Should Triathletes Swim Medley Strokes ?

It seems there are two categories of swimmers in triathlon: those who swam as kids and those who got a late start. For the latter, learning proper freestyle technique takes time to master, and throwing in individual medley strokes butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke—may be the last thing they want to do. But should they? We put our resident swim expert, Sara McLarty, up against Dave Pruetz, a full-time USAT coach who runs a Masters swim program in Draper, Utah.

Dave: About 95 percent of my program focuses on freestyle. Most of my swimmers are triathletes, and the majority got into the sport in their 30s and 40s with no previous swimming experience. To teach them all four strokes would be beyond challenging, especially when the only stroke they will ever do in a tri is freestyle.

Sara: I also have a large percentage of "late-blooming" triathletes. We train 80 minutes, but our percentage of non-freestyle is probably 15 percent of total yardage. One of the greatest benefits my athletes see from swimming the other strokes is a greater comfort in the water. Swimming backstroke can take novices out of their comfort zone and gives them an opportunity to learn how to relax in the water.

Dave: Sure it's great for comfort reasons, but you can't swim straight doing the backstroke in open water. My class is only 60 minutes, so by the time we're done warming up, complete the drills and so on, it might only leave 30 minutes. For my athletes it comes down to time management. When they are trying to fit in nine workouts a week (swim/bike/run), plus yoga, P9OX, strength training, etc., they tend to get the biggest bang for their buck focusing on freestyle.

Sara: A common agreement among elite swimmers is that the 400 IM is the toughest event because the four strokes provide a complete body workout. During freestyle, the forearm is a crucial part of the stroke. Breaststroke is a great forearm workout, and can personally wear out my forearms long before any freestyle set. So, I know I'm building specific strength for freestyle—by not doing freestyle! Backstroke can help swimmers strengthen their back and shoulder muscles to prevent bad posture, and swimming butterfly creates a tougher athlete who can withstand the lactic acid build-up at the beginning of a race but still settle into their steady pace after the first 100 meters.

Dave: I completely agree that the 400 IM is a tough workout—it hurts for me to even think about it. But compare it to running. I have my athletes do track work, but do I want them to run hurdles or long jump? I'm sure it wouldn't hurt, but track intervals and speed work is their primary focus.

Sara: Although I would not have my athletes jumping hurdles and doing long jumps (we don't need more injuries), I do have them train like a hurdler and long jumper by learning correct running form to maintain a high-knee/good posture/ arm position throughout the run. Final Triathlete thoughts: Knowing all four strokes can help you become a well-rounded, strong swimmer, but freestyle should always
come first!
- COMPILED BY JENE SHAW
source: Triathlete_Magazine_May2011