Patrick Peacock

Athlete Focus Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Patrick is a full time physical education and mathematics teacher in the Louis Riel School Division and a highly ranked Provincial and National triathlete.;He has been coaching since the late 80's. Over the years Patrick's coaching experiences have varied from team sports such as basketball and volleyball to his current passions of swimming and triathlon. Patrick has coached competitive age group swimmers, masters swimmers and triathletes. He is currently the head coach for the Tribalistic Triathlon Team. Patrick coaches for MMAC on Monday mornings.

Goal Setting

1. How often and for what duration should a fitness swimmer/competitive swimmer train weekly?

Fitness swimmers and novice triathletes will see fitness and stroke development with as few as 3 swims a week. More advanced swimmers will be able to maintain most of their previous gains by continuing to swim 3x per week. Specifically speaking to triathletes who are highly competitive or have ambitious goals, with the proper progressions, 5-7 swims per week are recommended. For established competitive athletes focused on only swimming, daily swims should be considered.

2. How should swimmers monitor improvement in fitness and stroke skill?

Triathletes should be most concerned with efficiency in the water. Putting forth a minimum amount of effort, reducing resistance to produce a solid, evenly paced swim that leaves the athlete with plenty of energy to complete the rest of the race. Improvement initially needs to focus on stroke development, specifically reducing stroke count and increasing stroke length (reducing resistance and developing efficient technique), at the same time using a variety of drills and swim sets the aerobic system is built up. Once an athlete has developed good stroke technique and base fitness, more attention can be turned to the development of race specific energy systems. Use of heart rate and pace times can be a simple and effective way to monitor progress.

3. What should new swimmers/ experienced swimmers consider when setting goals?

Any athlete needs to maintain perspective in setting goals. Particularly a masters athlete who will tend to already have many roles in their life. A realistic progression from beginner swimmer to competitve swimmer, requires that an athlete allow for balance. Progressive increases in swim/workout frequency and duration as they relate to volume and intensity, need to correspond with athlete time and energy. When planning your goals, don't be afraid to try something new, just plan on being consistent in your follow through.

4. Do you plan a swim program for the year (September - August)? Are swimmers aware of the plan?

Swim workouts follow a triathlon season schedule. September tends to be very aerobic with plenty of drill work. As we progress through the year, workouts become more triathlon (sprint and olympic distance) race specific. Despite the triathlon focus, plenty of variety is still included in each practice.

Patrick includes drill and swim technique advice as a regular part of a practice. He spends a lot of time walking the pool deck observing, commenting and correcting stroke technique. He is always open to requests for help.