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| BARB’S THOUGHT OF THE MONTH #1 January 2025 |
Four Healthy Habits for the New Year:
All of us have differing goals, but for each of us to achieve our desired results, we need to maintain four healthy habits:
1. Show Up: Whether you swim every practice or only once a week, don’t break your cycle or make an excuse for not attending. The secret to success in swimming is simple – show up and make it count. Come, even if the weather isn’t great, you’re tired, or you just don’t feel like it. Just Come! Staying consistent in your personal swim schedule adds up exponentially as each workout builds on top of the previous one. Even getting in half a practice is better than not showing up at all. You know that life can and DOES get in the way – but do your best to show up.
2. Be Patient: Everyone has their own learning speed. To get the most out of your training, it’s crucial to focus on one thing at a time. Practice whatever it is you’re working on until it clicks, then move on to the next thing. Taking time to get something right will lead to the proper technique becoming your habit. And always think about what you’re doing. Going slowly as you go through the stroke motions is the best way to get a “good feel” for the stroke, so don’t rush to get yardage – increased yardage, and lower swim times, will happen as your technique improves.
3. Ask Questions: If you are not sure about something – then ask! Ask lots of questions, no matter what – open the lines of communication and start having regular conversations with your coach or your lane mates – we all have knowledge to add to the conversation. If you are uncertain about a drill, then ask someone to explain to you why you are doing it. If you are uncertain about what you should be focusing on, then ask. There is no such thing as a dumb question.
4. Make Friends: Swimming can be an individual or a team workout. You can easily come to the pool, do your workout, and go to work (or home). To me, though, the best part of swimming with the Blue Tides is our lane and teammates. They laugh with you, they encourage you, and they support you whenever you need it. Learn your lane/teammates’ names; talk about your kids, your family, how things are going at work. Ask about their fins, paddles, snorkels. And encourage each other during the practice sets. Don’t just depend on your coach, support each other.
Trust me, it’ll make a difference.
| BARB’S THOUGHT OF THE MONTH #2 January 2025 |
Strategic Planning
Barbara S. Ingold
Augusta Blue Tides
Happy New Year!
Normally, by this time of year, most of us have set personal goals for next year, you know how you plan to do it, and you have a sound reason for what you wish to achieve. Now it is time to think about your Master’s program.
At the corporate level, companies spend a significant amount of time determining their Strategic Plan. Their Strategic Plan usually encompasses a five-to-ten-year period, is reviewed annually taking the past year’s progress as well as the future forecasts (economy, government changes, management changes, and impact of unexpected events [fires, epidemics, etc.] ) into account, and is adapted accordingly. WOW! Sounds like a lot of time out of your day/week/month.
A new Master’s program may be in growth mode, a five-year plan may not be reasonable in its infancy. An established team, however, may be thinking further ahead. Regardless of the age of your Master’s program, the thought process of strategic planning is beneficial at any level.
In a nutshell, Strategic Planning involves one or more strategies (or ideas). Goals (SMART GOALS - https://www.bitesizelearning.co.uk/resources/smart-goals-meaning-examples) are established to achieve the Strategic Plan and are the meat of the annual planning process - it involves stated goals that are:
- Specific,
- Measurable,
- Achievable,
- Relevant, and
- Timely.
Sounds complicated, but actually you are probably already thinking through all three steps of Strategic Planning subconsciously. You have been reading articles, thinking about how your team might benefit from doing certain things, what went right the past year, what were the successes, what were the disappointments, and where do you want to take your program next, and how it all fits into that long term plan you have in mind.
Below is a very brief type of plan:
Notice I did not fill in the exact initiatives, those are of your choosing. I stole the gist of the initiatives from December’s article, Keep Them Coming.
Here’s to a great year for your team!
| BARB’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH January 2025 |
New Year’s Challenge
2500/5000/10,000 Yards
Note: Three years ago, one of our swimmers suggested doing a New Year’s Challenge of 100 100s. Our team has a full range of swimmers, eight dedicated lanes, and practices during the week. The idea was turned into 100 of something. The intervals were altered to reflect a realistic interval and distance for each level of swimmers. And thus, the Augusta Blue Tides New Year’s Challenge was established. We usually swim this on January 2nd and use the results to set goals the following year. The idea is NOT original but has been fun for our team to do. You can still do this … ready, set, go!
The link below is a REEL on Instagram filmed/published by the Swim Devils Masters. Fun to watch!
Swim Coaching • Instagram
The idea is to do 100 of the intervals assigned below. You can do drills, kicks, or change up strokes, use fins, pull buoys, or paddles. Whatever to get you through one hundred on the distance and interval set for each of the lanes:
LANES 1 - 2
2,500 yds
Warm up is your first eight 25 yds. Consider drills and kicks to get you limbered up.
100 x 25, on :45 (2500)
If done on this interval and you start promptly at 6 am, you will finish by 7:15 am.
LANES 3-4
5,000 yds
Warm up is your first four 50 yds. Consider drills and kicks to get you limbered up.
100 x 50, on 1:00 (5000)
If done on this interval and you start promptly at 6 am, you will finish by 7:45 am (7:40 am theoretically).
LANES 5-8
10,000 yds
Warm up is your first two 100 yds. Consider drills and kicks to get you limbered up.
100 x 100, on 2:00 (10,000)
If done on this interval and you start promptly at 6 am, you will finish by 9:30 am (9:20 am theoretically).
| Guest Coach Article of the Month Barbara Ingold Head Coach, Augusta Blue Tides My Goggles are Broken! (again) OR How to Keep Them Coming Back December 2024 |
The September-October 2024 issue of Swimmer magazine had an interesting article about the frequent problem of getting out of the routine of going to a swim workout. While this article was directed at individual swimmers and provided “food for thought” regarding excuses, it gave me pause. I began to think about how, as a coach, I can help keep our swimmers coming back.
Remember, Masters is swimming for adults – and adults are a different kind of swimmer compared to youth, high school, and college swimmers. Adults do not always swim to compete; they swim for a myriad of reasons. Adults have jobs, families, lives that may interfere periodically with swimming. These kinds of things are not excuses; they are “life getting in the way” of swim practices. There are also excuses, many of which you may have used yourself, the most frequent ones being:
- Not enough time in the day
- Too tired
- Too much stroke
- Too cold
- My goggles are broken!
So, what can we do as the coach, to keep them coming?
Variety is the spice of life.
Before I joined my first Masters team, I swam on my own. 100s. Mostly freestyle, with some backstroke and breaststroke. Occasionally I might swim a long-distance set. I was BORED! I swam because I loved the water, but I was bored. I remembered swimming in high school and all the fun that came with being on the team, being a part of the team, being a swimmer working on “getting better.” I longed for that feeling again.
When I joined the Masters, I quickly learned that very rarely were any practices alike. There were different distances, different strokes, IMs and speed, ladders and pyramids (even trees), technique, kick/leg, pull/catch, long and short axis workouts, workouts with a focus on starts/turns/finishes, and workouts that mixed all the above together. There were intervals, rest periods, descends and ascends, pulls and kicks, and different paces to consider. At last, something spicy! I started looking forward to a new workout and a new focus at each practice.
