I find swimming really hard, 400m and I’m tired. My Half IM swim time is 40minutes. My feeling is that my technique sucks.
I left my local masters group because we just seemed to swim mega yardage, with very little technique, and I was concerned I was beginning to set all my bad habits in stone.
I’ve just joined another masters group slightly further away. Before I started I told the coach I wasn’t interested in doing JUST length after length, I needed coaching. His response was that he wouldn’t offer any coaching advice until I had built my stamina, taking maybe six weeks.
My question is, in your opinion, is the coach right and should I stick to the progamme, or should I find another masters group, or maybe just a one to one coach.
Sounds like you got two loser coaches in a row. Challenge your second coach to a 10K run or a 25-mile bike ride, whip his butt, and ask him “What do you think of my stamina now?” I have never been around a swim coach who wouldn’t coach technique AND conditioning AT THE SAME TIME! It’s not that hard!
Unless you have a bad feeling about this guy, or his program, I would suggest that you stick it out. Couple of comments:
Did you tell the new coach what your background is? He may be under the impression that you’re Joe Sedentary off the street, who has made a new year’s resolution only to break it later. Why would he waste his time on someone who might quit?
He needs some time to get to know you, your habits, etc. before he starts fixing things.
He says six weeks. If he knows his stuff, and will work with you, then stick it out. He’ll see that your endurance is fine, and should start before then?
He may not offer coaching advice, but he will (should) be doing a lot of drills, the appropriate ones will help your technique issues.
Endurance is also sport specific. Just because you can run a 29 minute 10K doesn’t necessarily mean that you can swim a 15 minute 1500, even if you did have perfect technique.
There is a delicate balance between building stamina and improving technique. It’s hard to work on technique when a swimmer can’t swim more than a 500 in an entire practice. On the other hand it’s really tough to do more than that 500 if your technique is poo poo. And you were correct, IMO, to fear setting bad habits in stone. Fix 'em now while you don’t have your muscle memory set by hundreds of thousands of yards in the pool.
I’d agree with tri_bri2, it sounds like two bad coaches in a row. But this may or may not be the case. If you are getting whipped after a 400 then you probably need some serious technique work. That can be time consuming for a masters coach. Different coaches/teams have different needs and goals and bringing someone up from being able to do only a 400 to being able to crank out a few thousand isn’t typically a quick process. Or maybe that coach was just grouchy. I dunno.
What kind of composition of swimming skill is there on these teams? Is there a lane or two of swimmers who are in similar need of stroke work or does the “slow” lane still end up grinding out a couple thousand in a workout? If the former is true then talk with those people. Find out how they are treated by the coach and how much/what type of stroke work they do. If the latter is true you may need to keep hunting for another team.
As an alternative to a masters team (if there just aren’t that many to choose from) try asking your local tri club if they hold stroke work sessions. One of the city workers at my local pool (Raleigh, NC) holds technique sessions specifically for triathletes. Perhaps there is someone similar in your backyard.
All things considered I’d highly recommend getting some one-on-one time. Any competent coach should be able to teach you technique that will dramatically improve your swimming. Getting that technique to stick is up to you. I don’t have any idea what the going rate for one-on-one swim coaching is nowadays, anybody know? Probably will depend on the relative reputation of the coach.
Sounds to me the coach has it backwards. I am a big proponent of working on technique before distance or power. Imagine if a personal trainer told someone to start bench pressing 135 lbs 10 times with out explaining the technique or a track coach telling a runner to just start running and after a while I will let you know that overstriding is bad. By the time you get the strength and stamina to do whatever you may have already hurt yourself.
My advice would be to get some lessons from a reliable, trustworthy, and experienced source while at the same time continue to attend your regular masters program. Obviously work on your stroke while practicing and keep asking the coach to critique it (at some point which ever coach you stick with should help). Distance at this point would not be an issue. Also you may be surprised with your progress and only need few lessons.
Sounds like the ‘coaches’ need to look up the word in the dictionary. I would give them one more shot and explain your situation and tell them your expectations - ‘I am a triathlete and I would like to swim freestyle more proficiently but feel my stroke is problematic to the point that I am tired after swimming 400 meters. I would like to swim 3000 meters in 3 months.’ Your workouts should include stroke (technique) building sets like ‘catch up’ or ‘drill’ sets that make you slow down and focus on the intracies of your stroke. If the coach has you just swimming set after set, esp. of just freestyle, then I would seek alternatives, perhaps just someone in the program who is a fast swimmer and friendly person.
Any masters coach should be providing you with guidance on everything; kicking, pulling, stroke (butterfly, back and breast) as well as the technique of each and the equipment involved. Maybe you don’t want to make it that fancy but a good masters program will mix it up and ultimately you will be a lot more confident, stronger and comfortable in the water.
The hard part will be breaking all those bad habits and learning to move efficiently through the water. It is very common to have bad technique and just tacking on lots of distance in the hopes of getting you fit will only add to your problems b/c then you’ll be able to do a few thousands meters but you will be so tired from all your wasted energy that you won’t be able to do anything else.
I’d stick with the program, but ask the coach if he could give you a few pointers to work on while you get your distance up.
How much distance do you do in your average swim workout at the moment? If you can handle 1500-2000yds per workout alreayd, then you can handle doing technique work.
I’d say what your coach is refusing to do is have you start off doing ‘pure’ technique work befor eyou build distance. By ‘pure’ technique work I mean sets where technique is your primary focus, rather than time/distance.
Get a few basic tips/corrections from your coach and then concentrate on them for everything your do, while continuing to make the times on whatever sets he gives you.
If you still feel you need more, then sute, get a couple of one-on-ones as well.
get the hell out of that pool. You need to find a coach who will work 1 on 1 with you, even if it costs more. you can get really really fit in the water doing drill sets. try this: 10x75 kds :10 thats kick drill swim on 10 sec rest. no kickboard
I’ve seen major top ranked college swim programs start out doing 50-70% of their entire yardage the first couple of weeks as technique work. this is when the kids have come back from a summer of couching surfing. they get fit pretty fast.
build stamina my ass. good techinque is the foundation that the rest of your swimming rests on. One can always build stamina later.
You need 1 on 1 help to fix specific flaws. it will save you more time than a disc wheel and give you more ebergy for the rest of the race.
Thats my swim coach professional opinion
He’s not necessarily a bad coach. If he’s used to working with more advanced swimmers, he could be someone who thinks stroke changes and corrections are best made when swimming at full speed. I’ve had coaches in the past who felt that way, and their swimmers had very good results. (Provided you can handle getting lectured about dropping water with your right hand while swimming 100s on 1:20 send times)
But if you’ve got fundamental stroke problems, that sort of practice is not the right place and time for you right now, and it doesn’t sound like this coach would be a good match for your current needs.