getREAL Swim Tip

Hi all you endurance athletes!!  I hope the new year is treating you well.  I've been seeing a lot of you in the pool these days, and hearing lots of talk about swimming struggles.

One of the things I would like to emphasize to all of you is that swimming takes practice.  In order to get better at swimming, you must swim!!  And if swimming is not something that you feel comfortable doing, you should be swimming more than once a week, even if it's just 20 or 30 minutes each time!!

As you jump into the pool, it's good to remember a couple of things.  First of all, swimming requires technique that might not come as easily as, say, running or cycling!  It's not natural and can be very scary, you know, with the whole face in the water thing!!  One thing you should definitely avoid is swimming in a way that is not correct.  The problem with doing that is you will start to ingrain bad swimming habits into your muscles, and then it's really hard to break those habits. 

A great way to begin to work on swimming technique is drills.  I usually swim about 3 times a week, and at least two of those swims have a lot of drills, usually between 800-1000 yards.  I'm not saying you need to go to the pool today and swim 1000 yards of drills, I'm just showing you that even though I've been swimming for several years, I am still working on perfecting my technique through drills.

The beauty of swim drills is that they break down the stroke into tiny portions, so you can concentrate on just one part of the stroke without worrying about all the other stuff.  I have two drills for you today that are great for everyone, but especially beginners. Both of these drills focus on balance  and body position in the water.

The first drill is the side kick drill or side balance drill.  Here is a great video that explains how to do it.



Once you begin to feel comfortable swimming several lengths on each side, you can move on to the 6-kick switch, which is still focusing on body position, but starts to bring in the idea of rotating from side to side as you swim.  Here is another video of that one.



Feel free to use fins for each of these drills, as they tend to make them a little easier so you can really focus on the purpose of the drill, which is body position.

A workout I might suggest to incorporate these drills is:

Warm-up:  100-200 yards

Main Set: 
Drill #1 - Side Kick - 25 yards on right side, 25 yards on left side, 50 yards swim - repeat all 2-3 times.
Drill #2 - 6-Kick Switch - 50 yards drill, 50 yards swim - repeat all 2-3 times

Cool- Down:  Swim nice and easy 100-200 yards.

This workout would give you between 600 and 1000 yards total.

If you have any questions please shoot me a comment or an email.  Stay tuned for some more triathlon training news that the North Area Family YMCA is offering in the very near future!!

News for the New Year

Happy 2010!!  Sorry the blog has been so quiet, but, to make up for it I have a lot of triathlon training news for you aspiring triathletes.

Registration is now open for IronGirl Syracuse.  Click here to register.

Registration is now open for the Green Lakes Triathlon, 6/19/09, for Syracuse Greater YMCA members only through 2/1/09.  Click here for more info.

Now that you are all registered, let's talk training!!

There is going to be triathlon-specific training at all three area YMCA branches beginning this week.

Registration is open for Triathlon Swim Clinics, which begin 1/4/09 at North Area Family YMCA, East Area YMCA, and Downtown YMCA.  There are three levels being offered and are free to YMCA members and $95 to non-members.

Here are the times/levels being offered at each branch:

North Area Family YMCA:
Level I - not comfortable in water:  Tuesdays 4:40-5:40 p.m.
Level II - can swim 50+ yards, stroke drills:  Tuesdays 6:40-7:40 p.m. and Wednesdays 7:20-8:20 p.m.
Level III - can swim 200+ yards, endurance drills:  Saturdays 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

East Area Family YMCA:
Level I - Wednesdays 8:30-9:30 p.m. 
Level II/III - Mondays 8:30-9:30 p.m.

The above clinics are by registration only and are free to YMCA members and $95 for non-members.

There are also some opportunities that require no registration:

North Area Family YMCA:

Masters Swim:  M/W 8:30-9:30 p.m., Sun. 8:15-9:15 a.m.
Coached Swim:  M/W/F 3-4 p.m.

East Area YMCA:

Masters Swim:  Tue. 11:45 a.m.- 12:45 p.m., Th. 8:30-9:30 p.m., Sun. 8:15-9:30 a.m.
Endurance Swim:  Tu/Th 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Running Hydro (registration required): M 9:15-10:15, Tu/Th 4:15-5:15 p.m.

Downtown YMCA:

Masters Swim:  Th. 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Endurance Swim:  Sat. 7-8 a.m.
Fluid Run:  Tu/Th 7:30-8:30 a.m.

There are also a number of cycle classes that are being offered as a "brick" class either before or after a swim.  For a complete schedule you can pick up the Y Tri Training Schedule at your branch at the front desk.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Okay, ladies, no excuses!!  It's time to get going!  I know many of you asked for some sort of training schedule.  For a typical sprint triathlon, you would usually do about 12-15 weeks of scheduled training.  In the next few weeks, I will try to get that up for you!!

Happy training!

IronGirl Dates Announced!!

IronGirl Syracuse will be on Saturday, August 7, 2010.  The start time is bright and early at 7:00 a.m.  Registration will open December 31, and it is expected to sell out this year.

For those of you who may be cancer survivors, check out Team Courage. Aflac IronGirl honors all cancer survivors by paying their registration. 

I'm super excited about racing IronGirl again this year.  If you are a seasoned endurance athlete, or are just dipping your toes into triathlon for the first time, this is a great race, and you will not regret participating! I have some great pictures of women from the North Area YMCA finishing last year here.

