Swimming for your First Triathlon

trainingBeginners 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 to summer months, or for those few with access, indoor pools. When children would swim, they would do so in fun, not as a competitive race, as they would with running and bicycling. As a result, beginners find that swimming requires the greatest focus in the early stages of training. Here are some excellent tips for swimming training for your first triathlon.

>> First and foremost, you need to become comfortable within the water and what this is going to take is swimming, swimming and more swimming. There is absolutely no other way to get comfortable with the water than to get into the water and simply to make it happen. The more comfortable that you are in the water, the better you will perform when training for and acting in your first triathlon. There is nothing wrong with being a little nervous when swimming, but you must overcome this in order for you to succeed.

>> Know specifically what it takes to train for the swimming you will be expected to perform. You must get the most out of every swimming workout that you participate in, so that you can learn where to place your focus and how to win.

>> While swimming style is purely a matter of preference in some situations, the best swimming stroke that you should be prepared to use is the freestyle, which is ideal for covering a great deal of distance in a small amount of time. While you can combine a variety of different strokes, the best stroke to begin with when training for a triathlon is the freestyle stroke.

>> When you are swimming in the freestyle position in the pool, you should do the ladder, which means that you should be pretending that you are climbing a ladder as you are moving through the water. This is a powerful move for when you are learning to swim for a triathlon. This will help you develop your reach and your down stroke, because efficiency truly is key when it comes to your triathlon swimming training. If you are swimming inefficiently, then you are forcing your body to go through more work than is necessary, and this forces you to tire out more quickly as a result. Keep your body close to the imaginary ladder, elbows high as you pull yourself through the water and practice this often for good results. If you pull through the water and your arms are extended fully, then your stroke is inefficient and you will never win the race.

Photo Credits: Michael Lokner

Originally posted 2009-05-27 16:58:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Improving Your Swim Technique to Improve Speed

Swimming is a sport which many people engage in either by itself or as a part of a triathlon. You can use it for general fitness or as a sport. Those looking for greater speed from their swimming will need to have the right swim technique. This means paying attention to your form and how you move your arms and legs while you are swimming. The better technique you have, the faster you will be able to slice through the water.

Steam Lining

Proper swim technique starts with thinking about your body and how it reacts with the water. This includes the very moment your body enters the water. Your body hands should directly above your head with one hand over the other. Your head should be dipped under your arms. If you were to take a picture of your body from straight on, you will see how little there is for the water to catch on to. This reduction in lag will allow your body to easily slip into the water. Evidence of this can further be seen by taking video as you dive in. With this method, you will notice less of a splash as you enter the water.

S-Stroke

The majority of people swimming for sport will use a freestyle swim technique. Take a look at the way you drag your arm through the water. If you are like most people without any training, you will pull your arm straight through the water. The problem with this is you will only really be pushing your body a third of the length of the stroke. This is because as your hand moves through the water is creates a current. After a moment, your hand is literally pushing itself through the water.

To get more pull from every stroke, start with your hand entering the water with your thumb hitting the water first. Push out and down until your hand is just outside your shoulder. Next, pull your hand back in towards the center of your chest and groin. Last, push your hand back out towards your hip and out of the water. If you look at the whole stroke in relation to your body, you will notice an S-pattern against your body. This stroke will give you maximum pull so you can move through the water faster. This is a swim technique which can be practiced outside of the water before trying it in the water.

Controlling Your Breathing

Another swim technique which can help you to swim faster is to control your breathing. You will notice some swimmers will be breathing at every opportunity they get. The problem with this is while your head is out of the water you are creating a lot of drag. This can be avoided by paying attention to when and how you breathe. Take a good full breath when you do breathe so you can go two strokes without taking a breath. You should be able to go at least two strokes in between each breathe.

Photo Credits: kenoncjones

Originally posted 2010-04-02 10:25:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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