Swim Master Class

Triathlon Coaching
Swim Stroke Correction
Beginners to GB Age Group Team

Swim Caps. A cheap piece of equipment but a very important one especially in our cold waters. Head heat loss is usually around one-third to one-fifth of total heat loss. The lower the temperature, the higher percentage head heat loss. A swim cap will slow this loss down considerably. Allowing a more comfortable and safer swim.

Second it must be a bright easy to see colour. It will be almost all that is showing for other water user’s and support crew to observe.

Thirdly place it over your goggle straps to stop losing your goggles if they get knocked in the close swimming contact during a race

Lubricant: Some sort of anti-chaffing lubricant is required around the neck to prevent chaffing whilst swimming. This will occur to a greater degree in salt water, but is easily stopped by using a specific product like BodyGlide or Vasoline etc: Coating the arms and legs covered by the wet suit will also aid wet suit removal and movement. It is often stated not to use petroleum based lubricants as they can damage the suit in time, but a wash in clean water after every use will prevent this happening.

Plastic bag:
Used to assist the putting on of the wet suit. The cheapest piece of triathlon equipment around.

The Swim-tech Beginners Triathlon Swimming Master Class

Swim-tech.co.uk - Swim Stroke Correction - Technical Triathlon Training - Coaching Beginners to G.B. Age Group Team

The Internet, DVD’s & Book Stores are full of help and advice for Triathletes eager to improve there front crawl swimming.

Most are very good instructional pieces but most we find are quite complicated and difficult to follow and can be expensive.

So we are starting to put together the Swim-tech Master Class way of improving your Triathlon swimming. It’s going to be as clear as possible with instructions - photos and video links and encase that's not enough its going to be FREE

It will be aimed not only at those Triathletes starting out but also at all skill level’s up to GB age group team.

But it will not be overly loaded towards in depth technical jargon. This is not to suggest that a high degree

of technical knowledge is wrong, it’s not, and Swim-tech spend many hours keeping up with new

advances and ideas from coaches all over the world with the aim of passing this on to you the Triathlete.

We at Swim-tech just like to use a slightly different approach in our work that will still get

the same efficiency and skills for those Triathletes that prefer this direction of teaching & learning.

Should you like a section or skill added or feel any of our work needs improvement please contact us

and we will try to add this information. We value your feedback.

Chapter One

Open Water Swimming

Swim-tech Master Class

Chapter One:

Open water swimming.

Safety Guidelines for Open Water

Here are a few guidelines for open water swimming they are meant to assist only and should be regarded only as a guide.

Never swim alone. This is regardless of how good a swimmer you are.

Preferably have some one on the shore watching as well.

Allow at least one hour after eating a meal before swimming.

Never consume alcohol before swimming.

If weather conditions are bad wait until another day.

If you do not feel well wait until another day.

Wear a bright swim cap.

Swim in pairs and watch out for your buddy.

Swim parallel to the shore, just behind the breaker point, so that you can be observed at all times.

Do not panic if you feel you are getting into problems, roll onto your back, and let your partner pull you to shore.

If you are abnormally hot or cold or getting tired swim to the shore and get out.

If in any doubt - Do not swim.

Tip: No need for these Triathlon open water goggles if you do not want to use them, as normal pool ones work just as well, just as long as they fit are leak proof and are comfortable regardless of cost.

Tip: Make sure the mask is a dark colour as the pair on the right and not a clear mask as the pairs on the left, even with dark or mirrored lens.

Equipment

Goggles: There is no perfect goggle the best is the pair that fits your face without leaking and is comfortable. There is also no requirement to purchase special open water triathlon swimming masks. A simple cheap pair that fit and are leak proof are just as good and have no disadvantages.

What is important is to have several pairs. One spare pair encase the strap breaks and a pair of smoked or mirror lens goggles for swimming on a sunny day or early/late in the day as the sun rises or is setting as well as your normal pool swimming pair.

These goggles should also have a dark mask as a clear mask will let the light in making your pupils smaller and reducing your vision even with a dark or mirrored lens in bright sun light.

Correct Fitment:

When selecting a wetsuit you need to make sure that it is not loose and fits you snug between your crotch and shoulders. Arm and leg lengths will vary and it is ok if they are shorter. In fact a shorter leg will allow for quicker removal of the suit.

Also look out for a good neck and wrist seal so water doesn’t flow into the suit. To increase speed you don’t want your triathlon wetsuit to take in water and slow you down. Be sure that the suit has enough arm & shoulder stretch reach. This area is most important to make sure you have an unrestricted swim stroke. How to put on the suit correctly can be found HERE

Material and thickness:

Most wetsuits will vary in thickness (1.5 mm-5 mm) and "stretch ability" throughout. You will want thinner and generally more flexible material around your shoulder and arms where you will be moving most. Thicker material in the chest and leg area’s to help with float. The various brands will for the most part offer the same type of rubber/neoprene for the price ranges.

Comfort: Most methodologies for fitting are taken from the perspective of performance. Many people may find performance fitting to be tight and uncomfortable. If you are looking to just "make it through" a short course swim you may feel more comfortable in a less restrictive suit. In this case consider a size up if you are undecided. Although only swimming in the suit will give the true perspective.

Gaps and loose fitting areas may cause chaffing.

A looser suit is more prone to carrying water which will cause you to pull more weight or create drag. A suit that felt wrong on land when dry can fill comfortable and correct when in the water.

Reverse pull zip: This zips up in the reverse to normal direction, its advantage being that if it gets tugged down during a race the suit will not come undone.

Flex panels: Especially in and around the arm area allow good movement of the upper limbs by helping to use less energy over coming the suits resistance.

