Swimming can be a frustrating sport, especially for those who don't start early. With 90% of your body weight displaced, it's like competing in the weightlessness of space. Moreover, finding pool times, commuting, and improving technical skills can be quite challenging, especially for amateur triathletes.

However, as a triathlete, swim training is essential for overall improvement. You need to minimize the time spent swimming to go faster while limiting physiological costs and fatigue. Swimming also has a cross-pollination effect on other sports, such as improved cardiovascular conditioning.

 If you're time-starved and already have much on your plate, how do you get the returns on your effort to optimize swim readiness and splits? To help you unlock your swim potential, we invited Purple Patch Swim Coach John Stevens to the podcast. John is a world expert in open water swim coaching and technique, a former Division 1 swimmer, and has worked with many leading swimmers in open water and triathlon racing.

During their conversation, John and Matt discuss five essential things every time-starved amateur should do to improve their swimming speed. They also talk about common mistakes, the best equipment for improving skills, the significance of strength training, the proper application of pool technique in open-water swimming, and several other topics.

Matt and John reveal tips to successfully incorporate swim training into the context of your life and reap the rewards while uncomplicating your swim training experience.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 - 05:18 - Welcome and Episode Introduction

05:25 - 12:50 - Matt's News-ings

13:04 - 15:56 - Word of the Week

16:03 - 1:00:23 - The Meat and Potatoes - Episode 305: Swim Secrets – A Conversation With Purple Patch Swim Coach John Stevens

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