`

The water temp that day a balmy 53 degrees.  I didn’t have a full wetsuit, but had my TYR swim skin sleeveless shorty (designed for temps above 78 degrees in triathlon).  The veteran SF Bay swimmers of the South End and Dolphin Rowing clubs who swim frequently at Aquatics Park go without wetsuits regardless if temps are below 50 or above 60 degrees.  The club swimmers generally scoff at the swimmers/triathletes with the expensive full wetsuits, but seem to tolerate them nonetheless.  Rumor has it, if you join one of these swim clubs, they accept the wetsuit swimmer for a couple of weeks, then peer pressure sets in to shed your neoprene wrap and sport only your speedo, cap(s) and goggles.

`

I’ve swam enough in the SF Bay, a cardinal rule is to keep your head warm (neoprene cap, tyr warmwear cap, etc) and wear ear plugs to keep cold water from rushing in and out of inner ear.  Also, keep core warm, drink a warm drink, and stay warm head to toes before doing a cold water swim or swimming for extended periods in colder water even at temps in the low 60’s.

`

Anytime I’ve swam in temps mid 50’s or below in a full wetsuit, it always stings a bit getting in, face, hands, feet hurt – and the initial seeping of cold water into the suit is a shock until the body heats it up.  But after a few minutes, temps adjust and it feels very comfortable.  I don’t like swimming in the full since the added buoyancy throws off balance and I need to adjust my stroke to a flatter “wetsuit stroke”. But I like warm too – so I’m OK with the buoyancy adaptation.  However, after a cold water bay swim in the full wetsuit, my feet and hands would be completely numb.  If I had to run to a bike transition in triathlon, I never got much feeling in feet and hands until I was well into the ride, often slightly numb until the run leg.

`

Swimming several open water races that split groups between wetsuit and non wetsuit, interestingly, only swimmers wearing full wetsuits have been pulled out of the water due to hypothermia.  Not one swimmer (in my experience) was pulled out going “skins” or no wetsuit.  What is it about the wetsuit swimmer and non wetsuit swimmer, why would the swimmer with the neoprene body wrap, their body temp drop, and the non wetsuit swimmer body temp remain at 98.7 degs? Both wetsuit and non wetsuit swimmers had similar body types, mostly lean, not much body fat to spare. One swimmer most recently at the Bridge to Bridge swim (Golden Gate to Oakland Bay bridge) wearing a high end full wetsuit became disoriented, swimming in circles, and was pulled out due to hypothermia about an hour into the swim.  All skins (non wetsuit) swimmers finished and several in 56 deg water for well over two hours.

Jumping into 53 water in my sleeveless shorty speed suit, I’ll admit I was in pain.   Face, shoulders, feet, hands all hurt – and cold water took my breath away.  I hadn’t been in water in low 50’s for over a year and that was in a full wetsuit, no cold water acclimation.  My initial thoughts were this swim wasn’t going to last very long.  But as fast as the stinging cold set in, I was suddenly comfortably warm.  No pain, warm, pleasant free swimming, no buoyancy adjust to a full wetsuit.  I thought for a minute I was nearing death, but no – just kept on swimming comfortably for over an hour in low 50’s.  Wow – this was a new experience I hadn’t expected.  Is this what the swimmers at the local SF Bay rowing/swimming clubs have been trying to tell us?

`

Running short on time, I had to get out – but sure didn’t want to.  When my feet touched down on the sand, again to my surprise, I could actually feel the sand between my toes, no numbness.  My hands, no stiffness, and fingers moved freely.  This was a first after a cold water swim.

`

Was I actually warmer swimming without a wetsuit?  Does the wetsuit possibly turn off or mask the body’s natural defense to remain warm?  I’m neither medical doctor nor physiologist, but I can’t help but be curious.  But at least with my body and body type, swimming continuously in 53 degree water triggered a response to turn on a its natural defense to stay warm –  through hands and feet too.

`

What was the common thread for those wearing full wetsuits that went hypothermic?  All of these swimmers, mostly lean men, balding, military hair cut or shaved heads wearing a thin single latex race cap, and no ear plugs.  All the ‘skins’ swimmers however, had neoprene caps, and/or two thick caps and ear plugs – no hypothermia.  But the “skins” swimmers seem to be much more aware of their bodies and spend time adapting to cold temps, where swimmers wearing wetsuits may have a false sense of security and skip important prep.

`

Most heat escapes from your head.  Regardless of what you have wrapped around your body, if your head is cold, your body will follow.  Although many will argue, the surface area of the skull is far smaller than that of the body and more heat escapes from the larger surface area.  This is true, but maybe it’s the larger surface (shoulders to toes) and stinging cold triggers the body’s response to turn on its natural thermal blanket.

`

 `

In short, whether you wear a wetsuit or not in cold water swims:

A. Warm core and keep body and head warm before the swim.
B. Wear a thick swim cap (or caps), neoprene or warmwear cap.
C. Ear Plugs. Keep cold water out of inner ear.
D. Acclimate, slowly increase duration of each swim.

