Just getting started.

[ecenicola]

I hope I am posting this in the right spot. I just did my first Triathlon and lets just say the swim was not my favorite. Countless hours in the pool doesn't begin to compare to a very crowded cold open water swim. In the week since I have discovered TI and am now obsessed and disappointed I didn't spend more on the shipping so my book would arrive sooner. Question, I just signed up for another Tri about 8 weeks away, can I learn this technique in that length of time? I am a couple hours away from LA and am thinking of trying to get a private lesson. I have been all over the internet trying to watch read everything I can to teach myself. I am waiting for the book to start my drills. I actually don't know what to start with in the pool. Any info would be helpful. I'm becoming addicted and very envious of all of you who have this beautiful way of swimming.

[aliavis]

Oh that's good and i like it

[keithlacon]

Originally Posted by ecenicola

I hope I am posting this in the right spot. I just did my first Triathlon and lets just say the swim was not my favorite. Countless hours in the pool doesn't begin to compare to a very crowded cold open water swim. In the week since I have discovered TI and am now obsessed and disappointed I didn't spend more on the shipping so my book would arrive sooner. Question, I just signed up for another Tri about 8 weeks away, can I learn this technique in that length of time? I am a couple hours away from LA and am thinking of trying to get a private lesson. I have been all over the internet trying to watch read everything I can to teach myself. I am waiting for the book to start my drills. I actually don't know what to start with in the pool. Any info would be helpful. I'm becoming addicted and very envious of all of you who have this beautiful way of swimming.

ecenicola, don't get disappointed as obesity can be removed by doing swimming. Swimming is the best exercise in this world as while doing it, our whole body parts get workout-ed which help to loss our body weight.

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Originally Posted by ecenicola

I hope I am posting this in the right spot. I just did my first Triathlon and lets just say the swim was not my favorite. Countless hours in the pool doesn't begin to compare to a very crowded cold open water swim. In the week since I have discovered TI and am now obsessed and disappointed I didn't spend more on the shipping so my book would arrive sooner. Question, I just signed up for another Tri about 8 weeks away, can I learn this technique in that length of time? I am a couple hours away from LA and am thinking of trying to get a private lesson. I have been all over the internet trying to watch read everything I can to teach myself. I am waiting for the book to start my drills. I actually don't know what to start with in the pool. Any info would be helpful. I'm becoming addicted and very envious of all of you who have this beautiful way of swimming.

Hi ecenicola,

I recommend getting the 10 lesson DVD and Triathlon Made Easy to compliment the book. I'm a TI Coach in LA and coach out of LA Valley College Aquatics, Van Nuys - you're always welcome to stop by as a guest in TriMasters swim practice (m,w,f eves, & sat morn) as a guest for me to take a look at your stroke and give you some suggestions.

We have workshops coming up in Las Vegas Jan 25-26 and Lake Forest (near Disneyland) Feb 15-16, Los Angeles March 1-2. Weekend workshops are transformational. Coaches are all triathletes and/or open water long distance swimmers too.

Feel free to drop me an email at stuart.mcdougal@ticoach.net if you have any questions, workshop, DVD, TriMasters, etc

Happy Swimming!

Stuart
MindBodyAndSWIM

[melissarnibclc]

My name is Melissa and I have been swimming most of my life, and played water polo on a men's high school team. I became a RN and worked night shift for 10 years, and got up to 400 pounds I lost 200 pounds and have kept it off for the last 12 years. I loved to spin, zumba and kettle bells, but recently tore my lateral collateral ligament in my knee, and went back to swimming after a long time. After swimming across the 25 meter pool I was huffing and puffing. I fount TI, and joined the academy as well. I have been swimming 4 times a week in my local pool where I grew up, Commerce Aquatic Center recently named after Brenda Villa Olympic Water polo Player who grew up in our city.

I worked for a week on the drills in the shallow pool and then ventured into the deep pool, where I practiced vertical kicking, skate, super man glide, etc. I started doing whole stroke with the use of a Finis swimmers snorkel as I have arthritis in my neck, also using the aqua sphere seal mask and TYR nose plugs. I am able now to swim continuous laps for 2 hours, and I am able to feel my body gliding down hill with minimal strokes and kicks These were my stats today according to my Forerunner 910 XT triathalon watch via Garmin Connect website.


