Triathlon Swim

Brand New Swimmer

• Practice Distance: Most triathletes have the toughest time with swimming and they get in a bit over their head. Be sure you can swim at least 100 yards further than the distance of your race before you participate in your first triathlon. The reason is that you work harder while swimming with people swimming next to you and you tend to swim a farther distance because it's hard to swim in a straight line. Oceans and lakes are very different from pools, which is where most people train. If you are in choppy water or the current is pulling at you, you will have to swim much harder to stay on course.

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  Stroke Efficiency: It is a proven fact that the swimmer with the lesser amount of arm strokes is more efficient, swims faster and has more left over energy for the rest of the triathlon. If you make a lot of splash and find yourself taking an extraordinary amount of strokes from one end of the pool to the other while practicing, consider working with a coach to learn techniques on elongating your stroke and making it more efficient. It will be the best move you've ever made, and it will make the swim much more enjoyable!
• Safety: Never swim alone while training. It is dangerous and no one will be able to help you if you become disabled. If you are training in the ocean or lake, train with a buddy. If you are in a pool, be sure there is a lifeguard or buddy on the deck keeping an eye out for you. On the day of the race, if you are not confident in your swimming skills, ask the registration people for a "Novice Swim Cap". This swim cap is a different color than the rest and will distinguish you while you are swimming. Specifically, the lifeguards will keep a special eye on you. See Race Day for more info on this.
• H2O: Be sure to rehydrate when you have finished swimming.
• Learn More: Reading "Do I really have what it takes to train and complete a mini-triathlon?" by Niki Dobbyn will give you great information on things you should consider before entering the world of mini-triathlons.
• Reading "How Swimming is Different - and how to make the difference work in your favor" By Terry Laughlin, who is founder and head coach of Total Immersion Swimming, will give you some insight into the sport of swimming and tips on how to improve your stroke.
• Reading "Mini-triathlon Swimming for the Newbie" by Andrew Murray will give you confidence in learning how to swim more efficiently with specific drills.
• Reading "How Can Music Inspire Your Triathlon Training?" by Niki Dobbyn is a great article written on the usage of MP3 playlists to inspire both runners and swimmers.

How to improve your endurance

• Beginner Training: Pick 2-3 days per week that you plan on swimming and stick to them to see results. If you can't do that initially, start out doing a workout you can finish and add more and more to it each week. Do not start with a workout that is too hard or you will be disappointed at the end of every practice. Try to include kicking and pulling drills as well as sprints. See Training/Results for suggestions.
• Terrain: Swim in a lake, pond, pool or beach depending on which one is part of your race to acclimate yourself to the conditions.
• Pool Etiquette: When entering a pool area, you should always watch the current swimmers before you decide which lane you want to practice in. Find a lane that has swimmers that swim your speed. Stand at the end of it while you put on your goggles and cap to allow the swimmer/s a chance to notice you. If there is only one person in the lane, wait for them to get to the end and notify them that you are going to be swimming in the lane with them. You two may decide cut the lane in half and swim on only one side. You may also decide to swim counter clock wise. If there are more than two swimmers, you must swim counter clock wise.
• Spotting: You will need to learn how to spot in order to swim on course. Spotting is a way of lifting your head to spot a buoy or landmark and aligning your body so that you reach it swimming in the straightest line. To do this properly, you need to keep your body alignment as is and slightly turn your head forward so that your eyes are just over the water line. You spot your landmark or buoy, put your head back down and continue swimming. Try spotting every 6 strokes and then move to 10 strokes when you feel confident. It takes some practice, but it is the most efficient way.
• Drafting: It is proven that you can cover a greater distance with less effort by drafting off of another swimmer. Drafting is when there is a swimmer directly in front of you or ahead of you slightly to the left or right. You get as close as you can get to them. They swim hard, breaking the way, while you swim easily in their wake. If you draft correctly, you will have a bit of extra energy to use on the bike or run.
• Bricks: Be sure to do "brick" training. Brick training is when you do a swim workout and bike workout in the same day or one after another or another combination of workouts. You should start doing these at least 3 months before your race. Do 1-2 per week.
• Avoid Bad Shoulder Habits: Be sure that your body is aligned properly. More and more swimmers are finding that the repetitive motion of digging into the water is pulling their shoulders forward, creating a concave chest. The muscles in their backs elongate and the muscles attaching from the arm to the front of their shoulders are getting pinched, causing tremendous pain. If you can develop good habits and posture while swimming, you will be able to avoid this very common injury.
• Stretching: Be sure that you stretch out before and after each workout to avoid muscle pain.

