The slower you are, the more swimming is like learning to play a violin. It is NOT a fitness exercise.
As Bob mentioned, we are big on personal responsibility. Everyone needs to do their own cost/benefit/return on investment calculations with regards to time spent swimming in the OutSeason. Gordon, with a 1:3x swim and a pool in his apartment complex has a much different set of circumstances than Billy, 1:15 swim, with a 20' drive each way to the pool.
And this is the Deal:
We can be like every other triathlon coaches on the planet and say "Triathlon = swim, bike, run, ergo triathletes much swim, bike, run, all year, or....
We can reflect on our nearly 20yrs of experience, the time cost and return on swimming, consider the value of our athletes time, reflect on the data we have that you can take a big layoff, come back to swimming, and be right back where you finished your last season within about 4-5 weeks.
In my experience, about 90% of AG atheltes get that discussion because you make decisions like this in your lives all the time. But it drives triathlon coaches and the >20+hrs/wk to train crowd batshit crazy .
Bottomline is that EVERYTHING we do in EN has a purpose and that purpose is the product of experience and critical thinking applied to the triathlon training questions. We do NOT do what everyone else does because that's just what we do.
If you get this above, EN is a good fit for you. If not, and if you can't wrap your head around the why of the what that we do, then EN is not a good fit for you.
A little off-topic but we have a lot of trial members in the Haus now and these discussions are valuable.
So, if you are a slow swimmer, what would be reasonable to do in the OS. I will be doing the November OS. I did my first half swim in May after Halfmax swim was cancelled last fall. The water was a little rough and I had problems sighting and came in at 50 minutes. Shameful. Augusta, with the current, was 33. Mind you I did a lot of technique work from May to August using the swim smooth Catch Master Class Dvd. But would it be ok to take a day or 2 a week and just drill 25 and swim 25 for 1500? I believe in everything EN preaches, but I am concerned about losing some of the muscle memory it has taken me a long time to find.
So, if you are a slow swimmer, what would be reasonable to do in the OS. I will be doing the November OS. I did my first half swim in May after Halfmax swim was cancelled last fall. The water was a little rough and I had problems sighting and came in at 50 minutes. Shameful. Augusta, with the current, was 33. Mind you I did a lot of technique work from May to August using the swim smooth Catch Master Class Dvd. But would it be ok to take a day or 2 a week and just drill 25 and swim 25 for 1500? I believe in everything EN preaches, but I am concerned about losing some of the muscle memory it has taken me a long time to find.
@ Michael - There is no *harm* in swimming in the OS, ever. The only reason the issue even comes up is the time involved in getting to the pool, changing, etc, and a possible burn out factor as well. As long as these are manageable within the context of the more important parts of your life, go for it. And, some people actually *like* swimming, and do it for that reason. Because my wife swims 2 x / week, I lose SAU's if I DON'T swim.
I'm new here and totally drinking the kool aid. I love the "no swim in the OS" philosophy.
I do plan to add swimming back in the last 4 weeks of my OS, just to build up my yardage because I'll be jumping right into the advanced HIM at week, I don't know, 14 or something.
I do enjoy swimming, but until I build a 25 yard pool in my backyard or buy an endless pool (that's when I win the lotto lol) it will always be a very inconvenient/time consuming sport to train for.
My T-pace is 1:33/100 yards. HIM around 36 w/no wetsuit. I'm doing Augusta as my "a race" (hopefully qualify?) and the swim is less significant there for a non swimmer IMO: with the current in a wetsuit.
Comments
The slower you are, the more swimming is like learning to play a violin. It is NOT a fitness exercise.
As Bob mentioned, we are big on personal responsibility. Everyone needs to do their own cost/benefit/return on investment calculations with regards to time spent swimming in the OutSeason. Gordon, with a 1:3x swim and a pool in his apartment complex has a much different set of circumstances than Billy, 1:15 swim, with a 20' drive each way to the pool.
And this is the Deal:
In my experience, about 90% of AG atheltes get that discussion because you make decisions like this in your lives all the time. But it drives triathlon coaches and the >20+hrs/wk to train crowd batshit crazy
.
Bottomline is that EVERYTHING we do in EN has a purpose and that purpose is the product of experience and critical thinking applied to the triathlon training questions. We do NOT do what everyone else does because that's just what we do.
If you get this above, EN is a good fit for you. If not, and if you can't wrap your head around the why of the what that we do, then EN is not a good fit for you.
A little off-topic but we have a lot of trial members in the Haus now and these discussions are valuable.
So, if you are a slow swimmer, what would be reasonable to do in the OS. I will be doing the November OS. I did my first half swim in May after Halfmax swim was cancelled last fall. The water was a little rough and I had problems sighting and came in at 50 minutes. Shameful. Augusta, with the current, was 33. Mind you I did a lot of technique work from May to August using the swim smooth Catch Master Class Dvd. But would it be ok to take a day or 2 a week and just drill 25 and swim 25 for 1500? I believe in everything EN preaches, but I am concerned about losing some of the muscle memory it has taken me a long time to find.
Swim hack here: https://www.box.net/shared/8k23pib54d from the wiki (there's the link in the wiki under Swim Hack if it's not linking)
Thoughts on OS Swimming from the wiki here: http://members.endurancenation.us/R...g+Thoughts
Good luck!
@ Michael - There is no *harm* in swimming in the OS, ever. The only reason the issue even comes up is the time involved in getting to the pool, changing, etc, and a possible burn out factor as well. As long as these are manageable within the context of the more important parts of your life, go for it. And, some people actually *like* swimming, and do it for that reason. Because my wife swims 2 x / week, I lose SAU's if I DON'T swim.
IMLOU 2009 Swam year round 1:04
IMLOU 2010 Swam year round 1:04
IMLOU 2011 Took off 3 month of OS 1:02
I do plan to add swimming back in the last 4 weeks of my OS, just to build up my yardage because I'll be jumping right into the advanced HIM at week, I don't know, 14 or something.
I do enjoy swimming, but until I build a 25 yard pool in my backyard or buy an endless pool (that's when I win the lotto lol) it will always be a very inconvenient/time consuming sport to train for.
My T-pace is 1:33/100 yards. HIM around 36 w/no wetsuit. I'm doing Augusta as my "a race" (hopefully qualify?) and the swim is less significant there for a non swimmer IMO: with the current in a wetsuit.
Andi