Fisan Posted February 6, 2015 Share 'Evening Hubbers I recently started swimming - as a sport - to be able to complete triathlons. While its nice to have a 3rd alternative sport to practice, I feel like I'm struggling. For instance: for my first triathlon I need to be able to swim a mile. I got to the point where I can do it, but it talekes me almost 40 minutes. And according to the interwebs, this is really slow. Now I'm not planning to go the olympics, but I know there is room for improvement. So my question is, how do I improve my time (as in, at least -10s/100m)? Thanks for the input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJR Posted February 6, 2015 Share I swim "versuipslag" myself, having grown up in the Karoo! Sorry I have no advice, other than to go to a professional swimming coach to help you with stroke correction to swim more efficiently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanbean Posted February 6, 2015 Share Get some coaching help, I had the same problem at varsity, and got one of my swimmer friends to coach me for a bit, improved my speed considerably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket-Boy Posted February 6, 2015 Share Think of your chest as a float, you need to force your from you neck upwards into the water.That will raise your back half and reduce your drag quite a bit. Basically in swimming your upper chest is your horizontal stabilizer and you need to balance on that. Other than that a coach will point out various flaws in technique and give you drills to improve your speed. If I can give you any advice for a tri though it would be to try and avoid rest breaks in your pool swims, try to do a warmup then swim the full distance without stopping. It will help a lot in the sea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bianchi Baby Posted February 6, 2015 Share As a swimmer and very part time rider I would most definitely encourage you to seek professional help in the form of a swim coach as well as following a decent training programme. Very often the mistakes newbies make is to get in the pool and swim up and down for as long as they can. I can liken this to doing session after session of LSD on the bike and expecting exponential results. You need to work on your stroke as well as your tempo and pace during your swims. Your stroke will improve with strength and vica versa. I could go on forever but to sum it up, get help and follow a good training programme. The programme will provide focus and direction during your sessions as well as taking the monotony out of swimming. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeTurbo Posted February 6, 2015 Share I'm not particularly good, but my original coach always told me this: look at the bottom of the pool, not forward. In other words, keep your head well down. Rocket-Boy also makes a good point - when you're well balanced in the water, it almost feels like you're swimming downhill. Your chest is filled with air, so it wants to lift you in front. You need to compensate for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberSakkie Posted February 7, 2015 Share I started out in December, also having my first triathlon in sight this year. Now I can swim. And by swim I mean prevent myself from drowning for a limited time! Seriously though, I found a few video clips called ' Total Immersion Swimming' or something like that. The idea is to assist a guy with freestyle swimming fir triathlons, so it focuses on efficiency and speed then comes naturally. It's helping me a lot. I even think it's on YouTube. .. But if I had the time and resources, a coach would probably help a lot as well. But for now, I'm quute satisfied with using the videocoach! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudi-h Posted February 9, 2015 Share Swimming is very hard to get fast at if you don't start young unless you are a born natural. Not what you wanted to hear but that's how the cookie crumbles. I started swimming in 2006 (a then 24 year old) and quickly got my time down to about 21 minutes to a km with a few sessions of coaching from friend. Since then I went for stroke classes, coaching, swimming squads and I never managed to break 20 minutes for a km no matter how hard I tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor Buttox Posted February 9, 2015 Share I know it might sound odd, but swimming is not about effort, it's about balance and efficiency. And remember that your arms are purely levers, and swimming is not about pushing water, it's about creating 'suction' so that your lever is anchored while your body moves past (as your foot does on the earth while you walk). You will find by using your whole arm as much as possibly and slowly 'accelerating' your pull you will have much more feel for the water, and will also have much more endurance as you engage your back and lat muscles. And keep your head down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeonabike Posted February 9, 2015 Share I agree with getting a swim coach. It is so important to develop an economic efficient swim stroke for your arms to save your legs for the bike and the run. Also simple techniques like learning to breathe on both sides, sighting and to carry your arms a little higher if the water is very choppy. A pool is good training, but you need to get time in the open water to also mentally prepare for the challenge. I poeped myself the first time in an event swimming and being so far from shore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cav' Posted February 9, 2015 Share TITP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nayr Posted February 9, 2015 Share I know it might sound odd, but swimming is not about effort, it's about balance and efficiency. And remember that your arms are purely levers, and swimming is not about pushing water, it's about creating 'suction' so that your lever is anchored while your body moves past (as your foot does on the earth while you walk). You will find by using your whole arm as much as possibly and slowly 'accelerating' your pull you will have much more feel for the water, and will also have much more endurance as you engage your back and lat muscles. And keep your head down. As Thor says Efficiency and balance is key... The point about pulling your body past the anchor is a good one as this explains the timing of the stroke very well. Another key to distance swimming is opening your airways effectively when breathing, but this all needs to be taught in the pool so you will need a good swim coach for stroke correction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Karma Posted February 9, 2015 Share http://totalimmersion.net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Zone Posted February 9, 2015 Share As has been said a session or two with a coach, or even a regular / good swimmer is a very worthwhile investment. A few technical pointers will get you on your way. Get some swimming aids, especially a pull buoy, it will help get your body in the correct position. Secondly a kick board will build your leg strength, fins are useful for helping your position and feel through the water and hand paddles will build arm and shoulder strength. Using aids in the pool and doing drills helps the monotony of swimming and works on your technique. I find the best thing is to swim often and long, you will develop the feel for the water the more you swim and your technique will improve. Brett Sutton says that 90% of non-swimmers would be far better served by using aids and instead of drilling, performing swim sessions that specifically address the needs of the physical exertion of swimming non-stop for an hour. Good article, that resonated with me http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2014/04/16/brett-sutton-blog-what-irritates-me-the-most Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockSpider85 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Hello peeps, My sister does swim stroke video analysis and could help you improve your swimming!!!PM me if you would like to have her details. She did the swim smooth course in England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlockG4 Posted March 27, 2015 Share 40min is not going to get you on the podium, BUT it is not that slow. If you are not a strong swimmer, that is a ok time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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