The OS leap of faith
Alright, I did IMFL and have been chilling riding the trainer some doing some light running. I'll start the OS stuff in January. I've read the posts listened to the podcasts and understand the logic behind not swimming in the OS. (I'm a 1:04-05) IM swimmer so not the fastest but decent.
I am thinking of taking the ultimate leap of faith in the OS and quitting my gym membership for a few months since all I use at said gym is pretty much the pool. (this gym is 26 miles away and I only swim there before work 2-3x per week, at like 5:00 AM....I'm like the poster child for every podcast RnP have ever done on swimming in the OS).
I got a dedicated pain cave with computrainer, PT, Garmin 305, access to a small 24 hr fitness center with nice treadmills so pretty much my OS bases are covered. I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has gone through this.
sometimes I just need to be told what to do.
Please either pull back or push me over the edge on this one.
Comments
Hey Dan,
Last year was my first OS and I was reluctant to take the no swimming leap of faith. I've been swimming with a masters team for the last 5 years, year round. We seem to be of similar abilities. I swam 1:06 at IMWI last year. Well, I ended up not swimming for the entire OS. I lost nothing. It was painful returning to the pool but it came back slowly each week. I would say that after 6 weeks I was back to full form. I ended up having a lot more time with my family during the winter months and it was worth it.
Hope this helps,
Matt
Dan, does your gym have a 10-pass option or something similar? That 's what I do with my gym.
Swimming in the off-season = worthy koolaid.
I'm swimming, but it is all lessons and technique work. I haven't had a pool session longer than 45 minutes. I think this will be a one winter experiment because I want to improve my technique. Next winter, I will likey be back to no swimming.
This is my third OS. I did not swim at all for the first two. What Matt said exactly reflects my return to the pool. This year, I am swimming 1-2x/week like Beth, but all technique based/EZ swimming and only ~1,500-1,800m. I'll keep it up until (or if) I feel it negatively impacts the OS gains. If I feel that happening, I will back off the swimming entirely.
If you do decide to forego the swimming--and you will be no worse for it--just remember that it will be AWFUL when you return. It's ugly. The second swim back is worse than the first. Just remind yourself to give it time. Like Matt said, at least a month to six weeks. Keep it technique-based and EZ the first few weeks back. Don't jump in and try to pound out best times. It will return gradually, but don't let yourself have a freak out at how unnatural it feels after a long layoff. We promise you, it all comes back in due time.
The flip side of "you won't lose anything" is the fact that to make any real gains as a 1:05 swimmer you would have to put in a massive amount of time. Far more than 3 times a week. So really, you have nothing to lose and won't gain anything anyhow. Accordingly, you have nothing to lose if you give it a whirl.
1:04 IM swimmer? Put your suit away and enjoy the break. You're not going to get much faster unless you stack thousands of thousands of yards together.
I think I went 1:05 or 1:06 at IMOO and didn't swim all winter. It was great and my pool is 1 block from work. It was a welcomed break.
Spend the time getting faster on the bike and run where it matters for you....
I did my first IM in 2004 swam a 1:04:13 this year swam a 1:04:10. 3 freaking seconds and there was 2 other IM races inbetween there and I never really ever stopped swimming.
I like the Al Gore thing though, it is directly on my way to the fire station. 3 seconds over the past five years though!
I might need some BS to feed the gym membership nazi. So he doesn't stick me with some bogus fees. Assuming a January start (aka overseas work assignment ) I'll probably tell him my work assignment will end in early april?
I can say that in 2007-2008 in my prep for my second IM with a 1:1 coach prior to my finding the EN grail, I put in lots and lots and lots of hours of swimming. Drills, long distance sessions, you name it. While I learned good technique from the shorter drill sessions I got NOTHING out of the additional hours spent. Well nothing if you don't count the extra fatigue I loaded into my body. I was swimming a 4K session every week starting in February for an end of June event on top of two additional swims on top of everything else. INSANITY! When race day rolled around and my performance in the water was impacted more by the 59.5 degree temps and all the clobbering of my fellow racers, than all of that pool time, I realized that all that extra swim work didn't matter. I ended up 2 mins slower than the swim in my first IM.
The EN way of focusing on the bike and run where you have more of an opportunity to control your race, your work, your effort, etc. and diminishing the focus of the swim speaks volumes to me. I feel like I'm the poster child for what not to do and I am embracing not swimming during this OS. For one thing 8 weeks in and my body is tired from the bike and run work. I need the rest. For another thing I'm having tons of fun telling my friends and folks that know me and my racing that I'm not going to swim until Februrary for my May 1 race. They think I'm crazy and they think I'm slacking....I can't wait to smash their expectations on race day with my bike and run prowess.
