by Coach Suzanne | Jun 15, 2026 | field-notes
Years ago Terry Laughlin told me something that has shaped how I coach ever since.
Terry, founder of Total Immersion, one of the most original thinkers swimming has ever produced, believed that improvements don’t only come from better cues. They come from better sequences. Sequence the cues or focal points well, and elite level skills become accessible for any swimmer.
I’ve tried to pay attention to this principal for years regardless of who I’m coaching. Last Tuesday I witnessed, in real time, a combination of focuses almost assembling itself as two of us took turns assigning swim drills
I volunteer with a local junior triathlon team. One of our athletes, we’ll call him Peter, is a state champion runner. But his swim breathing has been one of his stubborn bad habits keeping him from joining the lead bike back during triathlon races. With Youth and Junior Nationals coming up in just seven weeks, I’ve got limited time to try and contribute to his race performace!
During the first set of one-armed drills, his breathing was suddenly very clean. Low head, long body, the water around him was calm. He looked smoother than some of the faster swimmers, which i found fascinating.
The next drill set, they got two arms back.
And immediately, he lifted head, rushed recovery arm, and looked like he was fighting for every breath. He’s a hard worker and has a ton of energy so he can maintain it for a long time. But it was so different from what he had just done.
Now swimming with 2 arms, his recovery arm seemed to yank out of the water, throwing itself out in front like Count Dracula finishing a cape toss on Sesame Street. The weight of that swinging arm coming forward too soon, folded him into that side on every single stroke, and forced him to lift his head up and over the waves he was creating in order to breath.
He’d proven he didn’t need his arm recovery to breathe cleanly. But the moment it returned, his brain did what brains do and reverted straight to the pattern it already knew.
I improvised by having him do a few press outs on the pool deck to feel his arms straightening against some resistance, hoping he could then straighten his arm more in the pool. With each 50 time stroke improved briefly for about 3/4 of a length, before reverting. I was wondering if we were running out of time to get him really tuned up and bombproof to keep up with the lead swimmers, not just for the swim session that morning, but for nationals. .
Then I gave him one last cue:
“Leave that arm behind you for just a little bit longer.”
He pushed off and started swimming. I folded my arms and smiled. From the next lane a college swimmer stopped at the end of his set.
“Coach Suzanne, what did you have Peter do? He looks really smooth!”
Peter already knew how to breathe well. We just uncovered it by taking things away, then slowly adding them back in.
It wasn’t the last cue that fixed things. It only worked because of everything that came before.
Terry passed away in 2017. I used to love talking with him about these types of lessons after the fact. He would get just as excited about a new sequence that worked for a single athlete as he did about a tested sequence he’d used with thousands.
Nationals is in seven weeks. I know Peter is going to be working hard at every practice.
Will his new breathing skill survive until then?
by Coach Suzanne | May 11, 2026 | Swimming
100% human written, no AI
1) Wash your face with cold water only!
-I’m totally 100% serious about this. if nothing else wash your face with cold water only between now and the race. In studies of cold/ice bath submersion for ankle sprains, the first cold exposure was ranked something like 8/10 in doscomfort. But each oen after that dropped quickly even with no change in the water temperature.
By days 3-5, plunging an ankle into ice cold water rated about a 3-4/10 in discomfort
Just getting yourself exposed to cold water makes a significant difference in how your body perceives the cold. It becomes just a sensation, rather than something uncomfortable. In turn, your stress hormones will be lower and the first 1 or 2 swims more enjoyable!
2) Start taking cold showers this week!
-Again, ‘m totally 100% serious about this. Once you get used to washing your face in cold water once or twice, go for the cold shower! You can start warm, and then go to cold when you finish or do it the other way around. or just go cold from start to finish!
Understand that your skin is a sensory organ. It’s feeling COLD not pain. But those pathways to your brain are shared, so dedicating time to this helps training your nervous system to expect some cold and that it is OK! It may spike your adrenaline briefly, but you’re much much much better having this happen at home where you can simply step out of the shower, than during your swim on race day morning!
3) Warm up before the swim
Physically warm up your body and muscles by doing land based exercise before you get into the water at all. You can do this with our without your swim gear and wetsuit on, but it’s easier to get your swim stuff on before you get sweaty. You will also retain the generated heat by having your swim layers (wetsuit for example) already on.
Do jumping jacks, burpees, a run up and down the parking lot several times and get your heart rate and breathing elevated. This gets blood circulating to your body, gets your heart exposed to the increased blood flow and competition hormones (adrenaline) that anticipate some exciting event is coming up and will help prevent the same heart rate / adrenaline spike from happening once you are already in the water
4) Bring a thermos of warm water
This one is hard too coordinate just right but bring a thermos of warm water with you and pour it inside your wetsuit just before you swim. Neoprine is designed to hold warmth on the inside of the suit, so a warm water bath can pre-warm the inside so that any cold water seeping in is less impactful.
Do you have any other tips for cold water swimming? Let me know what works for you or if any if these tips helped !!
by Coach Suzanne | Mar 18, 2025 | Training
Introduction: The Self-Coaching Dilemma
Many triathletes choose to self-coach—sometimes out of preference, often out of necessity. Hiring a coach can be expensive, and for athletes who enjoy flexibility and independence, managing your own training can be rewarding.
But self-coaching comes with challenges. With so much information out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Without a clear plan, athletes risk training inconsistently, overloading their schedule, or failing to make real progress. And without external accountability, it can be hard to stay on track.
