LIVING IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE

 "F-E-A-R has two meanings:  FORGET EVERYTHING AND RUN or FACE EVERYTING AND RISE"  The choice is yours.

Where is your comfort zone in swimming?  When things get hard and uncomfortable in either your workouts or in competition do you pull back into your safe space?  Afraid to take a risk?  Afraid it might hurt to much?  Afraid you may fail?  You will never Reach your full potential until you have the courage to open the door and walk through.

"THE COMORT ZONE"

I used to have a comfort zone, where I knew I couldn't fail.  But the routine and familiar walls were like a jail and I longed so much to do the things I'd never done before.  I stayed inside my comfort zone and same the same old race even thou the my inside kept saying "let's go, what are you waiting for we can do it, but i was scared to leave my happy place.

It didn't bother me that I wasn't doing much, I didn't care for things like self esteem and such because I was content with things inside my comfort zone.  However, inside I wanted that experience of that perfect race when everything comes together and when I looked at the scoreboard I knew I accomplished something very special for myself.

It was time to stop watching my swimming just slip by and watch others experience the feeling that I sought, so I held my breath, and stepped outside, to let the process begin. I took that step with an inner confidence and a strength I had never felt and honestly it felt awesome.  I said goodbye to my comfort zone and I closed and locked that door forever.

If you are stuck in your comfort zone, afraid to put yourself out there, remember every swimmer was once

consumed with doubt, so don't hold back just take that first step and seek something new.  Embrace your races with a smile because that GREAT RACE awaits you.  Go find it.

BEST MEET SNACKS FOR SWIMMERS AT A MEET

Bananas-- prevents cramps

Apples/Orange slices--hydration + natural sugars

Dried fruit--portable and energy dense

Applesauce pouches-- gentle on the stomach and mess free

Cereal-- dried and provides energy

Rice cakes, crackers, pretzels are also good thing to pack to keep fuel in the tank

Water— don’t forget to keep sipping DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOUR THIRSTY 

LAST WEEK'S SPECIAL SET (SATURDAY)

BROKEN 250

75 free build to a fast last 25

   25 EZ back

50 all out fast (25 primary non free + 25 free)

   25 EZ back

25 fast all out primary non free

   50 EZ free 

GET READY FOR NEXT ROUND

HAVE YOU CHECKED ALL YOUR BOXES.   

GOGGLES

SUITS

CAPS

SNACKS

SWEATS

SHIRTS

POSITIVE MINDSET

CUE WORDS

TRIVIA TIME

Last week answer was breaststroke.  Did you guess it?

This weeks trivia-- What is the 15 Rule in swimming?  

Have fun the next few weeks it’s just swimming!

BRAIN HEART COURAGE

"Athletic skills are acquired over a long period of time after countless hours of practice.  Your talent sets the floor.  Your mindset sets the ceiling", and "It's not how far you fall, but how high you bounce back that counts."

The Wizard of Oz can teach a swimmer some valuable lessons that can be applied in their training and competitions.  What do you have in common with the scarecrow, the tin man or the cowardly lion?  

Let's jump in and see if we can learn anything from this classic.

THE SCARECROW and how important is the brain for a swimmer. 

Swimming is not just a physical activity but a highly cognitive sport requiring a good mental mind set.  Your brain helps you control how you learn, focus and respond under pressure.  The brain in young swimmers is still developing which makes mental skills are a big part of your swimming success.  

Your brain-to-muscle communication is important in your reaction time in getting off the blocks and into your race.  The good thing is that all of you already have a brain (whether you use it or not) that is a big part of your mental game.

THE TIN MAN  and how important is the heart for a swimmer. For obvious reason the heart controls and regulates the blood flow rich with oxygen to your body.  This allows you to maintain speeds for longer periods of time which helps with muscle fatigue.  This is the reason you do not need to breathe so much in a 50 as all of you are racing for only 23 to 35 seconds.  For the longer swims that breathing pattern you have worked on allows you to have a steady pace throughout the race.

Your heart supports your brain by delivering the oxygen to your muscles to effectively train and race.

A healthier heart makes you a more confident athlete and the good thing is that all of you already have a heart and don't need to seek out a wizard.

THE COWARDLY LION  and how important is courage for you as a competitive swimmer. 

Courage can take many different forms, but the type of courage a swimmer needs is that is about taking risks, try hard things even when you don't want to.  It's about staying steady when something feels uncomfortable or uncertain in the pool.

Swimmers courage is the ability to race with confidence even when you're nervous or unsure how it will go.  It's about the ability to bounce back from a bad start, turn, DQ or bad race.  It's having the ability to push into that discomfort zone during workouts and competitions and succeeding.  

