Hand Entry
Slice your hand into the water at your goggle line, and drive it forward, Many swimmers try to get more air time by reaching out with their hand before putting it into the water, but that is less efficient than going through the water with your hand as you rotate sides.

Head Position
Look straight down when swimming freestyle – only keep a small part of the back of your head out of the water. In addition, try not to move your head with the rest of your body as you move through the water.

Pull
Your hands should pull all the way past your hips when swimming freestyle. The last part of the stroke before recovery should be an acceleration behind you, not up out of the water.

Kick
Attempt to minimize your kick when you train. Instead of kicking extra hard to make up for lack of balance, minimize your kick and conserve energy. This will allow you to improve your balance, as well.

Training Intensity
The best way to measure training intensity is to gauge your heart rate immediately after each swim. Count your pulse rate for six seconds, add a zero to this number, and that will tell your approximate exercise heart rate per minute.

Master’s Swimming
If you need to work on your stroke, move to a slower lane. If you belong to a master’s team, don’t feel pressured to keep up with lanemates at every practice, as these teams usually have many people at different skill levels and goals. Do your own thing and remember that technique is more important than speed. Once you have perfected your technique, speed will come and you will be much faster in the long run.

Habit
Often, when a swimmer breathes on the left side, his/her right arm will cross over. When he/she breathes on the right side, the left arm will cross over. Sometimes arm cross-over occurs from over-rotation. This is one of the most common bad habits I see. Try to keep your head from moving with the rest of your body, and, try to pull in a straight line, keeping your elbow bent. End the pull on the same side on which you started.

Keep the Feel
It’s important to practice swimming, especially if swimming is your hardest sport. Sometimes you don’t want to work on it, but it’s important to keep your body’s kinesthetic awareness of being balanced in the water. And no, showers and baths don’t count! Make sure you get in the water at least ever other day.

Work Those Lungs
Your lungs will thank you if you mix in some hypoxic training sets into your workouts. An example of hypoxic training set would be to do one set of 4×100 breathing every 3-5-7-9 strokes by 25 (with 15 seconds rest in between each 100). You will really feel the difference at the end of the swim part of your race.

Work Your Weakness
Most triathlon coaches agree that you should spend the most time practicing your weakest of the three sports. For many people, their weakest sport is swimming. This same concept applies when swimming: work the most on the weakest part of your stroke. If you move your head, focus the most on keeping proper head position. If balancing on your side is a problem, then spend a lot of time doing kick drills on your side. Whichever your weakness, you will benefit by spending time in the water working on that issue.

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
or http://triswimcoachonline.com

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Music:

Nickelback- “Breathe”

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6. If someone touches your feet while you’re swimming, stay to the right of your lane and let him or her pass. If you’re near a wall, stop and move to the right side of the lane. Don’t be offended; this happens all the time.

7. Before beginning your workout, introduce yourself to any other swimmers in your lane. Knowing who is swimming with you will make your workout more enjoyable. Even more, remember that a great part of masters swimming is the social aspect!

8. Ask questions if you have any. Learn the order of the lanes and how to read the clock your first week.

9. Make sure you rest enough. If you can’t make the interval in your lane, move to a slower one.

10. Be positive and have a sense of humor at every workout.

Keep these suggestions in mind, join a masters swim team, and be prepared to add some fun to your workout routine!

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In reality, 80 percent of swimmers on masters teams are not there for competitive training, but for fitness. The other 20 percent consists of competitive masters, triathletes, and open water swimmers.

If you are a beginner triathlete who is new to the concept of masters team swimming, or an experienced triathlete who has shunned masters and always trained on your own, here are the top 10 things you should know about masters swimming:

According to the US Masters website, the stated goal of masters swim programs is: “All USMS programs are designed to help swimmers improve fitness and/or train for specific goals, and offer active support for a healthy lifestyle through friendship, and camaraderie.”

Accept that, if you are a beginner, most of the other swimmers will realize it. But this is not a problem; in fact, most masters swimmers love having new swimmers and should be happy to help.

Not all masters teams are created equally. Talk to the coach about your ability level and your goals, and see if it will work. Most coaches will work with you no matter your level, but if not, there may be an alternative option in your city.

Don’t be late. It makes the coach’s job easier, and makes your fellow lane-mates lives easier.

Learn to swim “circle pattern”, which means you stay to the right of the line in the middle of the lane (it is marked on the bottom of most pools in the middle of each lane). Circle pattern allows for more than two swimmers per lane.

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
or http://triswimcoachonline.com

Sandy Shepard: http://beabondgirl.com

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Music:

Nickelback- “Breathe”

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
or http://triswimcoachonline.com

Sandy Shepard: http://beabondgirl.com

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Music:

Nickelback- “Breathe”

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
or http://triswimcoachonline.com

Brenton Ford, Effortless Swimming- http://effortless-swimming.com

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Music:

Nickelback- “Breathe”

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Let me explain what I mean by body roll.  When you take a stroke in freestyle, as your hand recovers (the portion of your arm cycle conducted above the water, that returns the hand to the front of the stroke), the related shoulder should drop down, allowing a greater reach.  Meanwhile, the opposing shoulder should raise up as that arm completes the stroke and begins its recovery.  This will rotate, or roll, your body to face out toward the side, rather than straight down toward the bottom. Please note that while this only ‘forces’ the upper torso area to rotate, proper technique calls for you to maintain a generally straight body, so you should rotate through your hips and legs as well.

Many of us were taught freestyle or the front crawl as being performed with our body facing toward the bottom.  Today, a more apt perspective is the stroke being performed rotated toward your side, alternating back and forth to each side, in time with the arm cycle.  Notice that I haven’t brought up breathing.  In this specific area of the stroke technique, breathing is not material.  Your body should rotate to each side equally, regardless of breathing.  The correct amount of rotation is fairly common to our breathing side, as we utilize the rotation to make it easier to rotate our face out of the water for that breath.  The non-breathing side, however, does not provide such an incentive for proper rotation. Over the past several weeks, I have seen a very large number of people making the same error; a dramatic under-rotation to the non-breathing side.

Under-rotation in your freestyle will cause or contribute to a number of problems in the effectiveness in your stroke.  First, it will significantly limit the forward reach of your stroke, thereby shortening by an equal amount the length of each arm pull.  Second, it makes a full extension and completion of your stroke on the other side of your body far more difficult.  Third, it prevents a high arm recovery, as our shoulders simply don’t (generally) move that far behind the plane of our body.  In open water, an excessively low arm recovery sets you up for catching your arm on an errant wave, which can disrupt a stroke pattern and cause rapid muscle fatigue.

Alternatively, if you do focus on getting a good rotation in your torso, particularly to your non-breathing side, you will find that it is far easier to avoid these errors.  A note about the third issue I mentioned above – by rotating your torso, you do not need to attempt to elevate your arm behind the plane of your back in order to clear the water on recovery, as the natural angle of your trunk will provide plenty of incline for your recovering arm.  This takes a substantial amount of pressure off of your shoulder, and will save you a significant amount of energy.  And with a bike and a run coming up, I suggest you use no more energy than required for your swim.

So, now that you’re really Rolling, go Rock that triathlon swim!  (Sorry, but… well, I just had to.)

David Wendkos lives in Annapolis, MD and has over 30 years of competitive swimming experience, coaching swimmers for the pool, open water, and triathlons. He can be followed on twitter at http://twitter.com/SwimMD or on the web at http://www.AquaticRhino.com.  Email him at David@TriSwimCoach.com

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
or http://triswimcoachonline.com

BodyZen Triathlon Training- http://bodyzen.com

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Music:

Nickelback- “Breathe”

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To tell you how striking the results can be, I only need to go as far as myself. I was recorded about 6 months ago. It was the first time I had seen my stroke in about 15 years. Well, after I got over the shock, I started to address the fact that my head was too high, my hands were crossing the centerline on my pull-through, and I was dropping my elbow on my left arm. This coming after I’ve coached swimmer after swimmer to not do those specific things. However, it resulted in a much more knowledgeable workout for me. I have learned what I should feel like when I am performing each of those actions correctly, and I have seen an improvement in my own efficiency and speed.

Ideally, you would then have it analyzed by a qualified coach with the appropriate knowledge to work through it with you and discuss specific ways to improve your stroke for open water/triathlon swimming. Even if you don’t have someone locally available, there are a number of excellent options for uploading it to a website and having a coach provide feedback via email or marking up your video and replying with the new copy. If you are interested in a service like this, just drop me a line, and I can give you some guidance.

By the way, there are a number of excellent waterproof video cameras out there for very reasonable costs. The high def camera I use on a near daily basis cost less than $300, and it was not the cheapest option. So if you don’t have a friend with one, consider getting your own. I can assure you it is a fun gadget to have even when not being used to improve your triathlon swim.

David Wendkos lives in Annapolis, MD and has over 30 years of competitive swimming, coaching swimmers for the pool, open water, and triathlons. He can be followed on twitter at http://twitter.com/SwimMD or on the web at http://www.AquaticRhino.com

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It’s the Full Pipeline by Nineteen wetsuits.

I have to say, so far I am VERY impressed! Here is why:

1. It is the easiest wetsuit to put on. I ordered it and just took a guess on my size based on their chart. Well it fits perfectly, and unlike suits I have used in the past, it slips on and off with great ease! I can’t even believe I put up with the sticky suits that took forever to take off, even all greased up, in the past.

2. It is very flexible. I’m actually not a huge fan of having to wear a wetsuit in the water. But, other than July-September, it’s usually too cold here for me to get in the water without one. And this is I think as good as it gets in terms of flexibility. I don’t feel restrained nearly as much as I have in the past with other suits.

3. It keeps me warm. Right now, the temperature out there is 63. I can last about 20 minutes without a suit before I start turning blue! But with the Nineteen wetsuit, I’m actually perfectly comfortable being out there as long as I want!

There are a lot of good wetsuits on the market, and I have tried a few. But this so far is the best suit I have tried. To find out more, check out the deals on Nineteen wetsuits at Swim Outlet.

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
or http://triswimcoachonline.com

Robb Wolf’s “Norcal Margarita” recipe: http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2009/07/recipe-for-good-times/

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Music:

Andy Hunter- “Go”

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Open Water Swimming

, which I have learned a lot from over the years.

Sadly, she has acquired both Fibormyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and now in her 50′s is moving around pretty slowly.

Nonetheless, the talk about her swimming career and the details about the English Channel swim were fascinating, and there’s a lot that can be learned from Penny.

She emphasized the mental training that it took to do what she did in setting the world record in the English channel. One of her mantras leading up to the race was, “The colder the water, the more comfortable I become.” Another was “Each time I move my arms, it relaxes them.”

She said she had 4 goals in swimming the Channel:

1) Finish
2) Break the MENS world record
3) Break 8 hours
4) Break 7 hours

She accomplished 1-3 and finished at 7:45.

There were so many challenges she had to overcome. This was 1978, and no one had any idea about how to do the nutrition for the swim. The current near the end of the race was pushing her back, so she was swimming in place for 20 minutes at one point!

One thing her crew did right was to count her strokes per minute. Her LOWEST stroke count was 89 strokes per minute!

After taking several questions from the audience, she demonstrated the freestyle pull (which was good, although, in my opinion people obsess too much about how to pull before they even learn how to rotate their hips, which is far more important!).

Overall it was a very interesting talk, and I wish her well with her battle to get back to a normal life and be able to swim again.

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References:

Tri Swim Secrets training program to sign up OR get on the list for the next time we open: http://triswimsecrets.com

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
or http://triswimcoachonline.com

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Music:

Urge Overkill- “Positive Bleeding”

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So what do you do? Always use long, gliding strokes, and forget about having a fast turnover?

Since the open water, and especially the ocean, presents many new challenges to your stroke, I would not recommend going with a policy of “always” using long strokes in freestyle. Sometimes waves or competition can put you in a position where shortening your stroke will give you an advantage.

The point is to, for the most part, practice lengthening your strokes- do sets of free golf, work with the Freestyler hand paddles, and occasionally count your strokes per length. But do not be married to the idea that you must use long strokes at all times!

I recommend copying what the middle of the pack (MOP) swimmers are doing in general, rather than the leaders. This sounds like odd advice from a coach who is paid to get people to swim faster! But the problem is that many of the triathletes who are in the lead pack in the swim came from a swimming background- and this often means they did short, sprint or middle distance races in the pool, and can get away with a very fast turnover in the open water.

For the beginners, or intermediates, the goal should not be to win the swim, but to finish strong for the rest of the race. Therefore, practice long, and adjust where needed in the race.

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For someone like Michael Phelps who is swimming a lot of 200 meter sprint races, some of these small details can mean as much as a whole second or more in a 200, which, for those who watched the last Olympics, could mean the difference between the gold medal and no medal at all!

