January 17th, 2012 — Nutrition and Health, Swim Bike Run, Triathlon Tips
In our athletic careers, many of us have experienced injuries. Some of these setbacks only seem to sideline us for a couple of days or a couple of weeks while others are capable of ending our careers. It is important that you learn how to listen to your body before you end up injured beyond repair. Never take your health for granted, and make sure that you are always behaving defensively when it comes to preventing injury.
Preventing Injuries When Swimming
Proper technique is vitally important not only for swimming more efficiently but also for preventing injuries as well. Making stroke changes can be really difficult, and so getting injured and ending up having to change your stroke can be really difficult. Here are some tips to improve your technique so that you can prevent injuries while you are swimming:
- Join up with a masters team, because having a coach on deck is going to work wonders when it comes to making improvements in your stroke.
- Ask someone to videotape your swimming, because looking at a moving image of your stroke habits is going to help you visualize the proper technique while you are working your way through the pool.
- Consider attending either a swim camp or a triathlon clinic.
- Consider spending some time alone in the pool so that you can better focus on your technique by spending time in a pool sans a pace clock and the competition that comes with being in the pool with other swimmers. Pick a day that you can spend on your own, swim easy, and concentrate on improving your stroke above all else.
- If you are feeling pain or feeling tired, or if your stroke appears to be falling apart, simply get out of the pool. Any and all of these three symptoms are capable of creating bad habits in your stroke that are more than capable of leading to an eventual injury.
Preventing Injuries when Cycling
Being bike fit is absolutely important when it comes to maximizing your strength and decreasing your chance of sustaining and injury. If your bike is off by a simple millimeter, it can create an ache in your body that you were not expecting. Here are some tips to improve your technique so that you can prevent injuries while you are cycling:
- Ask an expert to take a look at your position to make sure that everything is correct, including your crank length, your stem length, your seat height and the fore and aft position of your seat.
- Once you have determined your optimal position, you should mark everything down using black electrical tape or something similar. This way if something slips or your bike has to come apart, you can easily adjust everything back into the proper positioning later.
- Never ignore your cleats, as they too are capable of becoming loose and shifting, and this is capable of causing alterations in your position. Make sure that all bolts are tightened down properly.
Photo credits: jurvetson
Originally posted 2009-09-22 03:05:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Triathlon Training 101 Given your background, do you know which triathlon training program is going to be ideal? Where does one even get started? We all come from vastly different injuries, backgrounds, genetics and so on and so forth, so there is no one size fits all solution to planning for a triathlon...... -
Triathlon Terms Here is a brief glossary of terms used in triathlon training and triathlon racing. 70.3 - This term is used to describe a Half Ironman race distance, which is a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike an 13.1 mile run. 140.6 - This term is used to describe an...... -
Swimming Equipment for Triathlon Training Unlike running or biking, swimming does not have nearly the high tech gadgets, but you will need some gear, possibly more than you would initially think. Your swimsuit should not be difficult, as in the end they are all basically the same. Your swimsuit needs only to cover you without...... -
Tips for Swimming in the Triathlon Swimming in the triathlon is different from any other kind of swimming. There are tips which will allow you to perform well in this portion of the competition without sapping all of your energy. This is important seeing as you will still have two kinds of competition to engage in...... -
Swimming for a Triathlon Here are some tips for any triathlete when it comes to training and then racing in the swimming leg for any triathlon competition. The first leg for any triathlon is going to be the wettest one, and yet it should be the one that is the most relaxed and the......
Online Stores
December 8th, 2011 — Motivation, Swim Bike Run, Swimming
Every swimmer is looking for an advantage over the rest of the pack. One source which remains untapped for many people is the swim league. They view a league as a team effort and would prefer to swim on their own. The thing to keep in mind here is unless you have the money to hire your own coach, this is the best way to get the kind of instruction which will help you improve. You will also be able be in constant competition with those you are in a league with.
Choosing a Good League
Most cities will have more than one swim league you can join. This is true no matter what age you are. Take the time to find a league which has a good reputation. This is important because the better the team is, you better instruction you will receive. You can practice all day every day, but unless you are practicing correctly you will not improve. The old adage of practice makes perfect should be changed to “perfect practice makes perfect.” What makes a good league includes those which produce good swimmers with good swim times.
