Improving your swim time in a triathlon can offer numerous benefits, but it also carries potential downsides. This might sound strange coming from a swim coach, but I encourage you to think carefully about focusing on reducing your time on the swim leg. There are certainly advantages to swimming faster. Some triathletes get a psychological…
One common question beginner triathletes often ask is whether they should cup their hand when pulling underwater. This question is understandable since it may seem that cupping the hand would help the swimmer scoop more water. However, this is not the case. Let’s refer to a section from the book “Essential Swim Skills for Beginner…
Beginner triathletes are often anxious about the swim leg. That’s completely natural. If anything should happen while on the run or bike, you simply sit on the side of the road and wait for help. But being in open water is different. There are several ways to overcome this fear, including developing a relaxed swim…
Swimming in open-water is very different from swimming in a pool. Underwater visibility, water currents, temperature, and maintaining the correct direction are just a few of the challenges. Here are some tips for open-water swimming for triathletes: Practice in Open-Water There’s nothing better to prepare you for swimming in open-water than taking the plunge…. literally.…
It’s common for triathletes to have anxiety over the swim leg of a triathlon. After all, we run and ride bikes from an early age, so we have a level of confidence and ability in those disciplines. But, most of us don’t learn to swim distance freestyle. Open water swims can, naturally, add extra anxiety…
Fins can make swimming more enjoyable by giving you a fish-like experience. However, as a triathlete, you may not require a killer freestyle kick as much as a swim sprinter does since you need to conserve your lower body for the bike and run. Nevertheless, your kick is crucial to maintaining the right body position…
Most swimmers have a natural breathing side — normally the side of the dominant (writing) hand, but not always. It’s fine to exclusively breathe to this side because it’s important that your breathing fits into your rhythm, the same way it does on the run and bike legs. Come race day, finding a rhythm is…
Here’s a good set to help practice spotting the buoy during race day. If you are training in a 25 yard/meter pool: Swim 4-6 x 100 yard/meters freestyle. In the middle of each length, lift your head and take 2 arm cycles with you chin on the water. Place your face back in the water…
I recently asked the My Triathlon Swim community to share their biggest challenge, when it comes to swimming freestyle. I received some great responses. (A BIG thank you to everyone who replied.) Many of the usual suspects were represented in the feedback…. “I swallow water when I breathe…” “My legs sink!” But several members of…
“How do I train for a triathlon while traveling?” is one of the most common questions I get. Traveling can be fun and exciting. But it can also kill a triathlete’s training program…or at least severely hamper it. Finding a time and place to squeeze in a swim workout can be a challenge. Whether for…
Body position is crucially important for triathlon swimmers. By finding the right body position, it’s possible to swim faster and with less energy…and that is a wonderful thing. It’s common for beginner triathletes to feel like they are ploughing through the water, with their legs dragging as dead-weight behind them. Much can be gained from…
Choosing your first triathlon wetsuit can be a daunting task. With so many features and price-ranges, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are some considerations: Know the features A triathlon wetsuit is unlike wetsuits made for other activities, like scuba diving or surfing. Triathlon suits are made to repel the water…
Effective swim coaches are have a plethora of analogies at their disposal. Drawing from the “dry world” can be an excellent way to communicate a technique in the pool. “Pretend you’re a pig roasting on a spit,” helps a swimmer perfect a body roll while maintaining a stable head position; “Imagine you’re swimming through a…
Most competitive swimmers don’t just jump the water and swim straight for an couple of hours before hitting the showers, unless they’re an ultra-distance swimmer…or a loner. Instead, a coach gives a series of “sets” designed to work various aspects of the swimmer’s stroke and fitness. For example, one or two sets might be given…
Most people have some sort of a biking or running base when they start training for a triathlon. The swim is a different story, however. It’s not uncommon for beginners to have never (or only occasionally) swam for exercise. To work your way up to a race distance swim, it’s important to take incremental steps…