I probably don’t need to tell you that swimming front crawl or freestyle is a technical skill. It requires the coordinated movement of all four limbs and the spine to produce a smooth series of strokes that blend together seamlessly to propel you through the water. You might have found that endless hours of just … Continued
Training for triathlon does place ‘stress’ on the body and mind (physiological and psychological stress). If the level of stress and recovery is appropriate then the body (and mind) will adapt in a positive way and you will become fitter and stronger. The main aim of the taper then is to reduce the negative physiological … Continued
Those of you who have been attending the Tuesday night interval sessions on a regular basis may have noticed a pattern. We are working to a four week cycle. Each week we perform a different session, week 1 is 400m reps, week 2 is 800m reps, week 3 is 1200m reps, week 4 is a … Continued
On Saturday I mentioned adapting your stroke for open water swimming. Even the best wetsuit will limit your flexibility around the shoulders compared to swimming without a wetsuit. Try adapting your stroke to work with the wetsuit rather than against it. The high elbow recovery used in pool swimming can fatigue your shoulders by working … Continued
I don’t mean we are going to be ‘testing’ your endurance again but both the swim and run sessions involve little if any rest periods. Great preparation for your upcoming events and both sessions should leave you feeling confident you can do the business come race day. As usual we will start the swim session … Continued
A ‘strong’ catch and pull will make you both faster and more efficient swimming freestyle. You will not only give yourself more time to breathe but you will expend less energy in the water. This will translate into less of that horrible breathless feeling while swimming, a faster swim and more energy for the bike … Continued
Having calculated your CSS last week this week’s session is all about pacing yourself during the swim. It is extremely common to swim way too fast at the beginning of a triathlon (especially when it is your first race) and then spend the rest of the swim (and sometimes the bike and run) paying for … Continued
Breathing. Sounds simple doesn’t it but how many of you feel breathless when swimming? There are a number of reasons why you might feel breathless. Most of us will automatically assume that it is a lack of fitness that is the cause. However it may be something far more simple like holding your breath or … Continued
Images from: www.hughston.com/hha/a.extmech.htm Introduction Knee pain is relatively common in triathletes. In fact the knee is the area that is most often injured by those participating in triathlon. Which discipline causes the majority of knee injuries? Running. That is not to say that swimming and cycling don’t cause knee injuries. They certainly can but relative … Continued
It is the action of the arms and body that provides 85-90% of your propulsion in the water when swimming freestyle (front crawl). So why work on kicking then? Well for some that 10-15% might make the difference between reaching your season goal e.g. lowering your 750m swim time by ‘X’ amount, or not reaching … Continued