Let’s talk swimming.
When I was a kid, my mom taught me to swim.
She never knew the right freestyle technique so she never taught it to me.
She just taught me to get in the water and swim with all my might, and to never be scared of the water.
For this I will always be grateful.
When getting ready to train for a triathlon, I’ve learned that when it comes to the swim portion, technique is everything.
Unfortunately I never had technique training.
So I started reading and learning.
The following is a list of tips I have accumulated while learning about swimming technique.
They may not be all encompassing, and perhaps you are already familiar with all of these.
I found these tips helpful so I seek to share them with you in hopes that they may help you as well.
1. Head position is essential
Your body will respond to where your head is.
Keep your head down and look at the bottom of the pool. This helps your hips and legs stay elevated, and keeps your body parallel to the bottom of the pool.
Bringing your head up will bring your legs down, impeding your progress in the water.
2. Reach forward all the way
Extend your arm to maximum length, creating a crease in shoulder area.
Stretching out your arm and knifing it into the water in front of your shoulder (not your head) gets the most out of each stroke.
Imagine you are reaching for something that is far beyond your reach.
This will also help you rotate your body.
3. Rotate your body
Roll your shoulders and hips side-to-side with each stroke to slice through the water with less drag.
When you extend your arm, your body should pivot. The entire side should be submerged facing the bottom of the pool.
4. Pull through
To pull the most water away on your pull through, keep your fingers slightly open, just so there are a few bubbles in between.
Sort of like a bear paw.
This creates more surface area to pull water through, letting you propel yourself further.
5. Finish the stroke
The stroke should end by your thigh, not by your waist.
Pull all the way through before you let your hand exit the water.
6. Lift up your elbow
When your hand extends out of the water, your elbow should be reaching for the ceiling, before you rotate and reach back into the water.
7. Watch the legs
Your legs should churn the water behind you but not thrash around too much, which creates more drag than propulsion.
8. Breathe
Before you brave the open water, make sure you’re comfortable breathing on both sides of your body.
Typically, swimmers breathe on every third stroke, thereby alternating sides.
When you breathe, take care to not poke your head out of the water.
Keeping one eye in the water when you turn your head to breathe will keep your body from twisting too far to the side.
9. Be prepared
In preparation for a race, build up your endurance so that you’re able to swim 1.5 times the distance demanded on race day.
This will give you confidence in your ability to go the distance on race day.
10. Train
While training for a triathlon, swim at least 3 times a week, 1 hour each session.
A typical swim workout should include the following components:
10-15 percent easy warming up (4×100 easy on 20 seconds rest)
10-20 percent drills and kicking (8x50s as alternating 1 drill, 1 kick on 15 seconds rest)
40-70 percent main set (6×200 on 30 seconds rest or 12×100 on 15 seconds rest)
Optional additional drills
5-10 percent cool down (100 easy)
11. Relax
During the race, take slow, methodical breaths during your swim.
Wiggle fingers and feet, and look at the sky to relax during the swim portion of triathlon.
Are any of the above tips helpful to you? Do you have any tips of your own to share?
