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.

70.3 Reality Check: Are You Really Ready for Race Day?

Doing a 70.3 this year? Don’t get blindsided like I did.

Finishing the distances ≠ being race-day ready.

In this episode I'm walking you through the 70.3 Readiness Reality Check so you don’t make the same mistakes I did:

- Why even fit athletes STILL fall apart on race day - What most training plans and coaches don’t teach you - How to score yourself with OUR 70.3 Readiness Reality Check and find your real gaps 📝 70.3 Readiness Scorecard link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-CEslWUgRWUkaBU9HOPHfzOmgvR1vTfohFV34-8kdAs/edit?tab=t.0

From Runner To Triathlete: Why Swimming Feels So Hard & How To Fix It

If swimming feels harder than running, it’s not you. It’s how you’re training.

Most runners bring this into the water:

• push harder
• go longer / do more
• fight through it

And that’s exactly why they end up here: “After 150 or 200 meters I feel like the CO₂ is building up…”

They're out of breath, gasping and have no control.

Even if they can swim 1000 meters or more in the pool… on race day, everything falls apart. And they're left wondering:

“I thought I was ready. Where did all that training go?”

What most athletes don’t realize is this:

📍 Swimming doesn’t reward effort or just show up the way running does. It backfires.

Together with Coach Vineta and Valerie, in this epsiode, I’ll break down:

• Why swimming feels so hard, especially coming from a running background
• Why doing more yards isn’t fixing it
• What’s causing that “out of breath” feeling and how to fix it so you can finally feel in control in the water

Using Valerie’s story as an example: After a year of swimming and being able to do ~1000 meters nonstop… she still felt like she was “gasping” after 150–200 meters. As soon as she took action and dialed in the way she trains, she was able to swim non-stop 1500 meters continuously feeling “relaxed and strong.” Her confidence went up. Swimming started to feel easier and she got faster.

But this episode is not just about Valerie. It’s about understanding why you can do the distance but still feel out of control.

If that’s you, this episode is for you.