Swim all Day

I first met Luke Whitcher in 2008 when he came along to a ‘2 Hour Taster’ back in March of 2008. Recently he contacted me with a progress update: 

Just thought I’d mention to you that post the Taster training from yourself, I am now able to swim in choppy open water for Ironman distances without any problems (thanks for all your help). I am training for the Ironman this March within 2 years of my first Triathlon. I couldn’t even do a lap 2 years ago. Kudos for you and TI for this turnaround. 

I love Luke’s tenacity, especially when it turns out he only qualified with 9 mins to spare in the half-ironman last year! It is no small challenge that this bloke has taken on…

… and yet there is a whole lot more to this story. Luke has an 8 year old son called Joshua who has moderate to severe Autism. This condition means that normal communication is impossible. Luke likens it to being in a foreign airport where you can’t understand a thing. It is hard to imagine a more challenging situation for a parent as you will see if you read more.

Take 15 minutes to read Luke’s story (click here for Mank’s article on Transitions) and let it sink in. WARNING – A BOX OF TISSUES IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! This is a is a story that will move you deeply…

In short, Luke has taken on the challenges of Ironman to raise $20 000 to help Autism Spectrum Australia’s South East Sydney School buy specialist equipment that will be used to help Josh and other children to engage life more fully.

If you would like to contribute, click here to donate online - your messages of support mean a lot to Luke.

I was curious to know more about Luke’s Ironman training and in particular his swimming. I was delighted that he agreed to answer some questions. Read through to the bottom to find out how you can add your support and get some free TI coaching at the same time.

DB: How is your training going and especially the swim?

LW: Training is beginning to take shape well. My friend / mentor from work has similar views to TI on how to swim and has been coaching me with drills on Wednesday nights – lots of 1 arm, kicks than switch, fist and zipper, multiple breathing reps (i.e. 2 strokes breathe, 3 strokes breathe, 4 strokes breathe, 5 strokes breathe, then back down sequentially to 2), and touch hands prior to pulling back. I do a lot of time trials which is probably against policy, but I do them out in the open water and concentrate on different things each 100m lap (at Ramsgate) e.g. head position 1 lap, then kicking from hips next lap, then gliding for longer (stroke length) etc. I did 3.2k long swim (no wetsuit) last w/e and am doing 3.5k tomorrow morning (again no wet suit – it is in for repairs). I’m obviously more comfortable on land, but interestingly, I have less fear of the 3.8k swim then I do sitting on my rear for 180ks then getting off the bike to run a marathon. So naturally, I’m doing plenty of riding and running as well – this is the biggest week before I go for the race – 7h20m cycle & 3h40m run this w/e then recovery next week, quality for the next 4 and taper for the final 2 weeks. Any ideas for swim ‘Quality’ sessions would be appreciated.

DB: How do you apply TI in your training? What differences have you noticed? 

LW: TI has been great. I’ve used the Open Water swimming book by Terry and applied your own Aussie/British style from our Taster session. The best thing was the feedback from the underwater camera. I was swimming well in terms of the horizontal, however I created a lot of bubbles which suggested a level of jerkyness / rigidity. I had to learn to flow more and relax. I have been using the drills discussed above to help me get through the required stroke improvement. One of the best things is the tracks – I learnt from yourself to swim in the tracks which makes me quite a straight swimmer and less needy of the black line at the bottom. I also used TI to learn to let my head go for the ride. This really helps to keep my breathing strong and reduce neck soreness. 

DB: What are your aims for IM and especially the swim leg?

LW: Its a bit embarrassing that I am such a slow swimmer, but when I consider that I have only been able to complete 1 50m lap of the pool for just two years, I am pretty happy with where I am. My average pool 50m lap time over a long time trial is generally 1:15. So when I did 44m on my 1.9k Half Ironman swim at Port Macquarie in November (closer to 2k seeing I started at the back of the field) I was absolutely stoked. The only thing was a bit of cramping near the end but this was more a result of recovery from a major knee issue after stacking on the bike 5 weeks beforehand. 

DB: Is Josh interested in your training and does he swim?

LW: He finds it hard to communicate at all so teaching him how to swim is nearly impossible, however he did go to specialised classes (Rainbow School) for a few years where he learnt to dog paddle and effectively stay afloat. When I get into the pool with him I try and show him how to go horizontal rather then vertical through the water and sometimes he switches, but his comfort zone is the vertical position. He did watch the TI video with me a couple of times but not sure if he took it all in. He does love me going in the water with him and seems keen on watching how I swim, but not sure what that actually means to him. 

DB: What is the best way for people to support your cause? 

LW: Any donation, no matter what is fantastic from my perspective. We have a current range of $5 to $500 on the fundraising site at the moment and it doesn’t matter, it is just the fact that they have supported me that really matters. Have a look at the comments and see how beautiful people are – I will be carrying these words of encouragement with me on the long journey and believe me when I say, they will help me get over the line. Other ways are really what you are proposing – I would love for challenges to other businesses / organisations from people like yourself and Nashy (the Port Macquarie Picture Framing guy) – your networks are obviously better then mine – I pretty much exhausted my own networks in the first few weeks (still happy to be over the $3k mark, but a long way to go).