As a swimmer, the effort to write a variety of practices for just myself did not seem worth the effort. As a coach, though, I am responsible for providing a variety of workouts that keeps them coming back to practice. Are you?
Where are You?
ARE you truly present on deck? Your swimmers are adults, of all ages. Treat them as such. They are not being paid to be a part of the team, rather they are paying you to lead the team. I had a coach at one point who would write the practice on a white board and then sit on the bench, scrolling through her phone. Those few (and I mean few) of us who were swimming were on our own. We were present, but was she?
Be present! Arrive early, set the pool deck up as needed. Greet every swimmer as they come on deck, ask about their families, work, or personal matters they have shared with you. They will appreciate your interest.
At the beginning of practice, remind your swimmers of what they were working on at their last practice and suggest a drill to use during their warmup. Try to “touch” every swimmer at least once during each practice. Sometimes a simple hand signal is enough.
Vary your swimmer focus. Don’t just work with your beginning swimmers; even your best swimmers can fall into a bad habit without realizing it. And don’t forget those in the middle lanes, check out what is going on with their swims. Be positive! Tell them what looks good and be specific (streamline, breathing, hand entry, etc). Follow up with a suggestion, IF you see something they might want to tweak, that might help them have a more efficient stroke, prevent injuries, etc. Again, be specific! Oh, and don’t be afraid to demonstrate!
Communication is the best way to be present. Listen to the swimmer and answer questions. Ask questions! Find out WHY they swim, their goals, their concerns, what they need/want from you. Check in periodically with the swimmers. Are they getting what they need from the workouts? What else are they looking for?
Flexibility is the key to Stability.
Arnaud Desjadins once said, “Life is movement. The more life there is, the more flexibility there is. The more fluid you are, the more you are alive.” I would add to this, be flexible, but stick to your principles. Our team mantra is, “We are Masters, we are Master of our Swims.” The coach is here to encourage the swimmers, to provide instruction, to help the swimmer improve. Your swimmers are adults, treat them as such. Be flexible!
All Master Team members must join USMS and renew annually, this is a must for coaches as it affects your and your swimmers’ liability insurance. Other than that, find a way to give your swimmers flexibility. Modify sets for a swimmer or a lane. Need to leave early, sure. Show them where a set can be modified and make sure they get a cool down. Arrive late, absolutely. Tell the swimmer to, “Get in and go.”
Arrange lanes that allow swimmers to swim on their correct interval. I have a few “super-fast” 70+ yr old swimmers who have the speed to hang out in the “fast” lane with the “young” but require longer rest intervals. Let them be a lane leader in a “middle” lane. Their speed has a negligible impact on those who follow, and they are able to get the longer rest they desire. It keeps them coming. If you can offer a variety of workout times (Morning/mid-day/evening), then do so.
Encourage camaraderie within each lane and between lanes. Let natural leaders lead (They don’t need to be the lane leader). Support growth in each swimmer, get them to try new things, to help others.
Many swimmers enjoy their lane mates and so do not wish to change lanes as they improve. What keeps them coming back? Swimming in a lane with their swim buddy. Why break it up, as long as it’s not disrupting the other lane mates?
If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right.
While I believe swimming with a team is fun, so are socials. Sport outings. Helping our community through charity events. Participating in swim meets, marathons, open water events, and triathlons. Special swims designed to celebrate the holidays – (The 12 Swims of Christmas, Death by Swim, Firecracker Swim, Easter Egg practices, Super Bowl practice, etc.) are a lot of fun. It’s true, you can still get a good workout and at the same time have fun!
There are special moments in practice that are fun too. That morning when you aren’t “feeling it” and a lane mate re-ignites you. And vice versa! When you finally feel the water as you glide through it. When you get that PR you were looking for. Remind your swimmers and help them to have those moments as well. I ALWAYS remind my swimmers new to the sport to look back at where they were and where they are now. In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Swimming is to be enjoyed, not just endured.
How can you help swimmers to keep coming? Be a part of their lives, not just a paid coach who writes practices. Provide variety. Be present on deck. Be flexible and yet, stick to your principles. And remember, have fun!
| BARB’S THOUGHT OF THE MONTH December 2024 |
Practice Perfect
A change in your swimming (stroke, kick, body position, breathing) is often a slow process, especially the longer you’ve been swimming. Muscle memory sticks like glue and it takes mindful swimming and a hyper-focus on all the elements to break through the glue.
Practice Does NOT Make Perfect, ONLY Perfect Practice Makes Perfect. Swimming is a complex series of movements and each trip down the lane is programming the brain and muscles to replicate a specific set of movements. That programming only takes place by practicing those patterns over and over again. However, with focus, you can change (or keep) things as you really want them to be done.
Practicing perfect will help you:
1) improve your technique,
2) see improvements in your times, and
3) avoid injuries.
Even the best swimmers find that they can develop a few “bad” habits. Additionally, as you go through practice and become tired, it’s easy to begin to get sloppy in your stroke. This is when it is most critical to Practice Perfect. When you begin to sense that your stroke is “falling apart,” then I encourage you to focus on that perfect stroke. You will find that when you do that, you are able to work through that tiredness and climb out of the pool with the sense of a great workout.
| BARB’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH December 2024 |
You Pick Your Christmas Present
3400 – (2400/2025/1650) yds
Warm up:
8 x 25 on :40/:45 (200)
odd – drill (scull, fist, catchup, DPS)
even - build
Pick your Christmas Present
(Pick one of the MAIN (Present) freestyle sets below - SPRINT, STROKE, or AEROBIC)
SPRINT (lower yds, long rests) (750)
15 x 50, rest 1:00
4 AFAP
1 easy
CHOICE STROKE: (1125)
15 x 75, rest :15
1. Strong/strong/easy
2. Strong/easy/strong
3. Easy/strong/strong
4. Strong
5. Easy
AEROBIC: (1500)
15 x 100, rest :15
1-4 very strong, 5 focus on technique
COOL DOWN:
16 x 25, kick w/fins, on :40 (400)
3 fast, 1 easy
3 x 100, pull w/paddles, rest :10 (300)
FLEX IT:
1. Pick more than one present but choose wisely and don’t skip on the rests.
2. Change up the strokes for the SPRINT and AEROBIC presents.
(5x Fly/5x Back/5x Breast)
3. Do using all Breast or Back or Fly.
| Guest Coach Article of the Month Stacy Rush (ABT - Open Water Coach) November 2024 |
OPEN WATER SWIMMING
By Stacy Rush
Augusta Blue Tides Open Water Coach
There is nothing like looking at a beautiful body of water and wanting to play in it. Whether it is the ocean, lake or river, playing in the water has been a great past time for many of us. So why not learn to swim for exercise in the open water?
