Using Swim Aids to Help Train for Your First Triathlon

Training for the swim portion your first triathlon represents a daunting task. Many first-time triathletes feel confident in their ability to ride a bike-coasting and slowing down can conserve energy and help you recover when tired, and most know they can somehow survive the run-if need be, they can walk. It is the swim, the part that offers no real point of rest and carries with it the slightest fear of going under and never surfacing again, that presents the largest challenge, However, properly preparing for the swim, training specific swimming techniques for form and doing isolated drills to strengthen certain muscle groups, will give you the sense of confidence you need before splashing into that water. Employing swim aids-fins, paddles, kickboards, and pull buoys-will unquestionably change you from a recreational, friendly swimmer into someone capable of competing and personally succeeding in a race setting.

Once you have found a good place to practice-a health club pool, the YMCA, your local beach club, etc., you can begin to organize your individual workouts. Diving in and swimming for distance with poor, inefficient form will not only hurt your potential race performance, it will also increase the possibility of injury and damage your determination to continue. Setting relevant goals for each workout will generate an optimism and excitement that will fuel further training sessions, and using the swim aids will help you to see solid, identifiable gains in a relatively short period of time.

Using fins:

Wearing a small pair of training fins, not the large scuba ones that cause you to take long, inefficient strokes with your feet, will allow you to create muscle memory for a consistent, short flutter kick to help propel your body. As most of the swimming done by triathletes focuses on the strength in the upper body, a soft kick is all that is required during the race. Remember that the final two-thirds of the race is leg intensive, so overuse of the legs in the swim will make for a difficult final two stages.

The fins will permit you to maintain a steady speed during drills, especially those focusing on the upper body. Without them, many inexperienced swimmers will have sinking hips and quads because of the lack of speed; this makes the current upper body drill less effective than it could be. They will also assist in elongating your conditioning swims by adding a less taxing kick and encouraging a longer period of time in the water.

Because you do not wish for any swim aid to become a crutch, only use these intensely during the beginning phases of your training. Once you have gained strength and confidence in the water, wean them out of the workouts slowly, getting down to only a few repetitions per session. Thus, fins are an invaluable training tool for first-timers to become stronger physically and technically better in the water.

Using Paddles:

Paddles perform the same function for the hands as the fins do for the feet. Coming in different sizes and shapes, all in an effort to increase or decrease the amount of water resistance the swimmer generates when the hand enters the pulling phase of the stroke, paddles enhance the strength in both muscles and joints. Because of the flat angle they present on the hands, they force you to have proper hand position when entering the water, and they require you to keep a consistently high elbow as you pull the hand back and through to end of the hip.

Much like fins, do not overuse this swim aid. Over-reliance on paddles for beginning triathletes can cause shoulder or elbow injuries, so go easy and do not use them for an entire workout. Meant for you to use in short drill sets to target train your form and small muscle groups, the paddles should not turn into the proverbial crutch by taking the place of good hand and forearm position in the water.

Using kickboards:

Kickboards, used in all levels of swim classes, serve one primary function: to float the upper body while the legs work. Employing a kickboard in your workouts will let your arms, shoulders, and back rest while your legs and feet condition themselves. When using the kickboard, focus on proper kicking technique and form. The goal of the kickboard is to help you generate more power from your legs in the most efficient manner possible. Long, lofting kicks fail to propel the body in a consistently forward manner, so lean your chest forward on the kickboard, slightly point your toes backwards, and use small, stern flutter kicks.

A good working set of kickboard drills should cover 100 to 200 meters of a 1,000 to 1,400 meter session. Eventually you will possess the ability to do kick drills without the board, so do not continually integrate it for the sake of using it. As your training progresses, phase it out in favor of stronger drills.

Using pull buoys:

First-time triathletes tend to fall in love with the pull buoy, a figure-eight shaped floatation device that rests between your legs and supports the entire lower half of the body, because it simply makes swimming easier. No effort is required from your legs or your core to sustain proper body position in the water, thus it creates the illusion for the new swimmer that he has more strength than he really does.

The pull buoy's sole purpose is to help a swimmer do pulling drills with the upper body. As it keeps the hips high and forces the face and chest down, creating the downhill swimming form that you want, it permits the swimmer to place all of his efforts into his arm entry and subsequent pull. A pull buoy disallows the body to roll and from side to side, which seriously obstructs your ability to cut the water smoothly. Every swimmer should want to roll a bit as he reaches his lead hand forward and his pulling arm extends toward his hip.

Although it gives the first-timer a nice rest for his lower body, the pull buoy is only truly effective when used for drill work, normally about 200 meters worth in a shorter session.

Therefore, the use of swim aids will undeniably help first-time triathletes progress into better swimmers who can enter the water far more confident on race day. Remember to never overuse them because they create a false sense of strength and security. Phase them out of your sessions as the weeks pass, never to completely abandon them, but rather to reduce the dependency on them Involve technique drill work and employ swim aids in every workout you do leading up to your first race. When your face hits the water in that ocean or lake, you will be much better for it.