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2004-04-20 8:36 AM

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Subject: swimming strategy question
In two events I'm training for, a sprint and a olympic, I had planned to swim freestyle exclusivly, I was talking to a friend who is training for the same oly and he was telling me he was going to use the freestyle to get away from the pack and switch to a combat stroke he learned in the seals, he said that when he is pulling equipment its an efficient way to swim and without equipment he gets fairly good speed, better than other alternatives to freestyle. My question is does anyone use a stratagy for using different strokes during the race, and if so what type of different strokes will you use, I would appreciate any feedback. -tks


2004-04-20 9:38 AM
in reply to: #20232

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Subject: RE: swimming strategy question
I always try to do a 100 yd or 200 yd breaststroke swim in my workouts as I get closer to a race simply because if I get kicked in the face or if I am having a hard time seeing ahead of me I switch to the breastroke for a few seconds to get my bearings.

Mike
2004-04-20 11:27 AM
in reply to: #20232

Subject: RE: swimming strategy question

I do the same as Mike -- breaststroke to get my bearings and/or calm myself down about swimming in open water!

I'm curious to know what the "combat stroke" is.

2004-04-20 2:06 PM
in reply to: #20232

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Subject: RE: swimming strategy question
my guess would be a sidestroke. it would seem to be a good fit to what SEALs want, as it doesn't require a lot of thrasing in the water and making noise.

it'll use more leg than front crawl though, as it typically is swum with a scissor kick vs. flutter kick. it's good for long distances, but i don't get the speed from it that i can from crawl. i just built and built and built my base swimming crawl, and now i can go 1000m without a break ( stopping there only because that's what i hit during my time intervals ). just keep working at it, as others have suggested, as smaller blocks of 50m/100m with a rest inbetween. keep shortening the rest period as your progress, and pretty soon you're stringing those 100m blocks into your race distance.

i use sidestroke and breaststroke as 'rest' strokes, personally, so it's not by any means a bad stroke, but i wouldn't want to try to do the whole swim portion that way.

my $0.02 anyway.

-chris
2004-04-20 6:27 PM
in reply to: #20232

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Subject: RE: swimming strategy question
I do a little bit of brest stroke if I need to spot the next marker. I do as much freestyle as possible and that is what I see most people doing. It seems to be the fastest and use the least amont of energy.
2004-04-21 7:46 AM
in reply to: #20322

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Subject: RE: swimming strategy question
Your right on for a description of the combat stroke, it is a side stroke; without fins you use a scissor kick with fins the flutter, the key to its efficiency and stealth is staying underwater on the glide and surfacing only for a breath, you sort of develope a rythm like the breast stroke


2004-04-21 8:15 AM
in reply to: #20378

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Subject: RE: swimming strategy question
I'm very new to training for distance in fact I have a long way to go but I do use the breast stroke to break up my sessions, I'll probably train with free-style as goal but continue using the breast stroke in training. -Thanks joe
2004-04-21 3:28 PM
in reply to: #20232

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Subject: RE: swimming strategy question

Does anyone backstroke?  Faster than breaststroke, and big advantage for breathing over freestyle.

I plan to use freestyle predominately.  But if I need to, I feel comfortable smoothly switching from back to free, spotting, and then smoothly switching back.

There may be a concern about the face being exposed to contact with someone else, but you could also have more of  realtime idea of who is around, since it is easy to see about 270 degrees while doing backstroke.

Dan



Edited by dhyte 2004-04-21 3:29 PM
2004-04-22 11:23 AM
in reply to: #20568

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Subject: RE: swimming strategy question
It would probably work, if you could break from the pack to avoid flailing arms and all the rukus
2004-04-22 11:42 AM
in reply to: #20232

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Subject: RE: swimming strategy question
Reading this thread has got me thinking. I'm a strong free style swimmer so I don't really know any other strokes. My backstroke is atrocious and my breast stroke just seems so darn slow. I can pretty much swim at a steady 2:15 sec min/100 yard pace without stopping for about 2500 m. So I haven't worked on any survival storkes, or alternative strokes to freestyle for my sprint races. But I'm wondering if I shouldn't throw some in?My strategy would be to swim really strong in the beginning and break away from the pack (I can be a bruiser in the water if I wanna' be but I dont' want to hurt anyone just want them to get outta' my way), and then once I'm away swim at a good pace. Is that a good strategy or should I learn a "survival stroke," as a back up? Just in case I can't full extend my freestyle stroke and get that rhythm which propels me through the water because of the pack. Just curious. Ovetta.
2004-04-23 1:16 PM
in reply to: #20728

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Subject: RE: swimming strategy question
Ovetta (and others),
While freestyle is the only stroke that makes sense during a race, there are reasons it makes sense to learn other strokes as well.
In general, too much freestyle may cause overuse injuries like shoulder problems (not to mention burnout!).
Learning backstroke makes the most sense, since swimming some backstroke will help your freestyle (the rotation of the hips is even more essential in back as it is in free).
Breastroke is the next stroke you might want to learn. In a race, it can help occassionally if you lose track of where the next buoy is, to bring your head up and do a breastroke pull. (I don't recommend this, but you may be forced to stop your stroke on occasion).
Butterfly is the hardest stroke, and the last of the 4 strokes you should learn. But in doing so, you will be able to swim the "I.M." sets given in many masters workouts, which are a great way to cross-train in swimming.

Cheers,
Kevin

Edited by Tri Swim Coach 2004-04-23 1:16 PM


2004-04-23 11:17 PM
in reply to: #20232

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Subject: RE: swimming strategy question

Thanks Kevin.

I've signed up to begin a Master's Swim Class next week. Hopefully, it will help me improve my time and stroke and I will learn how to back stroke without drowning!

2004-04-24 10:09 AM
in reply to: #20232

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Subject: RE: swimming strategy question
I have a shoulder-issue which bothers me when I swim, so I have to alternate strokes. If I don't, my shoulder pops out of joint (literally) and getting it back where it belongs is a hugely painful experience I'd prefer not to repeat. So, here's what I do:

At first, it's 1 lap of:
back stroke
front crawl/free style
breast stroke
butterfly
side stroke

Butterfly is beyond hard for me, so it's essentially followed by two recovery strokes as the strokes cycle around. Once I'm warmed up, and before I'm really tired, I replace the back stroke with another lap of free style. I haven't done a race yet. I suppose I'll do it mostly free style and breast stroke. This should work because the distances (in a sprint) are shorter than I typically swim for training. And it's not like I'll use my shoulders too much for the other events. crossing my fingers that this is true....

Andrea

edited because I forgot something: For me, the thing about back stroke in open water swimming is that it's hard to steer. In indoor swimming, you can guide yourself with the lane markers or some pattern on the ceiling or something..... In open water swimming, I'm all over the lake. Although I suppose that in an actual triathlon, you can pretty much steer with the pack of people. Just don't lose the people..... Of course, if you're wandering all over the place, you might be an annoyance to the other swimmers.

Edited by Andrea 2004-04-24 10:14 AM
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