The good news for you is I've never heard of ths "Slowman method" or "Rapp" method, but I've heard of Finding Freestyle.

This would be very interesting indeed.

---

24 Hour World TT Champs-American record holder
Fat Bike Worlds - Race Director
Insta: chris.s.apex

Would it be possible to get lessons from Fastman instead? LOL!

Sorry Dan . . but I'm thinking Slowman wouldn't cut it as a super-hero name. :)

---

Pete Githens
Reading, PA

49 year old female adult onset swimmer here. From my alias, you can tell that my strencgth is CYCLING not swimming.

Did a few sprints last year and my best was 2:33min/100m. Pitiful when I can easily average over 20mph on the bike.

Been working on my swimming for the past year and going nowhere.
Been told that I think too much, swim catchup and need to increase my stroke rate. Watching the swim porn posted in the other thread, that is exactly the kind of swimming style I've been told to get away from - although pretty to watch, that long, kick driven glide is apparently not the style that will work best for me.

Don't know anything about finding freestyle but, given my ridiculously slow speed, I would definitely be a good test subject if you guys want to play! I am willing to put the time in. Indeed, I have been putting the time in (4-5hrs week), just not seeing any results. Would love to come out of the water feeling fresh and confident instead of feeling panic-stricken and thankful to just have survived the swim!

In any event, I'm joining the challenge and look forward to all the upcoming articles Dan - thanks so much for doing this!

I would be a willing guinea pig. I'm currently participating in the LR 100-day activity challenge and will need something to focus on once I get through a marathon on the 4th of July. Pretty slow swimmer - 28-min Oly / 36 HIM / 1:15 IM. 10x100 on the 2:00 is a struggle.

I am a very marginal swimmer (37:xx at Mont Tremblant last weekend) who would very much like to be faster. I have worked pretty damn hard in the pool over the last several years (for a non-swimmer) getting close to 400,000 yards per year. I have not seen really spectacular improvement.

I would be happy/excited to make myself one of the guinea pigs. Assign me a plan and give me the workouts and I will execute it to the best of my ability and see what it gets me.

Let me know.

---

----------------------------
Jason
None of the secrets of success will work unless you do.

LIKE!

Glad to see you keep popping back in here Dave. You'll probably scare a bunch of people away from improving through bc there are no fancy wheels or shoes that pretend to fix your stride or make you faster.

---

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

interesting stuff.

I'd never turn down a chance to get faster :P

---

My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

i'd be willing to be a guinea pig as well.

---

http://www.hooslisa.com

I would most def be in to participant in something like this. I can use all the help i can get.

How would you differentiate between the programs. I have my own opinions on some, but you usually provide better and more concise descriptions.

I would gladly pay $100 / 1 second improvement in a 300 freestyle in a 12 week period. I don't think anyone could do that for me though : (

I can use all the help I get on the swim. Last sprint tri I went 2:15 / 100. So sad compared to my other times > 20 mph bike and 6:45 / mile run. (I'm 49 yo female).
So count me in as a test subject.

Nancy

We would have 5,10, maybe more swimmers in each test group. What further is needed?

If you want to stand by your offer, I 'll take you up on it. $100 / :01 / 300. ;>)

I'd sign up to be a guinea pig.

I'd be interested in this as well.

So, who are the poor bastards who hafta try one of the non-FF options? Sucks to be them.

IF I gave a single crap about swimming anymore, I'd be happy to throw my swim cap in the ring.
Good thing I don't - whew!!

FF was the single best investment of $ and time I've ever made into swimming better.
(and some of it seems to have 'stuck' - I can now swim as well off the couch, as I did back prior to doing FF. That sounds like a backhanded compliment, but it's not. Straight up kudos)

---

float , hammer , and jog

Of course I was serious. We'll post the results on ST for all to see. I'll record the 300 TT this afternoon. I'll pay you the money ahead of time, $300 would be a huge improvement so does that work for you as the advance?

My workout limitations: Right now I swim about an hour Monday, around 1.5 on Wednesday and around 45 minutes on Friday and Saturday. I never workout at all on Sunday. I don't care what you do with the time, but that is what I have. If I do more for the program to work, state so now and I try to work it in. If I have to do a whole lot more, well, I get that but I doubt I can comply. So we'll call it off because that isn't fair to you. Assuming you can work within my time constraints, I will do 99% of what you ask. Hopefully 100% but sometimes life gets in the way. If I am going to completely miss a workout I will tell you ahead of time so we can make other arrangements. If I have to modify due to time constraints, I will use my best determination on how to modify. I will of course notify you.

I would prefer you post the workout right here on ST. This is, to a small extent, offering your secret sauce to the world for free. But I think it is really only a problem to the extent that I represent your target audience (which I probably don't. Maybe? I don't know.). If you have a problem with that, I understand, but I think it is more in the spirit of your original challenge. Thoughts on that?

I do not use bands and I had some shoulder issues with paddles. I will NOT do a long straight swim. EVER. If you believe in them, then you are wrong : ) I love doing dolphin kick but whatever.

I will wear the same suit, a Speedo Aquablade (cause that is what is in my bag today) for both TTs. My A race is Sunday Sept 1st. I will need to work in a taper that week. That is 9 weeks from this Sunday. Can you work within that parameter?

Sign me up, im interested as well. I learned how to swim using the total immersion method.

Another willing subject here - currently in 5:30 - 5:45 range for 300m TT

I'd play. I don't look at the clock a lot when I swim, but I bet I can go under 5 min for a scy 300. When I swim intervals and I don't want much rest but want a little I start out at 1s/yd. I'm not sure if that qualifies me or not.

On second thought I don't think this challenge will work unless you are VERY selective of the swimmers you choose in the group.

Here's why. Take the 2:00++ / 100 yd type swimmer. In general lots of low hanging fruit there. Any of the coaches would love to have that person to showcase improvement through their program.

Now take someone like myself. Zero swim background. I started swimming for Tri June 2011. I was pretty serious for one year and strung together a few heavy (10Kish is heavy for a non fish) and got my 10 x 100 down to arriving on the 1:20. And that was all based on fitness because I've never had any formal coaching.

I'd think that's the sort of candidate you are looking for. Someone not too raw, but not a swimmer that's swam 100000000000 yards throughout their life with nothing left to gain.

---

24 Hour World TT Champs-American record holder
Fat Bike Worlds - Race Director
Insta: chris.s.apex

I think it would work just fine if we have enough swimmers for the statisticians among us AND if we are somewhat selective.

You are correct, most any legit coach could help a swimmer improve from 2:30 or so per hundred quite easily. I'll take a couple of those myself. I am not afraid of those in the 1:30 range or faster. If we say 1:40 - 2:20 as a 100 time, and we can get 10 such swimmers for each group, split up evenly between the faster ones and the slower ones, the data we produce will be far from worthless. There are ways dude.

I signed up for the slowman challenge, but I'd be interested in this as well as a former fish with a dated stroke.

John

---

---

Top notch coaching: Francois and Accelerate3 | Follow on Twitter: LifetimeAthlete |

I'd be down. I sent you a PM and would be willing to give this side of things a shot instead of the guppy pool.

I joined Dan's challenge, but would be happy to be a guinea pig for this. I feel like my technique is pretty good, (and a few coaches and former D1 swim friend concurred) but that I'm a lot slower than I should be/would like to be. (1:50/1:55 per 100.) And my open water times suck compared to my pool times, which is super frustrating.

Michelle

---

------------------------------------------------------------
The beatings will continue until morale improves