`

With some simple preparation, regardless of colder water temps, you may discover that you shed the wetsuit altogether – and find a new sense of freedom in open water swimming and are no longer bound to a wetsuit and its added buoyancy.

Coach Stuart

www.mindbodyandswim.net

The post Wetsuits: Friend or Foe? appeared first on Total Immersion.

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During my career in the US Navy, long swims under difficult circumstances were common, and I no longer think I could call what I did in those years “swimming.”  While I managed to muscle myself through the water, I had NO technique, but somehow managed to ungracefully stay in each of the programs.

I retired from the Navy in 1999, and about five years ago I picked up a book on the Total Immersion (TI) Swimming system written by Terry Laughlin – the founder of TI.  In his book I discovered what real swimming was like – two years ago I got serious and started a dedicated Total Immersion Program.

After much self-coaching, I attended a TI workshop in March of last year and recently attended the TI Coaching Certification Course held in Coral Springs, FL.  I maybe the only certified TI coach currently active in Mississippi, and I currently live and train in the Jackson area.

Benefits of the Total Immersion (TI) Swimming System

TI swimming is smooth, balanced and graceful; and the system has greatly increased my speed and endurance – I have lost inches off my waist, while rebuilding muscles and strength I have not felt since my youth.  The TI system has also allowed me to rehabilitate a seriously damaged lower back and bad shoulder injury – the result of years of physically demanding training in navy diving.

Besides TI Coaching, I currently work for a government agency as a Terrorism Expert and teach a class on the same subject at the Tulane University, Madison MS Campus.  I intend to retire later this year for the second time and become a full-time TI Coach.

I look forward to sharing the TI system with all who want to learn to swim, improve their swimming technique, improve their health or become successful Triathletes.  If you are interested in getting started call my assistant (Joan) and lets work out a time to link up.  Your first lesson will include an initial video-taping and analysis of your current swimming level.  It does not matter if you can even swim or are already involved in Triathlons, TI is the best way to get started or significantly improve your swimming.

The post My BIO and the benefits of TI appeared first on Total Immersion.

Every endurance sport has its specific “dilemma” – or challenge – to solve if you want to maximize your efficiency.  And in each sport that dilemma involves your relationship with gravity.  In this discussion, I will address the specific gravitational challenge of swimming. 

To preface this discussion, I begin with a brief overall review of efficiency in endurance sports.  This review is almost identical – verbatim – to the review I included in “Cyclist’s Dilemma”.

Endurance Efficiency

Efficiency is the “Holy Grail” in every endurance sport: The quest is to use less energy to go faster and farther with less injury and faster recovery.  At the heart of athletic efficiency in every sport is the athlete’s alliance with gravity – the ability to use body weight to move forward.

Consider this: 90% of your brain’s neural activity is committed to maintaining your balance.  You have no control to divert that mental energy to anything else.  (Not even texting and driving!)  And yet, you probably are not thinking about your gravitational relationship with Earth – that is, your balance – at all in your daily activities.  Even when you swim/bike/run – earnestly striving to go faster and farther – your alliance with gravity doesn’t engage 90% of your conscious awareness. 

Ignore it or Honor it?

You can choose the popular “mind over matter” approach to athletic performance: Grit your teeth, tense every muscle in your face into your fiercest grimace.  Use sheer mental will, and desire for gold to “force” your body to higher levels of exertion.  Ignore all the feedback from your body.  At best, you have only 10% of the brain’s neural energy to work with in this mode of “mind over matter”, as you desperately coax your body: “Go harder!”

However, if you choose the “mind in matter” approach, you can tap into that other 90% of your brain’s neural activity – skillfully channeling and directing your body’s intelligence: the proprioceptive, visual and vestibular systems that govern your alliance with gravity.  Since you are already “hardwired” to maintain your balance, why ignore it or fight it?  Why not develop this foundation of “kinetic” intelligence?

It’s Personal  

Your alliance with gravity takes precedence in every moment of your embodied life.  And, if you are an avid endurance athlete, you strive to develop the most efficient movement patterns for your body.  Each of our bodies is unique: in size, weight, flexibility, proportion, and every physical factor that affects our alliance with gravity. 

(My unique challenge?  Working with these Euro size 50 feet!!)

That uniqueness extends to how our individual bodies and minds are wired together. We all use some combination of the three “balance systems” – proprioceptive, visual and vestibular – but the “mix” is unique to each of us.

Given our unique individual nature, the pursuit of “effortless power” for each of us is a personal one.  There is no absolute “one-size-fits-all” technique in any sport that will work for every body. 

