Unstoppable With Shangrila Rendon

Are Your Swim Technique Drills Helping or Hurting?

Are Your Drills Helping or Hurting Your Freestyle?

Ever do a swim drill and think, “That felt worse”?

You’re doing the work but your swim pace isn’t improving.

It’s not because you’re not trying hard enough. You’re just not fixing your stroke the right way.

What if the drill that’s supposed to help is actually locking in bad habits? What if you’ve been working hard on the wrong thing without knowing it?

In this episode, I’m teaching and breaking down:
- Why more reps of the wrong thing can actually make you slower
- How to identify the invisible limiter that’s really holding your stroke back
- How to use the Freestyle Fix Map to stop guessing and finally get faster

✅ This is for you if:
- You’ve been drilling but not seeing speed gains
- You want to swim smarter not just finishing laps
- You want a self-check tool to see exactly what’s stalling your stroke

❌ Not for you if:
- You believe effort alone = improvement
- You don’t want to change how you’re training
- You prefer winging it with YouTube and hoping for the best

Finish 1st Ironman 2.4 mi Swim Strong At Age 60

You’re confident on the bike. Crushing the run. You may even have already climbed the world’s highest peaks. Your lungs are strong. Your endurance is solid...

😣 BUT you can’t swim 50 yards without stopping.

Legs sink. Confidence drops. Panic sets in and race day keeps getting closer.

That was Aamar just 6 weeks before Ironman Lake Placid.

Despite being a Boston Marathoner and mountaineer, he said:
“In the pool, I couldn’t even swim 50 yards without gasping.”

At age 60, staring down his first full Ironman, Aamar faced his biggest fear: the 2.4-mile open water swim.

He’d already tried it all:

• Master swim class
• Private swim coach
• Watched hundreds of YouTube videos

But none of it solved the real issue. It was the same story every time:
😣 Sinking Legs
😣 Heart raced
😣 Mind panicked
😣 Couldn’t finish 50 yards without stopping in pool

Even after completing two 70.3s, including Muskoka 70.3 at 3:10/100y pace, he still felt anxious and behind in the water.

This is a man who’s run 36 marathons, including 5 World Marathon Majors, 9 Boston marathons and climbed the world’s highest peaks.

Yet just 6 weeks out, he told us:
“Swimming is my weakness. I can’t float. I’ve never gone past 2,000 yards in training even with fins.”

He's 60 and strong. But he was stuck.

We coached him 100% remotely, and in just 6 weeks, Aamar went from:
❌ Barely surviving 50 yards
✅ To swimming 2.4 miles at 2:50/100y, calm, confident, and panic-free

He gained endurance, implemented technique, and swam faster than he did in his half Ironman!!!

He crushed the Ironman Lake Placid swim and now a proud Ironman Finisher

If you're strong on the bike and run but dread the swim, this episode is for you.

When Should I Actually Start Training For My 70.3?

"When should I actually start training for my 70.3?"

If that question’s been circling in your head, it’s because you know winging it won’t cut it.

Right now, a lot of athletes are:

-- Trying to get momentum after the holidays
-- Managing training on top of an already packed calendar
-- Debating whether to wait for better weather... or freak out because it’s January. And they know time moves fast

Here’s what most coaches won’t tell you:
It’s not just about your race date.

It’s about what your life looks like right now and what your body actually needs.

-- If you're juggling real life, family, and a big race goal...
-- If the swim still feels like your limiter...
-- If training feels aimless, rushed, or overwhelming...

This episode is for you.

We’ll break down when should YOU start training, based on your race date, life, goals, and current fitness.

Why Are Swimmers With Terrible Technique Still Faster Than Me?

Why do swimmers with “bad” technique still beat you?

Because you’re focusing on the wrong things.

Most athletes judge what they see above the water and completely miss what actually makes someone fast.

If you’ve been doing drills, cleaning up your stroke… and still feel slow, this is why.

