Q. I recently saw someone swimming with an elastic band around their ankles. What gives?A. Swimmers and triathletes are always looking for that extra edge to improve their performance and times. As the saying goes ‘every second counts

an effective kick through improving ankle flexibility and hip strength, areas often neglected by triathletes in their training.5. Practise increasing your arm turnover rate while maintaining good technique. You will never bully your way through water but don

You may think you're swimming well but there may be an aspect of your technique you know is not quite right - legs too low in the water, perhaps, or too much bending of the knee. Simply swimming more is not going to address these problems. You need

shallow, strong, steady kick. Don't do this at every session but, when you choose to do it, make it your key set. Top tip: a good kick demands great ankle flexibility, something triathletes often lack. To loosen up your ankles, try kneeling down

coach at Swim Smooth (www.swimsmooth.com) says, "The longest possible freestyle stroke isn't necessarily the most efficient in all situations and for all swimmers."Jack Maitland of TheTriathlonCoach.com agrees the emphasis on increasing stroke length has

- and sometimes even in the pool when you're training. However, he's right: making friends with water could be the difference between loving every minute of a triathlon and metaphorically holding your breath until you exit the water.Triathletes from a non-swimming

It would never previously have occurred to me to seek out external help to improve my swimming or even to have a sense of introspection about it. But now, on the cusp of my first serious triathlon season, the obvious limitations of my swimming have become

,” says Williams. “Go along to your local triathlon club and ask the swimming coach to assess your technique.” You may find it tough in the beginning, but if you switch from breaststroke to front crawl, you should easily knock seconds from your swim time

to improve your front crawl is to seek a second opinion. "It's always good to get some advice from a trained eye," says Williams. "Go along to your local triathlon club and ask the swimming coach to assess your technique." You may find it tough