Pro Triathlete and TI Coach Darbi Roberts pr's IM Arizona - How'd She Do it?

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

You may have received this video/interview in TI Newsletter today, but thought it's a good idea to post on forum for those that do not get the newsletter and for discussion.

Hear how Coach Darbi pr'd IM Arizona at 9:05: 51:41 2.4mile swim!! 4:57:00 112 mile bike!! AND 3:12:00 26.2 marathon!!!!!! Was it her swim strategy that helped her PR the swim, bike and run legs (shaving 20 mins off her marathon time!)?

Also, listen how TI has influenced her very full time life outside of triathlon too. And bonus footage of Terry and Darbi sync swimming at National Triathlon Training Center, Clermont FL a few weeks ago.

Here's the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RaHhpjwEhk

Enjoy!

Stuart
Ps: Excellent filming (and cool music) Suzanne!

[CoachSuzanne]

Thanks Stu! Tracey did the editing. It was great to be able to film them all swimming together. I felt super lucky to be there.!

[tomoy]

That must take a lot of experience and confidence to change game plan for such a big event. Adapting on the fly is so hard during a BIG race when you're focusing on keeping all the bits timed properly and disciplined about technique.

Reminds me of the NCAA BB Championship a little. The Tarheels guard caps a great comeback with a game-tying, virtuoso, solo, high-effort 3-pointer... then with 5s left the Wildcats guard has the opportunity to do the same... biggest game in his life, the moment kids dream about and practice... but he sees his shot is going to be tough and somehow has the experience, confidence (and trust) and dishes it to his shooter who makes the game winning shot at the buzzer look easy.

A stretch? :-D

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Tomoy: I like the basketball analogy, hilarious - and spot on. Darbi put ego aside and swam a very smart swim. She was 6th pro female out of the water, 17th overall swim time, just 3 minutes behind the fastest female pro and 4 minutes behind fastest male pro. So she certainly passed a lot of pro men in the process - brilliant!

Suzanne: Tracey has quite a talent for putting videos together that deliver a great message and capture the moment, pretty darn awesome. Tracey needs to move from the UK to Hollywooooood!

Stuart

[WFEGb]

Hello Stuart,

...Tracey needs to move from the UK to Hollywooooood!

NEVER! We do need her in Europe!

Best regards,
Werner

[Zenturtle]

I am mainly interested in the way she swims. and what do I see?
A standard elite shallow limited S-pull around the shoulder line and a high elbow.
I wonder if this will still be the standard path in 10 years time, or that it will become straighter. There are some elites that pull straighter nowedays (Hagino), and its not the most important thing in the world, but interesting to see how things evolve.
Where is the footage at race pace?

[descending]

Originally Posted by Zenturtle

I am mainly interested in the way she swims. and what do I see?
A standard elite shallow limited S-pull around the shoulder line and a high elbow.
I wonder if this will still be the standard path in 10 years time, or that it will become straighter. There are some elites that pull straighter nowedays (Hagino), and its not the most important thing in the world, but interesting to see how things evolve.
Where is the footage at race pace?

Now you know what the majority of competitive Masters swimmers look like warming up. Shallow entry and extension, slightly truncated or rounded off stroke shape, slower stroke rate, slower pace. Not surprisingly her upside with that stroke is a 51 minute 2.4 swim that is very fast indeed. Certainly she doesn't go from the pace in that video to a ~1:13 pace for the 51:41 with that stroke rate not by a long shot it has to increase. My stroke shape is not much different and I use a 6 beat and breathe every 2 when racing, but I'm also probably 6" taller than her I can't exchange enough air breathing every 3 at faster paces. In short course pools I breathe to my left on the odds and on my right on the evens.

[Zenturtle]

You can also see a well timed 6BK is deep in her system.
If she has a slight balance hesitation because of the slow pace for her, the little tap tap inbetween kicks come back into life in the ingrainded 6bk rhythm to get a bit of rear feel between the main 2 beats.
Its a choice of keeping the amplitde low but still have some contact with the water from rear to front.
Looked at the swim part a few times and it seems this is not her usual happy swim pace. Some kicks are a tiny bit out of sync with the bodyroll.Some a bit lagging, some a bit too fierce compared to others.
Being super critical offcourse, but nice to see that perfection is a hard standard to reach for anyone.

[descending]

Originally Posted by Zenturtle

You can also see a well timed 6BK is deep in her system.
If she has a slight balance hesitation because of the slow pace for her, the little tap tap inbetween kicks come back into life in the ingrainded 6bk rhythm to get a bit of rear feel between the main 2 beats.
Its a choice of keeping the amplitde low but still have some contact with the water from rear to front.

I thought I detected a little bit of twitch, not a full blown 6 beat, but keeping in contact. I'd suspect she has a long history of swimming in her pedigree.

[Zenturtle]

Feel a bit guilty being so critical while being only an average swimmer myself, but I love swimming along mentally with footage of other swimmers and see how it compares to my own swim perception. Its a great learning tool.
Sometimes you are working on a small detail in the stroke and start to focus also on it in other peoples strokes.
Some are doing this detail the same, other move differently. You stat to get more aware of that detail in general.
Its the same when learning to play a musical instrument, or starting to take better photos. You listen to music differently than before, you frame the world diferently than before.
I think I am moving very slowly into the direction of this stroke on a good day when everything comes together because it feels pretty familiar swimming along mentally.
Cant regognize myself in the beginner stroke anymore, although there are bad setbacks occasionally.
Its definitly hard to learn it as an adult.