Courage comes in all shapes and sizes and the good thing is that within each of you lies some type of courage, you don't need a wizard. you just need to look at yourself and realize it's there.

YELLOW BRICK ROAD

Yours is that black tile line on the bottom of the pool, follow it in your race and don't veer off of your road to success or you might run into those flying monkeys and witches.  You will find your land of oz at the end of that road.

So there you have the story of the wizard of oz and how you can apply it to your own swimming.  Follow that yellow brick road (black tile on bottom of lane) and if you need a wizard  look into a mirror, there's the wizard and surprise it's YOU.

WEEKLY TECHNIQUE TOPIC

THE START:

 What exactly is the purpose of the start and are there ways that you can practice to get off to that great start.  The first thing is to be ready as soon as you step onto those blocks.  That is not the time to be putting on your goggles or waving to mom or day.  Your focus should be on what is in front of you, THE RACE, that’s it.

Some tips:  As you are standing behind the blocks that is a signal that it is time to clear the mind and you should have a key word or phrase (do not share it, it becomes your password to the race) that you say to yourself so that you know it's go time.  

Reaction time:  Be ready to react to the buzzer.  This is why I like to use a whistle during practice.  It is as close to a real time situation as we can get and the sound is consistent each time.

Move forward not up.  This is one of the most common problems I see with young swimmers.  On hearing the buzzer they stand up and dive when they should be propelling themselves forward and over the water.  If you stand up first it wastes time and time is a commodity in swimming especially those short sprint events.

Water entry, Streamline, and breakout:  Three areas that are often overlook but are critical when setting up your race.  The entry should be clean as your entire body should be passing through that hole created by your arms.  The body should be in a tight streamline with your thumbs locking around your other hand and all your muscles squeezing.  The breakout or first stroke should be strong and taken with a statement that you are here to race.

SET OF THE WEEK:

This was a pre set we did after warmup with fins.  The purpose was to engage the heart rate with some speed work.  The other thing we wanted to work on was some speed with all our IM strokes.  Intervals were different for the three groups.  We did 2 rounds with prep, 1 for gold and blue groups.

• 1x50 fly (85% and don't forget to get your air)
• 2x50 back (increase your tempo on the 2nd 25)
• 3x50 breast (first one 3 second glid  2nd one build  third one race)
• 4x50 free (first 3 at 95%  last one ALL OUT)

 NUTRITIONAL TIP OF THE WEEK 

When you pick your fruits and vegetables think of the rainbow.  Try to make your choices as colorful as possible with each meal.  How many of you can get a different color on your plate during the week.  Write it down and keep track because you may actually see a difference in the way you feel during workouts and competition.

TRIVIA TIME

Last week answer "the breakout"  Did you get it right.

This weeks question.  Which stroke is know as the oldest know competitive stroke?

14 and Under Champs edition

 

Championship season is upon us and it’s time for some fast racing and having fun while we do it.  Congratulations to all of our swimmers from all the groups who will be participating next weekend at University of Maryland.  We are looking forward to a great weekend of racing.

We are going to go over some specifics for the weekend to help you manage the stress so all you need to do is show up and race.

First off this is a championship meet format.  What's that mean to you?  It's a Prelim/Finals meet and they will be bring back the top 8 10 and under and the top 16 (11-2 and 13-14) swimmers to finals at night.  

After the final swimmers have been announced you have 30 minutes to declare a scratch (coach approval needed) and if you qualify for finals and fail to show up you will be scratched from the rest of the meet.  Coaches and parents can not help you.

ATTIRE

Wear ONLY Mako gear.  Caps, sweats, shirts.  This is not a H.S. or summer league meet and we don't want to see it.  It's about taking a pride and looking like you know what you are doing.  Words mean nothing.  Walk the talk.

Time Management

Start now with your school work and make sure you are keeping up with all of your assignments and homework.  Don't wait until the last moment to do everything because this is a sure way to become overwhelmed and become too tight and not able to relax and do what you do which is race.  Know your events for the day before you arrive on deck.

MENTAL

Know your cue words to keep you calm.  Make sure You focus on positive thoughts and don't let the negative thoughts live in your head. (hint, saying I'm tired all the time is very negative).  Focus on what you can control and don't waste valuable energy on things that you have no control over.  Positive self-talk goes a long way.

Prepare a meet day checklist.

NIGHT BEFORE 

Pack your swim bag the night before, don't wait until you wake up.  Pack extra suits, goggles, caps sweatshirt.  Hint I always take Old towels and leave them when Leaving.  Pack some nutritional snacks that are easy to digest to keep your energy level up.  Freeze some water bottles the day before and put them in your bags.

