THE POWER OF PERSEVERANCE

 

"The power of perseverance is the ability to keep going towards your goals despite challenges, failures and setbacks that you encounter along the way."  

In previous posts we have discussed "the process" that is involved in swimming and how as you work through that process you will encounter road blocks that you need to work through.

Logan and I are working hard on having a plan on getting you to your goals both physically and mentally.  We see a swimmers who spend a lot of time in the pool just meandering up and down the pool without attention to the little things that affect you on the day of your races.  While it is true that there is no substitute for "HARD WORK",  it is important that you work hard in a smart way.  

When you develop the discipline in the way you swim you create the resilience, confidence, and character that create growth opportunities that will help you through those rough patches.

Put yourself in the illustration on the left where you swim into many different obstacles and you need to find the mindset, resilience, the grit and the persistence to get to the finish line.

MINDSET:  The ability to accept a challenge and viewing those challenges as opportunities to step up and get after it.  The mindset not to fear that challenge as a threat.

RESILIENCE:  When you hit a setback, you have the discipline to use it as a learning experience and bounce back next time out.  This bounce back may take several meets, over a number of weeks or months.  You will bounce back.

GRIT:  The ability to develop the stamina and passion to work towards your goals when things get hard and not back away.

PERSISTENCE:  Despite the difficulties and and obstacles that are hurled at you, there is that mindset that allows you to keep going.

WORK OUT OF THE WEEK

Warm up

400 free

4x100 @1:30 (25IMO+75 free)  #4 is all IM

4x50 kick@1:00 boards (E-F/ F-E/  E/  ALL FAST)

HUMP DAY WEDNESDAY

5x100 free @1:25

4x75 IMO @1:15 (fast walls)

1 x50 kick fast 1:10

RESET

4X100 FREE @1:25

4X75 IMO @1:15 (fast walls)

2x50 kick fast @1:10

RESET

3x100 free @1:25

4x75 @1:15 IMO (fast walls)

3x50 kick fast @1:10

RESET

2x100 free @1:25

4x75 IMO @1:15

4x50 kick fast @1:10

RESET

1x100 free fast with fins (2 seconds under your best)

JINGLE BELL RELAYS

WHICH DAY DO YOU LIKE?

 

Do you feel better during workouts?  Just something to take your mind off the next couple of weeks.  Those of you who showed up over the holiday weekend did a great job and thank you for showing up and putting in the effort.   We had a big IM workout on Friday morning that looked like this; 

4 rounds of the following

• 4x25 fly
• 2x75 back
• 4x50 breast to free
• 100 free fast

We followed that with a HIT workout on Saturday where you all were awesome.

GET READY FOR THIS WEEK AHEAD

LEARNING

 As part of the learning process in this sport it is important to reflect on this past weekend and all of your races, the good, the bad and the ugly.  This is where a journal would be good.  A place to reflect on what went well, what did not go the way you had hoped and what you can take back to the pool and work on for the next time out.

Some thoughts that might be included are your physical feelings.  How did your body feel during warmups and the races.  How was your energy level.

How did you feel emotionally?  How did you deal with your nerves?  What was your mindset behind the blocks?  Acknowledge all your feelings good or bad so that you are in a better position next time out.

Did you execute your plan which includes warmups and warm downs, what you had to eat and drink.  It all matters. 

Write down any coaches feedback that you received.  This is important as we hear coaches give feedback after a race only to see the same swimmer Monday repeating the very same thing we discussed incorrectly.

Always finish by writing down what you did well, did not do well during the meet and the steps your going to take to fix it before the next time out.

SWIM and ROCK WRAP

We had a good weekend.  The areas that we have been working on in workouts is starting to manifest itself in your races and all of you should be very proud.   Everyone should have talked to a coach over the weekend.  Take those things with you and target them and focus on getting better in those areas.

Trust the process.  The plan is working and coming together like a puzzle.  Let’s keep putting the pieces together.

The end of every swim brings with it the opportunity to take a look at yourself and evaluate yourself, and where you are at this point of the season.  Competition is not only a chance to see where you are in your current training but also a chance to look to the future and make adjustments and tweak areas that will allow you down that road to success.

Determine what you need to tweak and work on so that you are able to move forward and improve future performances.  

SPLITS -  Why do coaches take them?  Why are they important?  First off we give them to you as a tool for your tool box.  A tool that will help you set up race strategies and pacing.  You’re looking for how you took the race out, how you paced the middle and how you finished the race.  You are not going to win many races off the start BUT you can definitely lose the race at the start.  Something to remember.

TURNS- a great area that regardless of your talent level you can make up speed to help your result.  On the other hand it’s an area where swimmers often take for granted, they slow down into the wall which slows your speed off the wall.  The result is a lot of stop and go which require you to use extra energy to get back up to speed.   How to correct it?  Take every wall in workout as if it’s the one that will get you to the result you’re looking for.  Hard? For sure.  That’s where your focus and discipline will start working for you.

OVERALL TIME-  Every little thing that you work on and can improve on like starts, breakouts, streamlines, underwater kicks, breathing patterns, pacing and finishes gives you a chance to improve your overall time.  They add up throughout your race.  

CLIMBING the MOUNTAIN

 Question.  Is it a goal or a habit?  Is one more important than the other?  

GOAL- a goal is something that you set before you set out, before you take that first step.  For you it may look like this;

• I’m going to go a P.B. at the next meet.
• I will make a 14 and under champ cut this year.
• I will make a ISCA cut this year.
• I will get into the mixed age relay.

HABIT- a habit is something that you work on and create overtime.  It’s something that can become monotonous and takes a lot of repetition.  In your swimming they may look like this;

• I will be on time for practice
• I will be present and prepared for a great effort
• I’m going to hit all my underwater’s strong off every wall, today, tomorrow, next week, next month.
• I will push my tempo on all my race sets.
• I will take responsibility and not make excuses.
• Most athletes regardless of their sport only focuses on the big goal.  It feels good, it’s fulfilling, it like getting to the mountaintop where you perceive some type of greatness only to realize that there will always be another mountain to climb.  It’s the climb to the mountain top that in itself is fragile with rocks, cliffs, holes, anything to throw you to fall off the mountain and suffer setbacks.  Challenges that you face as you climb your mountain are;
• a missed practice.
• a bad practice
• a bad set, a bad repeat
• a underachieving race or meet
• a competitor who beats you and you know they shouldn’t 

The habits that you create during practice will help you as you climb the mountain.  They give you the

confidence to get up when you fall, the confidence to move on to the next race and keep working the process.   Don’t forget this simple thought, “failure is what happens when you decide you failed.”  Until then, you’re always looking for ways to improve and get to where you want to be.  Success and failure are 100% mental.  

SETS FROM LAST WEEK

IM SET FOCUS WAS OUR STREAMLINES AND BREAK OUTS TO FAST SWIMMING

10 rounds

25 fly@30

25 back @30

25 breast @30

75 free @1:45 (25 build to fast turn 25 fast to touch 25 easy kick on back

RACE SET WITH FINS (fast/easy) with fins focus was to work our speed getting out than holding it off turns and finally finishing with strong kick.

4x50 @1:00 (15/35)

Rest 15

3x50 @1:00 (35/15)

Rest 15

2x50 @1:00 (all fast)

WINNING OUT OF THE POOL

 

In honor of Veterans Day we will be doing our 11-11-11 practice.  For you swimmers who don’t know what those numbers signify we will have to go back in history.

In 1918 an armistice was arranged to take place to end hostilities in WW1  at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month and later to become official with the Treaty of Versailles. 

President Wilson declared November 11 a national holiday to honor veterans.  My father who served in the navy and was stationed in the pacific during WWII and in Korea during that war.  So for him and all the veterans we will be doing the following workout.

VETERANS DAY WORKOUT 2025

Warm up

• 400 swim open turns no flips ( focus on tight streamline and underwater off walls)

11 rounds (odd rounds IMO  even rounds RIMO)

• 4x25 IMO (focus on UWD  AND BREAKOUTS)  

11–11–11 set

11th hour with fins

11x100 @1:30 (25 fly-25 back-50 free

11th Day

• 11x75 kick @1:30 (25 fast with boards—25 soldier kick—25 kick)

11th month (11 50’s)

3 rounds 

• 50 back@50 be aggressive with underwater’s 
• 50 back to breast @55 strong double pullouts
• 50 free @50 deep arm no breath turns

2x50 kick with boards @1:00

swim down the usual

WINNING OUT SIDE THE POOL

You put all that time in the water swimming through all your workouts but what else can you do that translates to success in your races

Start off by building a strong foundation which starts with a strong character with good personal values.  Building a strong character can be challenging but it starts with practicing positive traits such as discipline, honesty (with yourself and others), and making choices that are right even if difficult at times.  All choices have consequences that may occur instantly but will eventually catch up to you.  