In competitive pool swimming, the devil is in the details. Especially at the Olympic level. Everyone at that level as more or less perfected their stroke, and nobody can afford to make mistakes or leave anything on the table.

As someone who is training for a triathlon, and did not come from a swimming background, things are a little different.

Is it going to be super important to shave off .5 seconds on your swim by turning your hand 1/4 inch on your pull? Or, should your focus be on basic stroke technique to allow you to expend less energy and get the same (or likely faster) result out of the water?

The other day I heard a pretty top level former Olympic swimmer say to forget about long strokes, short and fast is what everyone needs to do! Surprisingly, he does not understand triathlon swimming, and what non-swimmer triathletes need to focus on to maximize their efficiency and lower their times!

Continued in Part 2

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References:

Tri Swim Secrets training program & to get the FULL interview: http://triswimsecrets.com

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
or http://triswimcoachonline.com

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Music:

Van Halen- “Humans Being”

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On Sunday, April 25th in Irvine, CA at 9:00 a.m., we will be holding an underwater video clinic.

We will tape each swimmer individually, review the tape and critique your stroke immediately after. Here’s what you can expect:

* Discover flaws in your stroke and what you can do to correct them
* Move past your swimming obstacles by seeing in your stroke what’s really going on
* Get over swimming plateaus for a faster freestyle and a smoother, more efficient stroke for the Open Water

Receive expert advice from a coach with over 29 years of swimming and coaching experience- through video critique and personal coaching so you know exactly what to work on.

If you are interested, check out the Active link for details
http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1853122

Tri Swim Secrets members can participate for free (email me for details). I’m restricting it to 9 this time so it will probably fill up fast.

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The week was so action-packed that I didn’t have time to work out, or even sit down and read. Swimming did not happen. When I was at the beach, the weather was a hot 95 degrees (or 33C) with humidity, and the ocean temp must have been close to 90! It wasn’t even refreshing to get in the water. I’m used to the water being much colder in my part of the Pacific. The cool thing was that I felt like with all the moving around that I didn’t really fall out of shape. I got a lot of exercise and felt good and strong most of the trip (until the 95 degree humidity days towards the end!)

Today, I did my first swim workout since my return. Surprisingly, my stroke felt pretty good, although the water felt weird. I lost a little bit of my “feel” for the water, but not really any strength that I could tell. I’m so happy that I took the break that I did from workouts & life. I think it’s so important to get away every once in a while and do something completely different than what you’re used to. Your body and mind will thank you when you return!

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References:

Tri Swim Secrets training program: http://triswimsecrets.com

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
or http://triswimcoachonline.com

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Ben Greenfield’s websites:

Rockstar Triathlon Academy: http://getrockstartri.com
http://pacificfit.net
http://bengreenfieldfitness.com

Music:

Tesla- “Look @ Me”

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By joining, you will get

-8 months of focused content to keep you progressing on your triathlon swimming
-Videos with explicit details of how to completely transform your stroke
-Workout plans to get ready for various triathlon distances
-”Change your bad habits” video sessions
-Get your stroke evaluated by Coach Kevin
-Special training sessions for specific issues such as: breathing, strength, and stretching
-Monthly chat sessions
-A 15 minute call with the Tri Swim Coach, Kevin
-Additional fitness & nutrition information

To read all about the new program and to join, check out http://triswimsecrets.com!

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Swim Smooth: What is an efficient freestyle stroke?

I think he made some good points, that not everyone HAS to swim with a long stroke in order to be efficient in the water. Now, what is not emphasized is that these fast turnover swimmers all come from a competitive swimming background. They have strokes that they spent many years and yards in the pool perfecting in order to swim fast in the pool. Sometimes these competitive swimmers with short choppy strokes become triathletes, and will no doubt finish in the top pack of the swim leg.

The main point here, however, is that these are people that have a long history of swim practice to get really good at the stroke they have developed.

Compare that to a beginning or intermediate level triathlete who did not come from a swimming background. Is your goal to finish up in the front of the swim, or to get through it without having lost too much energy or too much time? Does it make sense to copy these elite swimmers or to stick with a long stroke where you are at the very least going to conserve what you need to excel in the bike and run?

So this debate comes down to what will be the most efficient stroke that one can learn and master in the least possible time. While I agree that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to general swimming, in triathlon swimming, where most people do NOT have hundreds of thousands of yards under their belt with a fast stroke, sticking to the concepts that will help lengthen out your stroke will be much more effective in accomplishing your triathlon goals, even if that means just finishing the race.

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The show with my interview will be posted soon, to subscribe to Simon’s podcast click here.

Here is the workout that I went through. It will also be posted on the latalkradio.com site.

WARM UP: 300 Distance Per Stroke (DPS)/Swim by 25

DRILL: 1×300 (4×25 Fist/50 DPS) 6×50’s Kick on side, descend 1-3
Rest= :15
8×25’s 1 Easy, 2 Build, 1 Fast.
Rest= :10

MAIN: 3x(2×100 + 1×300)
100’s #1) @ Cruise + :05 #2) @ Cruise #3) @ Cruise -:05
300’s: Maintain moderate pace, Rest= :45 “Hide” your breaths

FREE GOLF: 6×50′s. Count your strokes on each one, and get your time. Add these 2 numbers together for your “score”. Attempt to lower your score for each round (50). Take 15-20 seconds rest in between each.

WARM DOWN: 6×25’s
#1-3) Moderate, breathe every 3
#4-6) Easy, Back or Free

TOTAL: 3050

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Open water swimming is different that swimming in a pool in so many ways. The first way that comes to most peoples minds is the common inability to see the bottom, combined with the lack of the black line on the bottom to guide you where to go. There are two other differences I want to point out here. First, there is no separator between you and the other competitors. Open water swimming is a contact sport. Second, turns are not 180 degrees. You don’t swim to a point and simply reverse direction. Even if you are going to go back the way you came, you will first need to circle around a turn buoy. There are so many reasons I could give for being able to breathe to both sides, but I will focus on these three now.

Breathing to both sides can make you faster while sighting and maintaining the correct heading. By breathing to both sides, you have the opportunity to observe what is off to those sides. If your swim is bringing you down along a shoreline, you can verify you are in line with the shore as you breath to one side, and that you have not moved inside of the course buoys as you breath to the other. Now, you do not need to lift your head and look forward as often. This will reduce the times you slow or stop your swimming, and hence make you a faster swimmer.

Breathing to both sides can aid you in avoiding any unnecessary contact with other swimmers, which in turn reduces your risks of such things as being submerged, being struck, being impeded, having your goggles knocked off, and possibly even injuring yourself. When you breathe to the sides and see what is going on, you know if you need to take action to avoid any possible problems. You can’t know that if you don’t ever see it.

Finally, breathing to both sides will allow you to breathe toward a buoy as you approach it, and away from it as you round it, both of which will help you to take the shortest line possible, making your swim faster.

So, chocolate or vanilla? You choose, and I won’t be the one to say you’re wrong. Just make sure that either way, you CAN breathe to both sides – it will get you there sooner.

David Wendkos lives in Annapolis, MD and has over 30 years of competitive swimming, coaching swimmers for the pool, open water, and triathlons. He can be followed on twitter at http://twitter.com/SwimMD

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“You need to breathe bilaterally”

“Nuh-uh! I only breathe to my right, and I do fine.”

“If you don’t breathe to both sides, you’ll go slower”

“Then why are so many Olympic swimmers breathing every two strokes, even in races as short as 100 meters? Huh?”

The arguments for unilateral and bilateral breathing will continue. There will be multitudes of proponents for each view, many on each side with numerous swimming and triathlon successes to their names, and many on each side with a devotion to their view bordering on fanaticism. I admit I have my opinion as well. The one place I suppose I am a bit more ‘flexible’ is in my view that both can be effective, with a variety of contributing factors, such as the person, the distance, the body of water, the amount of training, the athlete’s swimming history, environmental factors, as well as others that I am not thinking of now.

For the record, generally, I do breathe on each stroke to my right. I have done this for most of my life, and my stroke has developed such that I can close my eyes and swim straight down the black line in a pool without a waver while breathing to my right. Ask me to do it while breathing bilaterally, and I will be in the left lane line in ten or fifteen yards. Could I fix that? Yes. Should I try to fix it? Probably. Will I ever actually work to fix it? Doubtful. I feel comfortable in the belief that, particularly in a distance event, any reduced speed or efficiency from breathing “too often” or only to one side, is more than made up for in my increased intake of oxygen.

Triathlon is NOT an event you want to start off by trying to hold your breath (IMHO). However, please notice that I did say “generally, breathe to my right”. As in ‘not always’. As in, it is, I believe, still critical that you know how to, and can be comfortable with, breathing to both sides.

David Wendkos lives in Annapolis, MD and has over 30 years of competitive swimming, coaching swimmers for the pool, open water, and triathlons. He can be followed on twitter at http://twitter.com/SwimMD

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Zen Triathlon – http://zentriathlon.com
Brett’s twitter: http://twitter.com/zentriathlon

3 Pillars of Zen book

Click here for more on the SwiMP3 player. For 20% off, use discount code ‘aggies20′

Music:

Thievery Corporation- “All That We Perceive”

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I recently heard a great ‘word picture’ to help describe how to initiate your catch in the water and maintain a grip as you pull through your stroke. It is the common thought to view a freestyle stroke as placing your hand in front of you and then stroking backward toward your feet. Unfortunately, this places the focus on movement in the exact opposite direction we are looking to go. In very literal terms, we are not looking to move our arm backward when it is in the water. The goal is to use the arm to propel bodies forward.

Admittedly, it is hard, even for many seasoned swimmers, to actually picture ourselves being able to grip and pull on something as viscous as water. But that is what swimming is supposed to do, and sometimes, if we can give ourselves a picture that seems more “clear”, our bodies can actually do a better job of accomplishing the particular task.

With all of that said, next time you are in the water to train for your triathlon, whether it is a pool or an open body of water, try imagining that you are actually in a big body of Jell-O rather than water. As your hand recovers from its prior stroke, place it into the Jell-O and don’t just catch, but grab the Jell-O with your fingers, your hand, your wrist, and your forearm, and then pull your body forward, across that Jell-O.

Does it sound odd? Absolutely. A bit kinky? Then get your head out of the gutter! But based on the people I have shared it with, and their results, it seems to be a very effective way for many to help picture the catch and pull in the most ideal way possible – as the way we get our bodies to move closer to the end of the swim. And, yes, that is the goal.

David Wendkos lives in Annapolis, MD and has over 30 years of competitive swimming, coaching swimmers for the pool, open water, and triathlons. He can be followed on twitter at http://twitter.com/SwimMD

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
or http://triswimcoachonline.com

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Music:

Pinback- “Devil You Know”

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I’m bracing for the nutrition plan our coach is going to recommend during this phase. Last time around, it was carbs galore, and when you think you’ve eaten enough carbs, eat more! Bagels, cereal, bread, and pasta are all recommended as good foods that your muscles need to start storing fuel for your race. This would be bad enough when we are running 10-12 miles in training, but as we are resting, our bodies are even more likely to hold onto these calories and store them as fat! Not exactly the result of training for a race that most people are shooting for.

In the old days, when I used to compete in swimming, I followed the “common wisdom” of pumping in the carbs in the week leading up to my big meet. I distinctly remember one year going out to breakfast with the team the morning of our sectionals meet, and ordering up a big stack of pancakes with extra maple syrup. I was absolutely shocked that I felt sluggish later than day in the water! I actually FELT like the pancake breakfast screwed me up, but thought that would be impossible since carbs were the best source of energy possible!

Instead of listening to “common wisdom”, this year leading up to my race, I plan to eat a balanced diet and continue my fat intake of about 35-40% of my total calories. I will not go on a carb binge nor will I gain or lose weight, and I should be good to go for my race.

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Jonas is a 36 year old champion triathlete in his prime, eating a low carbohydrate diet and clearly thriving. This supports much of what I discuss on the Healthy Mind Fit Body podcast about the superiority of low carb diets to the traditional low fat diet, for overall health and for training- even for long distance triathlons.

Jonas points out the fallacy of listening to what government agencies and mainstream outlets tell people about nutrition. Although this seems to be an inflammatory topic in the triathlon and running worlds, as so many people love their carbs, the facts overwhelmingly point to cutting down on carbohydrates and adding healthy fats and protein to one’s diet being a good thing to do to maximize one’s health.

I like that Jonas pointed out that he has not only been able to extend his career in triathlon, but also rarely gets sick, because he is not flooding his body with insulin-spiking carbs.

