In 2012, triathlete Pete Jacobs made his dream come true. After nine years as a pro, he was crowned IRONMAN® World Champion in Kona. Not content to rest on his laurels, he installed an Endless Pools Fastlane® Pro current system for at-home swim training. In advance of the 2015 IRONMAN World Championship presented by GoPro, we asked Pete three questions about his newest training tool.
1. Why Pete chose the Fastlane Pro system by Endless Pools
“My first swim against an Endless Pools current was many years ago at a triathlon expo. It was a tough workout, realistic to normal swim stroke, and being able to be watched or watch others swim on the spot is a huge benefit.
“Jaimie [Pete’s wife, an age-grouper] and I decided to put a pool in at our house in a very small area surrounded by a deck and our house on 3 sides. We wanted an in-ground pool, 3m x 6m, which obviously is not large enough to swim laps in, so I was excited by the prospect of swimming on the spot, any time of day or night without having to travel to a pool.
“I looked at other options, but nothing came close to the power and feel of the Fastlane. Also, dealing with a company that has been so involved with triathlon for so long is a nice bonus of confidence and service.”
2. How Pete trains in his Fastlane
“It took a few different approaches to get to know more about the Fastlane. At first I tested out the power of it, swimming against it at full speed, resting to the back wall, then sprinting up to it again. I then tried longer sustained swimming at a medium pace.
“I always think about my technique and alter it constantly. I can change my stroke freely, from long gliding strokes to a much faster turnover, deep catch or a higher bent elbow, and many other smaller changes, and I found different results against the Fastlane. Long slow strokes are much more of a strength workout, as the water at catch level is not moving relative to you, as it is when you are moving doing laps, so the resistance is much stronger. It’s great to work on feeling the catch from the very front to the very back of the stroke.
“I’m still playing around with other techniques, just like people do when they practice drills. I change my technique to get a better feel for the water, and when it comes to a proper session, the most efficient technique just falls into place depending on the pace of my effort.”
3. What's the Fastlane’s impact on Pete’s swim
“It has already made a difference. An easy 10-minute swim after a run feels great. A few minutes water-running and swimming at my home, even when time is short, is now something I will treasure.
“And the ability to get in the water and just play on my own, with no one watching, I can be as young as I want and swim however I want. I can swim against, under, through, or with, a beautiful river of water in my own home. That relaxed state of swimming will have a great impact on my future races.”