MEET READY THURSDAY

 

Since we eat and play as a team on Fridays, our theme every Thursday is “MEET READY THURSDAY”.   This is where we do everything fast from starts, turns and finishes.  No slow pace drill just thinking about quality speed.

Here is what we did in our yard pool with our green squad for 9-10 while the blue squad worked in the meter pool.

Don’t forget our color code  red=smooth 60-70%   BLUE= build to your race speed 80-90%  PURPLE is our GO SPEED  race here no slackers

• 4x50 free/back
• 4x25 IMO
• 4x50 free/back
• 4x25 IMO
• 4x50 free/back
• 4x25 IMO
• 4x50 free/back
• 4x25 IMO

100 buddy kick (find out something new about your buddy). 

5 ROUNDS ALL IS FAST AND EACH GROUP LEAVES ON WHISTLE. NO LOOKING REACT TO THE SOUND.   STAY IN MIDDLE OF LANE.  All choice but do not change until next start.

Fast start to 2nd cone  in pool

Fast turn back to first cone

Fast finish to wall (get your fingers to the wall.  Do not grab up top on white stone.

CHALLENGE SET TO END PRACTICE FROM A START.  ALL FREE

1xFAST START WITH NO BREATH TO WHERE IM STANDING IN POOL walk back

2x same thing but I’m moving back a little

3x same thing but I’m moving back a little more.

4x let’s finish today with a challenge to go all the way.

GREAT JOB THIS WEEK WE ARE RACE READY. WE ARE DOLPHIN READY.

Good luck to all the mako swimmers this weekend.  Don’t forget it’s great to swim a best time but your role as a good teammate is to race and score points for your team.  Beat someone/ANYONE.  DO YOUR JOB HAVE FUN AND RACE

SHORT AXIS WORK ( breast fly)

 

 So today we split up into a long axis group in our meter pool (free/back) and a short axis group  in our yard pool. There choice which pool. I. The 13 and over group we had 25 with me in the short axis pool and  about 15 with Helen n the meter pool.

Yes it is nice to have the two pools and we use every yard and meter from 7:30-10-30 and on a few occasions you might catch Helen and I swimming before the kids get there.

Anyway this is what today looked like.  First off we all warmed up together in the meter pool to the sounds of country music.

WARM UP

12x 50 free/back swim +25 choice kick with boards working on engaging hip rotation which was done yesterday (#6&12 rounds giddy up and put some dolphin speed into it

Short axis work

FINS ARE ON   ALL ARE RACE SPEED   BREAST FAST HANDS FORWARD WITH A DOLPHIN PRESS  HOLD YOUR STROKE COUNTS THROUGHOUT 

• 4x25 breast @25
• 2x25 fly @25
• Rest 30
• 4x25 breast @25
• 4x25 fly @25
• Rest 45
• 4x25 breast @25
• 6x25 fly @25
• Rest 1:00
• 4x25 breast @25
• 8x25 fly @25

FINS OFF AND GO 4x50 free back steady pace and smooth RECOVERY 

16x25 @40 ODDS ARE BREAST AND EVEN ARE FLY  HOLDING STROKE COUNTS THROUGHOUT 

After 8 rest a 1:00

BACK TO THE BIG POOL FOR STARTS/turns/finishes

EACH GROUP MOVING ON WHISTLE  REACT TO SOUND  you jump you do push-ups LISTEN

5 times through

• 1x15 from start with breakout
• 1x22.5 into turn back to cone in pool (halfway)
• 1x12.5 to a BIG DOLPHIN FINISH

POSITIVE CHANGES. episode #4

 

So, we’ve gone through some changes that you can make in your head to help your swimming, but what are some changes you can make in your actual training to help.

It starts with the old saying, “ you’re going to get out of it what you put into it.”  What I like to say is “ garbage in, garbage out.”  You have a choice on what you want out of it and the choices you make will have consequences later on.

SHOWUP: Before you can improve anything in the pool, you have to first show consistently.  Showing up means being ready to go on time (not on your timetable)

IMPROVE:  Trust the process day in and day out.  Be prepared to improve each day from the moment you get wet.

