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The swim start of a triathlon can be surprisingly difficult. Triathletes will spend hours and hours preparing their swim, bike, and run fitness, but a hectic start that you're not prepared for can have a ripple effect on the rest of your race day. Even though most triathlon races are considered endurance events, race day often begins with a sprint, which can make settling into an appropriate pace quite difficult. Moreover, swim starts are unique as there's no one universal way of starting a triathlon, and that means you'll want to be prepared to navigate each type of start to ensure you have a successful race day.

This type of start can occur either in open water or when the swim is performed in a pool. In many ways, it's the simplest start. You're already in the water, and once the race starts, you just start swimming. It might seem like there's not a lot to this simple start, but going from treading water (or standing in deep water) vertically to swimming horizontally -- without the aid of a wall to push off of in many cases -- can cause a bit of chaos.

With a beach start, all the competitors begin on land, and when the gun or horn sounds, everyone runs into the water. These starts can be the most physically challenging because you have to transition from running to swimming (and know when to do that), all while surrounded by competitors trying to do the same thing.

As with a water start, dive starts can take place in open water or in a pool. When they take place in open water, they're typically performed off of a dock or a similar structure. When performed in a pool, the start takes place from the side of the pool. In both cases, diving is not strictly necessary, and jumping is sufficient, although not quite as fast. For anyone who dives into a pool, this can be an incredibly familiar feeling; for those who don't (or never have), it can be a source of stress.

Race starts can be challenging due to the pent-up nerves and anticipation that comes prior to racing. Swim starts are even more difficult for two reasons: First, more often than not, the water is cold! That creates a stress response when you enter the water and it tends to reduce blood flow to the muscles, both of which can make swimming feel harder.

Secondly, almost every swim start consists of a mad dash to establish positioning for the remainder of the swim. You're quickly transitioning from rest to a near all-out effort, even when you know you could have literally hours of racing ahead of you. In this respect, beach starts can be the most challenging because you're literally running into the water first. Your heart rate and respiration are going to spike, which creates an incredible physiological demand.

Even if you'd like to patiently work your way into the swim, sometimes that's not an option. You don't want a lot of slower-speed swimmers to get in front of you, because then you'll spend the entire swim working your way through traffic. And just because you want to take it slow, that doesn't mean everyone else around you does. If you don't want people swimming all over you, a strong effort is often required.

For these reasons, swim starts can be quite stressful, both physiologically and psychologically. Fortunately, with practice and experience, swim starts can become a lot more manageable. All it takes is more familiarity, some practice, and a dose of realistic foresight.

In all three sessions, there are three main tasks to focus on: First, you want to practice being aggressive at the beginning of each start. The main challenge of the start is going from rest to close to full speed. Next, you'll want to practice settling into a more sustainable pace. Lastly, it's important to occasionally practice some sighting to ensure you can reliably and instinctively swim straight during the mad dash.

Start swimming as fast as you can for about 60 seconds. If you're in the open water, once you go for about 60 seconds, stop and then swim back to land at a more controlled pace. Be sure to sight on the way out and the way in. If you're in the pool, after your sprint, continue swimming for about 120 seconds at a controlled pace. For both, the controlled pace should be your intended race effort, not just easy.

While the sessions are constructed in terms of time, feel free to substitute the appropriate distances if you're in a pool or if there are physical objects you can swim to in open water. Take 2-3 minutes between rounds to ensure you can give an honest effort for each start, and do anywhere between 5-10 rounds, depending on your fitness level. These sessions are all similar in nature -- what changes is how you'll be entering the water.

This session can be done at a pool that allows you to dive, or at an open-water venue that has a dock or some other location you can dive. Begin each repetition from a dive.

The session will be done starting on land with a 10-20-meter run into the water. Give a full effort when transitioning to the swim.

This can be performed in either open water or a pool, alternating between different water depths (waist, chest, treading water). Just go from the start!