Sneaky Speed

7/26/2019 Sneaky Speed

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sneaky-speed 1/21

By Best-Selling Author and Swim Coach

TI Swim Mastery Series

Terry Laughlin



Sneaky SpeedSwim Faster in Triathlon with Smarter Choices.

By Terry Laughlin

Total Immersion, Inc.

New Paltz, New York, .S.!.

This complimentary ebook is an expanded version of a talk given by TI Founder

and Head Coach Terry Laughlin at triathlon shows in London and Manchester

ngland! "ashington #C! and Cambridge M$ in March %&'()

Copyright © 2014 Total Immersion, Inc. This document contains Total Immersion proprietary information

and cannot be copied, distributed or transmitted without the written consent of Total Immersion, Inc.



Ta"le #$ %ontents

2 - Efficiency Trumps Effort

7 - Smart Choices

9 - The ‘Secrets’ of Worl Champions

!" - #ow Efficient $re %ou&

!' - #ei(ht-S)* +n e, Charts





Swimming in Triathlon&

'ore ($$ort or Smarter %hoices)

*ou can+t get around it, the idea of swimming faster is undeniably sexy)

$nd triathletes-most of them new to swimming..are constantly confronted by

blogs! articles! and exhortations expressing urgency about swimming faster) For

many people the primary effect is to increase existing insecurity about

swimming and how to train for it)

"hile you probably have little familiarity with swimming for speed or time!

those urging you to swim faster seem to be in the know) $nd! often! your

efforts to follow their advice don+t seem very encouraging)

*ou try to swim faster! but it seems awfully hard work /ust to gain a few ticks

on the clock) *ou wonder if you simply lack 0swimming talent+ or-as one

triathlete wrote me.. if you+ve hit a personal speed limit )+ "ill this limit your

potential in triathlon1

In fact! what you+re experiencing is perfectly normal-practically universal in

fact) Humans are terrestrial mammals) 2wimming is an a3uatic skill) 4ur land.

adapted bodies 5heavier than water! many moving parts6 and innate discomfort

in water mean we become energy-wasting machines when we enter the water-

a tendency only made worse when someone urges 7"ork harder, swim faster89

In this book! we+ll show that the too.narrow 3uestion of swimming faster or

slower! obscures a more fundamental 3uestion: "hether your swimming should

focus on greater effort or smarter choices )





"hile we all 5me included6 like swimming faster far better than slower! your

ultimate goal is a faster triathlon ! not a faster swim) $nd what you seldom hear

is that a faster swim-or at least the effort it takes to achieve it-has

considerable potential to hurt your performance in the cycle and run ) ) ) which

have far more impact on your final time)

In the following pages! we+ll demonstrate that the 0recipe+ for a better triathlon

is this: Swim your goal pace as easily as possible -saving energy to work

harder and longer on the bike and run)

nergy is your most precious commodity in triathlon) $s you+ll see! saving

energy on the swim-to 0spend+ on the bike and run-will repay you many times

over)

Efficiency Trumps Effort

;efore going further! let me be clear on one thing: "e+re not advocating you

swim slowly ) *our goal is greater efficiency ) $nd efficiency..not aerobic or

muscular power..is without 3uestion the key to swimming faster) To pursue

speed.through.efficiency! you must start by examining your way of thinking

about swimming) From there you can move to swimming better! easier ) ) ) and

faster)

The old.school formula for speed is: Faster 2trokes < More =ower) This is a

prescription for increasing effort and decreasing efficiency-and for performing

below your potential on the bike and run)

The cutting.edge formula for speed is: $ 2leeker 0>essel+ < Effective 2trokes)

?ead on to learn why this approach will not only improve your swimming: It will

also help you cycle and run faster after swimming)





#ow To Win $n lympic e al in Triathlon

4lympic triathlon coaches face a uni3ue challenge) 4ther sports select their

teams from athletes who have many years of experience) 4lympic triathlon

coaches must identify promising athletes-usually with little or no triathlon

experience..and bring them to the elite level in /ust a few years)

In the early %&&&s! the leaders of @2$ Triathlon..thinking that swimming was

the most technical of the three disciplines! and thus would take longest to

master..recruited accomplished college swimmers who could also run well) ;ut

trends in the fast.growing sport forced them to reverse course) They now look

to recruit near-elite runners-ideally with some competitive swimming

experience)