This is not saying that we should cut out carbs from our diet. In fact, he also said his motto is “train low, race high”. In other words, eat low on carbohydrates while training, but add in carbs before and during races.

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So today I am feeling the soreness! I missed 2 weeks of running in December with a cold, and slacked off around Christmas, so I have for the past 2 weeks been building up quickly, sort of a reverse taper! This is certainly no way to train, but I’d like to complete the race I signed up for. I’m sure I will do this, but a PR is out of the question! I am just going to wear my ipod and enjoy the scenery along the Pacific Ocean, and the thrill of thousands of runner (and a packet of GU!).

A yoga session would certainly help with this soreness, but my busy Sunday schedule may not allow it. My plan is to stretch out and get a power nap in this afternoon, as well as do some walking.

After today, the real taper starts. It almost seems silly for me to taper, but I’ve run out of time to build, so I have an experiment on my hands!

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When I started coaching beginning triathletes and gave them their first training schedule, I expected to get a response like, “Do I have to do all of it?”

After all, looking at the weekly lineup of workouts, it appears burly in terms of total time spent training. However, this is split over swimming, biking and running—and depending on the time of the year and the individual, resistance training may be included. Thus, to consider it in terms of time per discipline, it’s substantially less daunting. So much less daunting that instead of the response I expected, the response I unanimously receive is: “That’s it?”

The difference is the perspective: I am looking at total time training as a measure of overall exertion or training burden, they are looking at it as time swimming, time running, etc.

Dubbed “The Minimalist” by my friends and fellow over-training athletes, the system I employ is remarkably simple. It is based on the idea that overall stress should be used as the measure of training, and that all training is causing stress on your body, even though it is composed of three different sports. In addition, it is important to consider the non-training stressors in your life like school, work, raising children, etc. Stress of all kinds—physical and psychological—should be considered when putting together a training package.

Failing to recognize the significant biochemical changes that occur in your body when you are psychologically experiencing stress can result in physical manifestations and injury. Intestinal nutrient absorption generally decreases. Our immune response decreases, and cortisol production increases. Blood sugar regulation changes, as does blood pressure regulation. Therefore, training volume must consider the additional non-training, psychological stress one experiences on a day-to-day basis. Of course, we can have the argument that training relieves psychological stress. Perhaps, but the biochemical response inside our bodies has already occurred.

Consider the following things when you develop your training plan:

Recognize that recovery—allowing your trained muscles/tissues time to heal—is more important than the training itself. Appropriate recovery does not necessarily mean a “day-off.”

Training less often with ambition towards competitive results REQUIRES that every single training/recovery session be thoughtfully designed and examined for efficiency.

Nutrition is key. If your training volume decreases, be aware of your caloric intake as well as the composition of those calories. Should it be the same?

Proper technique can not be over-emphasized!!! If you are training with poor technique, training less often with poor technique could be disastrous. CONSULT AN EXPERT before you decide to be a minimalist.

Based on my experience and the experiences of those around me, it seems clear that we are capable of performing at an equally high level with somewhat less training volume. The result: staying competitive year after year without serious injury. And when you are 60, you will probably be winning your age group — without a hip or knee replacement.

About the Author
Aaron Moss lives in Seattle, Washington and has been competing in triathlons for 12 years. He is the founder of the Bellingham Triathlon Club in Bellingham, Washington and has been coaching beginning triathletes for 5 years. He is currently an Aquaphor sponsored triathlete.

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This video shows a drill that adds a nice component to what we already know:

The important part here is getting that cheek to the shoulder. The swimmer in the video is obviously experienced so don’t worry about getting everything that perfect at this point, but this is a good drill to practice when you have advanced past the “building your balance” phase.

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This year, the highlight of the show for me was watching Chris Lieto make a serious challenge to win the men’s race. Lieto’s best finish ever was last year when he took 6th. For those who have watched the Ironman for a few years, you know that Lieto is usually 1st off the bike, but is known as not being a strong runner, and always loses his lead fairly quickly in the marathon. This year was different, and there was a race. Shocking his closest challenger Craig Alexander I’m sure, Lieto was still winning the race at mile 20! He then battled Alexander for a couple of miles before finally running out of juice. His absolute guts amazed me more than anything in the race.

Although I found my usual excitement and inspiration from watching the show, I was disappointed in NBC’s overall coverage this year. Here are a few of my critiques:

1. They completely dropped the ball on the women’s race. Chrissie Wellington beat a long standing course record set by Paula Newby-Fraser, and this was barely mentioned! Wellington’s feat was even more impressive being that this was her 3rd Kona victory in a row in only her 3rd appearance! The race for 2nd place was an afterthought and they didn’t even show the rest of the elite women.

2. Lieto’s battle with Alexander on the run was not really explained. Lieto was not supposed to be there challenging for the win at mile 21…and hung on for 2 more miles! The real drama here wasn’t really displayed.

3. The swim was given 5 minutes of coverage. Of course I’m going to complain about lack of swimming coverage as a swim guy, but 5 minutes out of 1 hour 25 minute show was even less than normal!

4. The interest stories were mostly discussed in the final 20 minutes. The kid with no legs, Rudy, was an amazing story even though he did not finish the race. Somehow, however, they failed to mention that he completed another Ironman race just a few weeks later!

Maybe it’s time to consider changing the show up next year. Perhaps if NBC was not the only game in town, we may get to see more about the race, and pick up some of the slack. Granted, it’s not easy to cram an 8-15 hour race into a 1 hour show, but I contend that there is room for improvement in 2010 and beyond.

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
or http://triswimcoachonline.com

Abu Dhabi Triathlon 2010: http://www.abudhabitriathlon.com/

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Music:

Hybrid- “Finished Symphony”

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“When I lost my leg, I could have given up,” Palmiero-Winters said after finishing Sunday’s marathon in about 4 ½ hours. “But I love to run and I have an ability to help people through my running.”

This is a great example of someone who was dealt a ridiculously rough hand in life, and yet rebounded, rose above her handicap and is out there doing what she loves and bringing inspiration and happiness to children around the country. Amy is also a 3-time triathlon world champion and holds 12 amputee world records!

In this holiday season, it’s stories like this that motivate me the most.

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1. I’m seriously considering in February heading down to Mar Del Plata, Argentina and helping out with Mike Fraysse’s 10-day triathlon clinic. If I can get a few people to go with me, I can get most of my expenses paid. I think it will be an awesome time, and there’s a race at the end of the clinic.

2. St. Anthony’s in Florida. This one is in April and is a pretty huge Olympic distance race. The exciting thing to me for this one is that people truly come from all over the world to participate in this race, and there is prize money! Plus, Florida in April can’t be that bad, can it?

3. Wildflower California. This was the site of my very first triathlon, and a great event every year with thousands of participants. I’ve done the Olympic race twice, and had a blast both times. College students will be on the sidelines cheering the athletes on between beer bongs! There’s also nothing you can do but camp- the closest hotels are 90 minutes away. The only downside is the weather can be terrible! It’s in central CA in early May, so it can be anywhere from raining and cold, to 90 degrees plus!

4. Chicago Triathlon in late August. This is supposedly the largest triathlon in the world, and I’ve always wanted to check it out but have never made it

Next year, I will also do better in attending local southern California races, of which there are several on most weekends throughout the summer!

Any more ideas on races to attend would be appreciated!

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So, I take my four-year-old son, Evan, ice skating for the first time. We aren’t on the ice for 20 seconds before he starts to get upset and states,

“I can’t do this!”

I lean over and tell him that, of course he doesn’t know how yet, but we will work on it and he will learn. That doesn’t satisfy him. He continues to get upset and complain that he can’t do it. I then tell Evan that I don’t want to hear him say he can’t do it anymore. He may only say he can’t do it yet. He accepts this (it’s part of our dynamic) and immediately says,

“Well, Daddy, I can’t do it yet!”

I reply by asking how he would change that, at which point he starts shuffling his feet, falling, getting back up, and repeating. Over and over. Fifteen minutes later, he pushes me and says

“Don’t stand near me anymore.” Off he goes meandering all around the rink by himself. Within half an hour, he declares he is a great ice skater and Santa should buy him his own skates.

I know this is a pretty typical “my kid” story, but it got me thinking. Some of the most common phrases I hear, particularly from casual triathletes, are “I’m a really bad swimmer”, “I hate the swim”, “I am such a slow swimmer”, and “I hate the swim” (oh, you noticed I said that twice?). This is the same as Evan and his ice skating. Success at any activity in life does not begin in a pool or a lake, on a bike or a road, in an office or a home, or anywhere else. It begins in your head. There are a limitless number of quotes from any number of people that say essentially the same thing – If you think can or if you think you can’t, you are right.

Biking and running have something in common that swimming does not. As we grow up, they are both activities we take part in socially, and often as a part of other activities. Biking to the park with friends. Running around in a field playing tag. They are activities that, at a basic level, we grow up with and naturally become comfortable with. And so, we know we can. Swimming isn’t that way. Oh sure, we go to community pools, or lakes, or the beach, to play with friends, but we aren’t usually putting our heads in the water and swimming from one place to another for social or recreational reasons. Swimming is far more often performed for the purpose of health, fitness, and/or competition. So it is far less common that people grow up with a natural comfort level with it. Leading to a more common sense of inability, or that “I can’t.” However, that simply isn’t correct. If we allow ourselves the opportunity, we can usually learn whatever we set our minds to. Including swimming, and more specifically, the swim leg of a triathlon.

This is triathlon’s off-season. It’s the perfect time to make a dramatic improvement in your swimming. Decide to stop talking yourself down. Instead, tell yourself you are a good swimmer that just needs to develop the skills to become who you are. Then use this winter to focus on your technique, your endurance, and your comfort in the water, and when next spring rolls around, you will be “a really good swimmer” who “enjoys the swim”, “swims fast” and “enjoys the swim” (Oh, I put that in there twice again, huh?).

David Wendkos lives in Annapolis, MD and has over 30 years of competitive swimming, coaching swimmers for the pool, open water, and triathlons. He can be followed on twitter at http://twitter.com/SwimMD

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com
Joseph Mercola article on colds, flus, and vitamin D: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/03/How-to-Prevent-the-Flu-Easy-as-1-2-3.aspx
My other website on mind-body fitness & weight loss: http://healthymindfitbody.com

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Music:

Led Zeppelin- “Sick Again”

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My last post focused on the differences between the ideal kick for a triathlon swim as opposed to others. It was introduced by pointing out the challenge of human communication and how often, different people will try to communicate the same idea in (sometimes dramatically) different ways. As I proof-read the post, I found myself thinking of an experience while swimming in college that provided two valuable lessons for me; one in swimming, one in life.

Throughout my freshman year, my college coaches kept trying to get me to change my arm recovery, explaining that it looked “mechanical”. I honestly tried to change it or at least to understand what about it they didn’t like, but never seemed to get it right. It got to the point that to start my sophomore year, at my head coach’s request, I actually took (no laughing please) a ballet class, as he hoped that would teach me to move more fluidly. For a college jock with a big ego, it was rough. For a perfectionist who still didn’t get it, it was really frustrating. Then, one day at practice, a girl who had been a senior my freshman year stopped by to visit with the team. While there, she looked at my stroke and passed a brief comment, suggesting I try to lead my recovery with my elbow.

“POP!” That was it. For how I visualized my stroke, this made sense to me, and the small adjustment I made in my recovery instantly changed my stroke in the manner my coaches had been trying to get to for over a year. That was the first lesson – how to swim more effectively and efficiently. The second lesson was much more important, and applies to all people in all situations. If you aren’t “getting” what someone is trying to teach you, or tell you, or explain to you, do not simply decide you cannot do it, or it is your fault, or their fault, or that something is wrong. We all have our own way of explaining things, and our own way of understanding things. Take the time to ask questions. If you aren’t getting there with one person, talk to another. But if you keep looking to understand, there’s a good chance you ultimately will. If you don’t, there isn’t.

I know this seems to be more of a “big picture” topic, but when it comes to learning swimming, I really believe it is a critical item to remember. The differences between a good stroke and a great one are comprised of fine details. Additionally, swimming is an activity where instruction can occur before and after, but generally not while in process. It can be challenging at times to apply a lesson, particularly if the instructions aren’t clear to you. Don’t let it go. One day, someone will address a problem area in a way that clicks for you, and next thing you know, you will be swimming that much faster, that much more efficiently, and that much more confidently.

David Wendkos lives in Annapolis, MD and has over 30 years of competitive swimming, coaching swimmers for the pool, open water, and triathlons. He can be followed on twitter at http://twitter.com/SwimMD

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com

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Music:

Thievery Corporation- “Focus On”

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Yet again, my topic comes from a conversation with a fellow athlete. Nancy has completed more than one Ironman distance event, as well as a variety of other triathlons. Her swim is clearly her weakest leg, and so she has been trying to focus on improving it. She has spoken with more than a couple people about her swimming, and has gained a lot of good information from those interactions. Here is one problem that has arisen. Different people try to say the same thing in different manners.

