The Need For A Double Sleep

When training towards a goal, it is easy to adopt the mindset that the more training sessions you can get in the better. This is especially true for triathletes or cross-training athletes who are training nearly every day (and sometimes twice a day).

If you have recently managed to get back to training with a big burst of enthusiasm, you might have the attitude of "I missed this so much I'll train and train until I drop!". But don't underestimate the importance of scheduling and sticking to your rest days. You need them!

Training hard and regularly without having appropriate rest will have a detrimental effect on your performance and even make you ill.  Every training session results in a small degree of damage to your muscles, nerves and connective tissues. It also fatigues your energy systems and leaves you depleted. Rest days are important in helping to restore energy levels and repair and rejuvenate those parts of the body that get damaged during training sessions.

If you are a really driven individual you might think "Yeah but if I train in the morning on Thursday and evening on Friday that's over 24 hours rest!" - but the mistake here is to underestimate the importance of sleep for recovery. Try thinking of a rest day as a "double sleep" instead and you'll get a much truer picture of what you need. Taking this time out from your training will allow you to get back to the pool feeling energetic and ready to keep working towards your goal.

How many rest days do I need? We would normally suggest one clear day off per week but if you are especially tired don't be afraid to take a second day off. Striking the right balance between training and recovery is essential to improve your fitness - remember you are gaining, not losing, from the additional rest.

So driven you can't actually do nothing? If you just have to include something on your rest day then make it a stretching routine - especially for your hip flexors, thoracic area and shoulders - areas often neglected by swimmers. Improving flexibility in these areas will help to raise your body position in the water and improve your stroke technique.

You can access our full stretching routine on our Swim Smooth Guru (subscription required) which would be a perfect addition to your rest day:

www.swimsmooth.guru/streamvideo/cLi/qR/dryland-stretching-routine/

Swim Smooth!

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Just Get To That 7th Swim And You'll Be Fine

It could be that where you live your local pool is re-opening after a Covid-19 shutdown. If you're lucky enough to be in that situation, or planning your return when you can get back in the water, then you may be wondering how long it will take to get back into the swing of things.

The answer might be shorter than you thought. The first sessions back will feel a bit of a struggle but that's OK, keep pushing on through. We predict that on your seventh session, although you won't be back to full fitness, you will be swimming well and feeling pretty good.

So your challenge is simply to keep going and get to that seventh swim - do that by swimming three times two weeks running, we call it: #2weeks6swims

The first few sessions are probably going to be tough as your body wakes back up to the idea of swimming again. Have the motivation to mechanically push through this period and keep coming back knowing that you will reap the rewards of your hard work in two weeks time. By your seventh session, you'll be getting your rhythm back and you will start to feel that old magic again!

To help make this a little easier and encourage you back into the water, we have written a special training plan for you (don't worry it starts gently!). Check out our 'Bounce Back After Covid-19' Training Plan on the Swim Smooth Guru (subscription required). We not only provide plans for your first 6 sessions but also the 28 sessions to carry on after that - so there is no excuse for you to not push through those first two weeks back swimming.

We'd love to support you and others through this so please take pictures and send through to us at blog@swimsmooth.com or share on instagram and facebook tagging @swimsmooth or Swim Smooth: The World's Most Passionate Swim Coaching and using the hashtag #2weeks6swims. We can't wait to hear about the progress that you have been made!

Stay safe and get to that seventh session...

Swim Smooth!

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Meet the Swim Smooth Coaches of 2020 from Ireland, Wales, East Midlands, Dubai, Canada and New Zealand!

Swim Smooth are super-proud to announce six brand new Certified Coaches to help you take your swimming to the next level, including former ITU World Number 1 triathlete Sam Warriner!

Training to be a SS Coach is a huge undertaking. Developing the necessary skills and experience of advanced video analysis, stroke correction, squad coaching and open water skills takes time and cannot be rushed. We are fortunate enough to be able to pick our coaches from a large talent pool but even for experienced coaches the training is very intense, including that famous trip to Perth, Australia.

Whether you are a complete beginner or elite competitor, when you see a Swim Smooth Coach you can be assured you are seeing a talented, highly trained individual with the very best coaching methods at their disposal.

So without further ado, let's meet the Swim Smooth Class of 2020:

Meet L-R: Brent, Andrea, Sam, Maxine, Penny and Paolo

Sam Warriner - Swim Smooth Taupo, New Zealand

swimsmooth.com/coaches/find-a-coach/sam-warriner

Sam Warriner, New Zealand's most successful female triathlete, former ITU World Number 1 and Ironman Champion.