This is because the best 4lympic triathletes swim at paces that strike the

average athlete as 3uite fast! but-in comparison to elite swimmers-are

relatively slow) ;ut the paces at which one must run the concluding '&k to be

in medal contention are stunningly close to those of elite '&k runners)

The 'A&&m swim and '&k run splits from the %&'% 4lympic Triathlon..as

compared with the winning times from those events in the pool and on the

track-illustrate this)

In the Mens 4lympic Triathlon the 'A&&m pace of the medalists 5'B:&(6 was 'B

percent slower than the 'A&&m gold medal time of '(: ' in the pool) ;ut the

'&k run split of %D:&B was only A percent above the gold medal '&k time on the

track of %B: D)

In the "omen+s 4lympic Triathlon! the medalists swam %&:&(! which is &

percent slower than the 'A&&m time-'A: E-of the gold medalist in the pool)

The run differential.. :(& in triathlon! &:%E on the track-was only '&

percent)





For both men and women! the differential between the swim pace in triathlon

and that in the pool was "// percent (reater than that in running)

It+s true the tri swim was in open water! but triathletes used wetsuits! which

significantly boosts speed) $nd triathletes had to run some hills and had already

raced over (&k before starting the run)

"hat the 4lympic coaches reali ed is that-because running performance is

determined B&G to &G by aerobic fitness! a prospective triathlon medalist

must come into the sport with a runner+s engine already tuned to a very high

level from years of fast running)

In contrast! swim performance is determined B&G to &G by skill andefficiency and the coaches found that a good athlete could develop the re3uisite

efficiency skills in /ust a few years)

How does athlete development at the elite level relate to the average age group

triathlete1 "hile elites can pursue training as a full.time /ob 5and have inherent

athletic advantages6 age groupers must fit in training with work and family

responsibilities) 2o reali ing your personal potential as efficiently as possible isat least as important for the mid.packer as for the 4lympic medalist)

The ,y(en Con0ersion Conun rum

4xygen is a finite resource in an endurance event) The rate at which you can

0consume+ oxygen determines your muscles+ energy supply) 4xygen

consumption capacity is! to some extent! genetic) $nd increasing your capacitythrough training takes scores of hours and a fairly high degree of intensity)

"hen doing only one activity! the formula for effective use of oxygen is

straightforward) ;ut when you combine three activities in a single event-





swimming! then cycling! then running-you create a far more intricate pu le

for making effective use of your finite capacity to utili e oxygen)

For insight on this! I consulted Michael oyner M#! head of exercise research at

the famed Mayo Clinic! and one of the world+s most respected authorities on

athletic performance) For Mike! this study isn+t only academic) He ran a %:%A

marathon while in medical school and was nationally ranked at 'A&& meters as

a Masters swimmer in his (&s) $t AB! he+s again focused on swimming his best!

and a novice triathlete)

Mike! and do ens of colleagues around the world! have studied thousands of

athletes..novice to elite..in a wide range of endurance activities) I asked Mike

what this research reveals about triathlon+s three disciplines) Here+s what I

learned:

The ‘Cost’ of Spee

For athletes of similar ability! swimming at a pace of % mph, running at

mph, and cycling at %&mph all re3uire about the same amount of energy) ;ut

to go '&G faster in each! you must increase oxygen consumption by:

o ?unning < '&G

o Cycling < %& to %AG

o Swimmin( 1 /3 to 4/3

Converted into velocity! the amount of energy or oxygen utili ation that will

increase swimming speed by &)'& 5one.tenth6 mph in swimming will increase

running speed by mph and cycling speed by E mph)





The difference in oxygen cost between a top athlete and an average athlete

5traveling at same speed6 is:

o Cycling <'AG

o ?unning <%&G

o Swimmin( 12//3 to "//3

Conclusions

') ;ecause oxygen is a scarce and costly resource during an endurance event..

and swimming a little faster takes a lot more oxygen..the smartest strategy is

to spend as little as possible of your 0oxygen budget+ there) 2ave it for the bike

and run! where a little oxygen goes a long way in improving your speed)

%) If you+re an average athlete! you+re moderately less efficient than the top

cyclist and runner in any race you enter) The primary reason they+re faster than

you is that their more powerful 0aerobic engine+ delivers a far greater supply of

oxygen and energy to their muscles)

