So what have I Learnt This Year?! Simon Gill Shares his advice on how to swim better than ever!

So one Olympic, two half distances and one Long Distance World Championship later it’s time to reflect on my season and what, if anything, have I learnt in my efforts to become a better swimmer?!

Well here goes – eight reflections on what I think has helped me swim better than ever:

1 - Consistency – I made a determined effort to swim three times a week this year.  For swimming, more than biking or running, regular contact with the water is imperative.  Even on the days when I woke up late getting to the pool for 20-30mins instead of the usual hour was still a worthwhile exercise

2 - Always have a plan – definitely a good idea to know what your plan for the session is – Endurance? Threshold?  Speed? Technique?  A combination?  For me knowing what the aim of the session was and what was ahead of me meant I always made maximum use of the time available

3 - Periodise Your Training – training with a friend (a better swimmer) helped remind me that for biking and running I periodise the focus of training blocks and that this shouldn’t be any different for swimming.  More technique focused in the off season, then working on endurance and threshold (simultaneously) with a bit more speed focus coming into your A event

4 - Variety is the Spice of Life – Said friend also showed me how working on a particular aspect of your swim, say threshold pace, doesn’t have to mean doing the same session week in week out.  I’ve been guilty of week after week thrashing out something like 8 x 300m, but it’s much better mentally (and physically) mixing it up so your 2000-2500m main set is always made up differently – sometimes a pyramid set 100,200,300,400,400,300,200,100 or alternate 200s and 400s or any combination you care to come up with – keeping the rests shorter for shorter intervals and longer for the longer ones.  Far more refreshing!

5 - Don’t correct too much at once – when it comes to technique there are so many aspects of swimming that it can be overwhelming.  Concentrate on just one or two major areas and get those sorted before moving on.  Get a better swimmer to advise you if you have no idea!

6 - Train with someone!  Two heads are better than one and a training partner is better going solo!  Even though my friend was going through his sets faster than me – just the fact we were both in the pool at the same time gave us more accountability than if we’d been alone – both of us repeatedly said we’d have given up on some sets (on this days when it’s just a struggle) if the other person hadn’t been there.

7 - Use the off season for more technique focus!  As you get closer to race season don’t start getting distracted by new techniques.  With just a few weeks before a race it will be easier and more productive to ensure you’ve got the best fitness within your current technique than the other way round.  Use the off season to do some video analysis and more technique focus when holding the highest levels of fitness isn’t so important

8 - Hope for a wetsuit race and enjoy the fact you’ve got a Zone3! Had to get that in there for the sponsors, but it’s also nice because it’s true!

By Simon Gill