Technique Is Everything

The off-season is known for technique time. It is amazing the extent to which an athlete is able to significantly improve performance times by tweaking his or her technique.

SWIM

Mike Maggard and Nick Early, two of my swim coaches with the Chicago Blue Dolphins, have been working with me on my hand entry and catch phases of freestyle since September. Last season, January-June 2009, was my first with the Masters Team and the focus was on learning proper freestyle from head to toe, literally. Even though I survived the swim in the Chicago Triathlon last year, you might have compared my stroke to a windmill rather than freestyle prior to working with these coaches. We worked on everything, and when I say everything, I mean everything. Swimming in the "deep side," block starts, breathing to both sides, reaching and stretching my stroke instead of windmilling, actually kicking instead of randomly dragging my legs behind, head position and keeping my ears in the water at all times for less friction, neutral spine, rotating hips, flip turns- the list was endless. The good thing about requiring work in so many areas was that it was easy to see improvements. I thought they were kidding with these kicking only drills, and I mean WITHOUT a kickboard and WITHOUT your arms. Just kicking, for hundreds and hundreds of yards.

Then there were the time limits for each set that you were expected to swim within. Part of a set might read 4 x 50 on the :1.30. If you finish in under :1.30, you get to rest until you reach :1.30. Sounds easy enough? Well, it's not like you miraculously get to start when the clock reads 0:00.00. Now throw in keeping track of your golf swim score (sum of stroke # and number of seconds required to swim each 50) and the clock is on the 8:11.15 when it's your turn to go off. WHAT? First of all, I'm surprised I could add :1.30 to :11.15 to figure out my time limit. So, a few strokes in, I do the math and I have until 8:12.45. Now, I've lost track of the number of my actual strokes taken so far for my golf score because I was trying to add. (You get good at innately knowing this somehow). Once I get my stroke count under control in my head, I suddenly can't recall what my time limit was... oh yes, :12.45. Got it. Now I'm counting my strokes, I'm remembering what the clock must say to make it to :1.30. Ok, the first 50 is done. What time is it. OK, it's 8:12.38. I'm thinking I just need to focus on the clock saying 8:12.45 and then it's time to go off again. Wrong. I forgot that our coach also wants us to calculate our golf scores. In order to get my golf score, I need to calculate the number of seconds it took me to do the 50. Huh? What time was it when I started again? 8:12.45 minus 1.30 is when I started. I have no idea. I decide to instead remember that it was on the .38 when I finished so that's 7 seconds less than the 1.30....1.23! Ok, that's in minutes. Gotta put it in seconds. AHHHH! It's time to go off again and I still don't have my golf score figured out! READY. GO. Now, it's 8:12.45 and I need to add another :1.30 to that to figure out my second 50 time limit. Count my strokes, watch the clock, do the math. And, this is how it goes for the entire 90 minute practice! Turns out, my golf score for the first 50 would have been 83(seconds) + 48 (strokes) = 131. Goal is to get it under 100 eventually. Sometimes I wonder how I am able to actually think about my technique while computing all of these math problems! I was able to improve enough in the pool and lake between January 2009 and June 2009 to improve my swim split by :6.30 at the Bigfoot Triathlon in June and by :3.30 at the 2009 Chicago Triathlon in August(with a 101 fever).

The swim focus in the pool this fall and winter is definitely my hand entry and catch phases. As I explained earlier, one of the areas I worked on last season was just stretching out and holding the entry phase, "like an envelope in a mail slot." I had it down fairly well but now it was time to break it down further. I was starting my catch from the surface nearly where I was entering; however, it turns out that it should be about 6 inches below the surface, more in the skating position. I learn, eventually, that this will improve my buoyancy dramatically and ultimately keep my body closer to the surface rather than sinking a bit, which had been creating more drag. The other piece I needed to correct was my pull, which was occuring across midline rather than maintaining each arm on its respective side. Finally, I was not pulling all the way through with my stroke. Mike requested that I work on hitting my hip each time to signal the end phase of each stroke prior to starting the next one. This would again result in a longer stroke overall and less friction from my arm coming out of the water too early. Mike and I had this breakthough about 4 weeks ago it's very exciting to feel the improvements. I'd imagine these skills will be my focus for this entire season.

Lifting is another training medium through which an athlete can improve his or her swim performance. I have been lifting 2-3x week, up to 20 pounds for chest presses in supine, and I can see a slight difference in my power. Hopefully, a steady several months of lifting will help me shave off a few more seconds more comfortably.

BIKE

I shared my technique tweaks for swimming, but they exist for biking and running as well. The bike is a work in progress, and certainly where I can stand to improve my time the most. The first step during the transition phase from race to off-season was to get a professional bike fit. I thought this was included when I spent $2000 on the bike last year- you know, they take about 15 minutes to make adjustments and you think you're all set. Guess again. This real bike fit took 3 HOURS. Mark Kraft, one of my training buddies and coaches, sent me to the Get A Grip studio on Fulton Street in Chicago for this bike fit. It was amazing (pictures to follow). Ken did my fit, which consisted of measuring literally every angle of my lower extremities, trunk, and upper extremities on the bike. A change of 1 cm for seat height is considered significant. He raised mine over 3 cm. Nearly every component of my bike was changed as a result of this bike fit: aerobars, new stem, seat, pedals, shoe clips... The difference has been unbelievable. The idea is that if you are fit properly, your skeletal system will naturally support your weight on the bike and in the aeros resulting in less muscle fatigue wasted on merely maintaining a stable position in the drops or aeros. I went from not tolerating the aerobars for more than 100 meters to riding 50 miles in them the following weekend. Unfortunately, I haven't ridden outside more than 3 long rides with these adjustments, so more may be needed when I resume riding outside. In the meantime, I'm feeling much more in control on the bike but have a long way to go with power.

RUN

Sharone Aharone, the first USAT Level III triathlon coach in the Midwest, is a seasoned Kona Ironman and owner of the first Triathlon Gym, WellFit Inc., in the Midwest. Although I don't have the luxury of working with him privately, he is one of my group coaches and provides me with invaluable technique tips. I should have known better than to run on the treadmill in front of him as part of a 2-hour bike-run brick. You don't say no to Sharone when he offers his perspective and you don't say maybe you can rip apart my technique another time rather than on a monday night at 9pm after a 2-hour brick. Anyway, my running bothers him to no end because my core strength sucks and I have a hard time separating my hips from my trunk. I also don't pump my arms enough into extension and waste energy by crossing my arms across midline. He cued me one night to tighten the core but, more importantly, keep my right arm on the right side and left arm on the left side. I should create more momentum by pushing my elbows behind me with shoudlers into extension and follow through with my hand coming up to my cheek for each stride. It worked. A week later, I was back to doing a 45-minute sprint workout on the treadmill at an 8:30 pace. Sweet!

Trust me, though, the Technique Road To Madison will certainly have as many or more switchbacks as Blackhawk Trail, so stay tuned.