By Cameron Elford
April 3, 2007 -- The Hilton
Waikoloa, carved out of Hawaii's barren, rugged lava fields, has grown
into a spectacular sprawling luxury resort on the Big Island's Kohala
Coast, about 25 miles north of Kailua-Kona. Although the region is
perhaps less well known to the thousands of triathletes who flock to
Kailua every October for the Ironman, swanky, meticulously maintained
Waikoloa offers outstanding training and racing opportunities, from
ocean-side running (and soft-surface trails in Waimea, about a
25-minute drive inland) to quick access to the Queen Kaahumanu Highway
to open-water swimming either in protected "A" Bay (the diminutive form
of a long Hawaiian word that is unpronounceable by my feeble brain) or
the Hilton's sheltered lagoon. In addition, the family-friendly Hilton
resort features world-class seaside golf, a dolphin pool as well as
access to a sandy beach plus snorkeling, sailing and kayaking.
Following the Olympic-distance Lavaman Triathlon, in Waikoloa on April
1, the LifeSport coaching crew invited us to hang around on the island
a bit longer to spend a couple of days with their age-group-focused
Lava Camp, which was based at the Hilton and featured athletes from
throughout North America.
To that end, I'll be chronicling the training sessions this week, so
check back to follow the camp's progress and to pick up a few of the
training, racing and nutrition tips offered by LifeSport coaches Paul
Regensburg, Mark Overton and Lance Watson.
Tuesday was a swim- and run-focused day, with a practice session in the
Hilton's lagoon followed by a run through historical Parker Ranch in
Waimea -- a small inland town located at close to 3000 feet in the
Kohala Mountains. Note: If you head to Waimea for training during a
trip to the Big Island, be sure to pack a light sweater as the mountain
weather is typically significantly cooler and wetter than on the coast.
Also, after running in Waimea, take the short, scenic drive through the
mountains for a cup of Kona coffee in funky Hawi, the Ironman
turnaround point at the north end of the island.
Here's a quick summary of a few of the key points offered by the
coaching team at today's morning swimming seminar and practice. To
boost your swim performance, try integrating these skills into your
open-water training and racing this season.
Open-water swimming skills:
- Run, dolphin dive, then swim: That is, in a shallow-water swim
start, it's faster to run until the water is just above your knees,
then perform a few dolphin dives before you start swimming. You'll be
faster over the first few meters, which will help you get out ahead of
the flailing pack of arms and legs.
- In a deep-water start, bring your body to horizontal a few seconds before the start so you can get out more quickly.
- Swim 300, then draft: Don't worry about trying to find a draft
until after the first 300 meters. By that time, you'll be in a rhythm
and the pack will have begun settling into some semblance or order.
- Fight the inclination to swim with a raised head in the open
water. Instead, focus on keeping your head low, which will allow your
legs and hips to ride higher in the water, reducing resistance.
- Sight every eight to 10 strokes. Any more frequently is unnecessary and a waste of energy.
- To keep your stroke rate up and avoid flailing, focus on rotating your core more quickly, and your arms will follow.
- Pick up your kick over the last 100 meters of the swim to get
blood flowing into your legs. This will help you find your feet when
you stand up to begin the run to T1.
- Create a strong platform (from your fingertips to your elbow) at
the start of your stroke by maintaining a high elbow. This will allow
you to grab and hold more water.
Check back tomorrow for a few more tips from the coaches.