Hold yourself accountable for your actions, and if you make a mistake learn from it.  I was once told by a  football coach from high school (Coach Herb) “a mistake is only a mistake if you repeat it.”

Be compassionate with others you come in contact with even when it’s difficult.  Give your best each and every day and make no excuses.

To wrap it up start implementing these 4 things in your daily lives

1. Give your best no matter what.  You know when you’re slacking either with school assignments or in practice.
2. Be careful who you surround yourself with.   It’s easier to make the right choices when those that you associate with are doing the same.
3. Stop making excuses.  Excuses are where laziness starts to breed
4. Prioritize honestly.  Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to be honest with yourself.  You know when your holding back and not doing what your suppose to be doing,

Halloween 2025

 

THE HOUSE ON CEMETERY ROAD

The wind was blowing and there was a crispness in the air as the sun ☀️ began to fade this Halloween 🎃 night.  Swim practice had been canceled for the evening as Logan, Joey, Bailey, Wilbur, and Mosby gathered to begin an evening of trick or treating.

As they began putting on their costumes for the evening the air was full of excitement and anticipation as this was going to be the year that they would summon the courage to stop at the lone house on cemetery road.

Over the years growing up they had heard of all the stories about the mysterious house that sat alone at the end of the road.  They had heard of the strange noises, the flickering lights and the strange woman who would appear in the windows.  No matter how spooky the stories were tonight was going to be their night to discover the truth behind the stories.

As the five stepped out into the night air you could hear the distant laughter from the trick or treaters in the neighborhood as they moved from house to house with pumpkins 🎃 lit and the promise of treats at each house.  But this was not going to be an ordinary night as they turned down Whispering Lane.

As they were walking Logan began to get an eerie feeling as the leaves 🍁 were falling a little more with all the trees lining the street.  “Guys, I think we should go back most of these houses are dark and no one is home.  Mosby replied we need to get to the house on cemetery road, we all made a pledge that this was the year.

As they stepped onto cemetery road, the leaves crunched beneath their shoes adding to the creepy atmosphere. Each house they passed seemed a little darker and creepier than the last.  Their eyes however were fixed on the house at the front of the cemetery and the small orange glow over the front porch that emitted the only light around.

Suddenly a gust of wind sent a swirl of leaves dancing past, making Joey shiver and clutch his bag of treats a little tighter.  Mosby tried to lighten the mood with a joke about ghosts and witches but even his laughter sounded a little nervous as they opened the creaky gate and headed down the path as if drawn by the glow of that orange light from the porch.

Before they could even knock on the door a light went on and they could hear a voice from inside

, “I smell children” and as the door creaked opened an old lady dressed in black appears. She asks what brings you out on this cold windy night children?  Halloween they replied. Trick or treat. Why I have no treats but I can offer a warm cup of cinnamon cider or perhaps a magical wish.  The old woman’s eyes twinkled in the dim light, and the scent of cinnamon and apples arose from the cup she offered.  Logan stepped forward first, curiosity outweighing her fear now, and asked, “ what kind of magical wishes?”  The old woman’s eyes opened wider smiling and whispered, mysterious and inviting, as she beckoned them closer her voice dropping to a whisper.  Why don’t you come inside where it’s warmer and find out.

They hesitated at first but then they noticed a small glow flickering from an upstairs window making their hearts pound faster and Wilbur, always the boldest nudged the others forward whispering that they could not turn back now.  Together they opened the door wider and stepped into the hallway., into the unknown ready to discover what mysteries and maybe even magic awaited them on this Halloween.👻 

The hallway was full of shadows flickering on the wallpaper dancing with the candlelight lining the hallway.  Each child tried not to stare too long at the images that lined the walls their eyes fixed on the old lady walking gently ahead of them.  As they walked down the hallway they suddenly heard the chimes of an old grandfather clock which startled them for a moment.  At the end of the hallway there was a room with a small table with chairs and the old lady invited them to all sit.  As they sat down anticipation filled their hearts as the old lady reached for a tea pot and began to pour a mixture of warm cinnamon apple cider in each of their cups.  She began to speak in a small gentle voice weaving stories  of wishes granted and adventures begun within those very walls.  The children leaned forward, captivated as the sense of magic grew stronger with a hint of what could happen next could  change their Halloween forever.

