PUTTING IT OUT THERE

This Sunday the last of our two qualifying meets of the year will be held at the Claude Moore pool.  Warmup times for the 12 and under’s are at 8:00am.  The 13 and overs will warmup at 12:30.  Please be on time.   The 13 and over session will have positive check in for events so please plan accordingly.  This is your responsibility not the coaches.

I have been asked about suits for this meet.  Simple answer is if you are near your cuts and going for them you should suit up.   If you happen to be swimming events that you have already for or off events you should just wear a good tight suit period.  Let’s be smart about this meet and understand your reasons for swimming certain events.  

I hear a lot of talk at meets about your seeds and I truly believe that too much attention is placed on this and you may not be totally honest with yourself when you say it doesn’t affect you, but it definitely affects your mindset.  Your thoughts are all over the map and you’re lost when the only thing that should matter is what happens in your lane, from the time you go off the blocks until your fingertips hit the pad at the finish.

This Sunday let’s not wait around for that good swim to come knocking on your door.  It’s easy to put this statement out there, I’m  going to get a best time, saying it doesn’t make it so.  Once you put it out there, you need to find a way to go get it.  It may require you to step outside of your comfort zone.  Maybe you will need to go out a little stronger off the blocks and into that first turn, or maybe you’ll need to work the middle of the race a little harder, or it might  require a stronger tempo with both your arms and legs that last 12.5 yards.  Whatever it might be it is going to take more than just saying it and that is something that you’ll need to reach deep inside and find. We can help you if you listen but ultimately it’s up to you to find.

Trying to Understand

Sitting here outside on this gorgeous day thinking of something to

write, actually not really thinking just waiting for that thought to come and find me and it just did. Things I hear from you the swimmers that I just don’t understand.

Things I don’t understand; I forgot to do my flip turn.  How can we help you get to where you want to go if you just are not focus or trying.

Things I don’t understand; skipping repeats during a hard set.  Do you just stop when your race gets tough. Come on man!

Things I don’t understand; having little effort with your turns during practice.  Short course races are all about the walls and turns.  Stop looking at the walls as an excuse to slow down and relax. If you lose all of your excuses just maybe you will find better results.

Things I don’t understand; breathing from the flags in when finishing. Of course I get that it’s easier with the breath but just maybe your opponents are focusing on the finish and not getting air. Just maybe!

Things I don’t understand; I don’t have a water bottle. Of course its easy to take a break and go get water, but maybe with a little planning you won’t have excuses to miss repeats.

Things I don’t understand;  I might not do well or I might fail.  So what.  Try and wrap your head around this, what’s the absolute worst that can happen?  Not much.  This is sports and I have not met a perfect athlete yet that always has a good day.  A long time ago every Saturday there was a show called the Wide World of Sports, and it always started with Jim McKay and this phrase “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”.  Let both experiences make you not only a better swimmer but a better person.

Things I don’t understand;  I’m tired and not motivated.  You don’t own this one people, everyone has those moments it’s human nature.  But coach what do I do about it.  Goes back to that positive self talk.  I read an article about habits a while back and the short version was to think about motivating yourself with habits.  We all have them, we get up, we dress ourselves, we feed ourselves, we do our homework ( hopefully) we attend practice for whatever sport we are participating in.  We do not have to motivate ourselves, we know that to function we have to make it a habit, and we should take the same approach with our swimming.  OUT WORK YOUR POTENTIAL!!  How many of you can look in the mirror and say that to the person staring back.

TAKEAWAYS FROM IMX

This past weekend 12 of our Mako swimmers spent the weekend at UMD with swimmers from all over the North East.  This meet is a true test of where the swimmers rank in the country.  Swimmers were required to swim the full complement of events, over the three days.  All the 11 and over athletes began the meet early Friday afternoon with the 500 free. Saturday events were the 200 fly, 200 breaststroke, and the 200 IM for the 13 and over swimmers. The events that day for the 12 and under’s were the 100 fly and the 100 breast. The 10 and under’s also swam the 200 free to start the afternoon.  
We returned Sunday morning to swim the 200 back and 400 IM for the 13 and over age group.  The 12 and under’s arrived in the afternoon to finish their meet with the 100 backstroke and the 200 IM.

