The first step

Today I had a couple of guys attend what could be one of the hardest swims of their lives.

Their first one.

There are lots of element of triathlon that can be daunting if presented in the wrong way. It is a sport full of jargon, unfamiliar equipment and assumed knowledge. Novice events and courses do a good job of easing people into the sport, but for newcomers it can seem like a lot to take in. This is doubly so for those who don't have much experience in swimming.

I grew up swimming and spent years as a competitive swimmer and so I sort of take the water for granted. I don't remember ever not feeling comfortable in a pool. Given this I sometimes forget that not everybody is happy to go swimming.

Since I have started coaching though I have become all too aware that swimming does not come naturally to everyone and for those who are not comfortable doing it, the prospect of swimming can be very confronting. I have certainly coached people in the past who have stuck to duathlons because they were so uncomfortable with the idea of swimming, particularly in open water.

Given all this, it is always a big deal when somebody comes along to swimming for the first time. To get themselves there they have usually had to overcome their fear, not only of swimming, but also of doing something new with people they don't necessarily know. It can be a pretty high hurdle to jump over.

When people do come to the squad for the first time it can be very tempting to get right into the technique side of things. Often in these situations making technical suggestions is a target rich environment. However, I usually try and keep the technical suggestions down to one or two things at a time. Most people struggle to concentrate on more than a couple technical items at at time, so I always try and take it nice and slow. Plus for a lot of people the biggest improvement will come from simply spending time swimming. Sure, they will need guidance along the way, but that guidance will get them nowhere without putting it into practice. Practice makes perfect after all.

These two guys took their first step along this journey today. I look forward to helping them take many more.