This guide is here to help. Whether you’re new to triathlon or refining your approach, I’ll break down how to plan your season, structure your training, and track progress effectively. The goal? To train smarter, not harder—so you can reach race day prepared and confident.
Let’s get started.
Before diving into training, it’s important to define your why. Are you training to complete your first race? Improve your performance? Stay active and healthy? Your motivation will shape how you plan your season and structure your workouts.
Choosing the Right Races
Picking the right races is the foundation of a well-planned season. Start with these key questions:
- What’s your priority race? This is the event you want to peak for.
- Will you do supporting races? Smaller races can serve as stepping stones, but too many can lead to burnout.
- What distance makes sense? A sprint, Olympic, 70.3, or full Ironman requires different levels of commitment.
A smart approach is to center your training around one main event and, if desired, add one to three supporting races that fit into your overall progression.
How Many Races Should You Do?
There’s no perfect number, but balance is key.
- If you’re doing an Ironman, one or two tune-up races (a sprint or Olympic) can help.
- If you love racing, you can structure a season around a series of similar-distance events rather than a single peak race.
- If you’re new to triathlon, fewer races allow for more focused training.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Trying to peak for every race. Your body can’t hold peak fitness year-round. Overracing leads to fatigue and inconsistent results.
- Overloading the schedule. More races aren’t always better. Too many events can interfere with proper training and recovery.
- Following someone else’s plan blindly. What works for your training partner or favorite pro may not work for you. Your plan should fit your fitness, goals, and lifestyle.
By setting clear goals and planning your season strategically, you’ll train with purpose and avoid common pitfalls that can derail progress.
2. Assessing Your Starting Point: Where Are You Now?
Before building a training plan, you need to understand your current fitness level. Skipping this step can lead to unrealistic expectations, training plateaus, or even injury. A simple self-assessment helps set a realistic starting point and ensures that your training is tailored to your strengths, weaknesses, and available time.
Key Metrics to Measure
Every triathlete has different abilities across swimming, biking, and running. Evaluating where you stand in each discipline will help you structure your training effectively.
- Swim: Can you swim continuously for at least 500 meters? What’s your pacing for 100 meters or 100 yards? If you struggle with endurance, efficiency should be your top focus.
- Bike: Do you know your functional threshold power (FTP) or longest comfortable ride? A strong aerobic base is key for longer races, while power and speed matter more for shorter ones.
- Run: What is your current pace for different distances? Have you had any past injuries that impact your ability to train consistently? Endurance, speed, and durability all factor into your plan.
Additional Considerations
Your fitness level in one sport affects the others. A strong cyclist may have the aerobic base to build run endurance quickly, while a lifelong runner may need more time to develop bike power. Be honest about your background and consider the following:
- Time available to train. Just because you have 15 hours a week doesn’t mean you should use them all. Consistency matters more than volume.
- Age, injury history, and experience level. Older athletes may need more recovery, and those with past injuries should structure their plan around avoiding setbacks.
- How fitness in one sport carries over to another. Endurance training in one discipline helps overall aerobic fitness, but skills like swim technique or cycling power don’t automatically transfer.
Taking the time to assess your starting point helps avoid common mistakes, like ramping up training too quickly or following a plan that doesn’t match your current ability. A realistic foundation leads to steady progress, better race results, and a more enjoyable training experience.
3. Structuring Your Training Season: Building a Strong Foundation
A well-structured season isn’t just about logging miles—it’s about progressing systematically to ensure steady improvement while minimizing fatigue and injury. Training should be broken into distinct mesocycles, each with a specific focus, so you arrive at race day in peak condition. Skipping phases or pushing intensity too soon can lead to burnout or plateauing before your goal event.
Mesocycles: Phases of a Training Season
Each mesocycle lasts between two to four months and gradually shifts the focus of training. These phases ensure you develop endurance, strength, speed, and efficiency at the right time for optimal race performance.
Foundation Phase (2-4 Months, Early Season)
Goal: Establish a broad endurance and strength base before adding intensity.
Focus Areas:
- Aerobic base—building cardiovascular fitness with low-to-moderate intensity work.
- General endurance—longer-duration efforts at controlled paces.
- Global power—introducing strength and low-intensity power work without overloading the system.
Preparatory Phase (2-3 Months, Mid-Season)
Goal: Bridge the gap between base training and race-specific intensity.
Focus Areas:
- Strength endurance—developing fatigue resistance with longer, moderate-intensity efforts.
- Speed endurance—progressing to sustained high-intensity work to prepare for race demands.
Specialization Phase (1-3 Months, Pre-Race Season)
Goal: Peak for competition with race-specific workouts.
Focus Areas:
- Race simulations—controlled efforts to identify strengths and weaknesses.
- Progressive race-pace training—increasing duration and intensity to mimic race conditions.
- Peak workouts—sharpening speed and fitness with strategic tapering.
Additionally, this phase includes specialized work such as:
- Power—developing high-intensity output with short intervals.
- Skill & efficiency—refining mechanics to maximize race-day performance.
Additional Training Phases
Beyond the main mesocycles, certain phases play a crucial role in a balanced training plan:
- Transition Phase: Recovery period between seasons or following an intense training block.
- Strength Training: Integrated throughout the season with shifting emphasis depending on the phase.
Applying This Structure to Your Season
Every triathlete follows the same fundamental training principles, but how these phases are applied depends on experience level, race schedule, and goals. A first-time Ironman finisher needs a different approach than a collegiate triathlete racing sprint distances or an experienced age-grouper targeting multiple peaks in a season. Here’s how the mesocycles adapt to different scenarios:
Here is a general overview of what to focus on in each mesocycle:
- Early Season (Foundation Phase): Higher volume, lower intensity, skill development.
- Mid-Season (Preparatory Phase): Moderate volume, increasing intensity, race prep.
- Late Season (Specialization Phase): Race simulation, sharpening, tapering for peak performance.
This structured progression ensures that you don’t plateau too soon or overtrain before race day. By following a phased approach, you’ll steadily build fitness, sharpen your skills, and arrive at your key race ready to perform at your best.
Applying This Structure to Different Types of Triathletes
NCAA Triathlete Competing in Sprint-Distance Events
- Early Season (Foundation Phase): Moderate volume, lower intensity, skill development in all three disciplines. Strength training for power and injury prevention.
- Mid-Season (Preparatory Phase): Increased intensity with threshold and race-pace intervals. Focus on transitions and pacing strategies. First races used as benchmarks.
- Late Season (Specialization Phase): Race sharpening with short, high-intensity efforts. Minimal tapering, as peak performance is needed across multiple events.
Adult-Onset Athlete Training for Their First Ironman
- Early Season (Foundation Phase): Higher volume, lower intensity. Focus on aerobic endurance, swim technique, and bike durability.
- Mid-Season (Preparatory Phase): Long endurance efforts, brick sessions, and race fueling practice. Progressive race-specific intensity introduced.
- Late Season (Specialization Phase): Peak long sessions before tapering. Race-specific workouts fine-tune pacing, nutrition, and mental preparation.
Experienced Age Grouper Peaking for Multiple Olympic-Distance Races
- Early Season (Foundation Phase): Balanced training across all three sports, with moderate volume and a mix of endurance and technique work. Strength work emphasized early.
- Mid-Season (Preparatory Phase): Intensity increases with threshold and speed sessions. Early-season races used for pacing and strategy refinement. First peak race near the end of this phase.
- Late Season (Specialization Phase): Training structured around race schedule. Volume and intensity fluctuate, with strategic tapering for priority events.
Conclusion: Building a Strong Foundation
A successful season starts with clear goals, an honest fitness assessment, and a structured training plan. Whether you’re training for your first Ironman, racing multiple Olympic-distance events, or competing at the NCAA level, a well-organized season ensures steady progress and reduces the risk of burnout or injury.
But planning is just the beginning. In Part 2, we’ll get into the details of structuring workouts, tracking progress, and making smart adjustments along the way.
by Coach Suzanne | Sep 4, 2024 | Swimming
Triathletes come from a variety of backgrounds, and swimming is often the most challenging discipline for many. While some swimmers move through the water smoothly and efficiently, others seem to struggle yet were determined to improve.
For those who are new to swimming, it can be a tough discipline to master. Even for experienced swimmers, swimming efficiently—using as little energy as possible—is crucial, especially in triathlons where conserving energy for the bike and run is essential.
The Importance of Swimming Efficiency
Swimming fast doesn’t necessarily mean swimming well. The key to swimming efficiently lies in reducing the energy you expend in the water, which directly impacts how much energy you’ll have left for the rest of your race. It’s not about who was a high school swim champion or who has the fastest sprint time—it’s about who can maintain a strong, efficient stroke throughout the entire swim leg, leaving enough in the tank for the bike and run.
Understanding Drag and Its Impact
Why are human swimmers so inefficient? The answer lies in understanding the types of drag that affect your swimming. There are three main types:
- Form Drag: Caused by non-streamlined body parts like your shoulders, legs, and arms. When these parts are out of alignment, they create resistance that slows you down. The good news is that form drag is the easiest to correct by improving your body alignment in the water.
- Wave Drag: This occurs when movements or strokes create waves and splashes, reducing your efficiency. If you hear a lot of noise or see water splashing around you, that’s wave drag in action.
- Friction Drag: This relates to the surface over which the water flows. Wearing baggy swimsuits or not streamlining your body creates more friction, increasing drag. Opt for swimwear designed for minimal resistance to improve your efficiency.
Think of aquatic mammals like dolphins or seals—they glide through the water with minimal effort because their bodies are perfectly streamlined for aquatic environments. By contrast, humans lose significant energy to drag, making efficiency even more critical.
Tailoring Your Swimming Goals to Your Ability
To improve your swimming, it’s important to set goals that match your current skill level. Here’s a general guide:
- Fundamental Swimming Goals – Improve Efficiency: Focus on maximizing streamlining, minimizing fatigue, imprinting correct neuromuscular programming, and creating a stroke that is sustainable over longer distances and faster tempos.
- Intermediate Swimming Goals – Develop Gears: Work on stroke counting at various speeds, learn to adjust your speed by varying your recovery rate, and practice choosing and executing a specific stroke count.
- Advanced Swimming Goals – Add Fluency to Your Gears: Practice changing pace with fixed stroke counts, create speed by combining longer strokes with faster tempos, and use a tempo trainer to improve your form across a range of speeds.
When Does Speed Come Into Play?
Speed is a natural concern for many swimmers, but it’s important to understand that fitness follows the skills you are working on. For novice swimmers, focusing on time-based goals without a solid foundation of technique can reinforce bad habits. Instead, focus on balance, streamlining, and relaxation. As your efficiency improves, so will your speed.
For more advanced swimmers who have developed a smooth, efficient stroke, incorporating speed work with a focus on form can help build fitness and speed. However, even the most advanced swimmers benefit from continually refining their technique.
Ultimately, speed is the outcome of focusing on form, efficiency, and skill during training. By making these your priorities, you’ll find that your times improve naturally as your stroke becomes more effective.
by Coach Suzanne | Sep 2, 2024 | Triathlon
Understanding Metabolic Efficiency: A Game Changer for Endurance Athletes
Metabolic efficiency is a key concept for endurance athletes looking to optimize their performance and energy management. It refers to how efficiently your body uses its internal stores of carbohydrates and fat at different exercise intensities and even at rest. Normally, our bodies burn a mix of these fuels to power daily activities and exercise. However, as exercise intensity increases, the body naturally shifts to burning a higher percentage of carbohydrates and less fat. This shift is why athletes can “bonk” or hit a wall during long training sessions or races when their glycogen (carbohydrate) stores become depleted after a couple of hours of intense exercise.
But what if you could train your body to burn more fat at higher intensities, preserving glycogen and delaying that dreaded energy crash? Through strategic nutrition and exercise adaptations, it’s possible to enhance your body’s ability to burn fat, making you more metabolically efficient. This shift not only helps prevent the bonk but can also reduce the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) distress during exercise, improve body composition, and enhance overall health.
The Problem with the Standard American Diet
The standard American diet is heavily centered on carbohydrates, leading to metabolic inefficiency. Many people are accustomed to consuming large amounts of foods rich in refined sugars and carbs, such as breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, snack bars, and sweetened beverages. Even seemingly healthy options like flavored yogurt, salad dressings, and energy bars often contain hidden sugars. This constant intake of carbohydrates trains the body to rely primarily on carbs for fuel, reducing its ability to burn fat efficiently. This dependency on carbohydrates can lead to several issues, including increased need for supplemental carbs during exercise, higher risk of GI distress, and challenges with maintaining a healthy body weight and composition.
How to Improve Your Metabolic Efficiency
Becoming more metabolically efficient starts with making smarter dietary choices. Begin by reducing your intake of added and refined sugars. For example:
- Swap flavored yogurt for plain yogurt topped with fresh berries.
- Replace granola bars with a handful of raw nuts for your afternoon snack.
- Ditch sugary drinks in favor of water, perhaps with a spritz of lime or lemon for flavor.
- Opt for plain oatmeal (rolled or steel-cut) topped with cinnamon, butter, and nuts instead of flavored varieties.
Additionally, pay attention to food labels, especially on savory products like soups, sauces, and dressings, which often contain hidden sugars. If you’re struggling to find a salad dressing without added sugar, mix up a homemade option using olive oil combined with vinegar or lemon juice.
What’s Next?
In the next article in our Metabolic Efficiency series, we’ll explore how excessive sugar and carbohydrates in the diet can lead to weight gain and various health issues, and what you can do to mitigate these risks.
References for Further Reading
- Bob Seebohar: Metabolic Efficiency Training – Learn from the pioneer of metabolic efficiency training on how to optimize your diet and exercise routine for better fat utilization.
- UCAN: Metabolic Efficiency Training 101
This article from UCAN provides an excellent introduction to metabolic efficiency training, explaining how athletes can train their bodies to use fat as a primary fuel source, thus conserving glycogen and improving endurance performance. It covers the basics of metabolic efficiency, how to adapt your diet and exercise routine, and the benefits of becoming metabolically efficient.
by Coach Suzanne | Sep 1, 2024 | Testing
Starting Your Triathlon Season Right: The Importance of Performance Testing
As the new year begins, many triathletes and cyclists are eager to jump back into training. December often marks the start of a focused training period, with a solid three months of winter conditioning and base building. This preparation is crucial for setting yourself up for a successful 6-12 week block in early spring that gets you race-ready. But how do you know where to start, or what you should be focusing on? That’s where performance testing comes in.
Performance testing at the start of your training year helps you understand your current fitness level, set realistic short- and long-term goals, and establish a baseline for future assessments. By knowing exactly where you stand, you can tailor your training to your needs and maximize your potential for the upcoming season.
Field Testing: A Practical Approach for Triathletes
Field testing is a straightforward and accessible way to gauge your fitness. It only requires your training equipment and a suitable location—such as a track for running or a low-traffic road for cycling. The main objective of field testing is to estimate your Functional Threshold, which represents the highest intensity you can sustain for an hour.
Several field testing protocols exist, often involving shorter time trials that are used to estimate your hour-long intensity. Essential tools for field testing include a heart rate monitor, a GPS watch or cycling computer for distance measurement, and, if possible, a power meter for cycling. Field testing is particularly valuable because it can be repeated frequently (every 4-8 weeks) to track your progress without the need for expensive or invasive equipment.
Laboratory Testing: Detailed Insights into Your Physiology
For those looking for more detailed data, laboratory testing offers an in-depth look at your physiology. This type of testing can be invasive or non-invasive. Invasive testing, such as lactate threshold testing, involves taking small blood samples during exercise to measure lactate levels. Non-invasive tests, like VO2 Max and ventilatory threshold testing, use sophisticated equipment to analyze the air you breathe during incremental exercise.
Both lactate and VO2 testing help estimate your exercise threshold—the intensity you can sustain for an extended period. These tests are usually conducted on a treadmill or cycling ergometer, with measurements taken at various stages of increasing intensity. The results provide a comprehensive profile of your aerobic capacity and metabolic efficiency, which can be used to fine-tune your training plan.
Which Testing Method is Right for You?
Field testing is practical, cost-effective, and can be done as often as needed to monitor your progress. It doesn’t require specialized equipment or trained professionals to interpret the data. Even if you opt for laboratory testing, it’s recommended to also perform regular field tests to validate your lab results and track your improvement over time.
