Swim Better: The Adult Triathlete Swim Course

By Nicki Atkinson

Calling all triathletes who need to refine their swim technique. This book will give you training tips and techniques to refine your stoke, as well as the key drills to swim more efficiently. Best of all, there are over 100 workouts for all skill levels. Coach Nicki is a tenured adult lesson specialist, for triathletes of all abilities. This guide is excellent for any one who wants swim better for their next race or entire season.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicki Atkinson
• Release date: Mar 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310709500

Book preview

Swim better:

the adult triathlete swim course

By Coach Nicki

Copyright © by Nicki Atkinson

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Why are you reading this?

Things to Think About in the Pool

Drills

Basic Workout Jargon

How to Decipher the Workouts

Workouts Less Than 1000 M

Workouts 1000 - 1500 M

Workouts 1600 - 2000 M

Workouts 2050 - 2500 M

Workouts 2550 - 2900 M

Workouts 3000 - 3200 M

Why are you reading this?

Let me start by saying thank you for buying this book and that I can help you. Most triathletes come from a land based background, and struggle with the swim. My goal is to help you feel more comfortable in the water and be a more efficient swimmer.

Here’s why you should listen to me: I was certified as a Level 1 Triathlon Coach in one of USAT’s first classes; I was an Aquatic Director at a large YMCA for 6 years and specialized in adult lessons for triathletes; I have coached privately for a decade; but most importantly, I am a self-taught swimmer. I was a non-swimmer, a land lover, and a pool failure. I swam in pools every summer growing up and muddled my way through a lifeguard class as a senior in high school. I discovered triathlons my senior year of college and was hooked. I attempted training for triathlons, and even taught a course in triathlon training my senior year, but I was a turtle in the pool. I read a lot about technique and spent years trying to master drills in the pool. Eventually things started to click for me, and I have refined those concepts over the years.

Learning a new skill as an adult is hard. It’s frustrating. We can logically understand what to do, but it seems incomprehensible that we should struggle so much. Swimming is very technique oriented, which makes it extremely challenging. And let’s be honest – who wants to be told what to do or that what you are doing is wrong? Not me.

On land, we can push harder, go faster, pound more, and the firm earth pushes back. The water gives way underneath of us when we push harder. We have to learn a different method of movement to make ourselves be faster, better, stronger in the pool. We have to change our approach, and when we do, great results can be achieved.

I am here to help you. I can make your swim better. I understand your frustrations, and we can counter them. One of my most rewarding memories is of a client was helping a non-swimmer (we’ll call her Jessica) go from having fear of the water to beating a seasoned athlete. Jessica wanted to compete with the local triathlon group. She was a skilled cyclist and runner, but the pool was her nemesis. The triathlete clique did not accept weakness, so Jessica needed to overcome her fear. Jessica came to me with the hope of making it through the swim. We had lessons for about 6 weeks, and one day one of the head women of the group jumped in the lane next to us. This was a challenge to see if Jessica could hold her own. Jessica not only held her own – she kicked the other woman’s butt through out our half hour lesson. It was so awesome to the see the smile on her face when head Triathlete gave a begrudging Wow, you’ve come a long way and sulked off the pool deck. Jessica was so proud of herself, and her ability, and that is the most rewarding part of being a coach.

Ready? Let’s go.

Things to Think About in the Pool

There are a few key principles to focus on that are the foundation of swimming well. Keep in mind that your body will not just act this because you want it to, you will need to tell your body what to do by actively thinking it. These are the key words to focus on with each principle.

1. You can breathe under water

2. Fly like a superhero

3. A bullet is more aerodynamic than a 2’ x 4’

4. Reach, reach, reach

5. Kick like a ballerina

6. A mitten