I first met James in April 2024, when he attended one of my freestyle workshops.  James had signed up for an 70.3 IronMan event in Estonia (The “70.3” refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race, consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run).  

James was really struggling with his swimming.  This is how he described himself when he replied to my pre Workshop Questionnaire:

Please provide some brief information about yourself!

None really!

I made the decision to step into triathlon and half ironman this summer back in December, but swimming is a HUGE blindspot. Can perhaps get 100m at a time, then need a breather. Big event for me is now 70.3 in Estonia in August, but have several triathlons booked for the summer, beginning with a Sprint at the end of April.

HELP!

Describe the biggest challenge you face while swimming?

Breathing, my legs feel heavy…!

 

James made really good progress during the workshop, finding his balance and managing his breathing, which instantly improved his heavy legs.  His strokes become smoother and lighter working with the water and not feeling less exhausted.

James got in touch a few week later after the workshop:-

I took your advice and worked on some drills on Tuesday, then went to my usual improvers class at my Tri-club on Wednesday. I have decided that it’s going to be counter-intuitive for me to carry on there, lots of ‘kick faster’ etc. encouragement and that approach hasn’t got me anywhere in four months.  

So next I had an hour scheduled for a Friday swim and it was perhaps the best swim session I have had yet. There has always been a rather splashy but fast swimmer in there, using paddles etc. Well this time, swimming at my (what feels slow!) pace, I over took him…blew my mind! So thank you so much for helping me with these foundations and I feel like I have the building blocks now to work on in my own time and during my allocated times from my Tri-coach.

To help James prepare for his event I recommended that he should come along to the Be Endurance Coaching sessions at  Luxborough Lake, Chigwell and he came along regularly throughout the summer, joining in with the beginners coaching at first and then later joining the improvers group that I coach.

This was important preparation for his first Ironman 70.3 in Estonia, as you you move from learning to practicing and then training, your first event is a TEST of your current abilities and to find out what holds under pressure with the extra challenges and stresses of competition, volumes of people and different conditions.

James’ reflections after the event:

It was equally brilliant and disappointing to be honest. I turned up in Tallinn and spent the day in bed, tested for COVID and was all clear so no more excuses! I felt great the next day, had a wander around and checked out the swim. It was super choppy (for me, anyway) but luckily the day of the race, it was a bit quieter. The bike was amazing, never enjoyed riding so much. My friend that I went with was 10 minutes quicker in the swim, but I caught him on the bike. I then got carried away, put another 20 odd minutes into him and when the run came, completely blew up. I went from expecting to run 1 hour 45, to over 2 30!  So in total, I ended up with 7.20 which wasn’t last….! The course was flat, but it was comically windy in some parts – I loved it.

The truth is that the swim was incredibly tough and I think that with the exception of about ten minutes, everything flew out of the window that you’ve ever taught me. It was traumatic 😊, but….I have signed up for Venice 70.3 in May and the failings of my swim (and run!) will be incredibly useful now.  I am really excited about the future. I will be back in the open water this Wednesday as well, really trying to build momentum.

Thanks so much again for everything you helped me with, in the lead up to the race.   A year ago, I had zero chance of completing the swim. So even though it was traumatic, I am proud that I got it done.

We’re now in September and James is back practicing in the pool and making good progress:

 

Last night in the pool, I actually enjoyed it. I went with the mandate to ‘just get in the pool’ for 45 minutes and I think, I enjoyed it. Sometimes in that situation I’ll grab a pull buoy ‘because I swim in a wet suit and that’s the same, right?’. But last night, I swam the whole time (after not being able to find a pull buoy at first), then when one was offered to me – I turned it down.  It was liberating…I didn’t need it!

 

I really started to get the feel and the catch, it was just brilliant.

 

Thank you!! Venice Jesolo is next, May 2025