It’s very easy to talk about change. It’s easy to make plans, goals, and even declarations to self-improve. But it’s sooo much more rare to actually do what you say you are going to do. However, if you combine a couple of ideas, you will have a much easier/better time accomplishing what you really want […]

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I stepped into the unknown last night- into a neighbor’s holiday party. There wasn’t much detail given as to if we were eating dinner, having drinks, dessert, or just some appetizers. Turns out there was a lot of food. But it was fairly easy to navigate. I avoided the little sandwiches and puff pastries and […]

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Do you ever think about what you think you should do, vs. what you want to do? We have a big holiday coming up in the US next week, the day when millions of people hit the roads and air to meet up with family and friends to celebrate a day of thanks. And then […]

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Have you felt frustrated with your progress in the water? Many current and budding triathletes who come to us have. Here are 5 reasons you may be in the frustrated camp, and what you can do: Not rotating enough (or too much): Whether you are swimming flat in the water or over rotating, you are […]

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Like any sport, there are many training myths on how to best train and improve. Just to name a few that I have seen this past week on some popular online blogs and forums… -To make it to Kona, you need to train 18-25 hours a week. -You should eat one gel every 15 min […]

Read More →

If you are reading this, it means you likely either are doing triathlons, or are planning to a triathlon. With triathlon, as with open water swimming, as with life, there will be a level of fear that you will have to deal with. By purposely putting yourself in a situation that for many people raises […]

Read More →

I was thinking of ways that change can help with triathlon, swimming, and fitness in general. Lots of people email us and are sad that they are training hard and not getting any faster. But many of them are just doing the same things every time they get in the water. Are you currently doing […]

Read More →

In the banking and finance world, everyone is (or should be) obsessed with “return on investment” (ROI), which looks at how much money do you get back for the money you put in. As investors, we want the biggest return for the littlest amount put down. If we could get $50 back in 12 months […]

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This year, I decided to train for a 3.7-mile swim, the most I have done in a long time. So far, I’m learning a lot about myself. I want to get back my old stroke, so far, it’s not there. I have a lot of learning to do myself, practicing what I preach! Part of […]

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I heard this expression a while back, I think it was a subtitle for a book. It mentioned “How to punch fear in the face!” Now, on the surface, that sounds like a positive thing, right? I want to accomplish something, therefore I need to get rid of my fears around that thing, therefore giving […]

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There’s a concept that Buddhism teaches called “impermanence”. Accepting that nothing is permanent can go a long way in getting past obstacles, and not being attached to outcomes. How many times have you had a less-than-good workout, or a sub-par swim, and it feels discouraging, to the point that it carries over into the next […]

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There’s an interesting phenomenon with some people when driving. Many are competitive. It’s a race! A race to work.A race to get somewhere on time. A race to get home to relax. “Get out of my way, you’re slowing me down.” The pool can be similar. If you’ve ever done lap swimming in these pools […]

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Have you felt the boost of confidence you get when you learn something new? It could be a skill, like swimming, or it could just be some random fact about the planet Earth, or what dogs are capable of learning, or a small thing you can do to improve your relationship. That’s why I typically […]

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As I’m making a bit of a swimming comeback, after not having trained much for a couple of years with a shoulder injury, I’ve realized one concept that stands out as important- and that is consistency. The other day, I didn’t have a lot of energy to get through a workout. I didn’t get enough […]

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Over the weekend, I attended a Wim Hof Method one-day event. If you have been with Tri Swim Coach for a while, you know that we are big fans of the Wim Hof breathing method. If you don’t know who Wim Hof is, check out the 39 minute documentary here: At the live event, we […]

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There’s a concept that Buddhism teaches called “impermanence”. Accepting that nothing is permanent can go a long way in getting past obstacles, and not being attached to outcomes. How many times have you had a less-than-good workout, or a sub-par swim, and it feels discouraging, to the point that it carries over into the next […]

Read More →

Many swimmers focus too much on the back end of their strokes (past the hip and exit) which is a waste of time and power. By doing so you risk throwing yourself off balance and over gliding– both of which will slow you down and waste energy. Instead, focus on the front end with a […]