In contrast! you might well have a more powerful aerobic engine than the best

swimmer in the field) They swim faster because they+re far more efficient)

In using the phrase energy-wasting machine I was referring to a study ! which

showed that average swimmers 5those who hadn+t learned efficient techni3ue6

are /ust G energy efficient! while dolphins are &G efficient)

If this seems surprising! consider that elite swimmers are less than '&G energy

efficient) 5*es! even 2un *ang! the 4lympic 'A&&.meter champion! 0wastes+

over D&G of energy)6



http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/4223354

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/4223354



In light of the intricate pu le I describe above! it+s clear you can+t think about

swimming speed in isolation) ?ather you need to think about swimming in the

context of swim, bike and run ) 2tart with thinking about the smartest choices

available during the race! then plan your training accordingly)

Smart Choices

Smart Choices in the 5ace

;egin with recognition that while you can+t 0win+ a triathlon during the swim!

you can very easily lose it by chasing a faster swim) The smartest choice is to

swim at a comfortable! steady pace and a0oi racin( or chasin( otherswimmers )

If you+re new to swimming in open water 5or in a crowd6! we strongly suggest

you err on the side of caution) =osition at the start! on the margins! where the

crowds are thinner) $fter the start! focus on establishing a calm focus and a

relaxed rhythm)

ven if you swim a little too easily! the potential cost to overall speed will be

negligible) ust as you have to work a lot harder to swim a little faster! going a

little easier will cost you very little speed) $nd-as many have discovered.. you

might well swim faster by stroking more effectively)

$nd..in the 0worst case scenario+ for swimming too easily..any time you may

lose 5to those who are working too hard..likely a large number6 you+ll regain

many times over by feeling fresh and strong on the ride and run)





Smart Choices in Trainin(

4nce you make up your mind to stay calm and relaxed during the swim leg of

your races! the rationale for merely working harder during training disappears)

The purpose of training is to develop capacities and imprint habits that

determine success in the race)

In place of working harder to take a few ticks off the pace clock! focus instead

on learning to swim the same speed ) ) ) easier.

)J) If you currently swim %:&& per '&& meters at a D&G effort! learn to reduce

the effort it takes to &G) Then B&G) "hen you do! a sub.%:&& pace will /usthappen rather than re3uiring a grinding effort)

Make it your goal to be pulled to a faster time! rather than pushing to make it

happen)

In training for the bike and run-where more miles and more effort are the

most dependable prescription for improvement-your focus will be precisely the

opposite of what you do in swimming: Train yourself to sustain stronger efforts

for longer )

The great benefit of training as we suggest here is that your swimming practice

will not only for improve your stroke efficiency) ;y focusing on ease-and

avoiding wasteful exertion..your swim sessions will boost recovery allowing you

to perform better in demanding land workouts

The obvious 3uestion is how to increase efficiency so your current best times

feel far easier-and faster times come effortlessly) $ good source of insight is to

have a better understanding of what the world+s best swimmers do better than

everyone else) 5Hint: It+s not what we think)6





The ‘Secrets’ of Worl Champions

*ou+ve probably seen video or live coverage of 4lympic or "orld Championship

finals) "hat you can+t see-and seldom hear about-are the elements that

result in a winning race or faster time) ;ut! researchers for each of the top

national teams are capturing data in search of small edges)

2ome studies-conducted outside of races..have catalogued the physiological

and hydrodynamic profiles of the best swimmers) 4ther studies have analy ed

patterns of how the best athletes pace their races-and the 2troke Length and

2troke ?ate choices that result in the most effective pacing)

Though this data provides priceless insights! it+s surprising how seldom it+s used

to guide training and racing decisions) Familiarity with it will enable you to

make much smarter choices) Here is the first and most important insight

yielded by this data)

The Shape of your ‘6essel’ matters more than the Si e of your ‘En(ine.’