Open water swimming has gained popularity over the last number of years. In 2000, the Olympics added a triathlon with a 1500m swim and in 2008 a 10km open water swim. The FINA World Aquatics championships have featured open water swimming events since 1992. Since 2007, the FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup has been held in several events around the world. Furthermore, the USMS offers many open water national championships that range in distances from 1 to 9 miles.
Other standard distances include:
- 750 meters: the swim portion of a sprint triathlon
- 1.5 kilometers: the swim portion of an Olympic-distance triathlon
- 1.2 miles: the swim portion of a half IRONMAN
- 2 miles: USMS Cable Swim National Championship event distance
- 2.4 miles: the swim portion of an IRONMAN
- 6.2 miles: 10 kilometers—the threshold for marathon swimming.
Any swim of 10K or longer is considered a marathon swim. The fact is doing an open water swim is growing, and no swim is the same. Changes in temperature, wind, waves, etc. will make each opportunity unique. But before you coach open water swimming, there are several things you need to know or ask in order to stay safe and be successful as a coach.
SAFETY
Assessing the water conditions prior to each swim to keep your athletes safe is important (particularly for your newbies or less strong swimmers). Open water swims have some very unique safety challenges. To determine if a certain body of water is safe for swimmers, it is best to research other groups in the area such as triathlon clubs or boating clubs for recommendations. These clubs can provide you with information on the safest locations.
Prior to each swim, check with the governing water body authority (core of engineers) websites for the monitoring system’s readings of the body of water’s current cleanliness and surface temperature. Swimming in water that is too cold or too hot can lead to hypothermia or hyperthermia respectively. Temperatures ranging from 65-80 degrees are considered safe. While these ranges can be expanded, swimming in water 87+ degrees is considered very dangerous.
Monitoring the wind and weather is also important. Swimming while there is lightning in the area is a big NO but knowing if storms may arise while your swimmers are already out on the swim is important as well. Make sure to check the extended weather forecast to ensure a storm free practice session. Wind will also create choppiness or larger waves in the water and may be more difficult to navigate. As a general rule, if there is a wind advisory or small craft advisory, cancel the open water and head to the pool.
You also need to be aware of the strength of current and tidal fluctuations. Currents at times may be too strong not only to swim against but to swim with as well. Sure, swimming with a current will make your swimmers look like Katy Ledecky or Michael Phelps, but what happens when they miss the exit area? Swimming back to the exit area may not be an option. Again, check with your water governing agencies for current information.
Another aspect of safety is assistance from others. It should not have to be said that it is NOT safe to swim alone. However, I will make this inescapably clear! NEVER SWIM ALONE! Having said that, it is also smart to have kayak support during your open water sessions. The number of swimmers per kayaker can vary depending on the ability level of your swimmers, but it is always good to have one at the front and one at the back. If you have new open water swimmers who are anxious, it is also nice to have a kayaker who is paired with that person. That way if they need a break they can hold onto the kayak as needed.
To take this a step further, it may be prudent for your kayakers to have a whistle and or phone to alert a person at the shoreline in case of complications or emergencies. If you are coaching, you should have a plan in place if an emergency arises. Having a defibrillator on site can be a life saver while waiting for EMS. Your coaches should all be certified in CPR and water saving techniques if possible.
There are several essential items of gear that your swimmers must have when swimming in the open water. It is important to be seen while they are in the water. Not only do they need swim caps, but they should also be brightly colored swim caps. Never allow swimmers to swim without a brightly colored tow float as well. Both the cap and tow float enable others in the area to see them. Your swimmers will be sharing the swim area with boats, jet skis, fisherman and others. It is important for them to be able to see all of them. The tow float also serves as a dry storage area in which they can safely keep their keys and other items!
Your swimmers will need goggles that are good for bright sun and allow for a more expanded view to help with sighting. Most goggle companies tell you whether a specific pair is good for open water and/or bright or low light level conditions. It is hard to spot landmarks or sighting buoys with the sun in their eyes. Ear plugs help to reduce infections or cold-water tolerance; however, it is important for the swimmers to be able to hear their surroundings, especially an oncoming boat. Nose plugs are a benefit when swimming in fresh water to help keep allergies at bay.
Wetsuits are the next item on the list for cold water swimming. There are several wetsuit styles. Some enable better floatation and chest expansion. The trick is finding one that fits correctly for each swimmer’s body type. They should be able to breathe and move comfortably while swimming. Have your swimmers look for wetsuits that are made specifically for swimming. These wetsuits enable a better range of motion for their shoulders. When swimming in salt water with a wetsuit, they may need anti chafing lotion. Wetsuits sometimes cause chafing, commonly at the back of the neck. There are many brands of anti-chafing lotion. Refer your swimmers to local bike shops or running shops for their suggestions.
POOL VS OPEN WATER SWIMMING
Now that we have safety out of the way, let’s address the differences between swimming in a pool and swimming in open water. You can roll your eyes at this point and say, I know the answer already to this one: no lane lines, no black line at the bottom, no walls and clear water. But to those who have never swum without these luxuries, swimming without them can be quite difficult, if not unnerving. It is easy to know if you are (or are not) swimming in a straight line in a pool, but what happens when you take all of this away and then add on waves, difficulty seeing and generally nothing but a large body of water around you to let you know where you are?
Swimming in a straight line can be difficult while out in the open water. It is easier than you might think to veer off course. Thus, have your swimmers practice swimming straight in a pool by closing their eyes while swimming for 5-10 strokes. Obviously, make sure they are in a lane by themselves or that the lane mates are all on the same page and practicing the same skill. They will gain knowledge quickly on whether their stroke and balance are equal bilaterally and what they may need to do to fix this. Then take them to the next step by trying this in open water with a clear landmark/buoy ahead of them.
Practicing sighting is critical. Obviously, we need to see where to swim. Usually, races have some sort of buoys set up to show the swimmers the course, but it is important to use other landmarks such as the coastline, tree line, or anything else that may be stationary within or outside of the water. The most common method of sighting is called “alligator eyes.” This is where you lift your head, so your goggles are just above the water line every 5-10 strokes. It takes some practice to be able to do it quickly and take in what you need from the environment to keep you on the right path. There is nothing like swimming a further distance than necessary during their race because they were not able to sight well.
Open water swimmers (even neophytes) need to be able to tread water comfortably. This means staying afloat with minimal energy using a breaststroke or “eggbeater” type kick with your head and shoulders above the water. It is important to be comfortable with treading water. It is great for a moment’s rest in the water, taking a siting, or when performing longer events in order to take in fluids and food. Be sure to work in a portion of time of just treading water into practices.
So now that you or your athletes can swim in a straight line and sight well, and tread water for a period of time, what else should you consider? Other differences between the pool and open water are the presence of waves, having to turn around buoys, mass starts, drafting and the general rule of being flexible. The presence of waves or choppiness at the best of times can make your swimmers feel like they are a dolphin surfing and at the worst of times like trying to hold a straight line while in a washing machine. Practicing in rough water can be a great experience but make sure you know the level of your swimmer(s) before they try it. Teach your swimmers how to avoid waves crashing into their mouths and strategies for calming themselves when they start to panic. One bad swim where a bunch of water is ingested, or a panic episode may deter them from ever doing an open water swim again.
