1. Mental Preparation
Mental preparation is important for both pool and open-water swimmers, but takes somewhat different forms in each context. Swimmers who train to primarily compete in the pool can have doubts in their ability to achieve a goal time or place on any given day, but they can be fairly certain that they will be able to complete their races.This is in striking contrast with the anxiety of open-water swimmers, who must also deal with the possibility that they may not finish their swim or even be able to start, based on conditions.
2. Physical Preparation
Physical preparation also changes based on the athlete’s goals. In the same way that the training for each pool distance is unique, training for open-water races also varies based on distance.
3. Emotional Preparation
The only way to remove your self-doubt, is to keep practising! Train to feel unstoppable and train to feel like a champion. By paying enough attention to emotions during training, swimmers can begin to learn how to control them during stressful situations, such as when things don’t go as planned during a swim.
4. Coaching
Spend a lot more time working on your technique, your relaxed technique and your breathing.
5. Motivation
Pool swimmers are of course motivated by a love of the sport, but perhaps also by a desire to win or achieve a certain time. In many ways, these external motivators play a larger role in pool swimming than in open-water, maybe because there is more recognition available for pool swimmers in the non-swimming community.Open-water swimmers are often motivated by the internal desire to complete a goal or even to just finish a swim. Marathon swimmers are bored with controlled environments. They seek adventure and love to have new experiences.Another feature of open water swimming is that it appeals to people who are burned out with pool racing. It provides a new environment in which to test one’s athletic ability. (swimmingworldmagazine.com)