Swimming for Tri Beginners

Kurt Godel

Well done, thats a good result. Like Career Move, you went a little faster first half, but again that is me splitting hairs. Yours splits are close enough to be considered the same. The important thing in pacing is knowing what to keep back for the latter stages, and you performed well in that respect. Your last paragraph is a pleasure to read- you're in control of what you are doing in the water. Thats the mark of a true swimmer.

BTW, there is a huge difference between swimming a 20m and a 25m pool, so you can add a large amount of extra distance to the 60m you improved.

Kurt Godel

Another OW camp, this time held by Ger Kennedy. Fri-Sun June 12th-14th. Recommended by one of the lads I swim with, might be useful to some people here:

http://www.active.com/blackrock-dublin/water-sports/swimming/east-coast-open-water-swim-camp-2015

A new and exciting weekend open water swim camp on the east coast of Ireland
Offering you 5 swims in 5 locations
Beginners and Intermediate wetsuit or skins your choice
Open water swimming group coaching on land and sea
Qualified STA open water coaches
Trained RLSS water safety management
Trained ISA Power & Rescue Boats
Trained Lifeguards & Kayak
Beginner Level should be able to swim 500m non stop Intermediate Level should be able to swim 1000m non stop Please note if advised or insisted by head coach after 1st swim in seapoint to drop a level please support decision in your interest's and group

and still ricky villa

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Another OW camp, this time held by Ger Kennedy. Fri-Sun June 12th-14th. Recommended by one of the lads I swim with, might be useful to some people here...........

Permission granted by Mrs. Villa. I'm in

career move

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Day 2
200m warm up
10*50 as (25 hard, 25 easy, 10s rest)
4*50fist
2 mins rest
500m TT (steady pace throughout). Note your time.
2 min rest
300m hypoxic as 25m 3,2,1,0,0,0,0,1,2,3 (number of breaths you can take between walls. Hyperventilate before each, swim slow and steady, full recovery at each wall)
200m choice warm down

Another day another fail. 500m in 11:23. It's about 50sec better than previously but I'm p!ssed off because I really wanted to pace this right and my halfway splits were 5:38/5:45 :mad: I did the first 2 lengths too fast and the rest was more or less at the same pace. On the plus side, I never felt good in the water today. I seemed to be fighting the whole time to keep my body streamlined. It just never felt easy so I am happy that I did an ok time.

Oh and the hypoxic were a disaster. I was never in control and I only managed to do them as 3,3,3,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2 and that's not including a couple of lengths were I had to stop halfway after choking on water and another were I got confused and tried to inhale through my nose under water

Kurt Godel

career move wrote: »

Another day another fail. 500m in 11:23. It's about 50sec better than previously but I'm p!ssed off because I really wanted to pace this right and my halfway splits were 5:38/5:45 :mad: I did the first 2 lengths too fast and the rest was more or less at the same pace. On the plus side, I never felt good in the water today. I seemed to be fighting the whole time to keep my body streamlined. It just never felt easy so I am happy that I did an ok time.

Thats not a fail- you reigned in the pace and kept it steady after a fast start. That shows discipline. And a PB is a PB!

career move wrote: »

Oh and the hypoxic were a disaster. I was never in control and I only managed to do them as 3,3,3,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2 and that's not including a couple of lengths were I had to stop halfway after choking on water and another were I got confused and tried to inhale through my nose under water

To be fair I don't expect many to make these.

Next time try to inhale through your butt

career move

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Thats not a fail- you reigned in the pace and kept it steady after a fast start. That shows discipline. And a PB is a PB!

I wanted to do it differently that's what I meant by a 'fail' and I just wasn't feeling the love in the water today

Kurt Godel wrote: »

To be fair I don't expect many to make these.

Next time try to inhale through your butt

I did a hypoxic set last week and managed it much better.

I don't really know what you mean by that or if it's just a way of telling me to shut up and stop complaining but it sounds difficult so I might leave it. Thanks :P

Kurt Godel

best leave it, it's a technique Dory told me to try years ago (haven't mastered it yet but I persist...)

don't fret over a bad day, we all get 'em. Days when you feel heavy, when your technique is cat, when times are down and you don't quite know why. They make the good days seem very good, and there will be plenty of good days this summer.

career move

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Day 3
200m warm up
10*50 as (25 hard, 25 easy, 10s rest)
4*50fist
2 mins rest
100m MAX, 10s rest
200m easy
100m MAX, 10s rest
200m easy
100m MAX, 10s rest
200m easy
100m MAX, 10s rest
250m alternating fs and backstroke

