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Beginner Triathlon

Scott C.PRO
Scott C. Sendmail

Good beginner swimming book?

asked about 3 years ago | Report

Trying to find a book to buy on Amazon for BEGINNER swimmers. I am comfortable in the water, but have a very hard time swimming properly, particularly with breathing.

I've tried group classes before, and they are hit and miss. Personal coaching and training can be quite pricey, on top of what we already pay to buy the gear and enter the races, etc. So, I want to try to work through a book and see where that takes me.

I successfully completed the Phila Sprint Triathlon last summer, my first, where I did the swim mostly on my back, very slowly. This year I'm gearing up for the NYC Triathlon, which is Olympic distance. I plan to hit the pool hard in late Feb, once I'm done with the Austin Marathon.

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11 answers

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  • Kelly K.PRO
    Kelly K. Sendmail

    Check out Total Immersion -

    http://www.amazon.com/Total-Immersion-Revolutionary-Better-Faster/dp/0743253434/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232415553&sr=8-1

    answered about 3 years ago |Report

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  • Brodie B.
    Brodie B. Sendmail

    Sorry, Kelly I don't agree with you. I have thumbed through a lot of swim books sitting in B&N or Borders and find the book to be crap and overloaded with garbage a lot of people don't need. Just my opinion but I think TI has caught fire (probably due to so many tri geeks like myself) and now overshadows a lot of other better books. I bought one for my brother for xmas. I'll try to get the title soon.

    answered about 3 years ago |Report

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  • Brodie B.
    Brodie B. Sendmail

    The Triathlete's Guide to Swim Training by Steve Tarpinian

    answered about 3 years ago |Report

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  • Jim W.
    Jim W. Sendmail

    Swimming from a book? I think your plan to hit the pool hard in late Feb is the best answer. Time in the water is better than a book. Do you have a local Masters program you can get to? (not sure if that is what you mean by group classes) If that is not possible I would go with video over book. Check out the TriSwimCoach maybe. Let us know what route you went and how it's going.

    answered about 3 years ago |Report

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  • Chip P.
    Chip P. Sendmail

    I have heard tons about total Immersion, but I agree with Jim hit the pool. Better yet hit a lake. There are no walls to push off turning a Tri. I had more fun training in a lake than a pool.

    answered about 3 years ago |Report

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  • Mannie V.
    Mannie V. Sendmail

    I'm not sure of a book, but this website is really good (:
    http://ruthkazez.com/swimming.html

    answered about 3 years ago |Report

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  • Joe A.
    Joe A. Sendmail

    I found something useful in both Tarapin and Total Immersion but you need to get lessons and practice to get it.

    answered almost 3 years ago |Report

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  • Darrel W.
    Darrel W. Sendmail

    I tried to read Total Immersion, but found it full of nonsense "filler" between some useful stuff. The whole book should be a pamphlet!

    I've found some very useful tips on Youtube, and video sure beats reading!

    answered almost 3 years ago |Report

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  • David M.
    David M. Sendmail

    TI helped me a lot. I also read it on Google Books on a slow day at work, so it was even better. Before I read it, I was struggling to put together 200 yds, but just two workouts after reading I was up to 1000 yds consecutively. I'd say that helped. If it doesn't help, it's a pretty quick read and you aren't out much.

    answered almost 3 years ago |Report

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  • Jen L.
    Jen L. Sendmail

    If you are able, take your camera to the pool and tape yourself swimming. Then you will be able to see how your stroke looks and that will help you understand how to change your movements the way these books suggests. Also, you can google around and find videos of swimmers to see how you compare. I think there are some on USA Swimming's website.

    answered almost 3 years ago |Report

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  • Ryan M.
    Ryan M. Sendmail

    You'll learn much more from swim coaching videos than you'll ever get out of a book. There's nothing better than being critiqued by a knowledgeable swimmer. Find a friend who used to swim in college. Ask him/her to join you for a workout or two. If you buy them lunch, you'll get more than your share of technique tips and drills to work on.

    answered almost 3 years ago |Report

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