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Back in 1997, I read the book “The Zone” by Barry Sears. It was an eye opener to me. I grew up in the 80s where carbohydrates were thought of as the best source of energy. Protein was good in limited quantities. Fat was the devil. The Zone was a diet that recommended eating 40% […]

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The open water triathlon start can be one of the best forms of pure honesty. Let me explain. You start the race. There’s a lot of excitement and nervousness. Thoughts are rushing through your head as you swim: What’s going to happen at that first buoy?Am I swimming to hard? Will I run out of […]

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Water comes in so many forms. It can be calm, warm, and inviting.And it can be rough, cold, and mean! Christopher from Wisconsin joined Tri Swim Success last year, and has had many successes this year. He recently emailed me a summary of his season, which turned out amazing, on many accounts, with him exceeding […]

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“Every journey starts with the first step“ I’m very interested in doing a swim race from Europe to Asia next summer. Well to be honest, it will not be a “race” for me. Due to shoulder and elbow issues (that I’m currently recovering from), I’ve let my swimming shape drift pretty far off course! 2 […]

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There’s this saying that’s been floating around out there for a while now that you must put in 10,000 hours to acquire a new skill. I think this came out of a book by Malcom Gladwell. But this number is completely misunderstood. It’s MUCH less than that. Check out this 3 minute summary video and […]

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“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s MLK day here in the US, thus the inspirational quote to lead off today’s message. Challenge and controversy in swimming and triathlon […]

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Yesterday, I visited an old friend who has cancer. It really puts things into perspective. She is doing much better, but is still undergoing low dose chemotherapy treatments, which are of course poison to the human body, so the bad times are not yet over. One thing that was really impressive to me was her […]

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Sometimes we go into our days, and our workouts, in a rushed state, and just want to “get it done” and not think about it. Here are three things to keep in mind as essentials for every swim workout: Breathe. This can be applied to anything, even going about your day. Remember to take deep […]

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Have you ever felt like you need to constantly have momentum going forward, or you’re falling behind in life, or in your athletic endeavors? I was very much looking forward to the new year, 2020. I had a lot of momentum in all areas of my life in December. Things were going well fitness-wise, business-wise, […]

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We all know how open water swimming (OWS) and pool swimming are very different, and it is hard to translate gains in the pool to gain in the open water. There is typically a small gap between your pool splits and your OWS splits, but the more you swim in the open water, the smaller […]

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Getting the stroke, little by little, is a great way to discover that inner you, the part that gets satisfaction and a self esteem boost from accomplishment. Maybe your bigger goal is to finish a race. To land on the podium. Or to do something that seemed impossible to you just a short time ago. […]

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Over the weekend, I helped out with running a swim clinic here in Southern California. Tri Swim Coach/SwimBox coach Dominic Latella ran the clinic along with local masters and triathlon coach Mike Collins. We had a great turnout of 17 local triathletes and masters swimmers taking part in launching their swimming training for the new […]

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It’s very tempting to make New Years Resolutions. Even though, “New Year” is just a random point in time that we decided to mark the earth’s trip around the sun with, people place a lot of significance on this occurrence. And we’ve probably all heard the statistics, most of these resolutions are broken by February […]

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Since you are here reading this email, you likely are one of those few people who will actually carry out your plans to improve yourself this year in some way. If it is swimming, I’d like you to consider something. Here’s what I’m giving you permission to let go of this year as you pursue […]

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A few years ago, I was experiencing an unusual amount of anxiety. It started affecting my level of happiness, as well as physically- I had some minor health issues that were directly related to my state of mind. And, I have barely told anyone about this until right now, but I went to a therapist […]

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Ever make assumptions and then you turn out to be wrong? In the past I have assumed things about people based on their appearance that turned out to be completely wrong. And I still assume things about myself that turn out to be wrong as well. For example, on Friday, I really wanted to do […]

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Coach Chris created this holiday poem last 2015 and perfected it for 2016. 🙂 Enjoy! “How the Triathlete Stole Swim Practice” Every Swimmer Down in the pool Liked swimming a lot But the Triathlete Who watched on the pool deck DID NOT. This triathlete hated these workouts! The whole swim focused off season! Now please […]