Many pool swimming techniques can be advantageous in open water swims. Bilateral breathing assists in sighting landmarks on either side of your body, when the wind or waves are blowing from a certain direction, when a competitor is swimming right next to (or on top of) you, and/or to adjust your pull to address the current pushing you off course. Have the swimmers practice bilateral swimming in the pool until it becomes natural for them. Once they have the knack of it, have them play with different breath patterns (3 to the left, 2 to the right OR 4 & 1, etc.), and then practice it in the open water swims, altering their breath patterns to adjust for the open water conditions.
Many open water races have a turnaround point usually marked by a giant bright buoy. Turning at each wall in the pool may be simple, but not so much in open water. There are a couple of techniques that can be used designed for beginners and for the more advanced swimmers. The beginner version is to just swim around the buoy using the same stroke. They can switch to breaststroke to allow them more visibility. They can also use a single arm stroke, keeping the arm closest to the buoy out straight and using it as a guide. The more advanced version is learning to flip on your back, take a couple of back strokes to help you get around the buoy quicker and save energy and then corkscrew back onto your stomach to return to freestyle after finishing your turn.
Open water swims often begin with a “mass” start. This is when a group starts together all at once. Mass starts can be difficult for some swimmers (especially in a competition) in that there is a lot of jostling for position. You may get kicked, hit in the head, or even swum over. Placing your goggles under your cap can help to keep them in place. Calming techniques come into play as well. You can practice mass starts by placing many swimmers in one lane and having them swim together. When in doubt, have your beginning swimmers start at the back of the pack to stay out of the mayhem.
Drafting is an advantage to open water swimming, and you see it often in pool swimming when swimmers are sharing a lane. Drafting is when you swim close to another faster swimmer so that you are in the person’s wake. This will drag you along and can decrease your energy output by 40% when done correctly. The best drafting position is at the hip of the faster person. However, you will get some draft by being at their feet. However, make sure to give enough space so that you aren’t smacking the other swimmer in the feet.
Lastly, it is important to be aware of your surroundings and be flexible. Provide mass start opportunities and practices in rough water in a smaller controlled environment in order to give your swimmers chances of using strategies to stay calm and focused. Practicing these types of tasks will help your swimmers overcome their fear and make them more flexible when challenges do arise.
POOL DRILLS & SETS
There are stroke technique changes when swimming in open water. Some technique changes are required for open water swimming. For example, open water swimmers usually have a higher arm cadence. A higher arm cadence enables better propulsion when water is more turbulent. A second difference is open water swimmers typically don’t kick as much as pool sprinters. Long distances require less kick to conserve energy, particularly when competing in a triathlon. Have your swimmers practice their swimming with a 2-kick beat per stroke at a pool practice.
Open water swimming requires swimmers to lift their head up out of the water to sight and recover - especially, if there are waves present. Have your swimmers practice the Lifeguard freestyle (head above water) and work towards lowering their eyes to an alligator sighting. Pace training is also important. There are many pace changes while swimming in open water events (start of the race, buoy turns, passing slower swimmers, and the push at the end of the race.
Isn’t the open water swim, just a long swim? For me, swimming long sets are boring and I
always lose count. One way to change this is to break the long swims up, incorporate cross-training with other strokes, pace training and taking small rest breaks. This is also a great way to work on improving speed for long swims as well. Examples of this are given below in the Key Workout section. The Key Workout Section below also includes multiple long pool sets at a tough pace. And yes, some of your open water practices will just be focused on improving your overall distance and comfort in open water. Many of the pool drills (eyes closed drill, recovery opportunities, varying breathing patterns, etc.) in an “open water swim area” are also beneficial. Practice those mass starts, buoy turns and drafting in the open water area. Intervals can be used, with landmarks and buoys as start and stop points. USMS also has open water training plans for further ideas ( Pool Open Water POW Training | U.S. Masters Swimming )
And lastly, plan for times of panic and anxiety on the part of your swimmers. If a swimmer has voiced anxiety regarding the open swim, pair them with a fellow swimmer or kayaker, or have their swim area be close to shore. The simplest strategy for managing an actual panic attack is to have the swimmer roll on their back and just float for a moment. Have the swimmer hold onto their tow float, boat or kayak, to get their breathing under control. If hyperventilation is occurring, then box breathing ( Box Breathing Benefits and Techniques can ) help. Have the swimmer look at the clouds, focusing on the gentle sounds and movement of the water, or even channeling Dory from the Finding Nemo movie with the mantra, “just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” When in doubt, have the swimmer call for help, and swim or be towed back to shore.
Open water swimming can range from exhilarating to calming. It can make swimmers feel one with the water. It gives you a sense of peace and makes you feel strong and
capable of overcoming some of what mother nature has to offer. However, it can cause panic, hyperventilation, serious injury or even make you nauseous if your swimmer is not well prepared. But knowing the safety hazards and training intelligently to meet goals are imperative to success.
KEY WORKOUTS:
*** As a side note, I 100% recommend learning the other swim strokes for triathletes as well. That is, if you can convince them of the benefits of learning these. Usually, as the athlete gets closer to a race, they will focus on their style of choice (usually freestyle). However, adding sets of other swim styles during their warmup and cool down can be beneficial. Opportunities for working on the other strokes arise during their “off ” season. Remember though, the triathlete has two other sports that they are training and fitting into their weekly schedule. Thus, they may need workouts that are at an easier pace that allow for some active recovery. Not every swim workout can be an all-out effort for them.
Of course, all workouts should include a warm-up and cool down, but the sets below assume a warmup/cool down and only include the main set to give you ideas. Another note is that there have been some discussions, especially with triathlete training, about NOT having rest breaks during the intervals. During a long open water swim, while there will be pace changes, you are not usually stationary at a wall. Thus, rather than set intervals, substitute an easy kick or drill workout as the interval between repetitions and keep the practice continuous instead of “stopping and resting” at the wall.
Long Set Changes to Pool Workouts:
Main Set (interval): Instead of doing 3 x 500 at a hard pace, break it up as 1 x 200 (goal pace) with :15 rest, 2 x 100 (goal pace) with :10 rest and then 2 x 50 as fast as possible with :05 rest. Then rest or do an easy set or drills for 2-3 times the swim time of the 500.
Main Set (kick/drills): 1 x 200, 50 kick/drill/stroke, 1 x 300, 50 kick/drill/ stroke, 1 x 400, 50 kick/drill/stroke, 1 x 500, 50 kick/drill/stroke etc. No rest breaks, just continuous swimming with varied speeds for muscular endurance sets or moderate pace for aerobic endurance sets.
Muscular Endurance (ME) and Aerobic Endurance (AE):
Main Set: 1. ME: 300-500 x hard, :20 rest.
2. AE: 800-1000 at moderate pace or 10-20min at moderate pace
Force (Fo) and Muscular Endurance (AE):
Main Set:
1. Fo: 4 x 25 with drag device or paddles. Up to 2-3 sets with 1:00 rest. The first 6 strokes are a sprint. :30 rest between reps.
