One Year's Difference

good job!!
amazing how far one can come with effort

Every time I open my training log, I am very disappointed with my progress - zero improvement on 100 m swimming over 2 years, and only 10% improvement for 1500 m in the recent half year with my beginner speed.

I'm sorry to hear that. Do you work with a coach? I hired a coach on a one-lesson-per-week basis for like $20 a session for a couple months (actually 40 but I split it with another guy).

Coaches can be expensive (but worth it). I got lucky, my friend's daughter was a pretty successful NCAA swimmer who had just graduated and was a great and inexpensive coach.

Definitely would recommend some coaching or instruction. At anything much over 2 minutes/100m, there is most likely some "low-hanging fruit" where some basic changes in technique would really speed you up. (I have heard anything over 1:30/100m but that seems a bit fast--maybe depends on your age and aerobic fitness. Anyway, even advanced swimmers usually have technique issues that they work on.)

I've been swimming since I was a kid and average about 1:40-1:45/100m (for a long workout) but still found a video analysis (at a training camp) really useful. I didn't so much notice improved top-end speed as better efficiency--with some changes in technique, I can hold proper form and pace for a lot longer before my form falls apart or I slow down (my 1500 pace became my IM pace). That is always welcome, since the point of the tri swim (especially for longer races) is really to exit the water in good form for the next two legs, not unduly exhausted physically or mentally.

There are coaches and coaching outfits that will do video analysis remotely, but I think for someone who may still have major form issues, it would really be more helpful to have someone on deck who can observe what you are doing and give you real-time feedback. Most masters' program (or even youth swim team) coaches are willing to do this for a fee; you could also check with local tri clubs or athletes to see if they can recommend someone.

I was living outside the city in those 2 years therefore I couldn't find swim team / coaches there except travelling 1+ hour to the city. Now I have moved back to the city and joining team training now. Swim training here is expensive - each team training session costs about US$20, and an hour of 1-1 costs about US$100, and there is little competition in the adult market (there are only a handful of clubs here who do masters / triathlon training)

Edited by miklcct 2019-02-03 9:25 PM