Laboratory testing, while more expensive and complex, offers unique insights that can’t be obtained through field testing alone. For instance, lactate testing gives you precise data on how your body metabolizes carbohydrates, which can be invaluable for optimizing your nutrition and pacing strategies. VO2 testing, on the other hand, provides a clear picture of your aerobic capacity and potential as an endurance athlete.
However, it’s important to remember that all tests—whether field or lab-based—are approximations of your current fitness level. The key is to use these tests to establish a baseline and then use that information to guide your training and improve your performance throughout the season.
Further Reading and Resources
- TrainingPeaks: How to Perform an FTP Test – A detailed guide on how to conduct a Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test, which is a common field testing method for cyclists and triathletes.
- Joe Friel: The Importance of VO2 Max Testing – Renowned coach Joe Friel explains the value of VO2 Max testing and how it can be used to enhance your training and racing performance.
by Coach Suzanne | Aug 31, 2024 | Swimming, Triathlon
The Challenge of Swimming Straight for Triathletes
For many triathletes, swimming straight in open water can be one of the most frustrating aspects of the sport. Despite strong fitness and training, even a slight deviation from a straight line can lead to significant time losses and extra fatigue during a race. While pool swimmers can rely on lane lines to guide them, triathletes must navigate without such aids, making stroke efficiency and alignment even more crucial. One of the main culprits of swimming off-course is the “crossover effect.”
Understanding and Correcting the Crossover Effect
The crossover effect happens when your hand crosses the centerline of your body during the stroke. This is a natural tendency due to the way our shoulder joints are oriented and how we use our arms in daily life—reaching forward in activities like typing, driving, or even shaking hands. When this habitual movement pattern carries over into swimming, it causes your strokes to push water diagonally instead of straight back, leading you to veer off-course.
This misalignment wastes energy and slows you down, but the worst part is that it often goes unnoticed until you see it on video or feel it during a swim. The result? Your hard-earned speed is lost as you zigzag instead of cutting a clean path through the water.
To correct the crossover effect, practice aligning your arms during the recovery and entry phases of your stroke. Imagine your hand extending not directly in front of your chest but slightly to the side, aligned with your shoulder, and parallel to an imaginary lane line. This adjustment might feel strange at first, but it helps keep your momentum moving forward rather than sideways.
Techniques for Staying Straight in Open Water
In open water, where visual cues are limited, it’s essential to maintain straight swimming to conserve energy and stay on course. Beyond correcting the crossover effect, here are some additional tips:
- Use Bilateral Breathing: This allows you to balance your stroke and avoid favoring one side, which can cause you to drift.
- Practice Sighting Regularly: Incorporate sighting into your training so it becomes second nature. Lifting your head briefly to check your direction can prevent you from veering off-course.
- Core Stability: Strengthening your core helps you maintain a streamlined position in the water, reducing the likelihood of wobbling or drifting during your swim.
By addressing these factors in your training, you’ll be better equipped to swim straight in your next triathlon, saving valuable time and energy.
You may enjoy…
Triathlete Magazine: Mastering Open Water Swimming – A comprehensive guide on improving your open water swim, including tips on sighting, stroke technique, and swimming straight.
by Coach Suzanne | Aug 30, 2024 | Swimming, Triathlon
The Importance of Lowering Your Stroke Count
Why would you want to lower your stroke count? Simply put, if your stroke count is too high, it can indicate inefficiencies in your swimming technique. But how do you know if your stroke count is too high?
When swimming at an easy pace, without adding much power, you should be able to glide through the water with relative ease. This ease suggests that you’re well-balanced and streamlined. Everyone has a limit where swimming any slower turns into a drill-like exercise, or where you start to feel like you’re sinking. The stroke count you achieve just above that limit is a good indicator of your efficiency.
Balancing Technique and Power
Stroke count, or strokes per length (SPL), is a reflection of two competing forces: water resistance and stroking force. To lower your stroke count, you can either reduce drag or increase power. In other words, you can improve your streamlining or boost your propulsion.
Here are some key concepts to help you balance the skills needed for speed in swimming:
- Streamlining vs. Power
- Flexibility vs. Mobility
- Slipperiness vs. Strength
Your ideal stroke count will vary based on your height and other factors. For instance, a 5’2? swimmer might aim for a lower-end target of 18 strokes per length, while a 6’2? swimmer might target 15 strokes. If you can’t hit these targets at any speed, it might indicate issues with streamlining or balance, essentially problems with drag.
As your tempo increases, the time between strokes decreases, your travel distance per stroke decreases, and your stroke count goes up. Identifying your upper limit—where you still feel smooth and in control—is crucial. For example, a swimmer might feel comfortable at 21-22 SPL in a short course yard (SCY) pool when swimming at a fast, yet controlled pace.
Control and Improvement
Being able to choose your stroke count at will suggests great control over your form. If your stroke count varies widely at the same sustainable pace (more than 2 SPL), this may indicate poor technique or a technique that isn’t well-ingrained. For example, swimming a 25-yard distance at 30 seconds with an 18 SPL is very different from doing it at 16 or 20 SPL.
The stroke rate ramp test can help determine your current comfort level, but it doesn’t diagnose whether your SPL and tempo ranges are ideal—it only shows what feels good right now. Remember, even if it feels good, there’s always room for improvement unless your technique is perfect.
