Ask the majority of triathletes which is their least
favorite leg in the sport, and they will tell you the swim. When I talk about the swim portion with my
fellow trainees, the reactions range from distaste to outright disdain for open
water swimming. The thought of the swim,
I believe, has even kept high level athletes from even attempting
triathlon. Many runners use cycling as a
cross-training workout, but ask them to add one more sport and they will
shudder. Then there is me.
As a kid, I learned how to swim before I could walk. It came naturally to me, and I joined the
city swim team by Kindergarten.
Accumulating a shoebox full of ribbons from meets, my dad helped me
develop a love for the water. At the
time, my dad was the coach for the city swim team, as well as the High School
teams. Many of my early memories take
place at some pool somewhere.
Well, as with anything, life happens. I found other interests. By middle school, I was no longer swimming in
order to spend more time with music. In
High School, I returned to swimming competitively. Practice was almost every day after school,
and even at the darkest hour of the morning for the Varsity team. I specialized in Freestyle, Backstroke and
springboard Diving. My fastest 100-meter
Free clocked in at 59 seconds (pause for a moment to think about that). This still stuns me, and it’s a feat I’ve
never been able to replicate. I was
frequently selected for the Backstroke leg of the Relays. When I was a kid, I used the be one of the
fastest swimmers, but the time out of the pool reduced my speed to being on the
bubble to make Varsity. I was one of the
fastest swimmers on JV, but one of the slowest in Varsity. I never made State, and after two years on
the team, I got burned out, having over-committed myself to music, theater and
swimming in 1990. Don’t even think about
how long ago that was. I dropped
swimming out of my schedule once again in favor of music.
I don’t know how different my life would look now had I
stuck with swimming my whole life, but I know there is a reason. My life looks the way it does, and I believe
I am exactly where I need to be. But
every once in a while I wonder…how far could I have gone…
Since High School, swimming was solely recreational. I would swim laps when I had the opportunity,
the motivation and a pool nearby. Swimming
came in fits and starts, and there was always something else going on. Then somewhere along the line in 2004, I had
heard about the Danskin Triathlon Series, where an all female field provided an
environment of positive, almost non-competitive support for the triathlon
newcomer. I thought I would give it a shot,
knowing that the ½ mile swim would be the least of my worries.
Fast forward through 10 years and as many triathlons. Today, my swim stroke is not what you would
see in the Olympics. At one point, I was
called “lazy legs.” Competitive lap
swimming requires ridiculous kick speed – which I did not have. But open water tri swimming does not put as
much emphasis on the kick, which is perfect for Lazy Legs.
The swim is still my favorite leg of the sport. So few triathletes feel this way. Because of the aforementioned history, I like
to say that I “backed into” triathlon.
Running comes naturally to most kids, and learning to ride a bike is a
rite of passage. But not everyone learns
how to swim a decent front crawl. This
is where I differ from many of my fellow triathletes. Most of my training partners…putting it
nicely…tolerate the swim. Similar to how
I tolerate the bike. I always look
forward to a swim workout, and to dragging my training partners to the pool
(you know who you are).
So when I look at my training plan, I get excited about the
swim workouts…until I read them. You
see, my training plans are well researched, carefully crafted works that are
designed for the “average joe.” Well the
“Average Joe” has some swim experience, but not a lifetime of competition. The “Average Joe” is likely a strong cyclist
and a fast runner. I am NOT Average
Joe. In the training plan, swims start
with 1800 meters (think 4 lengths per 100).
I regularly complete a minimum of 2400 meters, even in the off-season. So there is already a minor flaw in the plan…not
ENOUGH volume (Okay, Heather. Really?). Problem #2: Warm-ups are
almost non-existent in the “triathlete’s” plan.
As with anything, a swim warm up is crucial. I spend 10 minutes poolside doing arm circles
and stretches before I even get in the water.
Then I spend 800 meters of easy swimming before I begin a main set. And by this time, most of my friends have had
enough.
I have developed my own take on the triathlete’s training
plan, which includes a book of about 100 different workouts. This book is great for preventing boredom and mixing up
the training. Whenever the “Master Plan”
calls for a swim, I disregard the author’s prescription, and refer to my little
swim workout book.
The worst part, at least for me, is when I lose track of
what lap I’m on. When staring down at a
blue line for an hour, my mind tends to wander.
