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Mark, Z (Ironman Triathlete)
I have been competing in Triathlons for over 20 years and have
completed 10 Ironman distance races before connecting with Tracey at
SwimSolutions. So certainly not a novice but at the same time
nowhere near an expert swimmer. The combination of her endless pool
(complete with all the video cameras), a great Total Immersion
methodology, and a fabulous approach to instruction and coaching
(even for someone like me with 20+ years of bad habits) lead to an
experience that has transformed my swimming. Through a little bit of
math we estimated that I have cut out nearly 1,000 strokes for an
Ironman Distance Race that is about 6 strokes less for every length
of a 25m pool (imagine the energy savings that I can apply to my
bike now). On top of that I set my fastest swim time in 5 years at
Ironman Lanzarote which is incredible considering I only focussed on
technique and didn’t swim an interval longer than 5 minutes in all
of my training.
Tracey – thank you so much for all of your help!
Toby Haddock - Triathlon Swimming
My approach for Blenheim Sprint Triathlon 2008 involved focusing
on distance and effort. Like most triathletes my training philosophy
for swimming was almost identical to the one I used for running and
cycling – the longer and harder I train, the faster I get. My swim
time was 13.25.
The one thing I had noticed while training was that despite all the
effort I was putting in, my times were remaining roughly the same.
In fact, the really hard sessions produced the slowest times. After
doing some research I discovered a swimming method called Total
Immersion and began to realise that the limiting factor in
performance is technique and not physical ability.
I entered Blenheim Sprint Triathlon 2009 and began to practice
swimming. It took a load of faith to reduce the distance training
and focus more on technique, but I was doing a pretty good job most
of the time. There were still occasions though when I would revert
back to thrashing the water – I’m a self confessed muscle head! My
swim time was 12.41.
I entered Blenheim Sprint Triathlon 2010 and continued with the TI
approach to my swimming, but by this time I was an accredited coach
and my faith in the practice techniques had become greater than the
faith in my physical ability. The principal objective of every swim
session was to stay feeling fresh, relaxed and mentally engaged. I
never swam continually for more than 100 metres and at least 50% of
my swim sessions comprised of drills. The swimming I did do was very
slow, the main focal point being stoke count. My swim time was
11.19.
When I started swimming seriously back in 2008 my 1500 metre swim
time was 25 minutes – I use to dream of being a sub 20 minute 1500
metre swimmer. In 2010 my time was down to 21.58 and my dream was
clearly becoming a reality. I now dream of being a sub 18 minute
swimmer.
Official times can be viewed online at
http://www.challengerworld.com/results/blenheim-triathlon.aspx.
Josh - Triathlete
Before I started learning the Total
Immersion technique of swimming I had considered myself an ‘ok’
swimmer, and the kind of swimmer that would do a few lengths after a
gym workout or whilst on holiday.
When I entered my first triathlon in 2009, I realised that my
swimming was less than ‘ok’ and definitely needed some improvement,
at the time it was going to be my weakest discipline. As I began the
Total Immersion coaching, all previous ideas of how to swim were
stripped away and slowly week after week the principles of TI were
introduced to my stroke. Once I had mastered the basics I felt that
my freestyle stroke improved rapidly, and I saw my 1.5km swim time
drop considerably.
Several triathlons later and my swimming is constantly improving; I
certainly feel that it is by far my strongest discipline, and my
favourite too. Whilst racing, I’ve noticed how so many competitors
come out of the water completely drained and out of breath with a
bike and run still to do, however the efficient TI technique means
that I try and stay as calm as possible and don’t use as much energy
– so I’m out of the water and feeling strong and straight onto the
bike leg.
TI has transformed my swimming - I’m stronger and much more
positive. More importantly I really enjoy it whether racing or
training – I’m lucky to have swum in some amazing places like San
Francisco bay with the epic backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge.
I’m a much stronger swimmer today and much more positive, I’m
looking forward to becoming a more efficient swimmer and taking my
training up a notch as I prepare for my first Ironman in 2011.
