(^1) GLIDE WITH
YOUR HEAD DOWN
Positioning your body
correctly begins with your
head: keep your noggin in
line w i th yo ur sp ine. I f yo u
raise or lower it, you’ll
create excess drag.
Ro o k ies fe el an urge to
peek where they’re
headed. Don’t, except
when you’re sighting. Use
the pool’s lane line to stay
straight.
(^2) STRAIGHTEN OUT
Avoid lateral movement by
keeping your head,
shoulders, hips and feet in
a straight line. As you swim,
imagine being stretched
fro m b oth yo ur head and
your feet.
(^3) KEEP YOUR FEET
CLOSE TOGETHER
Generate a compact kick
by using power from your
hips, keeping your legs
close together.
(^4) STRETCH
A s yo ur lead hand en ter s
the water, your arm should
be nearly straight.
According to a recent study
on fluid dynamics, this is
more efficient than
“sculling,” in which the arm
is bent and traces an S
curve while pushing water
behind you.
(^5) TIME IT RIGHT
As one arm reaches full
extension in front of you,
wai t to pull w i th that ar m
until the other arm is just
about to spear into the
water. If you begin the pull
before the other arm is
ready to strike, your body
will rotate prematurely,
which kills your glide and
slows forward propulsion.
(^6) BECOME A FALLING LEAF
As you stroke through the
water, your body should
open as you pull your arm
overhead, and then close
when you stroke through.
See your body as a falling
leaf or a snow-boarder
going up and down the
sides of a half pipe.
YOU’RE PROBABLY TERRIFIED of
navigating open water, drifting off course
or getting kicked in the face by another
competitor. And those things might very
wel l happen i f you si mply t h row f it ness at
the event. But a successful swim is mostly
about technique, says Fisher, a former
state-level junior swimmer and an
ambassador for LIFT high-protein sports
bars. Once you know how to swim, you’ll
gain skill and confidence so you’re better
able to manage trouble.
About two months before race day, start
doing at least two swims a week, building
up to at least 1,000 metres each. To
prepare for the open-water freakout many
first-timers experience, log a few practice
swims in the ocean or a lake. Learn to
“sig ht”, look i ng up ever y 50 -100 met res to
make sure you’re seeing the buoys that
mark the course. As you swim, minimise
d ra g w it h proper body posit ion a nd st roke
mechanics. Here’s how.
6
5
4
3
For stroke
efficiency, keep
your fingers
slightly spaced.
THE SWIM
GET YOUR RACE OFF TO A
CRACKING START WITH A
POWERFUL SHOWING IN THE WATER
“ Nailing the swim isn’t about mileage
or getting wet seven days a week.
Swimming less while emphasising
technique will mean you’re
training efficiently” – Ryan Fisher, 26
DODGE THE STARTING-GUN MELEE I f you ’r e n ot a str ong swim me r, your c oach will advise you to hang bac k at the star t to
e s c ape the s c rum of flailing arm s and l eg s. H e e d that advi c e. You ’ll l ose on ly 2 0 - 3 0 se c ond s fr o m your time. I f your g og g l e s g et knocked
off, simply tread water as you put them back on properly to prevent fogging and to ensure that you can see where you’re going.
ELITE
jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1