Are Your Drills Helping or Hurting Your Freestyle?

Ever do a swim drill and think, “That felt worse”?

You’re doing the work but your swim pace isn’t improving.

It’s not because you’re not trying hard enough. You’re just not fixing your stroke the right way.

What if the drill that’s supposed to help is actually locking in bad habits? What if you’ve been working hard on the wrong thing without knowing it?

In this episode, I’m teaching and breaking down: - Why more reps of the wrong thing can actually make you slower - How to identify the invisible limiter that’s really holding your stroke back - How to use the Freestyle Fix Map to stop guessing and finally get faster

✅ This is for you if: - You’ve been drilling but not seeing speed gains - You want to swim smarter not just finishing laps - You want a self-check tool to see exactly what’s stalling your stroke

❌ Not for you if: - You believe effort alone = improvement - You don’t want to change how you’re training - You prefer winging it with YouTube and hoping for the best

You’re confident on the bike. Crushing the run. You may even have already climbed the world’s highest peaks. Your lungs are strong. Your endurance is solid...

😣 BUT you can’t swim 50 yards without stopping.

Legs sink. Confidence drops. Panic sets in and race day keeps getting closer.

That was Aamar just 6 weeks before Ironman Lake Placid.

Despite being a Boston Marathoner and mountaineer, he said: “In the pool, I couldn’t even swim 50 yards without gasping.”

At age 60, staring down his first full Ironman, Aamar faced his biggest fear: the 2.4-mile open water swim.

He’d already tried it all:

• Master swim class
• Private swim coach
• Watched hundreds of YouTube videos

But none of it solved the real issue. It was the same story every time: 😣 Sinking Legs 😣 Heart raced 😣 Mind panicked 😣 Couldn’t finish 50 yards without stopping in pool

Even after completing two 70.3s, including Muskoka 70.3 at 3:10/100y pace, he still felt anxious and behind in the water.

This is a man who’s run 36 marathons, including 5 World Marathon Majors, 9 Boston marathons and climbed the world’s highest peaks.

Yet just 6 weeks out, he told us: “Swimming is my weakness. I can’t float. I’ve never gone past 2,000 yards in training even with fins.”

He's 60 and strong. But he was stuck.

We coached him 100% remotely, and in just 6 weeks, Aamar went from: ❌ Barely surviving 50 yards ✅ To swimming 2.4 miles at 2:50/100y, calm, confident, and panic-free

He gained endurance, implemented technique, and swam faster than he did in his half Ironman!!!

He crushed the Ironman Lake Placid swim and now a proud Ironman Finisher

If you're strong on the bike and run but dread the swim, this episode is for you.

"When should I actually start training for my 70.3?"

If that question’s been circling in your head, it’s because you know winging it won’t cut it.

Right now, a lot of athletes are:

-- Trying to get momentum after the holidays -- Managing training on top of an already packed calendar -- Debating whether to wait for better weather... or freak out because it’s January. And they know time moves fast

Here’s what most coaches won’t tell you: It’s not just about your race date.

It’s about what your life looks like right now and what your body actually needs.

-- If you're juggling real life, family, and a big race goal... -- If the swim still feels like your limiter... -- If training feels aimless, rushed, or overwhelming...

This episode is for you.

We’ll break down when should YOU start training, based on your race date, life, goals, and current fitness.