Warmup and warm down-- Be on time for warmups and if our time changes I will post the changes here.   Immediately after your race head to the warm down pool and get in.  Do not rush the warm down and a general rule is to get in 2 and half of what your race was and make sure you throw in some of our double arm back with a breast stroke kick.

 I hear coaches always asking if you warmed down and they shouldn't have to ask.  If they do then it might not be as important to you as you say.  Sometimes it's hard to do the extra stuff that is needed to give you a chance, but that's life 

You've trained for swim meets since you were young.  Strong strokes, steady breathing, and finish your races hard.  When you step up on the block, do it with courage not fear ad remember you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be ready to race with heart, effort and courage.

Don’forget to celebrate your achievements big or small. This is the fun part of the sport.  Relish the moment enjoy it and have fun.

WARM UP TIMES

Thursday 4:30-5:20  events 5:30

Friday and Saturday 11-14 7:00-8:20  events 8:30  10 and under's 12:40-1:20 events 1:30

FINALS 4:30-5:20  EVENTS 5:30

SUNDAY 11-14 7:00-8:20 EVENTS 8:30  10 AND UNDER'S12:40-1:20  EVENTS 1:30

FINALS 4:00-4:50  EVENTS 5:00

RELAYS-- These are our relays that have been set up going into the meet.  Remember a swim meet is a fluid situation and changes may need to be made as situations arise.

BEGINNING OF FRIDAY SESSION

Woman's 13-14 200 Medley- G.Kim-A. Morgan-F. Caven-M. Carroll

Men's 13-14 200 Medley (A) B. Dean, J Chan, E. Cotter, C. Sorden  (B) L.Penwll, A. King, J. Kim, D.Barry

Woman's 11-12 200 Medley (A) C. Sorden, C.Flanagan, H. Fried, C.Sorden  (B) J. Kosowski, I. Carroll, E. Kim, S. Howard.

Men's 11-12 200 Medley (A) W. Maier, E. Moh, L. Wahl, M. Herbert  (B) C. Majiros, L.Guthner, W. Flook, J.Devlin

200 FREE RELAYS AT END OF FRIDAY SESSION

Woman's 13-14  F. Caven, G. Kim, A. Paynter, M. Carroll 

Men's  13-14 (A) D. Barry, B.Dean, L.Penwell, C.Sorden  (B) J. Kim, J. Chan, J. Maier, E. Cotter

Woman's 11-12 (A) C. Sorden, C. Sorden, J. Kosowski, C. Flanagan  (B) H. Fried, I. Carroll, S. Howard, E. Kim

Men's 11-12  (A) E.Moh, L.Wahl, W. Maier, M. Herbert  (B) L. Guthner, J. Devlin, W. Flook, C. Majiros

400 MEDLEY RELAY AT BEGINNING OF SATURDAY SESSION

Woman's 13-14 (A) G. Kim, A. Morgan, F. Caven, M. Carroll  (B) A. Paynter, M. Donnelly, A. Hammond, C. 

Men's 13-14 (A) B. Dean, D.Barry, E.Cotter, C. Sorden  (B) L. Penwell, J. Chan, J. DeCerbo, W. Penwell

Woman's 11-12 (A) J. Kosowski, C. Flanagan, C. Sorden, I. Carroll  

Men's 11-12 (A) W. Maier, E. Moh, L.Wahl, M. Herbert

10 and under 200 MEDLEY AT THE BEGINNING OF SESSION

BOYS K. Donnelly, R. Tsuchitani, C. Macfarlane, J. Albers

SUNDAY 400 FREE RELAYS AT BEGINNING OF SESSION

Woman's 13-14 C. Caven, G.Kim, A. paynter, M. Carroll

Men's 13-14 (A) E. Cotter, D. Barry, L. Penwell, C. Sorden  (B) V. Sayasithsena

Woman's 11-12 (A) C. Flanagan, J. Kosowski, I. Carroll, C. Sorden  (B) C. Sorden, S. Howard, E. Kim, H. Fried

Men's 11-12 E. Moh, W. Maier, C. Majiros, M. Herbert

SUNDAY 10 and under 200 FREE RELAY

Girls S. Carlini, S. Cheng, M. Malkowski, C. Whritenour

Boys J. Albers, R. Tsuchitani, C. Macfarlane, K. Donnelly

PAVE YOUR WAY

 

Our championship meets are fast approaching and they will be here in a blink of the eye.  Start now to re-focus on your workout sessions and fine tune those “little things” we talk about.  

I was reading through my old yearly swimming journals and found this classic from years ago and you should stop and think about its message.