I remember watching all these women of different ages and shapes, riding bikes from top of the line tri bikes to a bike with a basket on it, from moms and daughters to grandmothers, and everytime someone finished they raised their arms in victory.  It's more than just about winning, it is about the journey, and it is so worth it!

For those of you who raced in 2009, what is your favorite memory from the race?

What do you want?

We are working hard at the North Area Family YMCA in conjunction with the other branches around the area, to come up with some great training opportunities for you guys.  We know you want swimming, and you will get swimming. 

We are hoping to start the Tri Swim Clinics in January.  For those of you that are totally new to swimming, you should check out the adult swim lessons, which are free to members and run consecutively with the children's swim lessons.  The next session begins January 4, and registration is the two weeks before that.  Ask at the front desk for a registration form.  These lessons are for people who do not feel comfortable putting their face in the water, or can't do a basic freestyle stroke.

We are also going to start offering some "brick" workouts.  For those of you who don't know, a brick workout is a workout that involved two of the sports of triathlon done right in a row.  For example, a bike/run brick or a swim/bike brick.  Most of you know I teach a spin class on Monday mornings at 9:30, and, if there is enough interest, this might become a bike/run brick class.

Of course, I know that many of you work and can't make it on Monday mornings, so I need you guys to do something for me.  Please leave a comment or shoot me an email and let me know WHAT kinds of trainings you are interested in (including the ones I've mentioned today) and WHEN you would like to see them offered.  If you want a swim clinic, when would be a good time?  If you have an idea for a training or informational class, let me know!!  We are here to serve you, so take advantage of us. Really!!

Huge Sale at Syracuse Bicycle

Okay, Ladies.  If you need anything cycle or triathlon related, get yourself down to Syracuse Bicycle for their huge sale today and tomorrow.  Here is a little peek at what you might see...

It's time for the Syracuse Bicycle Annual Post Season Sale THIS Friday and Saturday, November 20th and 21st. THE ENTIRE STORE IS DISCOUNTED 10-50%!! Bikes are reduced anywhere from 10% to 25% AND literally every other item in the store is reduced by at least 20% for This FRIDAY & SATURDAY ONLY. Don't miss out - we only do this once a year...

WHAT: Syracuse Bicycle Annual Post-Season Sale!!
WHEN: This Friday and Saturday November 20th & 21st ONLY – NO EXCEPTIONS.
WHERE: Wayne & Meltzer’s Syracuse Bicycle. 2540 Erie Blvd. East Syracuse, NY
WHY: See Below.

ALL In-Stock Bicycles (Cervelo, Trek, Giant, Scott, Guru, Fisher, Look, Raleigh, Electra) Save 10% - 25%
All In-Stock Stationary Trainers (CycleOps, Kurt Kinetic, Blackburn, Kreitler) Save at least 20%
All in-Stock Tools, Parts and Accessories Save at least 20%
All In-Stock Helmets (Bell, Giro, Trek) Save at least 30%
All In-Stock Winter Clothing (Louis Garneau, Sugoi) Save at least 25%
All In-Stock Summer Cycling and Tri Tops (Garneau, Sugoi, Zoot & more…) Save at least 50%
All In-Stock Cycling and Triathlon Shorts (Garneau, Sugoi & more…) Save at least 30%
All In-Stock Cycling Shoes (Bontrager, Shimano, Garneau, Keen, Sidi, Lake) Save at least 25%
All In-Stock Wetsuits (Blue Seventy, Zoot) Save at least 30%
All In-Stock Wheelsets (Zipp, Bontrager, Mavic) Save at least 20%

NOT IN STOCK? NOT A PROBLEM!
All Special Order Bikes Save at least 10%

Happy Training!!

get REAL recipe of the week

I posted a great recipe that I have been making a lot of over at my blog, My Life as a Trimommy.  It is for Sweet Potato Casserole, and has no added sugar.  I eat it as much as I can, even for dessert!!  Zoom over and check it out.

I am also chronicling my daily eating this week on my blog.  Many of you have asked about nutrition, and sometimes it's great to see what other people are eating to get new ideas for healthy meals and snacks.

Stay tuned!  There should be more trainings and triathlon news as we get geared up for the new year.  Are you ready??

get REAL Swim Tip - Body Position

For most people new to triathlon, swimming is the most intimidating sport of the three disciplines.  We are still working at the North Area YMCA to get some swim trainings up and running for all of you who are interested.  In addition to that, though, I thought I would begin posting some swim tips that have and still are helping me to become a better swimmer.

Unlike running and cycling, which come pretty naturally to most people (and by that I mean, no one really has to teach you how to run), swimming is much more technical.  Good swimmers are not only in great shape, but they have the correct technique to make them very efficient in the water.  And in the water efficiency equals comfort and speed.

In order to practice good swim technique, it is important to know what good swim technique is.  So I'm going to be posting some videos and tips to help all of you get a good handle on what good swimming looks like and how to go about doing it.

For today, let's talk about body position.  To swim efficiently (fast), you need to glide through the water.  To do that you should always be swimming on your side.  Now, I don't mean swim side-stroke, but I mean after you put your hand in the water and pull back, you should glide on your side before you do your next stroke.  Another thing to think about is being horizontal in the water.  If you are essentially floating on top of the water, you will glide through the water much easier than if you are dragging your feet and legs below you.  This is hard to explain in words, especially for someone like me who is not a swim coach!!  But, check out the video below.  The tips are good, but even better is getting the image of what a good freestyle stroke should look like.  Watch it and watch it again.  Then the next time you get in the pool, put it into practice.