Swimming Stroke Rate and Distance Per Stroke

I've heard many a triathlon coach tell their athletes that reducing their stroke rate in their swim is one of the telltale benchmarks of swimming improvement. It can be. But it's not that simple. And all too often I've witnessed these coaches focus so much on reducing the number of strokes their athlete takes per length in training that they neglect to consider their distance per stroke, pace, and the overall impact of a low stroke rate in an open water setting

You can't talk about stroke rate without looking at distance per stroke. Period.

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Thoughts on Training

Training for a triathlon is hard work. Training for most any endurance event is.

However, to perform well you need to train with high intensity and quality, and sometimes it's difficult to keep the motivation up. Those early mornings - the sun isn't up yet and you're heading out to run, or driving to the pool. Or, worse yet, you're getting on the bike trainer. 

Those are tough sessions to get up for. You're tired. The sun isn't yet up. You're by yourself......

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Being A Strong Swimmer Matters

Over the past month I've read about, discussed, or overheard, race reports of triathletes from one race or another. For some it was their "A" race. For others, it wasn't. But on multiple occasions I heard about how the swim got the better of them that day. And how the rest of their race was turned upside down due to the poor swim.

In two instances, the swim was changed to non-wetsuit. In one, the water was rough. In another, it was a combination of the two. 

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Having the swim leg of a triathlon changed to non-wetsuit shouldn't make the swim so difficult that your race is ruined. You should be training hard, and training smart, ensuring that your swim is solid. Rough water? Different story. But your swim should not be dependent upon the buoyancy of your wetsuit.

I'm all for training now and again in your wetsuit in the pool - especially if it's new and you want to get a feel for it. But it shouldn't be a regular occurrence. When is a good time to train in your wetsuit? During open water swim sessions. And even then, you should absolutely do some open water training sessions without a wetsuit just so you are comfortable in that situation. And those Lava Pants, or neoprene jammers? Don't bother. They're a crutch, and come race day when they do call for a non-wetsuit swim, you're at a disadvantage.

If you're not a strong swimmer, that's okay. Swimming is a tough discipline. But work on it. Train smarter. Have your stroke analyzed. Hire a coach if necessary. You're spending a lot of time, energy, and money, as you train and race throughout the year. Ensure that no matter what is thrown at you race day, you're prepared to adapt and come out of the water strong.

Aging and Training - Redux

last year I wrote about the impact of aging and training and how recovery, and intensity, change as we become older. You can read the entire post at the provided link here if you'd like to get a little background. But, in summary, our recovery periods can begin take longer as we age, and our ability to do the work levels we once found sustainable can / will begin to diminish. Dealing with these inevitable factors of life can be difficult for some. Myself included.

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Flip Turns - Should You Do Them?

I can't tell you how many times I've heard a triathlete state: "I don't need to do flip turns .... I'm not going to do a flip turn in open water, so why should I here in the pool?" A recent post on VeloPress reminded me of how frequently this topic comes up, and why that statement is so off the mark.

First of all, it's true: You won't be doing any flip turns during your open water swim. You've got me there, Captain Obvious. However, doing a harmless open turn during training is, potentially, doing more harm than you might think

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