Swimmers for the most part make great triathletes, and year round swim programs are a great place to shop for talent. Swimmers are outstanding athletes that develop excellent aerobic capacities; and having a nice lead out of the water certainly helps overall race times. Triathletes that do not come from a competitive swim background are often hindered as they attempt to progress to more elite levels in the sport. They spend years attempting to play catch up with their swim split but are up against athletes that have a decade or more experience, often in high level programs. Although races may not be won in the water they certainly can be lost.

Swimming in the US is considered one of the most highly competitive sports, and US programs produce some of the best swimmers in the world. These athletes will spend many years trying to shave just a few seconds, or even fractions of a second off their splits. An Olympic trial cut is amazingly hard to achieve. Therefore there is often nowhere for mid-level swimmers to go in the sport, and triathlon by comparison is a newer, much less competitive sport. Triathlon represents an opportunity for a swimmer to try something new, engaging, and apply some of their hard earned speed in a new way to a new sport. However, the challenge in transitioning a swimmer to triathlon is in keeping them injury free.

Swimming is a non-impact, non-load bearing sport. Injuries in comparison to other sports, such as running, are much fewer. Year round swimmers develop highly specifically to their sport and even distance. If a swimmer does little impact related activities, their bones density is lower, tendon and ligament strength weaker, and often exhibit hyper flexibility in the ankles compared to a runner. Just as it takes years to develop a good swim stroke, it also takes years to develop the muscle strength, tendon/ligament thickness, bone density and joint integrity of a runner. In essence you have a highly developed engine put into a vehicle that cannot handle the horsepower. For this reason I believe swimmers should follow a lower volume bike/run program, specifically run, in their first few seasons as their bodies develop and acclimate to the sport of triathlon. Swimmers, and even coaches often take the exact opposite approach as they attempt to fast forward their progress in the bike/run. The most important thing to recognize is that these athletes are capable of going a lot faster than their body is ready for.

Initially a run/walk format may be appropriate. Short walk breaks of 20 seconds to one minute allow the muscular skeletal system to recover and reset a bit. These walk breaks can be shortened gradually and eventually eliminated. Avoiding running on consecutive days and keeping overall mileage under 25 miles per week in the first six months, or even the first season, may be conservative but a lot can be accomplished within this mileage. Overall progression and regular reduction in mileage every three to four weeks is something I also recommend. Soft surface running allows the swimmer to build bone density but has less impact and eccentric forces over concrete or asphalt. However, be careful with rough single track trail; again the swimmer has more flexible ankles and may be more likely to roll. A large part of run training volume should be form focused. Running like swimming is a highly technical sport and utilizing a good running coach will not only make them faster, but help reduce injury as well. The first triathlon season should be focused on learning the sport and progressing economy. Interval training can be incorporated but I recommend no more than 1-2x per week.

Strength training is one way to fast forward a swimmers transition to triathlon. When incorporated appropriately great gains can be made. As always progression is tantamount. A strength acclimation phase with just body weight exercises and circuits is a great place to start. Incorporating some foot speed work and running drills into each strength session is very helpful to swimmers. Remember a swimmer is used to moving relatively slowly and smoothly through a viscous fluid, not quickly on dry land. Their neuromuscular firing is relatively slow and needs to be developed. Progressing to some light plyometric work helps build the joint integrity in controlled and more sport specific manner. Avoid heavy Olympic lifts and maximum strength phases; at least until they have progressed core strength to the point of being able to support the movements. Again, working under the direction of a certified athletic trainer will help ensure progression is appropriate and avoid injury.

The bike can be trained and progressed more rapidly than the run. Swimmers often race their first triathlon on used or borrowed bike. Although it is not necessary to spend a lot of money on a tri bike, it is important to get a bike that is the correct size and have it professionally fitted. I recommend starting out on a road bike which is safer and often less expensive. Learning cycling specific skill sets, pedaling economy, group safety, transitions, and even basic maintenance skills is a great place to start off cycling training. As with the run, keeping overall cycling volume relatively low is appropriate. Building to a long ride of 40-50 miles is plenty in the first season, with no more than 3-4 rides per week. Longer rides offer more opportunity for an overuse injury inflicted upon an under-developed muscular skeletal system.

If you stick to some basic guidelines of progression, recovery, and volume the risk of being injured in the first season is reduced. You now have a stronger, more stable, and economic platform to build a triathlon career upon. It is often hard to be patient with and athlete that is capable of going fast. As with a fast car, there is the temptation to open it up-usually too much and too often. Races offer great baselines and tests of training efficacy. Keep distances short- sprint and Olympic and build speed gradually. Ultra distance racing in the first season is to be avoided, even though they may be able to handle the endurance training.

Matt Russ is a full time professional coach with over 20 years of experience working with athletes up to the elite level. His athletes have won numerous regional, national, and international titles. He obtained the highest level of licensing by both USA Triathlon and USA Cycling, and is a licensed USA Track and Field Coach. Matt is Head Coach and owner of The Sport Factory, a USA Triathlon Certified Performance Center. Visit www.sportfactory.com for more information or email him at coachmatt@thesportfactory.com