Paul Gowshall has achieved his long term swimming goals within just a matter of weeks, following his swim analysis with Blizard’s triathlon coach, Jono Frary!

Although Paul only started swim training three years ago when he joined in with a local masters session, he had become frustrated with his lack of progression in the pool.

That’s when he rang elite Team Blizard triathlete and Level 3 British Triathlon coach, Jono Frary.

He explained what he had hoped to get out of swimming when he first took on the challenge, and why he thought Jono could help him achieve his goals when he found he couldn’t speed up in the pool.

“I first took up swimming with a view to competing in sprint triathlons, but I knew swimming would be my weakest discipline. I entered my first triathlon just over a year after that first masters session, and really enjoyed the experience, but knew I could do better,” he explained, showing the sheer determination, focus and drive so commonly seen amongst our coached athletes.

He continued: “I went onto complete another four sprint distances, all of them with 400m indoor swims, and, although I did make huge progress, I ended up reaching a plateau, with my times consistently around the 9:30 mark, and if tried to swim any further than 400m I’d be exhausted.”

“My cycling and run times suggested I was fitter than my swim times, so I guessed it was down to my technique. This lack of confidence and progress was also holding me back regarding entering a longer distance race or open water swim.”

This is when Paul knew he needed some expert guidance to help him work out where he needed to improve and speed up efficiently, and that’s where Blizard’s Coach Frary came in.  
 
Paul knew he’d made the right decision when he rang the clinic, adding: “As soon as I spoke to Jono on the phone, I knew I was going to enjoy the session.”

So what exactly did Paul want to achieve with Jono’s help?

“My goal was to knock a minute off my 400m swim time to bring it down to sub-8.30, but I thought this may have been a tad ambitious, and when I completed my pre-analysis workbook, I could already tell I wasn’t swimming often enough to improve”, he explained.

How did Paul’s swim analysis go on the day?
 
He was very happy with how his session went, explaining: “Jono was extremely friendly and enthusiastic. I was impressed with the underwater camera, and the data retrieved from the watch. I was given some technique tips while I was in the pool, and by the end of the session I was swimming more efficiently.

“Back at the clinic, the playback of the footage was amazing, my personalised plan was ideal for me as it focussed on a few key areas.
 
“Since the session I have increased my swimming to two or three weekly sessions, and have followed my personally recommended drills, speed and threshold training.

“The Finis Tempo Trainer Pro that I bought from the Blizard shop that day has been a massive help with building consistent lengths too.”

Paul has kept in touch with Jono since his analysis, and the results he has achieved in just over a month speak for themselves.

He explained just how far he has come in such a short space of time: “Five weeks after my analysis, I swam 400m in 8:29 in my local pool. The first person I contacted with my news was Jono. I was confident that I could eventually swim a sub-8:30 400m, but I didn’t expect it after five weeks!
 
“I will continue to swim more frequently, and practice my personal drills and threshold training. I’m now looking forward to the triathlon season!”