As she and I got into a conversation about the differences between swimming as its own sport, and swimming as a part of triathlon, I brought up the difference in kicking. Nancy very quickly replied that another coach she has spoken with had been adamant that the kick was VERY important in all swimming, including triathlon, and so she put a large focus on developing a strong six-beat kick. At first, I believed this was specifically what she had been instructed to do. Sensing a learning opportunity for myself, I continued to ask questions about what he had told her What I ended up finding out was that he and I do not have differing beliefs, but rather,differing ways of verbalizing it.

Nancy took his statement, “Kicking is really important”, as “it is important to have a big, strong kick.” The intent, however, was not to instruct on the nature of the kick, but rather its involvement and impact on the overall stroke. There are two primary purposes for a kick in swimming: propulsion, and balance. In a “normal” swimming race, swimmers will generally try to maximize the kick for both of these purposes. In triathlon swimming, the issue of balance keeps the kick as a critical component of a successful swim technique. The propulsion aspect, however, takes a dramatic downgrade in focus. Remembering that the remainder of a triathlon after the swim is almost wholly lower-body driven, the less you can fatigue those muscles in the swim the better.

The physics of the human body in swimming dictate that if the legs do not contribute at all, they will sink. The center of gravity in a horizontal swimming position falls somewhere near the hips. Most of the floatation in the body will come from the air contained in the lungs. Picture the body as a see-saw, with the center point at the hips. As the chest rises, the legs will descend. It is key to maintain as horizontal a position in the water as possible, as the more vertical the body is, the more resistance you will create for yourself. Your kick, then, becomes critical to keeping your legs elevated and your body horizontal.

So what does all of this mean? The kick in triathlon swimming IS very important. How you kick in triathlon swimming is just as important. A smooth, relaxed, and relatively small kick will help with good balance without using energy inefficiently. And in triathlon swimming, efficiency is king. ‘Cause after the swim, we’ve still got a long way to go.

David Wendkos lives in Annapolis, MD and has over 30 years of competitive swimming, coaching swimmers for the pool, open water, and triathlons. He can be followed on twitter at http://twitter.com/SwimMD

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Part 3 of 3: Goal Setting

The previous two parts of the series discussed data collection and analysis of the data to get you ready for setting your goals and plan for the offseason. Using this retrospective analysis and a list of those specific areas you feel offer the biggest potential for improvement, we are now going to work on setting goals. Its time to recall and write down your final, specific list of 1-3 things you want to address during this offseason.

Remember, this is not a list of things you are “bad” at. This is a list of those areas to which specific dedication in the non-racing season offers you the most potential to achieve race-season goals in the coming year.

Even during their very best seasons, in the midst of winning championships, great athletes see in themselves the potential for improvement. The ability to honestly assess your own performance without being negative can be difficult, but remember that we all have areas in which we can improve and enjoy doing it. Setting goals is a critical step in the process, and is a skill that requires practice and experience in its own right. There is a good correlation between the quality of the goals one sets and the improvement one sees from working towards them.

Ask yourself a few questions to begin setting goals:

What is success? Taking the number one item you identified as having the largest potential for improvement, as well as being most important to you, define your image of success. In other words, if you meet your upcoming offseason training goals, what would that look like in terms of racing next year? If you identified completing the 1500 meter swim leg of an Olympic distance triathlon in 25 minutes, you have an easy way to measure success. If you decided that you want to have a top-5 ranked swim leg in your age group, this will require further refinement to set your goal. For example, to set a goal for offseason training geared towards this, you will need to know what time a top-5 swim finish requires. If you have been specific in deciding upon areas for improvement, setting goals is much more meaningful because you create a concrete mental image of success.

What is your honest ability to commit? When you set goals, are you being realistic in terms of what you are truly going to be willing to sacrifice and put up with to reach them? Are you setting goals that will require hiring a coach, but you are not ready to spend the money? Are you setting goals that require you to spend 5 days a week training but you travel 3 days a week? Don’t forget about family and your commitment to them!! This does not imply you should change your goal—instead, consider what you really are going to be able to achieve based on your ability to commit a certain amount of time, energy or money. If your goals are too general, you may not be able to define what your level of commitment will need to be, and as a result you will not be able to formulate a serious plan for offseason training to which you can adhere.

Are you being realistic? This question is important because setting appropriate goals will lead to success but setting unachievable goals can be harmful physically and spiritually. It is natural for most triathletes to set lofty, ambitious goals for improvement, but how ambitious is too ambitious? Physically and psychologically a person has the ability to adapt to certain amounts of training. This varies between people, and even within a person when you consider all three disciplines of triathlon. On the converse, remember that the idea of using the offseason for improving specific aspects of racing means challenging yourself to do something you were not able to do before. Avoid setting goals that do not challenge you enough out of fear of not being able to attain them.

Do I know how to achieve this goal? It seems obvious, but do you know what you will have to do to achieve your goals? Hopefully you are an “expert” in this discipline, now, after reading part 2 of this series. With this knowledge, are you able to extrapolate what you have done into a plan for the future? If not, what resources do you have available to set goals for the offseason based on the previous year? This is ultimately going to become your training plan, and will form the scaffold of how you are going to attack the problem. If you don’t know what to do, setting a goal will be difficult. Find a local group—almost every community has a group of age group triathletes—and get involved. Make the personal commitment to train with others and get real coaching. The internet is a wealth of good and bad information, so be careful what you believe. Figure out what works for you. I recommend TriSwimCoach.com and a few other sites for real, solid training advice.

Read through all three parts and follow these steps presented to begin a successful offseason training program. Remember to take detailed notes of every training session. Be open to new ideas. Be honest, thorough, and prepared to challenge yourself. Hopefully these simple ideas we discussed will help you form goals that will translate into improved results next year. Every time you go through this process, you learn a lot.

Happy training. See you out there!

About the Author
Aaron Moss lives in Seattle, Washington and has been competing in triathlons for 12 years. He is the founder of the Bellingham Triathlon Club in Bellingham, Washington and has been coaching beginning triathletes for 5 years. He is currently an Aquaphor sponsored triathlete.

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I once took a course in which the seminar leader, Larry, asked each person present to make a commitment to be coachable. Most of us immediately responded that we would do so. Larry then asked, “Before agreeing, don’t you think you should understand what I mean by ‘coachable’?” That seemed silly to me. Being coachable is listening to a ‘coach’, thinking about what he or she says, and then incorporating it into what we already know. At least,that was how I would have described being coachable. Larry didn’t.

Dara Torres had only swum two laps on her first day of training after a seven-year layoff when Stanford coach Richard Quick lowered a kickboard into the water to stop her. “We don’t swim like that any more,” he said. Since then, Dara Torres has made herself into a household name, or certainly more so than she ever was before her layoff. But when you go to the Olympics and bring home multiple medals in swimming, at the stereotypically “over the hill age” of41, people do tend to notice. Remember though, we aren’t talking about someone without success prior to the layoff. She had won multiple Olympic medals before her time away from swimming. It wouldn’t have been stunning for her to think, or even say, “I know how to swim, and have the resume to prove it. Just give me the sets and intervals.” But that is not what she said, and likely not what she thought. She had a coach she believed in, and she allowed herself to be coachable. So let’s get back to how Larry defines being coachable.

Being coachable is agreeing to follow the guidance of another, without questioning it, without needing to first understand why, without needing to analyze it, and without trying to adapt it. It is putting full faith in the person teaching you to show you a new way of doing something, and being open to learning it exactly that way. Trying their way, without question, for long enough to properly determine its merit. That does not mean you don’t use your brain. It simply means that for an appropriate period of time, you allow yourself to be fully guided to experience a new way of doing something. By the way, this can be really, really difficult. As people, we naturally want to understand. We want to ‘get it’. But sometimes, the best way to reach our goals is by finding a teacher we can believe in, and then following their instructions without an explanation. Understanding will come . . .later. Now, what does all of this have to do with your triathlon swim?
Swimming correctly is a surprisingly intricate process, with critical fine details.

Most of the swimming lessons that we all grew up with did not teach us these details in the proper manner, as they are understood and known today. What’s more, open water and multi-sport bring in various other complexities and details to address. At first, it may be hard for you to understand some of the things recommended to you. Drills may seem counter-intuitive. Distances and intensities may seem illogical. But in the end, you will either be open to new ways of doing things, or you will be limited to the degree your training allows you to perform given your existing technique.. . or lack thereof. Dara Torres was coachable. Dara Torres was on the podium at the Olympics when she was 41 years old. Give yourself an opportunity to be coachable this winter, and see what happens next spring.

David Wendkos lives in Annapolis, MD and has over 30 years of competitive swimming, coaching swimmers for the pool, open water, and triathlons. He can be followed on twitter at http://twitter.com/SwimMD

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Part 1 of 3: Assessment

For a lot of us triathletes the end of the racing season is a time of confusion and lack of direction. Many athletes find themselves wondering what to do when they aren’t racing, because there is a void inside of them where the goal of training for and racing a triathlon once was. For those of you who have a goal race, especially a substantial race such as Ironman, completion of that goal can lead to temporary elation followed by boredom and even, in extreme cases, depression.

What should you do once the season is over? First, the end of the race season is not the end of the world. This is the time of year fondly referred to as “The Offseason,” and it can be an extremely productive time of the year for triathletes. Here are some tips to head into the offseason in the frame of mind such that you can make the most of your time away from competition.

Assess the year you just completed:
Its time to revisit the goals you set for yourself way back at the beginning of the year. Hopefully you wrote everything down along the way (you did, right?) so that you can accurately take stock over the year at how things actually were at that time, instead of through the foggy veil of recollection. Why did you set those particular goals? How did you set yourself up to achieve them or, in some cases, not achieve them? What was your plan? How well did you follow your plan? How did life get in the way? Be honest with yourself in taking this assessment because these lessons learned will help you in the coming offseason, and then also in making goals the following year. Be careful: honesty does not mean negativity—be gentle with your self criticism.

Consider each race in the context of your training. It is tempting to look at your races one at a time during the race year and find reasons that they went well or did not go as planned, but one of the more useful and productive ways to analyze your entire plan is to find the link between your training and races over the course of the entire year. This includes analyzing the races that left you feeling both satisfied and not satisfied and connecting those results to your training and life in the time leading up to them and following. Again, honesty is the best policy. Try to find the common elements that resulted in the positive as well as negative racing experiences. Was there a series of missed workouts? Did you schedule too many work trips around race time? Do you have a trend of overtraining at certain times before a race? You might be surprised at how easily you identify aspects of your training or lifestyle leading up to your races that make a key difference.

Identify 3 things you believe you did well and 3 you feel you could improve upon. Remember, this is for the purpose of learning and improvement, NOT for being negative in reflection. The things you did well can be anything from “T1 transitions were in the top 5 at each race” to “I kept my bike pace average above 17 mph”. The key is to not be too general and to congratulate yourself on some things you did well. In terms of things you feel you could improve upon, this is not the time to critique your elbow position during your freestyle pull. This should be more like “My run split are slow at the beginning of each 10k” or “My swim starts fast but I get tired half way through and barely finish” or even “My training is inconsistent the two weeks before a race.” These are things you can actually retrieve from the year of racing, that have results or numbers that you can see associated with them

Relax, enjoy a break. You just completed a season, take some time and heal. Be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Do some things you couldn’t do because that time was always spent training or racing. See how much money you aren’t spending now that the season is over! And never fear, the offseason allows for just as much spending opportunity should all that saving bore you.

You have looked back and relaxed, basking in the glow of another (or first) great triathlon season. Very soon it will be time to set yourself up for an even better season ahead. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series, where we will discuss using that assessment for setting goals of the offseason training program.

About the Author
Aaron Moss lives in Seattle, Washington and has been competing in triathlons for 12 years. He is the founder of the Bellingham Triathlon Club in Bellingham, Washington and has been coaching beginning triathletes for 5 years. He is currently an Aquaphor sponsored triathlete.

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“A prudent person profits from personal experience, a wise one from the experience of others.” – Joseph Collins

Recently, I was chatting with a friend who is also an aspiring triathlete. She is relatively new to the sport, coming predominantly from a running background. She remarked that she was slow in the water and didn’t have much swimming talent. When I suggested that she consider working with me, or some other swim coach to improve her swimming, her response was that she would work on getting in better shape in the water first, and down the line, perhaps she would have me work with her on her stroke. I tried to explain the following to her:

The time to work on technique is NOT once you have developed conditioning.. . in ANY physical activity.

