Triathlon Swimming Foundations: A Straightforward System for Making Beginner Triathletes Comfortable and Confident in the Water (Triathlon Foundations Series)

yo! i can’t say enough good stuff about this book. i was inspired this year to complete an ironman 70.3 this year and i signed up for a race in december. now like most of us new to the sport we worry about the swim and that was definitely me. i started to scour the internet for information and i came across tarens youtube channel. i was able to find this book and i was hooked! the book is jam packed with information related to triathlon specific swimming. the book also includes drills that have helped me get to where i am at currently. when i first started swimming 3 weeks ago i could barely swim 25 yards and i was out of breath, heart pounding out of my chest and i was honestly deflated. i stuck to it and continued to practice all of the drills. “breathe like a dolphin”, “blow bubbles through your nose and hum” these are a few things that ran through my head as i would swim and one day it just clicked. that day was yesterday! i was able to swim 1000 yards non stop! i wasn’t out of breath and my breathing pattern has improved massively. not only that im able to stay streamlined in the way and not get those sinks legs. while im not perfect i have to give credit to this book because it has definitely given me the confidence that i needed! thank you taren for an awesome book! you rock!!!!🫡🫡🫡🫡

25 years ago as a very experienced triathlete in my 20s and took 2 age-group trophies, I really didn't need help swimming - well, I didn't think I needed help swimming nor would I have listened anyways to anyone. I was extremely fit, strong and could muscle my way through any surf. Fast forward 25 years over a fractured lower back, serious cervical disk injuries due to extreme sports and 20 years of sitting with poor posture in front of a computer, kids and marriage, 6 months ago started training to get back into triathlons. I actually purchased the book 3 weeks ago just before my first pool swim. Yep, I skipped the first 4 drills. Went right to Drill 5 corkscrewing wearing fins - inhaled a quart of pool water just half way across the pool and out of breath. I figured, I will just skip the drill and swim with fins. Totally out of breath after gentle kicks after 100 yards. I continued this all evening trying to get in yardage. Went home from gym dejected. I read and reread the book and literally started at drill #1. Embarrassing but I followed the drills religiously for the first 2 weeks - although i did ALL the drills and "float like a log" progressions each and every session after temporarily mastering each drill -shame on me. Total beginners should do one drill at a time until mastered and progress. I believe the drill that had the most profound impact was Drill 5 corkscrewing with fins. I inhaled a lot of water that first week. Once I truly mastered that and was actually relaxed, I was able to swim 400 yards without any effort - slow, but not winded. No more muscling through the water. Actually, I swam ~1000 yards (i lost exact count of laps) without being winded - smooth, very slow, heals out of the water and like a log but not winded. I just started focusing on "Race like an arrow". I would recommend this book to all new swimmers. I would also recommend Taren's "Do the Drill and master before progressing to next" and following the session schedules near the back of the book so as to not acquire any bad habits. I have a race very soon, so I needed to gain shoulder strength and technique quickly - not the way to go. My only complaint the pictures were of poor quality (keeps the book inexpensive) but the videos are of excellent quality. Thanks Taren.

As I was turning 50 I decided I needed a new challenge. I'm not a runner, not a road biker and haven't really swum since high school swim team, so why not triathlons - lol. Well after lots of bike miles, run miles and pool laps I thought I was ready. Went out for my first open water practice and WOW, after 250 yds I thought I was going to have to be pulled out by the rescue kayaks. I couldn't catch my breath or keep my breathing under control. Open water was a world apart from the 25m pool. Swimming more laps on my own was only minimally helpful. Luckily I found this book. Working through the techniques really helped me control my breathing. Taren does an excellent job of clarifying the issues and provides an easy to follow map to retrain your swim brain and get you out in the open water and well on your way to a strong swim finish. ----Thank you Taren---

I am a non swimmer beginning my journey in triathlon. My greatest hurtle is the swim. I attempted to learn on my own, I watched every video I could get my hands on and yet I felt hopeless with so little progress in 5 months. Since I bought this book I was astonished at how I could identify with the narrative presented by Taren as it spoke directly to the way I was feeling. It has been about a month since I have this book and the drills are carefully designed and explained in such a way which makes sense to both mind and body. My progress has been great and I feel confident about taking on my first 70.3 in a few months time. If you put in the hard work this book with supply you with true and tested knowledge to get you breathing like a dolphin, floating like a log and racing like an arrow. I would recommend this book with no hesitations to anyone.

Taren immediately gave me comfort by describing a struggling swimmer, who turned out to be himself. Having just gotten back in the water after 25 years, I took heart in knowing that learning to swim can begin with the very smallest of steps. I swam quite a bit early in life, but never with proper form. This book is very helpful as Taren explains and demonstrates what to do, how long to do it, and when you know you're ready to move on. Recommend for anyone, not just triathletes.

the exercises in this book are fundamental to swimming, if you can’t do the exercise listed in the book you are doing your swim practice a disservice. if you think your a good swimmer prove it by trying these exercises, they’re simple, humbling and revealing, and obtaining mastery of them has transformed my swimming experience. i presume it will for you too if these exercises challenge you. i highly recommend for anyone interested in incorporating swiming into their exercise routine. it’s worth noting, the author has thought through many common pitfalls beginners experience. this pedagogy of this book is based in experience and wisdom. do yourself a favor, prove to yourself you’re as good a swimmer as you think you are.

I’ve swam some before, never coached, just self taught. Now I’m training for my first Tri. This book gave really simple straightforward advice on technique that I hadn’t gotten anywhere else on YouTube or forums. The author relates with the beginner athletes and explains things in a way that understandable and easy to implement in practice. I’d suggest it.

Love the methodical breakdown of how to build a solid swimming foundation. Very easy to follow and the author doesn't overcomplicate the process. I feel highly confident I'm getting the best instruction in a book I can find to start my triathlon training journey. Highly recommend all of Taren's books on kindle. What a great way to have drills on your cellphone right with you!

The book makes many references to free videos that you must watch but the links provided in the book do not function.

The book is also easy to read as german and is full of practical exercises. I bought the book especially because I want to learn to swim from scratch. In addition, Taren also talks a lot about utensils that are useful for swimming. On vacation I read it in one go and started with the basic exercises, but as a crawl beginner you also need patience. In any case a good buy, I can definitely recommend.

I bought this after seeing Taren on You Tube, as I've always struggled with breathing whilst swimmingand never been comfortable. I'm a half decent rider and can run reasonably, 3km sub 14mins on a good day, but swimming comfortably has always eluded me. After reading and practicing the first set of drills, I found myself to be far more relaxed in the water, was able to breathe easier and was able to complete 400m in ten minutes. Not earth shattering quick, but half a minute quicker than my best and not exhausted at the end. It's an easy read, informative and has made( to me) a big difference in my swimming and my approach to swimming . Taren takes a no nonsense approach , I recommend this if you want to improve. It has made a vast difference to me already. Thank you Taren!! * Further to my review - I have been following the principles of this book and training method for a couple of weeks. In that time, my swimming has improved no end, but mostly I have now been able to swim 400 m comfortably and more than two minutes quicker than when I first started in June 2022. I have no doubt that Tarens methods have had a huge impact and I now have confidence that I didn't have before. An excellent book, get it if you want to improve.

CLEAR, COMPLETE, REALL USEFULL FOR ANY THRIATLETE WANTING TO IMPROVE HIS SWIM SKILLS. READ IN ONE DAY, FOLLOW FOR YOUR CARRIER.

Solid product without being too technical. Accompanying videos available for free on author's website.