Treading water
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J.Michael posted 11 weeks ago.
I never really thought about how to tread water until just now. I just kind of do it.
But,
Arms horizontal through the water.
As you pull your arms together, your hands should be slightly cupped and thumbs pointed 45deg from vertical. (think about driving down the road with your hand out the window and you want to angle your hand to have the wind push it up.)
As you push your arms away rotate your thumbs to be pointing more downward. (same as description above, but you want the wind to push your arms down.)
Legs can be a modified scissors kick, frog kick (like breast stroke), or flutter kick (freestyle/crawl)
I use the modified scissors kick and alternate the forward leg every 10 or so kicks.
(I can't be the only person to ever stick their hand out the window of a car and pretend it was an airplane wing.......can I?)
Hope this helps man.
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jsk85 posted 11 weeks ago.
I don't have any help from a form standpoint since I just do it naturally, but it seems to help if you relax your muscles and make slow flowing motion. Spasmic stroking and tightening of the muscles just seems to make things worse (and waste more energy)
718
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1028 days
gfd posted 11 weeks ago.
Slow steady strokes with your arms and light kicking with your feet. You will stay above water and your heart rate will come down once you relax. Back float for a bit if you start to get anxious.
"If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it you have won your race." -Dave Scott
~Garen~
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nfl posted 11 weeks ago.
Float!! Relax!! Keep your lungs full of air. Then slow easy motions of the arms and legs like J.Michael says and you should be fine. Just make sure none of your movements propel your body to the bottom. For example if your are flapping your arms like a bird, your up stroke will push you down in the water.
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Al Fischer posted 11 weeks ago.
Hey overcome I feel your pain. I have been swimming my entire life in the pool but my first open water last year in a triathlon I almost freaked. The water tempature and the waves (don't know if you are in a lake or ocean) make a cruel combination. The key is to relax. Use big leg movements like the breast stroke kick or scissors kick. Lean forward or backward so that more of your body is on the water surface. The more you are straight up and down the harder it will be to keep your head out of the water. If you don't have to stay in one spot use the breaststroke or side stroke going back and forth in small circles until the gun sounds. These are survival strokes and they are designed to conserve energy while keeping your body moving forward slowly. If you need help on learning these strokes or on how to tread get to a pool and get lessons NOW. It is almost impossible to learn a stroke from a book or a website. You need to get in the water and practice, practice, practice. If no group lessons are running now get some private lessons with an instructor that specializes in adults. I'm not sure where you are located but the best swim lessons are at Life Time Fitness. I am the Aquatic Department Head for the Life Time Athletic Florham Park, NJ and we have the best instructors around. If you are in a state where there is not a Life Time then find a local YMCA. What ever you do get out there and swim. Good luck in your race.
Al Fischer
Aquatic Department Head
Life Time Athletic Florham Park, NJ
908.598.1212
afischer1@lifetimefitness.com
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flaniganrj posted 11 weeks ago.
Get to a pool and practice it. Everyone is correct telling you to relax but until you work it out in a pool and get comfortable with it...its going to be on your mind. Each time you do a swim workout start with a few minutes of treading. You'll be fine.
So in about 3 weeks I am doing the race that last year was my first attempt at a triathlon. Unfortunately last year I DNF'ed during the swim. Before the race last year I had to tread water for what seemed like an eternity (probably about 1 min). I hadn't gotten a wetsuit yet and was having trouble staying above water. This race may or may not be wetsuit legal and if it isn't I need to know how to tread water better than I do now. Is there a special way to do this? I don't really kick while swimming so I am not used to having to produce power from my legs in the water.