Hi Sam,

How did you buy your VASA ergometer? Did you get it shipped from the US?

Thanks,

Will

Hello Sam and All,

Thanks for posting and answering questions and congratulations on a great race.

I am inspired to do more indoor training.


No excuses for 'don't have time today' to train.

Everything is right there in my garage.

I will still get out for 'real world training' ...... but with the idea that indoor training is almost as good ..... and sometimes better .... I will improve my consistency.

Thanks!

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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

I don't bike indoors or run on a treadmill unless I have to as it is so boring, there is nothing to look at other than the time left to stop ! I don't know much about VASA but I swimming is already boring so I don't see how a VASA could be much worse. It would save some time that is for sure and the pools gets crowded in peak times which can make it frustrating.

Riding indoors is the most amount of monotony I can take. Don’t understand how guys like LS do it. The training needs to be a little fun.[/quote]
I wonder if the monotony of indoor training helps the mental aspect of racing, perhaps gives you more of a boost when you have wind, scenery, and the occasional crowd

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

Thanks for the insight Sam, I appreciate it.

Congratulations to Sam for a great race! Much gratitude to him for mentioning his regular use of the Vasa SwimErg.

When Sam refers to meters registered on the Vasa SwimErg Power Meter, it is important to understand that meters swam using a Vasa SwimErg approximate the distance one would swim while "pulling" in flat calm open water, no kicking, no push off the wall at turns, no current, chop, and no combat swimming with other athletes.

So one could use their own range of paces experienced while "pulling" in such conditions for any given distance to obtain an estimate for comparison to SwimErg meters. Of course, there are other variables to consider for intensity, since there are 7 resistance settings. Most important is that all Vasa SwimErg power meter readings are accurate within 1% from workout to workout and machine to machine. That makes the swim power metrics repeatable and reliable so the athlete and coach can do "apples to apples" workouts, assessments, benchmark time trials, etc.

Among the many important benefits possible from swim training on land with a swim bench like the Vasa, there are 2 that may apply well to this thread: (1) Consistency - it allows a time efficient, high quality, measurable swim training venue similar to a smart bike trainer or treadmill. Many triathletes' training plans call for 3 to 5 swim workouts per week. So every athlete can decide for themselves if they are actually completing their planned swim workouts. If not, then this useful adage does not apply: "Plan your Play. Play your Plan." I'd rather surround myself with viable opportunities to get it done instead of showing up unprepared for the swim, which sets the stage for the rest of a race day.

and (2) Using it regularly reveals weaknesses or technique inefficiencies that often go unnoticed when only swimming in a pool or open water. This is why most of the top swimming programs in the world use Vasa in conjunction with the pool time. On the Vasatrainer blog, there is an article that outlines one of the most common inefficiencies that adult-learned swimmers make in the water - a "monospeed" pull: "Overcoming Freestyle "Monospeed": Why, How and When to Accelerate Hand Speed.

Rob Sleamaker
Founder, Vasa, Inc.

Sam, would you consider 85 hours (no matter if in water or on vasa trainer) in 7 months a lot or just a little amount of swim training?

My FTP is definitely around 320. Most methods do determine FTP result in a bit of an inflated FTP. I 'think' that I could hold 320W for 1h but that is just a guess. If it would be higher (which I doubt) it would be a couple of watts maximum.
I use this number for a couple of years now to standardize my training and racing which I base on IF. 260W or IF 0.81 is my worst case scenario. 270W or IF 0.84 is my best case scenario so that margin is pretty narrow. Usually my feel at the start of the race and heart rate tell me where I need to aim at intensity wise. At IMTX my avg heartrate during the bike was 132 and the max was 145 which told me that I had some margin.
In Kona I have often made the mistake to start out at IF > 0.90 and 150+ heart rate (mostly to get rid of pelotons) and I always paid for this in the return from Hawi.

I put a breakdown of my power file here: https://www.dropbox.com/...IMTX%20bike.pdf?dl=0 . It has some comments about the sections in the race and my tactics.

Sam

It really is an awesome tool. And as Sam showed it is a darn good substitute when getting to the pool is impractical.

Who was the masters swimmer who tried to set a masters world record (in the 100 breast I think?) going exclusively VASA? Glen Mills perhaps? I do not remember how that turned out...

I have a history of calf injuries and found out that substituting running by elliptical training preserves my running form best. It is the most boring thing to do though! I'd rather spend 7h on the indoor bike than 2h on the elliptical but sometimes it is the only alternative that works.
In 2017 I suffered badly from a little tear in the right achilles tendon and between Kona and the end of the year I really didn't run much at all (but did a ton of eccentric heeldrops) because I didn't want to suffer another year and compromise my running future.
I am pain free since Januari and hope I don't need that elliptical for the rest of the season :-)
Sam

For me it is based on 320W FTP (which is about right) and after 20+ ironman distances I know that 0.81 is conservative and 0.84 is ambitious.
Also important to mention is that I aim for a very low VI, ideally around 1.02-3 for flat rolling courses and 1.04-5 for hillier courses. Lots of spikes over FTP will break you down for sure.
That is something what I don't get in Kona for example: people don't move forward on the flat, make surges on climbs and slow down again on the next flat.
Sam

The QXL ring has only 54 teeth and on flat courses I prefer one or two extra so I use the 55t or 56t Q ring. Rotor seems to focus on 110bcd systems with smaller rings these days. Don't know why they do that.
Sam

Thank you.

