Do You Have a "Runner's Kick" When You Swim?Written by Kevin Koskella
Can you point your toes and straighten out your feet?When you kick on your back, do you tend to go very slow, stay in one place, or even go backwards? Do you have a tough time with swimming drills because your kick is not propelling you forward fast enough? Do you wear fins in workouts just to "keep up"? Did you start out as a runner and pick up swimming later to become a Triathlete? If you answered "yes" to any of above, you may have Runner's Kick! Have no fear, there are things you can do. Even worst of kickers can develop an adequate kick for freestyle, which is all you need for a triathlon swim. Here are some remedies: 1. Vertical Kicking. This drill has been around for a long time. Find water that is deep enough for you to kick in place. Let go of wall, cross your arms, and kick in place in a vertical position (keep in a straight line), pointing your toes and keeping your chin above surface of water. Get your power from your quads and hips on this drill. Try 20 seconds at a time. 2. Use fins. Yes! I am a coach telling you to use fins. But not to "keep up" in workouts. IF you have ankle flexibility issues (Runner's Kick), use fins for a few weeks, but wean off them as you get closer to your event. The shorter kind are best. I prefer Hydrofinz (see below) but other brands may work okay as well. Fins can increase your ankle flexibility, allow you to do swimming drills with ease, and strengthen right leg muscles you need to kick.
| | Are Fins Useful in Triathlon Swim Training?Written by Kevin Koskella
One of most common questions I hear as a coach is, “Should I use fins?” The answer depends largely on your goals, your skill level and type of fins. Often times, especially in masters swimming, swimmers wear fins merely to keep up with other swimmers in their lane, or to advance to fast lane and make tighter intervals. If you are strictly swimming for fitness, and do not care about your stroke technique, swim time, or energy conservation in a race, then this is a perfectly acceptable reason to use fins. Fins, especially Zoomers-type, can help you go faster in a workout and burn more calories. Most of us in triathlon world are concerned with more than just fat burning. There are certain situations when it’s appropriate to use fins during a workout. Fins can help build strength in your legs. They can also allow you to consume more oxygen during your swim, which enables you to support use of more muscle mass at greater intensity, and for a longer time. However, using fins on a regular basis for desired effects of swimming faster and keeping from sinking in water is ill advised. If you have little or no kick, or your kick makes you go backwards
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