K0>essel+ refers to your body+s drag profile ) 0 ngine+ refers to the aerobic and

muscular power you expend overcoming that drag) *ou improve your vessel

with skill training) *ou improve your engine with long! hard workouts)

The power of an athlete+s 0aerobic engine+ is expressed in measures like

>4%max 5maximal oxygen uptake6) In studies by #r) Mike oyner and his

colleagues! these measures have shown a high degree of correlation withperformance in land endurance activities like running! cycling and nordic skiing)

In contrast! researchers have never found a correlation between superior

aerobic power and faster swimming) The world+s top.ranked swimmer will often





rank lower in aerobic power than the & th ranked swimmer-or even a triathlete

who swims 3uite poorly8

2tudies of stroking power diverge even more strikingly from actual swimming

performance) In fact! such studies have shown an inverse connection to

swimming speed)

In the best.known of these studies! in 'DD%! biomechanist ane Cappaert

conducted stroking power tests on swimmers at the ;arcelona 4lympics) "hen

she analy ed her data after the 4lympics! she was surprised to find that

finalists generated an average of 'E percent less stroking power than also.

rans)

2o! how do the world+s best swimmers dominate while generating relatively

little aerobic and stroking power1 There can be only one answer: They on’t

need power to swim fast 8ecause they (enerate far less ra(.

*our takeaway is that reducing drag is far more valuable than increasing fitness

or power to making gains in swim speed)

Ta e the )ath of *east 5esistance

Here+s an aspect of swimming speed that few think about:

To move forward through water! you must exert muscular force greater than

the resistive force 5drag6 of the water)

To move forward faster ! you must increase the gap between your muscles+propulsive force and the water+s resistive force)

*ou can increase that gap in two ways..increase propulsive force and or reduce

drag! but ) ) )





Increasing propulsive force costs energy)

#ecreasing drag saves energy)

2ince oxygen and energy are exceedingly precious resources! the most

beneficial thing a swimmer can do is reduce drag) Here+s another reason tofocus on drag reduction)

$ *ittle ore Spee e:uals a Lot ore ;ra(.

arlier I noted in passing that drag increases exponentially with speed) "hat

does this mean in concrete terms1 Let+s say your best time for 'A&& meters is

& minutes)

To finish in %D minutes! you will need to overcome '&G more drag-and

increase oxygen consumption by %&G or more)

To finish in % minutes! you+ll need to overcome ((G more drag N and

consume over (&G more oxygen)

It+s obvious the cost of even these modest increases in speed is far higher thanyou+d ever want to incur during a triathlon) ;ut that+s only if you attempt to do

that simply by working harder) ;ut even modest reductions in drag and effort

will also pay rapidly increasing dividends as you go faster and change becomes

exponential)

"ith so much evidence that less drag! rather than more effort! is the key to

faster swimming times! you+re probably curious to learn how to do that) Here+sa brief primer) There are two ways to reduce drag:

)assi0e Streamline N Focus on making your 0vessel+ sleeker) Try the

following:





') ?elease your head+s weight 5i)e) don+t hold it up or look forward6 and align it

with your spine)

%) Calm and narrow your kick so legs draft behind upper torso)

) ?ethink Freestyle: 4ld school freestyle is based on the idea that @pper ;ody=ulls and Lower ;ody Oicks) Pew wave freestyle is based on the concept of

2treamline ?ight 2ide! then 2treamline Left 2ide)

$cti0e Streamline N ?educe waves and turbulence while stroking) Try the

following:

') 2wim 0Taller)+ @se your arms primarily to lengthen your bodyline and give

relatively little focus to pushing back) $ longer bodyline reduces drag)

%) Focus on piercing 5not overpowering6 the water) In each stroke! think of your

extending arm as being like the tip of a spear! and the rest of your body as the

shaft)

) Minimi e noise! bubbles! splash- especially when trying to go faster) $ll are

evidence of your energy being diverted into something other than locomotion)





#ow Efficient $re %ou&

If you believe that swimming more efficiently will improve your triathlon! here

are two basic ways to gauge your efficiency) 4ne is sub/ective and sensory 5this

is important because it will be your only guide in the race)6 The second is

ob/ective and numeric-how far you travel on a stroke)

easure 8y Feel

2wimming in the pool! with no artificial aids 5buoy! fins! neoprene6! can you

complete the distance of your next race feeling:

') Jood balance 5nearly weightless6 and with a light! compact! non.taxing kick)

%) "ith strokes feel complete and controlled-the swimming e3uivalent of an

easy spin on your bike)

