While Strava, Runkeeper and dozens of other fitness apps have ensured that runners and cyclists are catered for when it comes to tracking and social networking, swimmers aren’t as well served.
The main reason for that is obvious – electronics don’t play well with water. However, with even smartphones becoming waterproof nowadays, there’s more scope than ever to help swimmers with a comprehensive tracking and coaching platform.
Speedo aims to claim this space with the beta launch of Speedo On, a website (that’s also slick on a smartphone browser) that syncs with waterproof trackers to provide a one-stop shop for all your tracking and social networking needs. Garmin and Misfit trackers are already compatible, with more expected to follow.
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But perhaps the most attractive aspect of Speedo On is the variety of training plans available. There’s something to suit the needs of any swimmer, whether you’re aiming to improve the swim section of your triathlon, fine-tuning your front crawl technique, or just trying to get fitter. You can also select a plan based on your availability – the minimum seems to be two workouts a week, while other programmes expect you to hit the pool almost every day.
You don’t need a compatible tracker to log your workouts and follow these plans – you can manually input the data. However, for in-depth analysis a tracker is useful for providing accurate data, swim-specific stats like your SWOLF score, or stepping in when memory fails.
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There’s also a series of articles that provide advice on anything and everything to do with swimming, and should Speedo’s plans for a thriving social network of swimmers come to fruition you can expect plenty of motivation and tips from your fellow users. There’s also a Challenges section, where you can complete goals to earn virtual badges. Who doesn’t like a virtual badge?
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You can sign up for Speedo On for free at on.speedo.com, which will give you access to a bundle of training plans and analysis. For even more data and the complete range of training plans, there’s a premium option which costs £5.99 a month or £39.99 a year.