Sleeved or Sleeveless: This is mostly up to personal preference some would argue that sleeveless arms allow for a greater arm movement. A bigger consideration for sleeved versus sleeveless would be temperature especially around the UK’s coast line. A sleeveless suit can allow a large amount of cold water to enter under the armpits. I would suggest the best option is a full suit.

Forearm grab panels: This is a bit of a grey area, a pimpled or grooved panel is put in the forearm to increase the catch on the water during the pull phase. I have seen no ultimate evidence that this actually works in real life open water or have I felt any gain with it in my swimming.

Looks: This has nothing to do with function but If it fits and you prefer the style then that’s fine.

2, Finding the Target: From an elevated position on the shore it is very easy to see the turn buoys, but from water level it is more difficult and within a race scenario it becomes even more difficult to site.
So how can you work out the direction? First you have to bend down low and look for two high siting points either side of the marker buoy. A building or tall tree’s will work very well. They need to be somewhere between 20 to 50 metres apart. These are your guide points. As you lift to site all you will be looking for is one of these and not the turn buoy. Swim towards them until you can see the swim marker turn buoy.
This requires working on these marker method before the race begins, if at all possible at an earlier time from within the water. Occasionally the swim goes directly out to sea in this case you cannot use the marker system as there is no back drop. Here you will have to aim for the marker buoy, sight every stroke until you get a fix then sight every 5 -7 strokes and re adjust as required.

Here are a few photo’s taken at the same level as the swimming Triathlete’s eye level. The building used in this example is very easy to use but trees or any other high marker can also be used with the same affect.

This first slide is taken only around 100 metres off shore with a slight chop to the sea. There are no other swimmers but the marker buoy cannot be seen. What can be seen without any problem is the building. This is our sighting line. Any part of the building will lead us the correct direction.

This shot is closer but the wave’s are moving the swimmer around and so still no sight of the marker buoy.

At this time we still follow the building.

As we approach the shore the marker buoy can be seen for the first time. Although we can see it there are no swimmers in front of us and the swell has dropped.

At this point the building is still the point to aim for and not the buoy.

As the swell drops the buoy can now easily be seen, but we are sighting on a swell high point and there are no swimmers in front of us.

Even here I would still be looking for the building and not the buoy.

Closer still but even here I would still be using the building for sighting.

It is far easier in the limited sighting time that the stroke gives to spot the building rather than the buoy.

At this point the buoy is still showing even in the swell and so we can know use this to get as close to the marker as possible.

Here we are only 20 metres away and is the first time using the buoy for direction, but we are completely inline.

Even at the last moment the buoy may vanish for a moment as we are in a swell dip and so is the buoy.

So even at a few metre’s away we can still use the building or our selected high marker point.

Sight your pre-race assigned high sighting marker points.

Sight as many times as you require to follow them.

When on target sight every 5 - 7 strokes.

Never follow someone else hoping they know the route.

Open Water Turns

Stroke Changes

Drafting

Water Conditions

Questions and Answers

If you have any Questions on any of the items in the Swim-tech Master Class please contact us HERE

I promise its on the way and will be here very soon - Thanks

Q My Goggles keep fogging up in the cold water, can this be stopped?

A Not completely I’m afraid but you can reduce it. There are several ways you might like to try. Use a commercial anti-fog solution, Use spit on the lens, Chill the goggles in the water and chill your face with the cold water before fitting, leave a very little water droplets in the goggles when fitted.

Open Water Sighting Summery

Learn the swim course from the organisers instructions before the race.

Know the turn points & high marker points before the race.

As you start the catch push down slightly & lift head to chin level only.

An Introduction to Open Water

The first Open Water session may give you apprehension, and it is true, the open water can be quite daunting as it is a totally different area in comparison to what feels the safe controlled confines of the swimming pool.

Choose an open water coach or someone you are happy to be with in the water.

Do not start by yourself.

Know what to do in an emergency

Slowly get used to the water and the differences.

Do not rush

Stay in standing up water depth

Have your coach with you at all times

Have Fun

Fitting Your Wet Suit

Here is a quick guide to fitting your wet suit. You will need a plastic bag some Body glide or similar and of course your wetsuit.

Lubricate all parts of your torso, legs and arms that is not covered by your Tri suit. Excluding your hands and feet.
Using the bag as a guide place both legs in the suit. Work the suit up from the ankle so that the material is snug under the crotch.
Using the bag again put both arms in the suit. Work the material up the arms from the wrist so that it is snugg under the armpits.
At this stage you could zip the suit up but you will find that the two half's are quite widely stretched.
Using an assistant let the “shoe horn” the suit together. This will take the strain off your shoulders and chest and allow a easy zip up.
Finally put more body glide on the wetsuit legs from the knee down. This will allow a much easier and quicker removal as the two leg halves can slide over each other.
Allow at least 10 minutes before the race is due to start for fitting the suit

Enjoy the Freedom of Open Water

Getting the Best out of your Wet Suit

Open Water Sighting Technique

In the Clip we are breathing every stroke, you may have to do this when there is no high point marker or the water has a high swell.
In high swells always sight on the apex of the swell and not in the trough.
But even breathing every stroke the stroke still remains smooth. Practise this technique in the pool in your warm up and warm down

These two shots from the video show the correct and incorrect head position for sighting.
The picture on the left shows all of the head out of the water, whilst it may seem a better view for spotting which direction to swim it is slowing you up by dropping your lower torso and legs.
This higher frontal area resistance will also require more energy to keep the head high in the water and more energy use to get back to normal swim speed.

In this shot only the eyes and nose are clear of the water.
This will not drop the legs. No reduction in forward momentum will take place.
This means no extra energy will be required each stroke as when the head is high.
The stroke remains smooth and fast with minimum energy output.