And it is Collective

However, the universal laws of physics apply to every one of us in our personal alliance with gravity.  The pursuit is personal, but the challenge is collective.  When we can identify and define the specific universal laws at play in that collective challenge that is unique to a specific sport, we have a compass to guide our individual pursuit.  And this brings us to…

The Swimmer’s Dilemma

Our goal is to move “forward” – that is, horizontal to Earth’s surface (be it land or water) – and to do this sustainably.  To do this, we must transform the vertical pull of gravity into horizontal motion. 

This transformation – known as “precession” in physics – is an amazing process when we really pause to contemplate it: Orbiting is a form of precession.  In every instance – whether it is the moon orbiting Earth, or a runner leaning forward to run – precession requires dynamic balance.

In swimming the dilemma can be summed up with this question:  “How can I lay face-down in the water and use my body’s weight to move forward?”  Laying face down in the water is not something most of us do as frequently as, say, standing on dry land.  So let’s begin by looking at that simple land-based activity: running.

To run efficiently, you transform the vertical pull of gravity into forward movement by leaning forward at your ankles.  As you begin to fall forward, you simply move one foot forward and then the other – to avoid falling on your face.  When I use this illustration in Total Immersion Swim Workshops, I often joke: “Want to run a marathon?  It’s simple!  Just keep falling forward for 42 kilometers, without tipping over!”  

Obviously, there is far more to running than just falling forward.  The biomechanics of specific muscle engagement (emphasizing the use of the pelvic core), the precise placement of each foot, and minimizing vertical amplitude as you run are just three of the many aspects of efficient running. 

But it’s not hard to get a feel for running like this: Simply stand erect and lean forward far enough… You will move one of your feet forward to prevent a “face-plant” on the pavement.  It’s a natural instinct.

Back to Swimming

So, is it really possible to “fall” forward while laying face-down in the water?  And if so, how do you initiate that fall?

Some experts advise you to “press the buoy” – to press your head and chest down into the water to feel as if you are “swimming down hill”.  However, this is not efficient.  It requires that you constantly engage muscles in your neck and upper torso.  If you do this vigilantly for, say, 3.8 kilometers, you may end up with sore, stiff muscles. 

And, the muscles that you are constantly engaging in your thoracic to swim down that imaginary hill are the same muscles necessary for respiration.  If you commit them to pressing the Almighty Buoy, you compromise your respiration.  There’s gotta be a better way!

A Little Physics Lesson

When you swim, you swim in water.  That’s obvious, but… you also swim in air!   Your ability to lay face-down in the water and effectively translate the pull of gravity into forward movement is contingent on your ability to swim simultaneously in both of these mediums.

Specifically, you are striving to orchestrate the difference in density between water and air and how that affects your dynamic balance.  Water is far denser than air.  As swimmers, we are quite familiar with the challenge of trying to move through that dense medium.  (Have you ever tried to run in water?  The best you can do is a slow-motion slog.)

And then there is air.  You do swim through the air as well:  Every time you advance your recovery arm and prepare to extend it back into the water, you are swimming in air.  This recovery phase is a very powerful component of your swim technique.  It is the secret to solving the Swimmer’s Dilemma.

Density Differential

You float in the water, yes?  And more so in salt water than fresh water, because salt water is denser.  (Notice that I said you float in the water, not on the water.  If you want to float on the surface, try swimming in honey.  Good luck!)   You can float because your body is less dense than the water.  However, you don’t float in the air because your body is more dense than the air.  

Your body is less dense than water, but more dense than air.  So, when you swim, there is a significant density differential between your body in the water and your recovering arm in the air:  Given the density differential, you must imagine that your recovering arm is the weight of both of your legs! 

The Secret is in Your Recovery

Now, I can’t say for sure that your airborne arm is exactly the weight of both submerged legs, but there is a significant difference in density.  That recovery arm is heavy compared to the rest of your body.  Consequently, the movement and positioning of your recovering arm is a key element to solving the dilemma – your ability to lay face down in the water and translate the pull of gravity into forward motion.

Recovery Arm Mechanics

Let’s look first at the recovery movement:  When you lead with your elbow during the recovery phase of your stroke, you are advancing that heavy arm forward of your lungs quickly.  Keep in mind that your air-filled lungs are your balance fulcrum: Front quadrant swimming keeps more of your weight in front of that balance fulcrum – optimizing fore-aft balance.  And it takes a lot less effort than swimming down that imaginary hill.

When your recovery is relaxed, your forearm is almost hanging from your elbow.  (In TI, we call this the “marionette arm”.)  Lead with your elbow, as well as your shoulder (by releasing the muscles under your scapula).  Now you are moving this densest part of your body with minimal energy – and minimal disturbance to your body’s balance.

Re-entry

At the moment of re-entry into the water, your elbow is even with – or even slightly forward of – your ear.  This is only possible if you keep your elbow in front of your scapular plane as you swing it forward.  You must avoid pulling your elbow behind your torso during every phase of the recovery.

