coach moved me into the middle of 3 lanes!
i'm not in the slow lane anymore, yeah!!

Awesome! I am still in the 2nd slowest lane at masters, hoping to bump up a lane by end of the year.

I began swimming in 2011, having never really swum freestyle much prior to that. At first, my pool swims were a total of around 1000 yards, and that involved lots of resting.
I did masters swimming for around 18 months, but I didn't really get much coaching, just sets. I swam some decent volume for a triathlete - around 12,000k a week, and was able to swim a 36 min HIM in 2012.

In 2013 my new coach had me swimming 60-70k a month from January to April, and I ended up with a little over 500,000 yards that year. That bigger volume year significantly helped my swim endurance. I'm currently getting in three 1 hr swims a week - around 10k.

In 2014 I swam a 31 min HIM at 70.3 WC, and my goal for this season is to get close to 30 min. In terms of pool swims, I recently swam a 14:42 1000 scy and my longer sets of 100 scy repeats are usually on 1:40 coming in around 1:24-1:25. I did some faster 100's today on 1:35, touching around 1:21-1:22. I'm hoping to be close to 30 min at Quassy in a couple of weeks.

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Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

When I started triathlon I usually breast stroked my way though the swim, coming in close to last.
Around 6 years later, I cruised to a 1:02 at Whistler and my HIM times are 29-31min.

Not sure of my yardage, but I've been doing masters year round 2-3x/week.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

Well as long as this thread is intended for bragging...

First Tri, 2010,1000 yards, 38 minutes

Most recent 1.2 mile swim, 2015, 26 minutes

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Tim Russell, Pro Triathlete

Instagram- @timbikerun

That is damn impressive.

OWS times have little meaning given their widely varying distances. Only pool swim times really mean anything in terms of progress. So, what's your best time for your 1000 scy??? Also, JOOC, was that first 1000 yd tri swim in a 25-yd pool???

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

yah, what he said. Re: OWS distances can't be trusted - and even if they are accurate, they may have the timing mats in inconsistent places, etc.

Just like in running (track is the gold std.) as are pool times.

Back on subject - congrats to all for improvement in your swim times. Take stock in the fruit of your labor. Keep in mind that faster swimming in triathlon has multiple benefits. 1) less traffic on the bike (to pass), 2) being more "fresh" for both bike and run, etc.

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I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________

Brag thread!

Started swimming 6 years ago. First tri was ocean based and I breast and back-stroked.

4 years ago joined masters in the grandma lane.

Today - swim with two KQ'ers. Fast lane. Did my last HIM in 29 something. My personal best 100m is now 1:10, regular 100's on 1:23 and did 50x100 leaving on 1:40 last week

Mileage rarely exceeds 9000m/week. But we swim quite hard.

been a while since i posted in the main forum, but tri season is here and who can pass the opportunity to front-door brag...

starting swimming in fall 2008, couldn't do more than 25 yards w/o rest

first tri, 2009 two olympics

jan 2010, starting swimming masters, couldn't finish the 4k workouts

winter 2010 running injury, lots of swimming, starting making the 1:20 send-offs (scy) pretty easily

got to 12:19 for 1000 scy, 0:59 for 100 scy, 1:16 100 br scy, 1:09 100 IM scy

moved start of 2012 and have not been consistent in the pool, but i swam a 1:21 on the last rep of my workout tuesday (lcm). trying to prep for 1st IM and hopefully <1 hour swim

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__________________________

Oh yeah!

ahh... if you're going sub 12:20 on 1,000scy than you should be feeling fresh as a daisy coming in a legitimate wetsuit IM in under 56.

I doubt I can go under 12:45, but have swam a pool 4,225 in under 57 (not even hard), so you should be sitting pretty!

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I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________

Started swimming at 26, 33.75 inseam, size 9 feet, 5 feet 8 inches, dense legs, inflexible ankles, small hands, swam I think 36 at my first triathlon which was a 70.3. Millions after millions of yards later (per year that is) I had the swim of my life last year at Challenge AC, I swam on the feet of a regular front pack swimmer Andres Castillo with Chris McCormack on mine.

