There’s no doubt that our most popular workshops are for swimming and it seems that most triathletes are desperate to improve in this one area. Ironically its also the discipline that takes most time to improve and has the least direct effect on your triathlon time. That said its indirect effect, through saving energy which could be put to better effect on the bike and run maybe much greater.
As coaches our job is to try and inform athletes about the most efficient way to complete each discipline and in swimming we often have our biggest battles. We currently promote the “power on” swim style as being preferable to the “catch up” style. It is the catch up style that we see most often in athletes and taught most often by coaches (many of whom are from a swim background). Now it’s not that we have a vested interest in one style over another, after all we have to find what is right for each individual athlete. But there is a logical reason why one method suits triathlon more than another.
When we argue the case for this method, particularly with other coaches, we are often met with resistance and sometimes accusations that we are trying to prove that the other way is wrong.
Recently I discovered a transcript from a speech delivered by a very credible and well known swim coach – Ernest Maglishco – about triathlon swimming and why he thought that sometimes triathletes were way off target in terms of their swim preparation.
In the next couple of days I’ll post the article on to our site and you can make up your own minds.
In the meantime look out for our next swim workshop, coming in December, when you can find out for yourself what swim style you have and how to become more efficient.
Stay healthy & have fun
