Gray Guys/Girls Masters Focus Triathlete Forum--OPEN! (Page 13)

Hi Bill,

I will be happy to suggest a training plan for you. Before I can do that though, I need to know a couple things -

1. Have you actually entered the Oly yet? If so, when is it?  Where is the swim at - river, lake, ocean?
2. What are you doing now for swim training? How many times per week? How many yards? How much time per workout?
3. How long have you been swimming?
4. Can you give me an idea of your pace? Have you done a race recently and/or a time trial?
5. Finally, can you give me a sense of how your stroke technique is? Good? Bad? Great? Still developing? Do you have any stroke deficiencies that you are aware of?

Once you get all that to me we can work on a plan for the next several weeks.

In the meantime, I am going to qualify a comment I made in a previous post so it isn't misinterpreted by anyone.  I said, "If you want to swim fast, then swim. Swim lots. When you are done swimming a lot, swim some more. Then do it again tomorrow. That is the secret to swimming fast."  I stand by that statement with this qualification - you MUST have good technique BEFORE you start putting in the big yards.  You can swim hundreds of thousands of yards, but if your technique is sub-standard, you are WASTING your time.  I am sure there will be more on that topic over the next few days as we talk about a "progression for you."

Bill, you can send me the answers to my questions privately if you prefer.

While my race didn't go perfect--I am happy with the day.  PR the SWIM.  

Yes, Scott....you read that correctly.  Judi, who has one of the WORST swim strokes you have ever seen on video had a swim PR. (by about 90 seconds--whatever, it's a PR)

Not a great day on the bike.  My hip flexors and quads were unhappy the entire ride.  

I'm not thrilled with my run--but given how my last few Oly runs have gone, I'm okay with it .Only walked the aid stations.  Course was mostly trail, gravel packed and well shaded  which was nice--but my legs just didn't play well today.

Hi Bill – and everyone else,

Fair warning! This is a book. If you don’t have time, you might want to come back when you have a few minutes.

Before I go in to a “plan,” I want to start with a couple general things about swimming and swim training. While my comments are directed towards you, they are applicable to anyone that may be interested. Please don’t take offense by my use of “new or inexperienced swimmer” as I don’t know how long you have been swimming in total.

As you have probably figured out by now, swimming is a very technical sport. When technique is correct, swimming is relatively easy. When done incorrectly, swimming can be a daunting challenge. Because of that simply reality, any swimming program must be built upon solid technique. Proper technique MUST come first. That can be problematic however if there is no coach/instructor on deck to help guide a new or relatively inexperienced swimmer through proper stroke technique. A newer swimmer will likely not know what constitutes proper technique, and even if he/she does understand good stroke mechanics, it is very difficult to tell if you’re actually doing it right. That presents the first obstacles that must be navigated – a) how a swimmer can gain an understanding of proper technique without a coach on deck, and b) how to tell if you are actually applying that knowledge in the pool.

Gaining an understanding is fairly straightforward - start by reviewing all the stroke technique information on my website, http://goscottgo.info/index.php/swimming-technique. Once you are on the page, I suggest you read the articles in ‘reverse order,’ (start from the bottom and work up).
Next, go to http://swimsmooth.com/, and watch the animation of 'Mr. Smooth' swimming. We won't worry about the minor differences between 'his' perfect freestyle and my perfect freestyle. The differences are minute enough so as not to matter.

Don't be afraid to 'assume the dry-land swimming position' right there in your living room to make sure you understand proper technique (stand upright, bend at the waist until torso is parallel to the floor, one hand above your head, the other behind you as if you are horizontal in the water and "swim"). The advantage of beginning to develop technique on deck (or your living room as the case may be) is that you can easily see and feel what you are doing, including body rotation (at least to the waist).