Swim gear you should wear for training and racing

• Protect your Skin: Sunscreen is a must! Be sure you don't touch the front of your goggles afterwards or they will be fingermarked and hard to wipe off.
• Wet Suits and Bathing Suits: There are triathlon bathing suits and triathlon wet suits you can buy. TYR, Speedo and Hind are the top name brands, but you should choose something that is comfortable, fits well and is within your price range. Remember, you get what you pay for, though! When you race, you should wear a somewhat tight bathing suit or wet suit to avoid dragging too much water with you. Be sure it doesn't impair the movement of your limbs or cut off the circulation to any of your limbs. For practice, a loose suit or several loose suits can give you a better work out.
• For Women: Women can choose from many styles when it comes to bathing suits. There are a variety of one piece styles with different patterns and lots of options when it comes to two piece triathlon suits.
• For Men: Men have options now too! Back in the day, men had two choices: A Speedo (small bathing suit that left little to the imagination) and big loose heavy trunks( that dragged the entire ocean with them). Both made the sport of swimming less attractive to the majority of males at some point because each had their drawbacks. At last, top brand makers like TYR, Speedo and Hind have a line of men's suits that are less revealing and make you more streamlined in the water. They come in different patterns and lengths too. Some lengths end just above the knee and others end somewhere on the thigh. They are comfortable and you can also use them as bike shorts if you don't mind not having the padding in the butt area.
• Old Bathing suits: This is an old swimmer's trick that's kind to your wallet and your workout. Use old stretched out, holey suits for practice. Put them on in layers, pray that the holes don't match up and you have a wonderful drag suit. A drag suit is something that creates more resistance in the water making your body work harder during practices. When you are racing, you wear a race suit (one suit that fits snug) and you will swim lighter and faster than practice.
• More about Wet Suits: When choosing a triathlon wet suit, you should consider the temperature of the water you will be swimming in. This will help you determine whether you should buy a full length wet suit, a short wet suit or something in between. There are so many different types to choose from, but trying them on and making sure that you buy one that fits snug, but is not constricting, will be your best bet! Our pool swimmers say that any ocean swim requires a wet suit, but in fact, that's not so. You have to check with the rules for the event. Some allow wet suits and others don't. Our suggestion is to bring it with the intention of wearing it and then ditch it before the race if the event is a "no wet suit" event.
• Goggles: Woman and men should wear both caps and goggles for best results. There are many different brands out there and the best thing you can do is try on the equipment before you buy it. Goggles come in all shapes and sizes just as our faces do. Go to your local sports store and spend some time trying on the goggles so that you have something that is comfortable and fits well. If you find that the pair you bought leaks when you get in the water, take them off, dry them off, put them back inside the package and return them. If the store does not let you return them, keep them and find another sports store and continue your search for the perfect pair. Fortunately, goggles are rather inexpensive and you can afford to make a couple of mistakes. Having the right goggles makes a HUGE difference in a successful swim.
• Bathing Caps: Bathing caps come in several different materials. There are latex, rubber, fabric and silicone caps on the market. The most commonly used cap is made of latex because of its effectiveness and it is also the lowest in price. Fabric caps, costing the most, allow water to accumulate within them and will slow you down a bit, but they are THE most comfortable. For open water practices, you should wear the brightest most obnoxious colored swim cap to differentiate yourself from the water and avoid collisions of any type.
• Get Slippery: Some people use "Pam" or a slippery solution to rub on their bodies to get their wet suits on. This may be a bit more advanced, but it is an option to consider.
• H2O: Be sure to rehydrate when you have finished swimming. Water is a great source as well as the power drinks sold at your local markets. The replenishing of carbs and electrolytes are the main advantages that power drinks have over water. TriathaNewbie recommends the Mountain Blast flavored Powerade for taste, quality and availability.
• Music: Believe it or not, MP3 Players are available for swimmers! Fini has an MP3 Player that sounds great and is reliable. It should only be used during practices that are held in areas specifically designated for swimmers. TriathaNewbie discourages ocean, open lake or pond use because swimmers need all of their senses to be safe and avoid potential hazardous situations in areas not specifically designated for them.
• Good Tip: Never use new equipment in a race. Always try new equipment out during training sessions before using in a race.
• Learn More: Visit Race Day to learn more about what the actual day is like.

	Bathing Cap: How to put on a bathing cap
	For buzz cut: You don't really need a cap. If you want to put one on, simply pull it over your head and adjust to comfort. For short hair: Simply flatten your hair down. Put your hands in the cap and spread it open as far as you can. Then gently catch your forehead first and pull the back over the back of your head. Then gently tuck the short ends into the cap that are sticking out. For long hair: Put your hair into a ponytail first or gather it into one hand in a ponytail-like fashion. If you have a friend with you, you can use the two man method, which is the BEST way to avoid tearing your hair out. Hold your hair with one hand and hold the front of your cap upside down in front of you. Have your friend grab the back of the cap with two hands. When you count to 3, you place your hand on your forehead and your friend stretches the cap with both hands placing it over your head to the back of your hairline. Make sure you get your other hand out of your hair though or you'll have to try it again! Then tuck in the stragglers.