The OutSeason "Get Your Mind Right" Series, Part III: Why We Don't Swim (Much) in the OutSeason
Howdy,
Back again with installment #3.
Please read the blog post here: Off-Season Swimming Thoughts
And here's another one, more complete: ROI Series Part II: The Swim
Then discuss and ask questions in this thread. Thanks!
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Comments
Alright, I'll bite first ... This is my first OS, so my n=0, but I have a couple of swim-related thoughts going in:
First and foremost, 'nailing' the OS is important to setting myself up for a good season. If I execute the OS sub-optimally, I don't believe I'll be able to catch up on missing speed/fitness/oompfh later in the season without running the risk of injury/fatigue/burnout. So that stands above everything else. My swim is mediocre: I swam 1:19 at IMLOU two years ago - greatly aided by the channel effect. More realistically, my 2.4 miles OWS is closer to 1:25-1:30. I'd like to hit 1:15-ish, which based on the literature I've read so far is right on the cusp of combining good technique with good fitness. To that end, I've been swimming 3x/time, focusing mostly on technique and some endurance.
For the OS, I'm not entirely comfortable with giving up swimming entirely for 14 weeks. For one, I know for me that my technique goes to hell if I don't practice regularly, and I'm not confident enough that I can catch up on that after the OS. That being said, I don't want to jeopardize quality of OS effect on bike/run by swimming too much. So my plan right now is to execute OS as prescribed for a few weeks to see how the body responds. Ideally, I'd like to add 2 short swims/week focusing on technique, certainly not speed or endurance. That being said, if I feel that swimming on top of the regular OS either a) breaks me down physically/mentally; or b) negatively affects my ability to nail the bike/run workouts, I will reassess. I want to come out of the OS feeling strong, and not on path to injury.
One other comment I'd make relates to ROI for swim. I understand the formula of getting higher ROI from adding 2 hours/week to bike/run, but what 'emotional' ROI? What I mean is that I actually enjoy swimming, just as I do biking and running (it's why I do triathlons, not duathlons!). So cutting it out entirely to me means I'm missing out on doing something I enjoy. I'm also in a fortunate situation where the logistics surrounding my swim are pretty minimal, i.e. 10 min drive to the pool, usually a lane to myself, pool opens at 6, so I can get in and out before work, plus I've been doing it forever, so there's no mental hurdles to overcome with respect to getting up early and jumping in the water. That certainly makes it easier for me.
Ok, rambling over. I've got to go to work. I'm curious to see what other folks think, especially peeps who've gone through a couple of OSs.
Plus, my pool has a hot tub... its freakin' cold during winter and that thing is AWESOME!
All good points and what's important is that you, and we as a team are having intelligent conversations about what is right for YOU given your circumstances. Hopefully the posts above had encouraged you to sit back assess your personal situation (swimming ability/limiters/strengths, time to be gained on race day, your personal time and heads costs re the swim, etc) and are making an intelligent decision about what is best for YOU with this new perspective you've gained vs...
I am Triathlete = Swim, Bike, Run, ergo I must swim, bike, run all year. Period.
PnI could just do whatever every other coach does, which is ^this^, or we could reflect on our experiences as athletes and coaches with 1000's of IM finishers under our belts, relate to you what we've observed and give you another perspective. In the end we want all of our athletes to think critically about all of the time and money investments they are making in this sport.
That said, and you'll see us say this again and again: the six years of OS history are littered with the bodies of athletes who've underestimated our definition of "hard work," have tried to hold onto their former routines, and have paid for it by about week 5 or 6. The best advice I can give everyone, especially the new folks is to ask yourself:
How is this workoutorwhatever I'm about to do going to affect my ability to successfully complete my downstream session?
^That^ right thar is the Golden Rule of self-coaching. It should a continual assessment, something that's running through your head all of the time.