This forward position of the elbow at the moment of re-entry poises a significant amount of weight forward and above the body to optimize weight shift and extension as the primary means of propulsion.  It also allows for a clean entry into the water so that only the tips of the fingers create turbulence on entry and extension.  (In TI, this clean entry and extension – using the fingertips to “separate water molecules” – are components of active streamlining.)

Pause Drill

An effective way to fine-tune the recovery arm “poise of entry” is to practice Pause Drill:  This is whole stroke swimming with a pause just before you shift your weight through the “flick kick”, torso rotation and arm extension. 

Some tips for Pause Drill:

-          Use a very distinct pause

-          Allow your entire body to be still – including your legs

-          Feel your balance in the stillness of your pause

-          Your submerged/extended lead arm must remain in place

-          Focus on the “poise position” of your recovering arm at that moment

-          Feel the weight of that arm “cantilevered” out past your lungs and shoulder

-          Elbow of recovering arm is flexed at 90° to 110° at the pause moment

-          Fingertips of the recovery arm are just above the water surface

-          Visualize the exact path and “target” for your fingertips

-          Initiate the core rotation and weight shift with a “flick kick”

-          Use that rotation to “spear your target”

-          As you spear, tone the muscles of your forearm, wrist and hand, instead of tensing them

Unique Opportunity

In my experience as an endurance athlete, swimming is the only sport that will allow me to pause at the moment before weight shift.  (If you try that in running, you will end up on your face.)  Pause Drill allows your neural system to refine that moment of poise.

The effectiveness of propulsion in freestyle swimming is not determined by the strength of your pull, kick, or hip-driven spear.  It is in the synchronicity of these elements with your lateral (rotational) weight shift.  Pause Drill enables you to perfect that synchronicity.

This is Only a Drill

Just one caveat:  Remember that this is only a drill.  Whole stroke swimming does not include a pause.  Keep a clear distinction between drilling and swimming!

Shane Eversfield is Founder and Head Coach of Zendurance Cycling – the “TI approach” to cycling technique.  He is also a Total Immersion Master Coach.  Through his alliance with gravity in swimming, biking and running, he recently completed the 2012 Triple Ultra Challenge – 3 multi-day ultra triathlons in 30 days. 

Visit his website: www.zendurancecycling.com.

The post The Swimmer’s Dilemma appeared first on Total Immersion.

 The video presentation is embedded on my blog here:  http://www.tribasetraining.com/main/top-3-freestyle-swim-tips

The post My Top 3 Freestyle Swim Tips appeared first on Total Immersion.

Introduction:

Every endurance sport has its specific “dilemma” – or challenge – to solve if you want to maximize your efficiency.  And in each sport that dilemma involves your relationship with gravity.  In this discussion, I will address the specific gravitational challenge of cycling.  However, I begin with a brief overall review of efficiency in endurance sports.

Endurance Efficiency:

Efficiency is the “Holy Grail” in every endurance sport: Use less energy to go faster and farther with less injury and faster recovery.  At the heart of athletic efficiency in every sport is the athlete’s alliance with gravity – the ability to use body weight to move forward.

Consider that 90% of your brain’s energy is committed to maintaining your balance.  You have no control to divert that mental energy to anything else (not even texting and driving).  And yet, you are probably not even aware of your balance in your daily activities.  Even when you are swimming/biking/running – earnestly striving to go faster and farther – your alliance with gravity probably doesn’t engage 90% of your conscious awareness. 

Most of that brain energy is devoted to monitoring your body’s proprioceptive, vestibular and visual systems.  This input adds up to millions of neural signals constantly assessing your balance.  A smaller amount of that brain energy is output – mechanical adjustments to maintain balance.

Ignore it or Honor it?

You can choose the popular “mind over matter” approach to athletic performance: Use sheer mental will and desire to “force” your body to higher levels of exertion, while ignoring all the feedback from the body.  At best, you have only 10% of the brain’s energy to work with in this mode of “mind over matter”, as you desperately coax your bodies: “Go harder!”

However, if you choose the “mind in matter” approach, you get to tap into that other 90% – skillfully channeling and directing the body’s intelligence: the proprioceptive, visual and vestibular systems that govern your alliance with gravity.  Since you are already “hardwired” to maintain your balance, why ignore it or fight it?  Why not develop this foundation of “kinetic” intelligence?

It’s Personal:   

Your alliance with gravity takes precedence in every moment of your embodied life.  And as an endurance athlete, you strive to develop the most efficient movement patterns for your body.  Each of our bodies is unique: in size, weight, density, proportion, and every physical factor that affects our alliance with gravity.  (My challenge?  Working with these size-15 feet!!)

That uniqueness extends to how our individual bodies and minds are wired together. We all use some combination of the three “balance systems” – proprioceptive, visual and vestibular – but the “mix” is unique to each of us.

Given our unique individual nature, the pursuit of “effortless power” for each of us is a personal one.  There is no absolute “one-size-fits-all” technique in any sport that will work for every body. 

