Drills, Baby, Drills

This morning's swim included a pyramid in the main set (100 - 200 - 300 - 300 - 200 - 100, in yards). My training plan has included this same workout every two weeks; today was the third time doing it.

To say I'm excited about my progress is an understatement. As I completed each interval, I knew my times had improved, but I didn't know by how much until I got to the computer this afternoon.

Dec. 11th paces: Pitifully, dreadfully slow. So slow, in, fact, that I'm not going to type them.

Dec. 24th paces: Only slightly embarrassingly slow (an average of 8 seconds faster per 100 than Dec. 11th).

Jan. 8th paces: Much less slow than four weeks ago! Practically mediocre! An average of 8 seconds faster than Dec. 24th.

Which means - I've taken off over 16 seconds per 100. YES. I'm now swimming at the same pace I was swimming at my peak for Augusta Half Ironman - and I'm only 6 weeks into training. (And my Swolf score is slowly falling, which means I'm getting more efficient.)

Several people have asked me what I've done to improve my swim. Here are the top three things that have helped me:

DRILLS:
 
My training plan includes drills. Lots and lots of drills. Every workout, I do drills. Each workout has one drill included (with a helpful video clip), so my mental focus for the entire workout is on whatever aspect of swimming technique was addressed in the drill that day. Zipper drill, catch-up drill, long-arm doggie paddle, fingertip drag, double entry drill, one arm drill, Tarzan drill, and side kicking drill. If there is one thing that has improved my form the most, it's drills.
 
This brings us to Controversial Topic #1: There are some who say that doing drills only makes you better at doing drills, not at actual swimming. I call bullshit. That's like telling a violinist that practicing scales will only make you better at playing scales, not at playing music. Now, if drills are all you do in the water, yes, you're screwed. But I firmly believe they're an integral part of learning and maintaining proper form.
 
HEAD POSITION:
 
I have always kept my head very low in the water. One advantage of this is more power, but it creates terrible drag and makes it more difficult to breathe; I had to lift my head for each breath in addition to turning it (or rotating myself) to the side.
 
I experimented with different head positions and have found that keeping the neck neutral, which raises the head slightly, greatly reduces drag, and puts my head/mouth in the perfect position for breathing.
 
I think a lot of newer swimmers keep their head too high, which is why I focused on pressing my head low into the water, but I must have been overcompensating. I'd recommend playing with your head position and finding what works best for you.
 
BODY POSITION:
 
Well, this one is obvious: proper body position is imperative for gliding through the water. But specifically what I concentrate on is keeping the head, hips and feet in line at the top of the water. I learned to arch my back slightly, which helps the hips stay up, and I always - ALWAYS - kick. (Enter Controversial Topic #2.)
 
Some say you shouldn't kick in tris, that you should save the legs for the bike/run.  However, if you don't kick, your back end will fall and create immense drag, forcing you to work harder and using up precious energy. The kick will keep your lower body elevated, and help your rotation (also important for gliding). In my opinion, you should only use your kick for propulsion in short races; in longer events, the kick is used to assist with body position.

So, there you have it. Follow my advice, and you could soon be a mediocre swimmer, too!