Sheila Taormina's new Book: Swim Speed Secrets for Triathletes. (Page 2)

I'll bite. Thanks for the enthusiastic recommendations. With my first race still 4 months away, I have time to both read the book AND try to incorporate its advice!

Now, Sheila's biggest challenge will be: can she drill through my thick and stubborn skull and in any way alter the form I seem so stuck in, without actually being in the pool with me to yank my arms into proper position...?

Add me to the list of folks who jumped in and bought the book.  At this point I will take any and all help I can get at speeding up my swim! 

Since others mentioned Chrissie's book, I hope to go meet her at her signing in MD and pick up her book there, all while trying not to be the shy, nearly speechless because I have no idea what meaningful thing to say (but saying trite, overused sayings when I do speak) goober that I turn into when I am in the presence of someone I really admire.

That is so cool! I wish I could go to one of the signings....nearest one is a 4 hour drive though on a weekday. I have no idea what I'd say either, but I'm sure by now she's used to just about everything. Have fun and snag a photo if you can!

I am one of those having trouble getting past 2 minutes and thought it was my pull since I know I pull with straight arms. If you have other suggestions on what I need to work on please pass on as I am all ears at this point.

Not bad at all, and can get faster pretty quick.  Besides the low elbows during the pull (i.e. need to work on the catch), you're head is high in the water and your lower half is correspondingly low.  Your kick is a bit too big, but the first order of business is fixing that body position.  You can improve times very quickly by getting your lower half up (i.e. get your butt up).

BTW, TriAya - specifically what do you think of this book for the fairly decent swimmer?  We are about the same level and your opinion from that perspective would be very helpful.

I've shared and discussed parts of the book (in hand) with an Olympic swimmer (finalist) and two world open-water record holders (one a former pool record holder). All three (still swimming, one in triathlon) had a-ha moments about their own swimming.

It's changed the way I swim and changed the way I coach.

I'll include a quote from the book: "You may be on the verge of cracking into the very top of the elite ranks but wonder how you are going to climb the next rung ... this book will help you do that."

That is some seriously confident language, but she's the most honest person I know, and the book, and my experience with sharing its insights backs that claim up.

For those who are newer and uncertain, I will address that in another post, as Suzanne (AdventureBear) also brought up some thoughts about that.

I've done some editing to more concisely address some points AdventureBear brought up.

Not at all. She specifically addresses those new to swimming in her intro, and in the final chapter she notes as those she assumes reading the book to be: "1. Adults learning to swim" and "3. Swimmers and triathletes who have worked on body position and gliding as their vital element for years."

Call the Suit IS Swim Speed Secrets. Same book, republished and retitled by VeloPress.

She specifically mentions balance in the context of six pages devoted to what she demonstrates is the most important principle in learning to swim well, and thus fast. I think it is up to her readers and those who have tried and taught (successfully or not, but so far I've heard and seen for myself nothing but ravingly positive feedback) her ideas to comment on whether or not it makes sense and most importantly, WORKS.

I would say that identifying balance as the #1 issue in triathletes' swimming is a matter of opinion. There are many very qualified and able coaches--absolutely including yourself--who believe this, and there are many equally so who do not.

To my understanding, Sheila mainly coaches triathletes now, across the spectrum (including physically challenged ones just taking the sport up and not being able to swim at all). In my opinion, both having worked with her and now using the principles in her book as the basis for my own swimming and coaching, she especially (I hesitate to even put "I" in the same sentence) and to some degree I have a pretty good idea of the issues that newer swimmers and particularly triathletes struggle with in learning to swim.

I have no doubt that your approach (which I assume to focus first on balance) works well with athletes you coach. So does hers.

Again, I think this is a matter of opinion. I'm sorry, but I can't agree with a blanket statement that says people struggling to get past 2:00/100 (I'm assuming this is ballpark endurance pace, not all out?) have drag as their main issue. It's probably one of their issues, but whether it's the most important and needs to be addressed first, I couldn't say without seeing them swim.

AdventureBear - 2012-04-28 1:34 AM

TriAya - 2012-04-27 11:11 AM

Again, I think this is a matter of opinion. I'm sorry, but I can't agree with a blanket statement that says people struggling to get past 2:00/100 (I'm assuming this is ballpark endurance pace, not all out?) have drag as their main issue. It's probably one of their issues, but whether it's the most important and needs to be addressed first, I couldn't say without seeing them swim.

I'll accept this challenge...show me the videos at that speed, most swimmers simply don't have the experience or time in the water to have developed good strokes/pulls or kicks. But invariably none of them have good balance. Improve that one thing and everythign else simply works better. THEN take the time to modify the stroke or kick. No swim problem gets fixed immediately and swimmers whose arms are simply slippping back creating no traction at all have a hard time doing anything to improve their swim...but improving traction and perfecting a high elbow catch are two different projects. The first suitable for newer swimmers, the latter suitable for more advanced.

Heh. I think one of the videos currently posted is a classic example, if you look at your own comments, TJ's, and then finally the OP's perception of what his coach (another biggie) told him.

And I think all of them have useful information and valid points that can help, even if they vary regarding the primary issue.

I understand that you are coming from a very different swim coaching approach than Sheila is. I also think that your comment

"displays a lack of understanding of how swimmers move forward simply throwing in a number of different philosophies of forward propulsion without insightful discussion"

is not at all what I see that she's written. I saw an elegant and thoroughly researched, cohesive and clearly demonstrated overarching principle of swimming that makes sense of propulsion in a way that I can actually apply to my swimming and coaching.

This has been a most interesting discussion between the two of you, keep it up! 

Now I'm gonna have to buy the book! 

I'm there!

Bali Ocean Swim 10K, July 7 ... pweeeez come, you can stay at my place! Uh ... I hope you like animals.

Nah, I've thoroughly enjoyed our repartee. I love hearing from the choir, so to speak, but what am I going to learn about my own approach, never mind yours, from that?

ETA: Bali Tri is only two weeks before ... and there's a 1.2K and 5K option at the OWS. No Mickey Mouse affair. Put on by two Olympians one of whom is a gold medalist. 10K winner last year ssssmoked it in at just over 2 hours. That's 1:12/100m.