I want to take a moment to hopefully impart to you how important proper technique is (this is a reprint of a post I made last winter). Back in the day, when I was at the height of my swimming career, on average we were putting in 12-15,000 meters per day, seven days a week. Every year, after the short course National Championships in December we would take a week off - didn't even LOOK at a pool, let alone get in one and train. Then we would come back the week before Christmas and for two weeks, do maybe 1,000 meters/day working on NOTHING but technique - we went back to fundamentals. Sets were something like 20 x 50 @ 2:00. After that two week period, we would go to a 2-3 week period of Extensive Endurance training sessions, meaning slow pace, long rest periods - the focus was on technique first, and base endurance second (6-8,000 meters/workout). After long course Nationals in August, we would take three weeks off, then do the same thing, 2 weeks of technique training followed by 2-3 weeks of Extensive Endurance training. This was for a team of swimmers that had ALL qualified for a National Championship at one time or another, most were Olympians and many held or had held American and/or World records. To say we knew how to swim was an understatement, yet there we were, working on technique fundamentals. How much more important would the same type of training be for the average triathlete training for the swim leg? After the initial stroke technique and base build phases we would go into periodized cycles that lasted 3-4 weeks and went through Intermediate and Intensive Endurance (the vomit reps) training. During the recovery week, we would always incorporate stroke technique training sessions. The whole point of all of that was obviously to increase speed, but as importantly, it was to develop endurance and increase the period of time before fatigue caused stroke degradation. Also, it was to so fully commit proper technique to muscle memory that if the stroke broke down, it would break down to the proper technique stored in muscle memory.

A summary of what I mean by "storing proper technique to muscle memory." As most everyone knows, proper freestyle technique includes good body rotation, full extension at the beginning of the stroke, catch and a high elbow pull going to full extension and release at the hip. Body rotation and full extension at entry are pretty easy to maintain as you get tired, however getting to full extension at the end of the pull becomes increasingly difficult as fatigue sets in. The arms start to get heavy, lactate builds up and the triceps just don't want to get the hand down to the proper release position (thumb brushing the hip). However, if that same swimmer had done appropriate work on technique, followed by a solid base endurance build - focusing on technique during the build where proper technique was repeated over and over and over again - then proper technique is just the way he/she would swim. When fatigue sets in (which will take much longer because of a proper base endurance build) it is much less likely that stroke will break down because the body only knows one way to do the stroke - the correct way.

Stroke technique trumps EVERYTHING else! I strongly encourage EVERYONE to incorporate a period of technique work at the beginning of their base build every season and specifically work on technique in each recovery week during the season. Your swim times will thank you!

You said, “My biggest thing is I am not yet bi-lateral I hope this is negotiable but I am willing to try again.” I think I should say a couple words about bi-lateral breathing. Having the ability to breathe on both sides helps to improve technique and can provide a competitive advantage in a number of ways. On the technique side, breathing bi-laterally helps to keep the stroke symmetrical – which has the direct effect of improving body rotation and kicking, engaging the stronger core muscles, and yes, even improving breathing. On the competitive side, having a symmetrical stoke allows a swimmer to swim in a straighter line. As you know, there are no lane lines on the bottom of the ocean, or a lake (a river is a different animal altogether so we will save that discussion for another day). If you swim straighter, you have to sight less frequently, which increases your overall swim speed. More importantly however, consider this – Let’s say for a moment that you only breathe to one side, say the right side. You are racing in a lake on a somewhat stormy day. Imagine there is a 20+ MPH wind coming across the lake that is creating 2’ wind-blown waves. It happens that the race is going parallel to the shore and the waves will be coming from your right side. On top of that, the race starts early and the sun will be coming up to your right just as you’re in the water for the swim. As you can only breathe to your right in our imaginary example, you are going to have waves pounding you in the face with each breath, you’re going to have sun in your eyes with each breath, and you’re going to have navigation problems because the shore is on your left. However, if you have the ability to breathe on both sides, all the problems are gone. You can breathe on your left where the wind and waves have no impact, you won’t have to deal with the sun, and with each breath you can sight on the shore and manage your navigation. Lots of good things can come from breathing bi-laterally.

I am an advocate of learning to breathe bi-laterally from the beginning as you learn proper technique. However, most swimming programs unfortunately don’t teach bi-lateral breathing, and most swimmers that are self-taught don’t recognize the importance so there are a fairly significant number of swimmers that do not have the ability to properly breathe bi-laterally. To those swimmers I say, yes, you should absolutely learn how to breathe on both sides. However, I would not recommend you take time away from swimming workouts in the middle of the season to do so unless there is a serious flaw in your technique that bi-lateral breathing will correct (i.e. over-rotating to one side, under-rotating to the other side). That said, you are still warming up before each workout so that would be a good time to begin to develop the skill, then go back to your ‘normal’ breathing for the workout. Over the off-season or during the base build at the beginning of next season when you are re-visiting technique you can take the time to fully learn bi-lateral breathing. I will take this opportunity to share a dirty little secret. While I have the ability to breathe equally well on both sides and can easily switch from left side only to right side only or I can breathe bi-laterally and use both left and right side, I normally only breathe to my right side. I will breathe bi-laterally for at least a few hundred yards in each workout to keep the skill sharp, however I just simply prefer to breathe to my right side. So what does all that mean for you – Is bi-lateral breathing an absolute must have? That depends largely on your goals. If you have Kona aspirations or the desire to stand on the overall podium, then yes, BL breathing is kind of a mandatory thing. Otherwise, bi-lateral breathing is negotiable.