Everybody needs to make their own decisions and take responsibility for themselves. If you want to keep swimming, doing 2-4hour rides on the weekends, and rolling a 90' long run weekly, that's cool. Just know that if you try to do the OS work on top of it, I'll bet a lot of money (and I don't gamble) that around 9-10 weeks in, you'll stop posting in the forums about the "monster numbers" you posted in this morning's workout, and somewhere in the 11-12 week range, we'll stop hearing from you for a week or two. Somewhere around week 14, just as we're transitioning out of the OS, you'll check in, saying that you'd needed a little down time, and took a ton of time off (giving back a huge piece of the gains you made in weeks 1-8), and then some time in around April or May, you'll post "why am I not seeing any improvement?"
Heck, I know that cycle personally, because I did it. And I wasn't adding in a ton of extra work. Food for thought.
That said, I think there is a huge difference between getting in the pool during the OS to do some easy drill work, and completely crushing yourself at Master's.... but I will likely be one of the people who needs a reality check from the more experienced peeps in the Haus when I am stubbornly still swimming in week 14!
The question is, where are you in your swimming? Can you already swim a sub-1:15(ish) IM swim?
-If no, get the to some good instruction, learn good body position and how to use your lats and core to initiate the catch and pull. Or use the EN swim ebook, or Sheila Taormina's book, or Steve Tarpinian's book, or any one of a number of resources that focus on body position and initiating the catch and pull. (In retrospect, I'm not a fan of Total Immersion, as they have too much emphasis on body position, not enough on catch and pull). Knowing that, you've got to decide when to do it. Personally, I find it easier to put that focus in during Feb/March, where I know I can consistently work it for 4-8 weeks before adding fitness sets, and where the race is close enough that I'm likely to continue to do the fitness sets all the way through. But to each their own.
-If so, what's it going to take to go sub-1:05? Lots, and lots, and lots of swimming. You (and only you) can decide whether it's worth it, and when to layer it in. And if it's worth it to do that much work to gain 5-10 minutes on your day.
A single data point from a self professed rock: After Louisville this year where I swam a 1:24:xx (a swim I was very happy with), I came out thinking that I was going to turn myself into a swim monster over the winter. Do the OS but also throw some 2-3 x a week swims in to get my Phelps on. I took two solid weeks off from training and then loaded up a GF plan and started hitting EN style workouts as well as jumping into a local masters swimming group. Fast forward two weeks and I start noticing that I'm missing FTP intervals and blowing up on VO2 workouts (something that never happened last OS) on multiple rides per week. Additionally, the desire to train dropped to zero. I checked the ego, re-read all the swim stuff/OS stuff in here, and dropped the swim workouts. Result, three solid weeks of good run/bike training with all assigned metrics met. Now, I'm refocused on an EN style OS (with no swimming). After that, I'm scheduling a two week, high volume swim pop (with some 1 on 1 coaching) before dropping into my next IM plan which is one of the courses of actions recommended by RnP.
Everyone is different and as those above have said, your own situation will dictate; but if you have committed to the EN mentality, you may want to commit to the EN mentality... RnP know what they're doing. I, for one, found that I am, in fact, not special and fit in with the behavior exhibited by most other EN members.
YMMV and as always, good luck with whatever you decide to do!
Hi All:
I need some advice regarding the swimming. I know not swimming is preferred, but I have very little experience swimming and am interested in hiring an instructor to help with technique. Is this something that I can/should hold off until season, will I be able to pick up what I need in that short of time. I used to be more comfortable in the pool, but I lost about 80 pounds this year and I no longer float, just sink. I am really worried. Oh yeah, I also have no need for SAU's so I basically can sleep and recover in my down time.
Jennifer
Huge congrats on the weight loss, btw!
I am appreciating this lack of swim approach right now. While I enjoy swimming once I actually get myself to the pool, getting myself to the pool is a much bigger time suck for me than biking and running. It is much quicker for me to walk downstairs to the pain cave and get my workouts done than having to leave the house by 4:50am and drive 35 minutes to make it to the pool by 5:30am, swim for an hour, drive 35mintues home, shower/dress, and drive 5 minutes to work so I can be there before 8am. I'm sure by the end of the outseason I'll be itching to get into the pool and I'll be much more motivated to get up that early plus my son's hockey season will almost be over so adding in even more driving to my daily schedule will be easier to take.