STEP by STEP:  Set some small goals for each workout and focus on those rather than one big goal for the day.  Pay attention to your technique as you move through practice especially when you become fatigued. To achieve big things, you start by focusing in on the little things during workout such as;

• underwater's off EVERYwall.
• breakouts off every wall with no breath.
• being more aggressive in and out of turns.
• Finishing into the wall hard on every swim.

Stop going through workouts aimlessly without a roadmap.  Be prepared, build a plan, trust your plan and than go out and execute it.  

Show up each day.

MONDAY LONG AXIS DAY (13and overs) 1hour

WARM UP

• 400 swimming and steady (200 free to start than mix it up) KEEP IT MOVING
• 4x100 (50 kick boards/50 free to back hold your underwater's)
• 4x50 (25 back kick/25 back)

LONG AXIS SET

4ROUNDS

4X25 FREE @30 + 1X50 BACK with good rotation

25's done as

25 superman kick/25 R arm lead/ 25 L arm lead/ 25 fast free minimum breaths

CLOSING TIME  AMRAP 

? x40's  free Build your speed as you move down the pool to a fast turn, fast back not 15M mark walk to wall with long strides.

POSITIVE CHANGES episode #3

CONGRATULATIONS you’ve made it through another school year and we hope you’re moving on with flying grades. 

HOW TO FIND PEACE WHEN CHAOS SURROUNDS YOU 

Outside the pool some changes you can make to reduce the chaos that creeps up are;

• Focus on your race: Shift your focus to your own race and execution, away from comparing yourself to others.
• Stay in the “NOW”: Concentrate on the present moment, both before and during the race.
• Positive Visualization:  Top worrying about what might go wrong and instead visualize yourself navigating the challenges in the race.
• Relaxation Techniques: If you feel anxious, focus on your breathing, practice slow deep breaths and visualize yourself  calmly moving through the water with unimaginable speeds.

Some things to remember as everyone around you are losing their minds and the chaos is closing in.  If you can make these changes in your mental outlook things will start looking up.

1. The past can’t be changed.
2. Opinions don’t define your reality.
3. Everyone’s journey is different.
4. Judgements are not about you.
5. Overthinking will lead to stress and sadness.
6. Happiness is found from within.
7. Your thoughts affect your mood.
8. Smiles are contagious.
9. Kindness is free.
10. It’s okay to let go and move on.
11. What goes around, comes around.
12. Things always get better with time.

POSITIVE CHANGES episode 2

 

EXCEPTIONAL TIME MANAGEMENT

We all lead busy lives with busy schedules and you are no different.  You’re not only an athlete and a swimmer, but also a student and scholar, a daughter or son, a brother or sister and a friend.  You have a lot to balance on your plate and now is the time to learn time management so you are better prepared for adult life and the world.

The time management skills that you learn as a student/athlete is a crucial part of your every day life and is a great tool that you can fall back on in later life as an adult.  Swimming successfully is as much about managing your time as it is about training hard.  

The life of a struggling student/athlete is a precious juggling act, trying to fit in school, homework, training, rest and recovery while at the same time finding some "ME" time.  That "ME" time is vital in your rest and recovery. That rest/recovery time is as important as your time in the pool, Why?  Many swimmers are constantly on the go and its no wonder that regardless of their activity, their performance suffers.  That rest, recovery and relaxation time is a balancing act but extremely important because this "DOWN TIME" is when your body is recovering, growing and getting stronger and is fundamental to your swimming success.

Effective time management is another key to being not only a successful swimmer, but also a successful

student and person later in life.

So, how can you time manage like a pro?  Here are some simple suggestions and remember these are suggestions and by no means does one way work for all. Maybe you already have a system that works or maybe it needs a little tweaking.

MOST IMPORTANT TOOL IN THE SWIMMERS TOOL BOX: JOURNAL

Every swimmer should keep a journal which includes some kind of planner or calendar, it could be daily, weekly or monthly.  Regardless it should be written down because by writing it down you are holding yourself accountable and are more likely to follow through, if not you are just putting it off and eventually those bills come due and are you going to be in a position to pay them off.

Set up a color code using different colors to designate school time, homework time, swim workout, swim meets, free time, and me time.  Using a color chart  helps you visualize your day and week and what needs to get accomplished.

Be a champion packer.  Prepare your swim bag the night before.  There is no excuse for not being prepared, and it is basically the first step towards failure for that day be it school, practice or swim meet.

Remember, Ask for help if you feel overwhelmed. Have that go to person for support and if your that person, just listen to them, don't judge.  CELEBRATE YOUR WINS: Be proud of all your accomplishments, big or small.  Balancing your schedule is a victory in itself.

 

 HAVE FUN:  Swimming should nbc a release for stress, a home away from home.  Enjoy letting the water surround you and don't let time management take away the joy of being in the water.

TAKE AWAYS from MARYLAND STATES

 Several of our 12 and under's traveled out to Rockville this past weekend  to swim at the Maryland States championship meet.

The weather gods were doing everything in their power to make it as

difficult as they could for our swimmers especially with the older kids sessions.  As always, in the end it was the swimming gods who eventually won the weekend

We would be amidst if we did not give a shout out to Will Maier and his family for braving the Friday storms ands tornadoes so that he could have the opportunity to swim the 200 Free in which he set a new team record.

As we arrived Saturday evening the sun was shining although a little on the cool side, but as we started 

our warmups the skies opened up with the wind, hail and torrential rain and according to Gina those were giant rain drops.  The good news was there was no thunder or lightning so we could continue in the pool although in a long course pool they faded out of sight as they were meandering down the pool like ships disappearing over the horizon.   The bad news was that as we finished our warmup we arrived back at our team area only to find our stuff soaked which would end up making for a cold evening for everyone.

As far as the races our performance measured up to what I would expect at a long course meet outdoors in a crazy environment maybe no so fun. for parents.  

The progress that you all have made in your kicking (which was a priority) and the way you built the kick as you moved down the pool was awesome to watch.  It shows that if you buy into it and focus on it during the sets you can learn the skill.

The starts where you controlled yourself and did not take those breaths during the first 2 strokes is starting to show up in your races something you can carry into your summer races and next season short course.

One area that we need to improve is our last 10 meters into the finish.  The object is to get your hand to the wall and last time I checked the wall is not coming g to you!  I've seen sooo many races lost from the flags in because of lack of focus.  Either your breathing, slowing down your kick or just plan lack of effort to finish it out like a CHAMPION.  We need to increase our effort drive and aggressiveness as we approach the finish.

Our breathing during the fly and breaststroke is actually looking better, as we are staying low on the surface and moving forward as we are moving down the pool.  Now our breaststroke kick needs some work as I still think we go tooo wide and the wider those legs go you start to lose the water thus the power.    

We want to draw those legs up to our butts and drive that water backwards thus powering us forward.  

Our backstroke is looking strong with good head position and the rotation of our hips.  Liam Wall also had an excellent finish only problem was that it was in the middle of the pool, but he did recover and finished the race.

Over all it was a good weekend with some good racing opportunities in challenging conditions.

POSITIVE CHANGES episode 1

With are last post we talked about making some positive changes in our swimming and begin swimming with a renewed spirit.   Well the time to take action is now.

You may be thinking that attending workouts on a consistent basis is the most important thing a swimmer needs to do to become successful and although I would agree with you I would argue that DEVELOPING THE PROPER MINDSET would be just as important if not more so.

During workouts we are trying to do two things; one is building good technique with good habits. The repetitions that you do in practice is your opportunity to start creating and building good habits.  Nothing stands up to pressure and stress in competition than good habits.  These are the same habits that will get your hand to the wall at the finish.

Unfortunately if you are creating bad habits during workouts and you will become inefficient as the pressure and stress increases during your races, hence you begin to struggle, go slower and pretty much collapse before you can get your hand to the wall. 

It’s way too easy to just turn your brain off during workouts and just “GRIND” it out and as the expression goes, “garbage in, garbage out.”  We are better than that, YOU are better than that.

One small drop in your workouts such as a PROPER MINDSET will have ripple effects in your swimming.

 

MEMORIAL DAY THOUGHTS

As we celebrate this weekend with our travels, visits with family, maybe even a trip to the beach 🏖️ or just stopping to check in with our summer clubs and reunite with those summertime friendships let’s take a moment and give thanks to our veterans.

We started this week talking about discipline and how if we’re disciplined in our swimming we tend to be more successful and how the lack of discipline will hinder our success.