Our bodies develop muscle memory in any repetitive motion, and we all know it is harder to break a habit than to create one. Imagine for example, never having played golf, you head to the driving range and hit bucket after bucket of balls. Initially, they barely make it off the tee, but after a while, you start to get some distance. The problem is, some go right, some go left, and every so often, you get one that flies straight and true. But the underlying problem is far more significant – you cannot possibly know why the ball is going where it is going. Without understanding the technical aspects of the golf swing, it cannot be assessed. Without the perspective of another set of eyes to review it, the troubled swing essentially becomes impossible to correct.

As Kevin Koskella has noted in the past, swimming is surprisingly similar to golf in many ways. In this discussion, it is for the fact that both have a surprising number of fine details that differentiate between an effective and efficient stroke, and the flawed stroke that uses far more energy than needed to deliver far less desirable results than could otherwise be produced. In the past fifteen to twenty years, the science of swimming has progressed enormously, and the coaches who have followed it, studied it, and learned it can help you to be more successful at it. Particularly in triathlon, where you have a huge quantity of physical exertion remaining once your swim is over, learning to be efficient in the water is of critical importance. As the saying goes, “You may not be able to win a triathlon in the swim, but you can certainly lose one there.”

Just as drill and technique work is best performed early in a workout, on a grand scheme, the time for my friend, and any other person aspiring to swim well, to be instructed in the proper skills for swimming, is sooner rather than later. Particularly as we head into wintertime, and the ‘offseason’ for triathlon, even below your base conditioning should be your base technique building.

For a list of Tri Swim Coach recommended coaches, click here. Click here for an article on how to determine what to look for in a swim coach.

David Wendkos lives in Annapolis, MD and has over 30 years of competitive swimming, coaching swimmers for the pool, open water, and triathlons. He can be followed on twitter at http://twitter.com/SwimMD

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Flexibility: Yoga does involve stretching the muscles. But there is more to it than that. People often ask me, “Is stretching good”? Usually, the answer is that just stretching itself may not be good for you, as stretching too much or stretching cold muscles may actually cause injuries. Yoga incorporates breathing into stretches, and working with the whole body, not just specific muscles. This is a much healthier approach when it comes to improving flexibility. And the more flexible your hips, legs, ankles, arms and shoulders are, the easier it will be to kick, recover the arms, rotate the hips, and properly slice the hands into the water with full extension.

Concentration: This is another great benefit to an athlete undertaking the 3-sport challenge. Improved concentration levels allow you to focus, and we all know how focused you must be just to complete the swim! Blocking out distractions is something you need to be able to do- whether it’s concentrating on a technique or drill during practice, or dealing with the frenzied start of a race. And the improved ability to stay relaxed, calm and centered will definitely work to your advantage during a triathlon, where many unpredictable situations may arise.

Balance: Practicing yoga will improve your balance, both on land and in the water. In my swim clinics, we work on “balancing on your back” and “balancing on your side” in the water. Yoga not only helps with these drills, but allows you to streamline easier, and get more out of each stroke. This of course means saving even more energy for the rest of your race.

Finally, yoga works the core muscles. Most of the yoga poses you will find will enhance your core conditioning.

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References:

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Music:

The Crystal Method- “It Hertz”

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I flipped through a few of the really trendy ones like “Skinny Bitch”, and found a few tidbits of helpful information, but for the most part, authors are relying on flawed studies and the many times debunked, caloric theory of weight loss (burn more calories than you consume to lose weight).

One book that caught my eye was The Paleo Diet for Athletes. The Paleo Diet looks at what our Stone Age ancestors ate and adapts that to what we humans should likely be eating today. This book particularly focuses on athletes, who they claim, do in fact need slightly more carbohydrates than non-athletes- but no where near the carbo-loading crazed status quo indicates! The key is what specific carbohydrates should athletes be eating, and when?

I can’t wait to read the entire book, since I work with triathletes and swimmers as well at peak performance, and do the occasional half marathon myself. I have eaten a fairly low carb diet for about a decade now, but when I get around other athletes, most are still obsessed with carbs. I think it’s time we finally moved beyond these old ways of thinking and relied on new scientific discoveries instead of remaining in our comfort zones!

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Often times, this is due to your body lacking the calories it needs to perform the activity you set out to do.

I meet people all the time that say they skip breakfast before their morning workout.

Think of how crazy this is!

You’ve just been asleep for 7-8 hours. You probably ate dinner 2 hours or more before you went to bed. This means your body has gone for 9-10 hours without any food!

The key to having a good morning workout will be to get the proper nutrition. Just think quick snack, consisting of carbohydrates and protein, i.e:
-hard boiled egg whites & 1/2 piece of toast (preferably rye or whole grain)
-1/2 energy bar containing protein
-banana with a little peanut butter
-lowfat cottage cheese with banana

And don’t forget the water! You’ve also just gone for up to 10 hours without water and your body could be in a state of dehydration.

Have your snack ready to go in the morning so there’s little or no preparation time and you can just eat and go. By the time you drive to the pool or the gym, the energy should be kicking in!

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2. One-Armed Freestyle. Freestyle only using one arm to stroke, while keeping the other arm at your side. Rotate your hips as if you were swimming full strokes. Breathe to the opposite side of your stroking arm.
WARNING: This is a more advanced drill and will take some practice to get it right!

3. 3/4 Catchup Drill. Many coaches will have you doing Catchup Drill- touching your hands out in front in freestyle with each stroke. The problem with this is that it keeps you on your stomach too long, when you want to be rotating from one side to the other. 3/4 Catchup means as you slice one hand into the water, start your pull with the other hand. It’s “almost” catchup. This helps with balance and rotation.

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Ironically, even though it is called the “rough water” swim, most years (and most of the time), the La Jolla Cove is anything but rough! However, this year the race lived up to its name- there were 8 foot swells coming in in the hour before the race started!

I was happy not to be competing this year. I needed the time off and the waves and chop didn’t look appetizing to me.

Luckily for the swimmers, the big waves were not a huge factor at the start. Most managed to make it past the first wave without much of a problem. The chop definitely slowed down the overall times for most, as nobody went under 20 minutes.

I watched in amazement as masters teammate Ben Westin pulled away from the rest of the field at around the halfway point. Not only that, but the last quarter of the race he seemed to turn it on and go faster! Months and years of hard work allowed him to do this and to win the race by such a huge margin.

This year, the 1-mile swim was a much harder race and just to finish required a ton of energy.

Many of the swimmers then turned around 90 minutes later to do the Gatorman swim, 3 miles! Fun time for some I guess….definitely not something one can just use the “winging it” strategy with!

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One of the most common questions I hear as a coach is, “Should I use fins?” The answer depends largely on your goals, your skill level and the type of fins. Often times, especially in masters swimming, swimmers wear fins merely to keep up with other swimmers in their lane, or to advance to the fast lane and make tighter intervals. If you are strictly swimming for fitness, and do not care about your stroke technique, swim time, or energy conservation in a race, then this is a perfectly acceptable reason to use fins. Fins, especially the Zoomers-type, can help you go faster in a workout and burn more calories.

Most of us in the triathlon world are concerned with more than just fat burning. There are certain situations when it’s appropriate to use fins during a workout. Fins can help build strength in your legs. They can also allow you to consume more oxygen during your swim, which enables you to support the use of more muscle mass at greater intensity, and for a longer time. However, using fins on a regular basis for the desired effects of swimming faster and keeping from sinking in the water is ill advised.

If you have little or no kick, or your kick makes you go backwards while kicking on your back (not uncommon among runner-types), using fins will help your stroke and speed. The shorter fins (Zoomers are the best) are the way to go. Using the fins allows you to concentrate on improving your upper body technique, as well as your overall endurance, without having to think about your kick at the same time.

Since 90% propulsion comes from upper body in swimming, as a beginner it’s wise to concentrate your training on this aspect of the stroke. After stroke improvement and endurance are built, start weaning off fins, and do more and more of your swimming sets with bare feet. You may find that not only have you made faster improvements in your stroke and speed, but your kick improved as well, due to improved ankle flexibility.

The new Zoomers Z2 fins are really the best thing out there. These actually promote a higher body position in the water! Using in combination with the Freestyler paddles is an excellent way to experience proper freetyle- including a long stroke, hip rotation, short kick, and perfect hand entry. Don’t worry about getting “addicted” to fins! Use them to perfect drills and take them off as you progress to full stroke swimming with intervals. Then put them on for kicking sets (no boards!) to improve balance and propulsion, and in combination with the Freestyler paddles to work on stroke technique.

To get the Zoomers Z2′s at a 20% discount, go to http://www.finisinc.com and use dicount code ‘aggies’.

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com

Find the Brian Tracy book Goals here.

Triathica training center in Lake Forest, CA: Click here for more info on online triathlon training and a discount on membership.

Please comment on this podcast!

Tri Swim Coach podcast comments: Open up iTunes and type in ‘Tri Swim Coach’ in the search field. Click on the Tri Swim Coach podcast and add your comments/ratings

Music:

Bob Marley- “Is This Love”

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Taken from the Zoomers.net website, “The very best arm stroke recovery is one which allows the hand to arrive in time to begin the next stroke but also allows the arm to slow almost to a complete stop just before the hand enters the water.”

Bending the elbow allows you to do this. If the hand and arm come forward and slam into the water, you lose momentum in the form of drag, and your arm fails to move you forward.

To get used to the bent or high elbow recovery, practice the Finger Tip Drag drill. Swim freestyle but drag your fingertips across the top of the water on each arm recovery out of the water.

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It was definitely an inspirational story. His success with weight loss started with simply being honest with himself. I found it interesting that he said he never actually thought of himself as a fat guy! He said people in his community in Iowa would say things like “you carry your weight well”, and he believed that for a long time. When he got honest with himself (self-acceptance), he was able to start bringing down the weight.

The Ironman he is training for is another huge challenge of course, both mentally and physically.

I really liked his message about enjoying the process as much as the race itself. I also loved his points about taking the opportunities that are given to you in life, and realizing that no matter where you are in life, you can accomplish so much more!

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We used the Endless Pool and were able to compare their underwater videos with what it should look like, and create DVDs for everyone to keep. They asked lots of great questions, and overall it was a fun and educational time. Video to follow!

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After this, around 9:30 a.m. I was greeted with a wood chipper across the street! Apparently, there was a fixer-upper for sale and it was just purchased. It’s a crappy old house that has all of its original features from the 1960′s, including pink paint, pink bars on all the windows, ugly white bricks on the outside of the house, and I even hear they had flash bulbs installed in each room as a deterrent for would-be burglars!

So the investor that bought the house is tearing the place apart, including cutting down all the trees, basically starting from scratch.

So now I am bouncing around from coffee shop to coffee shop here in Pacific Beach, San Diego, trying to get some internets. I’m now at a cafe with a weak internet connection, but beggars cannot be choosers!

Still on the menu for today is a run (um, yeah 2 miles at most!), a gym workout, and a concert at the Del Mar race track. Pinback, one of my favorite bands, is playing. It will be crowded, but the great thing is that’s a FREE concert!

This weekend I look forward to a relaxing Saturday and heading up to Orange County on Sunday to teach a small swim clinic, underwater video analysis in an endless pool at the Triathica Academy Triathlon Training center.

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A solid warm down after a workout or race is essential to continuing success in the swim. This will keep your energy up for your next workout, reduce the lactic acid in your bloodstream, and help to keep you injury-free. Typically, 200 yards or so will be enough, but the key here is listening to your body!

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References:

Sign up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter at: www.triswimlessons.com

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Tri Swim Coach podcast comments: Open up iTunes and type in ‘Tri Swim Coach’ in the search field. Click on the Tri Swim Coach podcast and add your comments/ratings

Music:

Ozzy Osbourne- I Don’t Wanna Stop

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There are a wide variety of sports drinks available, most containing some type of glucose (sugar), and many with various amounts of electrolytes. These can be helpful in long training or competition. However, according to Dr. Phil Maffetone (coach of 6-time Ironman champion Mark Allen), in short workouts of an hour or less, “only plain water matches the needs of every athelete.” (Eating for Endurance, 74, 1999).

Maffetone goes on to say that “consuming large amounts of carbohydrate drinks before workouts or competitions can have an adverse affect on performance.”

This assessment makes sense to me. Overloading your body with carbohydrates tends to give you a quick boost of energy followed by a slow “crash” where you will actually feel more tired.

If you love your Gatorade and even drink it during shorter workouts, try watering it down. Notice the affect it has on how you feel. Experiment with other, non-sugar containing electrolyte products like SmartWater. These drinks also contain electrolytes and a small amount of sodium which can help with your recovery.

