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| May 03, 2013 |
Coach's Note from Lance Watson
Thought Patterns, and Dealing with Pressure
When you are out training, it is empowering to start becoming aware of your thought patterns. Obviously the way we think and the things we focus on in practice become habitual over time, and that place we regularly visit in our mind and spirit become an automatic response... |
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Start Now for Successful Open Water Swimming
By LifeSport Coach Jess Adam |
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| Feb 25, 2013 |
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Spring. It's so close yet still so far away. This time of year can be tough to feel motivated as you are probably getting tired of the weather and are longing for a nice, double-digit temperature day! What might help is to switch up your training a bit. Do something that gets your mind into race mode, fires up that competitive edge, and reminds you that race season is really just around the corner. Here are a few tips and tricks you can take with you to your next swim workout in order to get you ready for the sometimes chaotic but always exciting open water swim!
Practice drafting and accelerating. In a lane with people of similar ability to you, do some longer 300-400m sets on a steady pace time and take turns drafting each other for each set. Take note of how it feels when you are leading and when you are on someone's feet when setting the same pace. You can also try some accelerations where the front swimmers swim an easy pace but the person at the back has to accelerate to the front, like a reverse pace line. This will help your open water swim fitness for when you have to pass, are turning a corner, or to catch another drafting ride that is better suited for the pace you are trying to set.
Sighting drills. This is an easy drill in the pool. Just pick a spot on the wall and practice lifting your head out of the water every 4-5 strokes finding that spot. This will help develop your neck strength and technique for sighting. You should only be lifting your head high enough for roughly half your face to be out of the water. Try to breathe as you normally would, not every time you lift your head to sight. This brings your head out too high and gets very tiring.
Hypoxic breathing. This is a drill you can practice to help your body deal with a small bit of oxygen deprivation. Sometimes in open water swims you can't take a breath when you want to because of some jostling, a buoy turn, or you get hit with a wave in an ocean or big lake swim. Swim sets of 75m where you breathe the first 25m every 3 strokes, the next every 5 strokes, and the last 25m every 7 strokes at a smooth pace.
Buoy turns. Preferably in an extra wide lane or an open section of the pool practice some buoy turns either with a friend as your buoy or just pretend there is one there. Swim up to your mark at a good pace, when you are almost about to pass it, turn your body to do a quick backstroke in the direction you want to take to go around the mark, then flip back onto your front and accelerate away from the buoy. This is the fastest way to make a buoy turn as you will maintain your momentum.
Practice accelerating from treading water. Some swim starts like Ironman Hawaii have swim starts from a treading water position where you can't touch the bottom. If you know your swim start will be like this, practice in the pool to get the edge. Do a set of 25's or 50's (depending on the length of the pool) and instead of pushing off the wall, start them from a treading water position and simulate your goal race start. You can make these sets a little longer and practice settling in to the race pace you want to set as well.
The jostle. Sometimes the hardest thing to deal with is your fellow competitors. Get comfortable by swimming side by side up your lane with as many buddies that will fit without injuring each other. Bump into each other a little to simulate a race situation. This can be a fun drill but don't get too carried away!
Bilateral breathing. If you don't already, practice bilateral breathing. This will help you by balancing your stroke which will in turn help you stay swimming in a straight line but it also gives you the option to breathe on one side or the other with ease. Sometimes you have to breathe only to one side in an open water swim due to waves that are rolling towards you and you will want to breathe away from the direction they are coming, potentially there is someone on one side of you that is too close and you will want to avoid their elbow or foot, or another possible scenario is that the sun is coming up on one side making it really hard to see in that direction. Give yourself the option and incorporate bilateral breathing into the way you swim.
There are many things you can practice in the pool to ensure a successful and hopefully less stressful open water swim. Get a jump on the season and start some of these drills now. They are fun and will get you psyched for your race season!
LifeSport triathlon coach Jessica Adam has been a coach in Victoria, Vancouver and now resides in the Toronto area. She loves to share her years of experience with beginner triathletes and also experienced triathletes that are trying new distances like ½ IM or IM for the first time. She coaches athletes online all across the country.
If you are interested in working with Jess, write Jess@LifeSportCoaching.com
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