This weekend as you travel about take time to notice the flags that are up think about why it flies and what moves it, maybe the wind you might say, but I believe it’s more about the veterans who sacrificed so much that it flies and allow us to sleep under the blanket of freedom that it allows.

“Just as you push through the water with every stroke, you honor those who push through the challenges of a military life of service.  Their courage echos with every stroke you take.”  With every breath you draw, every turn you execute it’s a reminder of their ultimate sacrifice.

With that same spirit that they demonstrated, let us show that same spirit in our swimming in their honor.  Let’s show that same discipline and start making some positive changes in our swimming.🏊 

We remember all our veterans and their families for making sacrifices so that we can participate and enjoy our swimming.

DISCIPLINE

 

The word discipline throughout history has had many meanings to every individual. The meaning that we will be referring to for our swimming is as follows; “ The conscious or unconscious motivation that directs an individual’s actions towards maintaining acceptable behavior during all aspects of their training.”

This behavior takes place during workouts, competitions, and life outside the pool.  A disciplined swimmer has extraordinary self-control, they are focused on achieving their goals, and believe they are responsible for what they can accomplish.

Discipline in swimming is your SUPERPOWER and it all starts with having goals, writing them down and coming up with a plan or road map of how to get there. Otherwise it’s just talk and a lot of noise.  

Discipline is not a mysterious art, it’s not genetic it knows no specific gender, it’s just out there freely available to whoever chooses to wield it in their swimming and life.  It’s not easy, it’s hard especially on those days that you may be down a little.

Discipline is a learned skilled and the more you exercise it, work on it, and live it, the better equipped you will become in applying it to all those little things in swimming.

The little things in swimming are black and white, such as doing your UNDERWATER KICKS OFF EVERY WALL and it’s a yes or no answer as to will and how you do them.  There is no middle ground, no wiggle room, no excuses which are only a reason to give you an out for failing.  This goes with all the “little things” in swimming that require a lot of discipline.

Until you come to the point in your swimming where discipline becomes a part of your armor, you will continue to fight those daily battles that you bring on with procrastination and excuses.  Face your hurdles head on as you continue to become that swimmer that you want to be.

RIPPLES

 

Some of us are at that point where we are starting the transition into long course and summer league  swimming.  Regardless of the transition we all probably want the same thing, and that is to swim fast.

Often through our training we are great while we are doing our surface work, but we tend to overlook some  areas that have a ripple effect on the overall race.

Ask yourself this question, what is more important in a race the start, the breakouts, the underwater’s, the turn or the finish.  The answer friends is that they are all important and the longer the event the more ripple effects it will cause in your race.   The effects that all of these areas have during short course or summer season are enormous during your races and will effect your success.

An example of this would be, how you execute your underwater’s especially during the upcoming summer season.  Your races are all 50 meters.  You dive in and execute 4 fast dolphins underwater’s.  The ripple effect is that now you have about 12.5 meters to that turn and with 3 fast underwater’s off the turn  you have about 20 meters to the finish.  That’s a big ripple as you have now shorten the amount of swimming from 50 to around 35 meters.    

Next time out at practice think about all the small things that you are executing and how they will have a huge ripple effect on RACE DAY.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 25-26

The team recommendations have gone out and if you have questions please contact myself directly.  I have not turned any in as of today.   As for the GOLD GROUP all the swimmers will stay unless they are 13.  I have met with a few parents already.   As for the BLUE GROUP. the swimmers should stay but if anyone has other thoughts or suggestions please contact me.

LOOKING BACK and MOVING FORWARD

 Hope all of you who are on spring break are enjoying your time away from school and the pool.  Those of you starting break next week enjoy your time off.

There are many different views out there on the subject of swimmers taking breaks in the “middle of the season” as we end our short course season and head into both long course and summer league season at all of your neighborhood swimming holes. 

Yes, I believe that taking a break at this time will produce many positives down the road for our age group swimmers knowing what their goals are.  First and foremost breaks allow for both physical and mental recovery which reduces the risk of burnouts down the road and can help with increased motivation and confidence when our swimmers return to the pool.

For the past month our mako swimmers have completed in championship meets from UMD to VA TECH to GEORGE MASON and finally in SAINT PETERSBURG.   All of our swimmers found themselves in a championship meet at some point during the month.  They came and put all of their hard work to the test.  

They stepped up onto the blocks and raced and made us all proud with their accomplishments.  Some of these swimmers were put to the test and raced in more events than they thought possible.  An example were a few swimmers in St. Pete who swam 8-10 events, another 6-8 finals and 4 relays.  If you do the math that’s 16-20 races over 4 days.  OUTSTANDING!

Now that our short course season is over I truly believe that it’s a perfect time for a break and to recharge, so to say and prepare for the next three and a half to four months with a new vigor and the motivation and desire for some great racing.

Swimming will always have peaks and valleys and those are lessons in both swimming and life of patience.  Sending our age group swimmers back to the pool when short course season is completed can be confusing

and it may send the wrong message which is; no matter the progress made or the time dropped, it wasn’t good enough so dive right, back in.

Enjoy the break and show up at that next workout smiling 😄and the motivation and desire to see where the next few months take us.  If your counting it’s 57 days until that first summer meet. 

                                                                       HAPPY EASTER 🐣 🐇                                                   

H

 

GETTING OUT.OF YOUR OWN WAY

 Sometimes as athletes/ swimmers we do things to sabotage our path to success.  Whether intentionally or unintentionally we get in our own way that has a direct effect on our training and more importantly our races.

To our swimmers swimming this weekend out at UMD in the 14 and under's championship.  The sky is the limit for each of you this weekend, so don't put a limit on anything as you work through your line up each day.  The more you believe that you can the more you can achieve.  Don't be afraid of setting some scary goals and then go out and chase them down.  It's always fun to chase the goals down.  It's all about you so don't compare yourself to others.  You may come up short, but at the end of the day you must have the mindset and the courage to race and that it is possible to achieve those goals.  Will there be challenges and obstacles, of course there will but they can be overcome.  The key is to stay out of your own way and not create any internal obstacles.

The University of Maryland pool is your arena this weekend.   Remember all the hours of hard work, dedication, and grit that got you here, and now comes the fun and rewards of this sport.  Embrace the moment, swim your best and no excuses leave it all in the pool with each race.  IT's RACE TIME.

SO YOU THINK THE WATER’s COLD

 Have you ever thought that the water is too cold to train or race in.  Do you know why it always feel cold or a little uncomfortable at first.  Well your body temperature is about 98.6 so most bodies of water are always going to feel cold at first but as you begin to move you start heating up your muscles and core temperature and the water becomes tolerable.   Might be the reason coaches try to keep swimmers moving.

I saw this clip about ice swimming this morning and thought of you all on those days when you tell the coaches the water is too cold.  Check it out and oh be careful the next time you tell me it’s too cold.

Crazy ice swimming race

WINNING THE DAY

 

 Swimmers at all levels usually have a goal as the step up on the block for their races.  For age group swimmers that goal usually revolves around four things;

1. Winning the race
2. Winning the heat
3. Personal best
4. Achieving a qualifying time

The order of these goals may differ amongst age group swimmers depending on the time of year or the meet itself.

The truth is that all age group swimmers want to accomplish something in every race but how many are

willing to really do what it takes?  How many are willing to get uncomfortable in order to accomplish something they desire? One thing for sure is that when a swimmer or any athlete steps out of their comfort zone and enter into the uncomfortable zone they really see who they are, what they are really made of and what is possible.  The confidence level of these athletes soars to new heights.

There’s an old saying, “talk the talk, walk the walk”.  It’s easy to say things but it takes real discipline to do what is necessary to accomplish a goal.  Having the will to accomplish any of the goals listed above is great but without a real commitment and discipline it becomes “just talk”.

In order to win that championship race at the end of the year, you must first win each day, each practice, each set, and each repeat.  To win the day you must have the right mindset and be focused the task at hand.   For example let’s take a simple set of 10x50’s free. The focus is to have 3 underwater’s off each wall and bottom arm/ no breath off each turn and no breathing flags to finish.  I’m willing to bet that all you heard was 10x50’s and then your brain went to airplane mode.  The problem is that you missed the 3 critical things that will make you better, heck I can do 10x50’s all day but am I really doing anything of substance.  The other thing that you heard was 10 and instead of focusing on the first 50 and striving for perfection you just swim and can’t wait till you get to 10.

