Do You Have a "Runner's Kick" When You Swim?Written by Kevin Koskella
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3. Sit on your feet. For more severe cases of Runner's Kick, sitting on your feet can greatly improve your ankle flexibility. In Yoga, just stay in "Child's Pose" a little longer and gain this extra benefit. 4. Just stretch. In a seated position, take one leg and bring it out in front of you. Extend your feet and push your toes toward ground. Hold for about 15-20 seconds, repeat with other foot. You can do this several times a day. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to use a kick board to improve your kick. For distance swimming and triathlons, you are wasting your time with floatation devices! Remember: You don't need a super kick to have a great race in a triathlon. Your kick is mainly for stability and body rotation. Have patience, stick with these drills, and you will lose your Runners' Kick before you know it!
Kevin coaches masters and triathlete swimmers in San Diego, CA. He operates the website www.TriSwimCoach.com, a resource for future or current triathletes needing help with the swim. The site features a free email newsletter offering tips and articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has also written an electronic book titled “The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming” which is sold on his website www.triswimcoach.com in downloadable form.
| | Are Fins Useful in Triathlon Swim Training?Written by Kevin Koskella
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while kicking on your back (not uncommon among runner-types), using fins for a short period of time will help your stroke and speed. The kind that work best are shorter kind (Zoomers are most popular). The reason is that using fins allows you to concentrate on improving your upper body technique, as well as your overall endurance, without having to think about your kick at same time. Since 90% propulsion comes from upper body in swimming, as a beginner it’s wise to concentrate your training on this aspect of stroke. After stroke improvement and endurance are built, start weaning off fins, and do more and more of your swimming sets with bare feet. You may find that not only have you made faster improvements in your stroke and speed, but your kick improved slightly as well, due to improved ankle flexibility. Fins, especially shorter, Zoomer-types, can be a very effective tool in swim training for open water and triathlon events. They can also be addictive and actually prevent you from improving your stroke and your race times. If you are looking into using fins, make sure you first understand how they will help you in accomplishing your goals.
Kevin coaches masters and triathlete swimmers in San Diego, CA. He operates the website www.TriSwimCoach.com, a resource for future or current triathletes needing help with the swim. The site features a free email newsletter offering tips and articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has also written an electronic book titled “The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming” which is sold on his website www.triswimcoach.com in downloadable form.
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