SWIMMING WITH GROUPS
Joining a competent swim group or U.S. Masters swimming team is a great decision. Swimming with athletes who have more experience than you is helpful in several ways. The group can provide meaningful workout structure, coaches on deck give you instant technique feedback and other swimmers can motivate you to work harder and help with technique issues. Plus, your fellow swimmers can provide camaraderie in a sport where you spend a lot of time staring at a line on the bottom of the pool.
TEST SETS
All these improvements can only be quantified by one thing — the clock. You need to include a test set or workout where you give a particular distance an all-out effort in order to see how your time has improved. You can quantify improvement in technique, speed and endurance with a 400-yard effort. However, if you’re training for longer triathlons, you may want to try an 800-meter or 1,650-yard effort. Swim a meaningful test set every few weeks and keep track of what works.
Marty Gaal, CSCS, is a USA Triathlon-certified coach. He and his wife Brianne coach triathletes through their company, One Step Beyond. Marty has been swimming in ocean competitions since 1986 and racing triathlon since 1989. Read more about the Powerstroke®: Speed through force and form freestyle technique DVD and coaching services at
www.osbmultisport.com and
www.powerstroke-dvd.com.
ELITE TIP
“Sign up for a local area swim meet in the open or masters division. Choose events that are similar to what you would race in your specific triathlon distance, but also switch it up by throwing a few events that you otherwise would never be able to race. Using local swim meets is a great way to test how your swim is progressing. It’s also a fun way to completely leave it all on the line for the swim, because once you touch the wall, there is no bike or run to worry about — you’re finished!”
Jasmine Oeinck,
2009 USA Triathlon Elite National Champion
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