I've been training at the squad of my university's triathlon club for a year, which is my first year with formal training (apart from a few beginner lessons before). However, I cannot get my expected improvement over the year, specifically my 1.5 km T/T has stuck for half a year. The only thing that improved a lot is my endurance.
When I started last October, my 1.5 km T/T was 0:32:06. As I did not have any formal swim training before, I suspect that my technique was seriously wrong. I was hoping to get my 1.5 km time within 30 minutes by last year end, and perhaps 25 - 27 minutes this year. However I didn't make my target by the end of the year. In February I did a swim smooth video analysis session with my squad coach and my swim was really mediocre. Just before that my 1.5 km T/T was 0:31:12. My coach identified many problems on me, like scissor legs, over rotation, bad hand entry, head too low, pressing down in front of stroke, etc. I then worked on these things, as a result, my endurance was vastly improved, before that I got tired after maybe 3 km, and after a few months I completed a 13 km marathon swimming race.
However, I was swimming at the same slow speed as before, my latest 1.5 km T/T was 0:31:03 (a mere 9 seconds faster than February). The endurance improvement only means I'm less exhausted by the end of the 1.5 km, but I can't swim faster.
Also, my squad coach always tell me to spin my arms faster and faster. Even when I'm tired. Even when I can't hold my form. I've told her that my goal is to do rough water marathon swimming in cold water and need something that is sustainable for 10+ or even 15+ km. When I joined the squad initially, my stroke rate was about 56 - 58 spm, but she wants me to swim at least 64 spm or even more. She thinks that glide is a dirty word and, by stroking faster, my technique improves as the deadspots are hidden. I also think that my form is better when I'm stroking faster, but the problem is that, I can't sustain that high stroke rate for better form for more than a few hundred metres! Another problem is that, I'm a cold water swimmer and if I increase the stroke rate, I will get overheated easily in the middle of summer and have to slow down, and I always complain about the heat. I sometimes count strokes but I still need more than 60 strokes per 50 m length, which I think is not good. However, the coach basically tells me to HTFU and stroke faster. By stroking faster, although I really swim faster, I enter another aerobic level which isn't sustainable for 1.5 km, and I don't want brute-forcing my whole swim.
Therefore I begin to doubt if the methodology of this squad works on me, and if I should change to another place which teaches total immersion instead. My training goal in the coming winter is to get my long distance time down and do another marathon swimming race in cold water. Will total immersion work for my scenario?
When I started last October, my 1.5 km T/T was 0:32:06. As I did not have any formal swim training before, I suspect that my technique was seriously wrong. I was hoping to get my 1.5 km time within 30 minutes by last year end, and perhaps 25 - 27 minutes this year. However I didn't make my target by the end of the year. In February I did a swim smooth video analysis session with my squad coach and my swim was really mediocre. Just before that my 1.5 km T/T was 0:31:12. My coach identified many problems on me, like scissor legs, over rotation, bad hand entry, head too low, pressing down in front of stroke, etc. I then worked on these things, as a result, my endurance was vastly improved, before that I got tired after maybe 3 km, and after a few months I completed a 13 km marathon swimming race.
However, I was swimming at the same slow speed as before, my latest 1.5 km T/T was 0:31:03 (a mere 9 seconds faster than February). The endurance improvement only means I'm less exhausted by the end of the 1.5 km, but I can't swim faster.
Also, my squad coach always tell me to spin my arms faster and faster. Even when I'm tired. Even when I can't hold my form. I've told her that my goal is to do rough water marathon swimming in cold water and need something that is sustainable for 10+ or even 15+ km. When I joined the squad initially, my stroke rate was about 56 - 58 spm, but she wants me to swim at least 64 spm or even more. She thinks that glide is a dirty word and, by stroking faster, my technique improves as the deadspots are hidden. I also think that my form is better when I'm stroking faster, but the problem is that, I can't sustain that high stroke rate for better form for more than a few hundred metres! Another problem is that, I'm a cold water swimmer and if I increase the stroke rate, I will get overheated easily in the middle of summer and have to slow down, and I always complain about the heat. I sometimes count strokes but I still need more than 60 strokes per 50 m length, which I think is not good. However, the coach basically tells me to HTFU and stroke faster. By stroking faster, although I really swim faster, I enter another aerobic level which isn't sustainable for 1.5 km, and I don't want brute-forcing my whole swim.
Therefore I begin to doubt if the methodology of this squad works on me, and if I should change to another place which teaches total immersion instead. My training goal in the coming winter is to get my long distance time down and do another marathon swimming race in cold water. Will total immersion work for my scenario?