Triathletes

"Body Position: In order to keep resistance to a minimum, it is necessary to keep the body as streamlined and horizontal as possible, taking full advantage of propulsive forces. Arm and leg movements used to provide propulsion, add to the resistive forces created, and good technique should be used to keep this ‘active drag’ to a minimum." Just to be clear, this doesn't mean horizontal on every axis. The intent of the paragraph above was to instruct the new swimmer to keep their feet up close to the surface by remaining horzontal along the axis that runs through your waist from one side to the other. At the same time, you should be rotating your body along the other horizontal axis (the one that runs from your head to your toes) with each stroke to gain the most power from each stroke and reduce the chance of shoulder injuries.

Originally posted by Michael Heather Turns are not difficult. One's ability to accomplish a flip turn is the result of only three things. 1. A coach or teacher to instruct. 2. The willingness and ability of a pupil to learn. 3. Practice. The deficit in any one of these three areas will severely inhibit the learning and execution of flip turns. To this I'd add, 4. a touch of sang-froid....I think that's the problem that keeps coming up for me in flip turns (as I posted in another thread). Got spooked by a mangled turn that had me almost banging my head and gave me a leg cramp. I'm not giving up, though. Trying the suggestions offered on the other thread--and probably will still need to have my coach talk me through a few when he comes back in Sept.

Is it so hard to actually do flip turns? Actually, yes, it can be. I grew up swimming for recreation and just started doing Masters in January. I've made a lot of improvements on all my strokes, but the flip turn just bedevils me. Perhaps if you learned it young, it can be hard to see why it's so hard--there are many things that fall into this category; for instance, I don't understand how many grown adults cannot manage to spell common words correctly--but be assured, for some of us turns are difficult. Asking that people learn the rules is more than reasonable. But expecting everyone to have your skills is a bit nearsighted. Maybe if it bothers you so much, you could offer to set up a turns clinic for your less advanced teammates.

Go's without saying body roll is important.

Is it so hard to actually do flip turns? It is for about 70% of the tri's that swim with our master's team. We are thinking of creating a rule requiring flip turns or a 25 push up penalty for everyone not done. I think the US Tri associates need to teach their members about how to pass people in a pool and how to be passed. Do not just stop in the middle of the lane, stay in your spot and the swimmer flying up on you will just pass you. This is not the point in which you should accelerate to try and keep from getting passed. Also, know where you are in the pool and where the other swimmers are in your lane, that way you are not shocked that you are getting passed. These are things I learned as a 5 year old, and yet our Tri's are unable to grasp this concept. I used to feel bad about cutting them off when they did not notice me passing them, but since have given up on their ability ever understand how passing should be done.

This is why this thread continues to amuse. We poke fun at triathletes and they get all defensive and crazed. I'm quite proud of my one dimensional status. That way I only have to make excuses for stinking at one sport and not the three that most tris have to.

It's ridiculous to refer to swimmers as one dimensional.I'm not one dimensional.I have quite a broad range of athletic skills,I swim 50,100, and 200 breaststroke.(People who do several sports or even several strokes are seekers,only breaststrokers have found enlightenment.)

Originally posted by Boe Clark o.k, so what's with the tri-bashing thread? Curious. Maybe its just a few bad apples. I think I'm the only sucker that waded into these murky, shark infested waters. First time on USMS site and its populated with 'tri haters'. My approach is to swim with swimmers (my upbringing), run with runners, and bike with bikers. Learn from the good ones in each discipline, regardless of background. Peace to all. No worries mates. As a runner who recently got hooked on masters' swimming (also fairly new to this site), I'd say this thread was tame compared to some I've seen on letsrun.com. Swimmers generally are nice ppl so when they try (tri?) to be harsh, the grains of salt show. ;)

At least you are passionate, albeit misguided "Grasshopper". As a newbie to Masters swimming, and this site, I'll be nice. Suffice it to say that at lest a few triathletes come from a swimming background. I love to grab an ankle of a non-swimmer and give em a good yank backwards during the swim-leg. No way to get the heart rate jumping like swallowing a little water at the start of a race! By the way, when you think you're in shape - step up to multi-sport events. I bet your HR has not seen the numbers it will push in a tri. You are probably a "one dimensional" athlete though, eh??? In a triathlon, whatever advantage you might gain on the swim will quickly evaporate if the only skills you have are waterborne. S/B/R in tri-shoes before you critique grasshopper.

Originally posted by Boe Clark By the way, when you think you're in shape - step up to multi-sport events. I bet your HR has not seen the numbers it will push in a tri. You are probably a "one dimensional" athlete though, eh??? In a triathlon, whatever advantage you might gain on the swim will quickly evaporate if the only skills you have are waterborne. S/B/R in tri-shoes before you critique grasshopper. First of all, this is the website of United States Masters Swimming, so if some of our members wish to critique triathletes, this would be a reasonable forum in which to do so. Second, regarding heart rates, I reach 180 during some of my workouts, which is higher than my age predicted max (173).