tttiltheend wrote:
lightheir wrote:
I agree with the OP for the most part. Def for the typical AG-triathlete - start in youth does NOT make a shred of difference. It's ALL about working hard and consistently as an adult.
This quote is from the same guy that rejects the advice that both technique and fitness are very important in swimming, and says over and over again that your power is much more important than your technique once you get a basic level of technique. This is based on his N-1 experience that leads him to reject the advice given by pretty much anyone here that actually knows what they're talking about.
FWIW, I see this effect to an even greater level in downhill skiing, which I've done since I was four. It's almost unheard of for someone that comes to the sport as an adult to ever achieve the highest levels of expert technique. They can become pretty proficient, but usually that's about it. Sure, some of it is the extra time that the young starters had, but there's really no doubt it's a significant advantage to have those skills ingrained at an early age.
Sorry, but for the
typical age-group triathlete, power IS wayyy more important in swimming than technique, once you're flat in the water and past that raw beginner level. Note I've always emphasized age-group triathlete, which is the (vast) majority of folks participating on these forums.
I would not go to an elite swim forum where folks are trying to squeeze 0.2 seconds/100 off their swim times, and tell them the same thing, especially when they are hitting near-maximal levels of swim training.
But seriously, you tell me how much the typical age-group triathlete swims for training on AVERAGE (not peak). It's a pittance. And when you see all these videos posted online (literally all of them) of self-swim analysis, and ask why they're not going sub 1:15/100, lack of power in the stroke is far and away the limiting factor.
I've noticed as well that in the past year or two, it seems that most folks agree with me, at least in their critiques of online videos as well as recs to MOP swimmers trying to improve. The first comments used to be tons of stuff about the details of the pull, head position, body alignment, all of which is good stuff, but all of which will not get you to even MOP when your stroke rate is less than 1 every 1.5 seconds, and you're just pawing gently at the water. I think a lot of this change has been due to the number of high-level coaches that now like Trisutto that take a totally different approach than elite swim coaches, and who tell their triathletes (even pros!) to 'just swim - a LOT. Even if this means using buoys, snorkles, and paddles on a regular basis. Don't sweat the small stuff - get out there, hammer those sets so you can deal with all the variety of OWS conditions, and you'll rock.'
I don't disagree that there is an advantage to ingraining skills early, sometimes very early, but it's a fallacy to think that an early start gives kids such a unbeatable advantage that adult swimmers can never catch up. The big reason why kids who swam competitively all through youth, then dominate adult-onset triathlete swimmers, is that they were the talented few who were weeded out year by year so that the wheat has separated from the chaff. THAT is the big reason they can crush AOS-swimmers. Youth motor skills give an advantage yes, but compared to the multiyear selection process of youth competitive swimming, it's not even close.
When I distinguish AOS swimmers vs competitive youth swimmers, THAT is the advantage I'm referring to - someone who has clearly proven to be good and talented enough in swimming in youth that they didn't drop out when the competition kicked in for a few years. If we had running leagues or cycling leagues like that, I would expect it to play out the same. Heck, even if you take high school x-country runners (who are MUCH less selected than swimmers given youth swimming vs lack of youth running leagues) that actually score for their team on varsity, 5ks in 18:xx are pedestrian and almost slow, whereas for the typical AG triathlete that would be considered very fast. Selection is huge.