GOOD—BETTER—-BEST

 

I took this little saying and put it in a way that a swimmer might be able to relate to it.  Don’t ever let what you started rest.  

Good is your start,

Better shows heart, but

Best is that swimmer,

Who finishes what they begin,

With focus, courage and a strong finishing kick

There is a lot going on at a swim meet and each level meet brings its own challenges, expectations and stresses.  Will there be disappointments, and I’ll be totally honest with you, all athletes will have moments where they come up short.  It’s what you do next that will not only define you as an athlete but more importantly the person you are going to be.  It’s all about building character.

POSITIVE THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Race day is test day to see where we are at that point of the season.  It will test both where you are physically and mentally and make no mistake both areas are vital to your success.  Besides the physical work you do in training it is important do develop a pre-race routine, a strategy to manage your nerves so that you can stay focused on your performance.  In doing so you will increase your chances of performing well when it matters.

Remember race day is not just about winning—it’s about giving it your all, learning something from the experience and enjoying the process.

WEEKLY SET FOR SPEED

16x50 with fins

2@55

2@50

2@45

2@40

100 cruise kick (25 boards/50 on back no boards/25 boards

2@50

2@45

2@40

2@35

100 kick (25 boards/50 no boards/25 boards

WEEKLY NUTRITION TIP

Young swimmers can’t be expected to eat healthy 365 days of the year that would be asking a lot.  Be careful not to fall into the trap of mindless eating where you are eating anything just to eat.  It’s best to eat mindfully and choose healthy, nutritious food whenever possible to allow your body to function at its highest level.  Always hydrate and keep drinking water.  Did you know that eating fruit also helps with keeping you hydrated throughout the day.

TRIVIA TIME

What do swimmers call the moment they switch from underwater kicks to swimming?

Hint— we worked on it this past week and I have said it over and over.

TAKE ADVANTAGE

 

“Expect the best.  Prepare for the worst.  Capitalize on what comes.

Have you ever looked at the meet sheet and got excited to see where you are seeded only to be disappointed in the result.  The competition takes place in the water not on paper.

  You have your event.  You have your heat. You have your lane. You have an opportunity to race.  This is all the heat sheets give you.  Yes your seeded from either 1 to let’s say 100 but that doesn’t matter.  There are no guarantees.  No promises.  No handouts.   You need to show up take the opportunity and go out and race.

SWIMMING TIP FOR THE WEEK

THE CROSS OVER TURN

Watching some of our back to breast turns this past week, there seems to be some confusion on how to execute the proper turn.  It's called a cross over turn.  There is no flip during the turn.  Let me repeat that; there is no flip turn during the turn.

Here is one of the better videos I have  found over the years taking the turn and breaking it down step by step and i would like you to view the videos as often as possible and we will start learning the proper execution of the turn.  It will take some time to get it down so be patient.

With that being said we will not be using the turn during our upcoming championship season, it's too soon.  Let's plan to use it in the Mako April meet when there is less pressure and stress.

BEST SETS FROM THE WEEK. 

9x100 broken

9x

  25 fly @30 about 85 % DO NOT SPRINT THIS

  75 @1:30 (backstrokes do 50 back 25 breast.  Breaststrokes are 25 back 50 breast) 95%

PACER SET

4x25 free fast @25 snorkels, paddles, fins

20 seconds rest

4x50 free @45 (90-95%) snorkels, paddles, fins

1:00 rest

4x100 free @1:15 race speed fast fins 

All equipment off

Swim down

4x50 free to back @1:00 70-75% effort

4x25 back @30 (55-70%). 4th 25 double arm

LIGHT AT END OF TUNNEL

“Actions speak louder than words” 

Do it once = Action

Do it twice = Repetition 

Do it a few times = Behavior 

Do it consistently = Habit 

 With the conclusion of our meets last weekend everyone should be set for their own CHAMPIONSHIP MEET in March.   Starting with PVS OPEN CHAMPS on March 5 followed by 14 &UNDER CHAMPS March 12 and finishing up with the mako spring champs on March 21.

Mako swimmers will also be headed to St. Petersburg Florida for championship meets March 24-28 and March 31-April 4.

Whatever meet you find yourself racing in will be your last meet of this short course season and is YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP MEET.  The last meet of our short course season and the meet where our goal will be to swim the be our best races of the year.   Let’s get excited about the possibilities.  This is where we find ourselves today.

What I am going to say next is an important part of the process for swimmers especially our younger ones and whether you choose to agree with it or not it will remain a part of all swimmers lives.  Over the last couple of weeks including last weekends meet I had several swimmers asking about swimming events and how can I make a cut in my race?  Asking me as if I’m a magician and had some special dust I could sprinkle on them.   

