A little perspective

Okay folks, we can all relax now.  I have gained some much needed perspective.

Upon my discovery* that I had not gotten any faster in 8 months I instinctively slipped into full on panic mode.  I hit the online triathlete forums big time, I Googled swim coaches (and seriously considered dropping $170 for a video analysis and technique lesson), I watched more youtube videos, I read more articles, I reread the swim related posts of one of my favorite bloggers, I went on the Ironman website to check the swim times of every woman in my age group at IMAZ last year.

This morning I went to the pool with the intention of swimming very mindfully to see if I could figure out on my own what I was doing wrong.  As I have said, I felt like I was doing everything right.  I mean, I think I know what I am supposed to do.  I had a theory that I do know the basics of good technique, but it is hard to keep that technique up lap after lap and especially as I start to tire. Unless you are thinking about every single stroke, as a new swimmer it is very easy to just lapse. Veteran swimmers have the movements embedded in their muscle memory.  I also wanted to do some intervals where I pushed myself really hard to figure out just how much I have been holding back (because, you know, my arms don't feel like they are going to fall off after most workouts).

So during this morning's swim I figured out the following:

1. Yes it is very hard to keep proper form if you stop paying attention for even a second!
2. My form deteriorates when I try to swim faster.  Thus my energy would be much better spent
   focusing on making each stroke as efficient as possible, and hoping that will net me the most
   speed gains (this epiphany can be filed under WHAT ALL THE EXPERTS HAVE BEEN
   SAYING ALL ALONG.)
3. When I push myself harder than I have been (mostly by reducing the rest between intervals) I
   end up in oxygen deficit, so my lungs are on fire long before my muscles.  This is certainly not a
   state that can be maintained for any significant amount of time.
4. In light of these facts, the best use of my time in the pool will not be to push myself to the limit
   for a lot more yards, but instead to focus on my form with every stroke.  I already know I can
   keep swimming for at least 2.4 miles, so I don't need to do a ton of long sessions.  I think I will
   gain more from shorter sessions where I don't get tired and let my form fall apart.
5. What all of this amounts to is: THE EXACT SAME INFORMATION AND INSIGHT I HAD MONTHS AGO!

This is an out take from one of my blog posts in March:

There are at least 2 things that everyone does seem to agree on: 1. Swim technique, not general fitness, is the key to getting faster in the pool, and 2. It takes longer to build strength and speed than to build endurance.  What that means for me is that 1. Shorter, more frequent swim sessions focusing on technique are more beneficial than fewer, longer sessions, and 2. I should focus on strength and speed in the early part of my training, and worry about building endurance as I get closer to the Ironman.

So with all of this information at my disposal, combined with my experience of what seems to work best for me, I have settled on the following plan for my training:

1. 3 short (20-30 minute), technique focused swims per week plus 1 longer (60-75 minute) one for stamina.

Hmm.  So what happened there?  Well, I just plumb forgot is what.  Mainly, I forgot to really, really focus on my form.  I just wasn't paying attention to every stroke.  The intervals right after I did drills (each focusing on one aspect of the stroke) were always noticeably smoother.  But I haven't been paying attention the whole time.  Simply put, I get sloppy.  I am beyond workouts as short as 20 minutes now, but I think a 40 minute session that is very focused on technique where I only cover, say, 2000 yards but pay attention to each stroke will benefit me way more than doing 3500 yards but getting sloppy.

Another important thing I noticed during this morning's swim is that when I am swimming correctly, I am seriously engaging my core, and those muscles need some serious work.  I know core strength is important for all athletics, but I had not noticed how significant it is in swimming; likely because I wasn't maintaining proper form!  When your stroke is efficient, you can feel the importance of strong core muscles.  Core strength has always been an important aspect of training for me, in theory.  In reality, it gets pushed to the wayside.  But based on today's swim, core strength is not a bonus but a necessity.

But I think the biggest epiphany was this:  I had never expected to swim the 2.4 miles in under 1:20.  Above average swimmers in my age group seem to swim around 1:10-1:20.  In fact, almost HALF of the IMAZ finishers in my age group swam 1:30 or slower!!!  (That's where my stress-induced "research" actually proved useful!)  This made me realize that:

1. Since swimming is so technique-driven it takes a disproportionate amount of training time to get significantly better.  It's like golf-it takes a lot of time and work to get good.  Considering it is, by far, the shortest part of the Ironman, it's just not worth the time for most triathletes to work too hard on it.
2. I had hoped to improve enough to swim a 1:20.  As of now I can swim 1:38.  Is it worth stressing out and spending a ton of money and killing myself in the pool for 18 minutes?!?!  I think not!

* The word "discovery" is a complete misnomer.  It should not have come as any surprise.  The simple fact is I have been doing timed intervals as the main part of my swim training for 8 months. So I have been timing my intervals this whole time and the average speed was always the same. Yet somehow it never clicked that I wasn't getting faster!