Should triathletes “ban” swimming for the winter months?
Last week, Endurance Nation, the national training entity that emphasizes efficiency in training for age groupers, posted an article stating, “…swimming is … the most costly training activity you can engage in. For these reasons, we strongly recommend that you implement a swimming ban in the winter.”
The article is entitled “Why Swimming Year-Round Can Be Hazardous To Your A Race,” and goes on to advise triathletes it’s OK to take skip the pool altogether for up to six months because, “Most swimming pools aren’t open at ‘regular’ hours that fit your basic schedule,” “Such a significant part of swimming is about technique, you can take large amounts of time completely off from swimming—bringing your swimming fitness to near zero—without becoming dramatically slower than your PR swimming self,” and, “Face it, you’ll never be a real swimmer - True swimmers have been in the water since age five.”
The article continues: “The fact is that there are more potential time gains to be had on the bike and run, especially for Ironman athletes. Our advice then is dedicate about 14-26 weeks per season to significantly improving the bike and run. Not swimming during this period frees up recovery resources that enable massive cycling and running gains.”
303Triathlon asked local swimming legend Eney Jones her thoughts on this strategy, and in addition to pointing out that Endurance Nation offered no research for their statistics, she had a few things to say on the subject of taking an entire season off from swimming:
Just the opposite is true. You should swim MORE in the winter especially when weather conditions make it impossible and dangerous to run or bike. It is an excellent time to get instruction on technique and put some fitness behind it. Swimming is a LIFELONG sport, so set your base now. Many swimmers still compete in their 90's but have had to give up running and cycling.
It is the shortest of the disciplines because early on race organizers wanted to engage the masses. Now triathlons have the masses, but the masses need to learn to swim. Triathletes need to learn to swim with less energy and more power. They need to do other strokes. Butterfly helps your catch and gets you into your lattimus dorsi muscles, and strengthens your lower lumbar, backstroke opens your shoulders and lifts your sternum, breaststroke opens your hip flexors. (Endurance Nation should have gone for a swim instead of writing this article!)
Last year I worked with Mirinda “Rinny” Carfrae and we reworked her stroke so she could learn to swim with less energy and more power that would allow her to focus on her signature events (like running). Fall and winter were a great time to do it. It worked*.
Now go swim.
Eney Jones is a decorated swimmer and former professional triathlete (1983-1991). She was first woman out of the water in six Hawaii Ironman World Championships. She holds many NCAA and Masters Champion titles, in addition to qualifying for the Olympic Trials. She continues to compete in masters, open water and rough water swims, most recently winning her age group division at the 2013 Pan American Masters Championships in Sarasota, Florida.
*Mirinda Carfrae won the 2013 Hawaiian Ironman world title with a new course record.
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