MIKE COLLINS MIKE COLLINS USAT Certified Triathlon Coach 2002 ITU - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

MIKE COLLINS

MIKE COLLINS

• USAT Certified Triathlon Coach
• 2002 ITU Aquathlon World Champion
• Triathlete Since 1984
• 9:48 Ironman in Hawaii (1981)
• Raced Professionally: 1987-1991
• Swim Coach: All Levels
• Ironman University Contributor
• Equinox H20 Creator

What do triathletes need to know

• Swim mechanics
• Appropriate volume of training for desired distance
• Open water skills
• Differences in wetsuit swimming versus non-wetsuit swimming

Swimming in a Wetsuit

• Less kicking
• More buoyancy
• Athletes attempt to swim the same as they would without a wetsuit.
• Tendency to “over swim” while in a wetsuit
• 20 seconds to a minute faster for a 400 when in a wetsuit
• Key is to be more efficient and keep energy in reserve
• “If the swim is any longer than a 200, you’re better off wearing a

wetsuit.”

• Teach a systematic approach to removing a wetsuit.
• Train wetsuit removal down to 20 seconds

What does an Ironman need to know?

• Swim training volume is person to person specific
• Increase swimming during taper
• Keeps aerobic base heading into race
• You want a feel for the water before racing!
• Use swimming as recovery during peak of training.
• Increase swimming as bike and run decrease

High Intensity Training

• “Everything we do is interval based training.”
• Monday: Middle Distance
• Tuesday: Stroke/IM
• Wednesday: Long Distance
• Thursday: Coaches Choice/Dryland
• Friday: Fast
• Saturday: High Volume
• Sunday: Technique
• Triathletes aim for Monday, Wednesday, Friday
• 2500-4000 yards a practice

What does an Ironman need to know contd.

• Last eight weeks of Ironman training: mix in 5000 yard practices
• Be able to function in other stroke patterns (non-free)
• Saves joints and musculature from overuse and underdevelopment
• Critical to have backup strokes for races
• Break up the monotony of training

Triathletes in Masters Practice

• Must do proper push off and open turns
• Proper streamline to set the tone for the lap
• Mix in other strokes
• Graduate to a flip turn for continued learning

Bilateral Breathing for Triathletes?

• Teach bilateral breathing to all new swimmers and part of warm up
• Sample Warm Up:
• 25: Left arm only
• 25: Right arm only
• 25: Normal swim breathe left
• 25: Normal swim breathe right
• 50: Breathe every 3rd stroke
• Bilateral breathing can help balance out stroke.
• When it is race time, breathe to dominant side.

“Smart watches make you stupid.”

• Focus on skill drills versus starting your watch each 25
• Learn to feel swimming versus have a watch tell you what you did.
• Have real-time updates mentally versus waiting for a watch to compute.
• Aim for this higher level of training mastery without equipment.

Navigating the Internet

• Triathlon swimming technique is different from traditional swimming
• Most research and posts are geared towards traditional swimming
• Intensity is completely different
• Keep scope of article in mind
• Stroke rate and kick rate vary from triathlon swimming to traditional

swimming

• Focus on things like distance per stroke and efficiency

Heart Rate Training

• Relatively inconsistent in water
• Rather focus intensity and effort to specific times versus heart rate
• Know what 60% effort means for time.
• Know what 60% effort means for form.
• Save heart rate monitor for bike and run
• Take data and aim for lower HR at that pace over time
• The key is speed at low heart rate

Equipment Recommendations

• Favorite: Tempo Trainer
• Learn stroke rate range
• Pulling Gear/Lava Pants
• Simulates wetsuit swimming
• Have one or two days a week without pulling gear
• Be comfortable swimming without equipment.
• Know what you can do with nothing

Want to reach out to Mike?

• Irvine Nova Masters: www.novaquatics.com
• mike@novamasters.com