If you would like to get involved please leave a message for Luke at the bottom of this article and head over to Luke’s page on gofundraise.com to donate.

If you leave a message here and contribute $200 or more you will be offered a place at our brand new 6 hour / 1 day ‘fast track’ workshop valued at $300. Please email booking@tiswim.com.au to let us know. We haven’t announced this course yet and are working to a March / April launch.

We are also hoping to fit in a 1 hour ‘tune up’ session for Luke to help Luke to get his day off to a cracking start on Sunday 28th Feb. We also hope he can come along to the pool and tell us his stories from race day!

Luke Whitcher, we salute you!

Dunstan Bertschinger (on behalf of TI Australia)

We are pleased to announce a brand new TI course along with BTC.

‘Outside the Box’ is for swimmers who feel like their Open Water swimming is holding them back and who want to be confident beyond the pool and to love swimming in the Ocean.

This 7 Week course will help you to:

• Swim confidently in Open Water
• Understand the unique skills of Open Water swimming.
• Set up an effective Open Water practise routine.

 Location: The South East end of Balmoral beach (click here for a map). Inside the nets to provide a safe learning environment.

Time: 6:30 to 7:30 am. You can choose either Tuesdays or Saturdays

Duration: 7 Weeks

Start Dates:  Tuesday 30th March or Saturday 3rd April

Group Size: 5 to 8 swimmers

Coach: Sarah Anne Evans

Cost: $140 – that’s only $20 for each session of learning which will build your swimming to a great outcome for the course!

“Being part of the Outside the Box Swim course has been amazing for my confidence and technique.  Previous to the course, I had completed next to no swimming in open water due to my technique causing me to feel exhausted.  By learning to relax and use the techniques taught by Sarah-Anne, I was surprised at how much more effective my swimming became with a lot less effort!  Now that I am taking on a half ironman with the swim being in open water, I feel so much more confident that I will get out of the water with more energy than I would have previously and increase my race time which is fantastic!  I would definitely recommend this course to my friends and in fact, I already have!”

Shellee, Manly – March 2010

This course is suitable for intermediate swimmers who have some confidence in the pool. Non-swimmers should take another one of our courses first. Please call us on 1800 007 505 if you have questions about course suitability.

Click here to book via our website!

Terms and Conditions: It is important that you can make it to all of the sessions. We will not give refunds for sessions that you cannot attend but if you do need to miss a session we will give you the option to catch up during the same week (eg if you miss a Saturday you will be able to come to the following Tuesday). We regret that bookings cannot be be refunded.

The upcoming TI workshop in Brisbane is on Valentine’s Day weekend so we’ve decided to offer you something special:

Book into our Fishlike Freestyle Workshop.                               Bring along a loved one for free!

• 13 hours of state of the art swim tuition
• Personalised goal setting
• Individual feedback
• Comprehensive video analysis
• Fully supported by phone and email

Total cost for you and your Valentine?   $1100 $550 (save $550)

The smile on their face?                             PRICELESS!

It’s a lot more fun when there is someone else to share it with!

• 13th & 14th February 2010
• 11 to 5:30 on both days
• Spring Hill Baths, Brisbane
• This course is suitable for anyone who can swim 25m

Please call 1800 007 505 for more information or

Click here to book your place

Make sure you let us know who you are bringing along!

Just wanted to say a personal thanks for the course last weekend aside from the feedback form.  The main revelation for me is that I am now looking forward to my swim sessions – I really enjoy freestyle! A really cool thing happened this morning – was in the pool practising balance drills and then decided to do a ‘ctrl/alt/del’. The girl in the next lane was swimming a better freestyle than I used to (not difficult I guess) so I gave her a 5m or so head start to see what would happen… So I push off, head down, nice and relaxed like you showed us and swam until I needed a breath at about 25m…looked across & I was comfortably in front of the girl in the next lane – how amazing is that!!

Chris Sproston – Fishlike Freestyle Workshop, November 2009

By Sarah Anne Evans

When you think of core strength what do you picture?

An unobtainable cut 6 pack or a toned stomach? A bunch of people doing crazy things on large inflatable balls? Something you only need if you’re an athlete or weight lifter?

Many of us don’t know a great deal about the core muscles and their importance in the stabilisation of your entire body.  They hold us upright, they hold our organs in place and they stabilise the most important junction of joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons in our body, the pelvis and thoracic spine.  

Core stability is essential to your overall health and well being and it plays an essential role in the performance of the body during sport.  Whatever your sport, core is key.

Think of a strong solid core as the solid foundation through which power, generated in one region of the body, is transferred to another.  It’s our engine room for power.  

If you watch any sports person you will see the power harnessed at their core translated into movement.  A baseball pitcher is a perfect example, the energy to throw the ball is initiated at his core and is translated across his torso, into his throwing arm and forward.

