Triathlon Swimming Drills Newsletter
So I just completed my first Aquathlon over the past weekend here in San Diego. I had a blast! Aquathlon is a swim followed by a run, no biking involved. Since I’m not much of an equipment guy, I like this event. This one was a 1000 meter swim followed by a 5km run.
If you are interested and are in the southern California area, there are a few more of these events coming up www.playadelrun.com.
Read on to find out more about WHY we do certain drills and what results to expect!
Enjoy,
Kevin
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we
fall.”
-Confucius
Why Drills?
Many triathletes want to know why I make them do certain drills to improve their swim. While some impatient athletes want to instantly improve without putting in a lot of the technical work, it’s a good thing not to listen to these types. They probably hate drills and just want to go hard all the time! Maybe they will see some improvement. But it will likely be
minimal.
Drills are your foundation for getting “over the hump” in swimming. And at the core of this foundation are two of the drills you get in the online swim clinic you got by signing up for this newsletter: Kicking on your Side, and Shark Fin Drill.
Why do we do these drills?
Kicking on your side is not done to build up your kick. Its purpose is to
1) improve your balance in the water on your side,
2) start getting you to work on head position (eyes towards pool bottom), and
3) get you used to freestyle body position.
Shark Fin drill further accentuates side balance, and prepares you for the arm stroke.
And why is side balance so important?
Freestyle should be swum on your side much more than on your stomach. Think of how much more fluid your body is in the water on your side than on your stomach. In freestyle, you will be rotating your hips from side to side as you swim, so starting with these basic balance drills will provide you with a rock solid foundation!
Note: If you’re having problems with these drills and find yourself sinking, use Zoomers fins to allow you to do the drills properly, and improve your kick at the same time.
Workout of the Month
Let’s do some sprinting!
Choice= any stroke including freestyle
Free Golf= lower your stroke count on each swim. Check your time and get faster on each swim also. Add the 2 numbers together to get your “score”.
Build= Get faster within each swim
Cruise= an interval you can comfortably make 100-yard swims on with about 10 seconds rest between each swim
WARM UP: 300 Choice
DRILL: 12×50’s
#1-4) Kick, Choice
#5-8) Free Golf
#9-12) Build
MAIN: 5×100’s @ Cruise +:10 – #1, 3, 5 HARD
200 Easy
10×50’s @ Cruise +:10
#1, 5, 10 HARD- check your time
200 Easy
8×50’s Kick on your side (alternate left side and right side by length). Use Zoomers if
you have them. #’s 4 & 8 are HARD. Rest=:15 between each 50.
BREATH CONTROL: 6×25’s
#3) No breath #6) Underwater
WARM DOWN: 150 Easy
TOTAL: 2900