I’d love to hear some inspiring stories of other AOS who have shown significant improvement over time with the goal of understanding what is realistically achievable for someone who starts swimming late in life.
For some background, I did my first triathlon age 48 and couldn’t swim a length of a pool meaning I did the swim on my back. My first coach did a great job getting me comfortable in the water and last year my race pace ranged from 1:59/100y to 1:47/100y (at age 53)
I changed my coach in September and he upped my swimming significantly (from about 4k to 10k+ yards per week across 4 sessions). My times in the pool are now about 8-10s quicker than I was doing this time last year meaning that I am hoping to be in the 1:50-1:40/100y range this season.
My long winded question is - how much more improvement can I hope to see over the next few years (if any) if I keep swimming 4 times a week and 10k yards+?
Seems like you should easily get to the low 1:30-1:35 /100yd range this year and definitely next year.
I started out in around 2:15 /100yd range 7 years ago. Swam in middle school, so I had a very distant background, but pretty much nothing since. I got to around 1:50 after a year of regular routine (2x week at 5,000 total yards/week). I flattened out for a couple years until I started watching videos and making changes to my technique. I kept my volume of activity about the same 2x sessions/week at 6,000 total yards. After a year or so of self-taught improvements from videos, I am consistently around 1:40/100yd. If I had a real coach who could give me better form instruction and better workouts, I am confident I could get to the low 1:30s within a season.
I’m not the OP, but… I have not done an all-in 500 in ages. My recent 500 yard intervals were cruising a little harder than a warm-up, but not trying to puke, at 8:15. This is about the same pace as my 70.3 swims in a non-wetsuit race with a fast tri suit.
Started swimming at age 26. By the end of the first year, I had broken 1:00 for 100scy and my first 50 in a meet was 26.57. End of second year I was at 2:02 for 200scy; third year at 1:57; fifth year at 1:53. By the end of the sixth year, my PRs were 23.17 50, 51.7 100, 5:17 500, 4765yds for an hour. :58.88 for 100IM. Never did more than 20,000yds in a week, but did every set in every workout hard.
I watched lots of technique videotapes (we’re talking the late 80s here!), read articles in swimming magazines, and had a very good deck coach.
Not exactly what you are asking for (lifelong competitive swimmer here). But, I am curious about what sort of coaching you are getting. Are you talking about a triathlon coach or a swim coach? Are they on deck with you? Do they give you technique help/drill suggestions?
For a AOS, you’re going to need both yardage AND technique help. And a lot of times, you’re a lot better off having a swim-specific coach as opposed to a general triathlon coach. Time in the pool is VERY important for all triathletes. But, you absolutely need somebody on deck to really look at your stroke if you want to see massive improvements. If you’re in shape, you can muscle your way through a swim decently. BUT, if you clean up your technique, you can not only see improvements in the water…but out of it as well. Ex. bad technique may be tiring out parts of your body that you need to be fresh when you hit the bike.
If you don’t swim with a master’s swim team, I would suggest looking into one. And if you don’t want to join a master’s team, investing in some swim lessons might be super beneficial.
Started swimming at age 26. By the end of the first year, I had broken 1:00 for 100scy and my first 50 in a meet was 26.57.That is awesome and insane. My all-in, might puke, best 100scy time is probably around 1:20. But, I rarely get below 1:25. 1:00 seems impossible for me, and I would be happy just to get below 1:20 consistently.
Yeah, dk how age plays into it but I’ve only been seriously swimming for ~1 year (I’m about to turn 30). Did 33-mid at my 1st 70.3 this summer & then 32-flat a few months later. Went from mid-1:40s in my 1st Olympic to close to 1:30/100 for 1.2 miles in less than a year. Weekly total for me is more like 12k-15k yards/week in season on 4-5 swims/week. Coaching myself so I’m sure my form needs work but I’m doing 2 quality sessions/week & have gotten pace work to low/mid-1:30s for longer stuff & sub-1:30s for anything 200 & under with decent volume.
I’m sure if you sustain 10k/week on 4 swims/week that you would end up getting close to 1:30/100. Feel like after that you need more volume, better technique, proper coaching, etc. I’m still new to this but that’s where I feel like hard work can get you in swimming & then it takes a good deal more to keep making improvements past that 1:30 mark – as in it’s going to take a lot more training to go from 1:30 to 1:20 than 1:40 to 1:30. I’m sure there are exceptions but someone healthy & willing to put in that kind of work should get a good bit faster from where you’re at now.
Just listened to the Scientific Triathlon podcast today & it was all about swimming. Worth a listen. A big takeaway for me is committing to longer sessions when I go to the pool. Advice was to try to make sure sessions are at least 1hr, with one swim/week at 1:15-1:30. I feel like I’m going to get more bang for my buck doing the same volume in 4 swims that I would do in 5. Sometimes my total swim time is more like 40ish minutes if I’m under 3k for a session. May as well go the hour since I’m already there. Going to work on getting up over 3k every time out while aiming for 4 sessions/week.