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Hey! I know it’s Christmas night and you probably want to go to bed (I do too!) but I HAVE to tell you about this crazy little guy who showed up at my door tonight.He was short, about 4 feet tall. He also had weird shoes that curled at the toe. And even more weird, […]

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The topic of motivation came up in our private The Fit Triathlete Transformation Facebook member group yesterday. Someone mentioned that she gets upset with herself when she misses a workout, but only when it’s because she’s simply lazy. Is this something you are doing? Bashing yourself because you are too lazy, kicking your own butt […]

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This morning over breakfast, I was listening to a podcast from Dr. Peter Attia, interviewing Robert Lustig, and the discussion was about? Our favorite addictive substance. Sugar! Before I go off on a tangent and discuss how *BAD* sugar is for your health, I’ll just say I’m guilty of eating sugar sometimes and even had […]

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We have a lot to think about in training for a triathlon. I break it down into four systems. Each system must be functioning (or “firing”), or everything falls apart. Here they are: Mental state. Your mindset/psychology needs to be tended to on a regular basis. If you are going full blast through life and […]

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We hear that expression a lot: “Well it wasn’t meant to be” or “It was just meant to be!” I understand why this is a popular expression. It can feel good to think, I did everything I could possibly do (to get something, achieve something, etc.) but it didn’t work out, I didn’t get what […]

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We hear a lot about “having balance in life”. What is balance? It seems like a vague word that can mean a lot of things. When we talk about balance in swimming, we mean swimming on the surface of the water, not sinking, and not favoring one side much over the other. But there’s a […]

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Ever have a race, or a practice, where seemingly lots of things went “wrong”, and you are questioning yourself, criticizing yourself, and feeling bad about how you performed? We can often get stuck in self-criticism. The problem with this is, you will learn nothing from it, you will not improve, and you will feel… a […]

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I recently received this email from a subscriber, and wanted to share it with you, for a little inspiration in crossing the finish line: “My brother, Johnny, has cerebral palsy. My dad pushes and pulls him in races as a way for them to be together as a team. Johnny has always wanted to be […]

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What’s your choice of poison when it comes to swim practice? It’s a joke- I don’t think there is actually a “poison” when you’re practicing swimming (unless you’re downing too much of that chlorinated pool water!) At Tri Swim Coach, we’re known for being minimalists when it comes to equipment in swim training. It’s not […]

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Many years ago, I attended a conference on self improvement and how to reach your goals. I don’t remember much about the content of the talks. I know some was helpful, but it was one of the exercises in particular that they had us do that stands out most. They handed out these wooden boards […]

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Swimmers, and triathletes especially, are often obsessed with the distance of their workouts. There’s often this notion that, unless one does over x amount of yards or meters that day, the workout doesn’t even count! “I NEED to get 3000 meters in today!” And, although the workouts in our Tri Swim Success program do include […]

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I recently was doing a lot of traveling, and my swimming took a backseat. In fact, I didn’t swim for 3 weeks. There wasn’t even much time for workouts, just a lot of walking and a few quick hotel room jams. Coming back to swimming yesterday, I felt weak, tired, and verrrrry slow! The struggle […]

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You’ve heard it enough times from us if you have followed Tri Swim Coach for any length of time: “Consistency is key!” This means just getting to the pool is your objective. Everything else is easy! Right. But really, what happens when you “fall of the wagon”? You are consistently making gains in the water, […]

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Triathlon training is much like traveling. Let me explain. I’m currently in Bali, Indonesia, on a business trip (with a little pleasure mixed in!) It’s allegedly NOT rainy season right now. It’s supposed to be nice. Besides the work stuff, I planned on 4 days near the beach and to surf as much as possible. […]

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Have you ever made a decision in your life based on what most people around you are doing or thinking? Of course you have. We all have. We don’t have time to research every last thing, so we make the best decisions we can based on the information we have available. Often that info comes […]

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Individual sports like triathlon are an interesting thing. We all want to do our best. But often, we do our best, and the result is not what we are looking for. The “result” could be a PR. Or weight loss from all the training. Or simply completion of a race. Everyone is a little different […]

