Open Water Swimming: A Complete Guide for Distance Swimmers and Triathletes

by Penny Lee Dean

Author Penny Lee Dean, a swimming legend and world record holder in 13 events, shares her unique knowledge of racing and solo swims in Open Water Swimming . From techniques for swimming in a crowd to navigating a straight line, Dean provides invaluable advice to long-distance swimmers, marathon swimmers, triathletes, and their coaches. Whether you're a beginning open water swimmer, an accomplished swimmer about to brave the English Channel (which Dean did in world-record time) or a coach for aspiring distance swimmers or triathletes, Open Water Swimming provides the conditioning plans, event profiles, and mental training techniques you need to succeed. Open Water Swimming also - 13 stretches for increased flexibility and smooth stroke technique,
- 16 practice drills for improved form, and
- 43 different workouts for greater endurance. You'll find profiles of champion open water swimmers and triathletes such as Lynne Cox, Alison Streeter, John York, Captain Matthew Webb, Chad Hundeby, Florence Chadwick, Pete Huisvelds, Shelley Taylor Smith, Paula Newby-Fraser, Karen Smyers, Mike Pigg, and many others. Open Water Swimming also provides contact information for national and international triathlon and swimming organizations as well as race information for 10 open water marathon swims and 11 international triathlon events.

232 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1998

Reviews

[surfurbian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a riveting read but then good solid and real information often does not provide the sort of sensational experience of reality we have come to expect from an evening of "reality" TV.

The book offers a good overview of the issues associated with swimming in general and open water swimming in particular. It is worth the read especially if, like me, you are a novice. More serious atheletes will require both greater depth and more updated information regarding equipment, nutrition, and so on.

[Christy Beal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry, and much of it was useless to me, but some of it was invaluable. I end up going back to the chapters on weekly plans and the yearly plan over and over. Used this as my major resource for the Chesapeake Bay 4.4 mile swim and I was very pleased with my first attempt at the distance.

[Bryon Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a significant help in helping me prepare for and complete my first major open water swim, which was a 5-miler in Lake Michigan, from Montrose Harbor out to to the Wilson Water Intake Crib and back again.

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really helpful and straightforward book on training for long distance swims. The most helpful part was how to plan a training schedule by working backwards from your event date and distance. There is
detailed specific advice about how to handle tricky situations in crowded swim races. This is an older book, so a good bit of the info is dated.

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

About as dull as it gets...unless you can't swim (like me)..then it's just facinating ;-)

[Günter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book definitely needs an update, since it is more than 10 years old.