DAY OFF

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL

You all have done so well up to this point in the season that we think you have earned a day off from swimming.   Enjoy the night and be safe.

A Halloween riddle to start off your day and get you in the mood.

I have hundreds of ears, but I can't hear a thing.

What am I? You will need to unscramble the letters to get your answer.

                                  naedfcolri

STAY HUNGRY--STAY HUMBLE

 

“I’ve always been a firm believer in mind over matter.  If you don’t believe that you can achieve it, your body will start to believe this and your be stuck.” Sheryl 

Halloween is upon us and it appears that all the ghosts and goblins are preparing for their big night of fun, games and spooky adventures.  Here is a swimming meet haunt for you.

As Courtney stepped up onto the blocks she felt the grip of icy fingers on her arm and as she lurched in fright the lights went out and she was standing all alone.  The water in the pool turned black, but you could hear it sloshing from side to side violently.

As Courtney stepped down from the block to gather her thoughts, closer and closer the waves came, they we're getting bigger and bigger until they finally  spilled  over the sides.

Towards the deep end she began to hear the endless slapping of a hand on the water and then all of a sudden she heard a piercing scream but when she looked the pool was empty.  

Courtney couldn't help but feel that there was another set of eyes watching her as she walked across

the deck.  Cold and wet she tried to make her way back to the team area all  the time feeling as if someone was watching her from the deep end of the pool.  Peeking through her goggles, her curiosity turned to horror as a dark shadow appeared on the bottom of the pool.

She couldn't believe her eyes as she ran to tell her coach who was no where to find.  Courtney looked everywhere for the coaches but of course they were safe and sound in the hospitality room having a Halloween treat.

As the darkness faded and the lights came on the water calmed and everything seemed to return to order, or did it.  She returned to the  block of horror in preparation for her race.  At this point, did it matter the suit she was wearing, the goggles she was using or the cap on her head?  What she had eaten for breakfast or how much she had slept?

Everything Courtney brought to the pool that day, her suit, cap goggles, warm-up suit down to the shoes on her feet, her health and mood --it didn't matter she had to find the courage to dive in and swim towards the deep end of the pool.

The starter commanded the swimmers to "take your marks" and off she went the start of the race was smooth as she felt herself getting into race pace but then all of a sudden as she neared the deep

end the ambient light from above began to fade and the water began to cool and as she began to summon all of her courage to continue she felt that icy grip again around her ankles and as she kicked and thrashing around the grip released and she opened her eyes_ _ _ _ and thought I need more practice with this visualization thing, I'm scaring myself.

NUTRITIONAL TIP OF THE WEEK:

PROTEIN--Lean protein are very important to develop and repair muscle tissue.  Lean proteins also help to normalize hormone concentrations in your body which will allow you to control your mood as well as your temper.  Some the best lean proteins you can have are:

• turkey breast
• lean red meat
• egg whites
• most dairy products
• chicken breast
• nuts (all varieties)

PROTEIN SHAKE for WEEK:  ORANGE SHAKE. 

• 8 oz orange juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 banana 
• 2-3 frozen strawberries
• 2 tsp. honey

Drink and enjoy.

STAY HUNGRY--STAY HUMBLE... Have you ever heard this saying, maybe read it somewhere?  Have you ever stopped ponder its meaning and how it might apply to your swimming.

The first value--STAY HUNGRY... It is very easy to stay motivated and work hard when things are going well because you feel inspired to do more of it.  However when things start going off the rails and you start spinning your wheels, that is when you find it tough to keep your head in the workout (as we discussed last week), you start letting being a little uncomfortable get in the way of the greatness that you seek.

These are the moments that will test your character to it's very core and this is also the moment where you can make valuable gains.  The bottom line is that YOU are not as good as you think you are on your best days, however YOU are not as bad as you think you are when things are going bad.

The second value---HUMILITY.... Humility doesn't come easy for everyone when they are winning and things are going well.  You are crushing your workouts, winning race after race, and posting personal bests.  This is the time that its easy to fall into the trap of thinking that "YOU" have this swimming thing all figured out, but the problem is that success is the worst teacher.  Why?  Because it can lull you into a sense of feeling like you can stop learning and that you have nothing that needs improvement.  

Funny thing is that this sport has a way of knocking everyone down a peg when it thinks we need it and in reality all swimmers are just trying to get faster.  It is also a reminder that even when things are going well, we always need to be looking for ways to grow and improving, always challenging ourselves.  Thats a big part of HUMILITY, understanding that there is always room for growth.

