84 | AustrAliAn triAthletetext by julIe tedde
photogrAphy by SHutteRStocK.coMA
t this time of the year,
whether you are with a
coach or self-coached you
will want to make some real
improvements in your performance. The
first step is to look at what is holding you
back the most - what is your weakness.
Despite the swim leg being relatively short
compared to the bike and run, it is often
the leg in triathlon that makes the rest of
the race harder than it needs to be. In an
Olympic Distance race losing 10 minutes
to your rivals’ means they are already 5km
up the road on the bike. This is even harder
in Ironman - lose 20 minutes, and your
competitors are likely to be 12km+ up the
road. If you are a strong bike/runner then
you will be riding through many slower
riders, riding as the wind picks up and in
long course, still competing in the warmer
part of the day. So, if you are finding
that swimming is your limiter in your tri
performance, let’s work on it now.Positives of
squad attendance:
• Regular feedback from the coach
on technique
• Correct interval work and periodisation
of your training
• Being pushed along with others
in a lane
• Swimming with people of similar ability
• Feedback on drills you are including
• Practising swimming with
others in a crowded environment
when required.Negatives of
squad attendance:
• Cost $$$
• Swimming hard all the time.SQUAD verSUS
SWIMMING SoLo
SWIMMING
101
Positives of
swimming solo:
• Focus on drills and technique with no
pressure from other people in your lane
• Cheaper option
• Not restricted to going at a particular
time or venue. So, you can go when it
works for you.Negatives of
swimming solo:
• No feedback on whether you are
practising proper technique or even
executing the drill the right way
• More difficult to do, the harder the
interval sets are
• Fitting in with regular swimmers
despite signs saying slow,
medium, fast.In summary, becoming involved in a
squad is the way to go with swimming,
especially for the majority who take up the
sport with not much of a swimming
background. You need regular feedback.
Adding a solo swim, fortnightly, to practice
things that may not be going quite right for
you, is a great idea too.S TreNGTh
TrAINING
Strength is an important component of
swimming, even more so in the open
water. For those in the tri community,
many may not have done a lot of activity
with their upper body and core strength.
So, doing some specific strength work to
the swim leg will clearly develop this if
there is a weakness. Swimming challenges
your muscles as it takes extra work to
move against the resistance of the water,
though the water’s buoyancy means there
is less impact on your joints.