To illustrate, a 5’3? swimmer might be equally comfortable swimming at 14 SPL or 22 SPL. However, the difference is in speed: at 14 SPL, they might swim 1:50 per 100 yards easily and relaxed, while at 22 SPL, they might swim 1:30 per 100 yards but get tired quickly. For a sustainable 1000-yard swim, they might maintain around 1:40 per 100 yards with an 18/19 SPL, consistently staying within that narrow range.
Finally, if your tempo remains the same, lowering your SPL—by either improving streamlining or adding efficient propulsion—will make you go faster. This is why lowering your SPL should be a key component of your swim practice and improvement exercises.
Drill Set to Lower Stroke Count
You can do this as written for a complete swim session, or decrease the drill repeats or distances to incorporate it as a warmup set for a longer swim.
Sculpt Your Stroke
Total Distance: (1100)
- Warm-Up: 200m easy swim
- Drill 1 (200): 4 x 50 m/yd Swim with Gentle Closed Hand (relaxed fist) for 25, then open hand for 25 (Focus on feeling the water pressure on your forearms during closed fist drill as well as open hand). rest 10 seconds between 50s
- Drill 2 (200): 4 x 50 y/m Swim with One Arm, other arm at side for 25, then swim both arms back. Focus on pausing during the extension to give your body a chance to stabilize before you start your stroke. Breath away from the extended arm. (Alternate each length; focus on balance and reducing drag). rest 15 seconds between 50s
- Drill 3 (300): 4 x 75 y/m as follows: 25 Closed Hand, 25 open hands, 25 swim with slow, deliberate strokes (Count your strokes per length and aim to reduce SPL for each 25). rest 20 seconds between 50s
Cool Down: 200m easy swim
Main Swim Set: Efficient Endurance
Total Distance: 2200 meters
Warm-Up: (400 meters)
- 200m easy swim (focus on streamlining and counting strokes per length)
- 100m kick with a board (maintain balance and reduce drag)
- 100m pull with a buoy (focus on maintaining a long, efficient stroke)
Main Set: (1600 meters)
- 4 x 100m at Moderate Pace (200 meters total)
- Focus on maintaining a consistent stroke count (aim for the SPL you practiced during the drill set).
- Rest: 20 seconds between each 100m.
- 2 x 200m Descending Pace (400 meters total)
- Start at a moderate pace and gradually increase your speed in the second 100m while maintaining or slightly reducing your stroke count.
- Rest: 30 seconds between each 200m.
- 4 x 50m Focused Technique Work (200 meters total)
- Alternate each 50m between a strong, powerful stroke (aim for speed) and a long, smooth stroke (aim to reduce SPL).
- Rest: 15 seconds between each 50m.
- 2 x 300m Aerobic Effort (600 meters total)
- Swim at a steady pace, focusing on maintaining a sustainable stroke count and minimizing drag.
- Rest: 45 seconds between each 300m.
- 1 x 100m Fast Effort (100 meters total)
- Push your speed while keeping your stroke count as low as possible. This is a test of both fitness and technique.
- Rest: 1 minute.
Cool Down: (200 meters)
- 200m easy swim, focusing on relaxing and maintaining a long, efficient stroke.
Key Focus Points During the Main Set:
- Consistency: Maintain a consistent stroke count throughout the main set, aiming to stay within the SPL range you determined during the drill set.
- Efficiency: Emphasize smooth, streamlined swimming, especially during the longer intervals, to conserve energy while maintaining speed.
- Control: Use the descending pace and focused technique work to reinforce the ability to adjust your stroke rate and count based on the pace.
This main set is designed to build endurance while reinforcing the technical improvements from the drill set. It challenges you to maintain efficiency and control as the distance and intensity increase, ensuring that your stroke mechanics remain strong under fatigue.
Bonus Tip: Track Your SWOLF Score
As you progress through these workouts, you may want to track your SWOLF score. SWOLF, short for “Swim Golf,” is a metric that combines your stroke count and time to give you a measure of efficiency. A lower SWOLF score can often indicate more efficient swimming. By paying attention to your SWOLF during the main set, you can gain valuable insights into how well you’re balancing stroke efficiency with speed. For more on how to use SWOLF to improve your swimming, check out this this article.
References
- Chollet, Didier, et al. “The effects of an incremental protocol on arm coordination in front crawl.” Journal of Sports Sciences, vol. 18, no. 4, 2000, pp. 321-330.
- This study examines the relationship between arm coordination, drag, and propulsion in swimming, providing insights into how stroke mechanics affect overall efficiency.
- Costill, David L., et al. “Upper body power as a determinant of swimming performance.” Journal of Swimming Research, vol. 8, 1992, pp. 27-32.
- This paper explores the role of upper body strength and power in swimming, highlighting the balance between force production and streamlining for optimal performance.
by Coach Suzanne | Aug 29, 2024 | Training, vo2, Workouts
Understanding VO2 Max Workouts
VO2 Max workouts push your body to its limit in oxygen consumption, which allows you to run faster, bike harder, and swim with more power than during easy endurance sessions. But the goal isn’t just to hit these high numbers; it’s about how these efforts can enhance your overall performance. Typically, VO2 Max is achieved during an all-out effort lasting 3 to 8 minutes, depending on your genetics and fitness level. While elite athletes may sustain their true VO2 Max for a full 8 minutes, most people find it difficult to maintain such intensity for long.
Only by performing a variety of VO2 Max workouts can you truly understand the effort required and how long you can sustain it. However, holding a VO2 Max interval is challenging and often painful. Fortunately, there are strategies to make these workouts more effective and manageable.
