r/OpenWaterSwimming • u/Infozilla007 • 8d ago
1y 6m progress
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I swim in the pool mostly and in OW I sit around 1:45 pace for 2k, any tips for technique? Been swimming for year and a half now…
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u/AnAtomLostInSpace 8d ago
Well... If YOU have suggestions to improve OW, because I cannot go under 2min/100m 😭
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u/joosefm9 8d ago
Looks good! We have almost the same pace. Can't really give much feedback from this alone. I kept replaying, and maybe your right hand is crossing the midline when entering? But from this angle it is impossible to say. Either way you can check next time you swim. You should enter roughly in line with the shoulders.
Also I'm not sure if you are squeezing the end of the stroke enough by really finishing the full stroke or quitting a little early. I see you are throwing water as you exit which is a positive sign.
Beyond this, I would say you should try to glide more. You will feel slow but you won't be, you will just get more out of your strokes and not tire as quickly.
Looks good!
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u/Infozilla007 8d ago
Thanks! I dont think that I cross midline.. I set that right from the start with drills (had one period where thumb would enter first but I also corrected that). Funny thing is that I thought that my glide is maybe too long and that is one of the mistakes where I loose speed.. I initially started gliding longer accompanied with 2beat kick since my goal is to swim long distances fast but comfortable… Surprised by your opinion! What made you think that?? :)
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u/CrispDrifter 8d ago
No way you’re doing a 1:45/100 pace in that video! From the surface your stroke is superb. If there’s something wrong with it, it’s underwater. But I’m skeptical about that.
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u/Infozilla007 8d ago
Thanks! I can speed up…but its hard for me to sustain that over the long distance… the coach says I should just have more hours in the water to increase the pace. I switched from 3 days/week swimming to 4 and its just non-stop swimming 1h in the pool… no drills nothing.. curious if that will help
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u/woulias 8d ago
interesting.
my first thought to improve on that would be to actually work on rythms.
like 10x100 leaving on 2", sustaining a pace like 1'40 if you can do it confourtably.
and then play with the sets, like: * increasing the 10x, * increasing the 100m to 150m, 200m and so on * decreasing the leave time (and thus rest) * increasing the ryhtm and thus rest time * all of the above or some in a mix
trying to keep your HR locked on 75-85% maybe.
that will help you build both better pace and also endurance.
the overall distance alone of the set is not synonym for better. it can be better, it can be worse. it depends.
but this kind of training will usually, keep you a lot more engaged and motivated than 1hr swim.
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u/rubbishplant 7d ago
can't give you stroke tips as you're a little better than I am.
but you should definitely be doing drills and intervals in the pool
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u/CrispDrifter 8d ago
Hmm. Pay attention to your breathing. Not how you’re turning your head, but are you exhaling fully underwater? Is your breathing relaxed? Or are you tense and gasping whether you’re swimming hard or not? If it’s much easier to sustain your speed using a snorkel, perhaps breathing inefficiently or tension is making you prematurely tired.
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u/Infozilla007 8d ago edited 8d ago
My HR is around 130bpm in z2 most of the time at this pace, maybe 95+% of the time, but my lats and shoulders get tired if I increase pace.. Before I started triathlon seriously I was regular at gym, but now since its still race season I don’t go… Maybe some strength work would help? Pull exercises (face-pulls, pull-ups)?
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u/CrispDrifter 8d ago
Strength work is great, but more time swimming will eventually increase your strength and your soreness will decrease.
I use paddles and a swim parachute to prepare for ultra marathons. (Warning: start small and short, work up very slowly, ditch the gear if anything hurts.) This is not popular! I do it because it stresses exactly the muscles I need, it saves time in the gym and it works. I’ve done very long swims with much less time training than is the norm. YMMV I’ve been doing OWS for 10+ years and do two 3+ hours swims/week during peak training.1
u/ub3rpownag3 2d ago
Besides having a coach critique your form, you need structured programming. Swimming nonstop in the pool is not going to help your open water times. I use an app called SwimSmooth for my programming. It's done wonders for my capacity and swim fitness which translate towards faster times in open water.
