Beware of What You Wish

The decision to register for IM Louisville was an easy one. All of the mental gymnastics over the ability to train for and complete an IM distance race had been completed prior to the attempted registration for IM Wisconsin. Confident in my abilities, registering for SOME Ironman race was a given.

Though confident of my ability to develop some type of training plan that would allow me to complete the race in Louisville, I listened to the advice of others and took up an opportunity to be coached by Mike Ricci of D3 Multisports in Boulder, Colorado. And while the official training has yet to begin, Mike has been providing tons of useful information through the Race Athlete Performance Network forum. Sometimes, when you ask a question, you get exactly what you wanted. An answer. Occassionally, the answer just catches you off guard.

So, when I pointed out my weakness in swimming and inquired if it might be a good idea to add a fourth swim session each week, Mike was quick to respond. His answer? If I am currently completing three good swims each week, I do not need to add a fourth session.

That's because I need to add FOUR additional sessions. In case the math eludes anyone, that would be seven swim sessions each week. As in one each day.

Without putting too many words in Mike's mouth, the reasoning goes something like this. Swimming daily during the off season will generate gains in one month that might normally take three or even four months swimming three times a week. It provides more time in the water, so more time for improving form and efficiency.

While the answer wasn't quite what was expected, I hit the pool, today, on the first of a target 30 swims in November. There were a few faces shocked to see me there, as they know I am a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday swimmer. Well, for at least a few weeks, I'm a Monday-Sunday swimmer.

The suggestion have professional coaching would be meaningless if the discipline to hear, understand, and follow their guidance was missing.