So let’s get down to the meat of the matter and begin to talk about actual workouts. The first question generally is, “How far should I swim?” As a VERY general rule of thumb for a triathlete (remember we are training for a triathlon, not a swim meet), to build proper endurance you want to be training 1.5-2.0 times the length of the swim segment of your longest race distance during the season 3-4 times per week. Then, if you want to get fast, you need to double that (for the record, my definition of 'fast' in this context is less than 1:15/100 yards which would equal about a 20:20 Olympic swim or a 52:30 Ironman swim). So, the translation - you would like to do an Olympic triathlon this season where the swim is approximately one mile (actually 0.93 miles) = 1,500 meters = 1,650 yards. That means you should be swimming a minimum of 2,475 - 3,300 yards per workout three times, preferably 4 times a week (don't know if you are training in a 25 yard or 50 meter pool but short course pools are more common so I did the math for yards). If you want to finish front of pack then those numbers need to at least double to 4,950-6,600 yards per workout. There are a number of coaches that would have you break the total yards per week into a long, medium and short swim. I am not so sure I agree with that line of thinking. I am a supporter of not doing the same workout every time you are in the water. I think changing up the workouts pretty much accomplishes the same thing as having the long, medium, and short plans.

So now let’s try and put this all together into something meaningful. If I were your swim coach, here is what I would recommend –

First, you have approximately 12 weeks before your possible Olympic triathlon so I would do a reset to make sure technique is correct. For the next two weeks, 3 workouts per week, during week 1 do 700 yards per workout, week 2 do 900 yards per workout. The ONE AND ONLY GOAL of these workouts is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT STROKE TECHNIQUE. Something along the lines of 100 yard EASY warm-up. Then (week one 8 reps),(week two 12 reps) x 50 with 1:00 rest between intervals. Follow that with a 200 EASY cool-down. It is VERY important to understand, the point of this is not to ‘workout’ per se. The goal is to commit PERFECT stroke technique to muscle memory. If you fatigue to the point that your stroke breaks down, get out of the water, go home, and try again tomorrow. I am absolutely serious when I say that. You are doing yourself a disservice is you continue to swim with less than perfect technique. The whole point of this two week period is to develop technique so if it takes you 5 minutes to complete a 50 (OK, I am kidding but you get my point) that is OK. Don’t worry about pace, worry about technique. The real goal of this phase is to develop your technique to the point that it is ‘stored in muscle memory so when technique breaks down due to fatigue, it breaks down to perfect technique.

Next I would have you do four weeks of “Extensive Endurance Training,” by which I mean sets of repetitions that, in total, are longer than your planned swim race distance at a steady, comfortable pace with 1:00 rest between intervals. You want the rest period to be sufficiently long that your HR can return to what I term the “base heart rate.” You can determine your base heart rate by taking your pulse at the end of an EASY warm-up. Over time, you will notice your HR returning to the base rate much more rapidly, an indication that your endurance is improving. Most HR monitors don’t work underwater so learning to take your carotid pulse is a handy skill to have. In this phase, switch things up, maybe alternate between [200 easy warm-up, then 10 x 200 with 1:00 rest, followed by 200 cool-down – 2,400 total yards], and then next time maybe [200 easy warm-up, then 10 x 100 with 1:00 rest, followed by easy 200 swim, followed by another 10 x 100 with 1:00 rest, then 200 easy cool-down – 2,600 total yards]. If need be, you can shorten to less repetitions and build as your fitness improves. With each succeeding week, reduce the rest by 10 seconds. During this phase, the primary focus is building endurance and stroke technique. Note there is not a repetition time, rather a rest time. The same thing applies here, if you fatigue to the point that your technique begins to break down, take a longer rest period. If that does not restore your technique, get out of the water, go home, and try again tomorrow.