Swimming is Mental
If you are worried about joining a swim league because you do not want to be held back, it is important to remember how individualized swimming is. Even when you are swimming in a relay event, you have to swim for you. You can only ever swim to the best of your ability. This means when you train with a group, you will gain the ability to swim better as an individual. While you will learn as a group, what you can only do as good as you allow yourself to. This is why in a league setting, you will still have stand out performers.
Leagues Have the Right Training Equipment
Another advantage you will have when training with a swim league is equipment. Leagues will possess the kick boards, floaters, paddle boards and flippers you can use to train with. You will not only have access to the equipment which will make you a better swimmer, you will receive the instructions on how best to use the equipment you are training with. This will make you a better overall swimmer as well as help you in training individually after you decide to train on your own.
Challenges in Training
Another advantage you get in joining a swim league is the constant challenges you get from the other members. You will swim against each other to practice what you have learned. While you should always challenge yourself, it is always fun to mark your performance against others. The better the people you train with, the more of a challenge you can create for yourself. Challenging yourself mentally and as a member of a team will allow your performance level to be the best it can possibly be. Even if you will eventually leave the league, you will learn training skills which will improve your performance for the rest of your life.
Photo Credits: kenoncjones
Originally posted 2010-04-01 03:18:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
The Growing Popularity of the Half Ironman Triathlon The Ironman is a competition which is reserved for only the most in shape individuals. People aspire to be able to compete the competition, but do not believe they have the level of fitness required to complete the challenge. This is why the half Ironman triathlon has been growing in...... -
Training to Run the Right Way When competing in a race which involves running, there are a few different pointers which need to be kept in mind. Some people feel their normal run in the morning will suffice in training to run. This is wrong because you will not be training yourself higher levels of endurance...... -
5 Steps to Improving your Triathlon Swim Swimming is a sport that can be extremely technical, and as a result, determining how you can concentrate on improving your triathlon swimming capabilities is often difficult. Here are five steps that you should be taking in order to improve your swimming capabilities for an upcoming triathlon. There is no...... -
Your Swim Pose and Triathlon Training As technical as the swimming sport can be, it can generally be tough to narrow down solutions to a question that is asked often: What should I concentrate on in order to improve my triathlon swim capabilities? Here are five steps that you can take to improve your swim for...... -
Swimming for your First Triathlon Beginners to the triathlon tend not to worry so much about the running and bicycling legs of the race, although they require thought and preparation on their own. Running and bicycling for beginners, however, are familiar childhood activities, and are not as foreign as swimming. Swimming has always been limited......
Online Stores
December 5th, 2011 — Swim Bike Run, Swimming
One thing most any person who was on a swim team will lament is swimming drills. They will tell you tales of torturous coaches who created long drills. They will tell tales of practices which seemed to last all day and left them drained. All will admit in the end the drills made a difference in their ability to swim strong and outlast the competition. These are drills which you can complete yourself with the same stellar results. The important thing to remember is you may not enjoy the drills while you are doing them. Stick with it and you will see undeniable results.
Pyramid Drills
One of the swimming drills which are done by most coaches is the pyramid drill. This drill involves starting with a short sprint of about 50 yards and then building gradually to 500 yards. You then go back down to 50 yards. The trick is to allow only a certain amount of time for each interval as you go up and down. You will notice a difference in your ability to complete the intervals as your strength and skill improves. You will crave the breaks as well as the increased speed this drill will help to create.
Timed Drills
This is a drill which is similar in nature to the pyramid drills. The difference in the timed swimming drills is you maintain a certain length of swimming. The amount of total time in which you have to complete the length will remain constant. What will change is the length of the intervals. A normal overall length for these drills is 500 yards. You will start with 25 x 50 yard drills. Increase to 1 x 500 yard drill with either 25 or 50 yard increases. The goal is to increase your endurance by increasing the speed at which you can complete the sections.
Drag Drills
Creating drag is one of the swimming drills every coach seems to like to use. This means using kick boards, floaters or weights to create drag and resistance. The object is to complete increasing lengths every time you work out. This will help to develop the strength in upper and lower body strength. You will train your muscles to pull an even heavier load than your body weight. This way when you are swimming without the resistance you will be able to glide through the water. This is also a good opportunity to concentrate on your swim stroke.
Closed Fist Drill
There are many variations on swimming drills which do not occur normally to people. Closed fist drill is a drill which teaches you to use your forearm as a mechanism to pull you through the water. By not being able to use your hand to pull you through the water, you have to use the forearm to pull you. The drill is completed by completing 10 x 25 yard sets. Start out with untimed sets with a one minute rest between. Gradually work in time restrictions with less rest in between swims.
