Thanks to Cynthia Boaz from Truthout for reminding me that in" Gandhian language, the means and the ends are inseparable," because that is the only way to explain what happened at practice today.

Gandhi’s point was, "That which is won through violence must be sustained through violence. That which is won through mass civil nonviolent action is more legitimate and more likely to be sustainable over the long term."

She was talking about the prospects for Tunisia and Egypt. I’m talking about how to get Michael from 19 strokes to something much lower in 15 minutes.

The means – practice – and the ends – competition – are inseparable. That’s why we don’t use toys in practice, but you know that already, even if you insist on using toys, you still know it. Even if it feels so good when you’re saddled on that pull buoy and strapped into the paddles, you know it has nothing to do with competition and nothing to do with getting better. It just feels good the way watching Fox News feels good to someone who isn’t interested in facts.

It is imperative to get stroke count under control in order to compete, and the whining from high muscle-mass triathletes about not being able to float (I know most of you can sit on the bottom of the pool with lungs full of air but that doesn’t mean you can’t float) and how 20 strokes must just be normal for me is enough to make even a Montessori graduate pull out the wooden ruler and start cracking knuckles Catholic nun-style.

So, 6×25 on four strokes warm-up. Yes, I’ll say that again for all you 300-yard or meter warm-up people who think the object is to get your heart rate up so you can blast into a high aerobic practice and feel good about sweating in the water, and not realizing that the reason you are able to achieve that high aerobic high is because your technique is so bad you define the butterfly effect – some poor woman with floaties three lanes over is drowning in the undertow of your stroke wake because you flapped your wings at a 160 heart rate for a 1000.

So, you can get there any way you want, but you can only take four strokes. Push off in a streamline position. Set-up for your stroke with a high elbow to deliver maximum power. Visualize your body going through small hole in the water. Head position looking at the bottom of the pool. Glide with gentle kick within your body lines.

It’s important that you slow down and smell the chlorine while you’re warming up to taste victory. And, I know that 70 percent of triathletes just stopped reading because they cannot figure out how to slow down and go fast. And that’s why you go slowly while trying to go fast. But it feels so good and it’s better than sitting on the couch consuming potato chips and beer while watching Manswers on Spike TV (or Benny Hill) so keep on trying you guys who just left. Notice the empty bike racks in transition at your next triathlon. Yes you swam that slowly. Everybody else is busy on the bike.

Now, swim 25-yards in four strokes. Stop. Now, swim back with the same mind-set but taking as many strokes as you need. It’s that simple. Michael swam it in 13 strokes after months of 19. Your results may vary depending on height and your conscious brain’s ability to get out of the way. It’s more difficult for everyone reading this because you know the desired result so it is harder to keep your brain from getting in the way. Michael didn’t know what was happening as we went through the drill, so he was open to anything. It’s like spoon bending. It just happens but not if you’re trying with your conscious brain.

4×50. 25 on four strokes, swim back holding the low stroke count you just achieved.

8×25 holding low stroke count with at least 20 seconds rest between each 25. You want a lot of rest because you don’t want to resume your old swimming pattern which will happen if you get tired or try to rush.

How can this be? How can you drop six strokes per 25-yards in 15 minutes by doing four strokes per 25 yards six times? Actually, the first 25 in 13 strokes happened at the 15 minute mark. We spent the next 35 minutes talking and doing the 4x50s and 8x25s. Total practice time 50 minutes.

But even so, how is this possible? Because your brain is smarter than you are. If you let it learn, it will, and I won’t need the wooden ruler.

Next time: So who cares if you can swim 25 yards in 13 strokes? Does it get you to transition faster?

 

 

About:

Louis Tharp is a competitive age-group swimmer and a TI triathlon swim coach who is currently taking a few semesters off from West Point coaching in order to work one-on-one with Nicholas Sterghos, an ’09 West Point graduate and pro triathlete.

Louis Tharp’s book, "Overachiever’s Diary, How The Army Triathlon Team Became World Contenders" is available from Total Immersion.

Read a sample chapter and reviews from the top triathlon and swimming media at Overachiever’s Diary.

Buy Overachiever’s Diary by Louis Tharp on TI. Read a review of Overachiever’s Diary at active.com

His home pool is Club Fit, Briarcliff in Westchester County, New York.

Want to know what Louis Tharp does when he’s not coaching?