Ideally you will add a couple hundred yards per week to each workout so your total volume is increasing week to week. If there is any way to have someone video tape you in the water so you can send me a video every couple of weeks, that will help to make sure technique is where it needs to be.

At the end of all of that you will be to the end of July. At that point we will want to do either a CSS test or a 1,000 yard time trial. I am leaning towards the CSS test as it is a bit easier to accomplish and much quicker to recover from. Either test will help us determine your threshold pace. Threshold pace is the pace you can theoretically hold for a VERY long period of time. From that we can structure Intermediate Endurance and Intensive endurance sessions (the painful “vomit reps” that develop speed) that will last 2-3 weeks and then a taper for the race.

One final word. You have done a couple long swims. You DO NOT need to do any more 1,000 yard swims or mile long swims in training unless you are doing a time trial. Really long swims like that are boring and they don’t really accomplish that much except to prove to you that you can do the distance, which you have already done.

Hopefully all of this will give you a couple things to think about. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Scott -

Congratulations on your first triathlon!  Glad to hear the croc eyes worked for you.

Edited to add -

And double congratulations for getting second in your age group!  Why cloud the issue with how many people were competing.

Oh shoot!  I need to go get my eyes checked again and get my prescription updated.  I thought I just read that Judi set a new swimming PR.

GREAT job Judi.  Maybe not such a bad swimmer as you like to profess?

Congrats on that first triathlon Scott I!!   Way to go with the swim PR Judi!!

I did an Oly on Sunday.  The weather was kind of nasty for a couple of days prior to the race and they ended up canceling the swim - waves were big enough that they could not get the buoys to stay in place.   Instead they substituted a 3.5 km run for the swim.   

3.5 km run:         18:07

T1:                          3:28

40 km bike:     1:09:07

T2:                          1:11

10 km run:          51:11

Total time:       2:23:04

That was good enough for 18/53 in the 50's age group and 142/326 overall.    My right hip started hurting (a dull ache) at about 2km into the first run, but it stayed at a constant level and I decided to keep going.   I really took my time in T1 though and did a little stretching before coming out on the bike leg.   I was very happy with the bike leg and with the running (not bad considering how little I have run in the past 6 weeks).   Give me a couple days to come up with a race report and I will bore you with all the gory details.

Wow – lots of great racers this weekend!

Scott I – congrats on your first tri! And on the 2^nd place AG!

Judi – congrats on the swim PR!

Scott K – I’ll get back to you after I read the “book”. I was back in the pool yesterday and have some questions for you if you don’t mind.

Dan – Great job on the triathlon-turned-duathlon.

My race went pretty well. It was small (lots of other races this weekend) but well run and the course was really nice. I didn’t finish last although I was close – 61 out of 70 overall, but 2^nd of 4 in my AG! I actually passed a few people on the bike course so was able to make up some time there. And I realized during the last couple miles on the bike that I didn’t have to run afterwards (so used to finishing the bike and trying to run after) so I pushed the pace a little bit. I got up to about 21 mph – which I know is normal for a lot of people but it’s smoking fast for me on the bike. Full race report is posted if you want the details race report. I hope they do this race again next year – I really enjoyed it.

Janet

Hi Bill – and everyone else,

Fair warning! This is a book. If you don’t have time, you might want to come back when you have a few minutes.

The first question generally is, “How far should I swim?” As a VERY general rule of thumb for a triathlete (remember we are training for a triathlon, not a swim meet), to build proper endurance you want to be training 1.5-2.0 times the length of the swim segment of your longest race distance during the season 3-4 times per week. Then, if you want to get fast, you need to double that (for the record, my definition of 'fast' in this context is less than 1:15/100 yards which would equal about a 20:20 Olympic swim or a 52:30 Ironman swim). So, the translation - you would like to do an Olympic triathlon this season where the swim is approximately one mile (actually 0.93 miles) = 1,500 meters = 1,650 yards. That means you should be swimming a minimum of 2,475 - 3,300 yards per workout three times, preferably 4 times a week (don't know if you are training in a 25 yard or 50 meter pool but short course pools are more common so I did the math for yards). If you want to finish front of pack then those numbers need to at least double to 4,950-6,600 yards per workout. There are a number of coaches that would have you break the total yards per week into a long, medium and short swim..