Photo Credits: kenoncjones
Originally posted 2010-03-31 10:15:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Preventing Injuries While Triathlon Training pt 1 In our athletic careers, many of us have experienced injuries. Some of these setbacks only seem to sideline us for a couple of days or a couple of weeks while others are capable of ending our careers. It is important that you learn how to listen to your body before...... -
Weight Training for the Triathlon If you want to compete successfully in a triathlon competition, then you need to be willing to put time and effort into strengthening your body. However, this is quite obviously easier said that done, because training for three different events and training for cardiovascular fitness, strength, endurance and good technique...... -
A 10k Training Program Which Works So, you have signed up for your first 10k race. You are nervous about how you will perform in the race. This is understandable. This is why you are looking for the best 10k training program to get started the right way. The good news is there have been a...... -
The Right Biking Gear Makes All the Difference Many people when riding a bike believe the right biking gear means nothing more than having a good bike and a water bottle. What many people find is that when they upgrade to gear which is actually designed to increase performance that they will actually be able to ride longer...... -
Triathlon Training 101 Are you planning on training for your first triathlon? This is not an easy task for anyone to master if they do not know the ropes. There are three completely unique disciplines that are involved, and you are also going to need to be lifting weights and training in other......
Online Stores
December 1st, 2011 — Running, Swim Bike Run
For many people, there is nothing more they need from running than the shear thrill of running. Others run for the exercise but take no special joy in it. Others still seek to run on a more competitive level. No matter what you are looking to get out of running, you are sure to find running groups to suit your needs. There are several groups which are formed in major cities across the country. These groups will be filled with people who have the same interests as you have in running and in life.
Running for Fun
The most prevalent kind of running groups is those which are formed for those who enjoy running. These can be simply about camaraderie or it can be about finding friends and more. You will find inspiration from those you run with. You will also get support when you feel you do not want to run. Your group will keep you on the right track while you help out the others in your group. You will be able to enjoy running no matter what you are doing it for.
Running for Weight Loss
One of the biggest reasons why people take up running is to lose weight. This is a time when running groups will come in extremely handy. It is very easy to stop running on a challenging morning because your heart simply is not in it. Other members of the group will help to make sure you get out and put your feet to the ground. Even if your group only meets a few times a week, it is enough to keep your fitness level up and inspire you to run more days than just when your group meets.
Running for Training
Another of the reasons why it is a good idea to join running groups is if you are training for something like a marathon or a triathlon. You will get the support you need to improve your performance. Some training groups will include people who have run in several marathons before. Others still will have a leader which has experience as a running coach. This will be handy to teach you the tips and skills you will need for good training methods. You can also improve your training by running with others who are also training for the same marathon you are looking to compete in.
Running as a Way of Life
Some people have simply been running for their entire life and they are looking for a way to keep it fun and interesting. They are in no danger of not running every morning because a day without a run is like a day without breathing. The running groups offer a breath of fresh air by providing input from new runners as well as those who have also been running their entire life. You can even help to organize fun running trips in breathtaking locations. This is a great way to make your daily run anything but normal.
Photo Credits: mikebaird
Originally posted 2010-03-24 10:27:57. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Taking Swimming for Fitness to the Next Level Swimming is one of the few sports in which the entire body gets worked out. This is why so many people are swimming for fitness. They like the idea that 30 minutes in the pool is like an hour on the track. The problem some people find in the swimming...... -
More Cycling Glossary Terms A good part of understanding your triathlon training and performance is having a grasp on the lingo. Here is a guide to cycling terms that you should know in order to get the most out of your experience. Derailleur - When gears are shifted on a bike, the derailleur is...... -
Triathlon Gear If you are going to participate in a triathlon, having the best equipment is vital. Experience and endurance are important, but those will only go so far towards being at the top of your game. It will vastly depend on the athlete the sort of equipment needed, since every human...... -
Curious About What is Involved in Training for a Triathlon? For people who are not professional athletes but are still interested in training for a triathlon, the concept of training ahead of time might seem like a lot of impossible work with no guarantee of any rewards. In reality, training for a triathlon is something that is well within your...... - Swimming Equipment for Triathlon Training Unlike running or biking, swimming does not have nearly the high tech gadgets, but you will need some gear, possibly more than you would initially think. Your swimsuit should not be difficult, as in the end they are all basically the same. Your swimsuit needs only to cover you without......
Online Stores