However, the universal laws of physics apply to every one of us in our personal alliance with gravity.  The pursuit is personal, but the challenge is collective.  When we can identify and define that unique collective challenge in each sport, we have a compass to guide our individual pursuit.  And this brings us to…

The Cyclist’s Dilemma:

Our goal is to move “forward” – that is, horizontal to Earth’s surface.  To do this most efficiently, we transform the vertical pull of gravity into horizontal motion.  This transformation – known as “precession” in physics – is an amazing process when we really pause to ponder it: Orbiting is a form of precession.  In every instance, precession requires dynamic balance. 

 In cycling, you move (horizontally) forward by applying body weight (vertically) to the pedals.  The drive-train of your bike takes care of the precession for you – it transfers your pedaling motion into forward progress.  That makes cycling pretty easy, yes?  Just push down on the pedals and leave the rest to the bike!  What could be simpler?

Body Weight: Pedals vs. Saddle:

But here’s the “catch”: As you transfer your weight from one foot/pedal to the other foot/pedal, you also have to maintain a stable relationship with your bike so that you proceed in the direction you choose.  You do this primarily through your contact with the saddle.  So, by sitting on your bike’s saddle, you apply some of your body weight to the pedals and leave some in the saddle.

It would seem then that the more contact and weight you have in the saddle, the more stable you will be.  However, at the same time, the more weight you have in the saddle, the more uncomfortable the saddle is.  And the less weight you apply to the pedals, the slower you go.

So, how can you maximize weight in the pedals for power, minimize weight in the saddle for comfort, and still remain balanced, stable and efficient?

No Ground to Stand On:

And the real dilemma is this:  As you are applying your body weight to the pedal platform, it is falling away from you.  There are few, if any, other experiences in life where you apply your body weight to alternate platforms that fall away from your feet as you step on them.  No ground to stand on!!

And that’s not all:  The more weight you apply to those moving platforms the faster they fall away, and the less weight you have in the saddle for stability.  After all, when you shift your weight side-to-side, from one foot/pedal to the other, you also have to maintain lateral balance with your bike through your saddle connection so you don’t fall over, or swerve side-to-side too much.  Your hands on the bars provide some of this lateral stability, but most of it comes from your saddle contact. 

Party’s Over:

So the “quest” in cycling is this:  Maximize your weight on two platforms (pedals) that are in constant motion under your feet – so you can move forward.  At the same time, keep your pelvic core stable and relatively motionless – so you can navigate safely.  Bicycling isn’t so simple anymore, huh?  Gee, hope I didn’t ruin your party.

The Good News:

There are two items of good news.  First, those two platforms move through precisely the same circular path every single revolution.  Second, your saddle remains stationary relative to those two precise circular paths.  The more you ride, the more your neural system imprints the precise circular paths of your feet on those pedals and their precise relationship to your saddle.

There are many variables that can affect the relationship between your feet and your saddle:  Some of them are static, and some are dynamic. 

Most of the static variables have to do with your “bike fit” – the selection of components and the adjustments of those components.  Adjustments include saddle height and pedal cleat placement on the sole of your bike shoe.  These are just two of many (static) variables.

Dynamic variables include your pedal resistance and your cadence (both affected by your gear choice).  Again, these are just two of many (dynamic) variables.

Getting to the Core:

Efficient cycling starts with a great bike fit – so that the relationship between those moving pedals and that stable saddle is optimum for you.  Efficient cycling also requires constant attention to the dynamic variables – so that you keep that relationship optimum in each moment – as the terrain, speed, direction, etc. of your ride change.

But there is far more to cycling technique than a well-adjusted bike and the appropriate gear selection.  The focus on great technique in any sport is neural training.  The objective of neural training is to optimize your alliance with gravity, and to make your movements as smooth and graceful as possible.

To solve the Cyclist’s Dilemma, you can train your neural system to simultaneously maximize weight in the pedals, minimize weight in the saddle, and ride sustainably and gracefully.  As with swimming, this neural training is most effective through an optimum combination of appropriate drills with (to borrow a term from Total Immersion Swim) “whole-stroke” bicycling.

Yin/Yangs Drill:

The most effective neural training to address the Cyclist’s Dilemma is one I call “Yin/Yangs”.  Perform this drill with your bike mounted on a stationary stand – ideally one with a fluid resistance unit.  (I recommend a Kurt Kinetic “Road Machine” or “Rock and Roll”.)

To perform Yin/Yangs: Alternate between very low-resistance/high cadence (Yin) pedaling, and very high-resistance/low cadence (Yang) pedaling.  Alternate every minute or so.  

During the Yin phase, focus on “floating” the joints and muscles of your legs and feet through the pedal stroke.  The goal is to spin a cadence of at least 110 rpm without much effort – and without bouncing in the saddle.

