Swimming tends to be the most difficult leg of a triathlon for athletes. Why is this? I believe it is because people are scared, frustrated, lacking knowledge, or time constrained. For one or more of these reasons athletes don’t master the swim. Even when they get confident in the pool they still struggle in races. So I’m setting out to help you conquer the reason the swim is tough for you.
Swimming is all about being comfortable in the water. If you are scared then you are fighting the water. Did you have a traumatic experience as a kid near water? It could have been in the bathtub or friend’s pool or at the beach. If that experience wasn’t dealt with then you may have a lot of anxiety around water. If this is you then you can’t expect to start swimming laps and training for a triathlon. First you must become comfortable in the water!
How do you get comfortable (if you are already a swimmer these are still great drills for you to work on).
Float on your back
Float on your stomach
Kick on your side with fins on
Sink to the bottom
Bobs
Are you frustrated in the water? Do you feel like you are fighting and getting too tired every time you swim? I’d say that would lead to hating the swim for sure. Once you are comfortable in the water you need to become efficient. Think about how you would feel if you had to ride into a 20mph headwind every time you got on the bike. That is exactly what most people are doing who lack efficiency in the water! There is absolutely NO reason to be frustrated. Anyone can become more efficient in the water, well except may be Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps. The best way to become more efficient is to get a coach to work with you. Shameless plug - I hold swim clinics every fall and winter with a couple of phenomenal coaches - Carol Henry and Brianna Phillips. They are incredibly reasonably priced to rid you of the frustration around swimming. (www.hislopcoaching.com and hislopcoaching on Facebook). There are many great coaches and swim instructors who can really help with getting you efficient, so bump this to the top of your to do list. Sometimes improvement does mean one on one instruction.
So often I see people in the pool training for a triathlon. They are swimming laps and psyched as they hit 500 without stopping and then 1000 and 1500. They get in 3 times a week and swim that distance - non stop. Then they wonder why their swim leg isn’t improving. Why is the swim in the race still hard? If you go out an run 3 miles at 8:30 pace every day you can be pretty confident that you will run an 8:30 pace in your next 5K. Figuring out swim workouts can be tough. Knowing what drills are right for you and how to figure out intervals isn't easy. Another place a coach can help or joining Masters swim. Most people don't realize that masters in swimming is anyone over 25! We have some great masters swim groups at the Southern Saratoga Y on Wednesday mornings at 5:30 am and Tuesday/Thursday from 12-1pm. Both will start up the 2nd week in September.
Time is always an issue with swimming. It takes time to get to the pool, change, swim, change and get on with your day. So try to make your pool trips more effective. Do your strength work after the swim or swim and jump in a spin class. For those who don't love getting wet in the winter a Vasa trainer is an option. The Vasa allows you to swim on dry land with power. It can be an incredibly intense workout and really allows you to perfect your catch and pull. You can sign up for Vasa trainings here.
Swimming is all about being comfortable in the water. If you are scared then you are fighting the water. Did you have a traumatic experience as a kid near water? It could have been in the bathtub or friend’s pool or at the beach. If that experience wasn’t dealt with then you may have a lot of anxiety around water. If this is you then you can’t expect to start swimming laps and training for a triathlon. First you must become comfortable in the water!
How do you get comfortable (if you are already a swimmer these are still great drills for you to work on).
Float on your back
Float on your stomach
Kick on your side with fins on
Sink to the bottom
Bobs
Are you frustrated in the water? Do you feel like you are fighting and getting too tired every time you swim? I’d say that would lead to hating the swim for sure. Once you are comfortable in the water you need to become efficient. Think about how you would feel if you had to ride into a 20mph headwind every time you got on the bike. That is exactly what most people are doing who lack efficiency in the water! There is absolutely NO reason to be frustrated. Anyone can become more efficient in the water, well except may be Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps. The best way to become more efficient is to get a coach to work with you. Shameless plug - I hold swim clinics every fall and winter with a couple of phenomenal coaches - Carol Henry and Brianna Phillips. They are incredibly reasonably priced to rid you of the frustration around swimming. (www.hislopcoaching.com and hislopcoaching on Facebook). There are many great coaches and swim instructors who can really help with getting you efficient, so bump this to the top of your to do list. Sometimes improvement does mean one on one instruction.
So often I see people in the pool training for a triathlon. They are swimming laps and psyched as they hit 500 without stopping and then 1000 and 1500. They get in 3 times a week and swim that distance - non stop. Then they wonder why their swim leg isn’t improving. Why is the swim in the race still hard? If you go out an run 3 miles at 8:30 pace every day you can be pretty confident that you will run an 8:30 pace in your next 5K. Figuring out swim workouts can be tough. Knowing what drills are right for you and how to figure out intervals isn't easy. Another place a coach can help or joining Masters swim. Most people don't realize that masters in swimming is anyone over 25! We have some great masters swim groups at the Southern Saratoga Y on Wednesday mornings at 5:30 am and Tuesday/Thursday from 12-1pm. Both will start up the 2nd week in September.
Time is always an issue with swimming. It takes time to get to the pool, change, swim, change and get on with your day. So try to make your pool trips more effective. Do your strength work after the swim or swim and jump in a spin class. For those who don't love getting wet in the winter a Vasa trainer is an option. The Vasa allows you to swim on dry land with power. It can be an incredibly intense workout and really allows you to perfect your catch and pull. You can sign up for Vasa trainings here.
Coaches make swimming fun!
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