Let’s face it. Triathlon swimming can get quite physical. Everyone is out there slugging away, and it is tough to get an edge unless you have size to your advantage. Of course, size is more of a liability for the rest of the race, so you can get an edge if you can just survive that swim! So, what do you do when everyone else in your racing wave towers over you? This article discusses techniques for drafting and passing your competitors in ways that make the most of your competitors waves/draft and minimizes the risk of any physical pushing and shoving.

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Q: How come most fast swimmers and triathletes look as thin as a rail? Doesn't fat float? Why is it not helpful to be a little on the heavy side when it comes to swimming?

A: It is true that flab floats, and the more flotation you have, the faster you get. It is in providing flotation that makes you swim faster in a wetsuit after all. The problem with having an always-legal wetsuit around your waistline is the mass and volume increases more than offset the flotation benefits you gain. It takes work to move mass and additional volume through the water, even if it floats a little better.

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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.

When you warm up for your next race, make sure you spend plenty of time swimming on race day.  So many athletes will take their bike out for a spin and then put their shoes on for a run before the race starts.  It is all too easy to neglect swimming because it isn’t the discipline that wins the race.  But here’s the case for focusing your pre-race warm-up on the swim.  As it is the first leg of any triathlon race, it is the only sport that you are starting “cold”. 

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