Ask 10 good triathletes who've been around the sport for a generation, 8 of them will tell you the low hanging improvement fruit is to be plucked in the swim, not in the bike or run.

To that end, this Saturday is the spot for SoCal-based Slowtwitchers. The Global Open Water Swimming Conference takes place on Saturday, June 5th, sandwiched in between the National 10K Open Water Swimming Championship (on Friday, in Marine Stadium in Long Beach); and the USA Swimming National 5K Open Water Swimming Championship and 2K and 4K Open Water Pursuit in Marine Stadium on Sunday.

Saturday's gem features instruction from the best, and the cagiest, open water swimmers. Slowtwitchers can read about it here.

Does this single-sport conference benefit triathetes? In point of fact, not only is the answer yes, it's YES! This, because triathletes lose more time in their overall race—swim bike and run—because of their swim habits than due to any other ill-honed skillset.

And, Slowtwitchers know it! Consider this set of polls we've recently taken...

Based on aerobic points, smoothing out periodization, your training typically tends to favor:

Swim: 6%
Bike: 41%
Run: 34%
It's balanced: 18%

You're strongest in which sporting activity?

Swim: 25%
Bike: 36%
Run: 34%
Other: 4%

Your off-season activity will be?
Poll Result =>

Swim: 6%
Other: 94%

What swim skill would you most like to perfect?

Flip turn: 23%
Butterfly: 11%
Drafting: 39%
Swimming thru waves/surf: 26%

In other polls, we've determined 17% of all Slowtwitchers cam from a swim background, and about 24% of you swim with Masters clubs. Distilling all this data seems to say that about a quarter of all Slowtwitchers feel fairly adept in water, and in the open water.

Still, most of you don't draft well off your competitors in the swim; don't negotiate buoys well; don't understand the tactics of, and techniques specific to, open water swimming; and our polls indicate 65% of you consider these skills you'd like to learn.

Accordingly, Slowtwitchers will want to consider this weekend's conference. It's one Saturday of your life that ought to energize your approach to the swim. Slowtwitch's publisher (yours truly) is speaking, but, pass this by. Concurrent with my presentation is, "Building the Mindset and Performance of a Front-Pack Swimmer" by fellow Slowtwitcher Jim Vance.

Finally, my recommendation is to seek out and sit at the feet of Gerry Rodrigues. Whenever he's speaking, attend that session. And, after the conference, find out where he instructs, when he puts on a clinic, and glom onto him like a Remora. Since our sad and hard loss of Doug Stern, two seem to have emerged to fill that knowledge void on Slowtwitch: Gary Hall, Sr., and Gerry Rodrigues. But, Gary Hall is more pool specific; Gerry is the open water guru.

You'll meet Gerry at this Conference which, by the way, is held at the Long Beach Marriott. Registration is here (look below for Slowtwitcher discount code).

Conference fees are as follows:

$175 The general admission covers access to all the presentations, panel discussions and awards ceremony, specialty open water swimming products, dinner and a specialty Open Water Swimming Almanac.

Slowtwitchers get a 20% discount with discount code: SLOWMAN. Students discounts are also available:

- $35 for junior high school students and below (14&U)
- $45 for high school students (15-18)
- $55 for college students (undergraduate and graduate)