Your teammates represented the Mako swim team well with their efforts over the three days.  Not only did they swim well, but they were on time for warmup, and proceeded to go through their warmup with a real focus on what they needed to do.  They were really good about getting to the blocks on time and staying focused throughout the meet.  They gave each other great support and encouragement throughout the meet.  All of you were great and made my job pretty easy throughout the weekend.  If any one should go to the doghouse it was probably myself.  I had not missed any swims until Sunday afternoon when we had three of our girls in the same heat.  After they finished I was on my way to the team area to get them to warm down before we talked because Lyla was in the next heat.  Bottom line I’m old and probably needed a nap by then because before I realized it  she was in the water for her 200 IM and when I got back she was getting ready to go into her breaststroke.  Sorry Lyla but you dropped 4 seconds so I am going to guess you were good.

We had 63 swims over the weekend and walked away with 58 personal best, not a bad effort at all. Several of the Mako swimmers would go on and win their heats throughout the weekend and when that happens you’re putting yourself in a good position to be successful.  We do have to give a shout out for Claire Dobrydney who swam all the way to the podium for an 8th place finish for 11 year olds. 

 It will be interesting to see where Claire and all our swimmers place nation wide when score our posted.

We hope you all understand now how important that fifth stroke is.  Coach Paul took a lot of time not only to watch the underwater but also to time them.  Might be something for your buckets.
The way you transition into your strokes in the IM was fun to watch.  It really showed that you were focused and understood the plan in approaching the event.  

It was very evident that we are starting to understand and are grasping that races have to start strong and that you have it within you to still finish the race.  A few of those events were we were off our times was because we were too timid on that first 25.  Coach Paul and I talked about this and we both agreed that after you explode off the blocks you need to stay with the field for that first 25.  Don’t let them swim away from you, because what you are doing is setting a slow pace, and your end up working harder. 

Last thing we want you to take away from this meet is the knowledge that where you are trying to accumulate points every single event your in matters.  The same thing happens at championship meets, High School championship meets where you are not only trying to get back to finals but your trying to score.  Bottom line after your finished an event and warm down, successful or not it’s time to focus on your next one and always keep moving forward to your next challenge.

We would finally like to thank all the parents for their support throughout the weekend with getting the kids to and from the pool and also for officiating and timing during the meet.  You all mak it easy for us.

IMX

We hope you all are looking forward to the IMX meet this weekend, it’s a chance to get in all your long events over a three day period.  This meet is vital for you 8th graders as you prepare for High School swimming.  This is the point in he season where high school swimmers are preparing for district, regional and state championships, all preliminary and final meets.  At the same time they are looking forward to Junior/Senior champs and National meets.  At the same time they are maintaining their school work.  Indeed it’s a lot on the plate but with good preparation and time management everything is possible.  Look at everything as a learning experience that will help you in moving forward.  Now a closer look at how to prepare for the meet.

WARM UP TIMES 
13 and over Saturday 6:30-7:00. Sunday 7:00-7:30
12 and under Saturday 12:30-1:00 Sunday 1:00-1:30

First let’s suit up for this meet!
Second get your warmups and warm down done especially before leaving for the day.
Third pack water and some light snacks to keep your tanks 3/4 full.

 Now for a plan on how to attack the events
Friday (500 free) your heat and what time that heat starts are listed below
Get out strong off the blocks and try to stay with or near the field for that first 100. If you do that you will set a good pace on that third 50 that you are able to maintain for the next 250-300.  At this point really start to move on the back half of each 50 and try to maintain.   Manage your kick off the walls so you have your legs at the end.

Mackenzie Craig  H11 2:57
Teagan H 30 4:52
Skylar H35 5:24
Blake H3 5:49
James Anderson H23 7:55
Ben H25 4:17
Will H28 4:35
Claire H 11 5:55
Charlotte H 25 7:27
Lyla H25 7:27
Rebecca H 27 7:42

200 fly 1st 50 Establish the pace you want to maintain over the race. Maintain stroke count effortlessly. 2nd 50 others will surge ahead, others will fade do not let that alter your plan. 3rd 50 increase your effort level here, build your confidence and get ready for that big finish. Last 50 time to step it it up breathe often while maintaining your speed pull the body past the arms and drive the arms toward the wall.  As always maximize those turns and underwater.  Hit the wall with a full cycle finish.

