How to Swim

How to swim:

Sounds ridiculous right? When you meet someone who can’t swim your initial reaction is always “excuse me, come again?” The reality is that most people can tread water, do the back stroke, breast stroke, and freestyle pretty well. At one point or another we have all jumped in the water for a nice relaxing swim. But the real question is how is your technique? When I first started swimming long distance, I thought to myself, “OK this is going to be a piece of cake, I have been swimming my whole life. I quickly came to realize that was certainly not the case. I became winded quickly, breathing became difficult and I felt very uncomfortable. Suddenly, swimming lost its relaxing appeal. So how can we better our technique to improve our stamina, speed and overall appeal? 

First in order is to understand the correct form. Let’s focus on the placement of your head. Your neck and upper back muscles need to be relaxed. The more you’re able to relax these two muscles the more comfortable you will feel. As you are facing parallel to the bottom of the pool, lake, ocean etc. your head should be cocked forward around 45 degrees. The more your head is tucked against your chest, the more resistance you will feel. Additionally, tucking your head in may alter your body position. On the contrary it is important not to face your head too far up as you will create unwanted tension which will tighten up your neck and back muscles. 

Now let’s focus on your stroke. It is imperative to extend your arm to its maximum length during each stroke. To create maximum extension you must reach out as far as possible and then extend your shoulder as well. The shoulder extension may give you an additional 4 or 5 inches of reach. 

Now that we have our head aligned and our reach capabilities in order, it is time to focus on body rotation. To facilitate your shoulder extension you must tilt your body slightly towards the side that you are stroking with. For instance as you extend your right arm and shoulder, you need to also tilt your body slightly to the right as your left hand exits the water. As you tilt your body with each stroke, your entire side should be submerged in the water so your rib cage is now parallel with the floor temporarily. Then as you extend with your left arm, you must alter your position 120 degrees so that your left rib cage is now perpendicular with the floor. This may sound difficult but it actually makes swimming a lot easier and enjoyable as you are no longer compromising your body motion. This motion is perfectly natural and actually helps you move across the water. In other words, think of a pig being turned on an axis as it cooks over a fire. That is how your body should be moving but don’t worry there is no fire involved, just water!

And finally learn how to kick! I still find myself compromising the kick by either not moving my legs at all or kicking at a very slow awkward pace. As you are swimming you may think it is easier not to kick because it gets tiring but I swear its not! By not kicking your body has difficulty staying afloat as well as staying in the right direction. The kick completes the entire motion. If you learn how to kick at a consistent pace it will help you stay straight, move faster and complete your freestyle swim perfectly.

On paper this all sounds easy I am sure. But in all honesty, I am still trying to figure out how to control my entire motion as well. It is incredibly difficult and takes stern focus and repetition. So get out there and try it our. Practice makes perfect folks! 

If you want to see for yourself, watch this video on Michael Phelps aka Human Fish!

Friend at the Gas Station

Two weeks ago I found myself pumping gas at around 9PM on I84 West as I was on my way to Kingston NY for an old friends wedding weekend. As I stood there pumping gas, I noticed a man wearing a triathlon shirt dumping buckets of ice into a couple of water coolers. Of course I couldn’t let this guy leave without asking if he was doing a race over the weekend. It turned out he was not doing a race but coaching a team for the NY City triathlon! Oh man was I excited to talk to him. He was incredibly knowledgeable and forthcoming. So naturally I got the idea to ask him a few questions about his triathlon and coaching career. We exchanged numbers and planned to talk the next week over the phone after the NYC triathlon.

Tuesday, July  17^th 6:30pm

Me: Scott, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to a fellow triathlete! I have to say, I was not surprised that we instantly felt a bond at the gas station since we both love the sport of triathlon. Do you notice other triathlete’s being friendly to each other?

Scott: I sure do Mike. In fact, that is what enticed me in the first place. My first race I was welcomed by other rookies and even the veterans. It is a fraternity in that sense.

Me: I couldn’t agree more! So how did your team do on Sunday at the NYC Tri?

Scott: I was so proud of them. This was a great test for them. What we are really in training for is the Lake Placid full Iron Man on the 28^th. I wanted them to participate in this race not only as a training day but to start replicating a race environment for them. Get them amped up if you will.  

Me: It must be incredibly difficult to not work your athletes too hard to the point where they get hurt correct?

Scott: Absolutely. Our training is very gradual so we have to start our training schedule about 6 months in advance. This enables us to get into good enough shape for the harder more strenuous weeks of training. Without those weeks, it is very difficult to get into shape. So we will ease into it at first and the workouts will come in waves.

Me: Has anyone gotten hurt this year?

Scott: Oh yeah, unfortunately one athlete suffered a severe hamstring pull and was unable to continue training this season. This was actually done on the bike as he was riding up a hill and must have accelerated too fast.

Me: Are you still competing yourself or are you just coaching?

