swim-training tips for your Ironman preparation

Hopefully I can give you a few insights into swim-training as I see it that may help you in accomplishing your Ironman dream.

If you are IRONSTRUCK and determined to do this, but a bit nervous about the swim, this may make you feel better.

Historically, more first time starters are experienced runners and/or bikers as opposed to swimmers. You are not alone! Swimming is usually a big stumbling block for many hopefuls who would like to do this race. Just the thought of total immersion scares some people off.

Trust me, I survived my first swim and so will you. When I watched those crazy people back in 1982 and they were swimming 2.4 miles in the ocean, my first thought was---"well I guess that rules me out". Considering I couldn't swim a stroke at the time and had a healthy fear of the water, my chances looked pretty slim.

Something happened though. The more I watched the race, the more I wanted to do it. By the time the T.V. version of Hawaii 1982 was done, I was determined to learn how to swim. I wanted to cross that finish line.

Two years later I was in Kona, the cannon went off, and I was on my way. THIS WAS MY FIRST OPEN WATER SWIM! And what a swim it was! I had a really crappy stoke. I know that now. I didn't care at the time. I was swimming in Kona--I had really made it to Hawaii!

I got hit and kicked and run over, but luckily for me there were only around 900 starters that day. It would get much worse in coming years as fields have grown to 2000 plus! At least until I learned the proper strategy which I will eventually pass on to you and save you a world of hurt.

Back to Kona! It was surreal. Swimming out to the bean boat(captain bean did daily cruises out of Kona) with the orange sails that marked the turn. Watching tropical fish as I swam. Scuba divers sitting on the ocean floor waving as we swam by. Making the turn at half-way and an under-water photographer taking my picture as I rounded the boat and headed back. The amazing rush I felt as the current lifted me and pushed me towards shore.

I can't even put into words the emotions I felt when I stood up after one hour and 38 minutes and realized I had finished the Hawaii Ironman swim. It was a defining moment in my life. It was such a relief to have the swim behind me. So much so in fact, that I felt certain that before the day was done, I would be an Ironman.

I will never forget that transition tent. It was electric! It was like everyone was talking at once. You could "feel" the sense of accomplishment---the relief in the air. Today I realize it was because the swim had a lot of people worried. As it turned out in later years I would see this same scenario played out over and over again.

I told you this story for a reason. It sure isn't to brag. It's to inspire you. It's to make you realize that if you want this bad enough, its there for the taking. Look at the graphic on the top of this page. POWER! WISDOM! STRENGTH! You have that inside you. Now--Let it out. Get in the water. Total immersion is the only way to learn.

SOME SWIMMING TIPS-

Swim clubs are great for learning to swim in close quarters with others. However, I found there were several drawbacks to this method of swim-training. First of all you're normally assigned lanes according to ability. More often than not you end up trying to swim faster than the person beside you and stroke technique soon becomes non-existent. The coach will have you do sets of backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly. You get the picture. Hey! You're going to swim in the Ironman! LEARN THE FRONT CRAWL! And look! Coach is passing out kickboards! RUN! RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN! Oh Boy, I really, really, don't like those things.

Anyway, I was determined one year that I would swim faster then ever before and spent one Fall, Winter and Spring in a club working on swim-training. I had to park 5 blocks away from the pool and in the winter its like 30 below here and I froze 4 nights a week. But I stuck it out! For 8 months! Ironman day came. I was 2 minutes SLOWER than the year before! Oh man. From then on I swam alone.

I read books. I swam thousands of lengths, Reinforcing all my bad habits. I swam miles and miles with pull buoys, because my feet sank. I blasted my way through the water. It took me 10 years of swim-training to take 15 minutes off my original Hawaii swim. The gun would go off and I would move my arms as fast I could for 2.4 miles.

Then I discovered the total immersion method and realized I had to SLOW DOWN in order to swim faster. I learned that swimming relaxed and using the natural buoyancy that we all have was the answer. It wasn't really how FAST I got to the other end of the pool, it was HOW! I finally learned that 16 relaxed strokes is a ton better then 25 "move your arms as fast as you can strokes."

I worked on that for the whole training season and found myself back at the Ironman swim start. I had discovered how to swim and also where to swim(more on that on race-day swim page). I stayed calm and relaxed. I used my new loooooong, smoooooth, stroke. Kept nice even balance on top of the water, and was very relaxed when I finished the swim. I thought, "well, I don't feel like I worked very hard or swam very fast, but if my time's slower that's ok, at least I feel great!"

MY TIME WAS A PERSONAL BEST SWIM BY JUST OVER FIVE MINUTES! In one training season, by learning to relax, and swim with proper technique and use loooong, smooooth strokes and proper body balance I made a huge improvement in my swimming. I found the total immersion method worked best for me. It kept my heart rate down--see heart monitor page for monitor use and a bit about total immersion. See how a steady heart-rate is important to your over-all race result.

Remember: Its not how many times you swim to the other end of the pool that's important in your swim-training---its HOW you get there. That's the secret.

A few other things..

If you don't manage to swim in the open water during your training, don't worry about it. Save it for race day like I did. The right swim technique will work anywhere. You should however, do some swimming in your wet suit even if its just in the pool. Just to get used to how it feels.

I highly recommend you do away with all those swimming aids. Don't worry about learning how to be a great kicker. Swim with proper technique and kicking is not a big issue and you can save your legs for later in the day. As I said in "swim equipment," fins can be helpful when you're really concentrating on your stroke or a certain drill. By now, I'm sure you know what to do if someone tries to hand you a kick board.

***NOTE*** If you are in a swim club of some kind and enjoy it and it works for you, then by all means stay with it. As I said before, I have no desire to undermine anyone's swim program. I'm just passing on what I learned over years of trial and error in the pool.

Just remember this: The Ironman is an individual event. Much of it is done in solitude as you fight your own demons. Even if you have company in the marathon--they cannot carry you. It is what is inside you that will determine how your day ends.

Try here for some tips on your Ironman bike-training.