200 Back. Hold your streamlines and underwater dolphins tight.  Be aggressive at the walls and

kick into the turns.  Increase your arm tempo o. The back half of each 50, this will help keep fatigue away longer.  You need to really move on that third 50 as this is where swimmers fade and think they can go on vacation.   Hold off that hard kick until that last 50 or 75. Embrace the pain as a good sign and keep working at it because it will fade.

200 Breast. First 50 get out strong but with a good glide (maybe 1...1...thousand) while minimizing stroke count. Try to maintain that throughout the second 50.  Start to build the third 50 while maintaining that good position out front so that your ready to race coming off that turn into the last 50.  Strong pull outs at off all your turns.  In and out of those walls fast and strong.

200 IM. For the fly focus on your kick, then move that focus to the arms on the backstroke.  As we move into breaststroke we switch our focus back to the legs and when you get to freestyle we go with everything you have.  The legs may be a little fatigue from the breaststroke so a little more focus on the pull.  Try to build the back half of each 50 fast.  As always maximize those a. 100 fly stay in control by keeping arms and shoulders relaxed. Maximize distance off the walls.  Maintain a A4 speed in the back and breast and everything you have in the free

400 IM let’s control the 100 fly maximizing the underwater. Stay relax and let the start and adrenaline carry your speed. Don’t over do it here.  Let’s start to get into our A4 speed in our backstroke and breaststroke and as you enter the free let’s get excited your almost home let it go.  Fly hips and legs relax arms. Backstroke go to the pull with the arms and control the legs.   Breast stroke time to go back to the legs.  Freestyle go with everything you have left.

12 and unders
100 backstroke. Underwater’s Underwater’s Uderwater’s especially off the start and on that last turn

100 breaststroke. Aggressive pullouts good head position little if any movement build into that 3rd 25.  1st 50 glide 1..1 thousand   Get those arms back out front so the kick will drive you

100 fly you can’t win the race in that first 25.  Stay strong and relax focusing on the hips and legs for the first 25 or so. Build into that second turn and come out of it like you been shot out of a cannon and then just finish the race.

200 Free. Think of our effort scale start out strong about our low A4 (80%) for the next 100 try and build to a strong A4 (90%) and let loose on that last 50 and get up to A 5 on our chart.

PIECE OF CAKE RIGHT GUYS AND GIRLS.

This Week’s Go To Workout

Another Saturday with no practice because of a college meet.  It’s that time of the year, but if your sitting around in a corner bored silly, maybe you can find a way to a pool and get in a short workout.  Yes I know it might snow but around here that chance of real bad weather means there’s a good chance it won’t be too bad.

Anyway here is a workout for your bucket.  The gold group did it this afternoon with headsets. I have adjusted the intervals for the senior prep.

WARM UP (1000)
300 swim 25 free fast feet to wall. 25 backstroke get those stroke counts and fast dolphins
200 kick with snorkels
4x25 kick fast with snorkels @40
4x25 kick fast with snorkels @35
4x25 kick fast with snorkels @30
200 pull with paddles (add for prep)

PACING SET WE KNOW HOW TO SWIM. LETS LEARN TO RACE NOW
3 rounds (1200/ 2200)
1x200 free@3:00 (strong /build and maintain/ race hold on to speed/ finish strong )x50’s
1x100 free @1:45 strong/ race middle 50/ get home strong
2x50 free race A5 @45
Rest 1:15

IM WORK 8 rounds (can be done with fins) 600/2800
25 fly @30
25 back @30
25breast @30
Rest 30
Rounds 1-2 DPS GOOD TECHNIQUE 
Rounds 3-4-5-6 race @A5 
Rounds 7-8 smooth

200 easy kick

Sprint set rest 1:00 between rounds (500/3500)
4x50 free race fast @45
3x50 free race fast @40
2x50 free race fast @35
1x50 race fast (COME WITHIN 5 seconds of your best


COOL DOWN

Have fun with it

EFFORT LEVEL

What an interesting Monday we had, first with the prep group in the morning followed by the gold group in the afternoon. The past couple of Monday’s we have been doing a cycle set for a couple of reason, first as part of our training and the second to help you understand how to train hard and race fast.

