Hopefully the 3rd time’s the charm for IMC’s return to Penticton without cancellation! 
The odds got worse when I hit Register; sorry everyone else.
For the curious. Macro plan for the next 6 months.
Filling in details in training peaks with my weeksgoals and any maintenance work needed.(Will be important in later months)
2 Likes
Pick up a copy of Be Iron Fit by Don Fink - used copies on Amazon for cheap
has 30 (3 10 week blocks) of swim plans for a just finish, intermediate and competitive plan
I still use the swim plans today
1 Like
Interested to hear what ‘prep’ for the bike is
Ha ha - okay I signed up for CDA 70.3 and Oregon 70.3 next year
stay away as I don’t want them canceled/deferred or bomb cycloned
3 Likes
If you can find someone around your level to train with you, it would be great.
Specially for early morning swims two is great three is a crowd.
Why 3 is bad? Because when you know there is an additional person you think that if you miss one practice to stay in bed, the other two will be there so none will train alone.
The problem with that is when two of you have the same thought.
With you and just other person one tends to be much more compliant.
It also creates a “look at my stroke and suggest corrections” spirit and may be salted with some video analysis.
I had these experiences (both just two or a larger group) and, at least in my case, this is the conclusion I got.
the 2 weeks of bike in December before vo2?
I plan to use that time to adjust to the quick cadence required to sustain the vo2 intervals (Kolie Moore’s vo2 protocol)
in the past, throwing myself at a vo2 block off a low volume break is torturous. So I plan to add in some ramps to sustain 120+ cadence but lower watts. Not trying to sustain any effort over threshold until the vo2 block actually starts. Its more like introducing the legs to what they will need to do the next week
Thanks for sharing, it’s good to see people post up their plans. 
How much have you improved and over what period?
Disclosure: I own a copy of their book and I’m not a fan of Fink plans.
Joe, the plans just worked for me - I keep chasing my race results from 10 years ago so that might be why I am fond of them. I only use the swim plans today, TR for the bike, and running is a cluster.
I was a junior swimmer… swimming measurable are tough, here are my intangibles for this summers 70.3’s
(Jan - May) I was following the intermediate swim plan 2000 -2500 (a couple 3000) yards X 3 per week. I swam a 33:XX at STG 70.3 in May, I felt okay in the swim, I hung on every swimmer who passed me for dear life, wasn’t able to move from pack to pack or close gaps, felt gassed at the end.
(May - Sept) I switched to the competitive swim plans and boosted my volume to 3000 - 3500 (mostly the later) yards x 3 swims a week. Swam a smooth 29:XX at Maple Valley 70.3 - able to easily close gaps - hang on faster swimmers feet - almost felt effortless.
Past 140.6 races
2007 61 min @ IM CDA - mass start - Fink Plan
2008 60 min @ IM CDA - mass start - Fink Plan
2009 59 min @ IM CDA - mass start - Coached
2011 55 min @ IM CDA - rolling start - Fink Plan
2013 58 min @ IM CDA - rolling start - Fink Plan
3 Likes
Got an email in the early hours from ithlete regarding their new AI based ‘coaching’ system. 15squid a month for adaptive training sounds great to me. Looks like Alan Couzens is the real coach behind the scenes.
I’ve used ithlete in the past to measure my HRV and whilst it’s not the prettiest of apps I found it to be the most accurate in HRV measurement (for me).
Personally I’m using endureiq in the build up to Swissman but I’ll be interested to know if anyone out there does use it and how it turns out.
That is likely the cause of your improvement, not the plans necessarily.
Regardless, that is a huge improvement….I’d kill to be able to go sub-30 in a 70.3. Hell, I’d kill to go sub-35!!
2 Likes
A couple of other sources for swim workouts:
Tripower Multisport posts swim workouts every week.
http://tripower.org/index.php/category/workouts/
Someone mentioned Be Iron Fit. Another book is 80/20 Triathlon for generic swim plans.
Slowtwitch did their Guppy challenge several years ago. I’ll still cycle through them sometimes.
With all of them, you’ll need to figure out how to progress the volume over your training blocks, but it’s not rocket science.
If you really want to go all in w/o a master program, I would go with Tower26. I know a couple of guys who have gone from good swimmers to REALLY good swimmer after signing up. They were going through LOTs of volume though.
1 Like
I would kill to do sub 50 min
I
Another option for swim workouts / programs is Finding Freestyle. A lot of drills, but all based on developing a solid freestyle stroke. Here is the first workout from Week 1
WARMUP
1 X 300 CHOICE 7:00
4 X 25 PULL WITHOUT BUOY :10 REST
1 X 100 KICK :10 REST
4 X 25 SWIM :10 REST
REST 1:00
TECHNICAL FOCUS – TAKE YOUR TIME!!!
6 X 25 PULL
6 X 25 FLOAT AND PADDLE (F&P)
4 X 25 STATUE OF LIBERTY (SoL) 1-6
(1 arm pulls, then 6 kicks on side, then repeat)
CONDITIONING AND DRILL REINFORCEMENT
REST :10-:15 SECONDS AFTER EVERY REPEAT
Set 1 (may use fins)
1x25: 1-6 SoL Drill
1x50: Swim
1x75: 3-6 SoL
1x100: Swim
Set 2 (may use Pull Buoy)
1x25 Pull
1x50 Swim
1x75 Pull
1x100 Swim
Set 3
1x25 Float & Paddle
1x50 Swim
1x75 F&P
1x100 Swim
Set 4
1x25 Swim
1x50 Swim
1x75 Swim
1x100 Swim
NOTES:
FLOAT AND PADDLE (F&P) – sometimes referred to as “kayak paddle”, or “t-paddle” because the arms are fixed at the shoulders, and all propulsion is achieved by rotating the body to drive these fixed arms. Legs float behind – challenge is to keep them elevated, however, proper body motion will make this happen for the most part.
PULL – it is OK to let the legs dangle independently, or even to have a little “counter-balancing” motion from them.
STATUE OF LIBERTY (SoL) – the key objective for this drill is to achieve a comfortable body position while kicking on your side, and try to smoothly transition from the side kicking to the pulling phase. 1-6 (1 pull, 6 kicks) is our basic form for this drill, but it can be done in numerous combinations, such as 3-6 (3 pulls, 6 kicks), 1-9 (1p9k), etc. We often do them in ascending and descending sequences, such as 1-12, 1-9, 1-6, swim.
2 Likes
Is this like using the band?
(dont kick use your arms only?)
Don’t kick and use your arms only…in the notes below he says “it is OK to let the legs dangle independently, or even to have a little “counter-balancing” motion from them.”
I used to HATE the F&P drills, but eventually became pretty good at the SoL drills. Excellent drill for working on both your rotation and kick.
1 Like
This really sounds like using the band to tie your ankles…
VERY hard…
It is easier w/o the band, though…yes, still hard but not as hard as with a band. I could Pull pretty decently in those drills, but if I put a band on, my legs sank. 