Swim technique

In TriCoo, you choose a swimming technique goal, and the plan selects drills and short freestyle cues based on your settings. This practice does not guarantee faster swimming or mastery of a skill.

Goal and drills#

In plan settings, on the "Swimming" card, you pick one goal: feel for the water, body position and balance, breathing to both sides, kick, or rhythm and continuity. If you don't pick one, the plan uses "feel for the water" and adds only a cue to regular freestyle, without drills.

The same card holds your level, what you already swim with and where you usually swim. Drills are selected only when "I swim front crawl on my own" is ticked: without it regular freestyle may get cues, but no drills are assigned.

Drill → freestyle link#

Every drill sits in a link: one pool length of the drill, then two lengths of regular freestyle without equipment with a short cue on what to carry over. A length ends at the wall, so links are set in metres, not by a timer. If the estimated time for one pool length exceeds the planning limit for that drill, the plan selects a familiar alternative for the same goal or leaves regular freestyle with a suitable cue. If no suitable cue is available, freestyle remains without one. The time estimate is approximate: you do not need to speed up to meet it.

A freestyle cue gives you one thing to focus on during a segment. On an existing segment, it adds no time or distance and does not change the prescribed intensity.

How the plan places technique#

• In a suitable easy swim, the plan may place drill–freestyle links after the warm-up. The time budget depends on your level, training phase and session duration. Regular sessions shorter than 30 minutes have no block of links. If no suitable drills are available or the links do not fit, regular freestyle remains with an allowed cue or without one. When time is limited, technique work is reduced to preserve the main set.
• A separate technique session requires your selection, at least two swims a week and a suitable easy session. It does not replace intense work, tests or key swims; at least one of the longest main sessions is preserved. No separate technique session is assigned during the taper.
• During the taper, only drills marked "I do this" before it began and included in the familiar set for that taper are eligible. That set can only shrink. If the links do not fit, the plan keeps a familiar cue or regular freestyle without a new cue.

Drill marks#

On the "Swim drills" screen every entry has a "what to watch" description and three marks. "I do this" means you know the drill and can perform it. "Don't like" and "Can't do" remove it from the plan until you clear the mark yourself. Nothing random is swapped in: a removed drill is replaced by a familiar one for the same goal or by regular freestyle with a cue.

Marks also apply to freestyle cues. If a suitable cue is excluded and no allowed alternative is available, regular freestyle remains without a cue.

Equipment#

Tick equipment you already use for regular freestyle, not just equipment you own. Before and after a drill with equipment, the plan allows time at the wall to put it on and take it off; take longer if needed. The following freestyle segment is without equipment.

The plan assigns small paddles only at the "Easy and long-time front crawl" level: a familiar task at an easy effort, after the warm-up and entirely within the first half of the session, for no more than 10% of swimming time excluding rest at the wall. Large paddles are not assigned automatically.

The plan assigns no equipment during the transition period. Small paddles are also excluded when starting a plan without sufficient training history, when returning to swimming after a break and during a deload week. During the taper, drills with equipment are eligible only if they belong to the previously fixed familiar set.

Venue of one session and open water#

On a swim card you can change the venue: 25 m pool, 50 m pool or open water. Pool drills are not assigned in open water. The plan may add one allowed open-water cue; if none is suitable, the swim follows the workout structure without a cue. For the "feel for the water" and "kick" goals, a sighting cue addresses open-water conditions and does not mean the selected skill is being practised. Open water is assigned only if you have confirmed you swim with a buddy or support escort, or at an organised session. Don't swim alone.

Sunday card#

When your week review is ready and next week has a swim, a card appears under "Next week" showing the technique ahead. "All good" changes nothing in the plan, "Change" opens the same fields as in settings. If a goal has been held for four weeks, the card asks whether to keep or switch it. No answer — your settings apply.

What we don't promise#

We do not have direct evidence that TriCoo's weekly layout, proportion of technique work or drill doses are optimal for adult amateur triathletes. These are initial planning rules that may be revised. We do not promise faster swimming, lower energy cost or mastery of a skill from an individual drill or four weeks spent on a goal.

Stroke count is a descriptive observation under comparable conditions. It does not prove mastery of a skill and does not control training load, readiness or CSS. The catalogue does not replace instruction from a coach; learning to swim from scratch is outside the scope of the self-directed plan.