Every season without fail there will be those swimmers who only start thinking about making cuts at the

end of January and during the month of February.  The problem with this approach is that it comes a little late where the process should have started back in September on that first day.  I’ve always said that the first 25 of your race will set up the rest of the race just as the first day of practice sets the tone for the entire season.

That not only involves showing up for practice but it also matters the way you practice.  Success isn’t overnight, a week or a month.  It happens when you can get a little better  than the day before.  It all adds up.

Each swimmers season will change from season to season and some of these changes can be drastic if you are moving up to a different age group.   I believe some swimmers rest on their laurels stop doing the hard work and just expect things to happen as before.  Qualifying times for 11&12 are going to be harder than they were when you were a 10& understand just as they will get harder when you are 13 &over.  These changes are significantly harder as you move up into the older age group just as they are significantly harder when you get to that next level of meets.  This is why they call it championship season.  

Saturday’s Set

PRE SET WITH FINS. (All 50’s at 85-90%. All 25’s are FAST

5 rounds 1 minute reset between rounds

• 50 fly/back@50
• 25 back @30
• 50 back/breast@50a
• 25 breast@30
• 50 breast/free@50
• 25 free@30

MAIN SET (5 ROUNDS)

50 @1:00 (25 primary non free+25 free) build each 25

2x25 @40 (primary non free) fast

50 free cruise @1:20

WEEKLY NUTRITION TIP

This week the tip is simple. HYDRATE yourself throughout the day. Yes we keep on reminding you over and over again but just this past week I picked up a few bottles and they were still filled at the end of practice.  Some of them belong to swimmers who are always sitting out because of cramping or headaches.  You think there may be any connection there, maybe so.  Hydration is one of the easiest, cheapest things that you can do to keep yourself in optimal working condition.  Let’s do a better job in this one part of your swimming and day to day life.

BETTER THAN YESTERDAY

 

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

Two questions for you-- Do you know your weakness in your stroke/events?  Second, Do you focus on that weakness during practice?

Interest and swimming.  What do they have in common?  Every time you show up for practice it's up to you how big of an investment your willing to put into your swimming.  Overtime you small investments

 (little things) will collect interest that you will be able withdraw during your races.

Each of our workouts tries to build on the last workout and in doing that we are building up a nest egg that can be used on race day.  Sometimes, in the real world it's easier said than done, I get it for swimmers.  

With that in mind I want to first talk about our warmup.  I truly believe that most swimmers view this as goof off time or what I like to refer to as "garbage yardage", and this is totally the wrong approach to take during workouts or meets.  While coaches are not putting your body into stressful situations during warmups they do expect you to focus on good technique, quality turns and all the other little things.  During this part of the workout you are telling your body to "get ready" I'm about to put you through a workout.  

Avoid this mindless yardage by setting a specific goal that you are going to work on.  It could be as simple as a breathing pattern or maybe increasing your underwater dolphin kicks by 1 and doing the same number of strong kicks off  EVERY WALL.  Maybe today during every free set you really focus on pulling with that deep arm off you walls and not breathing on that first stroke. Try working on that finishing kick by focusing on going hard into all your walls from 10 meters out.  

Maybe it could be doing "a little extra", but coach when do I have the time?  Really! Maybe instead of plopping down on the ground and getting on your phones when you arrive you might do some light stretching on the mats and this may be a wake up call but you can actually do this while using your phones or listening to music.

Control the controllable, focus on your technique, your attitude, your routines at all workouts and on race day.  Stop focusing on the noise that surrounds you.   This is all part of developing a positive mindset.  

There are always things that you can work on during practice that will be an investment come race day.

It's all about being BETTER THAN YOU WERE YESTERDAY.  

SET OF THE WEEK

Why do it?  This set was designed to maintain our aerobic base that took a little hit over the last few weeks between the snow storm, pool closings, and trying to stay fresh for two meets.  It can be a delicate balance especially as we prepare for championship season.

Doing it correctly.  The intervals on some of them were set to swim at 80% effort in an attempt to hold a steady pace with out much rest but at a lower heart rate.  Looking for almost a continuous swim during all the 80% effort.

First we went through a normal warmup and then into a short pre set just to get the heart rate going.

PRE SET

TARGET IS TO GO ALL OUT ON ALL OF THEM   NO BREATH OUT NO BREATH IN!  2 ROUNDS

• 50 free fast @55
• 25 free fast @40
• 50 free fast @50
• 25 free fast @35
• 50 free fast @45
• 25 free fast @1:25

RESET FOR ROUND 2

MAIN SET

3x100 free moderate pace (80%) @1:20

3x100 free @1:30 (90%)

100 primary stroke-non free (90%) @2:00

2X200 free moderate pace (80%) @2:45

2x200 free (85-90%)@3:00

200 (100 free cruise 15 seconds rest +100 primary stroke at 95%) @3:45

1x300 free moderate pace (80%) @4:15

1x300 free (200 at 90% +100 cruise @4:30

300 (200 free cruise rest 20 seconds +100 primary stroke at 100%)

NUTRITION TIP  FOR THE WEEK

Before practice try to eat something to put a little fuel into your tank so you have the energy you will require.  It should be an easily digestible such as toast, fruit, or dry cereal.  Try to do this an hour or two before workout.  You can still do this is time is short just make it a smaller amount and put the rest away for right after workout.

THE FINISH

 As I was watching you all on Monday and Tuesday doing your finishes on are fast repeats I noticed one glaring thing and that was how lackadaisical ( I know big word for me 🤪) you were with your last couple of strokes.  It’s not trying to be negative.  The finishes just don’t pass the old eye test tat coaches have and yes I can see the finishes.

 I was reading through a book and was reminded how important your mindset is in the sport of swimming.  If you go back and watch the 100 fly men's final in the 2008 Olympics when Phelps was trailing coming into the wall you will see how in a split second a decision Phelps made secured his place in history.  

Sure he was a talented swimmer with a great feel for the water but he also had the mindset to never give up, trust his instincts and finish what he started, something that I think a lot of swimmers overlook during their training.  They take the little things for granted such as the starts, turns, breathing and finishes which brings us to our topic today.

You had a great start and swimming the race of your life but in a a split second decision you pull back and coast into that finish,  Why would you do that?  Making a decision that will cost you hundreds or tenths of a second in a sport that could cost you a cut, a spot at finials, a place on the podium or at the very least a PB.

My take on this part of your race is that it comes down to your mindset, a will to never give up and trust your instincts.  Its not like your devices where you can ask it a question and instant results follow.  Swimming is not your phone.  You actually have to "CHOP WOOD" (do the work)

if you want results and your mindset is no different than any other part of your swimming.  So what are the critical things to focus on for a "championship mako" finish.

• First thing is to lock your mind into that finish.  See it.  Feel it.  Train your finish in workout that's where it starts. Every finish is another opportunity for you to master your finish.
• Your finish begins anywhere from 5-10 meters out.  Maintain your speed  all the way in.  Do not let up and coast in.
• Use your legs.  Your lungs are burning, arms are heavy, use the legs to drive you into that wall.
• Finish with your head down and at full extension. We are not breathing into that wall.  It's a MINDSET. a DECISION made by you.  Regardless of the event your focus is to get your hand or hands on the pad faster than your competition.  It starts with your head down and not trying to look at the scoreboard.
• Don't just touch the wall.  Accelerate through the wall.  Punch a hole in that wall.

"THE RACE SET"

As many rounds as possible  at end of workout

• 1x15 choice from a start on whistle
• 1x30 choice (same stroke)with turn
• 1x15 choice (same stroke) fast finish

HOG the lane stay in the middle.  After start stay at 15 until everyone is done than we go into the next part one at a time and so on.  Everything is done at race speed.

Why do it you ask?  It puts your whole race out there.  The start, the turn, and the finish.  It's an opportunity for you to improve those parts of your races.

You too can have the mindset of a champion if you work at it.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP FOR YOUNG SWIMMERS

 "The road to success is always under construction."

Interrupted or irregular sleep schedules will affect all human beings, but for a young swimmer it can have disastrous consequences on performances.  Young people are always growing and they need the proper amount of sleep to maintain both their physical and mental wellness.

We now how busy today's world can be and the schedule that a young swimmer has can become very crowded in a heart beat.  When you factor in academics and other school activities and then add to that swim practices and meets it can become very difficult to stick to a regular bedtime during the week and get that quality sleep that a young body needs.

Your body runs on an internal clock that can be disrupted easy when you change your sleep habits and when this happens it can actually be harder to get a good night sleep or even fall asleep at all.

THE WEEKEND TRAP

We have all fallen into this trap where we think if we sleep in on weekends or days off that we can catch up on all the sleep we missed during the week. Unfortunately the damage has already been done to that internal clock disrupting  your body rhythms.  You may have felt this with your mood swings  or the amount of time it takes for you to get rolling for the day.

Having quality sleep is just as important in your performance in your daily life which includes school and swimming.  It's as important as your nutrition, hydration, and your workouts in the pool.  Lack of proper sleep will also affect your mindset and we have talked about how your mindset will dictate your performance in the pool.

