While the masters swimming season starts in September and ends in June/July with the Italian Summer Championships, the triathlon season lasts until September/October, with the last races. In any case, whatever the discipline practised, we have one solid certainty: that it is advisable to take a break. 

During this break, also known as the off-season, it would be good to engage in physical activities of a different kind than usual: in fact, this helps to "pause" the mind, giving it the opportunity to recharge for the next season. It should be added, however, that each return to the water after a break brings a dose of discomfort, especially in terms of sensations, but this discomfort can be turned into an opportunity.

• technical aspects and application of strength
• the "paddle
• the fundamentals
• breathing

Technical aspects and application of strength

In these phases, in fact, the mind is more willing to process previously experienced concepts and perceptions, even those that were complex to handle, but with new data and greater lucidity. Sensitivity wavers, breathing can no longer withstand training sessions that a month before could be tackled without too much effort, and everything becomes more difficult, but this situation represents an excellent environment for developing and perfecting technical aspects and the application of strength that can become that extra gear that makes swimming itself evolve. Technique, in fact, is a mental aspect: it is not essential to be at an optimal level of physical training to tackle it. 

Rowing

Sessions (or part of them) can be devoted to developing sensitivity through the so-called "rowing", then applying its effectiveness to swimming as a whole. Improved sensitivity develops a greater ability to exert force and this applies to all categories of swimmers. Paddling refers to a movement with the hands that aims to apply pressure to the water so that this pressure causes the body to move in the desired direction. Sometimes this movement is described as "drawing an infinity (∞)" with both hands. The image may be a little misleading, but it is not entirely wrong (*). 

Moving on to the practical, let's look at some rowing exercises. For the sake of simplicity, let's consider only 3 positions in which to perform them, working the 3 underwater phases of the freestyle stroke (hold, pull, push): 

18×25 (15 m rowing + 10 m freestyle with the aim of applying force in the phase developed by rowing). Ample pause between each 25. These 18×25 can be further divided into 3 blocks of 6×25, which in turn are divided into 3 blocks of 2×25 (2×25 focused on the stance phase, 2 on the pull phase, 2 on the push phase).
These can be performed with the pull-up and with the snorkel, to focus attention and propulsion on the movement of the hands.
8×50 with a wide pause consisting of 25 m of paddling in the first stroke phase (applying the maximum possible pressure with the aim of seeking the maximum efficiency of the technical gesture) and 25 of freestyle in maximum internal progression (with the aim of not losing efficiency in the support phase).

Fundamentals

For masters swimmers, but also for triathletes who do masters swimming courses, it can be important to dedicate time to developing and perfecting the fundamentals (start, turn, dive), which are often neglected during the year in order to give more space to training sessions that emphasise volume.

A few examples:

• 8×50 with start from the block and very wide break. The odd ones: 15 m diving at maximum intensity (finish loose on 50); the even ones: 15 m maximum between diving and swimming (finish loose on 50). At each start set the goal to enter the water as far from the block as possible
• 8×50 consisting of 15 m easy, 20 m maximal with strong turn, 15 m easy. At each turn, keep the number of underwater strokes (dolphin) or the underwater pass (breaststroke) constant, with the aim of getting out of the water beyond the point of the previous repetition, while maintaining the same effectiveness
• 8×25 with a wide break: development of posture and diving effectiveness. Perform 2 in each plane of movement (2 supine, 2 on the right side, 2 on the left side and 2 prone), keeping the number of legs and the exit point constant, regardless of the plane of movement

Breathing

For open water swimmers or triathletes, it can be useful to work on breathing aspects (from control to application) and the most effective technique to apply to the swim according to ability and objectives, without immediately looking for distance and kilometres.

* this, in detail, is the movement in the paddling on the support phase:  

start with outstretched arms, with your hands below the surface of the water (between 20 and 40 cm). During the entire rowing movement, the hands are naturally open (fingers neither too narrow nor too wide), the elbows are slightly flexed (not rigid, but not bent either, to avoid turning the rowing into a breaststroke).
Start the pressure from the thumbs, turning the wrists slightly so that the palms 'face' the edges of the pool, making an angle of about 45°. While exerting this pressure, the hands in the meantime move about 40 to 50 cm apart;

then shift the pressure from the thumbs to the little fingers, maintaining the same angle of the wrists at 45°, but with rotation in the opposite direction, i.e. the palms facing inwards, 'looking' at each other. Put pressure on the little fingers, while the hands move the same 40 to 50 cm closer together.

The whole movement should be performed as a single gesture, without interruptions, and with the application of the greatest possible force. The legs move naturally, with a few stabilising strokes. If we use the snorkel, we will not have the problem of breathing and can concentrate on the movement of the hands.

Mauro Lanzoni, ENDU Channel. 

Credits: @Jacob Lund

Triathlon e off season: focus sulla tecnica di nuoto - ENDUchannel