Tanjong Challenge - Mini Biathlon 2012

Here are some OWS action shots from yesterday's race. Observe the swim strokes of the lead swimmers: graceful, powerful and relaxed. Translate your pool sessions into open-water finesse and fierceness.

Taking the plunge and powering through the front.

The swimmers pick up momentum, and sighting is important.

The distance opens up significantly after 200 metres.

Pacing is crucial, so swim at your own race pace. Stroke, breathe, sight, repeat.

The Immersion Process: Getting Into It

On Wednesday, I attended a lecture on swimming with our coach Sheila Taormina.

On Friday, we enjoyed a 2-hour ‘Call The Suit’ pool session. This included instruction, correction of strokes, swim drills and video capture. With Sheila’s encouraging approach and our open-mindedness, we allowed ourselves to feel the watery. I must admit that having fun was a new aspect of the swim training equation. We learnt to analyse and focus on one thing to improve at a time.

On Saturday morning, I supplemented my pool session immediately with an open-water session with six others at the beach opposite Big Splash@ East Coast. We learn to go around buoys, sighting (forward then head turn for breathing), drafting in a pack, taking turns to lead, and some drills (Weissmuller/Tarzan drills). David Greenfield of Elite Customs reminded us that muscle memory takes place in 23 days through repetition.

What I learnt from my session were:

1)    I can and will enjoy swimming in the future. Always begin with a proper streamlining posture.

2)    Specific drills must be done in order to correct ineffective and inefficient strokes.

3)    Focus on high elbow pulls.

4)    Feel the water at the pals, wrist and forearms.

5)    Form vortices (whirlpools) with sculling drills, as well as with a good high pull.

6)    Press palms against the water upon completion of the pull.

7)    Use swimming bands to practice on land; linear return at completion of stroke (not simulate the overhead return).

8)    Watch videos of the best swimmers and remind ourselves of the high elbow pull, and feel of the water.

9)    Eliminate gliding as it adds time to the stroke. Stroke X Rate = Speed.

10) Coaching well leads to heightened self-awareness and motivation to progress and improve.

Photo-credit: Edwin Low of Elite Customs (Sheila interviewed by MediaCorp Radio 938 Live in 'A Slice of Life')

Call The Suit: Evening Swim Clinic With Sheila Taormina

Last night, 10 swimmers of Monday Tri Swim group had their practical session with Sheila. She led us through specific drills and simple assessments that focused on the swim techniques of the best swimmers in the world. This is a summary of what we learnt and experienced from the passionately talented, 1996 Olympics gold-medalist in the 200m swim relay held in Atlanta. We learnt by discovering for ourselves how our strokes felt against the water. It felt elusive and subtle at times, yet deliberate and obvious in other moments.

We warmed up with gentle front-crawl strokes, with Sheila verbally emphasizing the high elbow pull and engaging our lats (not shoulders). It was revelation when we felt how the correct muscles worked to propel us through our watery medium. 

Having a streamlined body after your (low) push-off (from the wall) is important. Shoulder flexibility is a skill to strive for as it offers us greater stability and range of motion.

Bands are good for building arm strength and enhancing your high elbow pull, however we need not trace a circular path on the recovery phase. Keep your wrist straight, and remember to salute!

We did pull-buoy drills, with one arm – not easy as it isolates the leading arm.

The finish of the high-elbow, arm pull activates our triceps and completes the continuum of propulsion.

We enjoyed making and seeing vortices (whirlpools) during our sculling session. The emphasis is to ‘feel’ the water on our palms, wrist and forearms. We were enthralled when we were successful in making these vortices during our 'pull' phase.

The Polo Boys? Our group underwater shot before we ended the class on a swimmer's high.

Group shot with our Coach. Big thanks to Wilson Ang for helping us out!

Photo-credits: Wilson Ang, Richard Leong & Sheila Taormina

Bids and Bidding Our Time

London will host the Olympics 2012. Last year, Singapore hosted the Youth Olympic Games, a bid that the small island republic won a few years ago for the inaugural fourth installment of the five-ring franchise. This is the third year that Singapore is hosting the F1 Night Race; I am also looking forward to my first concert with Linkin Park tonight (10.30pm-12.30am). It will be preceded by my first experience as a spectator in tonight’s finals.

Whatever the outcome (in a few days’ time) of my bid for Boston Marathon 2012, I am still optimistic to do a good time at the Singapore Marathon on 4 December. With the revised BQ times (minus five minutes across the board) for 2013, it just means that I will train systematically for continued progress. A wider margin of qualification enhances a marathoner’s chances of being accepted for the following year’s race.

Yesterday, at my fortnightly open-water swim session I received useful feedback from Matthew about my freestyle strokes. It appeared that my right arm tended to swing outwards instead of near my head. I attributed it to my previous injuries in that shoulder – caused by two falls (one where I was hit by a taxi) – which made it unstable during dynamic action. Later, Richard shared with me his recent improvements in his swim; he has done extensive research into this particular swim stroke. The salient points from his generous sharing were:


1)    Keep you arm relaxed throughout the lift.
2)    Reduce unnecessary muscle tension.
3)    Take advantage of the bough formed when you scull water as it is an air-pocket (we need not rotate our need much to breathe).
4)    You need not fully straighten your extending arm when you glide (tension again).
5)    Pull your arm to your hip, but not beyond (additional tension that wastes energy when your elbow extends fully).
6)  Inhale enough air, and exhale fully.


Some things just take more time to learn, and longer to master. However, once we learnt it ‘muscle memory’ locks it in permanently. The initial process of ensuring proper techniques and methods comprise the largest investment of our time. Given time and purposeful effort, we can develop our capabilities and competencies. 4-time Olympian and gold-medalist swimmer, Sheila Taormina will be in Singapore in mid-October to lead swim clinics so consider if you would like to do 1-on-1, or group sessions with her.

Leadership Lessons: How well do you bide your time? How often do you make a bidding for things that matter to you? How long can you wait before your patience is tested?