The key is to find what works best for you, while keeping in mind that the highly commercialized sports drinks contain a lot of sugar. This can be hard for your body to process in short workouts, and can add extra, unneeded calories to your diet resulting in potential sluggishness and unwanted weight gain!

For more on fitness and achieving your ideal weight as you train, check out http://www.healthymindfitbody.com

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This is a major challenge to open water swimming (and even swimming in a pool with lane lines!), and the key lies in one of our other fun challenges in swimming: breathing!

Here’s a quick guide to swimming straight:

1. Simply doing alternate (or bi-lateral) breathing would go a long way towards making you swim in a straight. If you are comfortable with this, breathe every 3 strokes and you will be much more in line with where you want to go.

2. If you cannot get enough oxygen while breathing bilaterally, this can be a big problem on a distance swim. Practice swimming and breathing 2 strokes on the left, 2 on the right, then go to 3 breaths left, 3 right. Then try 2 on the left, 1 on the right, 3-1, etc. Find what works for in keeping you in line and stick with that plan in your race.

3. Practice sighting less often, as this will disrupt your stroke rhythm and balance.

4. Keep your strokes long and extend that arm out in front on each stroke and drive it forward.

5. Practice the One Arm Drill (in the Complete Guide), and pay attention to your arm pull, making sure you are not crossing in with your hand.

6. Practice open water swimming. Just being used to the environment will get you more comfortable, and you will intuitively pick up on
swimming straight out there.

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We are still working on some tweaks to the book, and are also recording and editing an audio version!

Keep an eye out tomorrow as we have one more bonus video to share, then we are only a couple of days away from announcing the release date (we’re targeting Wednesday but there is a lot to do these last few days so we may have a slight delay). If you’re not on the priority notification list, you can still sign up at http://www.healthymindfitbody.com and get bonuses and discounts!

Is this a diet plan? I thought that diets didn’t work?

Well, as explained in the book, “diets” don’t work. This is because when you view your eating lifestyle as a diet regimen that you MUST adhere to, it becomes a unrelenting task of staying on course in unfamiliar domain. Old habits of eating are hard to break, because comfort can be derived from returning to what is familiar. And there may be a lingering thought in the back of your mind that questions whether you’ll be able to eat this way for the rest of your life (or even the rest of the year!). Your mind may reflect on past broken promises to yourself and determine that the diet is just a means to an end (to get back to your ideal weight).

This is why it’s crucial to look at a new way of eating as a new way of being, an end in itself–essentially, a new lifestyle that better serves your well-being. Your way of eating basically represents myriad points in time that you make conscious and subconscious decisions to treat your body (and mind) in a certain way. How much introspection you’ve done to resolve the potential for relapse will determine your success.

So, this book will not only inform you of the “what” in relation to diet and fitness; it will also help you ascertain the “how.” A life of optimal health will be yours for the taking, and you’ll look back at your old ways as you would a person who has made a mistake and is need of compassionate guidance.

Is this really going to help ~me~?

This is a vital question. If you’re ready to help yourself, then this will definitely help you. You possess all the psychological resources to achieve and maintain your optimal level of health and fitness. Even if you have reservations about embarking on a new way of dealing with food and exercise, there is a part of you that is beyond such reservations. There is a part of you that does have the ability and can attain what you want.

In the book, we provide you with all the basic and even more detailed aspects of taking care of your body and making sure that you are doing the best for yourself. And by exploring your subconscious thoughts and feelings to the end, you’ll be able to effectively and efficiently deal with any residual concerns or setbacks.

The person that you want to become is waiting for you. There’s never a better time than the present to start living your ideal life of a healthy mind and fit body!

Will this help my athletic performance?

The great thing is that as an athlete, I (Kevin) understand the energy levels needed to train for and compete in triathlons. The Healthy Mind, Fit Body not only will allow you to tap into far higher energy levels, but with the mental work, will also help you push past any obstacles, accomplish your goals, and achieve a “no limits” positive, happy lifestyle.

How is this different from the countless fitness/weight loss programs out there?

Perhaps you’ve heard many of the aspects to a healthy mind and fit body in the past, from a variety of sources, but were these aspects integrated into something completely comprehensible? HMFB is an easy read, to be sure, but it’s also a succinct amount of information that brings you up to speed with the best knowledge about achieving and maintaining the optimal you. We’ve never seen any book of this kind delve into the psychology entailed in achieving and maintaining an optimal level of health and fitness. Sentence completion exercises really get to the root of what is causing relapses and setbacks.

By doing the 7-day sentence stem program in the Addendum, you’ll be attaining a degree of psychological clarity and power that leaves virtually all other health and fitness programs and books in the dust.

Why should I listen to you guys?

Unfortunately, even folks with many letters behind their names can be off the mark and lead people astray. Both of us are quite familiar with the information disseminated by both nutritional experts and psychologists, and we’ve found some things lacking (and some things wrong). This is the primary reason we wrote the book! No matter how educated one is in the realm of diet, health, and exercise, it all comes back to the basic facts: The nature of food in relation to weight management, health and fitness, and the nature of the human mind and behavior.

By staying grounded in reason and reality in this all-important realm, Healthy Mind Fit Body seeks to integrate the key aspects of living healthily and happily. We’ve made sure to fact-check various conflicting claims and steered clear of questionable claims about nutrition. This is something that most mainstream nutritionists have yet to fully consider. The disastrous results are quite apparent—for example, most Americans are overweight and about a third are obese! Clearly, all the present “experts” are either missing something or promoting the wrong things. Healthy Mind Fit Body seeks to remedy this problem.

We invite you to partake in the results!

We’re planning to release the next video tomorrow- and it is a good one- that explains the benefits you will get by completing our 7-day sentence completion program, included in the book. Stay tuned!

http://healthymindfitbody.com

Kevin & Wes

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References:

Healthy Mind, Fit Body: New book Priority list at http://www.healthymindfitbody.com

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Tri Swim Coach podcast comments: Open up iTunes and type in ‘Tri Swim Coach’ in the search field. Click on the Tri Swim Coach podcast and add your comments/ratings

Music:

The Crystal Method (featuring Matisyahu)- Drown in the Now

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Let’s look at a typical workout and dissect it.

300 Warm Up
300 yards or meters. 12 lengths in a 25 yard or meter pool.
During a warm up, you should be going at a moderate pace, working on bilateral breathing, mixing in strokes other than freestyle, and really stretching out your stroke.

6×75′s
Odds: K/Fist/Swim
Evens: Stroke
This means 3 lengths 6 times. Rest :10-:15 after each 75-yard swim. Odd number 75′s (#’s 1, 3, 5) will be Kicking on your side on the first length (K), then swimming with your fists on the second length, followed by a length of freestyle. Even number 75′s (#2, 4, 6) will be a stroke other than freestyle. You may use fins on the odd number 75′s, but make sure they are the shorter kind, like Zoomers.

15×100′s
#1-5) on Cruise
#6-10) on Cruise-:05
#11-15) on Cruise +:05
15 100-yard or meter swims on an interval. “Cruise” means an interval you can make 100′s on with about 5-10 seconds rest in between each. For example, if you did your 100′s on 1:50, and your time on the 100 was 1:40, you get 10 seconds rest. “Cruise -:05″ means to take 5 seconds off your interval. In the example above, you would be doing the middle set of 100′s on 1:45, and the last set on 1:55.

6×50′s Free Golf Rest=:20
Swim a 50 free and count your strokes. Also, check your time on the pace clock when you finish. Add those 2 numbers together to get your “score”. For each 50, try to lower that score by making your stroke more efficient (and faster). For example, if I did a 50 in 35 seconds and it took me 38 strokes, my score would be (35+38)= 73. Shoot for 72 on the next round by gliding a little more, focusing on hip rotation, without losing speed. Keep dropping your score as far as you can go, and don’t be tempted to just kick harder to bring your score down!

Warm Down: 200
Start out your warm down at about 75% effort and drop down from there. Warm downs are a good chance for you to again practice bilateral breathing and stretch out your stroke, focusing on technique, and lowering the lactic acid content in your muscles.

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What a weekend!

The race was Saturday morning, but what would a big event be like without poor planning?? We reserved a boat in South Lake and the race was in North Lake. Yes, that’s about an hour drive!

So Saturday morning began with alarms going off throughout our team cabin at 5:00 a.m. UGGG! I’m NOT a morning person, but the adrenaline I felt jolted me out of bed. We hit the road at 5:30 to get to our boat. Our lead swimmer Ben drove a separate car to the starting line. We picked up the boat at 6:30 without a hitch, piled on and floored it to get to the start area by 7:30.

The crisp, cool mountain air blew right through us as we bundled up in towels and sweatshirts. We got to the start, and the sun was peaking over the snow-capped mountain tops. The race started and we spotted a pack of 4 swimmers. Our guy Ben was in that pack, so we waved him down. He was swimming fast and smiling!!

The leader from another team pulled away and was really putting some distance between us and his boat. Ben held strong in his 30 minutes, kept on course and kept us in 4th place. We looked behind us and there were dozens of boats!!

3 more swimmers took their 30 minute turn, and we were holding on to 6th place by a nose. I was able to get my tiny Blue Seventy Nero high tech suit on with some help from TriSlide, and with lots of excitement I dove into the water. WWHEW!!!! Water felt COLD, more so than I expected. Erin, the only female on our team, tagged my foot in the water and I was off!

I went out hard and fast! I was way too excited. Within 5 minutes I felt completely out of breath. I had to slow it down. The pockets of arctic water weren’t helping, I felt a little shock each time I hit one. And, for the first time I felt the affects of the altitude (Tahoe is around 6,000 feet). But, I finally got into a rhythm. At about the 20 minute mark, I was ready to be done! I took a breath and looked at my teammates sitting on the boat, kicking back, and I was filled with envy. At around the 25 minute mark, my stroke started to slip, hands were getting tired and I felt like my usual long strokes were becoming short and choppy. As I touched the foot of our next swimmer, Rodrigo, I felt relieved and ecstatic to be finished!

Back on the boat and beer in hand, I watched and cheered on the rest of the way under sunshine and 80 degree weather. We were solidly in 7th place. Somehow, even with our top swimmers getting back in the water for their 15-minute swims, we could not gain on any of the boats in front of us, but held off a couple of boats just behind.

Tyler jumped in for the last leg, turned the buoy, and ran up to the shore. Our time was around 3 hours, 41 minutes.

Later, we found out that the 1st place team got disqualified for having their lead guy swim for too long on his second swim! So we moved up to 6th place!!

Thanks and congrats to my teammates: Ben, Kosuke, Tyler, Erin, and Rodrigo/Dylan!

Definitely a fun time and a good race. Sunday I was a bit sore from the race and vowed to get to the mountains a little earlier next time to adjust to the altitude.

I’m ready to take a couple of days off and get back in the swim of things mid-week this week. I think my next race will be the La Jolla Rough Water Swim in September (1 mile!). I look forward to getting into better shape over the next couple of months.

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It’s a race across the width of Lake Tahoe, about 11.5 miles. This is a 6-person relay where we have a boat, and each person swims for 30 minutes, and again for 15 minutes until we finish the race.

The last time I did this race was 2003. It was the most fun swim race I’ve ever taken part in. At that time we had a boat full of UC Davis alumni, and we all swam pretty fast and ended up taking 6th overall.

This year I’m swimming with some masters swimmers from the La Jolla area where I swim. I stepped up my training in April and have been doing 3-4 times per week, usually consisting of 1 ocean swim. I’ve been training consistently at the 1:15 interval for about 6 weeks now, and actually tapered a bit this week for the race. I think I will go 4th or 5th, so it is unlikely that I will have to swim twice.

I’m SUPER excited to swim in this event again, and feel as ready as I can be. I think our boat can do very well. The water will be COLD, my guess is 60-65 (hoping for 65!), but for 30 minutes I feel like I’ll survive it (no wetsuits allowed as this is open water swimming rules!). And the air should be around 78-80, perfect!!

I will post results and pictures if I have them later!

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Healthy Mind, Fit Body: How the Mind-Body Connection Can Help You Achieve Your Perfect Weight,

and get a free 23-minute audio:

“5 Common Issues in Achieving Your Ideal Body, How You May Be Sabotaging Yourself, and Simple, Fast Techniques to Overcome These Obstacles” at

http://www.triswimcoach.com/healthy_mind_fit_body.html

Then post your comments here or email them to me at kevin’s email.

I won’t be able to personally address every comment but we will be releasing another audio or video bonus to this Priority list in a few days, answering some of the emails and comments! You will have to join the list to get these free bonuses.

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There’s no “one size fits all” here, but generally, you want to be conservative when increasing the distance of your workouts. Focus on your technique first with drills, then decrease the amount of drills you do and increase your yardage by about 200-400 per week, depending on what level you started at.

