Sleeveless Wetsuit vs Full Wetsuit debate As more of an open water swimmer than a triathlete, I’m used to racing without a wetsuit. However, when I finally purchased a racing wetsuit for a triathlon, I went for the sleeveless or “farmer john” suit, because I thought it would give me more flexibility with my arms. […]

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[leadplayer_vid id=”512217940ACAB”] This is a great video of the Thorpedo close-up swimming. Pay special attention to his head position- it’s exactly where it should be. Eyes looking down at the bottom of the pool, part of the back of his head above the surface of the water. Looking straight forward in freestyle would cause your […]

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This is the great Australian distance swimmer Grant Hackett. Pay attention to how he is doing his pull. His elbow bends but arm pulls back to the outside each time. Many athletes I coach try to pull straight back to their chest, which is indicative of a lack of hip rotation and a lot of […]

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Can snorkels help your swim? When should you use them? How often? I’ve always understood the benefits to swimming with a snorkel, including the ability to improve body position while maintaining a smooth breathing pattern, as well as increasing VO2 max (maximum capacity to transport and utilize oxygen during incremental exercise). However, I was relucntant […]

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I’m getting ready to release our newest product and just for a little “warm up” gift, I’m giving away my “27 Tips” pdf file, located at www.triswimcoach.com/tipscollection.pdf This is a collection of tips I from the Tri Swim Coach newsletter over the past couple of years. I’m only giving this away for the next 7 […]

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Swim Faster By Training Faster? A lot of swim training mythology comes from trying to use age group coaching techniques and methodologies for kids training for pool races (generally sprints and controlled sprints), and applying them to triathlon swim training. While there is overlap, the focus for triathlon swimming training needs to be different. A […]

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We hear a lot about bilateral breathing, especially when it comes to distance swimming and triathlons. What is it? Simply, it means breathing to both sides when you swim freestyle, typically every 3 strokes. 1 stroke=1 arm pull or every time your hand enters the water. Should you do it? The short answer is “yes!”. […]

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You’re struggling with your swimming, or you just can’t seem to get the latest drill that’s supposed to help you with your stroke. Then you notice people at your pool using these fluffy, floaty things that fit between your legs. You try it out and WHAM! Suddenly, you’re able to execute the difficult drills and […]

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After hearing the news yesterday of Phelps being caught on camera toking from a bong, I had to wonder why, in this day and age, this is even news. If we had learned that he celebrated his 8 gold medals by drinking a few beers, would this be front page news? The reality is, marijuana, […]

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You’ve got 30 minutes to grab a quick swim workout…how can you get the most out of your time spent in the pool? Maximize yards or drill work? Depending on where you are in your training, you may want to consider a format like this for your workouts when you are lacking time: 1. Warm […]

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Toe Cramps in Swimming Toe cramps are one of those annoying things that many people in the triathlon and swimming world have to deal with on occasion during their swim training. I get them occasionally as well. There is a lot of debate as to the cause of toe cramps. Here are some ideas on […]

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Breathing in Freestyle This topic can be analyzed endlessly, but here’s a take from a different angle. Many times, beginner or less experienced swimmers feel that they don’t know when or how to exhale when swimming, or how often to breathe. The best thing to do is exhale through the mouth slowly and let it […]

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Yesterday, I ran the Carlsbad Half Marathon here in North County San Diego, CA. Here’s a blow by blow of my race. The weather was perfect for running, starting out at around 49 degrees and cloudy with a light breeze. First, I blew my plan to run the first mile in 8 minutes and slowly […]

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Developing a Swim Training Schedule for Triathlon One of the most difficult portions of training for a triathlon for many athletes is developing a training schedule that effectively addresses each of the event’s three components. Follow the tips below to ace your training regimen for the swimming portion of the triathlon. The Overview– Each swimming […]

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This Sunday, January 26th, I will be running the Carlsbad Half Marathon in Carlsbad, CA. I started training for this event in early November last year. While the first month or so went well, I started with an IT band injury in December, followed by an 8-day hiatus around Christmas, due to travel and a […]

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Finish Your Triathlon Swim Strong The question is whether you will finish the race strong or whether you will run out of steam. Balancing your energy levels throughout the triathlon swim can be a challenge, especially as no matter how much you train, there are always several factors that are out of your control: wind […]