P is for KoolAid Pusher
Excellent points by Olivia and Patrick. I did not mention that I took 25 minutes off my HIM bike split and almost 30 minutes off my HIM run this year. My swim split was the same as 2006. Much better ROI.
I am in the same boat as Dan just finishing IMFL and aiming for the January OS. It is really great to hear this "no swim policy" reinforced since it has been ingrained to be at the pool at 5 am 3-4 times a week forever. I was sipping the koolaid but will start drinking now.
THIS year, I need to improve my swim time - err, I need to improve my swim TECHNIQUE which should result in a faster swim time. As Rich and Patrick have eluded to, it's not a function of fitness for me - but purely technique so I probably have no choice but to get in the pool this off-season. I can't bear the thought of being slower than 1:15 for the swim next year!
Testimonial....
IMCDA 2006 Swim Time = 1:11:xx not sure. Never swimmer and spent lots of time getting ready for swim. Total time = 13:38:xx. 98 degrees that day.
IMCDA 2007 Swim Time = 1:12:xx. Swim almost canceled due to wind/waves. Folks were given option to NOT swim. Total time 12:27:xx. NO EN just better biker/runner by then.
IMC 2008 Swim Time = 1:14:xx. Kicked in nutz about 800 yds in and threw up! Canada swim is one loop and water was cold. Total time 12:44:xx. Cooked myself on bike. Pre EN!
IMCDA 2009 Swim Time = 1:20:30
Terrible swim for me! Cold water and chilly day. First season with EN and total time = 11:56:xx.
Plan this year is to spend a day or so in the pool just "relaxing" and using water for recovery. No hard swimming and no plan.
Just want to make a few points:
Oh...and you will swim in the HIM and IM plans, no doubt. I'm already bracing myself for the bitching and moaning about hard swim sets, evil t-pace workouts, etc. Most swims, for all abilities, are "only" 2500-3200 yds/m, but you'll be doing a lot of fast, hard swimming.
I spent a LOT of time writing completely new and different swim workouts for all the plans. I think you'll like them.
I've decided not to swim in the OS. Assuming a first A race of Kansas 70.3 (june 6th) when will I be back in the pool? Mid april?
Plan to start swimming when we move you from the OS to the HIM, mid-late April in your case. Of course, you could start a couple weeks early, just using the swimming resources in the OS plan as a guide.
Does everyone here hate to swim? I understand the ROI theory of OS training, but I actually like to swim. Doesn't anyone else crave getting in the water when your legs are throbbing the day after a hard bike or run?
I've been trying to swim every 7 to 10 days, not because I expect it to make me faster next summer but because I enjoy pulling myself through the water. (I just started swimming 9 months ago, so maybe the novelty will wear off, but I went from not being able to swim 50 yards to a 27:20 1500m Oly split.)
Anyway, don't we do triathlon because we like the sport and we like the training? If someone discovered that the ultimate way to a fast IM time was 20-rep squats and 2000m on the rowing machine and nothing else all winter, would we stop biking and running? I like biking, I like running, and I like swimming.
no, there are some here who find it real therapeutic to swim, personally I could take it or leave it.
I enjoy swimming with my masters team.
I love swimming. I hate getting up at o'dark thirty to get to the pool. Prefer to wait until warmer weather and swim outdoors. Pool is last resort.
I've been swimming at least twice a week for 50 years, so I'm not about to stop, my wife and I go twice a week to the Y together now. And I commute to work on my bike, so that is also "extra" credit over and above OS for me. Sometimes I even run home from work (9 miles). I view the OS schedule as the required stuff., the minimum necessary. If I want to MTB, or do a Masters' race for fun, I don't see that as a poor ROI, but rather a natural part of my life.
Zero Delta.
LOVE IT!!!
Dan, that's awesome! If you don't mind, could you give us a bit more detail:
Thanks!
How much time did it felt like you had lost felt like a took a long 3 week summer vacation to somewhere I couldn't swim came back and felt great.
How long did it take for to get back to where you started? 3-4 weeks maybe I think there is some muscle memory (breathing, body position, arm position) here as well for lack of a better term
Gains on the bike and run as a consequence of focusing there vs spending time in the pool. FTP has gone up from where I was last year in June I was 250 ish, so 35 watts, at end of last year 270, I'm now around 285-290. I melted yesterday on the run at KS but otherwise it has remained strong.