CONSISTENCY

If your looking for consistency in your races look no further than consistency in your preparation leading up to those races.  When we talk about preparations, we are not talking about the days before or even the few weeks before the race.  While you view every race as a big one what we are talking about is that target meet of your season which normally comes during championship season in March or April.   In your summer league it’s divisionals an maybe a lane to race in at all stars.

Race or performance consistency demands consistency every day in your preparation, consistency in your focus and consistency in your effort every day.  Many swimmers 🏊‍♀️ who have trouble with this pick and choose when they will give it their all.  That’s not how great swimmers become great.  These are the athletes who have LAZY PRACTICE HABITS.  They fail to grasp that the reason for their inconsistencies in competition are because of their inconsistencies during practice.  They believe that they can flip a switch on race day and

magical things will happen.  They believe that if hey say it enough and tell enough people than he magic will happen.  If  that occurs it will truly be magical because it won’t be because of hard work and consistency in workouts, and thus that is the biggest reason for inconsistency in competitions.

Consistency does not mean that you will swim a lifetime best or have your best performance, why? Because your human and its human nature for athletes to have an off day.  When that happens don’t make excuses or pout.  Don’t be too hard on yourself either.  Talk about the race with your coach, listen, learn and o back to he pool and work on it.  There is never the perfect race, maybe in that moment but new goals are set and the next challenge is set.

I never understand why the SUPER BOWL is advertised as the biggest game, maybe it is for those athletes in that moment on that day, but they have played 58 of these BIGGEST GAMES.

It is very difficult to be “ON” every day of competition let alone during workouts.  The season is long and grinding and you’re human, it’s going to take a toll.   It’s hard being an athlete especially for a swimmer because you are always looking to that stopwatch for justification for all your work.  Sometimes though you have to look past that stopwatch and accept the little wins this sport has to offer.

On those occasions when you’re a little off, it is essential to focus and work the best you can in that moment and again not be too hard on yourself.   During workouts it easy to settle into a comfort zone but it’s at this time when adversity smacks you in the face that you need to push yourself past that comfort zone.  Do the things that other swimmers refuse to do, identify the things you need to work on and then get to work.  

Remind yourself to work on consistency and the pursuit of excellence and not perfection.

9-12 MONDAY MADNESS

WARM UP THE USUAL 300 (1x1x1)

100 mixer free/back

2x50 free 1 build 1 fast

4x25 IMO (streamlines smooth long stroke)

HEART RATE SET with fins

4 rounds

3x25 free @30 no breath out no breath in

1x50 back kick smooth

MAIN SET TODAY

4x25 back pause get set @40

2x50 back build to fast turn and get home. @1:30

4x25 back spin tempo @1:00

2x25 back elevator @45

4x25 breast @40 stay low on breath fast hands drive legs

2x50 @1:30 build to fast full extension turn fast back

4x50 @1:20 (odds back to breast.  Evens breast to free. PUT IT ALL TOGETHER HERE

FINISH UP SET 

2x25 fast fly from a dive. Walk around

GREAT JOB

BODY LANGUAGE

Body language speaks volume and will say a lot about a swimmer.  For a swimmer, a good body language and the way you carry yourself are important tools to have.  Your head (your mind) and your body are connected and the way you think goes a long way in how you feel and race.  The way you carry yourself goes a long way to in either  raising your energy and confidence, or it can also lower it.

The real test for your body language comes when you face adversity which swimmers know all too well and it can be lurking in any race.  We also know that when things are going well its very easy to manage our body language and thoughts.

A swimmer with good body language:

• Looks determined and focused
• Keeps their head up and shoulders back
• Radiates a great energy
• Displays a humble confidence 
• Walks with purpose 

On those days when you feel a little down, practicing positive body language can raise your self-esteem and make you feel better about yourself.  We've talked before about CONTROLLABLE and UN-CONTROLLABLE aspects of your swimming and your BODY LANGUAGE is a controllable.  These are habits that will make you or break you and they need as much attention as the habits you work on in the pool.

Maintain the power over your BODY LANGUAGE.

TRY THIS TREAT TO BEAT THE SUMMER HEAT

UNICORN SMOOTHIES (can be ready in 5 minutes)

INGREDIENTS;

1 oz chocolate (melted).   

1 cup fresh mango chunks

2 ripe bananas 🍌 

1/2 cup rasberries

1/2 cup milk (divided)

1/2 cup frozen blackberries

1 marshmallow

2 ice cream sugar cones

1/2 cup whipped cream

2 tsp pink our blue decorating sugar

STEPS:

1. Place the melted chocolate in a sandwich-size bag.  With kitchen shears, snip small holes in one corner of the bag.  On two glasses, draw eyes and a smile with melted chocolate.  Refrigerate glasses until chocolate sets.
2. In a blender, puree the mango chunks and 1 banana until smooth.  Transfer to a measuring cup or small pitcher.  Rinse out the blender.
3. I break or cut pallyn same blender, puree the raspberries, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 of remaining banana until smooth.  Transfer to another measuring cup or small blender.  Rinse out the blender.
4. In same blender, puree the blackberries, 1/4 cup milk and remaining 1/2 banana until smooth.  With kitchen shears, snipe the marshmallow into 4 small pieces.  Carefullwhipped creamy break or cut pointy ends off the cones.
5. Divide the mango, raspberry, and blackberry smoothies between the two glasses, layering carefully. Top each with 1/4 cup whipped cream.  Stick cones into to form horns.. Stick marshmallows into whipped cream to form ears.  Top with the decorating sugar.

 

Our Thursday meet ready set

WARM UP (2x2x2) THE USUAL

200 mixer free back x25 (work no breath on free and underwater’s on all walls). WE WORKED ON THIS ALL WEEK.  GET IT DONE

2x100 (50 kick/50 free/back) rest 10 between

2x50 @1:00 (1 build 1 fast)

HEART RATES UP SET

3x

4x25 (fast /smooth) 20 seconds rest between rounds

MEET PREP SET WITH STARTER (5 heats of 6)

After each 50 go to other pool active recovery no playing.  Wait until your heat is called

After each segment strong to finish

4x50 (#1 breakout and explode to 12.5.  #2 breakout explode and get to your turn.  #3 breakout explode get to wall and explode to 12.5.  #4 ALL OUT PERFECT RACE

THE RIGHT STUFF

 

Do you bring the “right stuff” with you to every workout and every competition ?   When I say stuff I am not talking about thoughts about what you’re going to be doing later, or what should I follow on your phone , we are talking about showing up with the “right attitude” a winning attitude. 

In swimming as in life one of the most important choices that that you can make is the attitude you choose.  When you have the right attitude and the right perspective anything you do goes from impossible to possible.

It’s hard to show up everyday for workout, but life is hard too.  It’s hard to perform a perfect streamline off every start and turn, but life is hard too.   It’s hard to go all out on one more repeat, but life is hard also. 

If you don’t show up with the right stuff, the right attitude, the right mindset you’re always going to come up short in the end.  There are three characteristics that all athletes have; “ your ability, your motivation, and your attitude.” Your ability is what you are capable of doing in every workout and every competition.  Your motivation will determine what you do with your abilities.   Your attitude determines how well you do it.

When you bring the right stuff with the right attitude;

• You bring your best effort 
• You keep a good focus 🧘‍♂️ 
• You don’t make excuses
• You take accountability 
• You stay optimistic 
• You look for solutions 
• You bring a good energy
• You are grateful for everything .

“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference.   The little difference is attitude.  The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.”  W.Clement Stone 

Do you have the “right stuff?”

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK

WARM UP USUAL

200 mixer free back

2x100 (50 kick 50 free to back) 10 sec rest between 100’s

2x50 free @1:00 (1 build 1 fast)

Let’s go deep end 

WIDTHS 

10 minutes streamline and fast UW WALL TO WALL

2 ROUNDS 

4x25 IMO @40 (all underwater’s past flags)

3x50 @1:00 (fly free/. Back free/. Breast free)

1x75 kick ( 50 12.5 fast 12.5 smooth. 25 fast)

Rest hydrate for 2 minutes

Sprint set use both sides no breath to cone no breath cones in “gold meadow sprints”

? X25’s from both side @1:00 drop 2 seconds each time

 

REGRETS

 

Regardless of your sport, we all have those days where we struggle with our training.  You wake up every day and you know what’s ahead of you  and what needs to be done.  However sometimes you also come up with a variety of excuses and reasons that get in your way.

Things that might get in the way without you ever realizing it and the first reason is telling yourself not to work hard when you know that you are slacking and could push yourself a little more.  The reason you don’t is that you have become uncomfortable and the problem with not working the process is that you are going to feel that same way in your races.  

It’s at that point that you need to go outside of your comfort zone and figure out what you are truly

capable of in the pool.  Here is why you should push that envelope not only when you are training but at all competitions also. 

There will be that day that you swim your last race, hang up the goggles, put the tech suit away and wake up the next morning without that chlorine smell in your hair and when that day arrives, you don’t want to look back with regrets.

You want to swim or walk away from swimming knowing that you put everything out there and you had nothing left in your tanks.  Don’t be the swimmer who asks, “if only I had worked harder or tried something different?”   Did I reach my true potential?  This should be your highest goal to walk away knowing that you gave your all each and every day.

Work hard in the pool and follow the process so that when you walk away you can do so with no regrets.

OUR FRIDAY RACE DAY SET 13 and overs

USUAL WARMUP (2x2x2). 

200 mixer free/back by 25

2x100 @2:00 (50 kick IMO /50 free/back)

2x50 @1:00 (1 build/ 1 gold medal swim)

PRE SET WITH FINS

4 rounds

3x25 UWD TO 10 meter finish fly kick to walls @35

1x25 fast swim round 1&3 back tempo get stroke counts. Rounds 2&4 fly @40

RACE DAY WITH THE CLOCK WITH FINS

30x25 free all race @1:00. (Lane 4 stay under 15/ lane 3 and 2 stay under 18/. Lane 1 stay under 22)

GIVING BACK

 

80 years ago today shortly after midnight the invasion of Normandy began with airborne troops dropping from the sky to capture 2 bridges for the troops who were to land later in the morning

Those that took part I that invasion on D-Day sacrifice so much for you to have the freedoms that are afforded to you today and at times it’s easy to forget history and to take those freedoms for granted.

Those who put on that uniform do so not only to protect our country but they also do it to pave a better road for those who follow in the hopes that they won’t have to fight.   

What does this have to do with you and swimming?  How can you give back and make it easier for your community?  This world has takers and givers, which one are you.  It’s easy to always take from your swim team, always asking what they can do for you.

For the next 7 weeks practice giving a little back to your summer teams.  First off embrace the newbie’s, the munchkins on your team.  Help them understand the expectations and set the standards by example.  Take them aside and give them a word of encouragement or a tip such as a turn or a finish.  These young swimmers look up to you and just by you taking a second to speak to them will have a tremendous affect on them.  Cheer for all the swimmers in the pool, meet the little ones at the end of their races and walk them back to the team area.  Talk to a teammate who has just struggled in a race.  Listening to them goes a long way in how they will rebound.

Above all, be a leader and remember what we talked about and how some of the strongest leaders are the quiet ones.  Sometimes I believe some swimmers think to be a good leader you have to be the loudest, the one who loses your voice.  I believe it’s the one who goes around, notices things and always giving words of encouragement to teammates.

Be a giver this summer- - - - not a taker.

SET WE DID FOR CRAZY TUESDAY 9-12)

USUAL WARMUP 300 done as. 

100 mixer free/back by 25

100 (50 kick/50 free to back)

4x25 IMO (for fly go until you struggle finish free)

SET

4x50 free @1:10 

Rest 1:00

3x50 free @1:05

Rest 1:00

2x50 free @1:00

Rest 1:00

1x50 free race from a dive

Build each 50 in each round with the last one being at race pace

We finished up with this set

4 rounds with fins

4x12.5 fast fly finish fast free 1 breath

1x50 social kick

FINS OFF

2 rounds of 

1x25 fly

1x50 back to breast

1x25 race free

Have fun racing this weekend

.

SABOTAGING YOUR SWIMMING

TOO TIRED

TOO BUSY

TOO WEAK

NO WHINING

NO QUITING

NO EXCUSES

You can have RESULTS --or--EXCUSES not both.  GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WORK HARD AND DO IT THE RIGHT WAY CONSISTENTLY.

So, you have made the sacrifices and done the work in the pool and are ready to step up onto the block and race, but are you mentally ready?  Thinking that everything is done without really focusing on the mental side of swimming can bring all your hard work crashing down.

I believe that the number 1 way that you sabotage your swimming is by walking onto the pool deck with a negative attitude.  This could range from lack of in interest, LAZINESS, or arrogance.  The number 2 way is when you make excuses and blame your poor performance on your surroundings.  Seeking senseless excuses after a poor performance is a way to make it all right in your mind for your swim.  You refuse to accept  responsibility for "your swim".  Every time you race it is an opportunity to grow in the sport and learn what was good and what you need to focus on when you get back to training.

The third way which will directly lead into the 4th way is, believing that every race should result in a good result and feeling bad, breaking down into tears and losing hope if it doesn't.  Every athlete in every sport will have ups and downs in their training and competitions, sometimes they will perform poorly but the ones who persevere will be the ones who rise to the top.  This leads us into the next thing that swimmers do, they either avoid talking with their coach or they do talk to the coach but really do not focus on what is being said and then go and complain behind their backs.  Coaches know this is true because we see the same things being done during training that were talked about.  

Now that all of your summer teams have started and you spent a week dodging the storms I hope you got in sa few practices.  I thought I would share every week a couple of practices that we did.  So on the first day this was what it look like;

WARM UP (2X2X2)

200 mixer free/back

2x100 (50 IMO kick/ 50 free to back holding UW to flags)

2x 50 free @1:00 (1 build/ 1 fast)

SET WITH FINS 16x 25 @45

odds free kick superman

evens back kick superman

EVERY 4TH ONE SPRINT

BIG SET TUESDAY

2 ROUNDS

4x25 fly @40 (1-3 body dolphin #4 fly swim

2x50 free to back @1:10 with fast feet to turn

4x25 free @30 CHANGING GEARS

REST 1:00 REPEAT