possible, set a routine and stick to it. The more consistently you show up and put in the work, the more likely you are to see improvements in your swimming that will boost your overall fitness and performance on race day.