The swimming challenge
The one (consistent) thing I hear is that people want to do a triathlon, but hate swimming .....which makes it challenging! I fully understand that as following a black line in a pool with 5 others in your lane, can be boring/intimidating, BUT if you have the motivation to do it, the bonus is that swimming fitness comes pretty quickly. It's just repetition and understanding WHY you are there.
Things like technique, pool swimming drills then open water practice are all important too. Once the technique is sorted it’s then a case of alternating between specific pool sessions and open water - nothing prepares you for the washing machine effect with hundreds of others on event day and it can be quite overwhelming.