2. ME: 3-4 x 250-500 at hard pace with 20 sec rest
Open Water Workouts:
Warmup: 200-500 straight swim to the first sighting, working on different aspects of
their stroke. For example, continuing to keep your eyes down as you swim, practicing alligator eyes sighting, early vertical forearm focus or even drills. Use this time as well to practice a few mass starts.
Main Set: Pacing and or drafting practice. Swim from first sight to the second sight hard (approximately 200m). Swim from the second sight to the third easy (approximately 150m). Swim hard to the fourth sight (approx. 150m) and practice turning around at buoy with technique of choice. Everyone regroups at the turnaround point and hydrates. On the return, practice drafting the entire distance back to the start. Most of the variations will be based on your local area. Thus, you can create workouts based on the needs of your athletes.
TRIATHLETES
*** As a side note, it is 100% recommended that triathletes learn the other swim strokes. That is, if you can convince them of the benefits of learning these. Usually, as the athlete gets closer to a race, they will focus on their style of choice (usually freestyle). However, adding sets of other swim styles during their warmup and cool down can be beneficial. Opportunities for working on the other strokes will arise during their “off ” season. Remember though, the triathlete has two other sports that they are training and fitting into their weekly schedule. Thus, they may need workouts that are at an easier pace that allow for some active recovery. Not every swim workout can be an all-out effort for them.
| BARB’S THOUGHT OF THE MONTH November 2024 |
Common Breathing Mistakes (part II)
Last month I covered the common breathing mistakes of over-rolling, head too high, and holding your breath. Here are two more common mistakes:
1. Not having a Consistent Breathing Pattern. A consistent breathing pattern helps you sustain your swimming technique, velocity, and endurance for a long period of time. I practice breathing every 2, 3, or 4 strokes. The more strokes you take between breaths, the harder it may be to maintain a stroke rhythm (you get anxious for some fresh air). I use 4 strokes for sprints (some swimmers only take 1 or 2 breaths in a sprint), 3 strokes for 100s and 200s, and 2 strokes for long distances. I am a proponent of bilateral breathing (see #2 below), so when using 2 strokes, I try to alternate which side I breathe each length or lap. You can also play with your breathing pattern, especially in open water swimming, such as a 3/2 breath pattern (breath to one side twice, then switch to the other side and repeat).
2. Not breathing to both sides, aka Bilateral Breathing. Breathing on both sides of your body while you are swimming helps you develop uniform muscles. It creates smooth, even strokes, and allows you to get a better balance in the water by alternating your breathing. For our triathletes, being comfortable with bilateral breathing can make you much calmer when faced with rough water, strong currents, gusting winds, or when another swimmer is right next to you on your strong side.
| BARB’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH November 2024 |
Distance and Pacing: Loco Swim
3800 - 2700 yds
Warm up:
6 x 50, free, on :50/1:00/1:10/1:20/1:30
descend 1-3
Ascend 4-6
LOCO SWIM
NOTE: A “loco” swim (short for locomotive) is a progression of alternating easy laps with fast laps to produce a fartlek effect. Fartlek is a Swedish term that means “speed play.” Fartlek training is a form of speed conditioning that can improve your swimming speed and endurance. The fast laps should be done at a controlled, high intensity, while the easy laps are for recovery. It's important to continue swimming, without stopping, throughout these swims. Note that with each distance change, you start easy followed by fast.
50 easy/50 fast/100 easy/100 fast
150 easy/150 fast/200 easy/200 fast
200 easy/200 fast/150 easy/150 fast
100 easy/100 fast/50 easy/50 fast
COOL DOWN:
8 min, kick w/fins, (400)
100 with board, kicks AFAP, - 50 dolphin, 50 free
rest :10
100 kicks easy backstroke
rest :10
FLEX IT:
1. The above is a 2000 yd swim, change the yardages to do as TWO 1000 yd swim (50/50/100/100/150/150/200/200).
2. Do the set as 50s free/100s IM/150s free/200s IM.
3. Do using Breast or Back or Fly.
| BARB’S THOUGHT OF THE MONTH October 2024 |
OK! YOU’VE RECRUITED SWIMMERS. NOW WHAT?
By Barbara Ingold, GA LMSC Coach Chair
Head Coach, Augusta Blue Tides
At the most recent GA LMSC board meeting, we discussed ideas on how to grow our Clubs and Workout Groups. Since then, I have been thinking about the growth of the Augusta Blue Tides Master workout group. The Blue Tides was formed with one coach, five practice times, and an initial three members on January 1, 2019. The team has grown annually, is the second largest in Georgia, and now sits at 110 members for 2024, nine practices a week, and eight additional active coaches. And we are still growing. How?
RECRUITMENT
MARKETING
Casting the lure! In our world today, social media (FaceBook, Instagram, team and pool websites, etc.) is a great place to start. The USMS “club finder” page on their website has been very useful, especially for people new or visiting the area. Informational flyers at your pool are helpful as well.
Be a USMS Gold Club! Look at the requirements, can you meet/exceed them? If yes, update your Club details to reach Gold Status. This moves you to the top of club finder searches in your area. Gold Clubs also get additional marketing by USMS for special events (Try Masters Swimming, USMS Challenge events, etc.).
Your best marketing tools are your swimmers. It’s surprising! Many swimmers have friends who are also interested in an adult experience. The Blue Tides has several couples and even mother/daughter duos as members. Get outside of your box! What do I mean? I joined the local TriAugusta Club and now have a core group of triathletes who swim regularly the Blue Tides.
Be sure the contact information is the same on all marketing materials and are monitored daily. It is recommended you try to reply within 24-48 hours.
EMAIL
Email any and all inquiries as quick as possible (hook them while you can). Whenever I receive an inquiry by email, or perhaps via the club finder USMS email, I send a rather long email letting them know:
- General information – needs addressed, practice times, costs
- Reassurance that there is a lane for them with similar skilled, similar level swimmers.
- Reassurance that they do not need to “get in shape” before they start, we will help them get in shape.
- And end with an invitation to come try us out - always include info on signing up for the trial membership. We do not allow anyone to swim with us without a trial membership, for insurance purposes, as all our coaches are volunteers.
- You have set the hook, now reel them in! Always look for a response to your email – either positive or negative. If you do not hear anything, then ALWAYS follow up your initial email the next week.
BE VISIBLE on deck or in the pool. Our coaches are on deck or in the pool five days a week, approximately 3 hours each day, running a practice, or swimming on their own. Skilled swimmers will approach more often than not when a practice is running, and you are on DECK.
ONE ON ONE RECRUITMENT
Be willing to step away from your own swim (or the practice) to go talk to a prospective swimmer a few lanes away. This usually only takes 5 minutes away from your swim/coaching.
-
- WATCH them swim, see if you see something little you can help them with that often results in an immediate improvement.
- Always wait till they take a break. Always ASK FIRST if they are interested in learning a little bit about Masters.
