TriVeggies

Note: While I am a TriDot Ambassador, I have not been compensated in any way to write this post. I’m just a satisfied Pool School customer and wish the same for you!

With those formalities out of the way, let’s get on with the topic at hand: How to get faster on the swim in a mere two days.

I didn’t believe it myself until I found myself shivering on the pool deck on an unnaturally chilly February day in Orlando earlier this year, dry towel wrapped around me as dozens of triathletes sat side by side on metal bleachers, being welcomed to Day 1 of TriDot Pool School. Despite having been pretty faithful about doing the dryland homework prior to the weekend on site, I still had those first-day-of-school jitters as I looked around and wondered where I’d fit into the mix – and whether the entry fee would pay off in terms of speed acquired and new skills learned.

I needn’t have worried. By the time the rest of my Lane 5 teammates and I had plopped into the (mercifully heated) pool to begin some warmup drills, I felt completely at ease. It helps that Pool School attendees are grouped based on their 100-yard times, which keeps everyone in lanes with like abilities. I came in with a trial time of 1:56, and my lane-mates had similar times. Naturally, we bonded right away.

Honestly, the bond extended well beyond Lane 5. The whole weekend – about four hours of swimming and drills on both Saturday and Sunday – was one big triathlon lovefest, to be honest with you. From the welcome happy hour on Friday through the hotel breakfast on Saturday and Sunday to of course the weekend workouts, it went so liberating to be among the throngs of other triathletes, folks who didn’t mind calling it a night at 8:45 after a beer and some tacos in order to knock out a run the next morning before swim practice. (Coming from a relatively large metro area here just outside of DC, I even made some local friends whom I still keep in touch with!) It felt great to be able to prioritize health and training without have to make apologies or explain anything. Everybody just got it.

After all the fun Friday night and the morning off on Saturday to knock out any lingering weekend workouts, it was time to venture over to the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla., and get to swimming.

The general layout for Pool School is essentially:

• Introduction.
• Warm up.
• Practice drills on dry land.
• Practice the same drills in the water.
• Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

One thing we preach in TriDot is to “trust the process.” And I did at Pool School – but I must admit, I was also curious (and maybe a bit skeptical) about how much improvement we could really see in just one weekend. Boy, were my expectations exceeded and then some.

The Pool School instructors essentially broke down our entire swim stroke and rebuilt it piece by piece – and the results speak for themselves. By the end of the weekend, our weaknesses were strengthened (or in my case outright eliminated by the use of better form), our confidence skyrocketed, and our time trials were much faster. For me personally, I worked all weekend long on head positioning – turns out my chin wasn’t tucked into my chest while I faced downward, and then my head shot way out of the water to breathe, both issues I had no idea were even a problem! – including many many laps with kickboard and snorkel, striving to get it all just right.

On our final Sunday time trial, imagine my surprise when I clocked in at 1:32 – a 21% improvement from my initial score. I was gobsmacked! And I also wasn’t alone. So many swimmers made progress likewise, improving their times way above expectations.

The work didn’t end when I boarded the plane on Sunday afternoon, either; nearly a year later, I’m still doing the drills and practicing my positioning to eke out a few seconds here and there with each time trial. And I’m still seeing improvements to my times!

If you’re on the fence about Pool School, I heartily recommend it. From beginners to elites to everyone in between (that’s me), you’ll see improvements over the course of the weekend. The travel and registration fees were well worth it; I have no doubt they will be for you, too!