Shave Time Off Your Triathlon Swim

There's no doubt about it, the swim is critical in triathlon. Yet many triathletes focus their training on long or short, fast bike rides, or running.

Don't get me wrong, weekly interval workouts can give you the edge in sprint and Olympic distance triathlons. And you've got to put the time in the saddle.



But the swim is the first event. Logically, this is the first place to stay forward in the pack. And the issue is compounded in pool swims. All it takes is one neophyte who estimated his or her too aggressively to put the whole field in catch-up mode.

The solution? Improve your freestyle swimming and get fast in the water like a fish. I was lucky. I had an awesome coach. She used to work our group like dogs, but we all improved. In the first six months I took about 10 seconds off my 100 meter times.

Want to go there? Focus on these tips:

• Stretch out long.
• Don't cross over on hand entry.
• Scull wide and effectively; learn to sense the dead water.
• Use your kick to keep your entire body on a plane (while rolling properly), on the surface.
• Keep your chin down in the swimming pool and limit sighting on open water swims.
• And of course, use a triathlon wetsuit when weather permits.
  

These are just a few tips, but if you focus on them at every workout, you'll be amazed at how much time you can take off the pace clock.