I usually have a smile to myself at this point, because, there is nothing new in swimming, the advice is exactly the same... ..from that nerve-wracking first Diddy League outing, right through even to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Final! ..the advice from the coach will be the same!
Ask me anytime about competitive performance and I will tell you this, watch a swim heat, the swimming speed is very broadly the same amongst the swimmers. Then watch the skills around the walls. If it's a middle distance to long event, watch the tactics too. That's where you will see an athlete that is thinking and working SMART.
What is the most solid, reliable thing that you can depend on, that won't ever let you down, and is always there for you? The Wall ...use it!! The largest muscle groups you have? The Legs ...use them too! If I could give you some free speed to add to your swimming, guaranteed to take off those 2 seconds you've been chasing without any more required from you, would you be interested? Get Streamlined!
Streamlining ...is free speed
Have a look at this picture. Who do you think won by over half a body length? What broke the world record? The swim itself ...or the start?
If you wish to improve times, increase your speed in swimming. You basically have a few options.
- Option 1: Train solidly for a year in both water and on land to attain a 3% increase in power ...for an increase of about 1% in speed.
- Option 2: Get streamlined off starts and turns and a little more efficient in your strokes ...and take almost 3% off your time.
- Option 3: Even Pace your swims. Which means work really hard and efficiently in the 2nd half of the race. In swimming, it is not how fast we go. It is how little we slow down that matters. That takes great conditioning.
Lots to work on.
See you around deck.