2:01, 2:04, 2:05, 2:07
I thought I'd do a bit better but no excuses. It's just not happening in the water for me this week.

career move

100m Time Trial|Nov '14|Dec|Jan|Feb|March|April|May|June'15
ainsyjnr|1:47|1:38||||||
strummer_ie|2:10|||||||
career move|2:49|2:38|2:32|2:19|2:14|2:01||
Rainbow Kirby|1:57*|1:53||||||
ToTriOrNot |2:09|||||1.59||
bart86 |1:51|1.48|2:00||1.40|||
iwillhtfu |###|1:36|1:42
andstillrickyvilla |2:38|2:23|2:19|2:07|2:04|||
steroo ||||1:52|1:50|||

Kurt Godel

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Each 100m MAX should be faster than your current 100m pb. That's right, 4 pb's tonight

career move wrote: »

2:01, 2:04, 2:05, 2:07
I thought I'd do a bit better but no excuses. It's just not happening in the water for me this week.

Your previous PB was 2:14, correct? So you did the 4*100 all well under that (that was the goal, not 4 faster PB's one after the other...).

It's important to be self-critical, to push yourself and to want to go faster. But important too to recognise personal progress and understand it as an achievement. Very good week from you- no excuses needed!

Dilbert75

Being late to the party is kinda the story of my life but there you go. CM was kind enough to tip me off about this thread months ago, so I've had a follow on it since, but our town pool has only just reopened after more than a year so I'm starting way behind the lot of you. 33 pages to be precise.

User Name: Dilbert75
Swim Experience: Learned as a kid, gave up as a teenager, resumed as a student and lapsed as an adult. Some brief resumption during my gym phases but I had the grace and poise of a dredger and usually the speed too.
Can you breath bilaterally?: Yes
Current 100m time: Not sure
Current 400m time: Not sure. Will time it when I can do it without stopping for breakfast.
Tri race experience: One sprint, pool swim. I was 3rd last out of the slow lane in around 21 mins. Transitions were pedestrian. 38 min 20k bike and <23min 5k rescued the day for 5th place in a small field.
Open Water experience: None that involved more than knee depth.
Furthest distance swam: Probably about 2k in a session but not recently. Did about 500m this morning and my arms are hanging off me since.
Any Other Relevant details: I've been told my fc is not awful but that wasn't by a coach. I feel I tend to bomb everywhere and struggle to take my time. As a result I get to the end of each length out of breath. I'm hoping to swim for up to an hour up to 5 mornings a week. Oh and I'm booked to do a Tri with a 400m lake swim in a few weeks (in my defence I expected the pool to be open sooner and to have had much more training time. I'll be starting at the back).

ainsyjnr

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Day 2
200m warm up
10*50 as (25 hard, 25 easy, 10s rest)
4*50fist
2 mins rest
500m TT (steady pace throughout). Note your time.
2 min rest
300m hypoxic as 25m 3,2,1,0,0,0,0,1,2,3 (number of breaths you can take between walls. Hyperventilate before each, swim slow and steady, full recovery at each wall)
200m choice warm down
)

did this on Wednesday. I was happy with the first half but dreading the hypoxic as I have been avoiding them up to now...I think I was injured when they were introduced. Anyway I tried to push the 500 a bit more but tired towards the end,maybe a bit of leftover tiredness from Monday but also a little going off a bit fast. Total of 10:06 with a 4:54 first 250. I couldn't concentrate so much on my technique today as I was sharing the lane and had other public pool swimmers cutting across the lane occasionally?!?

First length of hypoxic I struggled and was pleased I made it. I really had to be careful on my first zero breath length as I was nearly at my limit. Funnily though the remaining 3 I did fairly comfortably. The rest of the session was fine...except I was pinching my shoulder a little from feeling cramped in the lane.

Day 3
200m warm up
10*50 as (25 hard, 25 easy, 10s rest)
4*50fist
2 mins rest
100m MAX, 10s rest
200m easy
100m MAX, 10s rest
200m easy
100m MAX, 10s rest
200m easy
100m MAX, 10s rest
200m choice warm down
Each 100m MAX should be faster than your current 100m pb. That's right, 4 pb's tonight

)

Really difficult to get this done as the lane had 5 or 6 other swimmers in it. I only managed to get 3. 100s done, and a few fast lengths which were aborted attempts. My comeback 100m pb in a 25m pool was 1:56 at the end of March but had improved to 1:46 in April. My 3 today were 1:49; 1:45; 1:48. This was my third swim of the week and the lane was pretty hectic so I am not too worried. I can definitely go faster and this week I did an extra swim session.