- Introduce yourself, tell them who you are, the name of the team, Adults 18+, and cost. Then check on interest again.
- If desiring more info - I have a short “spiel” that I give regarding benefits of coach who will help with stroke technique, help improve stroke efficiency, help with breathing while swimming, and prevent injuries (in particular the shoulders).
- Then, I follow up with a compliment on some part of their swim (streamline, hand entry, etc.) as well as something that they could do to help improve their swim. Most often, I choose something that with a slight correction could prevent future shoulder problems. (I would estimate 90% of the time, correcting something that prevents shoulder injuries catches their immediate interest).
- I let them try the correction for a lap while I watch, compliment them on the quick correction, ask if they notice any difference.
OK! YOU’VE RECRUITED ANOTHER SWIMMER. NOW WHAT?
While recruiting does take some of your volunteer time, it is the ongoing running of the team that keeps your swimmers renewing their membership year after year. What do you offer that is important to them, that meets their needs?
Never forget that Masters is swimming for adults – and adults are different kinds of swimmers. Adults have jobs, families, lives that may interfere with swimming. Adults do not want to be treated as children. Adults have different lifestyles and are swimming for a variety of reasons. To keep the team stable and growing, you need to approach your practices and coaching in a different manner.
Practices and Practice Times
Each workout session should be designed to accommodate all swimming abilities from novice to former high school and college competitors and all interests. You will have members who swim at a practice and can only stay for the first 45-60 minutes, and then leave. You will also have members who arrive late, slip into their lane, and pick up the practice at that point. You need to keep this in mind as you structure/coach the practices. Try to avoid being rigid about starting/ending times.
Practice sessions should include a warm-up, main sets on all competitive strokes, kicking and stroke drills, and triathlete-driven workouts as well as sprint and endurance training. Every workout should finish with a cool down. Keep rolling monthly and quarterly calendars and plan for upcoming events (open waters, SCY and LCM seasons, and USMS pool meets and local/regional triathlons).
Many new members worry that you want them to swim a certain number of practices each week. Not true. Encourage them to start small, once or twice a week, and work up to their desired goal.
Communication (a two-way street)
Dialogue -
The Blue Tides receive a weekly email from the coach which contains a Thought for the Week, Heads Up, Upcoming Events, New Members, and even Birthday Celebrations. Swimmers want to be a part of the TEAM. Share with them team information, swimming technique/terms information, as well as personal information. Attach practices for that week so that swimmers come prepared for any given workout. If swimmers are out of town, or going to miss a normal practice, they can print out a practice to swim on their own. YES! There is the occasional swimmer who will skip a practice because they do not want to do an IM or distance or speed or whatever, AND there are swimmers who want to be sure to attend their preferred type of practice. This is their choice – they are Masters of their Swims.
Greet each and every swimmer as they come on deck, ask about their families, work, or personal matters that they have shared with you, or remind them of what aspect of a stroke they were working on at their last practice and suggest a drill to use during their warmup. Our coaches try to “touch” each and every swimmer at least once at every practice.
And Listening -
I think developing good listening skills is the best skill a coach will have. I have yet to meet a swimmer who does not want to share with you who they are, what they do, and what is going on in their lives. Job losses and new jobs, transfers to and from the area, births and deaths in the family, and illnesses are common. Life often interferes with swimming; recognize this fact and let the swimmers know this is ok. Be sure to reach out to swimmers who may have missed practices for the week, for the month, and check in with them.
For me, personally, the swimmers are my huge support system in my personal life, and I want them to know that I am also there for them when, and if, needed.
Your Mantra!
Every team needs a slogan, one that is repeated often and that is reflective of the team. The Augusta Blue Tides mantra is “You are Master of Your Swim!” Our coaches often remind our swimmers (and themselves) that we are not a high school or college team, we are Masters swimmers, the swimmers are in control of their workouts. As a Masters swimmer, it is the swimmer who has the power to control their swim. They are Masters of Their Swim!
As coaches, we always encourage swimmers to improve, to learn and develop their technique on each of the four strokes swum regularly on their own timeline. However, we also know that each of the swimmers come to the water with different goals and problems. Therefore, even though a certain practice set has been posted, it is okay to modify the practice to meet their needs. Perhaps they have pulled a hamstring – then modify the kick set and turn it into a pull. If their shoulder is bothering them, then swim with fins that day or substitute the breaststroke for the fly in the IM. If they have a big Open Water/Ironman coming up, then let the coach know so that they can get the swimmer in a lane to do distance work.
All that we, as a coach, ask is that the swimmer communicates with their lane mates the modifications they need to make as it may affect lane positions, intervals, etc. Who knows? Their lane mate(s) may want to join the swimmer in the change. WHAT?! We have actually found that very few modifications are made as the swimmers are quite aware that the practices – weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually, are structured and conducted to provide the swimmer the cross-training they need to achieve their goals.
Swimmers’ Needs
I’ve been working with one of our other coaches on a team survey to determine if their needs are being met. The research that I have done as we developed the survey questions helped us develop a “Top Thirteen” list of reasons that swimmers swim with coached teams:
- Through practices: 1) Cardio exercise, 2) Muscle Tone/Strength, 3) Flexibility of (strokes and workouts), 4) Variety in practices,
- Through communication: 5) Confidence building, 6) Stroke efficiency, 7) Comraderie and Social Opportunities,
- Through the swimmer as Master: 8) Mental Health/Stress Relief, 9) Adrenaline Rush of competitions, 10) Knowledge that swimming is a lifelong sport, 11) Daily Mood Booster
- Through the team: 11) Comraderie and Social Opportunities, 12) Inclusiveness and Peer Support
If you are not fulfilling your swimmers needs, they will not renew year over year.
You also need to set team goals each year, think about how it will be achieved, and review annually. This also holds true for your swimmers. Talk with them individually, and determine what are their goals? I share with team not only team goals, but also personal goals. Why not? Sharing my personal goals encourages swimmers to think about what they want to accomplish, gives them thoughts about possible goals, and they help hold me accountable for my goals. See this link for more information on setting goals (https://www.bitesizelearning.co.uk/resources/smart-goals-meaning-examples).
WHAT MAKES & KEEPS TEAMS HEALTHY?
Constantly Recruit
Augusta is home to Ft. Eisenhower, so we have numerous swimmers who are stationed in Augusta, stay for three years, and then receive orders to a new base. Therefore, 20% of our team is quite transitional. This year alone we have had members transferred to CA, VA, TN, and Savannah. We have also had members deployed to Italy, Greece, and Korea. Another 20% of our team draws from Augusta University and the Medical College of Georgia. As these swimmers graduate and move into full time positions, they often leave Augusta. And there are always those swimmers who join only to realize that swimming is not their passion – a good reason to encourage swimmers to do the USMS Trial Membership. The point is you can never rest on your laurels – you must continually recruit.
