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Showing posts from February, 2014

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FINISH?

  WEEK AHEAD: All of the groups will have normal practice at their normal times through Wednesday March 5th.  George Mason will be hosting Junior/Senior Champs for Potomac Valley starting Thursday March 6 thru Sunday March 9.  Because of this our groups will not have practice on those days.  We are trying to work out so that the Senior Prep/Junior Gold may practice Thursday March 7 from 5:15-6:15 in the morning.  We are also trying to get space Saturday March 8th at Audrey Moore in the morning from 6:30 to7:45. The Junior Blue group will practice from 7:45 to 8:45. Please plan according.  Also please understand that there are many championship meets for all ages coming up and it will affect many facilities rentals. CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON:   We  are now 5 DAYS away from Junior/Senior Champs, 12 DAYS out from JO's and 21 DAYS away from the MAKO SPRING CHAMPS MEET.  During these meets how will YOU   finish this short course season?  Some things to remember: school work caught up an

CHAMPIONSHIP TIME WHAT IS A TAPER?

The crazy season is upon us, and you know how I know, well just take a moment and look around you, the coaches are wound maybe a little tighter, swimmers have a little more urgency about them (even though this should have started on day one), and parents well I won't  even go there (I know better).  As I step back and watch the entire process  unfold it reminds me of what a pack of bears must be like in the spring after their long winter nap, a little anxious, a lot of energy, and very hungry for anything.  I just hope we all remember that we are all teammates and you have been great at supporting each other all year, so let's keep the "DRAMA" to a minimum. I really know it's that other time of year because the other day as I was in a store designing our JO cap a mother was there with her very small 9 year old daughter trying on "speed suits".  They really don't make them for her size and the one she had on looked like it was going to swallow  her

RELAY UPDATES

THE FOLLOWING 2 RELAYS HAVE BEEN CHANGED.  I WILL HAVE A NEW POST UP ON FRIDAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE COMMITTED TO SWIM IN THE RELAYS.  IT SHOWS YOU CARE AND MEANS A LOT TO ME.   MIKE 10 AND UNDER 200 MEDLEY RELAY HAS BEEN CHANGED 13-14 GIRLS 400 FREE RELAY WILL EITHER BE SCRATCHED OR WE WILL FIND 2 GIRLS FOR IT

CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON IS UPON US ---HOLD YOUR HEADS HIGH

Well we are now officially into the championship phase of our season. All our groups have worked through all the meets of the short course season. What lays in front of each and every one of you is YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP MEET whether it is Junior/Senior Champs, JO's , or the spring Mako meet. Your last meet is the time where all your hard work pays off and you are posting your best times of the season. This is the fun part of the swimming season. Some of you may not be in the meet that you wish you were, and this was very evident with some swims over this past weekend, so I will repeat something that I touch on every season at the start and seem to repeat at this time of the year. This past weekend we had a lot of outstanding swims with over 80% best times. As a group we had about 25 more cuts made for one meet or another. The issue that I have is several of you were not happy with your performance, for example this one swimmer dropped 4 seconds off their 100 IM time but missed the JO
JO RELAYS These are the relays that we are currently planning to enter at the Junior Olympic meet from Friday March 14 thru Sunday March 16.  The meet will be held at the University of Maryland at College Park.  This meet is a team scored meet.   It is very important that you look over these relays and get back to us to your availability to participate no later than Thursday of this week.  We would like to have the final relays set by this weekend. It is important that WE TAKE THESE RELAYS SERIOUS.  Please refer back to my previous post on the importance of relays.  Once the final list is set it is important that you are there to swim, because if you do not show it means 3 other swimmers do not swim and it is a reflection of  your  group and the Mason Makos Event # Description A B Friday - Start of Session 5 11-12 GIRLS 200 MEDLEY RELAY ALEXA CUOMO FAITH ALSTON EMILY DRAKOPOULOS ALLISON HICKEY ELEANOR MONNIG SOPHIA HARTSHORN

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Heather just called and told me about practice. I'm so glad that a lot of you made the effort to get to the pool. I wish I could have been there with you because I am going crazy, but I had to get Lauren to the airport. Hope you all have a great valentines day, I do have Gillian's cookies to munch on. Those are her sayings so I know she listens. LOL Posted with Blogsy