I'll try and get 3 swims a week done now until triAthy so I can give it a good shot. I need to get in the sea in the next week to start getting some sighting practise in and getting used to my hopefully good fitting wetsuit (bought it off the internet before reading tunneys post). Please getting used to the cold, I hear the sea is still very cold....

ainsyjnr

100m Time Trial|Nov '14|Dec|Jan|Feb|March|April|May|June'15
ainsyjnr|1:47*|1:38*|||1:56|1:46|1:45|
strummer_ie|2:10|||||||
career move|2:49|2:38|2:32|2:19|2:14|2:01||
Rainbow Kirby|1:57*|1:53||||||
ToTriOrNot |2:09|||||1.59||
bart86 |1:51|1.48|2:00||1.40|||
iwillhtfu |###|1:36|1:42
andstillrickyvilla |2:38|2:23|2:19|2:07|2:04|||
steroo ||||1:52|1:50|||


*20m pool

Kurt Godel

Hope everyone survived the week from hell This week is about consolidation.

Day 1
200m warm up
8*50 as (25k, 25 choice drill, 10s rest)
200s
30s rest
400pb
30s rest
600s
30s rest
800pb
30s rest
3*200s, 30s rest between each
(aim for the steady pace throughout everything)
200 choice warm down

Day 2
200m warm up
8*50 as (25k, 25 choice drill, 10s rest)
2*200 in twice the time of your March 100m PB. 30s rest after the first.
90s rest
4*100 each in the time of your March 100m PB. 15s rest between each.
90s rest
8*50 each in half the time of your March 100m PB. 10s rest between each.
90s rest
16*25 alt hard/easy (recover during the easy 25, no rest in between)
200 choice warm down.

Day 3
200m warm up
8*50 as (25k, 25 choice drill, 10s rest)
800s
30s rest
600pb
30s rest
400s
30s rest
200pb
30s rest
3*200s, 30s rest between each
(aim for the steady pace throughout everything)
200 choice warm down

rainbow kirby

100m Time Trial|Nov '14|Dec|Jan|Feb|March|April|May|June'15
ainsyjnr|1:47*|1:38*|||1:56|1:46|1:45|
strummer_ie|2:10|||||||
career move|2:49|2:38|2:32|2:19|2:14|2:01||
Rainbow Kirby|1:57*|1:53|||||1:50|
ToTriOrNot |2:09|||||1.59||
bart86 |1:51|1.48|2:00||1.40|||
iwillhtfu |###|1:36|1:42
andstillrickyvilla |2:38|2:23|2:19|2:07|2:04|||
steroo ||||1:52|1:50|||


*20m pool

Did a TT 100 as part of my swim yesterday. It's been a bit too long since I did one, but I'm also rarely ever in a quiet 25m pool!

and still ricky villa

100m Time Trial|Nov '14|Dec|Jan|Feb|March|April|May|June'15
ainsyjnr|1:47*|1:38*|||1:56|1:46|1:45|
strummer_ie|2:10|||||||
career move|2:49|2:38|2:32|2:19|2:14|2:01||
Rainbow Kirby|1:57*|1:53|||||1:50|
ToTriOrNot |2:09|||||1.59||
bart86 |1:51|1.48|2:00||1.40|||
iwillhtfu |###|1:36|1:42
andstillrickyvilla |2:38|2:23|2:19|2:07|2:04|2:03||
steroo ||||1:52|1:50|||


TT from a few weeks ago. Thought I'd better stick it up now before I do Hell Week next week........

ainsyjnr

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Hope everyone survived the week from hell This week is about consolidation.

Day 1
200m warm up
8*50 as (25k, 25 choice drill, 10s rest)
200s
30s rest
400pb
30s rest
600s
30s rest
800pb
30s rest
3*200s, 30s rest between each
(aim for the steady pace throughout everything)
200 choice warm down

Found myself swimming these pretty quick in the end. I think some of last weeks work on getting used to a bit more effort and dealing with getting breath back etc have made me a little more comfortable at more intensity.

Day 2
200m warm up
8*50 as (25k, 25 choice drill, 10s rest)
2*200 in twice the time of your March 100m PB. 30s rest after the first.
90s rest
4*100 each in the time of your March 100m PB. 15s rest between each.
90s rest
8*50 each in half the time of your March 100m PB. 10s rest between each.
90s rest
16*25 alt hard/easy (recover during the easy 25, no rest in between)
200 choice warm down.