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If you’re like many triathletes who join us, you likely have a harder time taking rest than getting in all your workouts. If you are feeling burnout, extra tiredness, lack of enthusiasm, or feel like you are just going through the motions in your workouts, it may be time to take a day off. Understand […]

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When it comes to training and overall health, the common wisdom says that marathon runners and triathletes are some of the healthiest, most in-shape people in the world. Ah but this is not so! This Tedx talk by Dr. James O’Keefe gets into the reasons why going “long and hard” can actually lead to heart […]

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If you’re the competitive type, you will want to read this. We often get caught up in life with things that are out of our control. Politics. Sports teams. What other people think of us. The weather. Going through life wishing things were different can be quite frustrating. And the “wishing” comes when it’s something […]

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I was listening to a recent episode of the Joe Rogan experience on my way to Austin, Texas for the upcoming PaleoFx conference. Dr. Peter Attia was the guest, and he started with talking about some of his experiences as an open water swimming. The guy didn’t even start swimming until age 31, and went […]

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Most people spend most of their lives trying to remain comfortable as much as possible, and avoid discomfort as much as possible. This is why by signing up for our programs here, you are a little different. Triathlon is not comfortable. It may be fun. It may be healthy. It may help you get in […]

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If you’re like me, you learned early on that distance runners are the healthiest people on the planet. Anyone who can complete a marathon is surely in the elite level of fitness. And triathletes? Get out of here! Those people are next level fit! But, as it turns out, merely being able to do a […]

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Sometimes, a sport like swimming can be overwhelming. I’m not much of a golfer, but the times I’ve played, it seems like if I do one thing slightly wrong, everything gets thrown off and I miss the ball, or it doesn’t go where I want it to go.Swimming is very similar, with a little more […]

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I’ve been reading this book about the wisdom of stoicism- the ancient philosophy that often gets misunderstood. One of the points it starts with is this idea of “living life as if it were your last day”. I used to think this meant be hedonistic and do things that you wouldn’t normally do because of […]

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A few years ago, when I was coaching a kids year round swim team, a couple of the 10-year old girls didn’t want to swim. Instead, they wanted to play games, like blow bubbles underwater. They actually didn’t do what everyone else was doing (probably doing 8x50s or 5x100s or something). So as the coach, […]

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This theme has come up for me many times in the past week, and I think it applies to you as a triathlete, working to accomplish your goals. The theme is, not wanting to be anywhere else than where you are. I came over here to Hawaii to work and surf and do some yoga. […]

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I was looking at the rankings of the top 20 long distance triathletes world wide, and one of them stood out because of his birthday: #7 Andy Potts He’s also the #1 Ironman finisher from 2017 for the US. He’s now 41 and continuing to improve his race results, aiming to move up higher in […]

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If 6’5 100 meter dash world record holder Usain Bolt grew up in the U.S. instead of Jamaica, he almost certainly would have been a basketball player instead of a track athlete. This means there are probably several Usain Bolts in the US that could compete with the Jamaican, but went a different path as […]

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Have you felt frustrated with your progress in the water? Many who email us have. Last year, we put together 5 reasons you are not swimming faster- and what to do about them. Here they are, in case you missed them or weren’t with us last year: Not rotating enough (or too much): Whether you […]

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Like any sport, there are many training myths on how to best train and improve. Just to name a few that I have seen this past week on some popular online blogs and forums… To make it to Kona, you need to train 18-25 hours a week. You should eat one gel every 15 min […]

Read More →

I was thinking of ways that change can help with triathlon, swimming, and fitness in general. Lots of people email me and are sad that they are training hard and not getting any faster. But many of them are just doing the same things every time they get in the water. Are you currently doing […]

Read More →

If you are reading this, it means you likely either are doing triathlons, or are planning to a triathlon. With triathlon, as with open water swimming, as with life, there will be a level of fear that you will have to deal with. By purposely putting yourself in a situation that for many people raises […]

Read More →

Last night I attended a talk on transformation through travel. There is so much you can learn from traveling.. especially when things don’t go smoothly. You will learn about yourself in a hurry when you’re stuck in a place where you don’t speak the language and need to figure out transportation, food, and currency. In […]

