Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected] Triathlon swimming is different from competitive swimming. Although the goals are the same – complete the distance as fast as possible, in triathlon there is a second goal: be as efficient as you can in order save energy for the bike and run. Swimming technique is therefore modified. The goal of triathlon swimming is to complete the distance as efficiently as possible. Many people feel that the race does not really start until they get on the bike. They use the swim as a warm-up for the hard stuff to come. You still need to know how to swim and you need to swim fast if you want to finish before they take the finish line down. Most of your triathlon swim training should focus on perfecting your technique and getting used to the distance you need to swim. As your technique improves and you gain experience in open water you can begin to focus on increasing your speed. Your greatest improvements in speed will occur as your technique improves. The more efficient your swimming is, the less energy you need to complete the distance and finish in a faster time. Water provides a tremendous amount of resistance or drag. When you attempt to move through the water you must overcome that drag and use it to your advantage. Before you begin to work on your swimming technique, you need to master relaxation and breathing. If you are not relaxed when you are in the water, mastering triathlon swimming technique or any swimming for that matter, will be difficult. When you are able to control your breathing and maintain a relaxed rhythm you are ready to focus on technique. One of the “secrets” to breathing while swimming is exhaling completely while your face is in the water. Here are five keys to reduce the drag your body creates as you move through the water.

Front Quadrant Swimming – This means one arm or hand is always in front of your body. Extend your arm as it enters the water – as if you are reaching for the end of the pool. Keep your arm extended just below the surface of the water until your other arm begins to enter the water. The natural tendency is to swim with your arms in opposition – one arm forward and the other arm backward. This is a very unbalanced position and creates a lot of drag. In addition, holding your right arm still and in front of your shoulder while recovering your left arm is not a “natural” movement. Almost all of our movements are synchronous and in opposition. Drills: Alphabet Drills, One Arm Drill, CatchUp Drill.

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Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected]

Streamline Body Position – This means getting your body long and thin. You should look like a torpedo in the water with as little frontal area as possible. You should practice streamlining during every workout so it will be natural when you race. When you extend your arm forward, try to press your shoulder against your head against your ear. As you reach your hand forward, shrug your shoulder to further extend your arm. The key to being streamlined is to keep your arm next to your ear as you reach forward and glide. Remember to keep the arm straight. Making your body long and streamlined helps reduce drag. Reducing drag makes you a more efficient swimmer. Drills: One Arm Drill, Catch-Up Drill.

Horizontal Body Position – Remaining in a horizontal position is critical to efficient swimming. Your heels should be just breaking the surface of the water. Again, this is about frontal area and drag. Do not allow your knees or feet to move outside your frontal profile. A slight, slow kick is usually all that is necessary to keep your feet at the surface. Also, you runners need to work on dorsi flexing your ankles – pointing your toes straight back, instead of at the bottom. Drills: One Arm Drill and Catch-Up Drill (with a kick board and fins).

Torso Rotation – Torso rotation starts at your hips. Just like swinging a baseball bat or a golf club, the movement must start at your hips. The shoulders move with the hips as you stroke. It is a rotational movement around your longitudinal axis. Use torso rotation to improve your position as you breathe, remain streamline and horizontal. Avoid twisting movements of your torso. Your arm will extend naturally as you roll and complete the opposite arm pull. A key element of open water technique is your body roll. You should be rolling onto your side with each stroke. This reduces drag, makes your stroke efficient and helps reduce the energy needed to recover after each stroke. Drills: S&M Drill, Dial Soap Drill, 3 Second Drill, No-Arm Drill.

Pull / Power Phase and Recovery – Although many people focus on the Pull / Power Phase of the stroke in order to improve swimming, the first four keys are more important. Your swimming will be faster and easier if you master the first four keys. The Pull / Power Phase is about “grabbing” the water. Most people attempt to move their hand from in front of their body to along side their hip. To be efficient and fast, you must grab the water and pull your body past your hand. You hand should not move very much – from the point you grab the water until you lift your hand out of the water. Your 5 Keys to Triathlon Swimming article.doc 2005 © Neil L. Cook AG TTI http://www.AGTri.com [email protected] 212-472-9281 / 917-575-1901 Page 2 of 13

Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected] body should be moving past your hand. Having a good “feel” for the water is critical to swimming fast and efficiently. Drills: Paddles, Flex-Flex-Pull.

