Hi Swimmers
I was looking back through our Swim Smooth GURU development notes this week and realised just how much has changed over the last 12 months.
But before I get into that, I wanted to share a brilliant bit of news from Queensland.
Three of our swimmers, Yolanda Carstens, Simone Blaser and Nicolee Martin, have just completed the 20km swim around Great Keppel Island, taking just under seven hours in some seriously rough conditions:
And here’s something I particularly love about this story: Yolanda and Nicolee are both 61 years young, whilst Simone has just celebrated her 48th birthday! Happy birthday Simone!
All three have been training with our Perth Swim Smooth Squads and using the GURU to guide their preparation, track their training loads and, importantly, strike that delicate balance between doing enough to be ready for such an arduous challenge without overdoing things along the way.
Because that’s the thing about preparing for a 20km open-water swim. It’s not simply about cramming in as many kilometres as possible. It’s about progressively building the fitness, endurance and resilience to cope with whatever the ocean throws at you. And by all accounts, Great Keppel Island threw plenty at them!
A massive congratulations to all three. What a wonderful example of smart, consistent training paying off, and a reminder that age needn’t be a barrier to taking on something extraordinary.
It’s funny, really. When you’re involved in something every day, you tend to notice the things that still need fixing rather than appreciating how far you’ve come!
But stories like this remind me why we’ve invested so much time into developing the GURU in the first place. And the GURU is not just for those of you wanting to swim 20km!!! We’ve designed it to help everyone: whether you’re learning to swim freestyle from scratch or are preparing for a big triathlon or open water swimming event!
What struck me wasn’t necessarily the number of updates we’ve made. It was how many of them relate to the little decisions we all make before, during and after a swim.
So rather than bore you with a list of software updates, I thought I’d share five practical ideas you can try this week, whether you’re a regular GURU user, haven’t logged in for ages, or simply want to get a little more from your swimming.
1. Take the Guesswork Out of Your Next Session
Ever arrived at the pool wondering what to swim?
Here’s something to try: rather than defaulting to another steady 2km, ask yourself what your swimming actually needs today.
Technique? Endurance? Threshold development?
We’ve been refining our Session Roulette feature so you can now select a particular session category and let the GURU suggest something within it.
It’s a lovely way of introducing variety without sacrificing the structure that makes training effective, and is now also on the iOS app!
Try this: Pick a session type you wouldn’t normally choose this week. You might surprise yourself!
What’s the Difference Between Version 1 and Version 2 Sessions and Training Plans?
This is probably one of the biggest changes we’ve made, and it’s worth explaining because both versions offer something slightly different.
Version 1 Sessions were originally built around a single workout we’d delivered on the pool deck here in Perth. Our rather clever Intelligent Scaler could then make that session longer or shorter to suit your ability. It’s a great feature, but occasionally the scaling doesn’t quite replicate how we’d coach the session in person.
Version 2 Sessions take a different approach. They’re based directly on the four versions of each session we typically deliver to Lanes 1–4 in Perth. In other words, what you’re seeing in the GURU is exactly what our swimmers have been doing with us on the pool deck!
We’ve also made switching between pool lengths easier, with updated CSS targets, clearer on-screen instructions and improved PDF printouts showing precisely how to use your FINIS Tempo Trainer Pro. Less head-scratching on the poolside!
The training plans have evolved too.
Version 1 Plans are highly configurable. You specify your ability, how many times you want to swim each week, your target event and how long you have to prepare.
Version 2 Plans offer three distinct approaches:
Training to Train: Structured progression without a particular race in mind. Our 10-week CSS Development Programme is a great example, with progressively faster CSS targets to keep you challenged.
Training to Race: Event-specific preparation, such as our 20-week Rottnest Channel Swim programme. Everyone follows the same overall structure, but your CSS pace and appropriate session version make the training personal to you.
Training for Fitness: Shorter, straightforward sessions to help maintain consistency when you simply want to feel fitter and enjoy your swimming.
All Version 2 plans also have predictive sTSS as well, so you can both visualise where your training efforts will theoretically take you, and equally, where you might come ‘unstuck’ when life inevitably gets in the way! It’s a great feature to keep you on track and show you what is realistic given your life outside of swimming.
And here’s another important development: you no longer necessarily need a GURU subscription to follow one of our event-specific plans.
We’ve introduced individual pay-per-plan options, allowing you to purchase a particular programme outright. Our UltraSwim 33.3 training plans are a perfect example. If you’ve got a specific event on the horizon, you can access the structured preparation you need without committing to an ongoing subscription.
Try this: Have a look at the Version 2 Sessions and consider which of the three training approaches best suits where you are with your swimming right now.
2. Don’t Let Your Pool Length Fool You
One of the most common mistakes I see is swimmers assuming their CSS pace should be identical in a 25m and 50m pool.
It shouldn’t!
Those extra turns in a shorter pool make a meaningful difference, especially when you’re trying to hit precise training intensities.
We’ve recently improved the GURU’s pool-length conversion functionality to help adjust your CSS and session targets when switching between pools.
Try this: If you regularly alternate between 25m and 50m pools, check whether your training paces account for the difference. That seemingly small adjustment could transform how manageable your sessions feel.
3. Build Your Own Little Coaching Toolkit
We all have favourite sessions, don’t we?
Mine would probably include a good Goldilocks set, a challenging Red Mist session and, of course, my trusty Monday 10 × 400m!
But the same principle applies to technique.
Perhaps there’s a particular drill that helps your catch, or a video that reminds you how to improve your breathing.
The GURU now allows you to save favourite sessions and coaching videos, making it easier to revisit the things that work for you.
Try this: Identify three sessions and three technique reminders that you’d happily return to throughout the year. Variety is important, but so is consistency.
4. Look Beyond the Distance on Your Watch
We’ve spent a considerable amount of time improving Garmin and Apple Watch integration, including activity syncing, open-water distance calculations and workout summaries.
But here’s the coaching point: collecting more data doesn’t automatically make you a better swimmer.
Understanding what that data means does.
Instead of simply celebrating another 3km in the bank, consider whether your pacing was consistent, whether you maintained your stroke rhythm, and how the effort compared with previous sessions.
Try this: Look back at two similar swims from the last month. What can you learn from the comparison?
5. Make Your Progress Personal
We’ve also made it easier to navigate your swimming history and personalise activities with your own photographs.
That might sound cosmetic, but I think there’s something rather lovely about building a record of your swimming that captures more than numbers.
The sunrise swim you nearly skipped. Your first uninterrupted kilometre. That open-water session where everything suddenly clicked.
Those moments matter.
Try this: Find one swim from the last month that you’re genuinely proud of. Not necessarily your fastest or longest. Just one that reminded you why you love swimming.
The Technology Changes. The Philosophy Doesn’t.
When we started developing the GURU, the ambition was never simply to create another training app.
It was to make the knowledge, structure and encouragement you’d experience with a great Swim Smooth Coach more accessible to swimmers everywhere.
We’re still working towards that goal, and there are plenty more improvements to come.
But if you haven’t explored the GURU recently, perhaps this is a good week to rediscover it.
And if you have, I’d genuinely love to know: which feature do you find most useful, and what’s the one thing you’d still love us to improve?
After all, some of our best ideas have come from swimmers just like you.
Thanks for reading! Your Coach, Paul.