If you don’t swim with a master’s swim team, I would suggest looking into one. And if you don’t want to join a master’s team, investing in some swim lessons might be super beneficial.
I’m an AOS MOPish not-fast swimmer - I’ve swam with masters groups in the past.
Honestly, I don’t get why they are pushed so frequently for technique gains. None of the masters groups I’ve ever been to has done detailed stroke analysis, ever. These masters groups are GREAT for pushing hard on the pace while trying to stay on the feet in front of you, and they do throw in drill sets which do focus on technique, but even in those sets, I’ve never, ever received any special information about my technique that was more than superficial from eyes on the deck.
Dead honest - the most individual feedback I’ve ever received in a masters swim session, was “try and keep your head lower in the water”. And that’s it. I did get some compliments for being able to swim with an ankle band on a banded set, though!
Swim lessons were def higher yield, and the highest yield was video session+swim lesson, although to be honest I’ve now watched enough youtube swim videos that it doesn’t take much to see the kind of errors I’m making in the pool. I’ve been really enjoying regular self-video in the pool lately, even if it’s limited to one view.
Not exactly what you are asking for (lifelong competitive swimmer here). But, I am curious about what sort of coaching you are getting. Are you talking about a triathlon coach or a swim coach? Are they on deck with you? Do they give you technique help/drill suggestions?
For a AOS, you’re going to need both yardage AND technique help. And a lot of times, you’re a lot better off having a swim-specific coach as opposed to a general triathlon coach. Time in the pool is VERY important for all triathletes. But, you absolutely need somebody on deck to really look at your stroke if you want to see massive improvements. If you’re in shape, you can muscle your way through a swim decently. BUT, if you clean up your technique, you can not only see improvements in the water…but out of it as well. Ex. bad technique may be tiring out parts of your body that you need to be fresh when you hit the bike.
If you don’t swim with a master’s swim team, I would suggest looking into one. And if you don’t want to join a master’s team, investing in some swim lessons might be super beneficial.
what you think you are doing stroke-wise is not what you are actually doing; and
if you get tired swimming a length or two, you are fighting the water and the water is winning
started swimming 3.5 years ago and Im 28
1k TT 25scy pool 13:09 Feb 21
Best HIM 29min.
I have kind of stagnated since Covid but have really dove into swimming this off season (pun intended)
I actually JUST learned how to hold my body in the water maybe 6 weeks ago. Finally swimming flat in the water. Still some work to get that coupled into fast swimming but progress is coming.
Not exactly what you are asking for (lifelong competitive swimmer here). But, I am curious about what sort of coaching you are getting. Are you talking about a triathlon coach or a swim coach? Are they on deck with you? Do they give you technique help/drill suggestions?
For a AOS, you’re going to need both yardage AND technique help. And a lot of times, you’re a lot better off having a swim-specific coach as opposed to a general triathlon coach. Time in the pool is VERY important for all triathletes. But, you absolutely need somebody on deck to really look at your stroke if you want to see massive improvements. If you’re in shape, you can muscle your way through a swim decently. BUT, if you clean up your technique, you can not only see improvements in the water…but out of it as well. Ex. bad technique may be tiring out parts of your body that you need to be fresh when you hit the bike.
If you don’t swim with a master’s swim team, I would suggest looking into one. And if you don’t want to join a master’s team, investing in some swim lessons might be super beneficial…
Thanks for the questions.
I’m with a remote coach but I send him videos every 6-8 weeks so he does give some customized feedback/drills. He is a triathlon specific coach and his background is very high level swimrun.
Your comment about fitness is interesting as I have been neglecting my bike and run to concentrate on swimming for the last few months. Surprisingly I’m finding that I have really not lost any speed on either discipline, which must be down to increasing my swim fitness.
Our local pool is still not allowing group swims but the minute the local Maters group reforms, I will attend - thanks for the suggestion!
If you don’t swim with a master’s swim team, I would suggest looking into one. And if you don’t want to join a master’s team, investing in some swim lessons might be super beneficial.
I’m an AOS MOPish not-fast swimmer - I’ve swam with masters groups in the past.
Honestly, I don’t get why they are pushed so frequently for technique gains. None of the masters groups I’ve ever been to has done detailed stroke analysis, ever. These masters groups are GREAT for pushing hard on the pace while trying to stay on the feet in front of you, and they do throw in drill sets which do focus on technique, but even in those sets, I’ve never, ever received any special information about my technique that was more than superficial from eyes on the deck.
