Use of legs in a triathlon swim

Our collaborator Ricard Perez This time it's about the use of legs in swimming

 

 

Should the feet be used in a triathlon swim? To maintain hydrodynamics? To gain momentum? To activate the legs? Let's think about it ...
 

This is a question I've heard a thousand times, and I still do not understand the reason for so much debate, since I see the subject very simple.

First step: are we swimmers?

Think about your training in the pool. The triathletes who are not swimmers (read swimmer as a person who has started swimming at the 3 or 4 years of age) you will surely notice that at the time of doing the foot exercises, you advance very slowly.

So, if we are just making our feet in the pool, what will happen to us when we are in open water? well, we will still advance less.

So, for the case of the triathletes who are not swimmers, the feet serve to maintain the horizontality of the body (to prevent the feet from sinking with what we would have greater resistance to our progress).

This means that we must think of the feet as a tool to reduce resistance and allow the legs to be active (especially for tests over 2.000 meters away).

In the case of the triathletes who are swimmers, the feet allow them to advance and increase their swimming rhythm.

Here you have the information that few people reason

In triathlon, unlike swimming pool tests, you can go to feet, so why would a swimmer increase the pace, using his feet if the result is going to be that the rest of the competitors will get in his wake and get carried away?

Legs in swimming

 

In the case that there is a cut, and the swimmer is alone, you could see how he gets feet to increase his difference (since nobody takes advantage of his energy), but if we look at the careers of professionals, what do we see ?: Well, in the first group are the swimmers, and as they all go together, they are doing well not to "get tired" (since all attempts to escape will be neutralized and all will go to feet).

Another thing to keep in mind is the water conditions

If we swim in a lake, the effect of the feet will always be more effective than if we swim in a very choppy sea.

The feet as protection

An element of triathlon that I love, but that people do not want to apply: the defense of the position. When we swim the first meters, we have to defend our space, not slow down and swim at ease without stress.

How is this achieved?

For using the feet with energy, not to advance further, but to prevent the triathlete behind us from jumping on us. Do not be afraid to use your feet with force At the beginning (100-200m initials), do not suffer for the person behind you.

I'm not telling you to be aggressive, I'm only indicating that you do not see what's going on behind, instead the triathlete who follows you knows that he is jumping on you, and knows that he has alternative routes, so as we can not go backwards while we swim, the best isuse the feet to mark our space.

Finishing with the feet ...

Another very important point in the triathlon, is "touch the feet".

What's the problem in touching the feet of the triathlete in front of us?

It's one thing to be bothering continuously to the front triathlete, touching the feet again and again, bothering and making him angry. But what is seldom done (and it is a mistake not to do it) is to touch the feet of the front triathlete to tell him we want him to go faster.

 

Legs in swimming

 

Let's imagine that we already have some 500m of race and that the positions are very settled, we have our reference in front and it is already about 200m that we are holding fast its rhythm.

Well in that case, if we want to increase the pace, what is wrong is to overtake the triathlete, the first thing we should do is touch your feet only once, to indicate that you have a swimmer behind and who wants to increase the pace.

If after a few 6-8 strokes we see that the triathlete does not change the rhythm, then we give a second warning, confirming that we have not been wrong before, that we really want to go faster.

In the case that the front triathlete understands a bit of this sport, he will have 3 options:

1.- the most usual is to increase the pace, with which we have achieved our goal and now we have to not touch their feet anymore (out of respect) and above all at the time of reaching the shore, thank you

2.- the one used by intelligent and veteran triathletes, to move away, to give to understand that its rate is the one that is, and that if somebody is "bored" so that it happens in front to throw (as you see, the communication in the relays in the water also exists)

3.- If the triathlete takes this third option, then he is no longer a triathlete .... get angry. In water, unlike the bike and the race on foot, we can not communicate verbally with the rest of the triathletes, so the only communication we have is physical contact. A triathlete who gets angry because they touch his feet (we are talking about giving a single touch, and wait 6-8 strokes to give the next touch) is that he does not know what the subject is about.

The truth is that I have always seen it very clear, although always there are athletes who are looking for an infinity of feet to the cat.

Further information: http://www.ricardperez.com/

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