Exclusive KOTWF Camp And Invisible Fitness Improvements?
Swim Smooth Head Coaches Paul Newsome and Adam Young are very proud to announce their participation in a very exclusive once-in-a-lifetime triathlon camp in the Bahamas with Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button and Ironman World Record Holder Tim Don:
In partnership with The Island House in Nassau, KOTWF will host its inaugural triathlon training experience hosted by Jenson, Tim and Paul Newsome as they join forces to create this exclusive never seen before event.
Strictly limited to 10 participants, the camp offers:
- Expert coaching in principal triathlon training methods
- World class hosts sharing inspiring and intimate insight into reaching greatness
- Personal development of your swimming by Paul Newsome
- Enjoyment of the incredible facilities offered by The Island House
Don't miss out on this super-exclusive event:
http://www.kotwf-events.com/
We hope to meet you there!
When you are training and seeing regular improvements it’s hugely motivating. You know you are doing something right and can’t wait to get back in the water and get even more improvements. Don’t over-complicate things, stay consistent and keep executing your routine week-in, week-out.
But of course that can’t go on forever or we’d all be beating Michael Phelps. After a while the rate of improvement slows, to the point where we might convince ourselves we’re not improving at all. Be careful in this situation, because for a long time you are still improving, just more slowly and more subtly. Don’t lose heart and motivation at this critical time.
One very basic way to look at fitness gains is to say there are two types of improvement:
This second type of improvement is very easily missed, normally because the mechanics of training sessions mean we regularly swim the same (fairly short) distances combined into training sets. We very rarely test ourselves over the longer distances.
Race swims of 1000 to 5000m are swum at around your “threshold” pace (this is the same thing as your CSS pace) or 3 to 5 seconds per 100m slower. A PB effort over 200 or 400m is significantly faster paced than this - in fact it will be at an effort level called “VO2 max”.
If you train the Swim Smooth way using well paced CSS sessions (and perhaps Red Mist sessions too) then you are focusing on improving in that threshold fitness to give you great race performances on race day. We are less focused on improving VO2 max pace. So as you get fitter and the rate of improvement slows, those fitness gains might be more of type 2 - your ability to sustain a pace over a longer distance.
How can you track those type 2 improvements as they come? Here’s a few ideas:
If all else fails and you haven't seen any improvements in the last few weeks, keep the faith, stay positive and keep training. You will see those threshold fitness improvements at certain times, it just might not be obvious in every session and might suddenly happen the day you least expect it.
Swim Smooth!
In partnership with The Island House in Nassau, KOTWF will host its inaugural triathlon training experience hosted by Jenson, Tim and Paul Newsome as they join forces to create this exclusive never seen before event.
Strictly limited to 10 participants, the camp offers:
- Expert coaching in principal triathlon training methods
- World class hosts sharing inspiring and intimate insight into reaching greatness
- Personal development of your swimming by Paul Newsome
- Enjoyment of the incredible facilities offered by The Island House
Don't miss out on this super-exclusive event:
http://www.kotwf-events.com/
We hope to meet you there!
Invisible Fitness Improvements?
But of course that can’t go on forever or we’d all be beating Michael Phelps. After a while the rate of improvement slows, to the point where we might convince ourselves we’re not improving at all. Be careful in this situation, because for a long time you are still improving, just more slowly and more subtly. Don’t lose heart and motivation at this critical time.
One very basic way to look at fitness gains is to say there are two types of improvement:
1) You swim faster over a given distance. This is the one we normally look for - you set a new 400m PB or beat your rival in the next lane over 100m for the first time. Exciting when it happens!
2) Or you can maintain the same speed but over a longer distance. This improvement is equally as important but actually harder to spot when it happens. In your regular training you might time yourself over 400m and be the same speed as you were a few weeks ago - damn. But actually if you had tried you might have been able to sustain that pace for 500, 600 or 800m - significantly further than you could before. If you are swimming 750, 1500, 3800, 5000 or 10000m in your next event then this improvement will definitely translate into a faster time on race day.
2) Or you can maintain the same speed but over a longer distance. This improvement is equally as important but actually harder to spot when it happens. In your regular training you might time yourself over 400m and be the same speed as you were a few weeks ago - damn. But actually if you had tried you might have been able to sustain that pace for 500, 600 or 800m - significantly further than you could before. If you are swimming 750, 1500, 3800, 5000 or 10000m in your next event then this improvement will definitely translate into a faster time on race day.
This second type of improvement is very easily missed, normally because the mechanics of training sessions mean we regularly swim the same (fairly short) distances combined into training sets. We very rarely test ourselves over the longer distances.
Race swims of 1000 to 5000m are swum at around your “threshold” pace (this is the same thing as your CSS pace) or 3 to 5 seconds per 100m slower. A PB effort over 200 or 400m is significantly faster paced than this - in fact it will be at an effort level called “VO2 max”.
If you train the Swim Smooth way using well paced CSS sessions (and perhaps Red Mist sessions too) then you are focusing on improving in that threshold fitness to give you great race performances on race day. We are less focused on improving VO2 max pace. So as you get fitter and the rate of improvement slows, those fitness gains might be more of type 2 - your ability to sustain a pace over a longer distance.
How can you track those type 2 improvements as they come? Here’s a few ideas:
- Swim long timetrials such as 1000 or 1500m. No we don’t like doing that either so tend to avoid it too!
- Race often. If you race triathlon or open water events regularly through the season (say every 3-4 weeks) you will see those improvements coming in your race performances.
- Swim Red Mist sessions. These challenging sets do show up threshold improvements as they consist of longer swims with short recoveries. More information on Red Mist here: http://www.feelforthewater.com/2012/07/red-mist-set.html
- Pay attention to your how you are feeling and how "do-able" a given pace feels towards the end of a training set. Got a little more in the tank? Don't be afraid to push-on.
- Race often. If you race triathlon or open water events regularly through the season (say every 3-4 weeks) you will see those improvements coming in your race performances.
- Swim Red Mist sessions. These challenging sets do show up threshold improvements as they consist of longer swims with short recoveries. More information on Red Mist here: http://www.feelforthewater.com/2012/07/red-mist-set.html
- Pay attention to your how you are feeling and how "do-able" a given pace feels towards the end of a training set. Got a little more in the tank? Don't be afraid to push-on.
If all else fails and you haven't seen any improvements in the last few weeks, keep the faith, stay positive and keep training. You will see those threshold fitness improvements at certain times, it just might not be obvious in every session and might suddenly happen the day you least expect it.
Swim Smooth!
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