About TraPlaGo and Why I Created It
TraPlaGo by NuInnovate Customer-Problem Fit
Homepage: https://traplago.com
Product Lifecycle Stage: ✅ Idea / Customer-Problem Fit
Overview
TraPlaGo, an innovative approach to one aspect of swim training: TraPlaGo generates creative and fun swim plans for you - whenever you want!
In this article I tell you a bit about the Why, the How and the What of TraPlaGo.
Check out the product itself on traplago.com.
About
Hi! I'm Kai Mindermann, the CEO of NuInnovate GmbH - with the vision of creating a world where every improvement serves a meaningful purpose.
Why did I create TraPlaGo
Almost all my conscious life, I have been a professional or semi-professional swimmer, so was performing swimming as a sport. Sometimes very frequently - If I remember correctly like up to 9 training sessions per week - and sometimes less frequently. It was adapting when my life changed, e.g. starting studying, new job, girlfriend. But overall I was going swimming consistently.
Yet, during the 2020 pandemic, it got disrupted. When the pools reopened and the teams got back to the pool, I did not get back to it regularly, only very infrequently. Similarly, the connections to former swimmers got looser and looser. This was not what I was used to and I did not like it!
In 2023, I started to go swimming again - during some of my lunch breaks. After I think one or two weeks, I already increased the session length from 2 km to 4 km. The training plan was always the same, swim 5 times 200 m. Each 200 m broken down in 100 m freestyle and 100 m backstroke. Break 10 seconds after each 200 m. After 1000 m break for 60 seconds and then do it again, for another 3 times to reach 4 km.
That plan was not very creative, but for some months it got me to focus on and most often reach the 4 km.
When I went swimming, it was difficult to push myself for more than moderate intensities. Over time, I got bored and was less motivated and also skipped parts of the plan - meaning - I left early. At some point, not even half a year in again, I stopped going completely, and did not get back to it for the rest of the year! Sometimes I thought about swimming different plans but did not want to spend the time on creating or looking for them, because I wanted to get over it in the lunch break.
I think this was the key point at which I noticed: Hey Kai, when you just want to get it over with, what you are doing doesn't really sound motivating and fun at all.
So I thought about which aspects could be made more motivating and more fun for me, that I would enjoy going swimming more and would have a higher chance of continuing with it.
One aspect is the training plans. If they were more creative and also would include concrete items with specific intensities and variation, I think I would be following them more. I knew very well, from the past 10+ years of professional swim training, that also any plan could lead to me not being able to achieve parts of it. But I also knew from that experience: If I would not only have the plan somehow in my mind, but it would be created and shown to me - just like a trainer would tell you based on the plan created for you or your team - I would be more likely to just follow the plan and not overthink it and then leave it or not do it!
There are many plans and complete, really sophisticated, training programs available on the web, both free and paid. Yet, the ones I looked at seemed boring and too targeted in one direction. I had no concrete goal other than love going to swim again, regularly.
That's when I decided to built TraPlaGo.
How did I create TraPlaGo
How did I create TraPlaGo? This is what I did, basically:
- Write down a few swim training plans from the top of my head - based on my experience as swimmer and the plans I swam.
- Determine how these plans are structured, both generally and for each of the elements (like exercises and/or series).
- Abstract this structure into an algorithm.
- Provide the algorithm with the possible variations for the elements, as well as basic limits or ranges (like how long the overall plan should be).
- Put the algorithm into computer code and deploy it with a nice website which has a button to click on to generate a new swim training plan!
Of course, there are many unique challenges to actually create plans that are within some range of being creative but still possible. Integration of fundamental training principles and methodologies is relevant, too. Also, extensive expert experience and validation is needed to add enough variability and to keep it fun during frequent use.
What is TraPlaGo
TraPlaGo generates creative and fun swim plans for you - whenever you want!
The above-mentioned algorithm takes your custom configuration, with all what you want or expect from the swim training plan, and creates as many plans as you want. You can repeat the process until you got one that suits you.
At the time of writing the TraPlaGo algorithm focuses on versatility in all included dimensions. It can be tailored through deactivation of some elements or by setting the focus on some specific elements. For example, if you configure the Focus Distance to 50 m, TraPlaGo will create plans that contain distances more closely to 50 m, though not exclusive. Series with distances of more or less than 50 m are also still included, to keep the versatility as well as to ensure the training is effective.
In general, also at the time of writing, TraPlaGo is intended for people who have already learned swimming and just need a plan for their next swimming session. TraPlaGo does not replace a professional swim trainer, who can correct your technique or provides you personal exercises.
See below a Screenshot of the TraPlaGo Start Page:
See below a Screenshot of the TraPlaGo Configuration Dialogue with the different available configuration choices. Like how long the plan should be, what the length of the lane is, what kind of disciplines and equipment to include:
Business Model
When I have created a business model with it, I'll explain it here at some point.
Further Information
This article is only intended to provide some basic information about TraPlaGo. More information can be found on the TraPlaGo homepage itself, of course.