Swimming Masters not necessarily good for a triathlete? Whoa! Hang on a second! Where does one get off coming to that conclusion? Well, having swum, and coached, in and out of Masters groups, I can say with certainty that in getting ready for your big event, it's best to do what you need to do. But in general, while Masters swimming can be a useful tool, in the interest of preparing specifically for the longer durations you'll face in triathlon racing, it's best to branch outside the box and focus on specificity.

Let's start with why Masters swim workouts are good. There's the group atmosphere, the social commitment of "having to be there" and the presence of a coach on deck who can point out inaccuracies with your stroke, write up all your workouts for you and hopefully be a highly motivating and positive enforcer. For the beginner triathlete or swimmer these are all huge positives, but let's take this one step further.

In a typical Masters group, it's possible that you might get either too much drill work and not enough aerobic stress or too short of swim durations and too long of rest intervals. Think of it this way: When you first started running, did you go to the track for every workout? When you go for bike rides, do you stop every three minutes?

You're now into your second, third or perhaps seventh or eighth season of swimming and racing. Naturally, you're not as concerned with your technique as you are with your fitness. Getting faster is your focus and a faster swim split your goal. You've spent the latter half of last fall and all winter long going to the pool five days a week with your Masters swim squad. You've done the drills and you've done the hard sets. You've put in the work and you're beginning to see the reward. But now spring is approaching and with it that first race of the season. Your swim squad presses on with more 50s and 300s, but you begin to wonder about that 1,900-meter half-Ironman swim you have coming up. Here's where getting out and swimming on your own trumps traditional Masters swimming.

To become good at anything, in this case swimming that 1,900-meter open-water leg efficiently, it's imperative that your training mimics the race. Rather than continue with the general, it's time you get specific. Therefore, roughly two months before your event, begin following a race-specific program. Now, just extend this thinking to the bike and run and you'll do great in that first big race!

Once a week, get in for a longer, easy straight swim. Think of it like your long bike ride. Insert small spurts of steady effort into the middle of your workout, after you have warmed up. If the weather is warm enough where you live, you can do this as an open-water swim.

Twice a week insert a set that totals around 2,000 meters in length using longer distances and shorter intervals. For example, 4x500s on 15 to 20 seconds rest. Your effort should be about tempo/L3-equivalent to your race- pace tempo run.

If you are looking to fit in more swims per week, then head back to your Masters group and swim a lane or two down from the squad. Use it as a recovery swim, to try for a little extra quickness or to get additional feedback on your evolving technique.

As the race season progresses, continue to follow your race-specific workouts. If there is a long time before your next "specific prep" phase, go back to your speed work (e.g., 6-10x100s on very limited rest), return to some more focused drill work or revisit the Masters group and seek out that same boost that your focused winter work gave you.

All in all, while Masters programs are great for the beginning swimmer or triathlete, if you want to tear through the water at your first big race of '08, you need to break from the group and train specifically for your distance and race conditions.

Mark Van Akkeren knows his way around the water. The newly turned pro logged the fastest overall swim split at the 2007 Ironman Hawaii and will surely be a force to be reckoned with in 2008. For more information on the Boulder, Colorado-based athlete and coach, visit his blog at http://trimarkyv.blogspot.com and his coaching site Race Faster Multisport Coaching.