Often there are times that we tend to believe we are doing things correctly when in fact we are missing something that we are unaware of.

We discussed our effort level at both the morning and afternoon workouts and tried to explain our chart of A1 to A5. A5 is race speed and it drops off as you go down with A2 being warmup and warm down. A3 are normally recovery swims.

Now unless you are watching the clock on the A4-A5 and getting your times you are just lap swimming and you may or may not improve.  Your choice but keep that thought when you come up short at the next meet.  Coach Shannon drew up a chart for you to help better understand this concept

For the coaches it’s frustrating when we are trying to swim at A5 and hold it and you guys have no clue what your coming in on.   Furthermore some are way off their best times or they are not very consistent and their times look like the clock above.   YOU NEED TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF YOUR TRAINING AND RACES.  Don’t be the one that waits until a week out from the big meet and try to get serious.  As an athlete as you progress through the levels, you need to become more focus in your training approach, nutritional habits and yes it takes sacrifice.  How bad do you really want it?  Stop and think about it and be honest with yourself.  Saying it doesn’t make it so. 

FEBRUARY QUALIFYING MEETS

The two meets that are approaching will be our last chances to qualify for the championship meets.  The first one is the Snow Meet which is a one day meet.  The second meet is the Presidents meet which will have finals on Saturday. When choosing events let’s have a plan in place.  The events you should be looking at are the ones that give you the best chance of achieving qualifying times.  These times are posted on the Potomac Valley web site.  When looking at these events consider where they fall in the meet.  There are times that swimmers are entered back to back to back events with no recovery time in an effort to get out quickly.  Not the smartest way to pick events when trying to be successful, you can’t have it both ways.

If you have all your qualifying times already use one of these meets to swim off events or distances to get some racing in and to better times in those events.

As for suits we will wear them only if we are trying to achieve cuts.  To wear a suit is a decision for the coaches and swimmers to make period.

BEST EVENTS

How often should I swim them?  Every meet? Once in a while?  😵help me coach I’m confused!
Here is an example and for our purposes we use two swimmers Courtney and Lauren who are both 10. There friends see them playing in the pool one afternoon and encourage them to join the swim team.  There is a swim meet that Saturday that is open to anyone so the girls decided that this might be fun so they make plans to attend.  They really like backstroke and so they enter the 50 back and get a time of 55.00.  The next week they swim the event again and get a 49.00.

 They like the event so much that for the next 5 weeks they keep swimming it and their time improves to a 37.00. The seventh week brought out the tear drops as their time in the event jumped back to 40 and the girls were devastated and now thought that they were bad swimmers.

What the girls did not grasp and what was not explained to them is that the stop watch starts at 0 and the more you improve and get near that 0 the harder it becomes. Also while only racing in the same event the girls were not experiencing or growing in the other events the sport has to offer.   Sometimes it is better to take a break practice your technique, work on the little things, get stronger and then swim the event rested and fresh and see how truly amazing and gratifying this sport can be if approached correctly

TECH SUITS

So at practice today as we were finishing our dry land, a couple of you brought up that 🐘 elephant in the room and that is, Should I wear my tech suit to get my cuts?  Simple answer is NO!  



Let’s dive into this issue just a little. First off if you get a cut this weekend it is because you have worked hard and have earned it, not because of a suit.  

Those suits are meant for 2-3 meets a year.  That’s it. You are to wear them at championship meets when you want to have every advantage under the sun.   At the qualifying meets in February we will bring them out if we are swimming for cuts, because if we don’t get them at those meets it won’t matter in March.

The last point I would like to reinforce is our talk about controlling the things you can control.  Don’t get wrapped up into what other swimmers are doing.  Focus on what you are doing.

I hope this finally puts that 🐘elephant to bed.