My swim last July in IMLP was a super fast 1:25 ! and yes I was first out of the water !!, The swim is not my strongest, so I will be going to the TI class one day a week during the OS program. A few experienced triathletes tell me the swim is just the warmup, the bike and the run are the key to a good time. After completing IMLP, I am a believer, as my bike time suffered from worrying a training way too much for the swim.
When I expressed my concerns with Coach Rich about not doing long runs (or even a marathon) in the winter and the lack of swimming, he shot me straight and I had to realize that I'm paying money for this...why would I not trust him on this?!
So here I am in February at my race weight of 160lbs as opposed to my offseason weight of 175lbs. I haven't been in the pool in 2 months (at least) and it still makes me nervous...just being honest. But I ran a 5k the first Sunday of the year in 15 degree icy/snowy conditions with a time of 18:15. Usually, I'm running right around 18 min (give or take 10sec) in the summer! My cycling is indoors so it's hard to compare how I'd be on the road but I can say that I'm speedier!
Here's my point...and I'm sorry it took so long! I'm fully realizing the plan after trusting in it first! I am on board with the philosophy of applying endurance later and working on power and speed now. And I gotta say, not being stressed about things in Feb that I have no biz being stressed about...that's a good feeling. I signed up for IMWI this year with a goal of getting a Kona spot. I am gaining confidence that this is gonna happen! So stay the course, my friends! After all, if we can't trust our coaches, why are we here ; )
See ya!
Thanks for sharing! When you're able to get outside on the bike, especially if you regularly ride with other athletes, you'll have a better sense of just how much of a headstart you have on your Feb/March self. It's almost impossible to really grasp what a 30w increase, for example, in FTP really means until you get outside and ride.
This is especially powerful when you consider that you're having this conversation with us on February 7th for a race on September 9th. You have a LOT of time to continue get ludicrous strong.
Great post. I am also one of those people who tend to over prepare and have trouble getting motivated for my A Race. This is one of the reasons I joined EN. I plan on sticking to the plan and trusting that I will be ready when it really counts Race Day! It is also the first time that I have taken a couple days off per week at this point in the season and I have to say that it has made me stronger. Looking forward to seeing what the season will bring to all of us. Glad to hear there are others with the same issues.
Okay...My Fourth year of Triathlon and Third OS...My first year I pretty much did on my own...using an online program...for HIM then the EN training plan for IMLOU....but I was not "In the Haus" and did not do the OS....I swam during that buildup 2x/week...very much a beginner....and came out of the water at IMLOU in 1:17 (slightly aided by the current)...and completed my first IM in 12:20....cut ahead year two....and I was fully in the Haus...and did a full OS for IM LOU....skipped the swimming....and came out of the water in 1:29(no current)...and finished in 12:50(granted I also had a bike crash that severely interrupted my training and bonked harder on the run...) but I felt that I had not been "efficient" enough in the swim so that I came out of the water already metabolically stressed) ...skip ahead to 2012/2013 November OS targeting IMTX...I swam 1-2x/week through most of the OS...but it was mostly drills, and as recovery swimming from the Hard bike and run efforts.....at IMTX I swam 1:25...non-wetsuit in a lake v the IMLOU river...and I managed the swim poorly (I should have been out in 1:20ish)...but I felt great getting out of the water and finished in a current PR of 12:15...SO....the point of this is....I'm confused by the comments/recommendations...I understand the OS focus and the rationale for not swimming (such that it detracts from your ability to exectue and recover on the key bike/run workouts)...but I seem to hear that....and I believe that for myself who still has alot to gain on swim form....it is not necessarily bad to swim as long as it isn't detracting from the bike/run or piling on stress such that it impacts recovery etc....Is this what I hear? Because when IN Season rolls around I won't have time to get my form right (speaking for me N=1) as I try to build the necessary fitness....
Hi Joe,
Thanks for your thoughts and the discussion. Yes, I would agree with your last points above...except I do think that you do have time to get your form and fitness together. The OS is 14wks. That's 14wks of no swimming in a 52wk year, call it 48 training weeks (maybe, but you get my point). And if you're starting the OS now, you'll finish the OS in early Feb, leaving a LOT of time on the table to get your swim back on.
In the end, there is no 100% right or wrong answer: