Ten Steps for a faster Swim - Part 1
The need for a good swim section is obvious, for one it puts you in contention with your key competitors and secondly you really get the feeling you are competing rather than just taking part. It is no secret that for most triathletes swimming presents the greatest challenge in the quest for speed and efficiency and if you are one of many who are continually frustrated by a relatively weak performance in the swim section of your triathlon then you need to read on.
Swimming need not be your “bug bare”; it is simply a matter of understanding some key principals. These principals can be broken down into two key areas.
Key area 1: is to understand how to approach your swimming, as this will allow you to make a huge saving on energy costs.
How to approach your swimming
1. Effort
It is not about how much force or effort you can apply to your stroke but more about containing and controlling your movements to make them smooth and fluid. Think of 80% effort = 100% swimming speed and remember that it is likely that 100% effort = 80% swimming speed.
2. Rhythm & Timing
Distance swimmers who perform well appear to be almost metronome like in their movements. Try to develop a nice relaxed rhythm to your stroke, avoid any jerky movements and control the timing of the stroke by adopting a consistent breathing pattern. Breathing bilaterally (to either side) will help to maintain an even rhythm.
3. Balance
Avoid any unnecessary movements, imagine that you are sliding through the water and remember that there is a slight body rotation to approximately 45 degrees to both the left and right sides whilst performing the stroke. You head position effects your body position considerably. Try to keep the head relatively low in the water. (Most triathletes hold their heads too high.) Use your legs gently to help maintain balance.
4. Feel for the Water
This all-important aspect is greatly overlooked or misunderstood by most Triathletes. Feel for the water is a term used by coaches when a swimmer is moving well with little effort. This is a combination of effective use of the leading hand and arm at the front of the stroke providing a good hold on the water and the backhand completing the stronger push phase. Just as the push phase is completed the leading hand begins a relatively slow pull accelerating proportionately toward the back of the stroke. AVOID rushing the front end of the stroke. It is important to maintain a high elbow during the underwater pull phase of the stroke as this helps to maintain good mechanical leverage of the arms.
5. Streamlining
By remaining in a streamlined position throughout the swimming stroke cycle you are able to reduce the frontal resistance considerably. Think of your body posture as elongated. If you were to imagine you were standing on your tip toes whilst swimming you wouldn’t be far wrong. By maintaining a streamlined position you will find that you are swimming at least a second faster a length (25m) for the same effort. If it doesn’t seem much then think of it as a minute faster over 1500m.