“WIN”. What’s Important Now

 For those of you who need workouts between now and Tuesday here are a couple that should work.  Set your intervals where you are getting 15-20 seconds rest.  Please if at all possible do not stay out of the water for two straight days.  You lose that feel quickly which makes those first few races harder than they need to be.   WARMUP ( our usual) (800) 200 long smooth free fast feet to turns. Breathing every 3-5 by 25 4x50 free to back @45/50/55/1:00. Hold UWD AFAP OFF TURNS 200 IM KICK/swim 4x50 free/IMO strong effort @1:00 SET #1 (1500) 10x50 @1:00 odds are choice (can be IMO). STRONG EFFORT FAST TURNS. evens are free recovery (deep arm no breath turns) 5x100 done as 25 kick 50 strong free 25 kick 10x50 fins done as UW DOLPHINS (gold fast to 12.5. Prep fast to 15 meters) double arm backstroke back Finish with are 25 set. 8 rounds (800) 3x25 ALL OUT @25/30. 1x25 double arm back with breast stroke kick SET #2 (1650) 2x75 (25 no breath free. 25 backstroke breathe. 25 no breath free) 2x

  Now that we have turned the calendars to spring, what exactly does spring bring.  Spring is all about new beginnings and transformations.  Although we have had a somewhat mild winter it's time to shake those winter doldrums off and reawaken ourselves to the changing environment. Yes, we can also apply this new beginning to our swimming.  It could be a renewed spark as most of you inch closer to your summer season back at your neighborhood watering hole.  For some of us heading to St. Petersburg in the coming days it will offer a chance to take your racing outdoors.  The winter is over and what I see over the horizon for all of you are new opportunities and new possibilities.   Just like the flowers and the leaves need help to bloom you need some self help to seek those new opportunities and possibilities .   You need to take OWNERSHIP of your races as soon as you step behind those blocks.  Be fearless, Be brave.  I DARE YOU.

 We finished 14 and under Champs Sunday night with some awesome swims from our kids.  Saturday our Mako swimmers continued to swim very focus as many of our kids posted personal bests.  Returning Saturday evening for finals were  Shannon Stegmaier (200 fly), Sadie Buckley (13-14 200 IM,100 back), Lyla Devlin (13-14 200 IM and 200 breast), Tyler Harris (100 IM and 50 back), Anna Rizzardi (100 IM), Anna Roth (100 breast), Laura Roth (100 Breast), Claire Anderson (100 IM and 200 free), Jaxon Chan (100 breast), Anna Helms (50 free), Andrew Zimmerman (100 breast), and Maddie Carroll (200 free). The Mako Swimmers showed up Saturday night very focused and ready to race.  They were incredible during their warmups and showed up to the blocks with one clear objective, which was to RACE. On Sunday we all arrived on time even after losing an hour from the switch to Daylight Savings.  The Mako swimmers had an outstanding Prelims session when many best times.  We do have to give a shout out to Shann

  Our swimmers had a good day Thursday at 14 and under champs.  We had a lot of swimmers posting personal best and had a good group at finals.  Winning their events Thursday night were Tyler Harris in the 100 free and the 50 fly.  Sadie Buckley winning the 400 IM and the 200 free. After dropping time in the 400 IM in the morning Lyla Devlin showed up in the evening with her “A” game dropping another 4 seconds this after swimming a personal best in the 100 breaststroke.   Anna and Laura Roth also had 2 races in the evening (50 breaststroke 200IM).  Laura posted a best time in the evening and her sister Anna who posted a best time in the morning swam a great race again posting the same time.  In the 200 IM the girls swam great races posting best times with Anna out touching Laura at the wall.  Claire Anderson also posted a best time in that 200 IM after having a great race in the 100 free in the evening.o Anna Rizzardi was the iron woman of the evening swimming 3 events at finals.  Anna

  The next two weekends will see most everybody swimming in their championship meet for the short course season,  Are you ready?  Is there anything you can do now that will help?  Glad you ask. The most important thing you can do now is to show up with the right attitude and maintain it throughout the meet,  that will go a long way no matter what the results are. Get your swim bag ready with your gear (pack extra caps, goggles, suit) ahead of time not the morning of.  Pack some snacks to fuel your body, you are about to ask a lot of it and above all as Eric would say water,water,water. Know your list of events for the day and focus on the one event that is in front of you.  Does no good to worry about an event later on.  Control what you can control and what is in front of you at the present not in the future.  Manage your expectations and visualize in. advance of how you want to perform in the race.  Envision yourself swimming successfully especially in the face of adversity.  As Tayl