Managing Pre-Swim Anxiety at Ironman Wales

Even seasoned triathletes get anxious before the swim start.

You’ve done the training. You know how to sight, draft, and pace. You’ve swum in rough water and navigated chaotic starts. But that doesn’t mean you're immune to the nerves that come with standing on the edge of an Ironman swim.

And that’s not a weakness, it’s part of the process.

Here’s a mental strategy guide to managing that pre-swim anxiety so it doesn’t negatively affect your performance.

1. Recognise It, Don’t Fight It

Anxiety is a physiological response. You’ve felt it before, elevated heart rate, tension in the chest, shallow breath. Fighting it or ignoring it can often amplify it.

Instead, recognise and accept it for what it is: your body gearing up to perform. Accept the sensation and shift focus to what you can control.

2. Refocus Your Attention

Anxiety thrives on uncertainty and "what-ifs": What if I get boxed in? What if I can't find my rhythm?

Redirect your attention to specifics:

• Your breathing rhythm.

• Your first 100 meters: controlled, not reactive.

• Your stroke length and body position.

Keep your focus external and immediate, e.g. what am I doing right now?

3. Use a Pre-Race Mental Routine

You don’t need a motivational speech. You need structure.

Experienced athletes benefit from a simple, repeatable pre-swim routine:

• Light dynamic warm-up.

• Short breathing drill to calm your system (e.g., box breathing: 4-in, 4-hold, 4-out, 4-hold).

• Mental cue: one word or phrase you associate with stability and control (e.g., “calm,” “efficient,” “strong line”).

• Brief visualisation: not the perfect swim, e.g. just executing the first few minutes under control.

4. Have a Mid-Swim Reset Strategy

Even with experience, things can go sideways. Someone climbs over you, your goggles leak, or you lose rhythm early. Have a plan:

• Use the mid swim run as an opportunity to mentally reset and control your breathing (walk it if you have to!)

• Use your mental cue again: “Settle in,” “Smooth,” “Back to form.”

The goal isn’t to avoid disruptions, it’s to respond without panic.

5. Avoid the Trap of Over-Arousal

In experienced athletes, anxiety often shows up as excessive activation: going out too hard, shortening stroke, forgetting breathing rhythm.

You don’t need to “attack” the swim. Ironman is a very long day out, Let others burn their matches in the first 400. You know how to pace. Trust that and don't get carried away by others.

6. Anchor Confidence in Process, Not Outcome

You’re not proving anything. You’re applying what you’ve trained.

Remind yourself:

• You’ve swum in worse conditions.

• You’ve managed fatigue and disruption before.

• This is not new—this is familiar.

Anchor your confidence in repeatable behaviours, not in needing to feel “ready” or “calm.” Performance follows structure, not emotion.

Final Thought

Anxiety before the Ironman swim doesn’t mean something’s wrong. It means your system is alert. What separates seasoned athletes isn’t the absence of nerves, it’s how they use them.

Manage input. Control your process. Execute what you’ve trained. Feel free to DM if you have any questions on coping with pre-swim anxiety or if you feel you could benefit from further support!