ANOTHER SNOW DAY/ JO INFORMATION/ POSITIVE CHECK IN

ANOTHER SNOW DAY Another day out of school, I hope you guys enjoy going to school in July. They say we are going to get a lot of snow this time, I just have one thing to say "BE CAREFUL". Don't forget what a lot of us have been preparing for since September. When I say be careful I also mean with your diets. I know that when routines are broken we indulge in things we normally wouldn't. Also please keep drinking lots and lots of water, and fill those plates ate meals with a lot of colors. I just got home from practice and it doesn't look good for practice for Thursday but we will see, may want to make plans to make up on Friday. POSITIVE CHECK IN What does it mean? I think we still have a lot of you who do not understand what this mean, so I will try to explain. Why? It is done as a way of trying to shorten the length of a particular session of a meet. It is also done so that most heats are full. Which meets? This is up to the meet manager and we
WEEK AHEAD:   All of our practices this week are on normal schedule, check back about Saturday because I believe that the private schools are holding their region meet at George Mason which may affect us. MEET THIS WEEKEND:  The meet is at Cub Run Rec in Chantilly.  The warm up times are 6:30-7:20 Meet starts at 7:30 both days.  ALL EVENTS ARE POSITIVE CHECK IN, AND WILL CLOSE FOR ALL EVEMTS 30 MINUTES AFTER WARM UP HAS ENDED.  IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE ARRIVING LATE YOU NEED TO LET COACH HEATHER KNOW BY E-MAIL, OR LET ME KNOW AT PRACTICE SO WE CAN TAKE CARE OF IT.  IF YOU FAIL TO DO THIS AND DO NOT GET CHECKED IN I MAKE NO PROMISES.  I WILL NOT RUN AROUND ONCE THE MEET STARTS TO TRY AND DO THIS, IT IS WAY TOO CROWDED AND BUSY.  THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. SNOW MEET WRAP UP:   This past week end we had a lot of our swimmers from all 3 groups swim some great races  and achieving JO and NASA meet cuts.  The thing I was looking at a lot was our work around the flags and in and out of the

MEET WARM UPS

Some of you still come in to meets and ask what you should do for warm up when your on your own. We ran thru it the last 2 days, and I said I would post it so here it is. GENERAL WARM UP AT START OF MEET 400 swim/ 200 kick 6 x 75 kick-drill-swim (odds free/ evens stroke no free 200 IM drill 4x50 free (build to fast by 50's)@50 3x50 kick ( build to fast)@1:00 8x25 fast free / A-3 stroke 100 swim down 2nd WARM UP IF NEEDED ( You should plan this out so your event is with in 10-15 minutes after) 150-200 loosen up 3x50 (A-3/A-4/A-5) 4-6 fast 25's with 20 seconds rest Let's go have a good race Don't forget to keep your bodies warm after warming up.  If you warm up and than sit around with out sweats etc than you are only hurting yourself.  You should be going to the blocks with your bodies wrapped up and warm.  Swim smarter!

DISTANCE MEET INFORMATION

First of all this meet has been moved to the University of Maryland from it's original location.  Please make sure that one of your parents will be ready to time, and that you have your own counter.  do not rely on me as I may have my hands full. This meet will be swum from fastest to slowest alternating woman's and men's heat.  I have posted the timeline for each of you below, but understand it may be a little off due to scratches etc... so please plan to arrive early enough to get in at least a 30 minute warm up followed by 20 minutes prior to your race When you arrive make sure you are checked in and do your warm-up which should be  300 swim/ 200 kick/ 8x50@1:00 trying to hold your split you are shooting for.  Follow that with 8x25 fast with your breathing pattern and flips at each end.  Rest 20 seconds in between each one. SWIMMER                      SEED           ESTIMATED        TIME                                                                    HEAT  10

CLOCK IS TICKING

WEEK AHEAD: This will be a normal week of practice.  Saturday morning there will be practice for those not swimming in the meet, and I will have someone there to cover as I will be at the meet.   MEET WARM-UP FOR SATURDAY :  11 and  over 7:10-7:55  Meet starts @8:05 10 and under's 12:00-12:40  Meet starts @ 12:45 SUNDAY DISTANCE MEET:  This meet has been moved to the University of Maryland.  The time line has not come out yet, but is due out Wednesday.  Once I go over it I will post it so check back. HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMERS: The championship season has begun with our high school swimmers in our senior prep group competing in their DISTRICT MEETS last weekend.  Jet swam a 500 for the Oakton Cougars and posted his best time.  Andrew Yang swimming for the Woodson Cavilers swam a 200 and a 500 free making it back to finals in the 500 free and posting a best time.  Gabby swimming for the Centreville Wildcats made it back to finals in both the 200 and the 500 free.  Gabby will