In this episode:
🏊‍♂️ Why copying faster swimmers doesn’t work
🏊‍♂️ The hidden skills like breathing, balance, streamline & catch that actually make you faster
🏊‍♂️ The exact order to fix your technique so you stop guessing
🏊‍♂️ How to build real speed with our Freestyle Formula, combining technique, open water skills, speed sets, and distance work

If you’ve been training hard but your pace won’t improve, this explains it.

 

From Swim Panic to 1st Sprint Triathlon & Boston Marathon in 50s

From swim panic & old injuries to Boston Marathon + 1st Triathlon... yes, even in your 50s

You’re signed up for races but part of you is scared.

“What if I panic again in open water?”
“What if my knee pain comes back mid-run?”
“What if I’m not ready?"

Whether it’s your first triathlon or your 10th marathon training while dealing with fear, injuries, and a busy schedule isn’t easy.

But it’s possible to finish strong, pain-free, and confident even with:
- Past near-drowning experiences
- Recurring knee or back pain
- Full-time work

In this episode, we’ll walk through how to:
- Build back smart after injury
- Conquer open water panic
- Recover fast between back-to-back races
- Train with limited time and still hit BIG goals

This is for runners, triathletes, and late starters who want to do hard things without falling apart.

How Do I Fix My Swim Technique?

"How do I fix my swim technique?" 🤔🏊‍♂️

It’s a question many athletes ask themselves. 

Thinking about working on your technique this off-season?
Or maybe you’re stuck at the same pace, not sure why?

Does it feel like hitting fast paces is just luck, not consistency?
If something still isn’t clicking, you're not the only one.

But what if you could fix it... in just ONE month?

Join me for a FREE training breakdown of how to fix your swim technique!

This episode will give you clarity & the exact steps to:

✅ Fix your technique
✅ Structure your swim workouts intentionally
✅ Know exactly what to focus on during your training
✅ Understand why your pace hasn’t improved despite following YouTube drills
✅ Uncover common false beliefs athletes have about correcting technique

Don’t miss out. This is your chance to swim smarter and finally make real progress.

How to Finish a 70.3 & Full Ironman in 1 Weekend Injury-Free

Think your goals are too far away?

Jeremy started in construction, became an Ironworker, then moved up to Foreman and jobsite leader. And one day, he looked in the mirror and said:

“Wow, I’ve made it into the office, but physically, I have let myself go.”

He was overweight, out of shape and unhealthy then. He made a detour and got into Spartan Ultras.
When he reached out to me 2 years ago, he asked,

“Do you think I can do an Ironman? "I’m not a pure runner.”

The answer was “YES.”

He had no triathlon background.
Couldn’t swim a single lap.
Had a second-hand Peloton.
But he had a family he loved. A wife and daughter who believed in him.

And the rest is unstoppable.

🔥 7 months later that year: Jeremy became an Ironman.
🔥 1 year later: he swam 8.2 miles around Mackinac Island and has finished more 70.3 and Ironman Finisher.
🔥 This year, he finished another Ironman in April and crushed his longest bike ride - 200 mile gravel bike,

🔥 And on September he did something HUGE:
🏁 IM 70.3 Wisconsin: 6:51:44 (Day 1)
🏁 IM Wisconsin 140.6: 16:27:44 (Day 2) with 112 miles bike elevation gain of 6800 ft

ZERO injury

This is your invitation to see exactly how he did it.
✅ Mindset shifts that rewired how he trains
✅ The strategy that made Ironman feel possible
✅ The support system that helped him follow through without breaking down

💬 “This was one of the hardest things I’ve ever attempted to do... but I kept pushing.”

This episode is for you if you're:
➡️ Wondering if you have what it takes
➡️ Training inconsistently or stuck in doubt
➡️ Balancing family, work, and big endurance goals

If Your Legs Drop When You Breathe, This Is Why

“I’m pretty fit. I’m confident on the run. I’ve got decent speed on the bike. I swim regularly and follow the plan to the T. I put in the work.

