Swimming for Tri Beginners

Now that this program has been running for a few weeks, I'm curious to know what people think. Is it what you expected? Has your swimming improved at all? Do you approach the water any differently now? All feedback, positive and negative, encouraged and appreciated.

career move wrote: »

This was bleugh :mad:

I won't lie, my immediate reaction was "it'll feel easier next time"...

career move wrote: »

Please do not make us repeat that session I did tonight though

See above

This is a session that has a tough midpoint. Tumesense/detumesense (buildup/decline). You build steadily to a hard midpoint, then it gets easier again.

Have a look at your comments (which are very useful to illustrate the point). What felt harder going up, felt easier coming down. When you started this program, I don't think you had the skills to breath on 2, or 3, at will and with ease. Now you have tools in your swimkit that allow you to confidently breath every 4, or 5, or 6. Very useful in a Tri race when someone knocks your ribs as you come up for air, or you are sprinting in a scrum at the start, or an unexpected wave washes over you. If you are only used to breathing every 2 or 3, and you miss that breath, you can go into oxygen depravation, hyperventilate, and your race may as well be over. Hypoxic work (such as what you did in that session) gives you confidence that you are in control of your oxygen intake.

Thats a very well-completed session; you'll make a progress jump from here.

Hi pansophelia,

It's good that you are feeling stetched. No matter what level you are at, swim sets (and drills) should rarely feel easy. If you are finding it tough, you're doing it correctly. Progress will come quickly once everything (drills and swim form) clicks into place, and your times will tumble.

Elephants are very good swimmers, by the way

mrolaf wrote: »

DO you think its easy to transfer from pool swimming to open water? I swim a 1km pool swim twice a week.

"Easy" is subjective. Given the information above:

If you swim each of the 1kms with tumble turns and do the lot in one go; then that's easily transferable to the OW.

If however each of those 1kms are punctuated with breaks, or stops at the wall, then there is little to transfer, and the OW swim won't be easy.

How do you swim the 1kms?

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Updating, just because

"Updating, just because"; is a very good reason to update. Keep doing so!:D

To anyone else listening in the Great Void- its important that there is a bit of feedback on this thread, and that means updating these 100m TT tables. Its irrelevant quite how large your XX:XX to do 100m is at the moment; what matters is that over the next few months you start doing XX:XX-5seconds , or whatever. Feedback will help tailor this program, which by its nature is dislocated and limited. If you want to become a better swimmer over the next few months, your input is needed on these TT tables, so please do find the time to update!

Ok, there's a elephant in the room (not literally... although...). With Xmas over there will be a whole host of newbies looking to turn over a new leaf for 2015, and many of them will only be starting pool swimming now, with every gym and pool offering special offers for new memberships. So to anyone new, welcome! If you can't swim at all right now, and intend doing a Tri in 2015, you've probably left it late to start- but with only 4 months until the start of the Tri season you can make solid progress if you show dedication and consistency. That means making it to the pool at least 3 times a week, and making that a habit.

It would be unfair to those who have been following the program here for the past 8 weeks to "reboot" the program, so that won't happen. Instead, we'll have a crossover week with two levels offered, just for this week. New-newbies can do the curtailed program as described below, while old-newbies can do the full program (everyone still with me?:)). Total beginners can look back over this thread and see the progress people have been making, and how they have been making it. Good luck to all!

Day 1
200 easy
4*50 k with board (rest at each wall if needed)
4*50 fingertip
4*50 pb
4*50 pb & fist
4*50 fist
100m MAX (2015 Beginners substitute "armpit tap" where you see "fist", and then move straight to the 200m swim down, everyone else continue as below)
4*50 fingertip
4*50 pb
4*50 pb & fist
4*50 fist
100m MAX
200 swim down
(15 sec rest after each drill, all done at comfortable pace)

I don't think we've done fist drill before? Literally, swim with a clenched fist throughout. It's difficult! Imagine yourself pulling from the wrist, that sometimes helps. Both of the 100 MAX are flat out, best effort. Time yourself, and put in the January 100m TT table.

Day 2
200 easy
4*50 k with board (rest at each wall if needed)
4*100 off 2:40 (easy pace)
1 min rest
4*100 off 2:30 (moderate pace)
1 min rest
4*100 off 2:20 (steady pace)
1 min rest
4*100 off 2:10 (fast pace, but not flat out)
1 min rest
200 easy
With the variance in peoples abilities, these times are used for guidance. Pace is more important, and there should be no more than 5-10 seconds rest between each of the 100's. More experienced swimmers do 5*100 of each. (2015 Beginners just do 3*100 of each)

Day 3
200 easy
4*50 k with board
6*400, alternate swim and pb, minute rest after each
200 easy
Keep an easy steady pace for these 400's- you should finish at a similar pace as you start.
(2015 Beginners substitute "6*400" with "4*200", alternate swim and pb)

Bart86 wrote: »

I did sailboat drill today,though I could not keep a straight line while swimming with it. It was between my crotch and my thighs as you said, but couldnt manage the drill..
My body lower body was moving from one side to another... Should I have kicked a bit?

No kicks- instead just move the board up a bit so its not hanging down so low. The idea of the drill is to give you an idea about rotation- your shoulders should rotate as you try and keep the board from rotating. Easier said than done!

Week 10
10 weeks in, by now people should feel confident in the water, and more aware of whats working for them/whats not working for them. This week, the most important thing is to swim at a steady, constant pace. Be aware of your form as you tire, and check to keep high elbows; steady head; thumb-to-thigh on exit; etc. Keeping good form when you are tired will make you a better Triathlete than going out like Phelps and dying over the latter stages of the swim.

Day 1
200m warm up
4*50k (try one without the board!)
100m
200m
400m
600m
800m
(up to a minutes rest between each as needed. Try to pace steady)
200m swim down choice

Day 2
200m warm up
50m breathe every 2
50m breathe every 3
50m breathe every 4
50m breathe every 5
50m breathe every 6
50m breathe every 7
50m breathe every 8
50m breathe every 7
50m breathe every 6
50m breathe every 5
50m breathe every 4
50m breathe every 3
50m breathe every 2
(20 seconds rest between each)
All of these should be done at a slow controlled pace. Exhale slowly and constantly. Try and keep a streamlined position. Take on air in a controlled manner- you should not be gasping. Relax and you will do better.
3*200m pb, breathe every 3, 20 seconds rest between each.
200 swim down choice

Day 3
200m warm up
4*50 kick
50 ripple
50 catch up
50 armpit
50 fist
30 min TT (swim as far as you can in 30 minutes, record the distance. Steady pacing throughout- if you find your form dropping as you tire, try to slow down and regain better form)
200m choice swim down

Steroo wrote: »

Q: When going to the pool to do the drills are we working from Memory or taking something out with us to remember the sets etc?

I was always told that a set you can't remember is too complex...

Doesn't stop me sticking a post-it note to my water bottle for each and every set;)