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Swim Training BODY DRAG CROSS-OVER


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REDUCE DRAG TO SWIM FASTER


By Ian Murray


his piece is Part 1 of a two-part series. This first article is dedicated to reducing drag. Part 2 focuses on creating propulsion. Reducing drag is always the top priority, as the benefits are greatest and they can be achieved quickly.


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The sport of triathlon is rife with athletes purchasing bike equipment that will help them slip through the wind. We buy deep-dish wheels, aero helmets, frames with cables routed inside of aero tubing and more. Given our penchant for reducing drag in the air, one would think we’d leap at the opportunity to reduce drag in the water — especially considering water is nearly 1,000 times thicker than air. Below is a prioritized list of common flaws that create drag, why these flaws hurt swimmers and how to solve them.


BODY DRAG


This is the biggest crime in swimming. When an athlete’s head and shoulders are at the surface but his hips and legs are deep in the water, the resulting body position has zero potential for speed. The water attacks the chest, the stomach, thighs, knees, shins and


68 USA TRIATHLON FALL 2011


feet. No amount of fitness — strength, endurance nor speed — can overcome this resistance. Many new swimmers try to elevate the lower body by turning on a strong kick, but then the heart rate skyrockets. The body must be level through a balance of the body’s natural buoyancy. Think of your body in the water like a see-saw on a children’s playground; if something on one end goes down, the other end goes up.


There are three tools to achieve a level body position: head depth, lead arm depth and pressure on the upper torso. The head should be so deep that a thin film of water comes over the back of the swim cap. This will require a feeling of length in the back of the neck. The lead arm should enter on a trajectory and then extend to a place where the fingers are roughly four inches below the surface of the water. There should be some pressure, a leaning, on the upper torso. Think of pressuring the collarbone deeper into the water. Early in the pursuit of a level body, some of these positions will have to be exaggerated to obtain the desired feel. Later, pressure can be a more dominant force while the head and arm “shallow-up” a bit.


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