In swimming, the roll of your body initiated at your core is what drives your shoulder and hip down in perfect unison as you spear forward with your recovering arm.  The arm is powered forward because of the force generated through your hip drive.  This is what propels your body forward through the water rather than pulling your way down the pool with your arms.  

Without an awareness of core stability and a knowledge of how we can strengthen it, we leave ourselves open to back pain, postural problems and injury.

The main player in your core is a deep muscle called the Transverse Abdominus (TVA).  The TVA is a large muscle that wraps from either side of your spine, around your torso and connects in the centre of your stomach via fibrous connective tissue (Linea Alba). On the way round, it attaches to ribs and top of the pelvis and goes deep into the pubis.

The TVA is the heart of your core.  

Its importance in pelvic and thoracic spine stability cannot be ignored, and in childbirth it is this muscle that allows women to deliver babies.

Layered on top of the TVA are the surface muscles that we see on toned bodies.  

The internal and external Obliques run from ribs to pelvis down the side of your torso.  They stabilise the trunk and protect the back, finely toned obliques help to slim the waist and give women an hour glass figure.

The Rectus Abdominis or ‘6 pack’ is the most superficial of all the abdominal muscles yet it’s the one we all yearn for!  The fact is, we all have a 6 pack, it’s just concealed under a (thick or thin) layer of insulation!

When training, many people work on what they can see in the mirror.  

A typical example is the big guy in the gym who looks amazingly toned and muscular but suffers from back pain.  He’s working on the final coat of paint to his house while it’s built on foundations of quick sand.

So how do you know if you’re engaging your TVA?

In order to know whether you are contracting the correct muscles, you need to be able to feel them working.  This is harder with the TVA than other muscles due to its position deep within your torso. 

The best way to locate and feel the TVA engage is to lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.  Place your two fingers on the bony parts at the front of your hips (iliac crest).  Move your fingers in 2cms towards your belly button and 2cms down towards your pubic bone. You should now be directly over the transverse abdominis muscle. 

Take a deep breath in and as you exhale focus on ‘drawing up’ from the pelvic floor.  Imagine that you want to stop yourself going to the toilet.

When you contract your core correctly you should feel a gentle tightening underneath your fingers.  Remember to breathe throughout the contraction, as you don’t need to hold your breath to engage your core!

Another exercise to try begins from the same starting position but this time visualise drawing your belly button through your spine towards the floor.  Feel for a contraction of the TVA with your fingers.  You can also place one hand under the small of your back to feel the pressure as you contract your core muscles. 

Practice contracting these muscles for 10 second intervals, resting in between, and build up to a minute before you move onto other core stability exercises.  Again, remember to breathe normally through all the exercises.

You’re probably thinking, how can these small movements make any difference to such a huge muscle?

That’s one of the myths around core exercises, you don’t need to do 100 painful sit ups to have a rock solid core.  In fact if you suffer from back problems, sit ups with a weak core is a sure way to hurt yourself.  The fact that these muscles are so easy to exercise, without sweating it out in the gym, is one of the great reasons for strengthening them.

These visualisation techniques take some time to perfect.  Once you are aware of your core, you can begin to work on strengthening it and engaging it throughout the day.

Engage your core during sport, when walking around and even when sitting at your desk.  

Be mindful of the muscles doing the hard work of keeping you upright and stable.  The stability of these muscles will unlock the potential energy stored in your core, enabling you to harness it and use it powerfully.

To find out more about training your core stability contact us at enquiry@ tiswim.com.au (wellbeing@karmeafitness.com) or call 1800 007 505

Sarah Anne is a the founder of Karmea Fitness, a lifestyle fitness coaching company.  She is also a qualified Total Immersion Coach who is passionate about helping people who want to have a better relationship with water.

We like talking about swimming. We love meeting people to go for a swim!

Here are some events where you can catch up with a TI coach:

Balmoral Triathlon Club Aquathlon & Open Day - Sunday 25th October 3-4pm

Come and take part in either the Enticer (150m swim, 1.5km run) or the Challenge (400m swim, 4km run). Cost is $10 or free for member of BTC and there is a monthly series on Friday evenings through the summer. Total Immersion is sponsoring this event so drop in and say hello to Dunstan, Warren or Sarah Anne from 2:30 onwards. You can also sign up to win some TI goodies with a Fishlike Freestyle course worth $550 as first prize!

Busselton Ironman - Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th December

If you are heading to beautiful Busselton this year you might like to join us at the swim start during race week. Dunstan will be offering a free ‘tune up’ service to help you to swim your best on race day. This can make a really big difference. Here is an example from Deb. Her partner had a ‘tune up’ last year:

Sean’s expected 1hr30+ Ironman swim and being prepared to resort to the Japanese Sidestroke ended up being a 1hr15. He literally had a 2 minute tutorial.  We were all amazed. Imagine if he’d done the whole course?!

You can also sign up for one of our Free Demo Courses.

Come to a pool near you and try out TI for yourself!