Experienced training partners offer more than just motivation to roll out of bed before sunrise—they can point out flaws in technique or training methods that you might otherwise miss. However, there are still ways to critique yourself and learn about the sport if your town isn’t filled with multisport veterans.
Going It Alone
Swim Technique
Gliding elegantly through the water comes naturally to only a fortunate few; everyone else has to
work diligently to improve swim technique, but it is very difficult to accurately perceive flaws in one’s
own stroke. If you don’t have a coach or knowledgeable training partner to provide constructive criticism, watching your stroke on video can reveal mistakes in technique that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Take a video camera to the pool; place it on the pool deck at the front of the lane and record as you
swim toward it. Next, move the camera to the side of the lane and swim past it. Compare the footage of
your own stroke to You Tube videos of world-class swimmers such as Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin
and Ian Thorpe. Make a list of the differences you see between your technique and theirs, and focus on
improving one aspect at a time. It will take roughly two to three weeks of slow, concentrated swimming to
change the connection from your brain to your working muscles, so be patient. Videotape
yourself after a couple weeks of practice before moving onto the next aspect to
make sure you have made a significant change in your style.
INTERVAL WORKOUT FOR THE GREAT INDOORS
Mixing strokes and intensities helps keep you focused
while staring at the black line. This 2000-yard main set
will keep you engaged while building ;tness through the
long off-season. After a short warm-up:
4 x 200 broken up as 50 freestyle easy, 50 breaststroke hard,
50 freestyle easy, 50 backstroke hard
4 x 150 broken up as 75 free easy, 75 free hard
4 x 100 broken up as 25 freestyle drill, 25 freestyle hard, 25
freestyle drill, 25 freestyle hard
4 x 50 freestyle sprints
Short cool-down and climb out of the pool.