Doing too much too soon will not only put you at risk for a shoulder injury, it may impede your progress in developing your technique.

For more, and to order The Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD, click here!

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When you set out these mini-goals and start making your workouts count, you may find that you actually want to get back in the pool for your next session!

For more, and to order The Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD, click here!

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However, I did not just let my swimming go. I made sure to get in at least once per week- doing between 1000-1500 meters. I also kept up on a short strength training routine which included core and multi-muscle exercises not involving any weights.

This routine did two things for me:

1. I was able to keep my feel for the water and not lose my stroke technique

2. I was able to keep the proper muscles strong enough to keep moving through the water with relative ease.

When I did my first swimming workout in almost 3 months yesterday, I had to move down a slower interval, but I felt far better than if I simply avoided the water during this time.

If you are struggling to get to the pool, or you have a vacation planned in the middle of your training, keep in mind how much better off you will be by just doing the minimum, as opposed to going missing in action altogether!

For more, and to order The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming, click here!

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References:

Endurance Nation: http://www.endurancenation.us

Book: 10 Hours a Week: The Age Grouper’s Guide to Competitive Triathlon
DVD: The 4 Keys To Long Distance Triathlon Training

Tri Swim Coach podcast comments: Open up iTunes and type in ‘Tri Swim Coach’ in the search field. Click on the Tri Swim Coach podcast and add your comments/ratings

Music:

Thievery Corporation- “Resolution”

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Endurance exercise can significantly increase the production of free oxygen radicals. However, the training or exercise history is important. In untrained or sedentary individuals, skeletal muscle damage can occur from the increased free oxygen radicals and lipid peroxidation levels and may cause skeletal damage. In these individuals, there may be some role for Vitamin E to help enhance the untrained individuals response to exercise.

The overwhelming consensus of the literature is that long- or short-term supplementation with vitamins E or C has no ergogenic effect on submaximal exercise performance, aerobic capacity, or muscle strength.

However, the performance impact of these antioxidants may be subtle or difficult to accurately detect. It is possible that these studies did not have the correct measurable endpoints.

Furthermore, there may be general health benefits from Vitamin C & E supplementation that does not impact exercise performance, especially in people that do not maintain a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 (Fish Oil) Supplements

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids cannot be made directly by the body, but are formed from a shorter fatty acid, alpha linoleic acid. The two most common fatty acids are DHA and EPA.

Fish oil, Endurance Athletes, and Asthma

Various studies have shown that supplementing with fish oils causes a significant improvement in pulmonary function with supplementing 3.2 grams of EPA and 2 grams of DPA.

Quercetin Supplements

Quercetin is a naturally occurring flavanoid found in many different fruits and vegetables such as red grapes (and red wine), red apples, red onions, and broccoli.

One study on cyclists shows that those who took quercetin were much less likely to develop colds than those who took the placebo.

Caffeine
Caffeine is the most commonly consumed drug in the world. Caffeine was previously on the IOC and WADA banned substance lists at higher urine concentrations, but has recently been removed.

In the first test, subjects that took 330 mg of caffeine 1 hour prior to exercise had a 19% longer time to exhaustion compared to the placebo group that took decaffeinated coffee.

Further studies have demonstrated that the ergogenic benefits of caffeine remain throughout the day.

Caffeine use before exercise has also been proven to decrease the use of muscle glycogen by up to 30% in competitive cyclists during 90 minutes of cycling.

Also, caffeinated beverages do not appear to cause dehydration during exercise when compared to water or sports drinks!

Regular coffee drinkers do not have to abstain before a big race to get the benefits of caffeine, since several studies have demonstrated that there is little or no decrease in ergogenic effects of caffeine in habitual caffeine drinkers.

Swim Training Plans for Triathletes

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Relaxation will pay off in life in general, and will help you achieve your triathlon goals!

For more, and to order The Essential Triathlon DVD, click here!

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Too many times I have heard swimmers ask me, “should I do the ‘S’ Curve when I pull?”

The “S” Curve has been a method, created by the Red Cross, of teaching a swimmer how to do the “proper” pull in freestyle. However, this is not exactly correct. First, there are many things you need to concentrate on and learn in freestyle before you tackle the pull. Making an S in the water as you pull can actually be disruptive to the rest of your stroke. Learn first to swim on your side by practicing balance drills. Once you have that down, you can then focus on pulling:

As you slice your hand in the water and move it forward, keep moving it forward until it is straight. Bend your elbow and pull back as you rotate your hips and the other arm comes foward. As you catch the water, curve your hand back inward toward your belly button, then out again by your hip as your hand exits the water. The end of the pull should be pushing the water towards your feet by straightening out your arm with your hand next to your hip.

Avoid “crossing over”, or reaching past the middle of your body as you rotate or breathe. Think of keeping your pull to the outside.

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If you do belong to a masters group, make sure you are not overdoing it. If your stroke technique is slipping because you are trying to “keep up,” if you are getting sick more often, feel too tired all the time, or facing burnout in the water, think about replacing at least some of your group workout days with technique-focused solo workouts, including lots of drills to keep your stroke on track.

There are many of this type of workout in The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming!

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How should you eat for your best body and most energy for training?

References:

Tri Swim Coach Newsletter with 5 free online swim lessons: http://www.triswimlessons.com

Workouts for Working People book, by Mark Allen & Julie Moss

Tri Swim Coach podcast comments: Open up iTunes and type in ‘Tri Swim Coach’ in the search field. Click on the Tri Swim Coach podcast and add your comments/ratings

Music:

Hybrid- “Beachcoma”

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Reaching through the air and slapping your arm down into the water can result in improper body position at the start of the next pull. Instead, “slice” your hand and arm into the water, somewhere to the right of and in front of your head. As your arm is slicing through the water, your hips should be rotating, setting you up for the next underwater pull.

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I highly recommend hiring a coach, if you are a beginner or just looking to become a better swimmer.

But not all swim coaches are the same!

Here are some ideas on what to look for if you do decide to hire a coach:

1. They should have experience working with adults and not just kids. Many places have countless swim programs for kids, but neglect the beginning or improving adult swimmer. Often, the instructors these gyms or pools hire have very little experience working with an adult triathlete or pre-triathlete. They know the basics but won’t help you much with a triathlon swim. They will come cheap, but it’s not worth it!

2. Look for some college swimming experience. It doesn’t have to be an All American Division 1 college swimmer, but former college swimmers typically will understand a little more about your needs than someone that did not compete at a high level.

3. Masters coaches are often good private coaches. Since many master’s teams consist of several triathletes, masters coaches often will be able to help you improve for your next race.

4. The coach should be able to adjust between teaching you as a distance swimmer and an age group kid who wants to improve his 100 Free. I’ve seen age group coaches who cannot distinguish stroke needs between his 16 year old sprinters and his 40 year old aspiring triathletes. Look for some experience coaching open water swimmers or at the very least distance swimmers.

5. Price can be an indicator. Like anything else in life, you get what you pay for. First of all, there aren’t many good private swim coaches out there! The demand for instruction is always greater than the supply of good coaches. If you are getting instruction from a kid at your local Y where you pay $15/hour for a lesson, you might not be getting what you need. Prices for coaching vary throughout the country and the world, but mostly you will be looking at the range of $40-$100 per lesson. If you find a coach at the top of this range, chances are he or she will be paying very close attention to you and make sure you succeed!

6. Gauge personality. You must have a good relationship with your coach for it to work. Look for patience and someone that is not in a hurry, someone that listens well and will give you feedback and follow-up.

7. Look for a coach on the Tri Swim Coach list. Just click on the link below, and you will find coaches (mostly around the U.S.) that many of which are highly qualified to help you as a triathlete or newbie.

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1. Kick on your side with your arm extended. Belly button should be pointing directly at the wall, eyes at the bottom of the pool, hand extended. When you need air, roll onto your back and grab a few breaths before going back to head down.

2. Shark Fin Drill. Start as in #1. Lift your trailing elbow up, and drag your hand through the water until it gets close to your ear or goggle line (forming a “shark fin”). Slide the hand back along your side, roll up to get air and repeat.

3. 6 Kicks Per Stroke Freestyle. Swim freestyle but for each arm stroke, count 6 kicks. This keeps you on your side longer than usual. Make sure to keep your arm out in front as you do the 6 kicks.

These drills will help develop your ability to be balanced on your side and ultimately improve and correct your arm dropping as you take a stroke or take a breath!

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If you are doing an ocean swim, don’t let the race be the first time you set foot in the ocean! It’s important to get your body used to the water temperature so it is not as much of a shock on race day.

Also, specifically with ocean swimming, getting used to waves, tides, salt water, and not being able to see to the bottom the whole time will pay off on race day!

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So keep it simple no matter what all your friends are doing!

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6 Frequently Asked Questions on race day swimming
Question of the week: In freestyle, when should your hips start to rotate?

References:

Tri Swim Coach Newsletter with 5 free online swim lessons: http://www.triswimlessons.com

The Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD: http://www.triswimcoach.com

Tri Swim Coach podcast comments: Open up iTunes and type in ‘Tri Swim Coach’ in the search field. Click on the Tri Swim Coach podcast and add your comments/ratings

Music:

AC/DC- Chase the Ace

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1. Never swim alone. For safety purposes, always swim with a group or bring along a friend. Given the unknown elements, a dangerous situation may arise such as fog, currents, boats, etc. where you will be in much better shape with others around.

2. Adjust to cold water. If the water you are training in is cold, below 66 degrees fahrenheit, be prepared. Wetsuits are necessary. Wearing a swim cap and earplugs can help keep your head warm. Get in the water slowly and only get in for 5-20 minutes the first time out, gradually increasing your time in the water with each swim.

4. Upon exit of your cold water swim, drink warm fluids, take off your wetsuit, and dress warmly.

3. On sunny days, apply sunscreen 30 minutes before getting in (especially for those with light skin!).

4. Be careful of the fog. It is easy to get lost in foggy weather and lose sight of the shore.

5. Watch the seaweed. If you are ocean swimming and come across seaweed, stay high in the water and do not kick. The seaweed can wrap around you if your legs are kicking.

6. Never swim in a lightning storm.

7. Open water swimming can cause chaffing. Use petroleum jelly if this is a problem.

8. Goggle color. Use dark lenses on sunny days, blue lenses on cloudy days.

Open water swimming can be challenging, but for many it is FUN and a nice change from “following the black line” at the bottom of the pool. Enjoy, and remember, “when in doubt, get out.”

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2. 6 Kicks Per Stroke Take one stroke, extend your arm, and kick six times on your side. Then stroke and extend your other arm, kicking six times on your other side. This drill forces you to stay on your side a bit longer, and gets you used to the swimming on your sides.

3. 3/4 Catchup (pronounced three quarters catchup)

Many of you have practiced the catchup drill where you touch your hands in front of you with each stroke. This one is similar, but better. Instead of actually reaching out and touching your hand, start your hip rotation as your hand slices into the water. You can even touch your ear with your thumb as your hand goes by on recovery, if that helps signal your switch from one side to the other.

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Yes!

Is it a good idea to draft off of other swimmers in a triathlon?

Yes!

Most people draft in the swim, whether they know it or not (except of course, whoever the leader is). But how can you get better at it?
Here are a few tips:

1. The most draft you will get is directly behind another swimmer. If they are just slightly faster than you, you will get a nice ride.

2. Having said that, it can sometimes be easier to draft from their hip instead of their feet. You can avoid the splashing and touching their feet every stroke this way.

3. If you are drafting off of someone and start falling behind, don’t worry. Instead of cranking it up to a pace you may not be ready for, simply continue your pace and find someone else to swim behind.

Here’s a quote from Mens Health magazine on drafting during a swim: “After a series of lab tests, Portuguese scientists concluded that a swimmer who stays 2 feet behind another athlete’s foot kicks experiences 44 percent less drag through the water. What’s more, you can draft off another triathlete from as far back as 19 feet and still reduce your drag by 16 percent. ‘You’ll maintain an overall higher race pace, since you’ll be sparing energy,’ says Antonio Silva, Ph.D., the study’s lead author.”

Drafting can be a huge advantage on the swim. And don’t think you have to be in a huge pack to benefit the most from it. All it takes is one other swimmer. Practice drafting, and you’ll be amazed at how much work others are willing to do for you in a race!

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If you are a true beginner swimmer, you will need at least a couple of months to get yourself up to speed, assuming you are doing a sprint or short-distance triathlon.

But don’t let not knowing how to swim stop you from training for a triathlon! You will simply have to take a different mental approach to your training. Swimming will be about maximizing your time in the water, getting a good instructor, and practicing swimming drills as often as possible. You will need to focus on swimming above all other training for the most part. And, you will have to have a lot of patience! So if you are someone who would like to do a triathlon, but do not know how to swim, here are some action steps:

1. Find an qualified instructor. I have several listed on my find a coach page. Or you can check with your local master swim team which often will have a good coach that may do lessons.

