TOTAL IMMERSION Is easily one of the best swimming techniques for triathletes of all levels.
They may have visited this website, read one of my books, emailed me, or just stopped by to chat while I was doing a book signing at a race.
Most of the time the contact is initiated because most of them are compelled or "Ironstruck" by some unseen force to embark on their own Ironman journey and are in search of answers. Answers that will get them to the Ironman finish line one day. It might mean getting on a road bike for the first time, dusting off the running shoes, or learning how to swim from the very beginning so they can enter the world of triathlon and eventually join a few thousand others one day at the swim start of their very first Ironman. This is where TOTAL IMMERSION can become a very important factor. I can say with a certainty that the biggest stumbling block for most of the newly Ironstruck is learning how to swim or learning how to swim better. It certainly was for me as I couldn't swim a stroke when I decided I wanted to be an Ironman.
Unfortunately, back then the swimming techniques provided by TOTAL IMMERSION were not available. It took me about year to be able to swim two miles in a pool. It was most likely the most inefficient swim stroke a person could possibly have, but I was off to Kona to tackle Ironman Hawaii 1984. If you are having concerns and problems with your swim training and swim technique for an upcoming triathlon of any distance, consider total immersion. I was always a crappy swimmer and the TOTAL IMMERSION TECHNIQUE made the Ironman swim enjoyable and worry-free for me. I also came out of the water feeling more relaxed and more energy left then I normally did with my older, less economical stroke. This was a huge difference going into the bike and marathon.
TOTAL IMMERSION is offering all ironstruck visitors a 10% discount on Books, DVD's, and all other TI teaching tools. Simply click on this link totalimmersion.net/store/ and go to the store page and type ironstruck(all small case)into the shopping cart coupon box and you receive your 10% discount automatically. My Ironman swim strategy before I came across Total Immersion was simple. I just moved my arms as fast as I could for about an hour and forty minutes until I reached dry land. I didn't want to stop moving my arms because I was afraid I would sink. I had such poor body position, that as soon as I slowed down my legs would sink. Well, they sank anyway and dragged along behind me, but the slower I went the faster they seemed to sink.
I incorporated this same strategy in the first 10 of the 14 Ironman races I entered over the years. In all of those Ironman swims I came out of the water exhausted and with my heart-rate racing and out of control. The energy that is lost that early in the race is unrecoverable. Most of my problems were caused by having terrible swim technique and also because I never had a swim plan and was routinely getting clobbered in the swim from the flailing mass of bodies that are part of every Ironman swim. Then one day after another hour spent at the local pool reinforcing my poor swim stroke, a fellow triathlete asked me if I had ever heard of TOTAL IMMERSION? He had been swimming beside me and I think he knew I really needed help. I was a 1:25 Ironman swimmer at this stage and he was just about breaking 60 minutes.
I told him I had never heard of it, so he reached in his gym bag and pulled out a copy of the book TOTAL IMMERSION. He told me to take it home and read it. In my 25 year involvement with triathlon, that was without a doubt the best piece of advice I was ever given. I read the whole book that night and although I had my doubts at first because it virtually meant learning to swim all over again, I took it to heart and put TOTAL IMMERSION to the test the very next day. I kicked off from the side of the pool and did exactly what was suggested in the book for attaining better buoyancy and body positioning in the water. Without exaggeration, I took about five strokes and for the first time in almost twenty years felt my heels break the surface of the water behind me. It's the first time I actually had anything even close to good form in the water and I hadn't even reached the other side of the pool.
I was ecstatic and over the following months did the drills that slowly rid my muscle memory of all my bad habits and helped me develop a long, smooth stroke that is "perfect" for any triathlete who wants to become a confident, efficient swimmer and save tons of energy for the later stages of their triathlon. I took my new improved stroke to my next Ironman and because I wanted to make the most of it, decided to swim on the edge of the mass of swimmers. I thought that by staying on the edge of all the swimmers I would be away from the mayhem and be able to maintain the long, smooth stroke that TOTAL IMMERSION had taught me. I felt that I would most likely swim further, but it would be well worth it to have an enjoyable swim that conserved energy. My mantra during my swim training using the TOTAL IMMERSION method was "not how fast I got to the other end of the pool, but how I got to the other end of the pool." I held that thought and took it to the Ironman and put it to the test. When I came out of the water I couldn't believe how great I felt. For the first time my heart-rate was in control and the entire swim had been enjoyable and not the usual part of the Ironman that I always dreaded. I stayed out of trouble and maintained the same long, smooth stroke for the entire race.
I was astounded when my swim time was a personal best by almost 5 minutes. It was so surprising because never once did I consciously try and "swim fast." I TRIED TO SWIM SMOOTH. If you are concerned about your swimming or if you think the Ironman is beyond your reach because the swim seems overwhelming, then TOTAL IMMERSION could very well be your ticket to the Ironman finish line. Even if you have done several Ironman races and struggle through the swim much like I did for almost ten years, the TOTAL IMMERSION swim system will change the way you look at swimming forever and you will begin to look forward to the Ironman swim and not dread it. If you are just beginning your triathlon career, TOTAL IMMERSION is the perfect system to incorporate into your swim training as your career develops. If you are completely new to swimming, then you have the advantage of developing a great stroke from the very beginning without having to break bad swimming habits. TOTAL IMMERSION....Simply one of the best swimming techniques in the world today for triathletes of any level. TOTAL IMMERSION is offering all ironstruck visitors a 10% discount on Books, DVD's, and all other TI teaching tools. Simply click on this link totalimmersion.net/store/go to the store page and type ironstruck(all small case)into the shopping cart coupon box and you receive your 10% discount automatically. ****Total Immersion is happy to offer FREE PRIORITY SHIPPING on any order of $50 or more through Sunday April 4th. The FREE shipping option will be visible once your cart reaches or exceeds the $50 minimum. With Spring just around the corner now is the perfect time to polish your stroke.Act Now!****
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