One of my earliest blog posts was about how a $9 pull buoy completely changed swimming for me.  I do almost all of my swim workouts with a pull buoy, but it has left me wondering if there was not a better option.

Obviously I am working to become a better and stronger swimmer.  Eventually, that means I will need to wean myself off using the pull buoy for some workouts.  This is especially important, if I want to become better in races with non-wetsuit swims.  I have been watching a lot of “how to improve your triathlon swimming” videos, and one thing I have consistently heard, is that kicking does help.  So, while the pull buoy is great and makes swimming enjoyable, it does lock my legs into set position and so impedes the swim kick.

As triathletes, we try to avoid over working our legs in the swim during a race; we need them for the bike and run.  However, I have found that just dragging my legs behind me, results in them sinking in the water, leading me to adopt a poor body position in the water. 

The videos I have watched, consistently  recommend using a light kick. The kick is desired, because it helps with getting the body high in the water.  It is not important to kick in order to propel you forward faster; the better body position is the main benefit for triathletes.  So while it takes energy to kick, it takes even more energy to overcome a poor body position.  Hence, I want to learn to consistently kick as I swim.

This is where my new Roka Sim Shorts come in.  They give me the same floatation effect that I get with my pull buoy, but with none of the leg restriction.  Swimming in these floatation swim shorts, has really helped me become aware of how my body should feel in the water.  I have been using them for a week now and they are already helping me to learn how to kick consistently.

Obviously these sim shorts are a little more expensive than the pull buoy, but I would have to say that they are a good investment to help me improve.  I know some of you out there may say, “don’t use anything to help … just learn to swim properly”.  To me though, as an adult onset swimmer, it is not that simple.  Like everything in triathlon, it’s a process and a journey and I am very comfortable, using these tools to help me on my way.