I'm an aging triathlete and have been doing sprint-distance races the last four years. This summer I did an Olympic-distance race for the first time in several years, and when I exited the swim I realized my legs were already tired. I use a wetsuit and don't kick very much; instead I rely on my arms to do the work, so why do my legs feel as though I had just run a 5K?

Do I need to work on my kick when training in the pool? Does the compression of the wetsuit on my legs have something to do with my fatigue?

I admit I do a minimum amount of training and compete simply to motivate myself to keep moving.

Thanks,
John
Fincastle, Virginia

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John,


You have posed some excellent questions here.

Your tired legs could have been the result of several factors.

Some people struggle in exceptionally cold water as their core temperature drops. Thus, if you kick very little, your legs may not warm up during the swim, meaning that when you hit the beach you’re running to your bike on legs that may not yet be quite up to the task of going hard.

Also, if you have a longish (or uphill) run up to transition, this can fatigue your legs, as blood rushes from your upper body (shoulders and lats) to your lower body. To mitigate this fatigue, run at a steady rate, but don't sprint. Also, anticipate being out of breath and use your full lung capacity.

A properly fitting wetsuit shouldn't affect leg fatigue. Modern wetsuits are quite pliable and not overly restrictive.

Finally, many triathletes underestimate the importance of kick fitness in swimming, particularly as it pertains to triathlon. The nature of open-water swimming is dynamic, and it requires continual adjustments in both strategy and pace. For example, a strong kick can help you boost your pace and change direction in order to:

     1. Pull away from traffic/get out of the washing machine of arms and legs
     2. Start quicker to find a good draft
     3. Navigate multiple turns
     4. Chase feet
     5. Bridge gaps

All of these tactics can require accelerations intermittently throughout the swim. In these instances, you naturally accelerate your kick cadence when you pick up arm speed. Thus, your kick can become your secret weapon and add another gear to your ability to surge. An under-trained kick means low lactic tolerance in your legs, which means you will be disadvantaged in a technical or busy swim. A well-trained kick gives you the legs to support your freestyle.

While running and cycling will provide great cardio fitness, the leg work is not directly transferable to the biomechanics of kicking, so spice up your swim workouts with regular kick sets. Try to incorporate 400 to 800 meters of kick throughout your swim sets three times a week. Kick can be done as one longer set or interspersed throughout the workout. Include days with longer, steadier kick sets and shorter, faster kick sets.

Sample kick set 1:

     3 x [4 x 50m kick including 15 meters @ 30 seconds rest/100m freestyle
     with kick emphasis (slightly over-kick your freestyle) @ 30 seconds rest]

Sample kick set 2 (perform this set two times through):

     200m kick with a board. Build by 50m from easy aerobic to best effort.
     Take 60 seconds rest
     50m kick on your back @ 30 seconds rest. Use fins if desired
     2 x 50m kick on your side (balance drill) @ 15 seconds rest.
     Use fins if desired
     150m freestyle. Gradually build the kick to over-kicking for the last 50m.
      Take 60 seconds rest before repeating the set.

Don't be afraid to time yourself and quantify improvement. You will improve with practice.

Good luck!

Lance

LifeSport head coach Lance Watson has coached a number of Ironman, Olympic and age-group champions. He enjoys coaching athletes of all abilities who are passionate about sport and personal excellence.