So why do my legs drop the moment I turn to breathe?”

I’ve heard some version of that question over and over again from experienced, disciplined athletes.

Everything feels fine at first. The stroke feels smooth, the pacing steady, and there’s even a sense of control. And then the breath happens.

The hips sink just enough to notice. The kick speeds up, heart rate spikes and the effort suddenly feels higher than it should.

Not because the entire stroke fell apart. But because balance shifted.

Most athletes assume they just need more swim days. If they keep showing up, logging yards, and building fitness, it will eventually fix itself.

But often it doesn’t 

Some think it’s a breathing issue because they feel exhausted. What they don’t realize is that the legs are sinking, creating more drag, forcing the kick to work harder than it should.

So the focus shifts to the kick. Kick harder or stop kicking. Or rely more on the pull buoy, buoyant pants or snorkel. Even choosing races where swims are assisted or wetsuit-legal because they feel safer. 

Distance gets logged on their Garmin/Apple watch, Strava or Training Peaks. Confidence feels temporarily restored.

But the real issue is still there.
Legs dropping.
Disciplined endurance athletes do what they always do... they push through it.
They normalize it... until race day exposes it.

And that’s the part that frustrates them the most.
Because the fitness is there but on race day, it doesn’t translate.

At some point, it becomes clear that just showing up and working harder isn’t the answer.
And that’s exactly what I’m breaking down in this episode.

This episode breaks down:
- why legs drop specifically during breathing
- what actually shifts in the body
- why kicking harder makes the problem worse, and
- how to recognize whether this is the real limiter.

Swim Plateau & Open Water Confidence Breakthrough: From 2:33 to 1:47 Min / 100 Yards

Stuck at 2:35 pace with sinking legs?
Not confident in open water?
Worried about your next triathlon race coming up?

Carlos was too.
He’s a single dad of 3. Once weighed 350 lbs.
And swimming was his weakest sport.

But that didn’t stop him.

✅ He finished his first full Ironman swim in 1 hour 34 minutes, even though 2.4 miles was the longest distance he’d ever swum at the time.

Then, just 3 months later…

🔥 He swam 8.5 miles around Mackinac Island, solo and self-supported, with total confidence.

📌 During Training:
Only 2 open water workouts
98% pool-based training using Faster Freestyle Formula
No in-person swim coaching
All while still running, cycling, and lifting weights

🔥 Not only he gained endurance, he recently held a 1:47 pace on a 700-yard TT, and now crushes 1:30–1:40 pace on shorter intervals, with ease.

If you’ve been logging laps, grinding through drills, but still feel slow, stuck, or unprepared for race day...

This episode will show you exactly how athletes like Carlos unlock massive gains, even when time, coaching, and open water are limited.

Why Swim Breathing Fails on Race Day

You were ready. So why did it feel like you were drowning 300 meters in?

You showed up to race day prepared. You did the work, followed the plan and hit your paces in the pool. You also finished the distance in open water. Training felt controlled, predictable and solid.

And then the gun goes off, and suddenly your breathing spikes, your stroke shortens, your heart rate shoots up, and the swim feels twice as hard as it ever did in practice. It doesn’t make sense.

You were ready. So why does it unravel when it actually counts?

This episode is for the athletes who walked away from a race surprised and disappointed because the swim didn’t reflect their training.

And it’s also for those preparing for their first triathlon... because you don’t know what you don’t know, and understanding this now could completely change how you train and how you show up on race day.

In this episode, I’m breaking down:
- what really happens to your stroke under race pressure,
- why breathing is usually the first thing to collapse, and
- how one small breakdown can trigger the cascade that makes you feel like you’re fighting the water instead of moving through it.

It’s not just about fitness and it's definitely not about “just relaxing.” It’s about understanding what breaks and why, so you can stop guessing and start fixing the right thing.

If you’ve ever felt calm in training but overwhelmed on race day, this episode is for you.