During the Yang phase, focus on slowly shifting your weight from one foot to the other while minimizing your weight and contact in the saddle, and on the bars.  Keep your cadence very low – 35-45 rpm.

There are many, many other variables that affect your ability to perform Yin/Yangs well, and to solve the Cyclist’s Dilemma.  These include your posture, alignment, biomechanics and riding position. 

As with any process of mastery in life, we experience real progress as we challenge and improve our perceptual capacity.  Mastering cycling technique is a very subtle pursuit that requires patience and curiosity.

I developed the Zendurance Cycling Technique Self-Study Guide to serve you in your quest for “Velo Mastery”.  Through this integration of video, text and audio guides, you will awaken to the subtleties of great cycling technique to improve your:

 - Efficiency

 – Stability

 – Strength

 – Endurance

 – Speed

 – Comfort

 – Enjoyment

The Guide includes detailed instruction for the Yin/Yangs and other cycling drills, as well as clear guidance for your intensive investigation of posture, alignment, biomechanics and riding positions.  Use the link above to find out more about the Guide.

Shane Eversfield is Founder and Head Coach of Zendurance Cycling (and a Total Immersion Master Coach).  Visit www.zendurancecycling.com.

The post The Cyclist’s Dilemma appeared first on Total Immersion.

Swimming has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. Fortunately as a swim Coach, I possess very distinct memories of the fears I had and what worked for me as a young child learning how to swim. My history of swimming dates back to around age 3 and progressed through the years as I took my love of swimming to higher levels from early childhood lessons, to swim team, to triathlons, to swimming miles, effortlessly, in the chilly waters of the San Francisco Bay. In addition, through years of experience working with children and discovering what works and what does not work, my goal is to help them understand the importance of their interaction with the water.

Total Immersion has taught me the very basic, but most important, principles of swimming that, unfortunately, I missed at an early age. Learning to swim is similar to the skill of ballet and gymnastics, both of which require fine tune focus and practice in order to excel. TI has emphasized that swimming is not just a physical process, it is also a neural process. Swimming is a skill acquired only through mindful practice and repetition. I firmly believe that introducing the basic fundamentals of TI to a child, in their most formative years, will not only help them dramatically in their success with swimming, but most importantly, increase their perception of learning. 

While conducting parent and baby classes in San Diego, I realized that teaching a child as early as possible prepares them for familiarity in an unstable environment without resorting to prehistoric reflexes of survival. As a species, we were not designed to live and thrive in an aquatic environment, an environment that triggers reflexes and tension that we have to consciously and actively turn off in order to work naturally with the water

It is important to realize that in order to be a great influence and educator for your child, it is crucial for you to understand the principles of Total Immersion. The fundamentals and approach of TI can help you teach your child the vital components of swimming and how they will perceive this new, exciting environment – and most importantly, have a new found enjoyment and overall comfort in the water, which benefits the both of you.

Consequently, this is another chance for you to really bond with your child and help them learn something so important in their life. After all, you are the greatest influence in your child’s life at this early stage of development. As you teach your child, you will realize this is also important feedback for yourself because the TI basics you teach your child are taught to all ages. Pay close attention to what happens when tension plays a role in the water and what direction energy flows. You are the initiator and it is the child’s role to absorb the visual feedback and eventually imitate what they are observing. 

You will begin to understand the importance of teaching your child as early as possible, having an overview of certain developmental concepts that will aid in their learning. Once you are able to have your child experience an environment that we were not genetically designed to survive in, you will create a life-long adaptation through neural and cognitive development and being able to adapt correctly to a new stimulus with confidence and comfort.

 Furthermore, through a process of discovery acquired from years of teaching children and adults, I have collected as a coach a progressive model that is continuing to evolve and improve. It is such a thrilling experience to witness dramatic changes in a child’s skill set and witness how much they love the water.

The three most important goals to achieve in a child’s process of adaptation are:

1) COMFORT: Introducing them to breathing and floating.

2) SAFETY: I can’t express this enough as far as teaching your child the importance of safety skills in the water so that they understand that no matter how fun and exciting the water may be, he or she must know that safety is #1 priority. This is accomplished by teaching them specific safety drills so that they are confident and happy.

3) FUN!: This shouldn’t be an overwhelming experience for a child but should be taken seriously to make sure they have fun and enjoy their time in the water.

 (3 year old swimmer pictured floating off back, comfortable, balanced – no tension — all smiles)

It is absolutely vital to make sure that your child is not pushed too far. This will limit their level of learning whether in their formative years or when they become adults. If the issue is not addressed quickly it will unfortunately imprint a subconscious fear that is difficult to get rid of. Since I have been teaching adults in the TI method, I have come across dozens of people with these similar experiences which only leads me to believe that this is the reason why they have a slower rate in achieving certain milestones in the water. So have fun and enjoy this time with your child by making every minute purposeful. Your child will express their overwhelming gratitude through their swimming and throughout their whole life.