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Do you swim and do triathlon for the exercise? For the sheer challenge? For the feeling of accomplishment? Or all of the above? Mountain climbers and hikers often need to get to the top of the mountain to feel the sense of accomplishment. Perhaps one hour of hiking would have the health benefit, and diminishing […]

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Want to know a way to eliminate the need for motivation to get things accomplished- or just to start out on something? Last year I read “The 5 Second Rule” by Mel Robbins. The idea is, most of us hesitate right when we’re about to do something courageous…then the excuses and justifications come into our […]

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Ever make assumptions and then you turn out to be wrong? In the past I have assumed things about people based on their appearance that turned out to be completely wrong. And I still assume things about myself that turn out to be wrong as well. For example, on Friday, I really wanted to do […]

Read More →

I’ve been listening to a book called “Sleep Smarter” by Shawn Stevenson. It’s amazing how important sleep is, as well as how much society shuns it. Some of the things I’ve learned so far have to do with the consequences of not getting enough sleep, like: – Your brain not working well – Your immune […]

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I was watching some comedians on YouTube last night, including my favorite George Carlin, and noticed that someone had taken clips from several comedians and actors and crated “success tips” out of them. Here are three tips that stood out for me, hopefully you can see some tie-ins to your own life and quest to […]

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There’s a concept that Buddhism teaches called “impermanence”. Accepting that nothing is permanent can go a long way in getting past obstacles, and not being attached to outcomes. How many times have you had a less-than-good workout, or a sub-par swim, and it feels discouraging, to the point that it carries over into the next […]

Read More →

There’s a concept of “resistance” that can lie at the root of whatever may be holding you back. Everyone has resistance. It could be resistance to things you know are good for you. Things like eating healthier. Doing the work. Starting a meditation practice. The idea of anger, or sadness. What are you resisting in […]

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One of the greatest things to hear as a coach is that you made a difference in someone’s life. Three years ago, I got a message from someone who had gone through our Tri Swim Success program- and had massive success! I think you may be able to relate to Scott’s story below: “One year […]

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I’ve been spending some time in Los Angeles recently. The land of traffic! There’s an interesting phenomenon here when driving. Many people are competitive. It’s a race! A race to work. A race to get somewhere on time. A race to get home to relax. Get out of my way, you’re slowing me down. The […]

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There are a few themes that we discuss here at Tri Swim Coach, and sometimes they may sound contradictory. For example, we talk about the importance of breaks, rest, recovery, and avoiding over-training. We also talk about not taking too much time away from the pool, or from training in general, as it’s so much […]

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My quads were burning, but I still had 3 reps left. The single-leg squats were brand new to my legs, and mentally I wanted to quit. But I managed to finish all 10 reps. I recently started working with a personal trainer at my gym. My strength training routine was getting stale, and I wasn’t […]

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There’s a concept that Buddhism teaches called “impermanence”. Accepting that nothing is permanent can go a long way in getting past obstacles, and not being attached to outcomes. How many times have you had a less-than-good workout, or a sub-par swim, and it feels discouraging, to the point that it carries over into the next […]

Read More →

Terry Laughlin, who was the creator of Total Immersion, a swim training methodology, sadly passed away from prostate cancer. I didn’t know Terry very well personally, but throughout the years gave him a lot of credit for being one of the pioneers in simplifying difficult swimming principles and distilling them down for the non-swimmers out […]

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I was listening to an audio book on the subject of productivity, something I’m working on getting better at. The last chapter I read was about actually not working harder, or doing more, to be more productive. In fact, the author recommends spending hours away from your work in order to come up with ideas […]

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It’s a rainy, cloudy, gloomy day here in Southern California. And if you thought this message was going to just be about the weather, you’re wrong! There is a helpful metaphor with dark clouds. When you start getting wrapped up in a particular thought process, it’s easy to get caught in and endless cycle of […]

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Back in 1997, I read the book “The Zone” by Barry Sears. It was an eye opener to me. I grew up in the 80s where carbohydrates were thought of as the best source of energy. Protein was good in limited quantities. Fat was the devil. The Zone was a diet that recommended eating 40% […]