I fall into a zen-like rhythm as the laps pass by, which is nice. Then somewhere in the middle of a 500 meter set…um,
was that length 8 or 10? Dangit. The second worst…kickboard. Lazy Legs doesn’t like the kickboard. I used to cheat and wear swim fins claiming
that the fins will help me when I teach scuba.
Yeah, well I have size 9 ½ feet.
I don’t really need fins.
One of the major differences between competitive lap
swimming and a triathlon swim is length of time. Most indoor events range from 50 to 500
meters. The shortest common tri distance
is 800 meters. The triathlete is less
interested in power than they are in endurance.
Think of it this way. Running a 100-meter
dash is very different than running a marathon.
I love swimming.
Every workout is hard, even when I’m going for an easy endurance
swim. Until I gained a healthy respect
and desire to run, I used to say that my favorite triathlons were the ones when
I was done after the swim. Unlike most
triathletes, I’m not worried about a 2.4 miles swim.
37 Things Only Swimmers Know
1. There are always at least two things hanging up to dry somewhere in
your house/apartment, and they are a swimsuit and a towel.
2. People frequently ask if you are tired because it looks like you have
bags under your eyes. Those are just goggle marks.
3. Literally every muscle in your body is used during your workout and
it. feels. amazing.
4. When you’re underwater, the rest of the world gets blocked out.
There’s only you, the movement of your body, and the freedom to let your mind
wander.
5. … Despite the feeling of Zen you get from #4, on occasion you wish
there were something to occupy your brain with as you swim. (Underwater iPod,
anyone?)
6. But being truly alone with your thoughts can give you the opportunity
to solve all of your problems, plan our your day down to the minute, discover
the cure for cancer, etc.
7. You understand that swimming a mile is very, very different from
running one.
8. The scent of chlorine never completely leaves your skin.
9. You have permanent tan lines, but they’re not the cool kind that you
get from going on vacation.
10. Speedo.
11. Deciding to work out when you have a cold is worth at least five
minutes of serious thought.
12. Abdominal muscles/strength are a point of pride.
13. There is one brand/style of goggles that you swear were made to fit
your face perfectly.
14. Trying to get into your swimsuit when it’s still damp can almost take
away your desire to work out. (Almost.)
15. “Fast,” “medium,” and “slow,” can be arbitrary labels for the lanes.
When the pool is crowded one should try to follow these signs, but if it’s not
– why waste an empty lane?
16. You learned, the hard way, that you should never leave your swim cap
somewhere that will heat up for an extended period of time.
17. … Because you actually use a swim cap.
18. There’s a fine, fine line between leaky goggles and a massive
headache.
19. Instead of 1, 2, 3, it’s 25, 50, 75…
20. Your cardio is also your strength training.
21. “Going to the pool” or “going for a swim” means something different
to you than it does to most people.
22. It’s only cold when you first jump in.
23. Your hair stylist has uttered the phrase “Your hair is beautiful but
it’s so damaged by all that chlorine.”
24. Working out feels better when you can’t tell that you’re sweating.
25. You have an opinion on circle swim vs. splitting the lane.
26. The line “Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink” from The
Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner resonates with you on a spiritual level.
27. Baby powder exists so that the experience of pulling a silicone
swim cap over your head doesn’t totally suck.
28. You have to bite your tongue when a non-swimmer thinks they’d be
pretty fast in the pool because they work out or have a significant amount of
muscle mass.
29. Sports-related injuries are an unfamiliar territory for you, because
there is no stress placed on your bones or muscles during your workout.
30. You’ve planned your workout around strange and specific hours because
the pool you use is only open or available at certain times.
31. And a trip to the gym isn’t so simple, because all of the equipment,
dressing, and undressing that you need to effectively complete your workout.
32. Swimming in a lane with a total stranger teaches you how to share…
33. … but you still prefer having your own lane. It is a rare and
exciting luxury.
34. There’s an art and etiquette to passing your lane partner, or being
passed.
35. Passing or being passed also has the potential to make or break your
mood during your workout.
36. You have regular lane partners or lane neighbors, but you may not
necessarily know them by name. Still, you respect them and feel a connection
based on the recognition of dedication.
37. Land workouts are great, but there is nothing quite like the way your
body feels after a swim. 
