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In triathlon, we all have a sport which we excel, and a sport that really challenges us. Some athletes excel in running and cycling. For others, the swim portion of a race is just never long enough. Great swimmers do have one thing in common: they all started swimming at a very young age. Very few began swimming after the age of 25 and became competitive on a world stage either in pool swimming or triathlon. So, what makes a good swimmer? Is it lifelong training, or just getting lucky enough to be born with long arms and short legs?
The intent of this article is to see if longer arms and shorter legs can explain the differences in performance between Duane Dobko, a former Division-1 swimmer/backstroker, and David Thompson, professional triathlete and run/bike specialist. In a sport that doesn’t come easy, it is logical to think that performing the movement correctly is all that matters. But how much are you born with?
Q: Is there any benefit to me for learning flip turns?
A: The short answer is no. Flip turns will do nothing for you on race day. The majority of people I work with cannot do flip turns, and many of them are relieved to find out that this is something they do not have to learn.
So here’s the long answer. The one thing about flip turns is that they can give you a confidence boost. It is exciting to swim with your local master’s team and be able to keep up with the group. Learning flip turns is a very quick way to improve your pool times.
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Coach Dobko will pick one of your questions each week and give you some insight into swimming. E-mail your questions to duanesworlddobko@worldnet.att.net.
Faux Swimming
Are you in a situation where you cannot swim in a pool? Possibly, you are injured or traveling on business somewhere where you cannot find a pool. In these cases, you can workout by simulating swimming on land. Wrap a piece of surgical tubing around a sturdy object (like a light post) and hold onto each end.