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I mentioned the idea of perfectionism in a previous message, and wanted to expand on that a bit. I’m not suggesting that you have this to an extreme degree… I likely don’t know you! However, I know that as a subscriber or customer of Tri Swim Coach, you are someone who values achievement. By itself, […]

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Thanks for all the responses to our last 2 messages! Lots of positive support from the community and a couple of corrections I was made aware of; 1) The quote I attributed to Chrissy Wellington was actually uttered by the late, inspiring, Jon Blaise (Blazeman) 2) What I called “Kona Ironman” is actually “Ironman World […]

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Yesterday, Coach Chris sent out a message about the famed Kona Ironman that’s coming up this October in Kona, Hawaii USA. This race is what kicked off the popularity of triathlons worldwide. (In case you were wondering, the race was “invented” in 1978 in Hawaii). And the NBC presentation of the Ironman was where I […]

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Water comes in so many forms. It can be calm, warm, and inviting. And it can be rough, cold, and mean! Christopher from Wisconsin joined Tri Swim Success over 6 months ago and has had many successes this year. He recently emailed me a summary of his season, which turned out amazing, on many accounts, […]

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We hear the word “perfect” all the time, every day. “It’s a perfect day!” “You did that job perfectly!” “They’re perfect for each other!” The word is thrown around a lot. And sometimes, it’s not meant to be taken literally. You could have the “perfect race”, but still have some areas where you could have […]

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I woke up today and for the first time in a long time, there was a slight chill in the air! 56 degrees F to start the day here in Southern California. Although we are expecting warm weather again over the next week, seasons are changing, days are getting shorter, and things are shifting. What […]

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Rules will be broken. Whether it comes to swimming, training, diet, or something else in your life, typically, traditional hard-nosed discipline can only get you so far. Your brain is wired to do things in a certain way. If you try forcing yourself to do or not do something, this can be an effective approach […]

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Do you have a list of goals that you keep track of? Some people like to keep track of every minute of their day and have so many goals and sub goals and mini-goals that it makes my head spin. Since I’m not one of those people who have endless lists of goals, I wanted […]

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The most important skill a swimmer can develop is body awareness in the water. Swimming is not natural for humans. When we dive into a pool we lose all sense of coordination and balance. Then we are asked “not to breathe,” which goes against everything we have done since we came out of the womb. […]

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Are you the competitive type? Do you want to beat your friends in races? Beat your fellow swimmers in the water, even in practice? Or are you mostly just competitive with yourself? One thing I’ve struggled with most of my life is being overly-competitive and overly-critical of myself. I believe competition IS healthy. But the […]

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Do you ever get the feeling you know how something is going to turn out, so you decide not to do it? For example, you hear about a new way of eating. And you instantly think “Oh just another diet fad, would never work for me!” Or anything where it may be hard at first, […]

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These are the most common questions we get, in order, here at Tri Swim Coach: 1. How can I get faster? 2. How can I stop my legs from sinking? 3. How can I breathe more easily when swimming? I want to focus on #1 today. The answer is “it depends”, of course. First it […]

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It’s a lovely Tuesday morning here in Southern California, and I just got done planning out some goals for the day, and for the next month. I was thinking more about this idea of confidence that I discussed yesterday. One thing I want to emphasize is that confidence never comes before action. You can only […]

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I recently received a testimonial from another happy Tri Swim Success customer: “Super helpful. I am just a VERY concrete person 🙂 I am loving your drills and workouts. I feel so much stronger and more confident in the water. I had a tri coach for over a year and learned a lot, but I’ve […]

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Want to know a way to eliminate the need for motivation to get things accomplished? I just finished this book called The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. The idea is, most of us hesitate right when we’re about to do something courageous…then the excuses and justifications come into our brains as to why we […]

Read More →

No matter what goals you’re working towards, momentum is the key to accomplishment. Continuing your momentum means progress is a natural thing. Losing momentum means you have an uphill battle ahead. The analogy with swimming is, taking a few days off. Sometimes, it’s important to take time off. But if you are mid-season, even a […]

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