I think this winter may have to “actually” be the year I work on my swim. I’ve been racing tris for 7-8 years, with the absolute minimum of swim training. We’re talking maybe 1000yds 2x/week at shit pace from april-october, nothing during the winter, that kind of thing. I’ve just started swimming with a masters group 2x/week around 2500 each workout (which actually involve effort).
I just raced a 32:30 1500 last sunday. Is it realistic to get down into 25 min range, or is that a pipe dream over a winter? I’m currently finishing around 12-15th in most local races, and if I could drop those hard to come by minutes I’d be getting down into the 5-7th territory. FWIW, my bike and run have their own weaknesses, but I think the swim times will drop the easiest.
So what should I set my swim goal to be over the winter? FWIW, I dont like swimming enough to swim more than 3x/week.
First of all, like everything, it depends. Depends on what your weaknesses are and whether you have the means to correct them.
The average 5 month improvement for critical pace in my tri swim class is 8%. 5 months is from January to May, for the mid atlantic this happens to be the length of time from January to the Columbia tri, that is why I have 5 month improvement data.
This brings up an excellent point, that testing is a key aspect of whether you will improve. If you retest yourself you will be getting feedback and probably continue with the program; without feedback you will probably start to find other things to do.
That average includes everything from new swimmers to experienced Kona qualifiers. I have no control over what they do outside of class, my estimate is that maybe half of them swim a workout on their own and almost no one swims more than 3 times per week. And I’d bet money none of them swim more than 4 times.
If you can swim with a group or otherwise get some instruction and some intensity in person or through distance then I’d say you would be higher than the average 8% I have found.
I think the 25% improvement you are asking for is ambitious but in the right circumstances can be done. Then again ask yourself what it would take to improve your bike speed by 25% and would that be doable over the winter. I bet you’d start to think it might be a tall order.
It depends on where you are starting from - ie have you worked hard in the pool at any time or are you really just going the times you’re going now on talent (2000 a week is not swim training, even by triathlete standards ;-). If you really are going a 32 min 1500m on 2000 yards a week its likely you do have the physical talent to get down to 25 minutes. My experience watching improvement year to year is mostly with competitive swimmers. I am quite confident that if you were an age grouper (in swimming that means kid) and you showed up on the first day of practice in the fall having done a 32 minute 1500m swim on no training, you’d definitely be going under 25 by March if you showed up for practice on a regular basis and put in a serious effort.
Whether two 2500yd workouts a week is enough is the real question. You’ll get faster but you have to lop off about 30 seconds per hundred to make your goal. Do the masters workouts for a couple months and if you are not happy with where you are at at the end of December, add some more workouts.
depends on your previous training volume, i think it will be hard or impossible to improve that much with just increases in training volume and intensity.
but it may be quite easy to improve that much (or better) with decent training, but big changes in technique.
Yes, you absolutely can improve your swim. Especially since you stated this is a intentionally neglected training area, you have a huge ceiling. I would not initially worry about the numbers or percentages. I think you need to focus on 2 quality workouts per week. I would dedicate one to endurance and one to tempo or speed. 1000 yds is not enough. Work up to 2000-3000. Focus on drills and technique. As you become a better more efficient swimmer, you will enjoy it more and get more from your training. There are good online free workouts - but definitely use a workout each swim. This provides structure. Also, it is easy to start pool training in Sept. or Oct. and be burnt by Jan! But use structure, schedule and workouts - find a masters class and swim with others. Your inner training voice is trying to tell you something! Go with it…
Interesting question, as I am in a very similar boat. My last three IM swims have all been in the 1:15-1:17 range. I can do that time easily and get out of the water fresh and ready to ride. The problem I have is that 1:17 puts me behind about 5-600 riders to pass and that messes with my race plan by making my ride a series of intervals instead of a smooth steady effort. My goal is to get out of transition next year at IMC in 1:10. That means about a 1:05 swim fplus transition. Guess i need to get my ass down to the pool.
To speak of, I realize what I have done in the past is NOT swim training. I’ve pretty much intentionally neglected it, as I had no desire to get up at 530, or use the free time I did have to train swimming swimming instead of cruising around empty mountain roads on my bike for a few hours. Now I’m at a place where the riding isn’t that great, I have a schedule where I can train with a group and get decent swim workouts without too much impingement on the rest of my life, and my racing focus is turning specifically to tri’s, instead of a trail run here, a mountain bike race there, and oh yeah, here’s a tri close to town next weekend.
Up to this point, swimming has been more of an exercise of: oh yeah, there’s an oly in 3 weeks, let’s get in the pool to make sure I won’t drown! The bike and run dont have as much room for improvement, as I’m usually in the top 10-15 OA in each individual discipline, but the swim can be down in the 80’s.
Me to am planning on greatly imroving my swim this winter! It all depends on how many yards you are willing to log. ( If you already have had a good swim coach help you on technique and get that tuned in ) For me I am planning on getting my Oly swim from 27 min to 21 and my HIM from 32 min to 25. planning on 20,000 to 25,000 yards a week. A heck of a lot of swimming but I know what I need to do.
Me to am planning on greatly imroving my swim this winter! It all depends on how many yards you are willing to log. ( If you already have had a good swim coach help you on technique and get that tuned in ) For me I am planning on getting my Oly swim from 27 min to 21 and my HIM from 32 min to 25. planning on 20,000 to 25,000 yards a week. A heck of a lot of swimming but I know what I need to do.
No it doesn’t. It matters on what TYPE of yards you’re going to log. Just because you get in and churn out 20k a week doesn’t mean you’ll automatically see a nearly 25% improvement in your swim time.
To speak of, I realize what I have done in the past is NOT swim training. I’ve pretty much intentionally neglected it, as I had no desire to get up at 530, or use the free time I did have to train swimming swimming instead of cruising around empty mountain roads on my bike for a few hours. Now I’m at a place where the riding isn’t that great, I have a schedule where I can train with a group and get decent swim workouts without too much impingement on the rest of my life, and my racing focus is turning specifically to tri’s, instead of a trail run here, a mountain bike race there, and oh yeah, here’s a tri close to town next weekend.
Up to this point, swimming has been more of an exercise of: oh yeah, there’s an oly in 3 weeks, let’s get in the pool to make sure I won’t drown! The bike and run dont have as much room for improvement, as I’m usually in the top 10-15 OA in each individual discipline, but the swim can be down in the 80’s.
You probably won’t improve much, unless you really like the people you end up swimming with. It sounds like swimming is a chore for you, so I give you a month before you get bored in the pool and start neglecting it again.
You probably won’t improve much, unless you really like the people you end up swimming with. It sounds like swimming is a chore for you, so I give you a month before you get bored in the pool and start neglecting it again. *