Practices and Communication
Constantly review your practices. Are there tweaks you can make? Be sure to continue your communication with all swimmers. Trust me, I have learned that if something needs to be changed or done differently, a swimmer will let me know. And remember that communication is a two-way street. Listen, think, and then respond. You will not always want to make that change. Explain your reasons and see if they have other ideas or suggestions. While it is hard to please everyone, often viable solutions can be found. Nothing should be written in stone— except that they MUST have a USMS membership, and they must renew annually.
Stability and growth
First and foremost, you should have annual team SMART GOALS (https://www.bitesizelearning.co.uk/resources/smart-goals-meaning-examples). Review them annually, set new goals, keep your team a “living entity” that is always trying to grow and improve. Remember, you have a team! Teams work by supporting the team needs. You need to constantly “check the temperature” of the team. Are you meeting their needs? Can you improve aspects of the team? The answer is ABSOLUTELY. Look at the long-term future and think about the life of the team.
Coaches on deck are critical. I retired in 2017, and because of my own personal need for a Masters team, I worked with USMS and the Augusta Aquatics Center to start the Blue Tides Master Program in 2019. In the beginning, it was just me, myself, and I. After the first year, I had two swimmers volunteer to coach at practices. Cool! As a core group of coaches formed, I quizzed to see if any other swimmers could/would serve as a coach on deck in my absence. I mentored them. All of these swimmers are volunteer coaches, but they also have full time jobs. These coaches get numerous opportunities to serve on deck without having to give up too many of their own swims. Build a core of coaches!
Encourage your coaches to get their USMS Coach Certifications. The Blue Tides worked with National USMS to hold their Level II and Level III certification courses in Augusta in 2024. This made the cost feasible for our volunteer coaches. After the certification courses, many of them commented to me, “Now I see why you …” Too often I have heard stories about the loss of a coach and therefore, the death of a team. Your core of coaches keeps a team alive regardless of circumstances.
Consistency is also important. Holding practices at regularly scheduled times, with little to no cancellations, is imperative. Outside of the workout itself, simply “going swimming” takes effort and, much like any other kind of exercise, it's getting out of the door that's the hardest part about swimming every day. Travelling to the pool, changing in/out of your swimwear, thoroughly rinsing the chlorine out of everything, and getting to work on time is also an effort. Very few of us have our own pool, it is not something we can do from home. Nothing is more irritating to the Blue Tides swimmers who get up at 5:00 am and drive 25-30 minutes to the pool only to find that a practice is cancelled because there is no coach, no lifeguards, or the person responsible for opening the pool has decided to sleep in.
Remember, you have a TEAM! Often swimmers suggest things they would like to see added to the team program. Swim Gear Store – great! Ask if they can take up the reins. More Social events – absolutely! Ask if they can take responsibility for setting up the event. Conduct a charity event – let’s do it! Ask if they will handle the details? Hold a meet – well that really takes an entire team to support. Your swimmers are willing, they just need direction and responsibility, so, give it to them. Any and all of these program ancillary items add to the growth, health, and future of your program.
Swimming is my passion, and thus, I have been able to turn my passion into a community service – one that serves all walks of life who wish to also swim! A healthy Masters team is one that continually grows – it does not have to grow in numbers, but it needs to grow in what it offers. You can never sit on your laurels when you hit your goals for the current year, it just means you need to look to the future and ensure that the team will have a future. It does not need to take more of your time, instead, look to the team to keep the team healthy! It takes a team to run a TEAM!
| BARB’S THOUGHT OF THE MONTH Common Breathing Mistakes October 2024 |
COMMON BREATHING MISTAKES (PART 1)
No, there is nothing wrong with your day-to-day breathing; however, learning to breathe as you swim freestyle (and breast/back/fly) can be problematic for many swimmers. Here are several common mistakes:
1. Over-rolling when turning to breath where not only your face is turned upward, but you are turned entirely on the side. This leads to breathing late in the stroke, legs separating into scissors (affects streamline), and the recovery arm crossing over when it goes back into the water (which can lead to shoulder injuries). To correct, minimize your roll by trying to keep one goggle lens, one ear, and one cheek in the water.
2. A similar mistake is holding your head too high when you take a breath. Instead of looking up, be sure to look back towards your shoulder in a rear-facing direction, so that you see what’s behind you, not what is beside or in front of you. I promise, the air at the water surface is just as sweet as the air ten feet above, and this will keep you streamlined.
3. Some swimmers hold their breath as they swim, which leads to insufficient inhaling. This can cause a build-up of carbon dioxide in your system leading to fatigue. You should be exhaling when your face is in the water at a tempo that matches when you are going to take in your next breath (ie., blow out slower if breathing every 3/4/5 strokes, and quicker if you are breathing every 2 strokes).
Check back next month for Common Breathing Mistakes (Part 2).
| BARB’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH October 2024 |
BUILDS: GINGER-MOJO STYLE
2850-1800 yd
Warm Up
1 x 200, Change stroke every 50 (200)
AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE, focus on technique
THE REAL STUFF (1450)
2 X 100, IM, rest :30
On the freestyle, build your speed
Finish accelerating (ginger), touch the wall strong (mojo)
2 x 200, free, rest 1:00
1. Build your speed (ginger)
2. Negative split - second 100 faster than first 100 (mojo)
4 x 100, free, rest :45
1-3: build, keep same pace (ginger)
4: build, faster than 1 -3 (mojo)
6 x 50, free, rest :45
Build to fast, but not AFAP (ginger)
Keep same pace for all six 50s (mojo)
2 x 50, AFAP, rest 2:00
1. 50 fly or choice stroke (ginger)
2. 50 free or choice stroke (mojo)
Only For the Brave Still Alive At This Point
1 x 50 free, AFAP
Push hard through this last rush, this one’s your fastest yet!
COOL DOWN:
1 x 100, easy, flush out that muscle lactic acid
1 x 50, social kick
1 x 50, cool down more
YOU DESERVE SOME DONUTS!
BRAVISSIMO!
| BARB’S THOUGHT OF THE MONTH Meet Practice vs Workout! September 2024 |
With two of our very own meets happening in Augusta, I thought it worth the time to write about a Meet Practice vs Workout (this also ties in with Guest Coach article this month).
Every workout is typically written such that each individual swimmer can swim it based on their ability and goals. As individual swimmers, we each have our own set of aspirations. Whether it is a workout for you or a practice for a meet is determined by your thoughtfulness, hard work and focus based on your personal objectives. The two are not mutually exclusive. You have to do the hard work to get stronger from the workout, but within that hard work, practicing for a meet is when you are consciously seeking to do something just a little bit better than the last practice (or the last set or the last repeat). Two examples:
Ex. 1-
Workout: 10 x 100s freestyle on 1:45
Practice: 10 x 100s freestyle on 1:45 with sharp turns and three underwater dolphin kicks off each wall.