WEEKLY RECAP----  I will need to skip this weeks recap as I will be out of town to take care of some things.  I'm not sure I will make it back for the meet but we have trained you and you have worked very hard so all you need to do is know your events, stay focused, warmup and swim down properly, avoid the noise and just DO YOU.  Good swimmers need not be told "GOOD LUCK" and you all are good so just go out and RACE.

 “If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail.”

LAST WEEK'S  

This past week we spent a lot of our pool time working on our IM's.  You all have done a great job at putting your IM' together especially with your transitions into each of the strokes.  Our underwater streamlines and kicks have been consistency been getting better.  We want you to understand and buy into the fact that this is important part of your race.  By improving your streamlines and underwater kicks, you will shorten your races and the amount of actual swimming that you are doing.  In the end you save energy and become more efficient, but don't forget WE DO NOT sacrifice SPEED FOR DISTANCE.  It becomes a juggling act trying to figure it out, that's why you need to focus while working on it.

Each of the groups (BLUE--GOLD--PREP) have got a set warmup for each day and it's the same every week and you may have been wondering why that is.  Good question and yes I have a reason for this.  First off they are all on a interval in the afternoons and the reason is that you are already stretched out and your ready to roll.  Each week the intervals are a little faster and the reason for that is simple.  I want you too mentally and physically want each of you to feel like you are getting stronger and faster.   These swims are longer and get some distance done before we go into our main theme for the day.

SENIOR PREP GROUP---Something that I notice last week was that some of you pull back when I challenge you and that is exactly when you need to get your head into the game and get after it.  So how do you approach that type of set;

• first off reverse ANY negative thoughts.
• then you can approach it with a purpose.
• focus on the little things such as streamlines, turns, stroke.
• feed on your teammates energy. Encourage each other.
• blast your pump up music internally 
• Visualize yourself getting through the set and how it will help come race day

Above all don't forget our theme for this year and that is "WIN" whats important know  Stay in the game and work each lap as it comes and give that lap your very best and then move on.  Sometimes we back away too quickly with all type of excuses and excuses are a internal thought in our brain that says it's alright to fail because.............. you can fill it in.

SET OF THE WEEK

16x25 partner race from a dive climb up each end 8@30 8@40

8x50 IMO @50 fins smooth transitions and UWD

8x25 different partner race from a dive climb up each end 4@25 4@35

4x100 IM @2:00 fins smooth long working transitions 

4x25 partner race @30 climb out from a dive

1x200 IM fins smooth and long

UPCOMING MEETS

MAKO PUMPKIN MEET---- this weekend October 28 and 29 at St. James.   Warm up times 11-13 Saturday 8:25-8:45. Sunday 8:00-8:20.  10 and under and 14 and over  Saturday and Sunday 10:50-11:10. 

Know the events that you are in.   Get some fuel (food) into your tanks before the meet and hydrate.  Have a plan for each of your events and if you have a time, have a plan to get there.

MAKO GOBBLE MEET-  NOVEMBER 11-12

SWIM AND ROCK- NOVEMBER16-19. BLUE GROUP PARENTS. if your swimmer wants to do this meet you need to contact me for approval.

NUTRITIONAL TIP---Should swimmers drink chocolate milk?

"Despite the fact that some criticize chocolate milk for being too sugary, too processed, and containing too much fat rather than protein, there is still no research that demonstrates that chocolate milk is harmful to an athlete's performance.  If anything, there are more studies and research that conclude that this tastes beverage is indeed a beneficial recovery aid for athletes."  

Chocolate milk acts as both a performance enhancer, and a recovery aid.  It has an ideal ratio of carbs to protein, which helps deliver protein to damaged muscle tissue.

The power of Visualization.  Too often athletes have no plan of action and simply learn from trail and error in order to reach their goals, but by visualizing and developing simulated mental scenarios this will change how you prepare an ultimately help you to reach those goals.

Through visualizing you will better be able to control your muscle tension and be able to relax and save the real effort for that big moment.  You will be able to control your breathing, heart rate, emotions, and nerves leading up to that big race and also after the race.  You will develop a positive approach towards fear and nerves and be able to overcome both when you feel overwhelmed.  

Simply put YOU become more efficient with your energy use.  YOU reduce distractions. YOU become more confident.  Find a quite space and take it for a spin.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK AT SCHOOL, WITH WORKOUTS and as always thank your parents and help out around the house.

VISUALIZATION--BREAKFAST--and more

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"The wishbone will never replace the backbone.

NUTRITIONAL TIP OF THE WEEK

Last week we talked about the importance of putting a little something into your tanks as you walk out the door for that morning practice, swim meet or school.  Did you know that while your getting your 8-10 hours of sleep during the night, your body is hard at work fasting while your snoozing.  Eating something at breakfast (BIG or small) raises your blood sugar levels and sends energy to the brain and other cells in your body. 