Scott: You better believe it! Over the past few years I have gotten into coaching because it is truly a thrill and I love seeing my team’s progress. But I try to do my fair share of races myself. I am actually doing a race in Tobay Long Island in August.

Me: Maybe I will join you! 

Scott and I continued our conversation for some time. We not only discussed triathlons but ended up learning a lot about each others lives. This just further proves how triathlons can be more than just just a sport. They are a way of life. They promote friendship, encouragement, laughter and achievement. So next time you are pumping gas, take a look around. There might be a future friend with a lot in common standing right next to you!

Aquasuit

Before I started competing in triathlons I didn’t even own a wetsuit. For that matter, I don't think I ever even wore a wetsuit before. As you can imagine, I had very little knowledge on wetsuits so I had to do my research before I jumped in the water. 

I was surprised to see all of the different brands, styles, and sizes the triathlon world had to offer. So I went ahead and tried a few on at the Swim Bike Run Shop NYC.  I found out that some wetsuits are clearly better than others offering more buoyancy, thermal protection, durability, and of course comfort. Unfortunately I did not have $700 to spare on a Wetsuit that makes you swim like Aquaman. Yes, this can be an expensive sport if you are looking for the best products. But I was able to find a beginner suit (Orca Brand) that was not too expensive and it fit me just right. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t know what to do with a $700 suit right now so I figure I will deal with an average Joe wetsuit until I am ready to win one of these races.

There are also several designs that certain people may be looking for. For instance, I prefer to have no sleeves on the suit because I feel very restricted with sleeves during my stroke. Others feel they need the sleeves in the cold water.

Perhaps someday I will purchase a more expensive suit but as of right now, I compete to finish. When I have enough experience and time to commit to a very strict training regimen, you better believe I will be investing in a new wetsuit because it really does make a difference.

Montauk Open Water Swim

In my previous post Hamptons Marathon I mention a checklist of accomplishments that I need to cross off before I can feel confident about finishing the Arizona Ironman. (It’s a long list) And yes, I am still most nervous about the marathon run but coming in a close second is the 2 mile swim. For a firsthand look at how intense the Arizona swim is, take a look at this video...

Gives me the butterflies every time. After seeing this video, I came to the conclusion that doing my regular swim workouts (45 minutes to an hour swim in a pool) would not cut it. Of course I am going to be consistent with these swimming workouts a few times a week but I felt that I needed to step out of my comfort zone for this one. So I decided to do the Montauk Open Water Swim. The race is a 2 mile swim in the Atlantic Ocean at 7am (next weekend) I have yet to do a race in the ocean so it is great training for me. I say that because it is simply harder to swim in the ocean than in a pool. Obviously the water is way choppier; you are constantly fighting off waves and learning how to swim with a current, and not to mention being involved in a race atmosphere is beneficial. The Arizona Ironman is not in the ocean but I figure if I can complete a 2 mile ocean swim, I can finish a 2 mile swim in a river.

Again, reverting back to my previous post, the anxiety and anticipation will overwhelm me if I do not feel confident going into the Ironman. The sooner I finish these races the sooner I can stop worrying! I know that having these two events under my belt will help me mentally and of course physically throughout the race. So bring it on! 

Hamptons Marathon

I have come to the conclusion that in order to feel completely confident going into my first Ironman, I need to finish a checklist. The simple fact I have to face is that in order to finish the Ironman, I must finish a marathon. Which means, finishing a marathon must be on the list. I have yet to finish a 26 mile run in my entire life. In fact, my longest run to date is only 18 miles. Oh yeah, and before the marathon is a 100 mile bike ride. But let’s just focus on one thing at a time (Procrastination is a talent of mine.)  

It was actually my brother who told me I should not only do a marathon before the race but I should be doing it in some sort of race fashion. Initially I was going to just run the 26 miles on a nice Saturday by myself. But participating in a race is not only more exciting but it is the best way to prepare and rehearse exactly what you will be doing during the Iron Man. I couldn’t agree more with my brother. It was great advice. Consequently, I signed up for the Hamptons Marathon on September 28^th. To get a better Idea of how these races work click on the link and scroll through the site. I highly suggest checking out the map Marathon Map this will give you a great idea of where the race takes place. As you can see mile 10-16 looks like it is right on the water. I am really looking forward to some ocean views!

Some of the race actually takes place in the Hamptons woods as well. Just think, part of your day you are looking onto a beautiful endless ocean on Long Island and another part you are running trails in the woods. I am really looking forward to the scenery change. The Toughman triathlon had incredible scenery. Part of the course actually took you through the Croton Dam in Westchester, NY. The view was breathtaking. Have you ever heard of "runner's high" I will be sure to dedicate a future blog to what exactly a runner's high is but in the meantime, I certainly felt it as I ran past the dam. I am hoping for a similar feeling during the Marathon!

Are you starting to get the race fever? If so, don’t be scared, click the Registration link and leave a comment on my blog, letting me know! Hope to see you in September…