How you can benefit from my preparing for my second triathlon – it’s this weekend! Around the first of the year my niece’s husband, Keith, suggested that we do a triathlon at the end of April in Kemah. I reluctantly agreed to do it.
Yes, doing the triathlon – the open water 500 meter swim, the 20k bike, and the 5k run is a challenge for me, the real challenge is what I have to do to prepare for the event.
This time I altered my training regimen and got some coaching. My swim coach is a friend (we used to play basketball together at the “Y” – in our youth) who, it turns out is quite an accomplished swimmer and swim coach. He was helping a group of masters swimmers and invited me to join in their practices.
I hesitated to join the group because I told him I didn’t think I could keep up with them. He said that wasn’t an issue and that I could work at my own pace. Well, I started swimming with them and, even though I can’t keep up with them (most of them are 20 years younger and were college swimmers – when I was a kid I only swam at the “Y”), I’ve been swimming with them since October. Swimming with this group, I’ve become a stronger swimmer.
My friend, Bruce (a nationally ranked swimmer), has helped me improve my stroke. He has helped me improve my stroke by making it much more efficient – I used to swim the 25 yards in 15 strokes (front crawl or freestyle), and now I can do it in 12 strokes (10 strokes if I really focus on doing a low stroke count).
Also, about six weeks ago, I started taking a cycling class at the “Y” – one of those “spinning” classes. Torture for 45 minutes, twice a week – but I believe that will help me on the bike portion. The different instructors have each given me tips on how to ride more efficiently – and they’re not afraid to push me during these sessions.
I’ll let you all know how this event turns out. It should be fun.
The way you coach your student in the vehicle makes a difference. That’s why I created the audio series – to give you the tools to prepare for each time you go out in the vehicle with your son or your daughter.
Be sure to review these even if you listened to them once already. Why? Because, after doing some in-vehicle coaching, you now bring more experience to the table. We learn from what we know. I suspect that you could pick up one or two key points about the Point of No Return or Stabilizing the Rear or how to improve your student’s eye movement, simply by reviewing one or two of the audios.
You could listen to them in the car on the way to work or home. Sharpen your own skills as a coach and your student will reap the rewards.