2. Find a pool where you can practice. Somewhere that has a monthly lap swimming plan is perfect. Look for 25 yard, 25 meter, or 50 meter pools.

3. Watch swimming videos (like the Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD) to get an idea of proper swimming, as well as what you should be doing.

4. Practice swimming drills as often as possible. Once you have ironed out most of the kinks in your stroke, you can progress to adding more yardage to your swim sessions.

5. Don’t put pressure on your first race. Think of it as a learning experience! If you do this, you will have fun and likely enter many more races after that.

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I’ve been swimming competitively off and on for the past 25 years, with 15,000 meter days and double workouts the norm at some points during my high school years. For the most part, I swam freestyle and backstroke. I didn’t encounter shoulder problems until college, when I started training with different tools, including pull buoys and paddles. That was freshman year, and I was only 19. At first, feeling the invincibility of youth, I ignored the pain, trusting that a bit of rest after the end of the season would do the job. Coming back next season, however, the pain was even worse than before! I went to the doctor, and was diagnosed as having rotator cuff tendonitis. After a few months of rehab, I was back in the pool every day, but unfortunately, I’ve had shoulder problems ever since.

There are any number of ways to sustain a shoulder injury while swimming. Most doctors talk about “overuse”. Of course, that’s a very general term, and one that doesn’t give much guidance to athletes chasing specific goals. Here are some of the other ways you can injure your shoulder.

* Improper Technique: if you reach too far, you’ll cross over in your stroke, adding tension
* A sudden increase in the distance or intensity of your training
* Sudden change in training to incorporate pull buoys or hand paddles
* Concentrating on one stroke for an extended period
* Unbalanced strength development

Ways to Prevent Shoulder Injury

1. One of the most crucial things to keep in mind regarding freestyle stroke technique is the importance of bending your elbows underwater while you pull. This keeps you from awkwardly positioning your shoulder in the water, which in turn can lead to a problem with your rotator cuff.

2. After an extended break from swimming, make sure to slowly ease back into the pool when you resume training, much like in other sports. Take weight-lifting: after three months out of the gym, you wouldn’t want to totally max out your first day back. The same is true with swimming. Rather than getting right back on track with your routine, slowly build up to where you were. If you swam 5,000 meters a day before the break, start with 1,000, adding a couple hundred meters every day until you get back to where you once were.

3. Avoid using pull buoys or paddles. While it might be tempting to rely on the devices, they put unnecessary tension on the joints, while giving the swimmer a false sense of floatation. While some paddles on the market are designed to reduce this impact, you’re still better off training without them.

4. It may seem like a good idea to swim only freestyle while you train for a triathlon, but it’s not recommended. First, you’ll gain more if you cross train with other strokes. More importantly, practicing one stroke too much leads to a greater chance of injury from overusing the muscle or joint.

5. Breathing to only one side develops one set of muscles more fully than the other, causing a breakdown and potential shoulder problems. That’s why you want to breathe bilaterally (meaning to both sides). While it may be awkward in the beginning, you’ll soon realize the benefits. Just start by incorporating this technique into your warm-ups and warm-downs, and slowly blend it into the rest of your training.

Post-Rehab

If you’re just getting over a chronic shoulder injury, try out some ifns. Both Zoomers and Hydro Finz work well. By doing this, you’re serving three purposes:

1. You’ll be taking pressure off of your shoulders
2. You will benefit from a great cardio workout
3. Your legs will continue to strengthen

If there’s a silver lining to be found in shoulder injuries, it’s that they make us slow down a bit. And what happens when you slow down? You begin to concentrate on form and technique. As a coach, believe me when I tell you that many triathletes can really benefit from slowing down, at least for a while!

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If you keep at it and don’t give up, counting your strokes while you swim is a great way to improve your DPS (short for distance per stroke). Swimming’s top competitors reach that level because their bodies go further with every stroke- not because their arms travel faster through the water. By remaining cognizant of the quantity of strokes you take per lap, you’ll begin to lengthen your stroke, adding the speed and distance you crave while lowering your heart rate. This in turn will save you the much needed energy you require for the final push towards the finish line.

Your ultimate goal should be to reduce the average stroke count each time you’re in the pool. The best swimmers (and the names you recognize, such as Ian Thorpe), glide through the water at approximately 30 strokes per 50 meters. This incredibly low stroke count is certainly admirable, but doesn’t have to be the number that you shoot for. Initially, figure out what your personal range is. Attempt to swim the majority of the time at the lower end of this range (or, alternatively, below your lowest recorded stroke count). Don’t concern yourself with speed, at least in the beginning-you can improve on this later, after you come to realize your “ideal” stroke count. Below, you’ll find a good example of the kind of set that will lengthen your stroke, while building up the muscle endurance you need to win races.

50+100+150+200+200+150+100+50

-Take a 10-30 second break in between sets
-Maintain a record of the number of strokes as you work your way up
-Make an attempt to lower the stroke count as you work your way down the backside, while maintaining the same pace.

Another popular set is called free golf. Below is an example:

6×50′s Free on 1:05. For each 50 meter length, count up your strokes AND keep an eye on your time. Combine these 2 numbers to see your golf score. You’ll want to to lower this score over the course of the set. The difficult part, of course, is trying to increase speed without adding additional strokes, or reducing the number of strokes, but in turn not sacrificing any speed.

Give it a shot at your next workout!

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References:

5 Free Triathlon Swim Lessons & The Tri Swim Coach Newsletter Signup: www.triswimcoach.com/newsletters.php

Tri Swim Coach podcast comments: Open up iTunes and type in ‘tri swim coach’ in the search field. Click on the Tri Swim Coach podcast (at the top) and add your comments/ratings.

Zoomers Fins: For a 20% discount, go to http://www.finisinc.com and use discount code ‘aggies20′.

Music:

MIDIval Punditz- “Raanjihan”

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Until just one year ago, I breathed to the right side every time I got in the pool. Why, do you ask? Simply because taking breaths on the opposite side didn’t feel right! Indeed, this is the primary reason that the majority of swimmers take breaths on just one side. About a year ago, however, I was getting a massage, and the therapist noticed that the muscles on the left side of my back were considerably more developed than those on the right. Thinking for a moment, I realized that thousands of laps of breathing only on the the right side had caused these muscles to balloon as I balanced on my left arm while sucking in air!

So, if you haven’t figured it out yet, the answer is bilateral breathing. The primary reason is that bilateral breathing will work to balance your stroke (not to mention leave your back looking normal!). If you continue to breath to one side, you risk having your stroke become lopsided. In just one hour in the pool, you’ll roll to your breathing side approximately one thousand times. A stroke that is lopsided can quickly become pernanent when you practice a lot!

There are other benefits to bilateral breathing, as well. Once you lose your “weak side”, you’ll no longer be blind in that direction. If you’re an open water swimmer, you’ll be able to avoid chop, check for landmarks, and keep pesky swimmers from splashing you in the face (or even punching you as they jockey for position!).

So how do you obtain these benefits? Simply by practicing bilateral breathing at every opportunity possible. In my evening session, I’ll have swimmers breathe each 3 or 5 strokes, as they warm up or down. Of course, in practice, this kind of drill shouldn’t be limited to workouts alone. To be sure, at first you will probably feel quite awkward. You’ll quickly find, however, that bilateral breathing becomes more natural as you practice. Before you know it, you’ll be breathing to both sides like a champ.

Here are some tips to get you breathing on both sides, while keeping your workouts interesting.

1. Breathe to alternate sides each length: once to the left, and once to the right. This way, you’ll get the oxygen you need, while developing the symmetrical stroke you’re after.

2. During warm-ups, warm-downs, and slow sets, breathe to your weaker side.

3. Experiment with different patterns such as three left, three right, or four left, four right, until you find what works for you.

Each week, keep your ultimate goal of bilateral breathing in mind. Perhaps most importantly, however, don’t get too hung up on getting the breaths exact. Have fun, and enjoy your swim, because breathing to both sides will eventually come naturally!

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Listed below are the top five challenges you’ll face in learning to properly breathe while doing the freestyle stroke, as well as the steps you’ll need to take to overcome them.

1. Not getting sufficient air: This happens for a couple of different reasons. Primarily, you need to make sure you’re breathing out all of the air in your body before starting to rotate to breathe. Some novices try to both exhale and also inhale while in the process of rolling. You need to understand that there just isn’t sufficient time for both! Breathing out should always result in bubbles, because you should always be under water! In the beginning, you’ll likely find the timing to be difficult, but eventually, you’ll become accustomed to it. Second, there is a chance that you’re sinking during your breathing. Be certain that you are rolling to the side while breathing, not rotating the head and looking straight up. Start to practice the side kick and shark fin drills, thoroughly deconstructed in The Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD, as well as the 5-session online clinic available after signing up to receive the Tri Swim Coach newsletter.

2. While Taking a Breath, Your Extended Arm Sinks. More than anything else, this has to do with balance. While breathing to one side, extend your other arm. A number of swimmers push down the extended arm into the water, and thus sink while attempting to inhale. Both the shark fin and side kicking drills will assist you in improving this. Another drill you may find helpful is called the fist drill. This forces you to use your lower body, rather than your upper body, drastically improving balance in the water.

3. You Sacrifice Speed Because You “Pause” During Your Breathing. You’re really cruising along, but when you stop to take a breath, your momentum crumbles. Here’s the fix: when you breathe, first concentrate on forcing your breath to the side (as in drill one), then on making your mouth parallel to the water (rather than perpendicular). This will take some time to fully master, but once mastered, your pause will vanish, and your speed will quickly improve.

4. Trouble Navigating During the Race. While swimming a triathlon, you must look up to have a sense of direction, while at the same time sucking in air. How can you accomplish both feats? The first step is learning bilateral breathing (which is simply breathing to both sides each three strokes). You’ll start to see where you’re going, but without lifting your head out of the water as much. If you do need to see, make every attempt not to look ahead, but rather to the side: looking straight ahead will kill your balance, and at the same make your hips sink. The better alternative is to take just a quick peek at the target while rolling off to one side, then bringing your head straight back into the proper position.

5. Sucking Water In While Breathing. While practicing, this might occur because of the first two problems listed above. In a racing situation, however, the problem could be waves. The answer once again is bilateral breathing. To train for this potential problem, you’ll want to practice both the side kicking drill and the shark fin drill.

Another great drill to practice is the one-arm drill, which involves swimming a full stroke with only one arm, while the other arm hangs out at the side. While doing this, try to breathe on the opposite side of the arm that is stroking. While this drill is somewhat more difficult than the others, in time it will reap huge rewards. For additional tips and tricks, along with many more drills, check out the Full Package available from Tri Swim Coach.

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Swimmers often wear fins simply to maintain the same speed as the other swimmers working out alongside. In other cases, a swimmer might want to move to the next fastest lane. If your goal is only to get into better shape, and don’t plan on competing, using fins is a perfectly acceptable way to accomplish your goals. There are specific fins (such as Zoomers) that actually help you to burn more calories than swimming solo.

For those in the world of triathlon racing, however, there is more to be concerned with than simply burning fat. That said, there are some specific situations in which you may want to add fins to your workout. For instance, fins are great for building leg strength. You’ll also be able to use more oxygen throughout your swim. This will enable you to support more muscle mass use (and at greater intensity). At the same time, it’s important to realize that using fins regularly (especially when intended to make the swimmer faster, or to keep from sinking in the water) is a mistake.

In particular, runners can benefit from training with fins. Those unaccustomed to swimming often produce little or no kick, or even move backwards when kicking. Using fins (albeit for a relatively short period of time) can slowly improve stroke and speed. For these purposes, Zoomers are perfect, although any of the shorter variety will do. The reasoning behind this is relatively simple: fins allow you to concentrate on the movement of your upper body, and your endurance as a whole, rather than having to constantly think about leg movement.

Take into account that approximately ninety percent of your propulsion through the water comes from your upper body; obviously, it makes a lot of sense to concentrate on fine-tuning this section before moving on to others. Once you have the upper body down, you can start slowly moving away from fins. You’ll likely notice the difference from your “pre-fin” days, even in your legs, due to imrpoved ankle flexibility.

Zoomers can be a great tool in your training for triathlons. Remember, however, that they can also become quite addictive, preventing you from naturally improving your stroke and times. If you utilize fins correctly, without abuse, they can add great benefits to your workout and overall freestyle stroke.

For 20% off a pair of Zoomers fins, check out the Finis store and use discount code ‘aggies20′ at checkout!

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