You’re confident on the bike. Crushing the run. You may even have already climbed the world’s highest peaks. Your lungs are strong. Your endurance is solid...

😣 BUT you can’t swim 50 yards without stopping.

Legs sink. Confidence drops. Panic sets in and race day keeps getting closer.

That was Aamar just 6 weeks before Ironman Lake Placid.

Despite being a Boston Marathoner and mountaineer, he said: “In the pool, I couldn’t even swim 50 yards without gasping.”

At age 60, staring down his first full Ironman, Aamar faced his biggest fear: the 2.4-mile open water swim.

He’d already tried it all:

• Master swim class
• Private swim coach
• Watched hundreds of YouTube videos

But none of it solved the real issue. It was the same story every time: 😣 Sinking Legs 😣 Heart raced 😣 Mind panicked 😣 Couldn’t finish 50 yards without stopping in pool

Even after completing two 70.3s, including Muskoka 70.3 at 3:10/100y pace, he still felt anxious and behind in the water.

This is a man who’s run 36 marathons, including 5 World Marathon Majors, 9 Boston marathons and climbed the world’s highest peaks.

Yet just 6 weeks out, he told us: “Swimming is my weakness. I can’t float. I’ve never gone past 2,000 yards in training even with fins.”

He's 60 and strong. But he was stuck.

We coached him 100% remotely, and in just 6 weeks, Aamar went from: ❌ Barely surviving 50 yards ✅ To swimming 2.4 miles at 2:50/100y, calm, confident, and panic-free

He gained endurance, implemented technique, and swam faster than he did in his half Ironman!!!

He crushed the Ironman Lake Placid swim and now a proud Ironman Finisher

If you're strong on the bike and run but dread the swim, this episode is for you.

"When should I actually start training for my 70.3?"

If that question’s been circling in your head, it’s because you know winging it won’t cut it.

Right now, a lot of athletes are:

-- Trying to get momentum after the holidays -- Managing training on top of an already packed calendar -- Debating whether to wait for better weather... or freak out because it’s January. And they know time moves fast

Here’s what most coaches won’t tell you: It’s not just about your race date.

It’s about what your life looks like right now and what your body actually needs.

-- If you're juggling real life, family, and a big race goal... -- If the swim still feels like your limiter... -- If training feels aimless, rushed, or overwhelming...

This episode is for you.

We’ll break down when should YOU start training, based on your race date, life, goals, and current fitness.

Why do swimmers with “bad” technique still beat you?

Because you’re focusing on the wrong things.

Most athletes judge what they see above the water and completely miss what actually makes someone fast.

If you’ve been doing drills, cleaning up your stroke… and still feel slow, this is why.

In this episode: 🏊‍♂️ Why copying faster swimmers doesn’t work 🏊‍♂️ The hidden skills like breathing, balance, streamline & catch that actually make you faster 🏊‍♂️ The exact order to fix your technique so you stop guessing 🏊‍♂️ How to build real speed with our Freestyle Formula, combining technique, open water skills, speed sets, and distance work

If you’ve been training hard but your pace won’t improve, this explains it.