Sean H - Triathlete
Hi Tracey,
Thanks for all the effort you’ve put into changing my swimming style
over the past 4 months. I’ve progressed from a thrashing, splashing,
exhausted-at-T1 Tri-athlete, into a sleek, purpose-driven, energy
conserving, splash-free Iron-man this season….well almost….
Seriously, as you know I’ve had years of bad habits which you have
highlighted to me, explained the reason why change was needed, given
me the drills to change the ‘hard-wiring’ and monitored the change.
I’ve enjoyed the way you’ve explained every TI technique, the reason
for it and how it will benefit me. Once you’ve explained the logic
behind the drill I find it easier to relinquish the bad old habits
for the new.
I’ve clearly seen the difference, not in my swim-times yet (it has
only been a few weeks), but in the amount of energy I have after
completing the swim events. The crowning moment was running out of
the 3,5km Forestman lake swim feeling as if I could easily do it
again! I experienced the same feeling of energy after the Windsor
Olympic distance swim 3 weeks ago so it was no flash in the pan.
This swim technique has helped me glide through the water instead of
fighting my way through it.
I’ll recommend your course to anyone who wants to improve their
swimming technique without a doubt!
All of the best and we’ll see you in a few weeks time for a
refresher.
Regards
Sean H
Vanessa B - Triathlete
"The benefits of one-to-one coaching and lessons in an endless pool
are immense. Underwater cameras and immediate video feedback means
you can learn by seeing what you are doing rather than just being
told what to do. It's a very effective use of the time you spend
and, for my son, a great change from ploughing up and down lanes in
a leisure centre, with the occasional comment from his coach.
Whether you are learning to swim, training for triathlons or a club
swimmer wanting to improve technique and times in all strokes, I
would thoroughly recommend this environment and the Total Immersion
techniques being taught. "
Liz A - Triathlete
I am a seasoned triathlete but one who has always struggled to do
well in the swim leg. Although I was able to front crawl in the pool
it took so much of my energy and in open water I always reverted to
breast- stroke. I was keen to find out whether there was anything I
could do to either improve my swim time or to at least come out of
the water not feeling like I’d done battle with a shark. I had heard
about the TI method before and Tracey agreed to take me on!
Tracey has created a great facility for anyone who either wants to
learn to swim or swim more efficiently. The endless pool is private
and provides an opportunity to swim at your own pace rather than
having to lane-share.
For me it was a case of going back to basics and Tracey really
dissected my stroke, identifying things I was doing OK and the
things I could do to make a difference. I’d never been “taught” to
swim front crawl and what I thought I was doing was in fact very
different to the reality. The ability to review and then immediately
correct elements of my stroke via the overhead and underwater
cameras has been invaluable. Tracey’s coaching skills are superb.
She has a positive, encouraging and motivating style and encourages
me focus on one thing at a time which ensures a consistent
progression in technique from session to session
When I review the DVD of my first session with the recent ones, I
can see for myself the progress I have made. My journey is not yet
over and I know there are still many aspects of my technique that I
can improve upon but I am now regularly swimming in the local lake
for up to a mile in front crawl ......and I am coming out of the
water feeling ready for a run!
I highly recommend Tracey for swimmers of all abilities from
complete beginners to accomplished swimmers who want to improve
their speed and efficiency in the water.
Peter Lowman - Triathlete
When I was 60 I decided that I wanted to take up Triathlon. My
biggest worry was the swim. I could swim but had never completed any
distance. My first 1500m swim took 55mins and I felt tired as I went
into transition for the bike. I took the decision to improve my swim
and was very lucky to meet Tracey who introduced me to TI. She is a
great coach but I’ll let the results speak for themselves. I
completed the 1500m swim at the London Triathlon (August 2009) in
38m21s. I came out of the water feeling relaxed, not out of breath
and really ready for the bike. My target is to swim 1500m in 30mins,
which I’m sure I will achieve with Tracey’s continuing support.
B.S. - (Osteopath)
“Having tried numerous advanced swimming coaches, Tracey is the
first coach I have found who has been able to explain the
biomechanics required to improve my stroke. This demonstrates the
depth of her understanding of the underlying causes of where I was
going wrong. As a result of her patient and professional approach, I
have made dramatic improvements in my freestyle. I could not
recommend her more highly!"
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