Learning how to swim was my original motivation to get into triathlon’s, and it’s still something I’m working to improve. But once I understood the basic principles, and then finally found the right coach, things began to come together. Swimming well takes muscle memory. The U.P. offers endless acres of pristine open water for you to perfect your craft.
On my first triathlon in 2009 I was one of only two bikes left on the rack. And if you’re wondering, I wasn’t in the last leg to start the swim! After the tri a friend looked up my times and pointed out the obvious, that I was an awful swimmer. He told me to look up “Total Immersion” online. And that swimming was all about efficiency. I did, and it changed my focus on swimming forever. Within a couple of weeks I was able to swim a mile or two will little problem. I still wasn’t very fast, but at least I wasn’t fighting as much in the water.
Every time I went to the water I’d focus on my efficiency. But even after improving in many areas, I continued to sink in the rear, causing tons of drag. My next breakthrough came in 2011. I was swimming with a friend and good swimmer in the local gym pool. He glided through the water with relative ease, while I pulled a preverbal parachute behind me. He gave me some tips, and I watched his technique under the water. I’d glide on top of the water, take a slow stroke and simultaneously sink in the rear. Studying the mechanics, it finally dawned on me. I was folding like a jackknife. I tried to tighten my core, but remembered swimming is about efficiency, not strength. The book “Chi Running” got me thinking about the human skeleton structure, and I realized that I might not be turning to my side. Sure enough, once I incorporated sufficient rotation I no longer sank.
My latest breakthrough came in the winter of 2012 as I was introduced to an excellent swim coach. For anyone in the Metro Detroit area, Bonnie Karas (coachkaras@frasierbicycle.com) is incredible. She was referred to me by a good buddy who ranks among some of the best triathletes in the country. It was like learning to swim from scratch again, but in short order I was swimming with more ease and speed than I ever have before.
I prefer swimming in the open water more than I do a pool, especially on long swims. But good lakes in the lower can be tough to find. Many are either full of speed boats, or if they are motor free then the are full of goose poop. Both are problematic! In the U.P. you’ll find endless lakes of beautiful clear water and the occasional small aluminum fishing boat - but rarely the speed demon threatening to take your cap off.
Wetsuit
For my first triathlon I borrowed a friends wetsuit. It had full legs and arms, and although I loved the buoyancy, it felt quite restrictive to me. I bought a cheap sleeveless wetsuit with high calves, and found it much better. I was told the proper fit of a wetsuit is way more important than how much you might pay for one. So I was happy with what I had.
A couple of years later and not getting any better in the swimming department, I decided to up my odds and buy a more expensive Xterra wetsuit. Still sleeveless, but noticeably thicker and more put together than my cheaper one. There was a significant difference the first time I took to the water with it in terms of insulation and some additional buoyancy, but I can’t say it made me a better swimmer.
Fast forward a year later after having proper coaching, and I’ll bet either wetsuit would have served it’s purpose just fine. Still, I got a super deal on the Xterra (Vortex retails for $300 - I paid end of season price around $100) and now have a spare just in case someone needs it.
Swim Coaching
Total Immersion forever changed my approach toward swimming. I was referred to their swimming instruction from a friend who commented on my pathetic swim time during a tri. Terry Laughlin teaches that the most important factor between power and efficiency is efficiency. Yet when people practice swimming they try to power through the water. After watching videos online, ordering his DVD’s and practicing his method of swimming, I went from struggling to swim 500 meters to swimming a mile or more with much less effort.
That in itself wasn’t enough however. I had so many errors in my swimming form that I definitely needed more help than instruction through video. I was referred to Bonnie Karas (coachkaras@faserbicycle.com), swimming and triathlon coach for Fraser Bicycle. She has cleared up what I was doing wrong, putting me at a level playing field with most of the swimmers. Now I’m going back to her and looking to improve on that even further.
Especially If you are like me and swimming doesn’t come natural, I highly recommend hiring a coach. If you live in the Detroit area, I’d definitely get in touch with Bonnie.
Swim Goggles
My two most frustrating things with swimming are water in my ears that won’t go away for days and leaky goggles. The water in my ears was the easier of the two to fix - Mack’s ear plugs. The goggles took me through a number of trial and error purchases. Last year I came across Aqua Sphere and thought I found the perfect solution. They make a number of different models and person may have a different result with each model because of our unique face contours. The Vista’s seem to work best with me. Water hardly ever gets into the goggles and I would have had no reason to try something else, but while on vacation on a super bright day, I wanted a pair of goggles that were tinted. The only things that the scuba store offered were Cressi’s. I bought the Cobra’s, but if they had them at the store I probably would have bought the Saturn Crystal’s. Either way, these goggles are absolutely fantastic. There’s isn’t a drop of water that gets in, they are incredible comfortable to wear, and super clear to see through. They are my go to goggles now and as far as I can see, Cressi will be the brand I continue using into the future.
