Brett Sutton interview on IM Talk podcast.. (Page 2)

tjfry - 2010-12-16 3:49 PM

I certainly noticed that everytime he gave an example to prove his point, he used an absolute ringer. Slower cadence..when I slowed down Chrissie's.... Swimming technique...I got (insert national level swimmer and triathlete) to just scrap the technique and get after it.

I'm paraphrasing of course, but its sorta like he's taken a proved entity and showing that the entity is proven.

To GoFaster's swim comments.....

I certainly agree that swimming is very technical, but my 20,000 per week comment wasn't a joke. I think many on this site (and in this sport for that matter) have analysis paralysis when it comes to swimming, especially when we get into discussions and the smallest of issues. I know that you think that you are engraining bad habits by swimming without the perfect stroke, but volume will make you more efficient all by itself. Not a little more volume, but A LOT MORE VOLUME.  Doing that volume will give you a better understanding of your movements and position (us swimmers call that "feel for the water"). So when you do need to change your pull a little, you know exactly what to do and how to do it. Club swim programs around the country do about 1/3 the technique work with the kids that triathletes do, and yet the 8 year old girl can whip most triathletes in a 100 free. The volume by itself creates efficiencies.

Using my golf analogy, If I get swing help and then only practice the drills for a while, take a few swings and head home, I won't improve very fast. If, however, I hit 1,000 balls a day for a few weeks and then get some pointers, I will be better at making needed adjustments and better at golf.

I see how much you are swimming, and I'm telling you, if you up your yardage 4 fold for 2 weeks, you will see a difference.

GoFaster - 2010-12-16 3:16 PM

I get where you're coming from, but I also used to golf, and that's where I got my analogy from.  Go to any driving range, or for that matter any swimming pool, and look at your average hacker.  People golf (and swim) by feel - which in many cases is not a good thing.  If I have a bad golf swing and use it to knock 30,000 balls around the range for a month, then I've just engrained those bad habits.  However, if someone tells me to change my grip and just focus on that for a week, and then a week later tells me to adjust my stance, etc.  then I'm engraining something else.  I may still have a terrible slice, but I'm on my way to changing the swing.

So that's how I look at swimming.  I'm the hacker that got in the pool and went, and now I'm trying to undo some of my bad habits (I won't plug my youtube video for you to watch).  I completely agree that more volume is going to reap huge benefits, I used to spend hours at the range and my handicap showed that it paid off, but I also worked on the details every single time I was at the range.  Drills, full swing, drills, full swing.  I do agree, that once my swing got good, I had a "feel" for it.  I have to be realistic about swimming and how much time I can commit.

By the way, I'd love to quadrulpe my swim volume, but at 24,000 yards last month I thought I was pushing my time barriers as it was.  It takes a while when you swim like me...

peteweb55403 - 2010-12-16 4:13 PM

As a frequent reader of these forums.  I think we all (me included) are looking for a magic pill.  So many posters, including the OP continue to stress that the way to really improve is just putting the work in.  Time and effort.

joker70 - 2010-12-16 3:00 PM

I like how he says that Triathlon is an aerobic sport (especially IM) and doesn't think you should be doing 4+ anaerobic workouts a week.

Fastyellow - 2010-12-16 6:14 PM 

maybe that athlete pedals best at 75-80rpms

why we should all be pedaling at 100rpms

docswim24 - 2010-12-16 6:30 AM



Very well said. The only thing I would add is you train hard.

Want to get fast at triathlon - be consistent and train hard. Run often, bike hard and swim hard with the proper technique.

tjfry - 2010-12-16 2:26 PM

I certainly not trying to imply that you should discard techique, but back to your golf analogy, if you would just work on 1 or 2 things while swimming 3500 in a workout and do that workout 4 times a week, you'll be light years ahead of working a bunch of things for 1500. That massive repitition is critical, not massive drills. And I certainly know time is an issue for sure. I couldn't take my own advice right now..