The Power of Interval Training
The key to effective interval training is to use shorter bursts of effort combined with rest periods, allowing you to accumulate more total work than you could in a continuous effort. You can reach your VO2 Max within about 30 seconds of starting an interval at the right intensity. However, once you stop or slow down, your oxygen needs diminish, your heart rate slows, and you’re no longer at VO2 Max. When you begin your next interval, you’re starting with a partially depleted “bucket,” meaning you can reach VO2 Max more quickly if your rest intervals are shorter and more intense.
So, how long should those intervals be? Tabata intervals (10 seconds max, 20 seconds rest) will touch on VO2 Max but are best for anaerobic conditioning. Billat’s 30-30 intervals (30 seconds at VO2 Max, 30 seconds rest) are a great introduction to VO2 Max efforts, especially for beginners or early-season training, with minimal risk of injury. Her research also shows that after a 4-6 week block of VO2 Max work, just 2-3 minutes of VO2 Max work per week can maintain your gains. You can cycle your VO2 work early in the season to see benefits, taper off in the spring, and resume before or during race season. If you can tolerate longer intervals (2, 3, 5 minutes or more) at your VO2 Max power, you’ll pack in the most time at this high intensity.
Measuring Your Progress
When deciding on the power level for your intervals, your 5-minute power output is a close estimate of your VO2 Max effort. While true VO2 Max can only be confirmed through lab testing, using your 5-minute power as a target for VO2 intervals is a practical approach. The key is to apply physiology correctly, have a plan, and track your progress. One way to measure progress is to complete a 4-6 week block of VO2 intervals, then reassess your all-out 5-minute power or see how long you can sustain a specific power output after the training block.
Integrating VO2 Max intervals into your training can significantly boost your performance. Whether you focus on shorter or longer intervals, the most important part is to have a clear plan and consistently measure your progress.
Six Workouts Every Triathlete Should Do
These workouts are designed to push your VO2 Max by incorporating intervals that challenge your cardiovascular and muscular systems, improving your ability to sustain higher intensities over time.
Swimming VO2 Max Workouts
- 30-30 Intervals (Billat’s Style)
- Warm-Up: 400m easy swim
- Main Set: 10 x 50m at VO2 Max effort (about 90-95% of your maximum effort) with 30 seconds easy swimming or complete rest between intervals.
- Cool Down: 200m easy swim
- 3 x 300m VO2 Max Repeats
- Warm-Up: 400m easy swim
- Main Set: 3 x 300m at VO2 Max effort with 4 minutes rest between intervals. Aim to keep your pace consistent across all three intervals.
- Cool Down: 200m easy swim
Biking VO2 Max Workouts
- 5 x 3 Minute VO2 Max Intervals
- Warm-Up: 15-minute easy spin, gradually increasing intensity
- Main Set: 5 x 3 minutes at VO2 Max effort (aim for 110-120% of your FTP) with 3 minutes easy spinning between intervals.
- Cool Down: 10-minute easy spin
- 30-30 Intervals
- Warm-Up: 15-minute easy spin
- Main Set: 10 x 30 seconds at VO2 Max effort (around 120% of FTP) with 30 seconds easy spinning. Repeat for 3 sets with 5 minutes easy spinning between sets.
- Cool Down: 10-minute easy spin
Running VO2 Max Workouts
- 6 x 3 Minute VO2 Max Intervals
- Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes of easy running with some dynamic stretches
- Main Set: 6 x 3 minutes at VO2 Max effort (around 3k to 5k race pace) with 3 minutes of easy jogging between intervals.
- Cool Down: 10-minute easy jog
- 10 x 400m VO2 Max Repeats
- Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes of easy running with strides
- Main Set: 10 x 400m at VO2 Max effort (about 90-95% of your maximum pace) with 1-minute rest or slow jogging between intervals.
- Cool Down: 10-minute easy jog
Do you have a favorite VO2 workout? Let me know in the comments!
Read up on the science behind Vo2 Max intervals:
Daniels, Jack. Daniels’ Running Formula. 3rd Edition, Human Kinetics, 2013.
Billat, Véronique L., et al. “Interval Training at VO2max: Effects on Aerobic Performance and Overtraining Markers.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 31, no. 1, 1999, pp. 156-163.
Laursen, Paul B., and Martin, D. C. “Training for Intense Exercise Performance: High-Intensity or High-Volume Training?” Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, vol. 19, no. 1, 2009, pp. 1-10.
Seiler, Stephen. Interval Training, Long Slow Distance, and the Science of Endurance Training. Sports Science Exchange, Gatorade Sports Science Institute, 2010.
by Coach Suzanne | Jun 20, 2023 | Swimming
Swim Straight! How to Master Sighting in Open Water
When swimming in open water, sighting is a crucial skill that allows you to keep a straight course and stay on target. Seeing the horizon is more than just looking up; it is also about minimizing disturbances to your swimming rhythm while spotting the horizon efficiently. We’ll discuss how to incorporate effective sighting techniques into your training routine in order to navigate open waters with precision in this article.
1. Quick Spotting:
You can spot your reference points while swimming by taking brief, quick glances forward without interrupting your stroke when you sight. As you continue swimming, let your visual cortex process the information while you glance forward and return your head smoothly to the water instead of holding your head up for extended periods.
Try this on dry land first when you arrive at your swim spot, whether it’s a pool, lake or ocean. First close your eyes and generally face a direction that has some interesting objects in the distance. This could be the buoys on your swim course, a marina, a parking lot or a group of people. Don’t study the area first before closing your eyes…that’s cheating! Close your eyes first and then rotate your body to facd the direction you’ve chosen, or you can have a friend help point you the right way, while taking turns.
