Like some of you out there, I am not a pure swimmer. Five years ago I couldn't swim 25 m in the pool. Today I can literally swim for miles. My approach to swim training lacks any form of intensity and really has an emphasis on technique and trying to remain as comfortable as possible, if I am comfortable I am smooth in the water.
The approaches I apply the most are those embodied in the Total Immersion Swimming philosophy....no mindless swimming splashing through intervals....this is all practicing struggle in my opinion, at least for me. I work on good balance in the water, tight compact swim stroke, and a well connected kinetic chain between the kick, stroke and rotation. All of this working together allows me to expend as little energy as possible during the swim leg of the triathlon.
For me the more aggressive I am in the water the more my mechanics breakdown and the slower I go and the more energy that is wasted. I basically have one gear for all distances, smooth and comfortable. As far as the kick goes, I spend basically zero time working on my kick, for me my kick is used to stabilise my body in balance in the water with a little propulsion.
So the shorter triathlons, where there is a greater percentage of the event in the water with a need for speed, are not my strength distances. The longer distances where the swim pace is slower and less of a percentage of the event is spent in the water are more playing into my hands....also being strong on the bike and slightly above average runner works well.
My Approach to Swim Training:
- Swim two to three days a week, two days a week before we are able to open water swim, three days a week after we are able to open water swim;
- Two of the three days are in the pool working on technique and some endurance. More technique early in the season, almost all technique actually; and
- One day is a long open water swim based on time and not distance and a focus on good form and being comfortable.
This approach really keeps me connected with good technique, which is fundamentally the most important part of my ability to have a good swim split. I am very cautious about open water swimming as you can ingrain some really bad habits....so limiting it to once a week to get the comfort and confidence for duration is all I need. Getting back in the pool for a couple of good technique sessions will displace any bad habits from the open water swim.
That's it....it is that simple for me.
Note: My PB 400m TT in the pool is 6:36 or a 1:39 min per 100m pace using this approach to swim training.
Mikey