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Triathlon Transition If you are confident in your swimming skills for the triathlon, you must next master the bike transition. After all, the clock is ticking the entire race; not just while you are swimming, biking or running. Follow the tips below to improve your transition time in between your swim and your bike portions […]

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It really depends on what level swimmer you are. If you’re a beginner, spend a 2+ weeks doing 100% drills. Stick with the balance drills at first (side kicking, shark fin). As you progress, slowly decrease the amount of drill work you are doing, and replace it with longer swims and eventually interval work. As […]

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Swimming seems fairly simple when you are gliding through a training pool. But something feels different when you try open water swimming for the first time. The waves, the temperature, the current and the wind over the top of the water all seem very noticeable and very distracting as you are trying to complete your […]

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How to Master Open Water Swimming Even the best pool swimmers can have challenges when they swim in open water. Open water swimming requires excellent swimming skills and the ability to navigate through the currents, or surf. As a triathlon competitor, you must work to excel in the pool and in open water. When a […]

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Ocean Swimming Techniques By Jeff David, Ca. State Parks Lifeguard Chief, North Orange County There are some fundamental differences between swimming in open water and swimming in a pool. There are also differences between ocean swimming and lake swimming. Here I will explain swimming strategies specific to the ocean environment, and how to use the […]

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6 ways to ease your transition from the pool to open water swimming to prepare for a triathlon: Chunk it down. If your race is going to involve a 1 mile swim, don’t try to swim a mile the first day out. Instead, just shoot for getting wet and swimming for 5 or 10 minutes. […]

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Tim Ferriss, author of The Four Hour Workweek, recently learned to swim properly using the Total Immersion methods. Watch this video and see how easy swimming can be from someone who previously hated swimming and was even fearful of the water! He does a pretty good job of explaining the problem most beginners have with […]

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It’s pouring rain here in sunny southern California, and miserable weather for biking or running. So, triathletes, what can you do? Sure you can hit the treadmill (boring and more likely to be injured), or get on your trainer (boring and who in California even owns a trainer?) Your best bet of course is to […]

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The Freestyle Catch I had a very productive chat with a guy named John from Illinois last night in the beginnertriathlete.com chat room (once per month I do a chat session on BT…usually we get 6-10 people but last night it was just a one-on-one session). Just wanted to relay some of the questions he […]

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I’ve finally found a piece of strength training equipment that is worth endorsing. I was corresponding with several personal trainers in my area who work with triathletes to find out what the best approach is to improve overall energy and overall a better triathlon. All of them told me that they target the core muscles. […]

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Last week I moved and spent the week on an air mattresss. The first two nights I slept well, but starting the third night I began to wake up with lower back pain. I’ve never in my life had any sigificant back pain until last week (although neck pain is another issue). Usually, swimming cures […]

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Well I didn’t get a chance to blog while in Austin, but the Longhorn Triathlon 70.3 expo was a good time! I was thrilled to meet some of my subscribers in person. And, for the first time I visited Austin, I had good weather for 3 days in a row! Sunny and high 80′s. I […]

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It’s been a heckuva couple of weeks! Today is the pinnacle of craziness in my life. I split with my wife in August, and 30-day notice was given September 1st for our apartment. So last week I lined up a new apartment to move in October 9th. In the mean time, I also booked a […]

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Often I get asked as a coach, what a person should do in the gym to get stronger in the water? Usually, the answer to this question is NOT a descriptive lecture about all the muscles you need to build up to have a better swim! Instead, most people simply have not spent enough time […]

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The weather was fantastic on Thursday for the Tri Club of San Diego’s monthly summer aquathlon race at La Jolla Shores- foggy but easily over 70 degrees. I arrived early and set up my beach chair to mark my spot for transition purposes. With no wetsuit, I went out for a quick warm up in […]

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I’m planning to do my second Aquathlon this summer, tonight at 6 p.m. at La Jolla Shores. What is an aquathlon you may be asking? Aquathlon is a race involving a swim followed by a run. This one is a 1000 yard swim in the ocean, followed by a 3 mile run on the beach. […]

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After a two year hiatus, I’m back to blogging again for triswimcoach.com! I plan to make this as educational and entertaining as possible. After watching Michael Phelps at the Olympics, it seems everyone is ready to “Laugh at the Water”! I’m thrilled with the excitement that Phelps has brought to swimming. Triathletes can learn a […]

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