Triathlon Swim Training - How You Can Get It Right!

Dating back to ancient Greek times, a triathlonthey started. Once the athletes are out of the
tests the skills of athletes in a competitionwater, the next phase of the triathlon begins that
comprised of three different events. The mostrequires a change of clothes into cycling gear.
common triathlon involves swimming, cycling andTriathlon Strategies
running. In this order, it is the swimming portion ofWhen preparing your game plan for the
this competition that sets the tone for the restcompetition, you should aim for going long, easy
of the contest. Athletes participating in modernand fast. This takes a lot of practice to master.
triathlons usually tackle all three eventsMost cyclists and runners believe that the
back-to-back. The official time received byendurance they already possess will make them a
athletes is a combination of their overallbetter swimmer, but this is not always true.
performance, including clothing changes andCyclists and runners need to strengthen different
transition times from one event to another.muscles for the swim.
Training for these individual events includes learningTriathlon Training Tips
techniques that help to preserve the energy and1) Start your training early for best results.
endurance of an athlete. There are various2) Always take heed of the importance of proper
strategies and training approaches that bothbreathing, have a relaxed state of mind and body,
amateur and professional triathlon athletes adheremaintaining good body position and having a
to. Not all triathlons are the same in distance orpositive attitude.
details. For example, the Ultraman Triathlon, held3) While training, avoid movements by any part
every year in Hawaii, takes three days toof your body that may slow down your forward
complete, including 320 miles of total distance.movement. This includes no deep kicking and
Triathlon Swimmingminimal head movement.
The start of the triathlon begins with the4) To increase the speed of your swimming,
swimming portion of the competition. Athletesinterval training is a must. Rotate timed trials using
prepare for the swim by changing into appropriatevery short, medium and long rests. A popular
swim gear. Different starts are used for varioustraining exercise is the 2000 ladder, which consists
races. This will depend on the number of people inof 400, 4x100; 300, 4x75; 200, 4x50; 100 and
the race or how much distance will be covered.4x25.
Traditional Iron-distance races use a mass start,5) Join an organized group to swim with that will
where all athletes enter the water at the sameeventually push you towards a higher level of
time. Another approach is the wave start, whichcompetition, filled with an extra boost of
allows athletes to begin the race in intervals. Thisconfidence and encouragement.
is a common practice used in amateur6) Consider the use of fins during training to burn
competitions.calories, strengthen legs, increase speed and
Athletes swim around numerous marked buoys,improve stroke.
completing the race at the same place where