Dead honest - the most individual feedback I’ve ever received in a masters swim session, was “try and keep your head lower in the water”. And that’s it. I did get some compliments for being able to swim with an ankle band on a banded set, though!
Swim lessons were def higher yield, and the highest yield was video session+swim lesson, although to be honest I’ve now watched enough youtube swim videos that it doesn’t take much to see the kind of errors I’m making in the pool. I’ve been really enjoying regular self-video in the pool lately, even if it’s limited to one view.
This is some really good advice - thanks! And yes, I love the Scientific Triathlon podcast so I will make sure to listen this week.
I started swimming at the age of 28/29 (2016/2017) with breaks November 2017-april 2018 (injury) and September 2020-august 2021 (covid). Just before the covid break I did 30.0 for the 50 (LCM) and 29.7 (SCM) and did longer series (3x400m, 2x600m) at 1.30/100m.
Interestingly enough I did an Ironman in 2017, 2018 and 2019 with 1.06-1.08-1.05 and had pretty much accepted that I am worthless in the water and that my peak fitness would yield 10x50m on the 60 with a best average of 45. But in 2019 I started working with a really good coach who made me do a lot of intensity in the water (3-4 times a week) and my times came down pretty fast during the period September 2019-september 2020.
I swim technically better (according to my swim friends) now after the covid break, but my swim fitness is shit (I am what they in the literature refer to as a non responder) and it will probably take some time to get back.
Anyway: I had a lot of different swimmers telling me to focus on technique. Intensity was the missing puzzle for me, as I didnt have the strength/fitness to hold a good swim form whenever it got tough in the water. When my fitness improved, the technical aspects got a lot easier.
“late in life” can mean different things for different folks. I started swimming from scratch over 10 years ago at age 42. We’re talking blowing bubbles, not being able to swim across the pool in the very beginning (humiliating stuff lol). I have worked very hard on my swim over the years, but I’ll never be close to the top women in my AG who swam competitively when younger. It’s not going to happen and I’m OK with it. To put it into perspective, my best IM swim is just under 77 minutes where my best IM marathon is 3:36. So I’m not weak, my body just doesn’t move efficiently through the water starting so late in life and never learning that “body feel” thing you get as a child. Flexibility is probably another issue starting so late in life.
From what I’ve seen over the years, those who swam even mildly competitively in grade school have been super-fast in the IM and HIM swims (under 60 and 30 minutes respectively). It doesn’t mean you can’t become fast learning in your 20s or 30s. It’s just that the fastest people I’ve seen and know had some sort of competitive swim background as a kid, teenager or college student. My husband swam a couple years in college. He is MUCH faster than myself in the water, but I am stronger on land. Swimming is one of those technique sports where it helps immensely swimming as a kid. Everyone is different and I’ve also seen those who start in their 30s do pretty well (1:05 to 1:10 type IM swims).
Just keep working on it as long as you enjoy the journey. I actually love to swim especially in the open water. I now have an Endless Pool where I find so much joy swimming in it almost every day. Perhaps this is the tool that will get me out of my plateau of several years. I swim at faster speeds now. I actually worried this morning that my motor was slowing down as I hit speeds I couldn’t do a few months ago. I’m digressing a bit but never give up if you love to swim. Maybe I’m gaining that body feel in my 50s in my own private pool where I can play around and do things I wouldn’t have done in the public pool (play around with my stroke a bit, float, pretend I’m a fish, make up strokes, stick my toes out of the water, dumb stuff lol)
If you are swimming 4x a week the improvements will be much faster than most. Generally I think AOS triathletes face a confounding situation where they don’t get in the pool enough (2-3x a week at most) and then try and master technique while also building fitness.
My personal experience was learning to swim properly in my mid-20s (I’m now early 30s). I took basic swim lessons as a kid but no swim team or competitive swimming. After 6 seasons as a triathlete I am now down to 33min 70.3 swim and 1:07 IM swim off of 3 swims a week. Bumping up my swims to 4x a week I’m already seeing gains and expect those race times to drop even more this year.
Focus on technique and getting in the pool frequently. I’ve also found it helps to think about swimming often and to watch good swimmers (Youtube, in person, Masters, etc) when possible. Strengthen those neurological connections through many methods
Honestly, I don’t get why they are pushed so frequently for technique gains. None of the masters groups I’ve ever been to has done detailed stroke analysis, ever.
This right here. I’m the definition of an AOS and I found them to be so overwhelming and intimidating that they were not worth my time. Most just throw a set on a board. Well that’s great, but if I can’t make those sets then what…nothing.
The best thing I have found is SwimSmooth has a stroke analysis for the Apple Watch. It gives three sessions free and provided instant feedback on some areas I thought were correct in my stroke that I would have kept doing wrong unless I had some feedback.
