Fast Swim Academy · For triathletes who learned to swim as adults
Swim the race without arriving at T1 cooked.
One hundred pool sessions in three levels, sprint tri to Ironman. Each one gives you a pace from your own test, a drill set and one open water skill to practice before race day. Written for the athlete who learned to swim as an adult and still dreads the start.
Price goes up to $29 on Oct 19.
Who it is for
Whichever race is on your calendar, start at your level.
- Learned to swim as an adultYou can swim 50 to 100 without stopping. Level 1 builds breathing comfort, body position, a continuous 1,000 and a calm first open water swim.
- First sprint or OlympicRace tags on each workout show the distances it suits. The sprint and Olympic simulations rehearse the start, the sighting and the swim to T1.
- 70.3 and IronmanLevel 3 builds long threshold sets, Ironman pace for 3,800 and a light kick that saves your legs for 180 km on the bike.
- Nervous in open waterEighteen open water sessions, from a first wetsuit swim along the shore to pack drafting and a race morning rehearsal. Each one comes with a buddy or kayak rule.
- Coaches and tri clubsDrafting and pack workouts for two to four swimmers, grouped by CSS so each lane holds its own pace.
Inside the book
Technique first, then distance.
One hundred workouts, each on its own page in the same layout. Goal, race distances, total, the five parts of the session, the cue for the main set, scaling for newer and stronger swimmers, and one line on why it works. A glossary explains each swim term in plain words, five findings from the research explain the rules, and a drill library and the weekly templates close the book.
Page 4
Page 5
Page 15
Page 36
Page 64
Page 107
Page 122Straight from page 64 · Workout 49 of 100
Olympic race simulation, 1,500
- Warm-up400 easy. 4 × 50 on 1:00, build. 4 × 25 on :40, fast.700
- Drill set4 × 50 on 1:05, pause freestyle.200
- Main set1,500 race simulation: start from a float with no push-off, first 100 hard, settle to CSS + 2 s per 100, sight twice per length, open turns with no push-off at each wall, build the last 100. Pace: CSS minus 5 s per 100 for the start, then CSS + 2 s for the body of the swim.1,500
- Skill set3 × 100 on 2:30, swim to T1: kick harder on the last 25, climb out at the wall, stand, walk 10 steps, get back in.300
- Warm-down200 easy.200
Scaling: newer swimmers swim 1,200 with a push-off every 200; stronger swimmers hold CSS + 1 s. Why it works: swimming at or near CSS in a short triathlon gives a faster overall race than swimming well below it. Easy swimming saves too little for the bike and run to make up the lost time.
Written by the coach who fixes the swim
For most triathletes I coach, the problem is technique.
They learned to swim as adults and they train hard, and the swim still feels like survival. I hold the deaf world record in the 50 m breaststroke, swam twice as an NCAA All-American, and I coach triathletes and Ironman athletes in Tampa. These 100 workouts fix the swim in order: breathing, body position, a pace from your own test, then the open water skills and the race rehearsals that get you out of the water fresh and in a good position.
Coach Maria Rezhylo · founder, Fast Swim Academy, Tampa
What you get
- 100 workouts in three levelsBeginner, intermediate and advanced, in weeks of five. Swim them in order, or skip ahead a week at a time while the main sets feel easy.
- The same page layout, 100 timesGoal, race distances, total and time, warm-up, drill set, main set, skill set, warm-down, the cue, scaling for newer and stronger swimmers, and why it works.
- Paces from your own testWorkouts 1, 35 and 68 set your CSS per 100 from a 400 and a 200. Each set gives its pace as CSS plus or minus seconds, and each level retests near the end so your paces move up.
- 18 open water sessionsFirst wetsuit swim, sighting and straight lines, buoy turns, mass starts, drafting in pairs and packs, exits, and a race morning rehearsal.
- Race simulations and race weekOlympic 1,500 from a float, 70.3 in the open water, broken 1,900 and 3,800, the taper, the race week sharpener and the pre-race shakeout.
- A glossary in plain wordsCSS, send-off, build, negative split, sighting, crocodile eyes, 2-beat kick, T1. Three pages, so no set leaves you guessing.
- The drill library and your tri weekTwenty drills with what each one fixes and where it appears. Templates for two, three or four swims a week around the bike and run, and the 4-week race path.
- Yours to keep124-page PDF. Download it right after paying, and again from your email. Phone, tablet or laptop, or print the workout of the day for the deck.
Written by Coach Maria Rezhylo
- Deaf world record holder, 50 m breaststroke
- European and world deaf champion
- 2x NCAA All-American, then professional swimmer
- Coaches triathletes and Ironman athletes
- Degree in Exercise Science, biomechanics
- Founder of Fast Swim Academy, Tampa Bay
Start at your level, test your pace, and follow the workouts in order. Come out of the water fresh and in a good position.
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Questions before you buy
Which level do I start at?
Page 4 has three questions. You can swim 100 without stopping but not 500: start at Beginner. You can swim 1,500 without stopping: start at Intermediate. You have raced a 70.3 or an Ironman and can swim 3,000 in practice: start at Advanced.
Between levels? Start at the lower one and skip ahead a week at a time while the main sets feel easy.
What is CSS, and what do I need to measure it?
Critical swim speed is the fastest pace you can hold for a long time without falling apart, as a time per 100. The first workout of each level is the test: a 400 time trial, a rest, then a 200. Subtract the 200 time from the 400 time and divide by two. A pace clock on the wall is enough.
Each set in the book gives its pace as CSS plus or minus seconds per 100, so the paces fit your fitness and move up when you retest.
Do I need access to open water?
Eighteen of the hundred workouts are in open water, and each needs a safe venue, a buddy or a kayak, and a bright cap. The other 82 are pool workouts, and they teach sighting, drafting, mass starts and buoy turns in the pool first, so the open water days build on skills you already have.
How long is a workout?
Between 1,200 and 5,000 yards or meters, and 30 to 90 minutes. Beginner workouts sit around 1,300 to 1,600 and 35 to 40 minutes. The totals and a time estimate for your level are printed on each page.
Yards or meters?
Both. The distances are the same numbers in either pool. Swim the numbers as written in the pool you have.
What equipment do I need?
Fins, a pull buoy, paddles and a kickboard cover most pool workouts. Intermediate and advanced sessions add a tempo trainer and a band. Open water days need a wetsuit where the water is cold, a bright cap and a swim buddy or kayak. The glossary on page 7 explains each piece.
My race is in four weeks. Where do I start?
Page 122 has the short path. Swim the race simulation from your level, then the race week workout, and keep two normal workouts a week until race day.
I coach a tri club. Can I run it with my athletes?
Yes, the book is for personal and team use. The drafting and pack workouts work best with two to four swimmers. Group athletes by CSS so each lane holds the right pace. Please do not resell or share the file itself.
How do I get the book?
It is a 124-page PDF. The download button appears right after payment, and the same link goes to your email. It opens on a phone, tablet or laptop, and each workout prints on one page for the deck. The link works for a year. Lost it? Use the resend link under the checkout.
Is this a subscription?
No. One payment, the book is yours. It is $29 until Nov 14, then $39.
Something went wrong with my order
Reply to the email or text Maria at (475) 223-9849. A real person answers.