LOOKING FORWARD TO NEW SEASON

SUMMER FADE

I hope you are enjoying the last few days of the summer.   It seems like the summer has melted away as fast as a popsicle but unlike a swimmer who can stop a clock with a touch to the pad we can’t really stop the clock of life.

As the Senior Prep, Junior Gold, and Junior Blue groups begin preparing for the upcoming season it’s time to come up with a theme for the season.  I have always encouraged you all to take ownership of your swimming because the person that it is most important to is “U”.  Therefore for the last week I have been working on putting together our first few weeks of workouts and our theme for the year will be, There is a “U” in success. 

Say that to yourself right now.  Now write it down on an index card.  Now post it in your room where you can see it every day.  If you say it enough, you see it daily,  you will start to believe in it and yourself.

What can you do to start off the new academic school year and our short course swimming season in a strong positive way.  

Start getting into your school year routine NOW.   The first thing you can do is to think about adjusting your body clock.  Since summer swimming ended a lot of you may have fallen into those lazy dog days of summer, staying up late and sleeping in.  Some of you may think of me as an "old wise man" or maybe not but here is a piece of advice  to lessen the shock next Monday morning.  Make an attempt this week of going to bed a little earlier and if you need it set that alarm and get up earlier each day.

If you had summer reading or homework assignments this might be a good week to finish it all up and for those of you who never started it, what are you waiting for?  just like we do in swimming start visualizing how you would like your school year to go.  Start making some goals and like in life be ready to adjust on the fly because you will hit bumps throughout the year.

Above all remember that you are a student/athlete.  Read that again and the order that the words student/athlete appear.  You can't be a swimmer without being a student first.

Now that we have you ready for the school year lets turn our attention to the pool.  The first thing you might want to think about is heading out to your summer pools over the next few weeks and just jumping in and going for a swim, nothing hard just something to get get rid of the cobwebs and avoid that heavy/sluggish feeling that always happens when we return to the later.  Let's call it a tune up to put you in a better position for those first couple of weeks.

GEAR BAG- When was the last time you checked it or cleaned it.  Get rid of anything that has mold on it and replace it.  Do your fins still fit?  Mako Cap?  Goggles in good shape?  Snorkel in working order? Pull Buoy anywhere? Paddles with bands?  Kick boards?  Water bottle?

Now that we have taken care of your gear bag let's turn to your body and what you can be doing to prepare it for the upcoming season.  The NUMBER 1 thing to physically get ready for that first day of practice other than some light swimming is to do a lot of core work.  A strong core is crucial to your success in swimming.  A strong core gives you a powerful platform from which you can pull, push, and kick through the water.  A strong core helps you maintain a good body position, keeps your hips high (have I ever told you to get your hips up) reducing drag and making you more efficient as you chase your goals. If you spend 15 minutes 4 times a week now, I promise you that you will feel better and stronger and it will pay BIG dividends later in the season.

CORE EXERCISES FOR FASTER SWIMMING

PLANK

• Support yourself on your forearms.
• Squeeze your abs and your butt to achieve a straight body position.
• Your mid section will try to sag toward the floor, don't let it.  Hold that straight line including your head
• Breathe.
• Hold for 30 rest for 15. (try increasing time until you can hold for 1 minute rest 30 and repeat.

HIP BRIDGES

• Get on your back, lay your arms down at your side.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor and raise your trunk towards the sky.
• Stop when you have achieved a straight line spine.  Don't over extend.
• Hold for a three count, and SLOWLY descend.

SUPERMAN

• Lay face down on the ground, arms straight above head.
• Tighten your gluten (butt muscles). Pull them in towards your belly button.
• Lift your left arm while also raising your right leg.  Hold for 3 count. Now switch arms and legs.
• Don't drop your arm and legs, you want a controlled movement.
• Continue with this combo for 30 seconds and rest for 30 and repeat.

V-SITTING KICKING

• Sitting on the ground start fluttering your legs up and down.  Focus on making small kicks as close as possible to your kick in the water.  Remember big kicks create drag.

• Balance yourself and bring your arms above your head into a streamline position.  You may have to cross your arms on your chest until you build that core.

RUSSIAN TWISTS

• Sit on the ground, raise your ankles off the ground, lean back a little to balance yourself.
• Use a med ball, pull buoy and turn your shoulders 45 degrees. Touch the mat. Now the other way. Continue for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds.
• Perform these with control.  Don't flop around.

HOW OFTEN

Start by choosing 3 to do and switch it up the next day with 2.  Might look like this

Monday/Wednesday-superman/v-sit kicking/ Russian twists

Tuesday/Thursday- plank/hip bridges

Wednesday recover

Do 3 or 4 rounds of these

Next up later this week we turn our attention to the mental side of preparing to swim and Rock this season with mistakes from the past and goals for the future.

Enjoy your last week of summer vacation and start organizing your self for that school bell so that your be ready for the pool.