Should I focus on my swim skills or my swim fitness?

One of the most common questions in triathlon swimming is whether someone should focus on their fitness or their skills. 

Unfortunately, the reason this is such a common question is because there isn’t a clear answer that’s applicable to every situation. The answer always depends on the situation. Rather than leaving it at that, let’s take a look at what factors influence the answer to this question.

Both matter

Part of the problem with this question is that it implies that you can just work on one or the other. The reality is you need better skills and better fitness if you want to keep getting better. 

If you’re skills are lacking, all the fitness and the effort in the world won’t translate into speed. If you’re lacking fitness, you won’t have the ability to sustain your skills in a race, and you may lack the strength to do them well in the first place! 

Let’s take a look at when you should emphasise one versus the other at different times.

Swimming experience

The earlier it is in your triathlon swimming journey, the more likely it is that your skills are holding you back. If you struggle to cross the pool without getting exhausted, but you’re fine on the roads running or biking, it’s a skill problem not a fitness problem. 

Improving your skills should be your primary goal. Fortunately, just swimming and focusing on your skills is going to improve your fitness as well because everything is a challenge. 
 
As you improve your skills, and you feel stronger in the water, you’ll find that you’ll get more and more out of challenging your skills under pressure and building your fitness. 

Later in your swimming, improvements in skill are likely to make less of a difference, and it’s going to take more and more work to improve your fitness. 

As a result, there will be a shift in focus. However, it’s still important to find ways to swim better, you’ll just want to do so when you’re working hard.

Point in the season

Early in the season is the time to make the changes in skill that will help you achieve your racing goals. Because intensity and volume are lower earlier in the season, it’s the perfect time to work on your skills and try to find a new level or performance. 

At some point, you’re going to have to start pushing for more from a fitness standpoint. Whatever skills you do have, it’s time to develop the ability to actually execute those skills for the duration of the race. It doesn’t do much good if you can only hold it together for the first half of the race! 

Towards the second half of the season, spend more time challenging your skills and fitness rather than trying to develop new skills.