Swimming in Your Triathlon

swimmerThe first leg of every triathlon is going to be the wettest, but it really also should be the most relaxed and the most enjoyable leg of the race. If you experience a good swim, then the rest of your race is going to be good as well regardless of your ability. Some triathlons are short while others are long, but any way you look at it, you are going to have to do some swimming. The swimming aspect of your triathlon needs to feel like you put forth a good effort, but it should also be relatively relaxed, and you should be moving through the water while expending as little energy as possible. The swim needs to be fast, but you should not overwhelm yourself because you still have two more legs to get through, and they tend to be significantly more complicated.

Swimming efficiently as well as swimming within your own personal limits is going to allow you to accomplish all of the goals mentioned above and more. You need to be able to design a personal training plan for your triathlon swimming that is going to allow you to complete between three and four swimming workouts every single week. Here are some things that you should consider when putting such a training plan together:

  • Your workout should always have a warm up period and a cool down period.
  • Your workout should always include some technique work for swimming.
  • One or two of your workouts should offer primarily easy requirements for swimming with low rest, base endurance at approximately 60 % to 70 % of your max heart rate.
  • One workout per week needs to include a sustained swim at a fast-as-you-can-go pace for the entire length of the swim.
  • One workout should include shorter, faster work but it should offer more rest in between repeats.
  • You should do plenty of open water sessions, as often as you can, so that you can practice your techniques with navigation.
  • You should determine whether or not kicking technique will be necessary. If you are going to be swimming using a wet suit, then you are not going to need kicking very much if at all.
  • Even if you do not plan on using a wet suit for your swim, some of your swims should be done with a wet suit for practice, just in case you end up changing your mind and using a wetsuit after all.

Make sure to change up your workouts as much as you can, because the more practice that you get, the better prepared you will be to handle anything that happens during the swimming portion of the triathlon. Keep this in mind when you are practicing, and spend at least several weeks before the triathlon event practicing your swimming for the best possible results.

Photo Credits: regeniabrabham

Originally posted 2009-08-04 05:52:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • swimbikerunTriathlon 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......
  • swimfacilityFinding the Best Swimming Facilities in Your Area Swim training can be a challenge when you do not have the right swimming facilities to train in. The good news is there are facilities available to you no matter where you live. Some will be more convenient to use than others. Finding the right place to train is important......
  • swimgearSwim Gear There is more to swim gear than just a pair of swim trunks. The gear you purchase will help you to train as well as during competitions. You do not have to spend a lot on the stuff you will use. The important thing is more just to have the......
  • trainingTriathlon Tips Which Really Work Competing in a triathlon is one of the most challenging experiences you can hope for. This is why so many people look for good triathlon tips. This is because while many will be happy just to finish, others would like to move up in the rankings as they compete in......
  • weightsWeight 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......
Online Stores

Swimming for a Triathlon

swimtriHere 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 most enjoyable as well. The swim does not have to be the hardest portion of this event, and yet it is critical that you perform well in order to correctly set yourself up for a productive bike and run.

Your swim should feel like it is a good effort and yet it should also feel relaxed, and this should be able to allow you to move confidently through the water but with the least possible expenditure of energy. The swim has to be fast enough that you can get to the bicycling portion of the race within a reasonable period of time, depending on what your personal goals are for the race at hand. The swim has to be controlled so that you maintain a feeling of confidence all throughout the leg, and you should stay positive, especially during the transition phase between swimming and bicycling.

Swimming efficiently and swimming within your own personal limits should be able to accomplish each and every one of these goals. You should design a personal training plan that allows you to do at least three or four effective swimming workouts every single week. Here are a few things that you are going to want to consider:

  • You are going to want to include a warm up period and a cool down period in every one of your work outs.
  • You are going to want to include some technique work for swimming in every one of your work outs.
  • You are going to want to incorporate easy swimming and good effort swimming levels of exertion in every one of your work outs.
  • You are going to want to participate in open water sessions whenever possible so that you can work on improving your navigational techniques in open water.
  • If you plan on using a wetsuit, then you are going to want to practice in one as well so that you can experience the differences between wetsuit swimming and swimming without a wetsuit prior to the day of the race.
  • You are going to want to make a list of all of the items that you are going to need for the entire swimming portion of the race, including what you need before the race, during the swimming leg of the race and during the transition phase between the swimming leg of the race and the bicycling leg. This will help you prepare for training and for the big race day as well.

Now go swimming!

Photo Credits: KWentin

Originally posted 2009-12-03 03:35:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • blog traffic exchangeTriathlon Terms part 2 Here is a brief glossary of terms used in triathlon training and triathlon racing. Bonk - This describes a situation where you suddenly begin to lose energy and a level of fatigue sets in. This is typically caused by depleted glycogen stores within the liver and the muscles, and it......
  • swimposeYour 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......
  • bikingtriathlonYour Triathlon Training Schedule The most important part of your triathlon training schedule will happen in the planning phase. It is important that your plan is well thought out and the time table is well defined for your training schedule to work well. Those who are training for a triathlon must begin their training......
  • bikesKeeping a Triathlon Schedule to Improve Performance When training for a triathlon, it has been proven a good triathlon schedule will help you to improve your performance. This is because you will be able to create a good training plan and make sure you are able to stick to your plan. You can decide on which days......
  • swimmer1Planning and Preparing for your Swimming Triathlon Make sure that you plan long ahead of time by making a list of the materials that you are going to need in order to participate in the swimming portion of your triathlon. Here is a list of basic supplies that you are going to need for your training regimen......
Online Stores
amount of time athlete bicycle bikes cadence capabilities competitions cyclists distances endurance exercise finish line fitness flexibility goggles good time handlebars legs money muscles pace pool runners running shoes sessions shape sprint stamina stroke swimmer swimmers torso training regimen transition triathlete triathletes triathlon triathlon bike triathlon events triathlon race triathlons Triathlon Training water bottle wet suit workout