Long distance technique
Adrian Wynne
Are there any differences in freestyle stroke technique for long
distance swimming compared to "conventional" distances? Most coaches and
research seem to be focused on technique in sprinters (25m-400m).
I'm particularly interested in Ironman swimming (3800m outdoors in
wetsuit).
adrian
----------------------------------------------------
Adrian Wynne apw...@sec.dra.hmg.gb
IMUK98 12:19 Dare to dream !
Gleshna
>distance swimming compared to "conventional" distances? Most coaches and
>research seem to be focused on technique in sprinters (25m-400m).
>
>I'm particularly interested in Ironman swimming (3800m outdoors in
>wetsuit).
My $.02:
What little I know is that:
1. With a wetsuit kick is unnecessary, but might be an added bonus at times.
2. The Total Immersion glide emphasis with breathing to both sides might be
useful. However, in wavy conditions the "don't lift your head" idea might not
work.
Luck,
Bob
(Pete Cresswell)
>Are there any differences in freestyle stroke technique for long
>distance swimming compared to "conventional" distances? Most coaches and
>research seem to be focused on technique in sprinters (25m-400m).
Everything I've heard/read suggests a much less agressive kick for distance. A
two-beat kick vs whatever the alternative is.
-----------------------
Pete Cresswell
pvm...@my-dejanews.com
> Hi
> Are there any differences in freestyle stroke technique for long
> distance swimming compared to "conventional" distances? Most coaches and
> research seem to be focused on technique in sprinters (25m-400m).
> wetsuit).
>
Because you will be swimming such long distance, you are going to want to
economize your efforts. Yow will want the best stroke technique you can
develope so that you can reduce your stroke rate while maintaining the same
time/distance ratio. I'd suggest you read anything you can by Bill Boomer on
stroke technique (he's sort of the Guru on stroke mechanics for Stanford
University).
Another thing you should do is increase your bodies endurance. Besides the
required effort involved in that. I would suggest taking Calcium Pyruvate to
reduce the effects of laxtic acid build-up. I and my friends have been
taking it for over a year now with only good results... I am able to sustain
my efforts far longer, and I seem to recharge myself faster. You can get
this product at http://www.nwp.net
They also have a niffty body mass calculator so you can check your fat-lean
ratio.
Hope this helps,
Charles Thiele
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RunnSwim
>>Everything I've heard/read suggests a much less agressive kick for distance.
A
>>The Total Immersion glide emphasis with breathing to both sides might be
useful. However, in wavy conditions the "don't lift your head" idea might not
work.<<
>>Because you will be swimming such long distance, you are going to want to
economize your efforts. Yow will want the best stroke technique you can
develope so that you can reduce your stroke rate while maintaining the same
time/distance ratio. I'd suggest you read anything you can by Bill Boomer on
stroke technique (he's sort of the Guru on stroke mechanics for Stanford
University).<<
Many a beautiful theory has been ruined by an ugly fact.
The fact is that, in women's distance freestyle, the swimmers with the long,
slow strokes are not the fastest. Those with the highest turnover (stroke
rate) are the fastest. Is the average 5'10" male triathlete more like 6'6"
Alex Popov, who swims at most 100 meters, or is he more like a 5'6" female
distance swimmer, who, likely as not, has the most success with short, fast
strokes?
All triathletes know about bicycle cadence. Some cyclists push big gears
slowly, while others spin. All swimmers gain by streamlining, but it is
not at all clear that distance swimmers should swim long/slow rather than
short/fast.
The business about keeping one's head buried is also open to challenge.
Arguably, the greatest records in all of swimming are the 400/800/1500 records
of Janet Evans, who swam not only with a head lift, but with a _pronounced_
head lift.
A short stroke with a head lift is much less stressful on the rotator cuff than
is a long, stretched-out stroke. This has to do with the geometry and
mechanics
of impingement of the superior rotator cuff (supraspinatus) tendon.
One reason that short strokers seem to predominate in distance events
could be that the lower shoulder stresses of short stroke swimming allow
for more training without injury.
And as for the kick "wasting energy...."
Ain't so. A nice 6 beat kick at an intensity below the lactate threshold
actually
acts as a lactate "sink," to remove lactate produced by upper body muscles,
allowing the upper body muscles to work harder and fatique less. I have
heard that new American distance phenom Erik Vendt maintains a nice, 6
beat kick all the way through the 1500.
And don't worry about tiring your legs for the bike and run. You use
entirely different muscles. A nicely-trained 6 beat kick will (1) burn
up the lactate made by the upper body (2) burn fat (3) propel you
through the water faster (4) maintain a horizontal body position while
you are lifting your head to look where you are going (and taking
strain off your shoulders in the process and (5) get your legs nicely warmed
up (but not fatigued), so that you can just get on the bike and go.
There are old wive's tales and there are old swimmers' tales and there
are new theories which are ruined by ugly facts. It always pays to keep
an open mind and believe your body and your stopwatch as much as
you believe what you read or are taught.
- Larry Weisenthal