Coffee with Coaches Summary - Nick S. · Tri-Loco Triathlon Community

Coffee with Coaches Summary - Nick S.

General Intro:

My name is Nick Sommers. I've been a competitive swimmer for 13 years and an endurance triathlete for 4. I joined the locos in 2023 and have loved the group ever since. I met Josh at tri-indy in 2022 which prompted my entry to the team. I've completed 4 Fulls, 7 Half's and various other sprint and oly tri's in the midwest. I'm based out of Avon and Crawfordsville (for college) and currently swim for Wabash Swimming and Diving. My upcoming races for 2026 are Ironman Canada, 70.3 Happy Valley, and I'm Guiding a para-athlete for the 70.3 Muncie swim.

Me as a Coach:

As a swimmer, I've also been a technique coach for my local team and have trained a few athletes to complete a 70.3 swim comfortably. My focus is on technique. Technique is obviously the building block for speed which is why I like to spend my sessions with clients in person. I offer sessions starting at $45/hr and will travel to you to administer said sessions.

I know that some people are not in the Indianapolis area which makes in person training tough but I can also extend my services through direct message. I want to work with your commitments and give the best advice possible to help you become comfortable swimming and racing. Please check out the coaches page in the classroom for more information and my contact points.

Swim Training and Equipment:

Equipment and training are two things that budding swimmers often struggle with. I've tried many different products and have a few recommendations.

Goggles: Arena Cobra Swipe or the Speedo Speed Socket are two great options for goggles. Those two are at very different price points but are great options for durability, visibility, and fit.

Fins: I recommend the Arena Pro 2 short fins for building leg strength, recovery, and comfort. They

Kickboard: any, just get one, can be super simple. Also great for recovery day.

pull buoy: any, just get one, can be super simple. Pull buoys are super great for building upper body strength and growing comfort after we tweak technical pieces of your stroke

Watches and Misc: Ditch the watch. No great swimmer wears a watch for training. If you really need something to keep time, use an analog clock that they have on the wall. The reason that you shouldn't wear a watch is that its unreliable (time to stop and restart between intervals). Also, it prompts you to look at the metrics as opposed to feel, which can lead to burnout and inefficient training.

Training-wise, don't use ChatGPT, their swim sets are weak and don't understand what type of athlete you are. I recommend spending more time warming up for the main sets, take it out slow and controlled, ramp up for the main set, and then take a longer time to cool down. Not only will this add to your yardage, but the warm-up and cool-down yards should ideally be extremely controlled and smooth efforts. I am fully able to create sets for you as well. very soon, I may be adding "Swim Set Saturdays" where I pick a workout that I did throughout the week and drop it on skool.

Final Thoughts for the Offseason:

It's okay to bulk up a little bit. If you're like me and gain in the winter, then lose in the summer, it's all a part of the process. Use the food-based and food-heavy holidays to bulk up, be with family/friends, and unwind a little. That doesn't mean going out and being rowdy all winter, but rather to indulge responsibly in food, drink, and events. Don't forget about your goals!!

Schedule your races early so that they're in your mind and there's already a financial burden behind them. It also helps guide early training plans, which is why I press for signing up early. Hotels for Ironman races are also super expensive and fill up early (get yourself good accommodations!). Finally, take care of your mental health. Winters are very challenging for me because of the college swim season, but that isn't just unique to me. Seasonal depression is real, and when it's cold outside, tri training becomes a lot more challenging to do. You are loved, valued, and respected. Stay crazy LOCO's!!! <--- please ask me any questions or concerns that you may have.

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