.: WELCOME to EAST LONDON TRIATHLETES

Some More Terms Used

You may come across the following terms if you join a swim team or attempt to perform swim sessions from a training manual:

1. Example of 6*1L with 30R = means that you will swim a maximum of 6 lengths but you have a set amount of rest at each length. It means 6 Repetitions of 1 length.

2. Example of 30R = this means you take 30 seconds rest after each length.

3. Bi-lateral Breathing patterns = Breathing every 3rd swimming stroke. This will help balance the stroke and help you to propel through the water in a straight line. This will also help at certain tri races when you only need to breathe to the one side - your stroke will still stay symmetrical because you train breathing to either side.

4. BP 2,3,4,5,etc. = Breathing patterns which will be either every 2 (to the left or right) for a full length, 3 - obviously bilateral, or 4 swimming strokes usually up to a max. of every 9.

4a DPS = distance per stroke; try to reduce the number of strokes swum each length by slowing and lengthening the stroke.

5. Lateral Deviation = the body moves through the water sideways instead of only moving forwards. This action occurs for a number of reasons: The recovering arm is swinging around the body and crossing the centre line, the hands are pulling across the centre line, one hand/arm is pulling wider than the other and the final reason is that you are only breathing to one side.

6. Catch = the most important part of the swimming stroke - if you can break at the elbow after you have fully extended/fully rotated this will set up a fully efficient pulling action.

7. EZ = means steady swimming on any swimdown/cooldown.

8. Fins Swimming = please check with your local pool before using the fins, some pools will not allow there use because they are seen as a hazard. Please check with Pool managers, they might put a lane in for you.

9. Use of Fins has advantages and disadvantages. These are:

Advantages - they will help when practicing the drills because they take the pressure off the arm action, they help develop the flexibility in the ankles and they will help you move through the water if you are a poor kicker.
Disadvantages - you will move forwards if you are kicking correctly or incorrectly so it is important to kick from the hips at all times, possible chance of friction burns, so you should use Vaseline on the feet and around the toes to avoid blisters.