As we all know, a long course triathlon means a long swim, a long bike and a long run.  In order to maximize your potential and fully enjoy the race, it is very important to complete the swim leg, feeling strong and relaxed.  A poor swim, that drains your energy, makes for a very long day.  Are you swimming enough to be ready for your race?

The amount of swim training that each of us needs, will obviously be different.  Very accomplished swimmers, who have been swimming all of their life, likely don’t need to do quite as much training as the rest of us.  I would say however, that many athletes underestimate the amount of swimming they need to do.  In addition, there is more to swim training than endlessly doing lengths in a pool at a slow, steady pace.

When I first started being coached, I couldn’t believe how much swimming was scheduled into my plan.  It was a lot more than when I was self coached.  It was also structured very differently.

Four years later, I am swimming more than ever, and now I wonder more about if I am swimming enough.  For example, this week I will swim three times, and the workouts will cover well over 10,000 yards in the pool.  I will be swimming many hundreds as fast as possible, in addition to doing swim drills and paddle work.

As an adult onset swimmer, it is still a challenge for me to finish an Ironman swim, feeling fully fresh.  I am working hard to get to that point.  I know that I can swim the distance required, but can I exit the water, feeling the way I want to?

In six weeks time at Ironman Chattanooga, I will find out if all my hard work in the pool, will pay off.  What is your goal for the swim leg of your race?  Are you swimming enough to achieve that goal?  It may be, that you need to swim a lot more than you think.