Another race this Sunday

It's the Triangle Triathlon, a sprint with 750 meter/18 mile/5k. This is a "workout" for me, not something I'm going to taper for or anything. I look at it as a good aerobic workout getting ready for the Roxboro NC sprint in August, which is one I want to "peak" for so I'll taper and everything.

My swimming technique issues are still there. I frankly still feel like I have no idea how to swim sometimes there are so many contradictory, yet equally confident, preachers about swim technique out there.

The thing is, there is no one-size-fits-all technique. Swimming is a choose your own adventure novel, not a fixed algorithm for everyone to mindlessly follow. If the 'Total Immersion' technique were best, we would see all Olympians using it. They do not. If there were one best technique, we would compare Phelps to Thorpe and their form would be identical. It isn't. Finding the best swim technique is is all about finding the set of techniques that work best for you for the particular types of events you train toward (if any), techniques that feel right while giving you good times.

So, here is how I come down on some of the "controversial" questions:


1. Roll shoulders or keep them square.
Some sprint swimmers say to keep them square, I guess. This goes against the whole 'elongate your body and fashion it into a spear' principle. I'm going for comfort, distance, and aerodynamics, so I'm rolling to my side, and not just my hips. I need to find the optimal roll, as I tend to roll so much I'm almost on my back!

2. Kicking
Some people say don't kick, save your legs for the bike/run. Some say kick twice per period of the stroke, some say four, some say six. I don't know how many times I kick, but I definitely kick. Not kicking seems silly unless you don't care about how well you do in the swim portion.

3. Head angle
Head down, eyes straight down toward pool bottom, or slightly up? I prefer head down looking at bottom of pool, as that seems to be the most aerodynamic, plus when I get my head angle at that sweet spot it just feels right.

4. S curve or not?
Some people say to pull your hands in an S-curve (out, then in toward chest for the pull, then back out a bit for the exit). Some say it doesn't matter as long as you get the early vertical forearm to maximize your propulsion.

Frankly, I don't know how I feel about this one. I am convinced that the S-shape is probably technically best, but was also shown footage of great swimmers that catch and pull straight back out to the exit. For me, it is ultimately which is more comfortable, and I think I am more comfortable with the S-shaped. This is new to me, as I was always coached not to do the S-curve. We'll see how it goes.

5. How far hands from body?
Should you pull with your hands/arms close to the body (e.g., 6-12 inches), or keep them far away more extended downward? I don't know if it matters, but I think my shoulders are less aggravated when I keep my limbs a bit closer to my body (without dropping my elbow, of course). I want the pull power to primarily come from my hips and my lats, not my shoulders which are prone to injury. While it is certainly possible to use mainly lats/hips while keeping the hand down away from the body, it is easier to pull with the big muscles when the hands are closer to the body (imagine pulling a weight attached to a rope--which is the best way to maximize force exerted by your big muscles?).

I need a good coach. Any suggestions for someone in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina?

For a near future post I will focus on what there is consensus about, rather than where there is disagreement. It will likely be a short post. :)