We’re pleased to announce Sam Warriner amongst our new crop of 2020 Swim Smooth accredited coaches. Based in Taupō New Zealand, Sam launches Swim Smooth Taupō this week in the home of Ironman New Zealand and at the venue for the upcoming Ironman 70.3 World Championships.

Sam competed in the triathlon at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics and took silver in the 2006 Commonwealth Games as well as being victorious in 7 ITU World Cup events, winning the ITU World Cup series overall in 2008.

In 2009 Sam won the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman in a course record time of 4:10:47, and after racing ITU triathlon went on to win 7 x Ironman 70.3 events around the world. In 2011 Sam won Ironman New Zealand just 14 weeks after recovering from heart surgery.

Samantha, retired from the pro field now runs a successful coaching business, Sweat7 Coaching based in Taupo New Zealand and is excited to launch Swim Smooth Taupō and bring the philosophies of Swim Smooth to the many swimmers who travel to Taupō for racing and training in the beautiful lakeside town.

Andrea Garrington - Swim Smooth Wales

swimsmooth.com/coaches/find-a-coach/andrea-garrington

Andrea is delighted to be the only certified Swim Smooth coach in Wales, UK.

She has been aware of the Swim Smooth coaching principles since she began my “Tri Life” ten years ago.  Andrea still can't believe that she is now able to bring Swim Smooth to Wales.


Having worked for 30 years in commercial training and development, 5 years ago Andrea shifted this experience to coaching Triathlon, a sport that she has become very passionate about. Triathlon reignited her enthusiasm for swimming.  Now, as well as finishing multiple Iron Man events, Andrea has completed countless marathon swims and in 2018 joined a successful English Channel relay team.

Whilst studying for the British Triathlon Federation qualifications, Andrea discovered that BTF fully endorses the Swim Smooth principles and educates its coaches on the basic methodology.
Impressed with the difference Swim Smooth made to her own stroke, Andrea searched for a local coach to help her progress, and was astonished to find there wasn’t one.

For Andrea, it was a one in a lifetime opportunity and in February 2020 she spent 2 weeks in Perth, Australia (the spiritual home of Swim Smooth), concluding the 14 month process to become fully certified.

So here she is now, able to welcome you to Swim Smooth Wales! Andrea is super confident that she can help you, whatever your swim challenges or goals may be.

Brent Perkins - Swim Smooth East Midlands, UK

swimsmooth.com/coaches/find-a-coach/brent-perkins

Brent is a firm believer in the coach/athlete relationship, it's important to recognise this is a key performance factor in today’s modern sporting environment, and like any other relationship it is defined by the quality of understanding, respect, trust and predictability that exists between the coach and the athletes, this philosophy is fundamental. 

Brent has been a professional triathlon and swim coach for the past 12 years and is now a Certified Swim Smooth coach which has added an additional positive dimension to his skill set plus he benefits from being part of the world wide Swim Smooth network. He coaches and works with athletes working towards their training and racing goals.

In 2020 he has coached and worked with athletes to win Age Group World & European Championships in both Triathlon and Duathlon and Ironman World championships slots. As a Qualified Triathlon, Run and Swim coach, a British Triathlon Team Manager, a Certified Training Peaks Coach, plus of course one of 50 certified Swim Smooth Coaches in the World, he also won Triathlon England East Midlands coach of the year 2020.

It's his aim to help guide his athletes to achieve personal goals and enjoy the journey and have fun along the way too. As an athlete he has competed in races of all distances all over the world including multiple Ironman and 70.3’s. He has also held age group titles and has raced at both ITU World and ETU European level, as well as competing in several ultra running events.

In the spring and the autumn, Brent can be found in Mallorca, running triathlon and swim camps. All camps include full video swim analysis, individual 1:2:1 sessions and of course swimming in the best open water locations that Mallorca has to offer.

Maxine Strain - Swim Smooth Ireland

swimsmooth.com/coaches/find-a-coach/maxine-strain

Maxine is a Swim Smooth and ITU Triathlon coach, who has a particular focus on developing swimmers and triathletes for open water swimming.

She works with all levels of swimmers, and really enjoys seeing those new to the water develop into confident, open water competitors.  Growing up in South Africa, Maxine spent most of her spare time in the pool, both as a leisure activity and as a competitor in school and youth swim meets in her local area. Later in life, after emigrating to Ireland, Maxine discovered the joys of open water swimming and has been a passionate advocate ever since.