You can also try this right where you are reading this article…when you’re ready, do NOT look up from your screen without first closing your eyes. Close your eyes THEN lift your head to face any direction that you know has some objects in front of you.
Now with your eyes closed, open and close them as quickly as you can and keep them closed. Don’t open your eyes, look around and close them again, you’re simply going to blink once, eyes open then closed again. With your eyes closed, you’ll have a visual memory of what you just saw even if you can’t identify specific objects. If you are doing this with a partner, describe what you saw. If on a swim course, you’ll probably want to identify the buoys right? Now decide what additional information you want to gather for your 2nd blink. Do you need to rotate your head a little to face a specific direction so whatever you’re trying to gather information about is more in front of you? Did you see colors but you’re not sure what the colors are? Did you see a car but thought there may be more?
Repeat the blink again, keeping your eyes closed when you’re done. You can blink at a speed that allows you to “see” more, but remember that after you close your eyes, you continue to “see” what was there. If the lighting is bright enough you may even notice a literal impression on your retina after your eyes are closed. it takes several seconds for the cells on the back of the eye to revert back to their neutral state, and during that time, you’re brain is still getting the signal of what was imprinted on the retina.
Ok, try it a 3rd time and gather any additional information that you can. Finally, open your eyes and survey what is in front of you. How accurate was your minds eye after your eyes were closed? Keep this in mind when sighting. You don’t have to “see” or even “look” for navigational cues while swimming…just use your visual memory after a quick peek (or even a blink) during your peek above the surface and you’ll save energy and swim much smoother.
2. Identify Contrasting Elements:
Look for things that are easily distinguishable, such as bright orange or yellow buoys, fellow swimmers’ caps, tree lines, or areas where water meets land. Try to spot any contrasting objects in front of you first, then refine what you see on a subsequent sighting opportunity by focusing on a narrower target in the direction you are going to swim. Like the blink exercise above, you may notice that high contrast leaves an imprint on your retina after you close your eyes. You’re not only remembering what you saw…but even after your eyes are closed, you can still “see” what the retina was exposed to as if the scene were on the back of your eyelids.
3. Maintaining Proper Body Position:
Keep your mouth and nose below the waterline when sighting, ensuring only your eyes and forehead break the surface. Maintaining a streamlined body position keeps your head low and keeps your hips from dropping, allowing you to swim efficiently. Breathing can be incorporated in two basic ways after the sight. The first option is my preferred way – after sighting with the “alligator eyes” relax your neck muscles and regain your balance in the water by letting your face fall back towards the bottom of the lake / ocean. Then take a normal breath on a subsequent stroke. This reduces the amount of disruption in your balance and alignment since you have a chance to regain perfect body alignment after the sighting, and before the next breath.
The second way is best for people who already have good to great swim form, can take a breath in the pool (under still perfect conditions) with their goggles splitting the water surface and breathing behind your bow wave, and who do not have any neck injuries, chronic neck pain, disc issues or neck arthritis. After your quick “alligator eyes” peek, simply rotate your face away from your lead arm to take a breath before finishing that stroke.
Experiment with both ways to find what’s comfortable…but be willing to spend time finding out what’s not comfortable about your less preferred choice. Why? Because often what’s most comfortable in swimming is what keeps the head above the water the longest. This most often creates a poor body position with sinking hips and knees, and makes the underwater stroke portion inefficient. For that reason we teach all of our swimmers the “peek, stroke, breath” pattern, rather than the “peek, breath, stroke” pattern.
What’s your preferred way to stroke? Leave a comment below and let us know!
4. Timing and Rhythm:
You maintain a seamless and efficient swimming motion by incorporating sighting into your stroke rhythm.
You should time your peek at the same moment your lead arm extends forward, just before your catch phase. This allows you to relax your head back into the water as or just before initiating the catch. Trying to catch while you sight creates a “doggy paddle” or “tarzan” style stroke that is inefficient.
One incredibly helpful tip that works great for turning yourself into a sleek open water swimmer who is the envy of all around you is to maintain your torso rotation during your sighting. Instead of a flat body position while sighting, maintain your rotation to the side of the extended arm. This will lengthen your body, and allow you milliseconds longer to gather visual information. When you let your head return to the water, the weight of the head movement coordinates both the recovery arm and the catch occurring together, and you’ll maintain your speed.
5. Utilizing the Underwater Stroke:
When sighting, use the latter half of your underwater stroke to minimize speed disruption. As your stroking arm is lengthening backwards, your lead arm extends just below the surface, just as you reach your peak rotation. This allows your eyes to pop up briefly without significantly affecting your speed. Be careful however not to use the pushing phase of your stroke to force your head above water, it’s simply a cue to help you time the alligator eyes. The same time your arms are moving in opposite directions your forward speed is still close to its stroke to stroke max. Use the momentum and the lead arm is a “wing” in front to help pop the head up briefly. This technique ensures a smooth transition between sighting and swimming, enabling you to maintain a consistent pace.
Conclusion:
Mastering the art of sighting is essential for open water swimmers wanting to swim the course without getting too far off track. By practicing the techniques outlined above, you can develop a sighting method that minimizes disruptions to your stroke while providing the navigational cues you need to complete your swim. Practice incorporating these skills into your training sessions to gain confidence and enhance your open water swimming performance. So, embrace the art of sighting, and conquer open water with confidence!