) ;reathing comfortably N the way you feel during 0conversational+ pace

running)

If not! then your swim practice should focus solely on ac3uiring the skills that

enable you to swim that way) $void all of the following! as these will only make

your 0struggling skills+ more permanent and impede your ability to imprint the

ease that+s critical in triathlon swimming)

2ets that focus only on time or distance)

=ulling with buoy and or paddles) Oicking with boards and or fins)

2ets that reference terms like $naerobic Threshold or nergy Qones ) ) )

Anything that makes your stroke feel ragged..or re3uires you to swim harder

than you+d like to in the race itself)





easure 8y Stroke Count

The charts below illustrates what we call the 0Jreen Qone+ of stroke count) They

represent a height.indexed range of stroke counts at which you are most likely

to be imprinting efficient stroke habits) These counts are derived from data on

the stroke efficiency of elite freestylers! and modified to give 0average+

swimmers a realistic-but-challenging efficiency target)

lite freestylers travel E& percent to B& percent of their height or 0wingspan+ on

each stroke) K2un *ang averaged B G..taking %B strokes per A& meters at a

rate of EE strokes per minute..when he broke the world record for 'A&&

meters) $ll of his rivals had less efficient strokes and were forced to stroke at

higher rates! taking BA or more strokes per minute! in a futile effort to match

his pace)

"hen you keep your stroke count in the Jreen Qone range of 2=L 52trokes =er

Length6! you ma e e0ery stro e count ) I) ) *our body travels forward a good

distance on each stroke-with your hand exiting the water very close to where

you put it in) "hen your count is higher! you+re moving the water around ..

creating relatively little propulsion)









#ow to use the chart

Step !< Test %our Efficiency

2wim K( x %A < x A& < % x BA < ' x '&& ) Count strokes on each length) ?est

between repeats to avoid fatigue) $ssess as follows:

') #id you stay within your Jreen Qone throughout the set1 "ere you able to

do so without strain1

%) How much did 2=L increase between %As and the '&&1 $ difference of

strokes or less 5I) ) 'B 2=L on %As and no length higher than %&6 shows 2troke

Length Consistency -a key attribute of steady pacing)

What if my S)* is hi(her than =reen >one&

*ou+re diverting energy into moving the water ! instead of propelling you

forward) *our highest priority-more important than any other training goal-

should be to gradually reduce 2=L) Try the following:

') ?eview the section on =assive and $ctive 2treamline) $lign head with spine

and get your legs to draft behind your torso) liminate bubbles! noise! and

splash from your stroke) ?edo the test set and see how the changes affect your

count)

%)2low Tempo) @sing a Tempo Trainer! push the right button! slowing tempo by

)&A sec stroke at a time until you can swim %Am repeats taking no more than

the highest count in your range) 52ynchroni e beeps to hand entries)6 2low

Tempo by another )&A and try A&m repeats) ?epeat test set at this tempo and

see how this affects results)





) ?educe repeat distance) Find the combinations of Tempo and #istance

5longer repeats! slower tempo6 where you easily and consistently stay within

your range) Always emphasi e ease) Pever strain to reach a lower count)

What if my S)* is in or 8elow =reen >one&

If your stroke count never goes above the top count in your Jreen Qone 5and

highest count in the set is within %. strokes of lowest6 you have an fficiency

Foundation solid enough to support asy 2peed) =atiently and systematically

expand the combinations of Tempo and #istance 5make small changes in one or

the other6 at which you can swim within Jreen Qone)

"hen you find a combination that you can just maintain with keen focus! butno physical strain 5slower tempo for longer distances! brisker tempo for

shorter6 stay there for a while until it feels easier and more natural to swim

that way) That+s a signal it+s time to increase one metric 5not both6 by a little

bit again)

What if it’s ifficult or impossi8le to 8rin( S)* into =reen >one&

*ou+re creating so much drag that swimming even short distances at your

current pace re3uires unsustainable amounts of effort energy oxygen) Training

will not help) *our best course will be to learn the Core Four 2kills of effortless

endurance) These are ;alance! Core 2tability! 2treamlining and fficient

=ropulsion)

Teach yourself TI =erpetual Motion Freestyle in '& Lessons #># )

Learn them in a TI "orkshop )

Learn them from a TI Coach )



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Sneaky Speed