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 Introduction:

Recently the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled “One Running Shoe in the Grave” about the deleterious effects of high-exertion and/or high-mileage running.  While the article addressed running specifically, it can be interpreted to include any form of prolonged high-intensity exercise.

Candid Revelations

The triathlete community has been discussing this article extensively on social media.  My good friend John McGovern – who, in his prime, stood on the podium of a few World Championship Duathlons – posted this response to the article: 

“This is what I’ve always suspected and often said – exercise is healthy; racing is not.  Athletes often use the phrase "killing oneself" with regards to hard training and racing. It appears that’s not hyperbole.” 

“…for years I destroyed myself at that altar, but I’ve got my wife and daughters to think about.  For me, losing Chris Gleason was a real wake up call. Be well.” 

(Note:  At age 40, our friend Chris Gleason was on pace for a sub-3-hour marathon when he collapsed and died 400 meters from the finish line of the Philadelphia Marathon in 2011.  Enter his name in any search engine to find out more.)

 I responded to John’s Facebook posting: 

“I feel that intent has a tremendous bearing on how our training and racing affect the quality of our lives and those around us. If it’s done with the war cry of "me-against-you, winner-take-all", then it ain’t healthy.  However aerobic fitness is a powerful avenue towards spiritual fitness. This message was the true motivation of my 2012 Triple Ultra.” 

 John responded: 

“I agree with you Shane Eversfield. My intent, for many years, was to win, so I buried myself under endless high intensity workouts. My mantra was "If it’s hurting me, it’s killing my competition". 

There’s more than a touch of sadism in racing; a perverse pleasure exists in achieving the level of fitness where others must turn themselves inside out just trying to keep up. Not to mention the masochism required to put yourself through all the pain. 

I’m not indicting racing or its culture; it’s an excellent substitution for the competitions that our ancestors conducted not too many generations ago just to survive. I can only speak for myself when I say that I know my body, and I know I’ve been hurting it for years. For me, its time to strike a balance.” 

John has taken up the playing the bagpipes and brewing fine traditional beer.  His athletic training is now recreational (and his piping and brewing are admirable.)

What About Lance?

Another topic that has generated quite a bit of social media response is the Lance Armstrong debacle.  I am not going to debate his guilt or innocence.  Nor will I discuss the relevance and impact (positive or negative) of the investigation and prosecution to the current state of sport or to Lance’s altruistic endeavors through Livestrong.

However, there is an obvious connection between these two topics:  For me, it brings up the following questions:

Who is “The Winner”?

-          What is the true nature of “winning”?

-          Does winning justify compromising one’s health – be it through legal or illegal means?  If so, to what degree?

-          If winning at any cost isn’t all that glorious and healthy, is there still a positive element to racing?

Let’s start by considering this tidbit of irony:  After Lance Armstrong was stripped of his 7 Yellow Jerseys, UCI declined to recognize an alternative “winner” for any one of those 7 Tour de France races.  (With the prevalence of doping in pro cycling during that era, it might have been just too damn complicated to find a clean, legitimate winner.)  Let it be. 

So let me get this straight: After millions of dollars of investment, with more than a hundred of the finest male cyclists in the world each of those 7 years giving their all, no one is recognized as the winner?  Does that diminish the incredible feats of those athletes?  Does the absence of a declared Grand Champion for each of those years make the event lesser of a crown in the sport?

When I watch the coverage of TdF, I am swept up in the excitement of the speed, the beauty of the course, the exuberance of the spectators along that course, and the strategies of the teams and individuals.  The specific winner does not enhance or diminish the spectacle for me. 

The Tour de France as an entity is far greater than any single individual – be s/he an athlete, volunteer, race official, spectator or media personnel.  (I would miss commentators Phil Ligget and Bob Roll more than any single athlete.)

Healthy Racing?

Can we bring health assurance back into endurance sports?  Is it possible to eliminate doping, cheating and even the legal health risks from our love of endurance training and racing?

I feel that it is possible.  And the remedy is simple, profound… and yet profoundly difficult.

Competition

We must transform our globally-held notions of “competition” and create a new paradigm of what winning is.  It has always been (as I stated above) “me-against-you” and “winner-take-all”.  As long as this is what we hold to be true, some athletes will do anything to win.  And most serious athletes will go to some legal extreme – even if it diminishes the quality of their lives.  (Can anybody say "Overtrained?"

Let’s re-define “competition” as:  A petition for the empowerment of companionship.  It is in the presence of others that we are inspired to perform at our best, to demonstrate excellence.

What is athletic excellence for you?  Is it getting to the finish line as fast as possible – without ever noticing the scenery or enjoying the company of others?  Is it putting your head down, gritting your teeth and “beating” others? Is it war paint and weapons?