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only one year in swimming 2005 Ironman swim 1:10 ( went form cant do 50 m to fast lane in 6 weeks)
p.b.2 x 53:XX Ironman swim legit distance 2009/2010
half 25:10 legit distance according to garmin
5'7 smaller hands and 2 kids!!!!

Silver man I SWAM ON YOUR FEET THOMAS. where did I fall off over the years?

The honest answer to that question is 2009/2010 I was swimming with top guys in Vancouver year round, now I am solo in a 25 m pool avoiding rocks floating in the lane.

Swimming fast required people to push past the comfort zone weekly.

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Technique will always last longer then energy production. Improve biomechanics, improve performance.
http://Www.anthonytoth.ca, triathletetoth@twitter

Best improvement?
Back to back weekends 70.3s
Weekend #1 (Challenge Melb 2015) - 45+min
Weekend #2 (Geelong 70.3) - 33mins

Anyone else cut 12+minutes in a week over 1.9km?

Love it.

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Don't think the conditions had anything to do with that? :-)

I can do 'fly. Not a lot. But recognisable 'fly..

Never did a distance set in the pool that early on, but if I had to guess I probably could swim about a 10' 500 in 2010, went 5:33 in 2012, haven't raced the 500 since, but could probably go around 5:40 given a month or so of pool swim specific training. 1650 in 2010 would have been likely 34' or so, went 19:3x in 2012 a well.

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Tim Russell, Pro Triathlete

Instagram- @timbikerun

Started swim training at age 26. Four months later, did :26.57 in a 50scy free in my first swim meet. Went under 1:00 for 100free a few months later. 1.5 years after starting, did 2:02 for 200free. Next season, did 23.x 50, 52.x 100, 29:5 50br, 1:04.97 for 100breast, 1:57 for 200free, maybe 1:01 for 100IM. Did 4765yds that year (IIRC) for the hour swim (passed 2.4mi around 54 or so). Final masters nationals three years later had PRs of 23.17, 51.2, 1:53.1, 58.88IM, 2:11 200IM, 5:17 500.

Somewhere in there I started triathlons. Did an 18:54 for an Olympic as a relay. 30 years later, I have been beaten out of the water in my AG only a handful of times (mostly sprints), and almost never beaten onto the bike in my AG.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Dand dude that is outstanding nice work.

First tri: 750m in 22 minutes. Not so good but at high spirits.

Just recently did a 300m TT. Paced it as a 400 more or less, had some more in me. Maybe could have help pace for 100m more. Came in on 3:53, 1:18/100m or 1:11/100y. SCM, no dive. Feeling confident for the coming season.

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Endurance coach | Physiotherapist (primary care) | Bikefitter | Swede

There has been some awesome progres on display in this thread, way to go everyone!

I think the commonality is what Thomas wrote: millions of yards. Well I suppose Ken had some early success, but I'll go with "exception to prove the point."

We debate flip turns, bands, buoys, drills, etc... And in the end it just comes down to getting out there and doing it...

I rarely exceeded 20,000yds in a week. However, I attribute what I accomplished to a couple of things: I had an on-deck coach who gave me constant feedback that I added to my swim technique study, and I killed myself trying to keep up with the real swimmers in my lane. Every interval, every set, every day. Fear of getting run over is a great motivator.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

And we have a winner. Damn, that's impressive!

I started swimming at 21 and did the length of the pool feeling gassed. I remember bragging to my swimmer friend when I did 300 straight...

7 years later and probably a 20 minute to high 19 Olympic distance swimmer. Some good sets recently have been 17x100@1:15scy, 20x100@2:00 decend in groups of 4 (1:07-1:00), and end of a tough set 5x100@1:10. And I now love swimming.

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https://twitter.com/mungub

I started swimming 4.5 years ago from scratch. The set I use to test my fitness is 10x200 on 2:30 scy, and in April I did a 1650yd TT (w/ Roka shorts) and went 19:08. Still working on translating my speed to the open water though...