Bad Swim

Just had to share this with you today.  After practice this morning I went to the gym and after a short workout headed to the pool planning to get a long 2500 yard stretch out swim after this past weekend.  The swimstarted out great but suddenly half way in it started to go down hill. This being a day off from school these two ladies decided that they were going to bring their 3 kids from the day care room to the pool to play.   😂Excuse me ladies this is for lap swimming only.  Now you all know I have nothing against kids but this was after a weekend of only seeing kids and having Sara and Claire following me around the deck. I needed a break .  But no these three were determined to undermine my swim one way or another.  First their noodle floated into my lane and then of course, not one but all three of them had to come over to get it. Next it was let's throw a ball back and forth across the pool (4 lanes so it's possible), but not for these kids.  I don't think they could do it even if I gave them a dollar.   

I finally came to the conclusion that this was going to be a problem. I could let this problem get to me and stress me out, or I could work the problem.  After getting permission from the moms I told the three to go get the kickboards in the corner and we were going to play a game.  

Excited they retrieved the boards and I spent 10 minutes showing them different things they could do with them. At the end I told them that now we are going to race and that the winner gets to sit out while the others had to race.  After the first race one down, two left.  After two races two gone one left.  Now the last one had to race me and of course I lost so the three of them were out of the pool. 

At first they thought they were getting back in, but I explained to them that they always wanted to wait for 10 minutes before they were ready to race again.  The mothers gave them a snack I got another 700 yards in during intermission.   PROBLEM SOLVED

How do you look at an unexpected problem during your day?

Going through IMX Thoughts now more later.  Mike

IMX MEET

Everyone swimming this weekend should have gotten notice about the 500 for Friday afternoon/evening.  I did the best to figure out your heats and time for the event.  This could change a little after positive check in is completed, but should should not be by a lot as I don't feel there will be  too many scratches.

I will check in all our swimmers when I get there at noon unless I hear differently.  After the meet begins as always I will not have my phone with me as I will devote my attention to you all.  As you get there get settled and go through your warmup, which is as follows for this event;

SENIOR PREP
200 swim. 200 kick. 200 drill swim. For drill do stop-stop-switch and stay long
5x50 free build 1-2 seconds faster each 50
100 swim kick swim kick
2x 4x25 easy fast
100 warm down
Get out and stay warm

Junior Gold
150 swim 150 kick 150 swim drill use stop-stop-switch
4x50 free build. 1-2 seconds faster each 50
100 swim kick swim kick
2x 4x25 easy fast
100 warm down
Get out and get warm

DO NOT HESITATE TO GET BACK IN FOR A QUICK WARM UP PRIOR TO RACE.
100 stretch out and 4-6 all out 25's. After this your event should start 10-15 minutes

SWIMMING THE RACE
Find that easy speed for that first 100( starting to SLOW will hamper the swim). Try and negative split that first 100 so you can get into your pace for the middle and then negative split that last 100 for a great finish.  YOU HAVE 19 turns so be aggressive on all of them. Move that first breath to the second arm movement off the walls.  YOU'VE DONE IT IN PRACTICE.  TRUST YOUR TRAINING.

We may ask some of you too count for some of your teammates if possible.  After you swim get out of there and get some rest.

Looking forward to some great races!   Mike

IMX MEET

The Gold Group and I sat down on Wednesday to go over the meet schedule for the next two months. The Senior Prep group and I will be going over the meet schedule this afternoon.  I have a preliminary list of the swimmers signed up for the IMX meet coming up at the end of this month and there seems to be some confusion with this meet.  This is not a typical meet where we pick and choose which events OR days we are swimming.

PURPOSE OF MEET:

The IMX meet is a motivational program whereby swimmers will be scored and ranked nationally on their performance in a combination of five or six events.  The purpose of the program is to promote versatility in age group swimming while advocating greater participation and development across a range of events that are integral to long term success in swimming.  The events are as follows; 10 and under’s 200IM, 200 FREE, 100 BACK, 100 BREAST, 100 FLY.  11 AND 12 YEAR OLDS; 500 FREE, 200 IM, 100 BACK, 100 BREAST, 100 FLY.  13 AND OVERS 200 IM, 400 IM, 500 FREE, 200 BACK, 200 BREAST, 200 FLY.  This is the program for each age group.  After swimming the events in your program your score is totaled and you are able to see where you rank on your team, in the region and across the country.

This meet will be fun but grueling and one of the few meets where each swimmer swims every event.  If for some reason you are not planning to commit to all three days and all the events, YOU SHOULD NOT ENTER THIS MEET!  As I stated before this is not a meet to just pick and choose events because unless you swim all of the events in your program your score will not be totaled.

If you are just swimming a particular event for time, you should be entering the January Open or one of the qualifier meets in the next month.

Any questions Please ask me.  Mike