Here is my high level training plan by month for the 25 mile In Search of Memphre:
In short, my goal was to peak at swimming 11 miles over 4 days per week, which is less than fifty percent of the marathon swimming rule of thumb–you can swim in a day what you train in a week. However, for me this was still very aspirational! In reality, I ended up training just one day and 6 miles a week. You read that right, I trained for a 25 mile swim by swimming one day a week. Some rare weeks I would squeeze in a focus session where I work on form, but once summer was in full swing, with kid care, swim lessons, guided lake swims, immersion clinics, etc., the only time that I was able to cut out for myself for training was 3 hours on Mondays. My training partner and I started out doing long swims in a pool and then jumped in the lake once it was warm enough to swim the whole time. At my peak, in June, just weeks before swimming the length of Lake Tahoe, we were up to 6 miles of swimming each Monday.
This is not ideal, but I share my story for three reasons. First, to stress the importance of swimming efficiently. Second, to stress the importance of swimming consciously. And finally, if you’re a busy parent, student, professional, or _____ you can do it too–and you should, because you deserve it!
The most important part of my training plan is my focus on form. I have worked hard to ensure that my form is efficient and painless. I dedicate one day a week to a long swim, and when I’m able to squeeze in a second or third swim in a training week, it’s always form focused. On every distance day the thing I think about most while swimming is maintaining good form: posture, pull, rotation, glide. If you want to start swimming more efficiently, try this!
In addition to form focus and distance days, the key to a minimalist training plan is building in long training swims. These are the much needed brain teasers and confidence boosters to see where you’re at in preparation for a long swim. In the case of 2019, I swam an 8 miler in late May. At the end of June, I ponied up for almost 17 miles around one of our local lakes. Then in July I swam the 21 mile length of Lake Tahoe. After which I can honestly say that I didn’t swim much until we went to Vermont for NEK Swim Week. This was training camp, 47 miles in a week, and set me up quite well to swim the 25 mile length of Lake Memphremagog a month later. In between training camp and my return to Vermont for The Search, I think I swam once. Want to set yourself up well for a long swim in 2020? Join our inaugural marathon swim training camp April 22-26!
On to my second point: swim consciously. I don’t believe in swimming just for the sake of swimming. Ensure that you have good form (send me some footage for free video analysis!) so that you don’t get hurt and so that you can swim for many, many, years to come. For me, when I increase my speed, my form degrades. I do occasionally try to push myself, but not at the expense of good form. This last year I had a lot of reality checks that I didn’t account for when I initially built my plan; how much I wanted to be available for my kids and my clients. But when I showed up to swim, I was present, and I think that goes a long way.
I have no idea why I thought life was busy before kids. I remember thinking that life was busy with one baby and a full time job. Then I had a baby and a toddler and a side business teaching swim lessons. Now with a 3 year old and a 5 year old, I’ve finally realized that no matter what I’m doing, I will always feel like life is busy! The fact is I don’t always have time to train as much as I’d like. But I don’t want to stop doing the ultra marathon swims that fill my cup. So I set up a training plan that is a best case scenario. Then I put my best foot forward in trying to stick to that plan. I give myself grace when something comes up and I can’t meet my plan. And then, on event day, I go for it. You can too!
My point is simply this; YOU can have the fulfillment of completing marathon swims with just 4-6 hours of swimming per week and a few long training swims! If you want to be supported in a group coaching environment with like minded swimmers, we’ll work together to personalize your training plan with a form focus customized for you. Finally, we’ll discuss how to overcome the inevitable mental hurdles that can get in the way. I hope to see you in our next Quickstart for Marathon Swimming group coaching course!
HI Shannon ~ On your training chart, what does. the column “touches per week” mean?
Connie, I used to count touches per week as a though a touch on the water was enough, but in fact I have shifted to a technique focus versus a touch focus. Touching the water is important, but conscious touch on the water is even more important! Let me know if you have more questions!