This is where your commitment and discipline come into play.  Can you step out of your comfort zone become uncomfortable and complete the task correctly.  Do you have what it takes to “win the day”.  It begins with simple things and will require discipline.

WINING THE DAY

• Keep up with school assignments.
• Go to bed and arise each day at the same time.
• Make your bed. Your first win of the day.
• Hydrate…hydrate….hydrate. All day long. Keep sipping.
• Arrive early for workouts. Ready to go when we start.  
• Have a great attitude and mindset as you step onto the pool deck.
• Win your warmup. Win each set. 
• Absorb your coaches feedback and then work on it.
• Hold yourself accountable. 
• Spend time journaling after practice.  What worked well. What didn’t.  Where you need to focus more.  

SWIMMING GUARANTEES

 

So, you've had perfect attendance and worked hard at practice and now it's time cash in and race.  You step up on to the blocks, ready to explode and you fully expect your race to end with a personal best.  As your hand hits the touchpad and your attention turns to the score board a look

of disbelief overtakes your facial expression and the flood gates open with all kind of emotions.  First thought and what I hear from swimmers is this; What did I do wrong?  (I hear it a lot).  Your confidence has been shaken and I see it before we even meet, your shoulders are slumping and your smile has been turned into a frown that can be seen from far away.  

The vast majority of swimmers, and virtually all parents believe that the time is the only measure of a race.  In their minds they believe  that a good time means a good race and a bad time means a bad race.  I hear it all the time from swimmers returning from their race and declare that "I was bad" all because of the time.  Sometimes they even get a P.B. but still think they are a failure all because of  a time.   As we know there're two sides to the coin and the other side is "I was great" all because of that time.  The problem is that racing is never that simple.

Swimmers, coaches and parents unknowingly contribute to this with only praising the time and from this the swimmer is only thinking about that time.  Their view becomes distorted and they can't see the good and the bad in the race which inhibits the learning process.  In developing swimmers I always like to ask the swimmer this question first, How did that feel?  What did we do good?  What needs to improve?  How were the underwater's, the turns, the pace, or did we increase tempo at the right time.  Rarely do I mention the final time because that is not going to help the swimmer learn and develop.  The standard for most age groupers (which I believe is that if they get to the blocks and just dive in the PB's will roll in.  

The reality is that their strokes are often so inconsistent that they can add a lot of time as easily as they drop time. Sometimes I can see a young swimmer change their stroke several times within the race.  You may ask how can they drop time if they are inconsistent and the simple answer is that their bodies are changing daily (they are growing).  This is where the learning process comes into play and it's a hard concept to grasp for a younger swimmer if they are always asked their time and that becomes their whole focal point.

Conditions drastically change from meet to meet or even race to race and that is why its important for you to have a plan for the meet and this is where the problem starts for some swimmers.  It's very frustrating for coaches when swimmers arrive at a meet without even knowing what events they are swimming.  The failure to plan is a recipe for disaster.

Swimmers sometimes forget things in their pursuit of speed.  Swimmers get into a routine with their practice routines and sometimes those routines are upended due to a variety of reasons ranging from illness, injury, vacations or school.  When you have these missed opportunities they affect your body and it's internal clock.  

Bottom line is that swimming has no guarantee but what I can tell you is this "If you pay attention to the process you will be in a better place to achieve your dreams.  Let's go into competitions thinking about racing and less about time.

WINNING THE RACE

Why do we go to meets and race?  Not a new question and although the reason might be clear to all of you they actually may go deeper than you think.  The first think that should come to mind is the fact that racing is and always should be fun, one of the best part of this sport.

Exploring this issue further it becomes clearer that meets are a vital part of the process in reaching your final goals whatever they may be.   Although you should always be testing yourself during your workouts the swim meets bring along a higher level of accountability in a little more pressured environment.  There are officials involved with a meet, there is more time involved along with a lot more mental energy.  You may start paying more attention to nutrition, hydration and sleep habits.  While all of these are important daily during your training there's a special emphasis put in during competition periods.  

You should be using competition events as a training event to improve.  When you approach your competition with this in mind it becomes a rehearsal for your bigger competitions down the road.  This is part of your training process, because you're literally teaching your body to perform at a higher level.

