Triathlon - Swim Times

Guys,

Lots of information about swimming in various posts in the forum. A contingent is sold on Total Immersion as a beneficial training technic.

However, anecdotal evidence posted by someone regarding improvent is of only limited value without some basis for the rest of us to compare. Additionally, a new program will have some degree of success regardless of the exact program so long as the athlete works a little harder than before and stays the course.

Thus: in the interest for full disclosure, please know that

I am 54, weigh 202 and swim the mile in 28:25. I often swim 2000 meters with a moderate effort in under 38 minutes. I plan to do a Tin Man Tri this summer

If you are swimming a lot, please post your vital information, and a brief statement regarding the training regimine you follow.

Tyson

I think you are doing great - keep it up. I also agree the TI drills are good stuff. I'm pretty slow 5'9", 156lbs, 1600M in open water in 25 - 27 min...faster in a pool. Just to give you an idea a good friend and former training partner and a college swimmer has finished in the top 15 at IM Hawaii a few times...does the 2.4 in something like 47 - 48 min and he's in his like 46 or so now.

Here is my swim regimine I tend to swim 3-days alone and once with a masters swim. I replace one of my weekly swims with an open water race when they start. I also swim year round I have no off season.

1. Use TI drills, I use them before and after every swim except the open water races.

2. Swim with a masters swim at least 1-time a week

3. Challange yourself! Enter and race in swimming specific events. It will not only humble you to swim against real college type swimmers, but you will become a better swimmer because of it, and in the end you will improve as a triathlete.

4. Get Open Water experience. I swim in an open water swim 1-mile, run a 5k race series (for 10-weeks) in late spring/summer every Thursday night. Last year I finished 20th overall in the series out of some 400 who raced in the event and I was pretty happy with that. On any one night there might be 200 or so and the race is a mass start. So you get the bump and grind experience and the transition practice. I'm not the fastest swimmer out there believe me - but as a runner I look forward to the transition where I can run down at least 40 or so people, which is a rush for me. At the same time when I am rounding the last mark heading in on my final 400 the fast swimmers are already out on the run course, which just chaps my butt - damn these guys are pretty good and I suck. Bottom line is I'm just not a gifted swimmer. But if you never challange yourself - you will never improve.

5. Strength Train! The upper body and core work will make you a stronger swimmer, and even more important for some of us who are older.

6. Make your training fun! When I am gearing up for a major tri I add a Sunday workout. I run 4.0 miles to my local rec center. I wear a water bottle belt and stuff my goggles and swim cap in next to the water bottle, I also wear my speedo under my runing shorts. When I get to the rec center I transition as fast as I can, with 10 seconds in the shower - grab my stuff and run out to the pool. I grap a lane (with the least amout of people in the lane) and swim 1600M as fast as I can. If there is someone in my lane they get the hint pretty quick to either move to another lane, or get out. I don't mean to be rude, but this is serious for me and I'm all business when I train and tear it up. When I finish, I transition on the edge of the pool to my run gear and run out the side door. I then run home 4.0 miles as quick as I can. The total time for this workout is what I track week to week - and I make a game out of it to go faster the next week.

7. Treat swimming just like you were training for a marathon. You need general aerobic, intervals/speed work, middle distance, and LSD training - also add the TI drills, in swimming "technique" is everything. You either fight the water or learn to punch the smallest hole and swim with an efficient stroke.
When I was training for IM Hawaii in 2003 - I had all of the key components except the LSD work so it became my focus in 4-months leading up to the race in my M - F workouts. After work I would run 9.0 - 12.0 miles daily. When I got home, I got out of my wet running stuff and headed to the pool. I would crank out somewhere between 4000 - 5,000 meters M-F. For me it was all about building the endurance to swim 2.4 miles hard.

19, 6'2'', 185lb. Two years ago I could do the 1500m fr. short course in sub 17:00, last year 17:15, 17:30 long course. Just got in the water today for the first time in a year, couldn't go further than 4000 - going slow last year I could probably do 10000m. For the record, I swam 11 years of my life, about 6-8 times per week.

I think the key is in the workouts. You'll need distance paced workouts with a bit of speed-play. For instance, you could do 6x200 on 3:10, 3:00, 2:50, 3:10, 3:00, 2:50 or whatever makes the last 200 fast but not overly painful. Another example would be 400s where your split for the second half should be faster than your split for your first half.

Keep up the regular training, and keep it fun - good luck