Triathlon Training Programs for Beginners
Dear Friend,
Over the weekend, I tried stand up paddle boarding for the first time, here on Mission Bay in San Diego. It’s surprisingly easy (especially without waves), and surprisingly fun!
It was a good reminder to me to slow down in life and enjoy the present moment.
It was also a good analogy to swimming. Unlike the fast pace of biking, or the adrenalin shot surfing gives, paddle boarding is slow, rhythmic, and involves some concentration and focus.
In swimming, it is necessary to “slow down to speed up”. Lots of focus on small aspects of technique will eventually produce a solid stroke.
So take swimming slow and enjoy the process. As I said in the podcast I did a few weeks ago, one little victory many times is what we are shooting for!
Enjoy,
Kevin
“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular. ”
-Tony Robbins
Swim Tip of the Month- Slow Progression
Both in technique and in swimming fitness, gradual progress is key! I have worked with some beginner clients for a few weeks and others take a few months to get to the same point.
There’s no “one size fits all” here, but generally, you want to be conservative when increasing the distance of your workouts. Focus on your technique first with drills, then decrease the amount of drills you do and increase your yardage by about 200-400 per week, depending on what level you started at.
Doing too much too soon will not only put you at risk for a shoulder injury, it may impede your progress in developing your technique.
And when it comes to technique, you may get stuck in one area and feel like it is hard to move past it. Don’t give up! Most people struggle in various stages of learning freestyle- and nearly everyone has a difficult time with breathing! (see past Tri Swim Coach newsletters and podcasts for more on this!). Just take on one drill, master it, and move on to the next.
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/triswimcoach
Sincerely,
Kevin Koskella
Tri Swim Coach