These meets provide you the opportunity to evaluate what you are doing well and what you need to work on during future workouts.  This is the area that seems to get lost on a lot of swimmers in the process.  Swimmers should be talking to a coach after your race while it is still fresh in everyones mind and talk about things that worked or didn't work and something to really take back to practice and work on.  Unfortunately swimmers miss this huge opportunity because they don't seek the feedback or they don't take the feedback back to practice and make the honest effort of improving in the areas that were discussed.

Another area that meets provide is mental training before your race.  Sometimes the race is won before

you even start and what I mean here is sometimes you’ve swam your race before you start.  We have discussed visualization before and how important it is in your overall success in the pool.  I have talked to many swimmers who are always putting negative thoughts into their heads.  It always amazes me as a coach how an athlete thinks of everything that can go wrong in competition when they know they have worked hard in practice.  Will things go wrong, of course they will but through your hard work you have put yourself in the best possible position to be successful.  All you need is a positive attitude going into the race. 

stop going to the dark side before your races and start practicing visualizing your success.  It has to become a habit.

 

We win the race by controlling the pool. Space and time.

A COACHES VIEW FROM GREENSBORO

 

70 Makos traveled to Greensboro last weekend for a four day meet at the coliseum.  We began the meet on Friday with a couple of distance events where several of our Mako swimmers participated in and left with some awesome swims.

Saturday morning came early as the 12 and under were  scheduled for first warmup at 7;30.  For those of you who have never been to this complex let's set the stage.  You had the main complex of 2 pools with 8 and 14 lanes that we would be racing in and then you had the diving well  that would have another 8  lanes.  Through the hallways on the other side of the building there were 2 other pools that each had 10 lanes.  Of course the teams were assigned different pools for each session and of course our 12 and under were scheduled for the back pool for that session.  Have you ever tried to round up 40 8-12 year olds early in the morning, started feeling like a lost shepherd looking for his lost flock.😃. Our first warmup of the meet needless to say was a little chaotic as I expected everyone on time

knowing what to do (my bad) without remembering that we had swimmers from other groups. As we worked through our warmup this is what I saw in my mind.   The best thing was that we had a half hour to have time to go over what was expected of them.  We went over our meet warmup procedure for our 12 and under's and emphasizing how important it was to be on time and how if your late it affects the whole group and is very disrespectful to everyone involved.  The second thing we  talked about was the actual swimming which went like this;

• feet first
• 200 free smooth and strong
• 4x50  free to back descending 
• 100 kick on back streamlined
• 3x50 kick descending 
• 8-12 25's alternating choice (no free) and free fast
• 2 starts off blocks

The swimmers were awesome for the rest of the meet as they were on time and went through warmup

without a hitch and what I saw was like night and day.

Are you ready for the most asked question of the meet?  When should I go over?  We all know that some of that was if not all of it was being anxious which is understandable.  Here is a rule of thumb for the 50's go over about 6 heats before (they go fast) for your 100's maybe 4 heats and for the 200's about 3 heats.  Why?  If you know when to go over to the blocks it reduces the anxieties that much more and that is time you can relax a little more.  This is part of what we talk about; "TAKING OWNERSHIP" of your race.

As for our actual racing we had tons of awesome swims from all of our Mako swimmer, lots of new events and a Buch of personal best posted throughout the weekend.  One thing that stood out race after race was our starts with great streamlines and our momentum off those blocks.  Time after time our swimmers were coming up ahead of their competition. We are learning and executing what we have learned in our races.

Our turns need some work.  Technically they are improving but we need to be more aggressive in and out of those turns.  We saw some slowing into and out of those turns and this kills momentum and speed.  We need to do a better job engaging a faster and more purposeful dolphin off those walls to carry our speed into the next leg of the race.

FINISHES-- We need to set up those finishes to the wall.  The object is to get your hand to the pad before

the other swimmers and you can't do that is you relax on that last stroke.  We've say it all the time, "FINISH LIKE A CHAMPION" no matter what.

Overall we had a great showing at his meet and its time now to turn our attention to the qualifying meets and see how many cuts we can get for the championship season.

Stay on point and keep up your hard work and take care of yourself away from the pool.