I am not aware of the masters swimming attempt you describe. It may be Glenn Mills. He has or had a Vasa SwimErg. I'll try to remember to ask him.

There have been numerous "time-crunched" swimmers and triathletes who have incorporated the SwimErg (or the Vasa Trainer model) into their training program to avoid missing swim workouts. The amount they use it varies by the athlete. Some do 2 SwimErg workouts and 2 in water per week. Others do nearly all their workouts using the Vasa and with very impressive results. Their swimming technique experience varies widely. Many are very efficient technically and just time crunched. Others are adult-learned swimmers and also pressed for time in their busy lives.

The answer is not black and white, all or nothing. Each athlete must weigh "importance" with "viability" to find the best answer to crafting their swim training. As an exercise physiologist and coach, I have observed thousands of athletes over the years. Consistency and quality swim training is a very common thread amongst those who have figured out how to swim with confidence, strength, and efficiency.

While it is important to develop efficient stroke technique, in triathlon swimming it is most useful to develop efficient propulsion and sustained power for the race duration. To the delight of many who initially get a Vasa SwimErg for the training and power numbers, they often discover they can also improve their technique along the way because it encourages a better stroke path and reveals weaknesses.

Best of success to you!

That is a good question and I wish I knew the answer myself :-)
During training it is simple and controllable: 1 gels (75kcal) every 45' and almost 1l/h so that will amount to about 400kcal/h
During racing I will easily consume 3 gels an hour and drink the same amount so that will amount to about 500kcal/h
I rarely have to be and often it takes a couple of litres of post race drinks before I feel the need to pee although I manage to squeeze out some pee if really necessary for research purposes;-)

I don't ride a disc because I don't have one. If I had one I'd use it. Despite my loyalty to Reynolds they stopped supporting me but I guess that is due to economic reality. So is the reason for me not getting a disc ;-)
Sam

I got it via rosiir.com but they sourced it specially for me and it was shipped via https://www.sport-thieme.com/. In Europe it is a lot more expensive compared to the USA though.
I got mine in 2015 and paid about 2600 EUR for it including shipping. Customer service from VASA in the USA is great though. I had to swap the cords once and also changed the computer by the ant+ version (At first I thought data collection from it would be meaningless but now I would recommend getting the Ant+ version if you track workouts based on TSS in TP or sth similar.
Both me and my partner think it was one of our best equipment investments.
Sam

I have no issues with "non-flat" beer. In order of preference I drink:
- Scheider Weisse
- Weihenstephaner
- Paulaner
- Erdinger
They need to serve this on course in races!!!
Sam

That just blew my mind. Never thought of that, its an awesome idea!

Couldn't do the Vasa though. Luckily I can get to the pool a couple times a week

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

That's what I do during the winter when I am usually quite busy at work.
What I try to do is getting in 4 session of at least one hour / week and mostly that works.
To improve however I think I would need to move to 6-8 sessions a week but I don't want to compromise run and bike training so that is hard to achieve within my available time windows.
A lot also depends on your goals and the quality of the vasa workouts. As often is the case, the saying no pain, no gain is quite appropriate.
The reason that I dare to substitute swim time by vasa time is the fact that when I do hop into the water and 'pretend' I am swimming on the vasa, I actually swim quite well. There is less of a recovery phase on the vasa compared to pool swimming so you need to focus on stroke timing more in the pool but I find the transfer form dry to wet straightforward.
Sam

I can't answer for Sam and his actual FTP vs the %age he rode, but the %age is a bit based on how long you'll be on the bike. Most athletes also tend to overestimate their FTP, so even at 75% or 72% or whatever, they are over riding.

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

Wow, that's a lot (no matter if 4 sessions or 6~8 session; while - if having swimming background, 6~8 session would typically bring you in a very competitive masters swim shape). And no comparison to my 1.5hrs/week pool time ;-) But if I got that right, you have zero swimming background, right? That makes a difference. And you are probably not on a 10hrs/week plan as I am (still with KQ goal) ... where it goes back to the same point as what you mentioned: I do not want to compromise run and bike training as well.

I did never swim before the age of 27 and my swim skills have often been the object of laughter :-)
Sam

Sam, I was checking out your calorie count for training vs racing and it seems like you do a big difference. A 75 kcal gel every 45 minutes in training versus one every 15 to 20 minutes in racing is quite a jump! If those numbers are right, how do you stomach that without issues?

Also, are those numbers just for the run or for the bike as well?

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Zen and the Art of Triathlon. Strava Workout Log
Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
http://www.zentriathlon.com

Well, I hope that I will never have to see it from behind ;-) But will be impressed for sure once you overtake on the bike!

These numbers are for the bike!
I don't eat gels during run training. Actually I don't eat gels during bike training that lasts less than 2h30 either.
But during race I usually can stomach about 500kcal during the bike part. Bear in mind that I am tall (192cm) and relatively heavy (76-77kg).
During the run it is a lot less. Drinking too much there causes diaphragm pain so I try to drink just the right amount to stay pain free and not dehydrate too much. I take a sip of a gel during the run every other aid station but don't swallow whole gels.
Staying out of GI trouble is really an art that few execute to perfection. I have failed myself a couple of times...
Sam