Though thousands of miles from a TI Coach, this triathlete wouldn’t mind if they doubled the distance of Ironman swims, and made the bike or run shorter. I had been a keen swimmer for about 15 years before coming across Terry Laughlin’s book “Total Immersion.” As a triathlete I was looking for a time/energy-efficient way to train and a way of breaking through the plateau I’d hit in swimming since I’d begun spending more time cycling and running. I recognized the potential for TI straight away and once my races were over for the year, stopped swimming laps and started working on balance and efficiency. I worked through each drill diligently and arrived at a point where I’d completely re-programmed my swim habits. The problem was, it wasn’t effortless; indeed it seemed much harder than before. Though I was sure I was missing something, I couldn’t nail what it was and, being on the other side of the planet from any TI coaches, had no one to assess my faults. In frustration I stopped doing drills, reverting to straight distances, and tried to find a way of incorporating my new stroke into swimming laps. Then one day I bought the new book Triathlon Swimming Made Easy and video “Fishlike Freestyle” from the TI website. The video was my salvation. Both the book and video are based on a methodical, step-wise “build” to the stroke which is both more logical and simpler than that in the original TI book. I found that the advanced skills just slot into place once you master balance. Watching the swimmers use the TI stroke with such ease and grace leaves an unmistakable impression on which I could focus as a target. Almost imperceptibly I was transformed into a smooth efficient swimmer. Following the TI Triathlon Prep program I focused for weeks on nothing but the drills, going through them in sequence again and again to make sure I had left nothing out. Then I started to include lengths of swimming between the drills, always carefully counting my strokes and swimming as “silently” and slowly as possible. The next step was to start repeating whole-stroke 25s then 50s, maintaining my new, more efficient stroke count. Then I moved on to changing “gears” and varying my stroke count at the same effort to build a real awareness of stroke dynamics. This process really gives you a feeling of confidence as you start to comprehend your potential for “easy” speed. As my maiden Ironman race approached, I realized that in my quest for thoroughness, I’d left too little time to finish the whole program before my race. I started working on the build of distance outlined in Chapter 16 on Ironman-distance race preparation, building 100m repeats with gradually reduced rest intervals to a distance of 3000 meters by the time I started my taper. At this point I had not done a straight swim longer than 100 meters since starting the program, and though not really worried, decided to try it out in the ocean. I swam for a straight hour without feeling the slightest discomfort or tension, then got on my bike and rode 100k without any of the usual neck or shoulder stiffness. Bingo! The Ironman swim was an enjoyable experience. I cruised the whole 3.8k (2.4 miles) swim feeling very comfortable, confident even in the mass start because I knew I never needed to be out of my “comfort zone.” I finished the swim in 1:14 which was faster than I’d expected, and felt like I hadn’t even expended any energy. I rode the 180km without any upper body stiffness and ran most of the marathon. This has put the swimming part of an Ironman where it should be. Though it accounts for only 2.4 miles of the overall 140 miles, for many athletes the swim usually consumes a completely disproportionate amount of one’s energy – both in the inefficiency with which most triathletes (indeed most humans) swim, and in the stress created by our discomfort and lack of confidence in the water. After my first TI-trained Ironman, I would now be happier if they doubled the swim distance and chopped an hour off the run! In conclusion I will say that if, like me, you have no access to a TI coach or workshop, the Fishlike Freestyle video is absolutely the best way of learning the stroke. It will work even better if you have a training partner to watch and assess you, but you can certainly succeed solo, as I did, if you are truly patient and attentive to mastering balance above all else. The best part of the TI program is that it shows you how to improve in an un-self-critical way. So don’t obsess with achieving a low strokes per length (SPL). Your stroke count is simply a measure of the efficiency you’ve achieved through drills. Achieving the lowest energy cost is the whole point, and to do this your goal should be the lowest SPL that you can maintain effortlessly. If you practice the drills and adopt the motto of “Never practice struggle,” your SPL will come down gradually and naturally – almost without trying. And once you’ve achieved a basic level of movement economy, the exercises in Chapters 14 through 17 of TSME will provide an almost inexhaustible source for further mastery. I still have miles to go with this book, but I look forward to every stroke I will take. -British saxophonist/composer Greg Lyons was part of the London Jazz scene during the 1980's. He has been resident in Malaysia for the past 10 years where he has forged an increasingly vibrant jazz scene through his teaching, performing, writing and band-leading. He is also an Ironman triathlete and participates in many triathlons, duathlons and marathons in South East Asia. He is currently producing a new CD of his compositions which will be available through his web-site: www.geocities.com/gregblyons. You can contact Greg at overtone@tm.net.my All materials included in this website are Copyright © 2007 by Total Immersion, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission in writing from Total Immersion, Inc. For information, contact: Total Immersion, Inc., 246 Main Street, Suite 15A, New Paltz, NY 12561 Or e-mail us.