Really enjoyed this one. Found it hard but interesting. I managed to hit most of the splits based on a slightly quicker than March pb as I was only just coming back then. I had to work hard by the end of each set and recovery between intervals was perfect to have me stretched, especially in the 50s. Didn't have time to do 16 25s which was a shame because that would have finished me off. Got a lot of quality work done which I should hopefully see the benefit of next week. Thanks.

Did my first OW swim on Wednesday. 900m in total. First half I could not get a rhythm breathing on 2, but on the way back I settled into breathing on 3 and managed to sight off a pointy tree in the distance. My garmin shows I was fairly straight, not bad for a first attempt. Doing a mock tri in the sea tomorrow so hopefully I'll get swam over to get that one out the way!

Bart86

200m warm up
4*50 as 25 fist, 25 sw, 15s
10*50 as 25 BE3, 25 BE5, 15s (steady controlled pace)
10*25 as 15MAX, 10 easy (MAX is full on sprint)
3*100 moderate pace
3*100 steady pace
3*100 fast pace (enter fastest time in the 100mTT table)
200m choice

TT done last week. 3*100 fast pace, 1.46, 1.47 and 1.48

100m Time Trial|Nov '14|Dec|Jan|Feb|March|April|May|June'15
ainsyjnr|1:47*|1:38*|||1:56|1:46|1:45|
strummer_ie|2:10|||||||
career move|2:49|2:38|2:32|2:19|2:14|2:01||
Rainbow Kirby|1:57*|1:53|||||1:50|
ToTriOrNot |2:09|||||1.59||
bart86 |1:51|1.48|2:00||1.40|1.46||
iwillhtfu |###|1:36|1:42
andstillrickyvilla |2:38|2:23|2:19|2:07|2:04|2:03||
steroo ||||1:52|1:50|||



Day 2, Week 22
200 easy
4*50 drill choice
5*400 swim hard for first 10 strokes each length, easy for the remainder of length (50m pool swim hard first 20 strokes)
200m choice

First 20 strokes, I outstretched my arm forward to catch as much water as I could for the catch phase in ´in exaggerate movement´, I really felt my body travelling through the water, it was very tiring, through.
Steady pace throughout and breathing every 3 strokes. 8.40, 8.41, 8.40, 8.42 and 8.35

Ready for the week from hell

Steroo

First sea swim done this morning! a little different to the pool for sure

Kurt Godel

Week 26- that's half a year! Anyone who has been following this program since the start should pat yourself on the back- you've put in 6 months of preparation work, and the season is just about to start. You should be well prepared for the swim part of any race. Preparation and consistency are key to swim success in Triathlon.

This week, each main set is broken up a different way. Take only the rest that is noted below. I will give some guidance for pace, but you will have to work out what is best for you, as follows:
BEST is your fastest 100m this year, in seconds (so if your PB is 2:00=120 seconds)
BEST+5% (so if your PB is 2:00=120+6 seconds=126 seconds)
BEST+10%(so if your PB is 2:00=120+12 seconds=132 seconds)
HALF(BEST) (so if your PB is 2:00=(120/2)=60 seconds)
HALF(BEST+5%) (so if your PB is 2:00=(120+6)/2=63 seconds)
HALF(BEST+10%) (so if your PB is 2:00=(120+12)/2=66 seconds)
TWICE(BEST+5%)... you get the idea.
So for example on Day 2, 3*100 on (BEST+5%) in the example above means you are aiming to swim the first 100+rest in 126sec, the second 100 the same, the third 100 the same (and then an extra 10s rest before the next set).

Day 1
200m warm up
4*50 as 25k, 25sw, 15s
Main Set: 24*50m as;
6*50m on HALF(BEST+10%)
10s rest
6*50m on HALF(BEST+5%)
10s rest
6*50m on HALF(BEST+10%)
10s rest
6*50m on HALF(BEST+5%)
30s rest
300m choice easy

Day 2
200m warm up
4*50 as 25fist, 25sw, 15s
Main Set: 14*100m as;
4*100 on (BEST+10%)
15s rest
3*100 on (BEST+5%)
15s rest
4*100 on (BEST+10%)
15s rest
3*100 on (BEST+5%)
30s rest
300m choice easy

Day 3
200m warm up
4*50 as 25k, 25choice drill, 15s
Main Set: 10*200m as;
3*200 on TWICE(BEST+10%)
20s rest
2*200 on TWICE(BEST+5%)
20s rest
3*200 on TWICE(BEST+10%)
20s rest
2*200 on TWICE(BEST+5%)
30s rest
300m choice easy

Kurt Godel

^ All of that looks a lot more complicated than it actually is, once you work out your correct pace for each of the days, it should all fit neatly onto a post-it note.