On leaving college a career as a busy business executive beckoned, but Maxine always felt her calling was more suited to flip flops than high heels. Eventually the opportunity arose, and Maxine decided to follow her dream and love of swimming by creating her own swim teaching and coaching business which she called AquaSchool.

Maxine offers world class swim video analysis, 1-to-1 swim coaching, adult squad swims, triathlon coaching and swim clinics for triathlon clubs and groups. In 2020 Maxine was chosen to train as a Swim Smooth Coach which entailed intensive training in Perth, Australia for two weeks. Maxine is now delighted to be part of the international Swim Smooth network of coaches.

Paolo Mangilinan - Swim Smooth Dubai

swimsmooth.com/coaches/find-a-coach/paolo-mangilinan

Paolo Mangilinan has a strong background in swimming on the international level and couple of years ago discovered his passion for triathlon. Now, with more than 8 years of coaching experience Paolo decided to take his swimming coaching career to the next level by bringing the Swim Smooth methodology back to Dubai. He has a very professional and friendly approach to every athlete. Paolo truly believes that the key to real improvement is to coach the athlete as an individual to help all the athletes to reach their full potential in swimming. 

Not only does Paolo achieve great success with his coaching, but also his triathlon performances. Paolo is a 10 times 70.3 Ironman finisher and a 2 time ironman qualifier. The extensive personal experience Paolo has in triathlon, allows him to empathise, train and support his athletes in the most effective way. 

Penny Mullan - Swim Smooth British Columbia, Canada

swimsmooth.com/coaches/find-a-coach/penny-mullan

Penny is a Certified Swim Coach with the Coaching Association of Canada. In addition to 15 years of Club coaching with the Comox Valley Aquatic Club Penny is also a Certified Swim Smooth Coach. Certification with Swim Smooth requires experience and knowledge as a swim coach, as well as a 12 month intensive coaching program with Swim Smooth including special intensive training at their home-base in Perth, Australia.

Penny has the skills, experience and knowledge to dramatically improve your individual swimming whatever level you are currently at! Her extensive swim coach background combined with a Kinesiology degree and training in Counselling and Life Coaching has prepared Penny to bring her best coach self to Swim Smooth BC.

Swim Smooth!

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Bilateral Breathing Is Dead Easy In A Wetsuit

Here's two seemingly disconnected things:

You tried bilateral breathing but found it too hard and gave up?

And your pool is shut but you have the opportunity to swim in open water in a wetsuit?

If that's you, we have an opportunity for you:

Swimming in a wetsuit dramatically reduces the load placed on your breathing. This happens because your body is lifted higher in the water by the buoyancy of the suit. That reduces the effort required from your arm stroke (because your drag has been reduced) and reduces the effort required from your kick (because your body is already lifted higher)*. 

It follows then that the lower oxygen demand of wetsuit swimming makes bilateral breathing dramatically easier. So if you can overcome the tendency everyone has to hold their breath in open water (more on this below) then now is the perfect time to revisit bilateral breathing and start reaping those benefits!

Some tips:

- Start at an easy pace.

- Focus on a long smooth exhalation in the water between breaths. This is good breathe technique because it helps get rid of CO2 from your system and will help overcome any open water anxiety.

- Focus on keeping your big toes brushing together. If you normally breathe to one side only it's likely that you have a scissor kick opening up behind you like a parachute. Focusing on the tap-tap-tap of your big toes will keep your legs together and dramatically reduce drag.

Also Try Five (Or Even Seven)

If you already swimming bilaterally in the pool then take advantage of the lower aerobic load in a wetsuit by experimenting with breathing every five or even seven strokes. Everyone's stroke technique and symmetry deteriorates when they are breathing so doing so less frequently means swimming faster and straighter.

It's not just the effect of the wetsuit's buoyancy, most swimmers instinctively swim with a higher stroke rate (cadence) in open water and this will mean the time between breaths is reduced.

Learn A New Skill During The Lockdown

If you've been following Swim Smooth for a while then you'll be used to us waxing lyrical about the benefits of bilateral breathing to your stroke technique. Nothing else gives the same gains when it comes to improving your symmetry in the water - reducing drag and helping you work on your propulsive technique.

So learn a new skill today. You never know, the habit might even stick when your pool eventually reopens. :)

Swim Smooth!

PS. This is a good read on the benefits: www.feelforthewater.com/2019/05/and-now-case-for-bilateral-breathing.html

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