SET OF THE WEEK

PURPOSE   Work through the IM.  Work tight streamlines and underwaters.  Work on changing speeds.  Work turns on 50's and 100's.

 2 ROUNDS

4x25 fly descend to fast

4x50 back descend to fast tempo on 2nd 25

4x25 breast fast hands forward and get flat

4x100 free (effort level on each 25  85%--90%--95%--hammer down)

THE BACKSTROKE TURN

"Yesterday ended last night.  Today is a brand new day."

Have you ever wondered why we do so many turns during warmup at practice?

 Yesterday I was scrolling through last weekend's High School Championship meets and from the ones that were posted had 16 DQ's attached, and what I found interesting was that there ALL involved the backstroke turn.  All with a delay in initiating the turn.  Yes at that level you will get slapped with a DQ if you have not perfected it.  Through all my years of coaching I believe it comes down to lack of focus both during practice and in your races.

Swimmers especially at the age group do not understand the importance of doing all turns correctly during the course of the workout.  Swimmers go through their workouts completing turn after turn with little focus on the proper mechanics of the turn which really starts before the flags.

The biggest mistakes that I see young swimmers doing are;

1. Stroke count-- not knowing it.  not knowing when to start counting.  turning head as you count.
2. Lifting of the head--swimmers who lift their head going into the turn will have their hips sink which causes a loss of momentum just when you need to hold your momentum to execute the rotation and flip.
3. Kick slows down-- again a slower kick when approaching the wall only results in the hips sinking and momentum slowing.
4. Poor push off position-- where you place your feet will determine your position coming off the wall.  Feet too low swimmers come off near the surface where coaches call the water slow.

Below is a short video on the backstroke turn.  Pay attention to the key points, stroke count, final stroke and the push off.

SET OF THE WEEK

This set we called Quarters .  We were trying to work on changing our speed and going fast.

$1.00--4x50 @50 (12.5 fast/ 25 fast/ 37.5 fast 50 fast the rest all long and smooth)

.75 cents 3x50 @55 (25 fast/37.5 fast/ 50 fast the rest all long and smooth)

.50 cents 2x50 @1:00 (37.5 fast/ 50 fast  the rest long and smooth)

.25 cents 1x50 fast all out

SHIFTING GEARS

 

Why is it important to learn how to pace in swimming and how does it relate to your overall speed in the race.  If your parents have the gauge on the family car ask them to explain it to you.  

Basically it is called a tachometer and it measures how hard your engine is working to move forward.  Notice how steady it is when the car is moving at a consistent speed and how it jumps around when it stops and goes.

Your event will ultimately determine how you manage and pace your race.  The hardest part to understand is that pacing is not all abut speed.  It's about strategy, control and most important efficiency.  The better you understand your pacing strategy the more confident you will be with your races.  Every workout we do is an opportunity to improve your pacing skills.  There are also things (we call them the little things) that happen during your races that ultimately affect your ability to pace your race correctly.

THE LITTLE THINGS (THE LIST)

• the start (not reacting and exploding)
• tight streamline off start
• poor stroke technique
• weak underwater kicks off starts and turns
• breathing off first stroke off walls
• slowing down into walls
• not finishing hard into pad

All of these "little things" affect your efficiency while swimming and it will drive your inner tachometer crazy and when that happens you use more energy (fuel).  It all goes down hill from there because as your energy/fuel levels start dropping your technique begins to falter.  Your engine is beginning to struggle and sputter as you are trying to finish your race.

FRIDAY GOLD MAIN SET

18x100 free (3 rounds of 6)

ROUND 1

3x100 @1:40 ( hold a smooth steady pace working technique and turns)

2x100 @1:30 ( building a little speed of each turn. DO NOT GET TO RACE SPEED)

1x100 @1:20 (we are building our pace so we are racing)

Go right into 50 easy kick.  Catch your breath.

ROUND 2

2x100 @1:40 (hold a steady pace working technique and turns)

2x100 @1:30 ( building a little speed off each turn but don’t go too crazy)

2x100 @1:20 ( building a little to race pace. These will hurt a little bit but no excuses.)

Go right into 50 easy kick, breathe and reset

ROUND 3 with your fins

1x100 @1:40 ( again hold that steady smooth pace)

2x100 @1:30 (again build off each turn but don’t race yet)

3x100 @1:20 ( now we are going to see who the super heroes are)

Go right into that 50 easy kick 

How to do it well?  Instead of just showing up for workout and swimming, focus on the purpose of the workout and what we  are trying to accomplish.  

SPUTTERING

 

You know what is necessary to swim a good race (time withstanding)---that it isn't all that complicated.  We your coaches know it.  We have prepared you for it both physically and mentally (the hardest part) to be ready on race day.  Swimming it or more specifically racing ---well that's another matter entirely, correct.

