Circumstances today dictated that I wear my wetsuit in the pool. I am not too well and the pool boiler was broken! So the water was very cold! As I wasn’t well, I intended to just do some easy swimming – just make it up as I go along.
I warmed up with 400m easy. I noted the time of around 6:30, which seemed a bit fast, considering how easy I was swimming. I then did 5 x 100m on 2 min with my Wetronome set at my perceived optimal 1500m pace. Normally, I would come in around 1:29 – 1:30 per 100m. With the wetsuit on I was coming in at 1:23 – 1:24 hitting constant 16 strokes per 25. These felt extremely easy and the rest between reps was over 35 sec. I then did a 200m in 2:50, again relaxed. I then did 100m with a bit more oomph and clocked 1:15.
Now I know that a wetsuit provides buoyancy and, therefore, a better body position, but the difference between my non-wetsuit and with wetsuit seems too large. I was thinking what factors are different? My non-wetsuit body position is not that bad. But many people tell me that I am low in the water. I put this down to lack of natural buoyancy. I sink really well! Maybe the wetsuit doesn’t change my body positioning the horizontal plain; it just raises my body in the water?
What are the thoughts out there? Does this seem possible? My swimming has improved over the last 6 months but I have never moved so fast with so little effort when wearing my wetsuit before. It makes me excited for next season as I should be able to improve my weak point – the open water swim!
Next time I swim in the pool (when healthy!) I want to try and recreate this ease of movement through the water. Another point to note is that I have been working on my kick a lot recently. With the wetsuit I felt much more aware of what my legs were doing. This is not to say that I used a strong leg kick. More the case that I knew how to stay streamlined with the legs.
Enough ramblings. . . . .
9 comments:
Typical Sags! You're not very well, so instead of having a day off to recover, you go swimming! In a freezing cold pool!
Wait until I tell your coach!!!!! :-)
Swimming when unwell, in cold water is really, really stupid.
But more importantly it is really unkind to all the well people who also attend the pool.
How would you like to arrive well at a training facility and then proceed to have to train with someone who is unwell.
As for the techinical points about the wetsuit swim times. My times in the pool with a wetsuit are similarly improved, it isn't just buoyancy its the material of the wetsuit which is designed to have less drag than your plain old body. That's why you pay so much money for the darn things, it's all the technology!
your swim coach will tell you one thing. Body position!
check out Scott Neydli http://swimsmooth.com/scottbodyposition.html
look at the differences in time even for an elite athlete.
And the others were right as well. REST & RECOVER!!!
I was suprised Roy didn't point out that you have "Arnie" style to your swim stroke. You do have a low leg position when you swim and this can be for a few reasons.
1)Holding onto your breath underwater.
2) Kicking from the knee and inflexible ankles.
3) Flexing through the core.
4) Pushing down at the front of the stroke.
5) A high head position.
Which of these might you be suffering from? The wetsuit lifts the whole body with 5mm front panels and legs adding huge buoyancy as well as what Kelda said with the reduction in the coeficient of drag the neoprene gives.
Training when ill is also STUPID! Imagine how many germs you have spread into that pool. Now think how many people have done that and then think how much water you Absorb and Injest during a pool session.
Take some time off!!!
Lovin all you guys! You care enough to post on here. Not quite sure the germ transfer argument is that tight but thank you. I have plenty of time off so don't worry too much!
I don't think I have any Arnie tendency, Mike. I was trying to look at the part natural bouyancy plays in the difference between with and without the suit - what if the errors you listed don't exist? Then its all down to the reduced drag of the suit and elevated body in the water. All may become clear soon!
... germ transfer ... go talk to a Pro Cyclist ...
The term arnie is just a pigeon hole for the stle, powerful front stroke and low legs causing drag in the water.
Watching people swim is interesting. Only when you see yourself can you understand your errors and correct them.
Your swimming has improved Mark but is still not perfect as you will agree. And like I said your body position is really the problem but why?
Only you can say without watching you swim. I also swim quicker in a wetsuit but its only marginally since working on body position and catch.
The real test is do you swim quicker 1. with or 2. without a pull buoy. Which ideally has the same impact as wearing a wetsuit on your lower half. Then tie your ankles up 3. and see how effeftive you are with that pull buoy.
Ideally your times should only really vary between sets 1 and 2 and slightly between sets 2 and 3.
Fastest times:
Set 2 would suggest you are a front Quad swimmer with a strong stroke and flutter kick.
Set 3 would suggest you are a strong front quad swimmer, good core and no kick
set 1 sugests a strong allround swimmer with a good 6 beat kick and only needs to keep fine tuning.
Your slowest time would suggest
Set 1= poor body position in the water poor form.
Set 2= reliant on all parts of the stroke to swim.
set 3= reliant on kicking for bouancy and poor core.
No one person will be towards more one than any other and as such I would expect to see multiple areas of improvement required. I fall in to set 1/2 fast (with in 3 secs for 100m) and 3 being the slowest.
The drag factor of the wetsuit has always been known and as such this is why they have specialised drag patterns on the forarms and water resistance on other panels. It has become so main stream even FINA recognised that neoprene was a beneficial factor before banning the speed suits from competition last year.
Fundamentally alot of lazt triathletes are unable to isolate their legs when swimming with a pull bouy and as such swim quicker. Using the band will isolate them out and give a better workout and eventually when the core is strong without the pull bouy!!
To much bouancy also has the disadvantage of lifting you out of the water and reducing the effectiveness of the swimmer.
Everyone is different.
Perfect swimmers need special wetsuits that allow them to swim in the water not on the water. And poor swimmers have extra bouyancy to help reduce the factor of drag and lift them up.
Ok
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