In recent years, I’ve been training without a human coach. I use training plans generated by athletica.ai. I don’t need fancy AI features just yet. It works well enough for my endurance. Volume counts.
However, without a coach, improving on technique and speed is much harder. Swimming, for one, is highly dependent on technique.
Swimming is my weakest discipline in triathlon. I only started learning freestyle in late 2019, and I’ve been stuck at a humble pace. When I look at age group performance in an Ironman 70.3 race, I’m usually at the bottom half in swimming (generally around the 70th percentile). For running, I got as high as the 18th percentile on the run leg in a race, and for biking, I got to the 24th percentile (both in the latest race this past weekend).
I am concerned about my performance in the upcoming full Ironman, regarding how long it will take me to swim 3.8 km. If all goes well, I would maintain a 2:30 pace (2 minutes 30 seconds for every 100 meters). If I’m slow that day, I may lose good form and flounder at a 3:00 pace. The difference would be 1:35:00 vs 1:54:00 finish time. That’s a 19-minute difference. Taking the 13-hour target for my upcoming IM, 19 minutes do not seem like a lot. Getting nutrition right and optimizing for a nice bike plus run combination could be more beneficial at this stage.
However, it’s still possible that I waste too much energy in the swim, resulting in feeling more tired than necessary for the bike leg. More swim practice is needed to ensure my muscles aren’t too stretched out and my calorie deficit handling is good enough until I’m on the bike to start munching food.
I have not done enough long-distance swimming, so I decided to get some last-minute help. I asked a coach to come over today. It makes a difference compared to practicing on my own, and there are many benefits. It’s time to note to myself that this is how I can try to coach myself in the future.
First, knowing that a coach will arrive at 7 a.m. helps me show up with a warm-up and on time. I got down early and did dry-land warmups. I typically skip warming up or do it too lightly. It’s easier to remember the warm-up routines now. One thing I can improve on next time is bringing down a stretch strap for arm movement.
Second, I had to do drills that I didn’t enjoy. The kickboard routine is my least favorite. I tire of holding the kickboard while continuously flicking my legs across the 25-meter pool.
Third, no progress without measurement. Doing laps with someone keeping track of the allotted lap time is a great way to gain fitness. For example, I have 60 seconds to do a lap today (which can be adjusted to 55, then 50 seconds in the future). I should swim faster to get more rest time at the end of each lap, but I have to do it without overexerting. I also become more intent on focused recovery in each lap. It forces me to find the right place, become aware of my form, and mentally adjust for the next repetition.
Third, I felt compelled to take notes on the experience, which is the reason for this post. I talk about swimming with increased awareness and admit my current slowness. That also means progress.
Here’s today’s workout. It’s embarrassingly simple for someone who needs to swim 4km, but it’s more about the “feel” factor than endurance at this point, which is less than three weeks from now.
Warmup: 100m warmup (2:25) Drill:
- 8 laps of kicks. 1-minute each (40-50s kick, 20s rest)
- 2 laps of buoys with alternative arm holding kickboard (slow)
- 2 laps of regular swims with buoy as warm-up (36s + rest each)
- 8 laps with buoy. 1min each (37-28s per lap)
- 8 laps without buoy. 1min each (28-30s per lap) 50m breaststroke (1:31) Main:
- 200m (4:30), rest 1min
- 200m (4:33), rest 1.5 min
- 200m (4:24), rest 1min 50m cool down (1:16) Total: 1500m. Time: ~40 min (1-2 min rest between activities)
I wouldn’t have documented this experience if it were not for my daily writing. Cheers to that!
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