Training for Midmar

Introduction

Various types of swimmers participate in the Midmar Mile. There are those who frantically try to get fit in time for the Midmar in the shortest possible time, and then stop training as soon as they walk up the slipway at the finish. There are those who start training at the beginning of summer, and train all through the season until winter arrives. Then of course there are those who train all year round.

If you swim at a gym pool, then you will know that a large number of swimmers fit into the first category. I find this a bit sad, as these people do have the motivation and inclination to swim. While they certainly enjoy some of the positive effects of getting fit, with a little more motivation and effort they could really feel the positive physical and mental effects of maintaining their fitness.

In an effort to assist people with getting appropriately fit for the Midmar, we have put together a range of fitness programmes. Why appropriately fit? Different people have different goals that they want to achieve at the Midmar. There are also people who have never swum the Midmar and would like to.

Some clarification of the categories used: Each Midmar Mile event is split into groups of swimmers of varying competency. This seeding system means that unless you have swum in one of the seeding events, you will start with the slowest of the swimmers. All of the competitors in each event are split up into five groups of varying competency, each distinguished by different-coloured caps. The colours, in order, are white, yellow, blue, green and red, with the highest (best) seeds wearing red caps. The main reason for the seeding is to reduce the number of swimmers starting at any time, which in turn reduces the crush at the start.

Peter Williams

Peter Williams is the head coach and founding member of Waterborn Swimming Club. He has been a South African national swimming coach, was an Olympic finalist and is a former world-record holder. During the last Olympic Games, Peter assisted the Swiss coaching staff (at the Olympics) with training one of their swimmers who is part of Peter’s Waterborn swimming squad. Peter has put together the following information and a training schedule to assist existing and potential Midmar Mile swimmers.

The growth in participation in open water swimming and triathlon events has led to increased awareness of the benefits of swimming as a form of daily exercise. Furthermore, increased accessibility to heated indoor pools has significantly added to people’s enjoyment of swimming, while also extending the traditional summer swimming season into a year-long activity.

While the health benefits of participating in all aerobic sports are obvious (i.e. weight control and lower blood pressure/cholesterol levels), swimming is particularly attractive because of the low-impact nature of the sport. Consequently, you can participate in swimming on a daily basis well into physical maturity, maintaining good muscle tone and enhancing your aerobic capacity. (Aerobic capacity is the ability to release energy though the breaking down of fats and carbohydrates with the aid of oxygen).

A unique aspect of swimming is each person’s skill at interpreting his or her ability to move efficiently through the water. This is the challenge that preoccupies the aspiring swimmer: how to reduce the body’s resistance to oncoming water (streamline) while concentrating on gaining the maximum forward momentum with each hand/arm cycle (distance per stroke). Any improvement in technical ability should then be matched by further fitness training and engineering of the individual’s strength-to-weight ratio in water.

Thus, any training programme should begin with an assessment of the individual’s affinity for, and ease of movement in, the water. Such an assessment should be conducted by a professional swim coach (registered with Swim SA) and should take no longer than one hour. After this assessment, the swimmer should have an understanding of aspects such as “feel” for the water, “catch”, stroke pattern, acceleration, timing, body position and rhythm. Of primary importance is the correct instruction of the breathing technique. Gains in fitness and strength in the pool will only be achieved once a certain level of proficiency has been reached.

It is suggested that before initiating the pool-based training programme, a basic level of fitness should be achieved outside the pool. Activities such as running and cycling (aerobic), and yoga and Pilates (stretching and strengthening) complement swimming training methods. Swimmers can also consult a biokineticist or physiotherapist to assess the likelihood of injury during swimming (shoulders most frequently), and whether a strengthening programme should be pursued to prevent injury.

The conditioning dry land-based programmes should run for four to six weeks before commencement of the swimming programme. During this stage, any swimming activity should be for enjoyment and confined to relaxed swims after dry land exercise. These swims are to improve “feel”, work on breathing patterns etc, while building fitness and strength out of the water. Weaker swimmers should engage in technical (technique) correction during this phase. Frequency and exposure to the water is more important than the duration of each swim. During this pre-pool training period, individuals should become aware and take note of the aches and pains associated with swimming, and learn to distinguish between body fatigue and injury.

In my experience, having taught and coached swimming to people from diverse sporting backgrounds and with varied swimming abilities, the most successful projects have been with individuals who are highly motivated, disciplined and committed to improving their skills. The approach with each person varies according to how they are categorised into one of the following groups:

Category 1
Individuals who do not exercise regularly, have not been taught swimming and lack swimming ability, but are passionate to learn and improve their fitness.

Category 2
Accomplished athletes and fit individuals who are eager to enhance their swimming skills in order to become more competitive in their chosen sport, or who would like to diversify into other sporting codes such as triathlons, biathlons, decathlons or master swimming.

Category 3
Active people who have a natural swimming ability and are self-taught, but are not necessarily efficient swimmers, such as past or present pool swimmers, water polo players and surfers.

Category 4
Competent swimmers who have been professionally taught and coached, but have not been active in the water for an extended period of time.

Category 5
Past competitive swimmers or present masters swimmers with extensive swimming background who are relatively fit.

All of the above categories of swimmers should begin slowly and gradually include more swimming in their programme. Once the four to five week period is concluded, swimmers should approach their coach to decide an appropriate level of training for a 12- to 16-week period. Bi-weekly assessments should include feedback on stroke development, gains in fitness and communication on special achievements.

Swimmers should experience increased comfort during sessions and greater confidence in the water within the first two to four weeks of actual swimming training, while tangible advances in fitness and strength may be measured in the first six to eight weeks. The most improvement will occur during the final four to eight weeks of the programme as the body’s adaptation to pool training adjusts and better-quality workouts can be conducted.

Consider the following training programmes outlined below and carefully decide which group’s training regime will be most appropriate for you.

Programme 1: Swimmers who are starting from scratch – White cap

Programme 2: Proficient swimmers – Green, Blue and Yellow cap

Programme 3: Competitive swimmers – Red cap

Glossary

The training programmes contain a number of terms that may require explanation: