Tempo and SPL
Most of us TI swimmers primarily use the Tempo Trainer timing each stroke on the audible tone whether we use the “beep” on hand-dip recovery, drive from the hip, two beat kick, full extension, or ….?  We can adjust 1/100th of a second and refine our stroke changing tempo in small increments and determine our best tempo and SPL given our height and current skill level – and continue to improve from each new baseline achieved.   I use a modified version of Terry’s “Asymmetric Pyramid” (at least weekly, sometimes a short version before each swim practice) climbing up and then back down the tempo scale holding SPL, but also adding repetitions to find the fastest tempo before stroke starts to fall apart, i.e. tempo too fast and suddenly adding 2+ stokes per 25.  Typical tempo ranges are between 1.7 and 1.0 seconds per stroke.   This tempo set refines our balance as we climb up the scale (tempo gets slower) and keeps SPL in check when moving back down the scale trying to maintain lower SPL as tempo gets faster.   I also use the TT in open water, getting into a nice rhythm queuing up parts of my stroke on the audible “beep” rotating through different focal points throughout a long swim – great.  And similar to the “Asymmetric Pyramid” tempo practice in the pool,  frequently I’ll increase and decrease tempo and see how it affects my stoke and what feels comfortable in open water swimming through currents and rips, swimming in a crowd, chop, etc.  I usually find open water tempo about :05 or 5/100th’s of a second faster, and usually shut off TT after 30 minutes or so since it’s little annoying and start to lose focus with several minutes of “beeping” on my skull.  All of this is good, but how does it relate SPL and pace swimming in the ocean?

Using the Tempo Trainer for Seconds per Length or Distance
Now that you’ve found a comfortable or cruising tempo in your pool and open water swims, you can use other side of the TT to hold a consistent pace even if we may not know exactly what it is.  When you increase the TT secs per stroke up to 9:99 add 1/100th and the TT rolls to 0:10 which is 10 seconds.  Or use mode #2 on the Tempo Trainer Pro.  The TT now increments in one second intervals with each push of the button up or down anything above 10 seconds.  Also, 10 seconds and above you get three beeps as opposed to one – “beep-beep-beep”.  The Tempo Trainer Pro allows you to quickly switch between secs per stroke (mode #1) and secs per length or distance (mode #2), and it floats – it is well worth the extra $10.

Introducing just a little math: In an open water swim, setting the TT to “beep” every 30 seconds — how many strokes should you take for a cruising tempo of 1.3 seconds per stroke?  30 sec / 1.3 sec =  23 strokes (or 46 strokes/min).  This doesn’t tell us distance or pace yet, but give this a try on your next open water swim – ocean or lake and see if you can hold a consistent stroke count whatever it may be every 30 seconds of swimming.  Fall is upon us though and you may live in a part of the world where ocean/lake water temp is too cold.  Find a 50m pool and use one length to test stroke count consistency every 30 seconds, straight swim without the push-off, i.e. push off and start stroking, once you hear the “beep-beep-beep” start counting strokes until the next “beep-beep-beep” and before you hit the opposite wall.  But if you swim a 100m in under 1:00 like Sun Yang, then count strokes every 20 seconds between the walls :-).  Part 3 of this blog will add more math and a spread sheet to calculate your DPS (distance per stroke), “true” SPL, and 100 pace in open water given pool length (yards or meters), tempo, and SPL