the return to the pool post Covid-19: feelings and expectations?
No-one really knows how Swimming is going to feel post Covid-19 closures – this is the first time that many triathletes will have spent x time out of the water. One thing is for sure though… swimming is going to be more popular than ever! A couple of athletes I coach are already messaging me:
“I promise to never miss a swim session again”
“I will never complain about swimming again” (a triathlete who prefers cycling)
“I miss that feeling of freedom in the water” (a relatively novice triathlete)
It’s definitely going to be an exciting, but busy return to the swimming pools. In this blog, I am going to outline a few cautionary caveats for athletes (besides from COVID-19 safety considerations) and share my top tips for the return to the water.
The most common question I am receiving from athletes is “Am I going to swim like how I did before I began training with you?”. The answer is not straightforward, and a variety of factors will have an influence on this:
- Muscle memory – how many years you have been swimming for? Those with greater muscle memory should theoretically be able to get back to their usual swim speed faster than those who are new to the sport and still mastering the skill. Muscle memory refers the nerves that communicate with the muscle and allow them to move in movement sequence (Bryant, American Council on Exercise).
- Muscle activation – did you do land-based activation exercises to keep your muscles activated throughout lockdown? This will have an impact on how quickly your muscles fatigue in the water: if you didn’t keep your muscles activated, you may feel that your form and technique will deteriorate faster than normal.
- Cardiovascular fitness – were you busy Zwifting and running during lockdown? Your cardiovascular training will impact your HR and therefore your ability to hold your threshold pace in the pool. That’s part of the beauty of triathlon: fitness IS transferable between the disciplines.
If your answers to the above don’t seem favourable, don’t panic… everyone’s COVID-19 situation has been unique. The small break away from the water will present many exciting opportunities for everyone when it starts again:
1) Focus on your technique. Everyone will need to re-learn the skill of swimming to different degrees, which provides a great opportunity to implement technical changes easier. Ask a good technical coach for help or get a detailed 1:1 video analysis done.
2) In light of the above: experiment. Consider your breath control, breathing pattern, line of sight, stroke rate, arm recovery motion… there is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach and again you have a great opportunity to make adjustments when your technique and motions are more conscious in the mind.
3) Scrap pace. Your workouts should not have pace targets… use heart rate and/or rate of perceived exertion for the first couple of weeks. You can gradually introduce 25m, 50m and 100m reps at threshold pace over time, or you may need to do another baseline test to ensure you are working off up-to-date targets.
4) Reintroduce top end speed work. Short anaerobic bursts will increase the size of your cardiovascular engine, without causing an onset of fatigue. This fatigue needs to be minimised, as the early morning swim starts are tiring enough to adjust to!
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions or you would like me to take a look at your strokes soon!
Lottie