Advice on swimming technique

[email hidden] (Sean B) wrote in news:6b19c725.0312071910.4f0ea342 @posting.google.com:

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I'm training for my first sprint tri and have some questions about swim technique.

I'm currentlly training in a pool at the gym. Is there a standard for how often you should breath?
For example, taking a breath every 3 strokes or something? After reading some articles, I have
come to the conclusion that I need to learn how to breathe bi-laterally for a number of reasons.

Yes, you are better off learning to breathe on both sides. It helps balance outyour stroke, and can
come in handy when you're swimming with the surf coming at you from one side.

Quoted message said:

The other question is related to endurance. Are there different styles of kicking that should be
performed to ensure that you don't tire yourself out to quickly (similar to standing up on the
pedals on your bike for an extended time). Other than intentisty of the kicking, is there any
technique that I should be aware of ?

The longer the swim, the less vigorous your kick should be. I also break up really long (>1 mile)
swims with short bursts of breast stroke. This lets you do sominthing different with your arms and
legs for a second, and also gives you a second to look around.

Quoted message said:

Lastly, do people wear mp3 players while they are on the bike and run?

Yes, until they get hit by a car. Save the music for the stationary trainer and treadmill. You need
to be able to hear what's going on around you on the road.

Quoted message said:

Thank you for helping out a beginner.

-Sean

Welcome to the sport! If you have a tri club in your area, I'd highly recommend joining. The members
can be a great source of information and support, and many clubs have training groups.

Tom

Tom Henderson <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lastly, do people wear mp3 players while they are on the bike and run?

Yes, until they get hit by a car. Save the music for the stationary trainer and treadmill. You
need to be able to hear what's going on around you on the road.

I forgot to mention that they aren't legal on race day anyway.

Sean,

These are great questions and I hope I can help. During swim training it's a good idea to breathe to
one side every stroke cycle. This way you will have plenty of air. Get into a good rhythm of
breathing and don't hold your breath. That said it is also a good idea to be comfortable breathing
to both sides in case waves are coming from either direction. You probably already feel more at ease
breathing to one side already.

Kicking: The kick is just there as a rudder and it's tough to describe without showing it. You don't
want to kick very hard unless it is to get out in front early in the swim or to have a strong finish
and get more blood flow to the legs before T1. You do want to have a nice smooth flutter kick while
pointing your toes and kicking from the hip and not the knee!

People do wear those devices while running and cycling although it is a little dangerous because you
can't hear cars or other pedestrians. It also detaches you from focusing on technique and heartrate.
Hope this helps.

Lee Zohlman USAT Level 2 Coach www.bodyzen.com

[email hidden] (Sean B) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I'm training for my first sprint tri and have some questions about swim technique.

I'm currentlly training in a pool at the gym. Is there a standard for how often you should breath?
For example, taking a breath every 3 strokes or something? After reading some articles, I have
come to the conclusion that I need to learn how to breathe bi-laterally for a number of reasons.

The other question is related to endurance. Are there different styles of kicking that should be
performed to ensure that you don't tire yourself out to quickly (similar to standing up on the
pedals on your bike for an extended time). Other than intentisty of the kicking, is there any
technique that I should be aware of ?

Lastly, do people wear mp3 players while they are on the bike and run?

Thank you for helping out a beginner.

-Sean

"Coach Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sean,

These are great questions and I hope I can help. During swim training it's a good idea to breathe
to one side every stroke cycle. This way you will have plenty of air. Get into a good rhythm of
breathing and don't hold your breath. That said it is also a good idea to be comfortable breathing
to both sides in case waves are coming from either direction. You probably already feel more at
ease breathing to one side already.

I would like to add some thoughts here:

I have found that alternate breathing helps me track straighter and just a tad smoother (and
there-by a bit faster). This is not automatic for me - I really have to force myself to do this, but
it is becoming easier.

During race in a pool environment it's not that critical - go with comfort 1st. However in an open
water swim you will want to know that you can see the shore while breathing comfortably. Waves as
mentioned above can be hairy, but don't underestimate the freakiness of seeing nothing but water all
the way to the horizon.

-CF

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Coach Lee
Sean,


Kicking: The kick is just there as a rudder and it's tough to describe without showing it. You don't
want to kick very hard unless it is to get out in front early in the swim or to have a strong finish
and get more blood flow to the legs before T1. You do want to have a nice smooth flutter kick while
pointing your toes and kicking from the hip and not the knee!

A little to add to this is that traditional swimmers have slightly different brequirements from their kick than triathletes. While for a swimmer a powerful kick can substantially improve their speed, for the triathlete it is worth conserving energy by kicking less powerfully and saving the legs for the cycle and run legs. Coach Lee's tips are spot on in this respect. I would add though that your kick is extremely useful in helping to keep your body as flat and aligned in the water as possible.

The best way to improve as a beginning swimmer is to try and swim your body through as small a hole in the water as possible! Your kick therefore should be helping to keep your legs high in the water rather than dragging down behind you where they are causing drag. Some good exercises include swimming with a kickboard and swimming gently focusing on long slow arm strokes and feeling the effect of your kick keeping your legs aligned with your body in the water. Eventually you should find that when you use your hips as the power center for your kick that you get a slight rotation of your lower body with every kick and that you are more powerful with less effort.

I hope this is some help - there are some good places to look for swimming tips for triathletes on the web. I can personally recommend the following as some good starting points:

http://www.xtri.com/
http://www.swimmertimes.com/

Finally - if you're going to compete in open water, get some open water practise in before the event. My first triathlon was a mini-distance triathlon with a measly little 150m swim, but I was unprepared for swimming in the open water and the lack of visibility and disorientation meant that I performed terribly!