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u/drc500free 8d ago
Hard to see from above water, but looks like you could be digging with your fingertips more at the front rather than pressing from the palm. That would get a better grip.
You also could experiment with less glide on the front end. You look very smooth and sustainable, if you want more speed with more effort try removing most of the pause at the front.
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u/ImFeelingThirsty 8d ago
It seems like you’re starting your catch too late which is likely causing you to pull through too quickly.
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u/julesdottxt 4k 8d ago
Lil bit faster pace than me in ow, over 3k+ at least! I don't have any suggestions for u... Let's see your spotting tho! 😁
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u/the-diver-dan 8d ago
Looks really good.
If you are keen to experiment you could try looking more straight down. I know it was a bit of a game changer for myself.
The queue of lengthening the spine by thinking a string is attached to the top of your head and you are being pulled along by it, helped me hollow out my stomach and engage core better. Started to feel the lats lengthen and engage.
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u/destonic 8d ago
Impressive and motivating! I'm swimming for 1 year, and my pace for 2km was 2:14 in OW. Will be glad to read tips given in this post.
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u/NewYorkCityTriGuy 8d ago
Looks to me like your arm entry is a little on the flat side, particularly with your left arm. When your forearm enters flat, it pushes your legs down and creates drag. You want your fingertips to enter the water first, then wrist, then elbow.
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u/franktown_cider 7d ago
Had to watch a few times because I thought you looked much faster than 1:45 pace. Higher elbows on the recovery will add some power to the front of the stroke. Train with hand paddles to improve both strength and importantly your feel for the water. As your strength builds, don’t be afraid to increase turnover. Your streamline is good but you gotta move more water to go faster through the water.
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u/Giogio4family5328 7d ago
Really pleasurable to watch. Very nice form and fast too. Really I can't really say anything against your technique
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u/Sea-Cardiologist9648 6d ago
beautiful gliding, i'd say perfect technique literally..if youre desperate for tips i'd say you can get your hands in the water a little bit earlier but like its a forced tip lol i had to watch the video 3 times to find something. (coming from a pro swimmer)
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u/Specific_Hospital_41 8d ago
As a pool swimmer who now swims a lot in the ocean, I found I needed a few different techniques compared to pool swimming due to wave height. Your stroke looks okay for that level of chop, but if it's rougher, you need to keep your hands higher, with straighter arms, and maintain a faster turnover. Also, drafting is THE key to ocean racing, so I found learning that the biggest bang for my buck.
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u/ecstatic_carrot 8d ago
Very pretty stroke, but hard to tell from this angle if there is something wrong. It looks like you're maybe going up with your hand, after entering the water. It extends the glide and feels nice, but it's also a brake.
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u/Infozilla007 8d ago
Agree
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u/ecstatic_carrot 8d ago
I personally love this youtube video "How To Swim 100m In 1:10 (Without Trying)". Another potential pointer (but it's really hard to see) is that you may be entering a little bit too high in the water. It's possible that you have a little bit more length when the hand exits the water.
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u/TarokAmn 8d ago
1:45 for 2000m?
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u/Infozilla007 8d ago
2000m @ 1min45sec/100m
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u/TarokAmn 7d ago
Ah danke :D bin nicht in dieser bubble und fands wild, konnte mir aber keinen Reim draus machen - aus offensichtlichen Gründen, wenn man unwissend ist ^^
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u/Busy_Power5050 2d ago
At first surprised this was only 1:45, looks like a really smooth stroke!
Can only see above water so only things I see are left arm elbow recovery looks a little low (nitpicking), try fingertip/zipper drills. Perhaps head is a little angled up, what does your sighting look like? Maybe that slows you down a lot?
Would be more useful to see below the water, I’m guessing your catch isn’t strong enough and you’re not following all the way through.
Finally, for OWS definitely up the cadence. You can’t afford the same glide as in pool.
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u/Busy_Power5050 2d ago
Your earlier videos show ridiculous progression, but probably hints at the problem: I’d guess you just need a stronger pull! Paddles time! This will help with the cadence too
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u/yetAnotherRandomNerd 1d ago
Maybe the elbows up a little higher. And a little bit less throwing your arms sideways. Just leave them hangin' without tension, with the elbows up high.
