Triathlon Swimming Foundations by Triathlon Taren Gesell Summary

Triathlon Swimming Foundations provides a step-by-step system to help beginner triathletes overcome swimming anxiety and build confidence in open water. It focuses on triathlon-specific drills for breathing, body alignment, and stroke efficiency, addressing common issues like "sinking legs" and panic. The book includes progressive training plans tailored to different skill levels, emphasizing technique over brute strength to conserve energy for biking and running.

This book is ideal for new triathletes with limited swimming experience or those struggling with open-water anxiety. Competitive age-group athletes seeking to refine their swim technique for faster transitions will also benefit. It’s particularly valuable for self-coached individuals who want a structured, science-backed approach to triathlon swimming without overcomplicating the process.

Yes—readers praise its practical, no-nonsense strategies for rapid improvement. Reviews highlight its actionable drills, clear progression system, and focus on triathlon-specific challenges like sighting and drafting. With a 4.9/5 rating, it’s recommended for its balance of technique guidance and mindset tips to make swim training enjoyable rather than daunting.

Key concepts include:

• Breathing mastery: Techniques to eliminate panic and maintain rhythm.
• Body positioning drills: Fixing "sinking legs" through core engagement and buoyancy control.
• Stroke efficiency: Using tools like fist drills and catch-up strokes to reduce drag.
• Open-water simulation: Incorporating sighting and drafting into pool workouts.

The book targets triathletes’ top pain points:

• Panic reduction: Breathing exercises and gradual exposure to open-water conditions.
• Endurance building: Structured workouts starting with 20-minute sessions, scaling to 50+ minutes.
• Technique fixes: Drills like "sculling" and "kickboard balance" to improve body alignment.

It provides two pathways:

1. Beginners: 8-14 weeks of 3-5 weekly sessions, starting with 10-15 minutes of drills and progressing to 400m continuous swims.
2. Intermediate athletes: Interval-based speed work, pull buoy drills for upper-body strength, and open-water simulation.

Gesell emphasizes simplicity and enjoyment, avoiding technical jargon. His drills are specifically designed for triathletes (not competitive swimmers), prioritizing energy conservation and open-water adaptability. The book integrates free video resources from his YouTube channel for visual learners.

Yes—it dedicates sections to sighting techniques, drafting behind other swimmers, and managing currents/waves. Gesell recommends practicing race-day scenarios like mass starts and quick transitions, with tips to stay calm in crowded conditions.

Some advanced swimmers note the content skews too basic, focusing on foundational skills rather than advanced speed work. However, most agree it fills a critical gap for time-crunched triathletes needing a targeted, efficient approach to swim training.

While both focus on efficiency, Gesell’s method is tailored for triathlon-specific demands like wetsuit use and open-water navigation. Total Immersion prioritizes stroke perfection for pool swimmers, whereas Gesell emphasizes practicality and energy conservation for multisport athletes.

Absolutely. The book includes taper strategies, pre-race warm-ups, and mental frameworks to tackle swim-leg anxiety. It advises simulating race conditions (e.g., cold water acclimation) and provides checklists for gear selection based on water temperature.

• “Swimming isn’t about strength—it’s about working with the water, not against it.”
• “Ten focused drill sessions will do more for your triathlon swim than 100 mindless laps.”
• “Your goal isn’t to win the swim; it’s to exit the water ready to bike and run strong.”