December 7th, 2011 — Swim Bike Run, Swimming
There is a misconception with many swimmers that the stronger their body is the more powerful their swim stroke will be. While this is an important factor in your performance, it is not the most important factor. The most important factor is the manner in which you are performing your stroke. This includes paying attention to the way your hand enters the water, the way your hand moves through the water, how your legs move and the breaths you take. All of these factors are highly important to having the best performance possible.
How the Hand Enters the Water
A sloppy swim stroke is easy to see because there will be a big splash and a loud noise every time a hand enters the water. The idea is not to just get the hand in the water so you can pull. The idea is to get your hand in the water in the most effective manner possible so you can get the most out of the stroke. To start, your fingers should all be together and your hand should be stiff. Point your hand so it enters the water fingers first and thumb pointed down. This will put your hand in the perfect position to start your stroke.
The Powerful S-Stroke
Now that your hand is in the water, it is time to create the power which will propel you through the water. This is done by making sure your hand is always meeting resistance in the water. Do not simply drag your hand through the water as you will lose resistance after the first foot or two. Instead, start by pushing your hand out and down until it is just outside your shoulder. Next, draw your hand in towards your stomach and groin. Last, push your hand back out towards your hip and beyond. Your hand should come out of the water pinky first.
The Most Effective Kick
Backing the power of the right swim stroke is possible when you have the right kick. This means making sure you pay proper attention to where your legs are at all times. Your thighs should always remain as close together as possible. When your legs split apart too far, you end up creating drag. Using a floater will help you train yourself to keep your legs together. The majority of the movement will come from the knees and the ankles. The toes should always be together to create the closest you will ever come to a flipper.
Breathing Correctly
Breathing is something you normally do not have to think about. For a good swim stroke however, the right breathing technique makes all the difference. Do not take a breath every chance you get. This will cause quite a bit of drag. Instead, breathe every other stroke if possible. The longer you can go without breathing, the less drag you will create. You are better off taking a full breath when you get a chance rather than taking gulps of air.
Photo Credits: kenoncjones
Originally posted 2010-04-01 10:20:45. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 30th, 2011 — Swim Bike Run, Swimming
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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November 26th, 2011 — Swim Bike Run, Triathlon Tips, Triathlon Training
Triathlon races are among the most challenging things people will do in their lifetime. This is true no matter what your athletic level is. This is because you challenge your body to stand up to the abuse from three different sports back to back. Racing in one of the sports is enough to wear most people out. To complete the triathlon with a good time, you will need the right kind of training. This includes training in each other events as well as making the transitions from one event to the next.
Practicing Transitions
One place where people lose a lot of time is when they are transitioning from swimming to biking or from biking to running. The challenge you run into is the fact you will be wet from swimming and from sweat at every point in the challenge. This is why when training for triathlon races, it is important to train in changing your equipment from one event to the next in the fastest possible time. While you will not be able to have instantaneous changes, you will be able to shave off precious seconds from your final time.
Practicing Your Start
The norm for triathlon races is to start with a run into the water for your swim portion. You should practice being able to easily transition from a run into swimming. Some people prefer to dive in while others prefer to get under water and push off from the sandy bank. Choose the one which feels right to you and improve upon it. Time yourself in your ability to go from shore to full swim. The faster you are swimming, the faster you will reach your destination. Do not waste your time wading in as far as you can before you start swimming. Start swimming as soon as the water is almost to your groin.
Using a Training Schedule
Plan out how you will train for your triathlon. Proper scheduling is the only way to make sure you will be properly prepared for every part of triathlon races. You will be able to not only schedule out when you will be training and in what ways. You will be able to keep track of your progress and make expectations of how you will perform in your next training session. This will give you an accurate indicator of how you are progressing.
Use Dry Runs to Your Advantage
While you might not have the route of triathlon races available to you for training, you can create your own route for a dry run. Have a friend help you to make sure your equipment is in the right place and is left alone. This will help you to concentrate on making your transitions as well as running through the actual event. The first dry run should be much shorter than the length of the race you are competing in. As you get closer to the race, improve the length of the dry run. You will notice your endurance level increasing and your time decreasing.
Photo Credits: Mat Honan
Originally posted 2010-03-24 03:15:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 15th, 2011 — Swim Bike Run, Swimming, Triathlon Tips
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 after you are done swimming. If you wear yourself out in the swimming portion, you will have nothing left for the rest of the competition. The tips include what you should do in training as well as what you should do in the competition.
Enter the Water Fluidly
One of the first tips for swimming in a triathlon you should know is how to enter the water. Unlike a swimming competition, you will not start with a starting block. This is because you will be starting with at least a hundred other contestants. It is not feasible to start in waves. The majority of competitions will start on the shore of a lake or other body of water. The object is to get as far into the water as possible without slowing yourself down. Once the water is between the knees and the groin, it is a good time to dive in. Practice this on the shore of a body of water to get the timing down right.
Saving Your Energy
It is important when you are done with the swimming portion of the triathlon that you still have enough energy to complete the rest of the triathlon. Among the tips for swimming here will be to find a nice steady pace. This is something you can train yourself to do. Many swimmers have taken to using the long stroke. This is because you will get a lot of power out of every stroke without having to take a lot of strokes to generate the power.
Concentrate on Your Stroke
The more power you get out of every stroke, the less energy you will have to put into swimming. Good tips for swimming will always teach you the best method to produce power in your swim stroke. This includes using an S-Stroke. This stroke finds new water which will propel you faster through the water. You will get more out of every stroke so that you will not use up all of your energy before you ever straddle the bike.
Save Your Legs
Knowing you will have to ride a bike next, good tips for swimming in a triathlon include saving strength in your legs. This means not putting a lot of emphasis on your legs to propel you through the water. When training, it is important to use floaters to develop your upper body strength. This will allow your legs to be as fresh as possible for the rest of the race. After all, the swimming portion is the only part which uses the muscles in the upper body. The rest is all about the lower body. Saving your leg muscles will allow you to at least get across the finish line.
Photo Credits: Eustaquio Santimano
Originally posted 2010-03-20 10:59:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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