Scattered on the table were several gems. Tonight each of these gems, the old lady said held a single wish and she encouraged the children to each take one.  As the  children’s fear mounted Bailey was the first to grab one and the others followed.  The woman told the children that tonight, these wishes would set their destinies in motion.  Outside the winds howled but inside this warm parlor the children knew that whatever awaited them beyond those walls, their lives had already begun to change in way only magic could explain.

With the gems resting in the palm of each of their children  and their courage booming inside they each began to make their wish for the evening.  Smiling the old lady rosed from her seat and beckoned the children to a narrow doorway framed by heavy black curtains.  Beyond the promise of adventure shimmered, an invitation into a world where wishes could shape destinies and courage could open doors that they never dreamed existed.  The children gem in hand and hearts pounding followed to see how far the magic would lead them on this Halloween night.

Beyond each turn, the house seemed to shift, unveiling new rooms  filled with  curious artifacts and glimpses of enchantments that seemed out of touch.. The old lady now seemed to be a guiding story with every step taking them on a journey where they overcame every fear and their confidence grew stronger with each step and would continue to grow long after this Halloween faded.

In that moment the children realized that their adventure was not about magic or the adventures that this house held, but it was about the courage each of them had to go outside of their comfort zone, open a closed door and believing in the magic that lives inside each of them.

Evil Halloween Practice we did this week (yardage and intervals are prep  Gold group changed some what)

Warm up

• 400 swim(200 free-100 back-100 breast with a glide)
• 300 swim(150 free-75 back-75 breast with a glide )
• 200 swim (100 free-50 back-50 breast with a glide)
• 100 swim (50 free-25 back-25 breast)

BLOODY PULLOUT SET with fins

9x50 @50 (25 fly 25 free) pullouts as follows #1  is 1 pullout each wall  #2 is 2 pullout each wall #3 is 3 pullout each wall  #4 is 4 pullouts each wall  #5 is 5 pullouts each wall  #6 is 4 pullouts each wall  #7 is 3 pullouts each wall  #8 is 2 pullouts each wall  #9 is 1 pullout each wall

ZOMBIES IN THE GRAVE KICK SET with fins

16x50 @50 back (25 kick arms pointed straight up flags in swim and 25 swim back) Dont let your hips and legs sink)  you need to engage your core

GHOST SET

• 6x100 @1:30 (25 fly+75 free)
• 6x100 @1:30 (25 back+75 free)
• 6x100 @1:35 (25 breast+75 free)

You may ghost (skip) one 100 that's it  No skipping

TWO HEADED MONSTER SET groups of 3 (2 swimmers at front swimming  1 swimmer at back holding one leg of each swimmer and kick)  important don't out swim the other head  you need to work together as a team

16x25 no interval just rotate positions and go!

TWO EARS—ONE MOUTH

 

Mark Twain said, “Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime when you would have rather talked.”  This thought can be applied to your swimming also.  Coaches throw around the phrase “coachable athlete” a lot  and most of the time it has nothing to do with how fast the swimmer is, although we suspect the two are very related to success.  Coaches love to work with athletes who listens and absorbs the information we are relaying to them and then goes out and execute during workout.

Hearing and listening are distinctly different, hearing involves hearing all the noise and sounds that encompass your daily lives and this includes on the pool deck.  Listening is the art of listening to the sounds around you, the words being spoken and the ability to understand their meaning and developing an action plan to take you where you want to go on this journey.

Generally the swimmers who improve the quickest are those who are 100% present during workouts.  They are the ones who make eye contact with the coaches as they speaks (not talking or looking at their friends) they have the body language that says I hear what we want to get accomplished during this set and I am ready to go and execute this plan to help me in my journey.

The other swimmers are poor listener’s often distracted or disinterested in the information or even worse they are caught up in themselves or their egos.

When your listening skills improve you develop better learning skills which ultimately will lead to better skill executions and better outcomes in your races.  What you learn and put into practice ultimately will lead you down the road of becoming a better student and swimmer.

TRAITS OF A GOOD LISTENER 

• You have a open mind and are eager to learn
• You don’t interrupt the coach
• You are not a distraction while the coach is speaking
• You maintain  eye contact when the coach is speaking
• You ask a serious question if you don’t understand

Listen more than you speak during workout yet.