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…
One fairly common question I get from beginner triathletes is, “Should I cup my hand when I pull underwater?” This is a fair question. It seems like cupping the hand would help the swimmer scoop more water. This might make sense if the underwater pull was a straight-line, scooping action. But, it’s not. Let’s review…
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…
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…
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…
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…