A friend once told me, “You’re lifting your head, sinking your legs, and yikes… you’re zigzagging in open water.

With your speed right now, you’re going to be in trouble meeting the cutoff time.”

Then he added, “Just do drills.”

That stuck with me. So I did.

When I eventually decided to get a coach, more drills showed up in my plan. Side kicking, catch drills, breathing drills.. and more.

I couldn’t really avoid the drills, so I did them.

Determined. I’ll do whatever it takes to become a better swimmer.

The truth is, at that time I had no idea why those drills were there, what problem they were supposed to solve, or even if I was doing them correctly. I just followed the plan because I was committed and willing to work hard.

But despite all that effort, my pace didn’t really change. Swimming still felt hard. I was still slow. And I definitely didn’t feel confident in the water, especially on race day.

Fast forward, after coaching thousand of swimmers and triathletes remotely and in-person, I realized how common that experience is.

I hear the same thing over and over again: Athletes doing the drills. Putting in the time. But feeling like nothing is really changing.

They’re still stuck. And eventually they ask the same question I once asked:

“Are these drills even helping me… or are they making me more stuck?”

Not because they aren’t working hard. But because something important is missing from how most athletes approach drills.

And when that piece is missing, it can feel like you’re doing everything you’re supposed to do in the pool… yet progress stays frustratingly slow.

In today's episode, I’m breaking down: ☑️ why drills sometimes stop working ☑️ why triathletes repeat the same problems for months ☑️ how to recognize when it’s time to change focus

If you’ve ever felt like you’re putting in the effort but still not seeing the progress you expected in the water, this will make a lot of things click.