Here is an exercise look at dads mower and locate the little button plunger.  Before starting that engine you need to push that a few time signal the mowers engine that it's time to get too work.  Guess what that little breakfast is the signal to your body that it's time to go to work in the same way.  That breakfast sends an injection of energy to your brain and body, which means attention, focus and memory are heightened and you body is energized for motion.

Young swimmers often say they feel too sick and nauseous after waking up to eat anything, but eating might help.  Sometimes stomach acids collect as your sleeping and the food you eat acts like a sponge, scopping up stomach acids and fueling that sick feeling.

What you do outside the pool is just as important as what you do in the pool for your overall success.  But, remember it takes work, experimenting and practice until you figure out what works for you.  One solution does not fit all.  Talk to each other and figure it out.

BANANA SUPER SHAKE 

Vanilla almond milk will make this a great protein shake.  It promotes mass growth without unbalancing your diet.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 banana 
• dash of cinnamon
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder

Mix in a blender/ shake and enjoy

MENTAL TIP #3 

Let’s dive a little deeper into this visualization exercise this week.  You may be asking how will visualization help me swim faster?  Visualizing on a regular basis can have a very positive effect on your daily life but most importantly for us on our swimming performance.    Just like life there are no guarantees to this process, but what I do believe is that if you fill your head with positive thoughts and outcomes you will be in a better place to be successful.

I believe that it's important to work hard physically and preparing the body for the grind and stress of competition but like all athletes in any sport, the mind comes first. WHY? Good question and glad you asked. 

 

I truly believe that most swimmers come up short because they were not mentally prepared.  You can put in all the work in the pool but if you walk into a meet focusing in on how tired you are, or what you are missing, or what you are afraid of then your success may have already been determined.  If you have visualized success beforehand your brain will work towards helping you achieve it no matter what obstacles you encounter on the way.  On the other hand if you do the opposite and you fill your head with negatives you make your path to success much harder, you may get there but the road you have taken will be harder.

When you can start to feel your environment and seeing it at the same time--what the water will feel like?--Who's beside you?--What's it going to be like as you touch the wall?--you can start to prepare yourself for every situation and that my friends is a huge advantage.

The key to this is that just like practice you need to be consistent with the process.  You can do it on the way to practice (yes you can use it for practice also), in between events and of course you can always put that phone down for a few minutes each day and close your eyes  and go to town.  

LAST WEEK WRAP UP

Our three groups (PREP/GOLD/BLUE) had a real good week of workouts, as we continued working on our streamlines (lock thumbs--squeeze ears--look down--off both our dives  and turns.  We had an especially good end of practice working on our dives a reason I like being over there on Saturday mornings.  Parents I know sometimes it may look as if the kids are just swimming back and forth but be assured that they have one or two things that they are working on during those swims.  Its very easy to do things perfect when doing them slow, but at some point the swimmer needs to perform the same action under stressful conditions when they are tired.

On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons the prep group is doing very well on those long swims at intervals that are dropping each week.  The purpose goes back to working on the mental side.  Those 2 sets are designed to help your swimmer feel like they doing the same set at a faster interval and they feel strong at the conclusion.

MOVING FORWARD

We have a few meets coming up that we need to touch base on.  First off is the distance meet which these three groups should not enter.  The other 2 meets are the Mako Gobble meet and the swim and rock meet (trails and final on Friday and Saturday). Unless we have a good reason we should be only swimming in the Swim and Rock and we should be doing our best events.  If there is a strong desire to swim the Gobble meet have your swimmer talk to me or e-mail.  If we decide to swim it we only want to do one day and events that we don't normally do.

PREP--on Monday morning you will get the next 3 week cycle of strength conditioning to put in your folders.   Don't miss a session.

Blue Group if there are some of you who want to swim in the swim and rock you need to send me an email so we can discuss.

Remember that these 2 meets are back to back weekends and being on the deck that much is hard for your swimmers.

SET OF THE WEEK

WORKING OUR IM. ALL RACE SPEED OR THE SHARK WILL GET YOU

• 6 rounds
• 25 fly strong @1:00 (keep chin on water and forward when breathing)
• 50 back to breast @1:00 (keep tempo fast through back and fast to full extension during breast)
• 75 free @1:00
• ALL RACE PACE
• 50 easy kick boards @2:00

Make sure you stay on top of your school work this week, take care of yourselves away from the pool, wrap up after practice it's starting to get cold.  Help out around the house and thank your parents.

Looking forward to a good week of workouts.

“If it’s important to you, you will find a way.  If not, you will find an excuse.”

FEEDING YOUR MUSCLES 

Having trouble with those early morning workouts or competition?  Not sure what to eat or how much so that you can perform at an optimal level and get through it?

Understanding the process and how to get there is not an easy one.Waking up early to jump into a cold pool for either swim practice or  a swim meet is no easy feat.  For sure one of the biggest advantage is you get to see the sun rise and you have a jump on everyone else.  One of the first things that you have to do to survive a early workout/swim meet is to fuel your vessel.

By the time you wake up your body is already starving.  You need to figure out a way to fuel it that works for you.  It's not something that you can ignore because the consequences will affect your success.  I was amaze or maybe not that so many of you have nothing to eat before arriving at the pool in the morning.  This is an area of your training that we need to work on moving forward.

While the idea of a full-course heavy breakfast may not be on your menu you need to find something to eat that works for you.  You don't need to fill your tank all the way but you do need to get it off the empty mark where the light is blinking (that's a red flag that says your going to shut down).

Some suggestions for you to start with are a banana, a slice of toast with peanut butter, honey or anything

you might like on it, sone yogurt with granola.  The point is to find something that agrees with your taste buds and get it into your tanks, give your body the fuel it needs before you ask it to work for you.  This make take some time through trail and error but we have to start somewhere ladies and gents, so let's get started so we can HIT THE POOL WITH DETERMINATION.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Some thoughts on our performance from last weekends meet.  First and foremost I truly believe we are at a good point with just two weeks of workouts under our belt.  Try to remember that we are early in the season and as I tell you over and over it's a marathon not  a sprint.  Yes we are always aiming for best times but don't forget that you can have a good swim without a best time..  Too many of you came back and said "I did bad".  When I ask why you answer comes back "because of the time" You can't always look at the results especially early in the season, try and look at the process also.

THE GOOD-- A lot of us got in some new events in this first meet and it was good to see you put yourselves out there.  Going outside of your comfort zones will definitely help you down the road.  There was a good effort with our UWK (that fifth stroke) during your races.

THE BAD--  our streamlines can be better.  Our 3 rules 1. lock the thumbs.  2. squeeze the ears.  3. look down.  ?We are very soft in and out of turns.  The walls in a short course pool offer a great opportunity to gain an advantage over your competitors if you choose to use it.  Be aggressive in and out of those walls.  Stop looking at it as a rest area along the highway.   THIS BEGINS AT PRACTICE WITH consistency during workouts on the wall, don't forget "WIN"

THE UGLY-- Within our 3 groups we suffered 4 DQ's and while any DQ's are bad they will happen, it’s human nature.  We had a DQ in backstroke with a delay in a turn, another in backstroke coming off on our stomach.  One in fly with an underwater recovery on the finish and another in fly on not finishing.   Notice that 3 of these DQ's involved the walls so that should send a red ⛳️ to all of us that we need more attention to our walls at practice.  The positive is that all 4 of these can be corrected it just takes a little more attention to detail.  If you want me off your back, then focus on the walls and do the turns correctly.  That easy.

SET OF THE WEEK:

We did this little set at the end of each practice as both a swim down set and to work on our UNDERWATER's off the wall with the goal of becoming comfortable while doing something uncomfortable.  I thin k we will make this a staple.

WITH FINS 4 ROUNDS

3x25 @30 fly kick with boards

3x50 @1:00 free to back (#1fast UWD to 10M/. #2 UWD to 15 M. #3UWD all the way.

A good way to swim down while accomplishing something good. 

Senior prep swimmers, how is your strength conditioning program going.  You should be entering the third week of exercises this week which means you should have a minimum of 6 sessions at the end of this week.   It is important to stay consistent as we put in more exercises at a higher volume and intensity in the next session.  

MENTAL TIP #2 VISUALIZATION

No worries, I've swum this race a hundred times in my head.  It's not going to replace your swimming workouts, you will still need to show up at the pool and work hard, you still need to do your strength training, eat healthy, hydrate and get your proper rest. it will however,  supplement and help you maximize the work you are already doing.

Make the environment real as you close your eyes, see the flags (what color), the walls, the bottom of the pool (is it tile or plaster) the swimmers around you and of course your coach standing next to the pool with that crumpled meet sheet in hand.  Make it real.

When you use visualization start getting in touch with all of your senses, the stepping up on the block, the texture of that block under your feet, the smell of chlorine in the air, and the cold water surrounding your body off the start.

Try and hit as many of your senses as you see yourself swimming like a AQUASTORM bigger and badder than your typical hurricane.

Stay on top of your school work.  Help out around the house.  Take care of yourselves away from the pool. And don’t forget, WIN

W-- What's

 I-- Important

                            N-- Now