Distance:
2,350 yd
Time:
1:32:58
Avg Pace
2:42 min/100 yd
Activity Type:
Lap Swimming
Calories:
652 C
Avg Strokes:
11/ length
Event Type:
Fitness
Course: Brenda Villa Aquatic Center 25 meter pool

My questions are, Is it OK to continue to swim with my snorkel or should I go back to the beginning with the drills and gradually build up my endurance to be able to swim the distance without a snorkel?

I would love to take you up on your offer that you presented to the previous poster as far as having you have a look at my technique and offer me some pointers or guidance

I would love to take a TI class, and someday be able to swim in open water.

Thanks in advance
Melissa

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Hi Melissa,

Great to hear you've kept the weight off - good work. And excellent to hear you've joined the TI Swim Academy, wonderful.

You are not too far from me in Commerce which is about 20 mins south (without traffic of course). Feel free to come out on LA Valley College Sat morns 10-11:30a. Pool/college closed for holiday but will reopen on Jan 6th. And of course love to have you at one of the workhops coming up in Lake Forest or LA/Castaic (near Magic Mountain).

Re: Stats. You're about 22 strokes (both arms) per 25m. I'm not sure of your heigth, but I suspect you're around 5'6" so aim for 17-19 (9 spl on the garmin). Are you using a tempo trainer yet? If not pick one up since this will be the best tool for improvment and to measure improvement. Given 2.42/100 pace your natural tempo is appx 1.6 secs / stroke. 1.6 is fairly slow tempo, good for building balance, but suspect there's a bit of a pause with recovery hand at the hip causing the slower turnover. This is common expecially when focusing on the patient lead hand out front. You should be closer between 1.4 and 1.3 secs/stroke. The next time you are at the pool, use the focal "continuous motion" of recovery arm, carry momentum forward. The only arm that pauses is the patient lead arm anchored in front, recovery arm never stops or hesitates through the stroke cycle. This focal alone will get you closer to 1.3 secs/stroke. But still get a tempo trainer when you get a chance. there are lots of tempo trainer practices available.

Re: Snorkel. These are fine and allow you to remain in position longer during drills, as long as the postion is correct. Using snorkel in whole storke is fine too so your breathing doesn't interrupt your stroke and you get the sense of stroke position and symmetry. But you will need to ween off of it using the breathing nod progression.

Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions, and welcome to stop by LAVC on a Sat (or during the week) as a guest to take a look at your stroke. email: stuart.mcdougal@ticoach.net

Keep up the good work!

Stuart
MindBodyAndSWIM

[melissarnibclc]

Thank You very much for your kind words and invitation to the college on Saturday. I will surely take you up on it as well as the upcoming TI workshops.

My husband (adult non swimmer) and I went out on a saturday date at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center as my local pool Brenda Villa aka Commerce Aquatic Center was hosting a water polo tournament. Chris swam mostly underwater with his snorkel doing continuous lap swim for two hours and we would discuss focal points during our rest time between laps with yoga breaths. I did take my snorkel,but I did not use it today as per Coach Mat Hudson in TI Academy he advised me to try and work on my whole stroke without it as well. What I noticed was I have been HOLDING my breath between taking a breath, no wonder I was huffing and puffing lol. I am 5'8" tall by the way and these were my stats today

Distance: 2,425 yd
Pool Length: 25 yd
Time: 2:16:20
Avg Pace: 5:36 min/100 yd (Definately slow but focusing on breathing)
Calories: 672 C
Avg Efficiency : 53
Avg SWOLF : 49
Strokes per length average: 10

I will look into purchasing a tempo trainer as well, I am considering the Finis Neptune mp3 player to be able to play Fiona Laughlin's audio regarding focal points etc, would that be a distraction to the tempo trainer???

[andyinnorway]

You might want to look at some of the alternative mp3 players that use ear buds instead of bone transfer.

I've had both types of player and the finis player was hard to enjoy as it always sounded like I a railway station tannoy. It would be fine for the audio commentary you mention but if you wanted to enjoy music sometimes I think the other choices may be preferable.

[Talvi]

Originally Posted by andyinnorway

You might want to look at some of the alternative mp3 players that use ear buds instead of bone transfer...

I'd been wondering about this (thoughts of waltz etc). What is your ear bud player favourite Andy?

[Talvi]

Brenda
Just noticed that the stats you gave are in yds but the pool was a 25m one - assuming this is not a typo, then you to change your Garmin's settings: with the watch in Swim mode, press Mode then select Settings > Pool Swim settings > Pool size. I think you may find your stats are better than you think