Lessons for Life

Racing can be a powerful and beneficial tool – when we embrace it as a metaphor for life:  Are we hell-bent to make it to the finish line (of life) as quickly as possible with more gold than anybody else?  Or, are we traversing that journey of life with grace and efficiency – embracing the challenge with humility, while supporting and encouraging all the other “competitors” and “spectators” we encounter along the way?  Are we beholding of the beauty of the landscape and grateful for the experience?

I Am No Saint

When I race, I genuinely appreciate and enjoy the empowering companionship and the celebration.   I love the empowerment and inspiration I experience in the presence of others.  And I absolutely love racing in beautiful places – Hawaii, the Alps in Europe, the mountainous US northeast, the Rockies, the prairies of the Midwest. 

I love to perform – to do my very best.  For me, that includes grace, efficiency and stealth.  (Maybe that comes from my background as a dancer.)

However, the desire to “win” (in the conventional sense) is also strong for me.  I confess that I am motivated by the podium and the recognition it brings.  I have trained hard enough to compromise my health – having experienced Chronic Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome three times.  (None of those times led to the podium.)

And I regularly use a performance enhancing drug when I race and sometimes when I train – one that is legal in every sport.  It’s called caffeine – and it can compromise my health.  It contributed to my chronic adrenal fatigue.   

I do seek many legal advantages – superior equipment, healthy nutrition, efficient technique, and effective training among them.  I am willing to sacrifice other activities in my life to maximize my athletic performance. 

I am also an aerobic junkie.  I want to get my chemical fix of dopamine and endorphins everyday.  That is a high priority for me.  Thankfully, I have learned (the hard way) how to make my addiction sustainable and pretty damn healthy.

The value our culture and our media place on winning in sports is intoxicating and very powerful.  While it may inspire some to rise up from the couch and get active, it is also a dangerous illusion that affects and deceives just about all of us to some degree.  Does that mean we should give up racing and striving to do our best?  

Returning to the metaphor of racing and life:  Living a full and satisfying life (with or without sport) that benefits others is always fraught with risks and danger.  So: “Damned if we do, damned if we don’t.”

And, as Jim Morrison said, “None of us gets out of here alive.”  If we are born, we also die.  Death is no reason not to live.  Life is the opportunity for growth, and the growth cycle must include stress.

Orchestrating the Growth/Fitness Cycle

In life – as in sport – we can only progress and grow through the cycle of stress-recovery-adaptation.  Too much stress can be fatal.  Too little stress can also be fatal.  And health is more than creating just the right amount of stress.

In life – as in sport – we can only progress and grow by orchestrating the cycle of stress-recovery-adaptation.  Obviously repeated doses of high stress can be fatal.  However, continuous low levels of stress – without any recovery or adaptation – can also be fatal.  

It’s not the degree of stress that is dangerous:  Appropriate bouts of high-intensity stress with well orchestrated recovery and adaptation can result in robust growth – in sport and in life.

As athletes, our endurance training provides us with the opportunity to hone our skills at the orchestration of stress-recovery-adaptation.  Here is one of the most significant elements of this: Choice.  We are clear about choosing the stress every time we train athletically.  We eagerly accept it with the knowledge that (with recovery and adaptation) we will gain fitness.  We “exercise” choice.

Here’s the clincher: Can we be just as clear about our choice in everyday life? 

When we encounter a stressful situation or relationship outside of training, are we more inclined to place blame and see ourselves as victims?  This victimization short-circuits the Fitness Cycle, so we never get to the recovery and adaptation.

We don’t have to “enjoy” the everyday stresses we encounter in the same way we enjoy the stress of a great run or swim session.  However, as aerobic athletes – and as spiritual athletes – we must stay centered enough in our daily lives to exercise choice and orchestrate the cycle of stress-recovery-adaptation in the most ordinary situations – even when they do not offer the glory of a finisher’s medal.

When we carry those skills of orchestration over into all areas of our life, we can really enjoy the benefits of training – beyond aerobic fitness.  Now we are transforming aerobic fitness into spiritual fitness or life fitness. 

Our approach to training and racing determines the success of this carry-over into life.  (Use the link to read more about approach.)

Conclusion:

Just getting out of bed in the morning can be dangerous.  Driving a car is fraught with danger – but the last time I checked, that does not seem to deter people from driving!!

Endurance training is not the source of the danger documented in the article – it’s our relationship with winning and our addiction to stress that can be lethal.  Our addiction to stress can extend beyond a simple chemical addiction satisfied through exercise.  Stress patterns in everyday life – even if they are unpleasant – can be addictive.

We all have the opportunity in every moment to become the Conductors of our individual Life Symphonies by orchestrating the cycle of stress-recovery-adaptation.  For each of us, its a symphony in three movements!

Shane is Founder and Head Coach of Zendurance Cycling – having developed a "TI-approach" and methodology to cycling technique.  For more information on Shane’s approach to training and racing, as well as Zendurance Cycling products, visit his website:  www.zendurancecycling.com.

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Sounds like a book title and I think I could probably write much on the subject(s) in the future

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