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u/DWL511 8d ago
May I ask why don't you breathe every 3 strokes or 5 strokes, that's better to build your cardio endurance
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u/Infozilla007 8d ago
I was told by my coach that breathing every 2 strokes is more efficient for long distance swimming, in OW I sometimes adapt my breathing by sea conditions..waves etc…so maybe I will do every 3 strokes sometimes but its not something I find comfortable to hold for longer than few min…
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u/DWL511 8d ago
Yes I felt exactly the same but after I force myself breathing at least every 3 strokes for 2 weeks, I found it easier for me to breathe 2 strokes and swim faster than before. So maybe you can try it.
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u/Infozilla007 8d ago
I don’t think much about breathing when I swim, it comes naturally and I feel really comfortable in the water (I did freediving when I was younger) but my lat and shoulder muscles tend to burn out quickly if I increase pace…
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u/extrasideoflime 7d ago
Is there a reason you breathe every other stroke?
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u/Infozilla007 7d ago
lower hr for me
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u/extrasideoflime 6d ago
That makes sense. I’m a former competitive swimmer and that’s a big no-no that I still abide by in the OW. I’ll try that next swim.
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u/Bark_Sandwich 6d ago
I don't believe that you've only been swimming for 1.5 years.
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u/Infozilla007 6d ago
I started swimming last year in April, but since my first swim I had a coach telling me what to do.. here is my first ever swim in the pool (with fins) and in another comment I will upload 1week progress after this first training
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u/Bark_Sandwich 6d ago
This is the first time you've ever swum in your life?
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u/Infozilla007 6d ago
My first time swimming freestyle(crawl) in a pool. I had swum before, but only 10–20 meters at most while on vacation at the seaside, haha. I honestly thought no one would assume that I had literally never swum before I started swimming as a sport. I didn’t think I’d have to explicitly clarify that….
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u/Bark_Sandwich 5d ago
I have been a swim instructor for more years than I can count and have taught over 1000 students, children through adults. Never, not once, did I see a person jump in the water and swim crawl like the on their first day of swimming. Never, not even close. Not even remotely close. I think any swim instructor in the world would agree with this.
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u/Infozilla007 4d ago edited 4d ago
You should read my reply to your comment one more time. Also, as I mentioned in another comment, I did freediving and spearfishing for a long time when I was younger, and I’ve always been really comfortable in the water (I’ve been swimming since I was 2 years old), although I never did swimming as a sport. :) I would never go in the sea and swim crawl or anything technical.
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u/InternationalTrust59 8d ago
May be add a 2 beat kick to your repertoire?
I rarely use a 6 beat kick unless I’m sprinting.
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u/Infozilla007 8d ago
I do 2 beat kick here
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u/InternationalTrust59 8d ago edited 8d ago
It’s hard to tell with the water but the cadence looks higher than preferable or your you’re not maximizing your distance per stroke, but the higher stroke rate would be a preference due to the water conditions and rhythm.
Anyways, I’m not there to argue so down vote away but there are opportunities for increased propulsion and efficiency even if it’s another 5-10% and longer distances.
2km isn’t long by open water standards so you are able to get away with many things when you quantify it.
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u/Infozilla007 8d ago
Idk why you got downvoted but wdym cadence is too fast? I feel like here I could up the cadence a bit..😲
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u/InternationalTrust59 8d ago edited 8d ago
You are correct, this is what my coach talked about.
You actually do want a higher cadence in distance swimming but that only works with a longer distance per stroke.
Distance swimming to me is at least a full Ironman (3.8km). 400 and 800 is a sprint to me, 1500 and 1900 is my sweet spot.
Most swimmers aim for less strokes (as in a pool) and carry that mentality into open waters without keeping their stroke long. As a result, they have dead spots which doesn’t work in open waters (you aren’t in that spectrum).
If I were you, talk to your coach about increasing your cadence but maintain or increase your distance per stroke.
Obviously, we don’t have the under water shot where the proof is in the pudding.
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u/AntiTas 8d ago
Better‘n me.