Why Is Swimming So Hard? Part 2  By:  Joella Baker
Jenny Wojnar is a self taught swimmer who studied the Total Immersion Program in the beginning, and has now become a solid swimmer and even completed her first triathlon this year.  Of course, as a new swimmer, she still has questions.  Here are her swimming related questions. How do you design the swim workouts?  Running workouts are pretty predictable:  hills repeats -  speed - long distance.  Not so with swim workouts.  I know to expect sprints at some point but not in a predictable way and was wondering how you design the workouts.  This is a great question.  I design swim workouts and incorporate the swim workouts based on what you may need work on and what your upcoming cycling and running workouts will be.  At times I want you to be tired going into a running or cycling workout so I'll push you harder in the pool so you're a little more fatigued going into these workouts.  Similar to how you may feel during a triathlon.  If I know you have a really tough bike or run coming up then I will plan an easier swim workout for you.  Since so much of swimming is based on technique and comfort in the water, time in the water and focusing on various speeds and distances all the time is more important than having a set schedule of specific workouts throughout the week.  Unlike cycling or running, you can combine more distance and sprints into one workout without it hurting your body or making you over tired.  Trying to do that when cycling or running will be tougher on you and harder to recover from.  Also, more so in a triathlon swim than in your cycling and running, you vary your speeds.  The beginning of a triathlon swim you typically sprint or go faster before easing into your pace and then you pick up the pace again at the end.  The bike and the run are much more consistent in overall pace than the swim is.  Therefore, practicing various paces throughout your swim workout will train you better for the varying speeds you'll encounter during your race.
If I cannot make the time in the repeats ie 5x50 on 1:30 should I go for slower pace to do 5x or less repeat to meet the time?  When we tell you to do 5 x 50 on 1:30, we aren't asking you to swim slower.  You need to swim your normal pace or in some cases swim faster if it's a sprint set.  Therefore, swim the 50.  If you finish in 1 minute, then you have a 30 second break before you have to go again.  The 1:20 is the time when you have to leave on your next interval, not the time we want you to swim the distance in.  If you swim your 50 in 1:10, then you get a 20 sec break.  If you swim it in a 1:20 then you only get a 10 second break.
Jenny has several other questions as well.  We will continue to answer them in future newsletters.  One is about skin and hair care.  Please check out Polly's article on hair care on page 10.  Information on skin care will be in the next newsletter, but for now, the best advice I've received is after you swim to sit in the sauna or steam room for 5 to 10 minutes to sweat the toxins of the pool out of your skin.  Follow up with a shower and a quality moisturizer to prevent itching.