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Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected]

High elbow, hand below the elbow at all times. Drills Here are a few drills to use to improve your technique and therefore your speed. All drills should be done after a good warm-up. Start with 100 yards of the drill. As you become more comfortable with the drill, increase it to 2 x 200 yards. When doing a continuous swim, do a length or two of a drill to help focus your stroke technique. Alphabet Drills – Place a kick board against your torso – top just below your arm pits and bottom at your waist. Lie prone in the water and form the letter “X” – legs apart and arms extended above and to the sides. Gently exhale as you float in the “X” position. Second, form the letter “Y” – legs together now and arms extended above and to the sides. Again, gently exhale as you float in the “Y” position. Finally, for the letter “I” – legs together and arms together directly above your head (the back of your head should be in line with the back of your arms). Again, gently exhale as you float in the “I” position. The goal is to learn to feel your balance “I” position. With all three positions – “X” “Y” and “I” – focus on your balance – both longitudinal and lateral. Keep movement to a minimum. “Memorize” the position you can establish while doing the “I” drill. This is where you want to be when swimming. Use both kinesthetic and visual cues to maintain this balanced position. Keep your eyes focused on the bottom, directly under your head. One Arm Drill – With one arm extended, take slow strokes with the opposite arm. Breathe every second stroke. Keep your extended arm straight and close to the side of your head, your hand should be just below the surface. Swim one lap with your right arm extended and the next with your left arm extended. This drill helps with front quadrant swimming and being streamlined. An alternate is to take 2 or 3 strokes with one arm and then 2 or 3 strokes with the opposite arm. A second alternative is to keep the arm that is not pulling along your side, instead of in front of your body. Start using the side that is easiest for you to breathe on – most people have a “favorite” breathing side. Push off the wall in the “I” balance position and glide. Begin stoking with one arm and keep the opposite arm extended in the “I” balance position. Use a gentle kick. Your stoke should be slow and with a pause as your extend your stroking arm forward – imagine a “phantom” stroke with the opposite arm. Breathe on each stroke. It is very important to use a slow stoke so that your breathing is “normal” and you do not hyperventilate. 5 Keys to Triathlon Swimming article.doc 2005 © Neil L. Cook AG TTI http://www.AGTri.com [email protected] 212-472-9281 / 917-575-1901 Page 4 of 13

Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected] Alternate arms either every lap or every length. The non-favorite breathing side will be more difficult, so you may want to get the drill down on your “favorite” side before attempting it on the opposite side. The goal is to maintain the balance “I” position as you stroke. Continue with the torso rotation, inhale and exhale as soon as your face is back in the water. Pause when your right hand reaches your left hand. Pause long enough get the timing of swimming with both arms. Start your pull by flexing your wrist so your fingers point down, next flex your elbow - keeping your elbow high and in front of your shoulder. When your palm and forearm are facing backward, pull and rotate. This drill helps with front quadrant swimming, slower arm turnover, torso rotation and proper pull technique. Alternate sides either every lap of every length. Again, the non-favorite breathing side will be more difficult, so you may want to get the drill down on your “favorite” side before attempting it on the opposite side. You may want to use fins when first attempting this drill. Catch-Up Drill – Holding one arm extended in front of your shoulder, wait until the opposite arm “catches up” with the extended arm before beginning your pull. This drill helps with front quadrant swimming and being streamlined. You can use fins when starting this drill. Catch-up with Pause - similar to One Arm Drill, except you are using both arms during each length. Pull with your right arm and when your hands touch, pause for a count of two. Then pull with your left arm. Continue to exhale as soon as your face is back in the water. Focus on your pull - elbow high and palm and forearm facing backward. Your stroke should be deliberate and slow. Keep your torso as a unit - shoulders and hips always on the same plane. This drill continues with the progression of front quadrant swimming, slow arm turnover, torso rotation and proper pulling technique. 100% Catch-up - similar to Catch-Up with Pause, except there is no pause - as soon as your hands touch, begin your pull. This drill continues with the progression of front quadrant swimming, etc. 90% Catch-up - the next step in the progression. Now, begin your pull when you fingers enter the water. 80% Catch-up - the FINAL step in the progression. This is how you should be swimming normally. Begin your pull when your hand is in front of your shoulder/head about even with the opposite elbow. No Arm Drill – 5 Keys to Triathlon Swimming article.doc 2005 © Neil L. Cook AG TTI http://www.AGTri.com [email protected] 212-472-9281 / 917-575-1901 Page 5 of 13

Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected] Start in the “I” balance position, but one arm is at your side (the other is extended above your head). Using a gentle kick (fins will help) rotate your hips and torso to breath. Keep the breathing rhythm the same as in the One Arm Swimming drill – nice and slow. Left arm extended in front of you, with your shoulder as close to your head as possible. Right arm loosely held at your side. Kick 4 to 6 times, rotate to the right and inhale. Rotate back flat in the water and begin exhaling. Repeat for 25 yards. Switch arms - Right arm extended in front and left arm at your side, for the second 25 yards. The goal is to begin the rotation with your hip and keep your torso straight. Do not let your hips rotate separately from your shoulders. You are just rotating the balance “I” on to its side. This drill helps with torso rotation, kicking while rotating, and balance while rotating. Side Kicking Drill – With fins on, lie on one side with your lower arm extended in front of you and your head resting on the extended arm. The top arm is relaxed and resting on your side. Flutter kick while in that position. Switch sides every lap. This drill helps with body roll and balance. An alternate is to combine Side Kicking with Catch-Up. 3 Second Drill – While swimming normal freestyle, the end of each stroke, pause for three seconds and kick while on your side. While you are on your side pausing, you will be in the same position as you are when doing the Side Kicking Drill. S&M Drill – Use a piece of an old inner tube or rubber band to tie your ankles together. Place a Pull Buoy between your legs, just above your knees (if your feet sink, move the Pull Buoy down to your ankles). Use a slow, deliberate stroke. Focus on torso rotation and balance. The first time you do this drill, you may over rotate and wind up on your back! Dial Soap Drill – Use a slow, deliberate stroke. As you recover your arm, stick your thumb out so that it touches your arm pit on each recovery. Keep elbow high. Three are two other variations on this drills – as your hand comes out of the water and starts moving forward, drag your fingers along the surface of the water, or as your hand passes your head, tap you head. Use the variation that is easiest for you. The goal is to rotate and keep your elbow high and your hand close to your body and under your elbow during the recovery phase. Paddles Drill – 5 Keys to Triathlon Swimming article.doc 2005 © Neil L. Cook AG TTI http://www.AGTri.com [email protected] 212-472-9281 / 917-575-1901 Page 6 of 13

Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected] Using Paddles should be limited. Initially use them to help develop better feel for the water. Swim your normal stroke and add the paddles for 50 to 100 yards at a time. After your hand enters the water and you fully extend, grab the water, keeping your elbow high and your hand below your elbow. Pull fairly slowly. Focus on the feeling of your hand, hold on to the water. Don’t let your hand slip through the water. After you have used the paddles for between three and four weeks, start doing short repeats with the paddles – 5 x 50 or 10 x 25. Remember to focus on holding onto the water. When you take the paddles off try to replicate the feeling of holding the water. Flex-Flex-Pull – This is a “re-education” drill. It must be done very, very slowly. With your right hand extended in front of your shoulder, hold that position until just before your left hand enters the water. Now, flex your right wrist – pointing the fingers straight down. Then, flex your elbow. Keep your fingers pointing down and move your hand directly under your elbow. Keep that elbow high, don’t let it drop. Now pull. Do 50 yards of this drill and then swim 50 to 100 yards. Repeat the drill four to six times in a workout. Your goal is first to make the movement – flexflex-pull smooth and then without hesitation.

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Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected] Balance: One of the more difficult aspects of swimming for adults is balance. Maintaining the most streamline position in the water and propelling yourself forward presents a series of problems, especially for adults. Three of the Five Keys to Swimming involve balance – streamline body position, horizontal body position and torso rotation. Learning to maintain a streamline and horizontal body position is the first step to improving your swimming efficiency and speed. Balance involves controlling movement along two axis – longitudinal and lateral. The “ideal” position is to be on flat top of the water with your spine in a “neutral” position – eyes focused straight down, back of your head just at the surface, shoulders and upper back out of the water, your butt out of the water (that’s why Speedo puts their name on the seat of all of their bathing suits!) and your heels out of the water. Your body should be in a straight line – head to toes. The lateral axis comes into play while swimming – using your hips to add power to your stroke and adding streamline by keeping your body straight. The longitudinal axis comes into play as you breathe and rotate your torso and maintaining a streamline body position. The Other 3 Strokes: While I agree doing all 4 strokes is important for swimmers and triathletes that have good technique, I wonder if the effort and time needed to master the three other strokes could be better spent working on freestyle technique. Many triathletes did not start as swimmers and their ability to swim long, fast and relaxed is weak. And their time is limited. I would think spending more time mastering freestyle - being relaxed in the water, being able to breathe well, and getting better at feeling the water, would be more beneficial than struggling through fly, breast and back stroke sets. How Long? It usually takes 2 years to fully master triathlon swimming and overcoming anxiety in open water. Sometimes it takes even longer - up to 3 years. Changes come both incrementally - you begin to incorporate a small segment of your technique - and as an "ah ha" or revelation, when certain things just fall into place. Motor Learning – Re-learning Swimming: There are things about the way we learn motor activity and the resulting motor memory that make changing technique for adults extremely difficult. Most activities we do are in opposition 5 Keys to Triathlon Swimming article.doc 2005 © Neil L. Cook AG TTI http://www.AGTri.com [email protected] 212-472-9281 / 917-575-1901 Page 8 of 13

Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected] right leg forward, left leg backward - and synchronous - both legs move at the same rate and in same rhythm. We also move our limbs as a whole - movement of the hand starts with the shoulder, elbow and wrist simultaneously (or pretty close to simultaneously). Swimming is different. The movement tends not to be in opposition, not synchronous, because the arm movement is not a whole limb movement and the shoulder stays fairly motionless for the catch. This makes the pull a very hard thing to "re-learn" as an adult. Proper Breathing: Breathing while swimming is usually the most difficult part of swimming technique. During triathlon you have the added difficulties of wind, waves, other swimmers and the need to sight. Again, proper technique, the ability to bi-laterally breath and practice will provide the skills necessary to breath properly during triathlon swimming. Many people mistake the source of difficulty with freestyle arm technique. Many adults have difficulty breathing properly while swimming. Short, rapid breaths will make movement control near impossible because of the resulting hyperventilation. I usually check that a swimmer is exhaling well under water, before I decide on the cause of not pulling properly. It's really amazing how many people can not swim front quadrant because they are delaying their exhale until they begin to rotate their heads to inhale! Exhale, exhale, exhale - in the water! Remember to begin exhaling as soon as you finish inhalation and turn your face back into the water. Do not hold your breath. When you inhale focus your eyes directly to the side, not backwards. Keep one goggle in the water, along with one ear as you inhale. Begin rotating your head as soon as you start pulling with your arm and turn your head back (snap it back) down as soon as your elbow exits the water. Spend some time focusing on your breathing. It should be a comfortable rhythm. Remember to exhale under water and when you start to feel you "need air" relax and hold your breath - unless you are swimming very hard, you should be able to hold your breath for three to five strokes. Usually, it is anxiety that produces the feeling of needing air. Breathing to fast causes hyperventilation and leads to more anxiety. When to do Drills: I'm of a mixed opinion here. For swimmers that have a solid technique, doing drills in the middle of a hard workout – between difficult sets – is a good approach. It helps reinforce technique while you are tired. The end of your swim will be as technically proficient as the beginning, when you are well rested.. If the technique is solid and being fatigued will not interfere with their drill work, go ahead and do your drills in the middle of your workout. All swimmers need drill work. 5 Keys to Triathlon Swimming article.doc 2005 © Neil L. Cook AG TTI http://www.AGTri.com [email protected] 212-472-9281 / 917-575-1901 Page 9 of 13

Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected] But, swimmers that need lots of drill work will only find the drills harder than usual when they are fatigued. So, most swimmers should be doing drills after a warm-up and then proceed on to the hard part of the workout. Feel The Water: And Grab the Water! The difference between an Olympian and the average lap swimmer is their feel for the water (and the level of work they put in!). The hardest part of swimming is the notion that you are holding on to the water and not moving your hand through the water. If you swim hard - flailing your arms and thrashing your legs - you will get tired, but you won’t go very fast. You will not improve your swimming efficiency, strength or speed. Feeling the water - not letting your hand and arm slide through the water, taking your hand out at the same point you put it in - so that your body moves past your hand, is one of the most difficult skills and one of the most telling features of a talented swimmer. Head Position: Keep your head flat in the water, facing directly down and with the side of your head flat in the water when inhaling. Remember to look sideward when inhaling and not backwards. One ear and one goggle lens should be under water when you are inhaling. Torso: Keep your torso in a straight line (no lateral movement or deviation) and maintain a neutral spine position - head aligned and lower back not arched. Rotation: Rotate your hips and shoulders as a single unit. Your torso should not flex laterally, nor should your spine arch or flex during your hip rotation or at any time during swimming. Shoulders: Elevate your scapula as you reach forward with your arm. Practice this in front of a mirror. Overcoming fear: Water is a foreign environment to us. Fear is a natural reaction to being in water. Open water may increase this reaction in some people. With proper instruction and practice this fear can usually be overcome. Dealing with anxiety and hyperventilating: 5 Keys to Triathlon Swimming article.doc 2005 © Neil L. Cook AG TTI http://www.AGTri.com [email protected] 212-472-9281 / 917-575-1901 Page 10 of 13

Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected] Even the most experienced swimmers will experience some anxiety at the start of the triathlon swim. This usually leads to hyperventilating and an inability to swim properly. This too can be overcome with proper instruction and drills. Some athletes may experience anxiety and hyperventilate at the beginning of each triathlon season. This is usually due to swimming exclusively in pools. Overcoming natural movement instincts: Proper swimming technique and especially triathlon swimming technique is not a natural movement. Our natural instincts are counter productive in the water. It takes practice and time to overcome these instincts and learn proper technique. Even experienced swimmers need time to adjust their technique to triathlon swimming. Dealing with crowds, wind, etc.: The major difference between pool swimming and triathlon swimming is the crowds and the effects of open water. For some reason, most triathletes believe that they must swim on the perfect line from the start to the turn-around buoy. This of course means there are a large number of people attempting to swim in the exact same line. Triathlon swimming becomes a contact sport! Finding the “proper” line from start to the turn-around buoy is a key to success. Then, dealing with the wind, waves and rough water is another major difference between pool swimming and open water swimming. If you are used to breathing on your right side and the buoys are on your left, or the wind is blowing from the right, or the waves are breaking from the right, you are going to get a mouthful of water every time you attempt to breath on that side. Sighting: In a pool you are able to see the bottom of the pool and the wall. When swimming in open water it is usually impossible to see more than a couple of feet in front of you. It becomes necessary to sight – look at the buoys used to mark the swim course – while swimming. Learning to do this without breaking your technique and rhythm is a key skill. Relaxation: One of the things to learn in triathlon swimming is relaxation. and remain relaxed is a key to successful triathlon swimming. pool, you will need to learn to conserve your energy and relax swim long distances surprisingly fast and keep your heart rate

The ability to swim long distances Unlike competitive swimming in a during your swim. It is possible to extremely low.

Body Control: 5 Keys to Triathlon Swimming article.doc 2005 © Neil L. Cook AG TTI http://www.AGTri.com [email protected] 212-472-9281 / 917-575-1901 Page 11 of 13

Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected] Another key to open water swimming is body control. Being able to control your body movements and position will help you swim efficiently. And, swimming efficiently is a key to open water swimming. In competitive pool swimming, the events are short enough that it is perfectly possible to waste a tremendous amount of energy and still have an outstanding time. As the distance gets longer – half mile, 1.2 miles and 2.4 miles – it becomes increasingly important to conserve energy. Since water offers a tremendous amount of resistance, swimming efficiently and producing as little drag as possible become the critical elements of open water swimming. Drag Much of what we have been talking about has to do with drag. Think of drag in four ways – surface drag (body surface), surface tension (water surface), frontal area drag and turbulence drag. Surface Drag (Body Surface): Your body and bathing suit. Baggy bathing suits create a tremendous amount of drag. A sleek, tight fitting suit creates almost no additional drag. Use of a wetsuit also reduces Body Surface Drag. Shaving? Research shows that shaving helps swimmers. However, about a three day “shadow” reduces our surface drag.

From Swimming Fastest by Ernest W. Maglishno, 2003 "Recently, swimsuits and caps with roughened surfaces have been introduced. This is because a small amount of uniform roughening on a surface tends to cause the boundary layer to separate somewhat later, which results in less turbulence around the object. A roughened surface causes the formation bubble vortices, areas where the boundary layer detaches and then reattaches over an object's surface. The formation of bubble vortices has the effect of delaying the complete separation of the boundary layer from an object." Using a golf ball with dimples as an example: "...With the boundary layer separating later, the area of eddy currents behind the ball will be smaller and it will fill in faster. This, in turn, reduces the cavitation effect on the ball so that it will travel farther through the air." 5 Keys to Triathlon Swimming article.doc 2005 © Neil L. Cook AG TTI http://www.AGTri.com [email protected] 212-472-9281 / 917-575-1901 Page 12 of 13

Five Keys to Triathlon Swimming Neil L. Cook – Head Triathlon Coach, Multisport Program Manager Asphalt Green Tri Club Website & more tips: http://www.AGTri.com e-mail: [email protected] Since we can't dimple our skin, the next best thing is stubble, about 3 days worth. Some of the swim suits that "channel' water also use this effect. Surface Tension (Water Surface): Breaking the surface tension of water creates drag. We swim on the surface therefore we have to live with most of that drag. However, if we move our heads a lot – up and down when we breath, we increase the amount of drag we create. Try to swim with your head in the same position. This will reduce the surface drag. Frontal Area Drag: This is the amount of water we are pushing forward as we swim. Reduce the frontal area and you reduce the drag. Swimming becomes easier. Turbulence Drag: The more turbulence we create, the greater the drag. Swim smoothly, disturb as little water as possible. Also, do not apply force in disturbed water. Keep you hands at least 12 inches from your body as you are applying force. Finally, be as long as possible. Turbulence dissipates over a longer surface.

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