From that the moment you jumped into the pool and discovered that you had the ability to move through the water like a fish.  Your parents, your first coaches nurtured that ability to the point where you realized you had the unique talent to race and enjoy all the benefits that this sport has to offer.

The way that you talk to yourself goes a long way into the way you perform.  The way you take care of yourself away from the pool also plays a big role in your performance at a practice or meet.  Don't forget your body is your vessel, your engine.  Everything you do, everything you put into it affects it's performance.  You fill your head with excuses, reasons to fail, or bad outcomes---you can't handle it---you get the willies---and you start sputtering, belching and going downhill. 

 You consistently put the wrong food in your body.  You fail to hydrate

the way you should.  You cheat the sand man and don't get the proper rest.  Too much of the wrong stuff and your vessel/engine will sputter all the way down the pool.  On the block.  At the turns.  During the middle of the race.  At  the finish.

Think what a better race it would be without the noise and pressure in your head.  

Everything you need to know is in there, somewhere.

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK

 Although this week’s weather interrupted your school, swimming workouts and any other activities you had planned I hope you took time to go outside and enjoy the fresh air.  Yes, I know you think it’s cold but personally I enjoyed it.  The air was so much cleaner and I was out in it most of the week.  I take cold over real hot anytime.   

Worse part is that it interrupted normal schedules which sometimes is a good thing something of a mental break from the grind.  All that being said hope you have gotten back to the pool and spent some time staying up with your schoolwork.  Don’t procrastinate it will make it that much harder getting back to it

We spent the couple days at the pool with some drills and long swims in the attempt to get back to where we left off last week.  Same outline for all three groups with a few tweaks depending on group

WARM UP

• 200 swim long and smooth (focus on technique)
• 3rounds
• 4x50 free @1:00/55/50/45 (rest 30 between rounds) THROW THOSE TURNS/ DEEP ARM NO BREATH OFF WALLS

2 rounds 

3x50 kick with snorkels @1:10/1:00 (arms position 11

MAIN SET

300 swim (long and smooth) breathing every 3

4x75 @1:20 (25 IMO+50 free focus on that turn)

2x150 swim (long and smooth) breathing 2-3-2)

6x50 @1:00 (25 IMO+25 free) all free fast

3x100 swim long and smooth @2:00 (5 breaths only on each 25)

12x25 IMO (streamlines and breakouts) 1-4 @30. Rest 15 —-5-8 @40 rest 20— 9-12 @35

JUMP START MEET THOUGHTS

 

We had a really good weekend down in Greensboro with a lot of PB times, good races and fast and exciting relays.  This meet was a great way to start off your new year and gauge where you are in your swimming going into the next 2 months.

Upon arrival Friday afternoon/evening we had a chance to warmup and stretch those muscles out after the car ride down.  We had a lot of you take advantage of that time and get in that little swim.  

The coaches were very impressed with all of the Mako swimmers with the way that they handled themselves while at the facility.  With the facility having 5 pools we all found the correct pool and lanes for warmups and were able to get behind the blocks for all of our races.  Believe us that is the first step to success, knowing when and where your are suppose to be and getting there.  Great job everyone.

Hopefully each of you got some good feedback from one of the coaches on deck and will be able to take

that feedback back to your workouts   Write that feedback down in your journals or somewhere you will see it to remind you what you need to work on for your next time out.

One of the biggest areas that most if not all of us need to focus on at

workouts is our turns.  The turns are one of the most critical areas of your race.  It's not a time where you want to relax and slow down because if you do that you need to use more energy to get back up to speed.  In a short course pool that can be a disaster as those walls are coming at you so quickly.  Let's not take the walls for granted.  Set those turns up and think "speed in--speed out".  If we can change our thought process around the walls eventually it will pay dividends and you will see it with your times.

This past week I have put in a set right after warmup that will help us focus in on all of our turns and we will do the same set every day for all of the groups with a slight change in strokes.  

the set involves 12x50's (3 sets of 4 with increasing speed)

Senior Prep and Junior Gold (different intervals)

4x50 free (throw the turn deep arm no breath)

4x50 free/back (throw the turn)

4x50 back (stroke count and underwaters)

For Senior Prep we went 50/45/40/35 rest for all 3 sets) Gold 1:00/55/50/45

The other set will look like this

4x50 back

4x50 back/breast (some IM turns)

4x50 breast (open turn similar to your fly

Before any of you say that's boring you need to understand that I believe that improvements will come from repetitions and not from throwing a different hard practice every day.  Imagine every great turn being worth a dollar.  You do a hundred of them you'll end up being a rich person.