Distance Swimming for Triathlons

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  • BeardyAndyBeardyAndy Frets: 716
    edited July 2019
    CloudNine said:
    I used to swim for my county many years ago, but the science has moved on quite a bit in terms of technique. As mentioned above, very little focus on legs nowadays, apparently accounts for less than 5% of your propulsion. Some of the top swimmers hardly kick at all. Just a little stabilising flick timed with every stroke, which is very hard to master after a lifetime of just kicking randomly. Also, after each arm enters the water, the quicker you get it into a position where you are using not just your hand, but the whole underside of your forearm as well, as a paddle to pull water directly backwards, the better. i.e. Don't waste energy pushing water in a downwards direction. Not sure if that makes sense the way I have written it... 
    i think leg kick is still drilled for swimming, it's just that so many people are coming to swimming for triathlon and whats the point of cooking your legs on the swim when you've quite literally got all the leg work ahead of you!

    When i was having swimming lessons we'd have to do things like 10 lengths of leg kick, i hated it!
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  • m_cm_c Frets: 1211
    CloudNine said:
    I used to swim for my county many years ago, but the science has moved on quite a bit in terms of technique. As mentioned above, very little focus on legs nowadays, apparently accounts for less than 5% of your propulsion. Some of the top swimmers hardly kick at all. Just a little stabilising flick timed with every stroke, which is very hard to master after a lifetime of just kicking randomly. Also, after each arm enters the water, the quicker you get it into a position where you are using not just your hand, but the whole underside of your forearm as well, as a paddle to pull water directly backwards, the better. i.e. Don't waste energy pushing water in a downwards direction. Not sure if that makes sense the way I have written it... 
    i think leg kick is still drilled for swimming, it's just that so many people are coming to swimming for triathlon and whats the point of cooking your legs on the swim when you've quite literally got all the leg work ahead of you!

    When i was having swimming lessons we'd have to do things like 10 lengths of leg kick, i hated it!

    Leg kick is still a key drill, but for distance you only want the bare minimum to help keep you balanced.
    Arms is where the vast majority of your propulsion comes from, and is where technique is the difference between 20 plus strokes per 25 metre length, or sub 10 strokes for the same distance.

    I still go to the occasional swim lesson, and I hate kicking drills.
    I do like the arm optimising stuff though, as it reminds me how much of a difference a few relatively minor tweaks make, but you really need somebody who can tell you what you are doing wrong.
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Well done! I would still dearly love to do a tri. I have got my 1k swim time down to 18.12 recently, but my cycling is rather rusty. My biggest problem is that I can't do running training any more as my hip joint is failing. Having said that I can run a flat 5k in around 21.30 - although probably not after the bike ride! Not too shabby at 56 years old though!
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  • roundthebendroundthebend Frets: 1129
    axisus said:
    Well done! I would still dearly love to do a tri. I have got my 1k swim time down to 18.12 recently, but my cycling is rather rusty. My biggest problem is that I can't do running training any more as my hip joint is failing. Having said that I can run a flat 5k in around 21.30 - although probably not after the bike ride! Not too shabby at 56 years old though!

    21:30 for 5k is impressive.
    Find a local triathlon and enter the super sprint distance. Typically 200m (pool), 10-15k bike, 2.5k run.

    I did the sprint distance - 750m river swim, 23k bike, 5k flat run. You'd have been fine on the run it was totally flat. Just take it steady on the first two legs with a target of finishing rather than posting a fast time. You'll feel great to have achieved it.
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  • What no-one seems to have mentioned is how addictive this triathlon nonsense can become. I started off as a cyclist going for a little jog for 'a change' and now I'm flying all over the world with my bicycle competing in IronMan events.
    Nutrition is the fourth discipline and get it wrong at your peril.
    Never underestimate the amount of time you'll spend having massages, visiting chiropractors and doing things like yoga and strength & conditioning.
    Honestly, it's a slippery slope...
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  • jonevejoneve Frets: 1467
    What no-one seems to have mentioned is how addictive this triathlon nonsense can become. I started off as a cyclist going for a little jog for 'a change' and now I'm flying all over the world with my bicycle competing in IronMan events.
    Nutrition is the fourth discipline and get it wrong at your peril.
    Never underestimate the amount of time you'll spend having massages, visiting chiropractors and doing things like yoga and strength & conditioning.
    Honestly, it's a slippery slope...
    This is a man in the know. Haven't properly done my stretching this weekend as we were away, and can certainly feel it now!

    My nutrition (day to day) has been pretty horrendous, but I'm relatively "good" leading up to and on race day. 

    Oh and for the record, I mentioned it a few posts back :D 
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  • jonnyburgojonnyburgo Frets: 12253
    Haven’t read through all this but with swimming conditioning and technique is everything, I can jog 10k but a 25m length front crawl and I’m fucked.
    "OUR TOSSPOT"
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