IM Florida in Panama City is coming up this weekend. A new friend of ours from Penticton is racing, Sara Gross. She came 2nd at IM Canada only 2 months ago. We wish her all the best and to rip it up!!!
Typically, IM FL has a tough swim. It is two laps and can get very choppy. Usually, going out is much harder than coming back in. Here are some tips for ocean chop:
The idea is to give yourself more stability so that you can stay smoother and not lose balance in the water (i.e. get tossed around).
- Widen your stroke out.
- Shorten your stroke a bit.
- Use less rotation.
- Quicken your stroke.
All this contradicts what we try to teach people in the pool. Usually we want nice, long, efficient strokes. However, in choppy water you need to produce power quicker to avoid being tossed around. Don’t get me wrong. I am not asking you to swim harder (i.e. at a higher heart rate). I am asking you to widen, shorten and lose some rotation. That means your stroke rate will go up but does not mean you should swim harder. Increase your stability and you will feel stronger and faster in the chop.
My last tip is, breathe air not water. If you have to breathe to one side only (if the other side is blowing water into your face). You may also have to turn your head further to avoid gulping water.
—Scott
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