Also... it's May... in Ireland... which can only mean one thing... the Beaches of the Irish Riviera are now open for business! So this week, break out the sunscreen and flip-flops, and head to the Sea, Lake, or River, for a 5 minute dip to acclimatize. (Always in company, always in a safe spot, always be aware of local conditions)

rainbow kirby

First open water swim of the year yesterday morning - I was good and safe and did it as part of an organised group session! Water was around 14c, a bit of a shock to the system at first but fine once I got moving.

Unfortunately the group then put a pic from the start of the session up on FB, I'm front row centre in it while getting into the water, I'm standing in an unflattering position and I look like a whale in my wetsuit. :mad:

and still ricky villa

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Days when you feel heavy, when your technique is cat, when times are down and you don't quite know why.

Today was that day. Having never done a 500m TT before it just about qualifies as a PB though. Felt great yesterday, manky today but looking forward :eek: to day 3 of Hell Week (4 PBs? I'll be taking hundredths into account.....)

and still ricky villa

100m Time Trial|Nov '14|Dec|Jan|Feb|March|April|May|June'15
ainsyjnr|1:47*|1:38*|||1:56|1:46|1:45|
strummer_ie|2:10|||||||
career move|2:49|2:38|2:32|2:19|2:14|2:01||
Rainbow Kirby|1:57*|1:53|||||1:50|
ToTriOrNot |2:09|||||1.59||
bart86 |1:51|1.48|2:00||1.40|1.46||
iwillhtfu |###|1:36|1:42
andstillrickyvilla |2:38|2:23|2:19|2:07|2:04|2:03|2:06|
steroo ||||1:52|1:50|||


No sense in trying to hide it.
Day 3 of Hell Week was a let down. The funny thing is I felt strong and controlled throughout but the numbers don't lie
SwimForAMile next Friday and TriAthy the week after possibly playing on my mind.
Also the milestone of sub 2 minutes which I know is on my mind.
Curiously, my 200m warm up continues to come down even when I feel I'm taking it very, very easy.
Never mind, move on. I'm in a much better place than I was this time last year and grateful for that

pc11

I'm trying to keep a list of open-water swimming events that are suitable for triathletes and novice swimmers, are wetsuit-friendly and are open to all.

I'm listing them on this Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/OpenWaterSwimmingEventsIreland/events


Please follow this page to get informed of new additions.

Note I am not a race organiser, I'm just trying to make a list in one place of such events for my own information and everyone else's.

I still think there's a real shortage of open-water swims that are suitable for everyone, not just long-time swimming club types, so I'd appreciate if people could support this and submit any events they know of. I'm trying to add new events all the time.

See you in the water!

Kurt Godel

and still ricky villa wrote: »

Also the milestone of sub 2 minutes which I know is on my mind.
Curiously, my 200m warm up continues to come down even when I feel I'm taking it very, very easy.

You're going in the right direction, from what you write above. What do you think is more important for a Tri- a fast stand-alone 100m, or the ability to swim long at a cruising/steady pace? Everything you've posted so far regarding your progress is how it should be.

Kurt Godel

Well done to everyone who followed this for the past 6 months and made progress. There's no point in continuing it any further, as anyone who can swim faster than 3min/100m is fast enough for Irish triathlons. Triathlons are being dictated by the TI officials, who look at the slowest entrants and change/truncate/cancel the swim to suit their ability.

In that respect you'd be much better off putting more time into the bike and run, which are less affected by back of pack ability. Very sad to see this, but there's no point in training so hard when the swim distance you are training for is out of your control.

Best of luck to everyone in the water this summer.

iwillhtfu

Kurt Godel wrote: »

There's no point in continuing it any further, as anyone who can swim faster than 3min/100m is fast enough for Irish triathlons. Triathlons are being dictated by the TI officials, who look at the slowest entrants and change/truncate/cancel the swim to suit their ability

Did this stem from the swim today. Thought it was a bit unneccesary to change the proposed swim.

I asked for the reason and was told that it was a last minute decision however looking back on the course last night this was obviously set up for a down stream swim.

Thanks KG for the thread and drills I've fallen behind myself for a number of reasons and have decided to take the season off but plan to put the drill to good use in time for next season.

How di you get on today anyway?

career move

Thanks Kurt, for this thread and for all your help. I'm sad to see it ending!

tunney

I had come into this thread to suggest you were pi$$ing in the wind and whats the point but I see you came to the same conclusion.

"We have to cater for the weakest swimmer" and that is why minimum standards needed. Dublin 70.3 becomes Dublin 69.3