Ex. 2-
Workout: 6 x 200s IM on 4:00
Practice: 6 x 200s IM on 4:00 with 100% legal, perfect strokes and transitions
Each of the above workout sets contain the same amount of hard work as the practice sets. The difference is the focus of the swimmer. It is up to you to decide if you are working out or practicing for a meet or both.
| Guest Coach Article of the Month Coaching Competitive Swimmers vs Fitness Swimmers September 2024 by Lisa Lesak (ARP) |
Introduction: Lisa Lesak, a University of Connecticut record holder in five individual events as well as relays, currently volunteers as a Coach for the Augusta Blue Tides. Lisa also serves as a Meet Official for USMS and USA meets, coaches age level swimmers for the Aiken-Augusta Swim League (ASL) and is a certified lifeguard. USMS teams consist of a wide variety of swimmers when it comes to skill level and goals. This month I asked Lisa to share her thoughts on Coaching Competitive and fitness swimmers at the same practice. Barbara Ingold
Coaching Competitive Swimmers Vs Fitness Swimmers
By Lisa Lesak, Volunteer Coach
Augusta Blue Tides
Many Masters teams have a large array of swimmers that fall into two categories – fitness and competitive. Often the question arises about the differences in coaching all of these types of swimmers at any one practice.
As in all activities, it starts with a goal. What is your athletes’ goal? That’s the question you need them to answer for themselves and then for you. Whether their goal is to make a national level cut or to be able to swim a mile in the water. And your job as a coach is the same. How do you get your athletes to attain their goals?
Coaching a fitness swimmer may be different level to level. Similar to a “couch to 5k” approach, the endurance will come gradually. Those fitness athletes who have a physical base will require a varied and enjoyable mental and physical challenge. Coaching technique is essential to avoid long-term injury and building endurance sustainment. The approach to a practice by fitness swimmers is based on personal objectives which may include weight management, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, building muscle mass, strength, and function, boosting cardiovascular and lung health, slowing down the physiological effects of brain aging, and improving overall mental health.
Competitive swimmers are not so different from fitness swimmers, their levels are varied, but their focus is on constantly improving their times, preparing for the next meet, and setting records (personal and state/national). The task lies in keeping their workouts at a level of intensity that challenges their body constantly. Due to this intensity, the responsibility of the coach continues to be to protect their body from long-term injury with constant technical work. This not only will keep them safe but will ensure efficiency with their effort.
All in all, each athlete in your charge is there by choice. As a coach, you have the honor of helping both the fitness and competitive swimmers with practices that are varied and physically challenging. Every practice should offer different levels of intensity and provide a means for each swimmer to be physically and mentally healthy, at each and every practice. And every so often, try to check in with your athletes to reassess their “why’s”. It’s up to you as the coach to keep them coming back. What better motivator than their own goals?!
| BARB’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH Focus on Technique September 2024 |
This is a great set that works for both Competitors and Fitness swimmers in that it focuses on technique – important for preventing injuries in all swimmers.
25s, 50s, 75s, & 100s – Total set is 2650 yds
Warm Up (250 yds)
SKIPS – 50 swim, 50 kick, 100 IM, 50 pull, 50 Swim
Main Set (2000 yds)
8 x 25, rest :05
Done as: 6 kicks, 3 strokes (working on rotation, body position, & streamline)
8 x 50, rest :10
Done as: 25 fingertip drag, 25 swim
(working on bent elbow recovery)
8 x 75, rest :15
Done as: 25 pull w/buoy, 25 pull w/buoy at knees, 25 pull w/buoy at ankles
(working on body position and rotation)
8 x 100, build, rest :20
(Focus on great catch and evf)
Cool Down (400 yds)
4 x 100, kick w/fins, rest :10
75 easy/25 fast
50 easy/ 50 fast
25 easy/75 fast
100 easy
Flex Options
The 25s can be done as back or free
Try the Tap Your Head drill (Head Tap Drill (youtube.com)) instead on the 50s to work on breath timing
Try descending the 100s in groups of 4
Decrease the repetitions in the Main Set, DO NOT decrease Warmup and Cool Down
| BARB’S THOUGHT OF THE MONTH Aerobic and Anaerobic workouts August 2024 |
The thought for this month focuses on Aerobic and anaerobic workouts, and how we use both to help achieve our individual and collective goals.
Whether you swim the 50-yard freestyle in the pool or compete in 5k open water swims, your best performance depends on a balance of aerobic and anaerobic swim workouts to enhance your cardiovascular endurance and sprint speed. Hopefully you have noticed that your workouts tend to be mostly aerobic, and technique based. And then you get surprised with a mostly anaerobic workout.
So, what is the difference?
Aerobic: The primary goal of aerobic swim sets is to improve your cardiovascular fitness and muscle endurance by sustaining a moderately high intensity, with minimal recovery between intervals. Aerobic swim sets are particularly important in training to prepare you for high-intensity workouts and competitions (indoor pool and open water).
Anaerobic: Anaerobic swim workouts involve short-distance intervals — usually 25 to 100 yards per interval — at 90 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate with long rest periods. An example of an anaerobic training set would include 25 to 50-yard sprints with intervals of one to two minutes rest, which results in more lactate buildup by the end of the workout. Since anaerobic workouts are physically and mentally difficult, they should only be done two to three times a month to ensure you are sufficiently recovered.
So, what does this mean for us?
In general, the Augusta Blue Tides workouts incorporate interval training involving the manipulation of the number of repeats in the set, the distance and the rest interval between each repeat, and the desired speed (% of effort). Increasing the number of repeats or the distance of each repeat or both typically increases the aerobic training effect of the swim set. Conversely, increasing the length of the rest interval and your swim speed will make the workout more anaerobic.
For the most part, swim workouts are aerobic - light-to-moderate in intensity and can be performed for extended periods of time. When you finish a set and are on a rest, you should be a little winded, not gasping for air, and can have a quick conversation before you push off for the next set. One of my goals is to design sets for the Blue Tides where for the most part you can swim the entire set at a solid pace (75-80% effort), have a solid heart rate, with moderate rest (:15-:20), without losing your form/technique, and with some minor fatigue at the end of the workout. You should feel energized when you get out of the water. IF you are more than slightly winded, then feel free to sit out a lap, catch your breath, and then jump back in with your lane mates.
For our anaerobic workouts, you should feel that you are getting more than enough rest between sets and are ready for the next interval. But don’t let that fool you, if you really do swim at 90-95% effort, by the end of the workout, your muscles will let you know that they have had enough. Take pride that you were able to do the workout and be thankful that you will not see another anaerobic workout for at least a week!
| BARB’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH More Speed August 2024 |
MORE SPEED – Total set is 2100 yds
This is your opportunity to put my Thought for the Month in this newsletter into practice, with an example of an anaerobic practice.
(All practices that I write include a warmup at the beginning and a cool down at the end of the practice. If you need to shorten the practice time, don’t skip the warmup or cool down; instead, shorten the main set)
Warmup (500 yds)
6 x 50, rest: 20
1. 25 fast/25 easy
2. 12.5 easy/25 fast/12.5 easy
3. 25 easy/25 fast
4 x 25, quick (easy speed), rest :10
1 x 25, easy
Main Set (1200 yds)
1 x 100, fast @90%, rest :20
1 x 50, easy
REST 1:00, REPEAT
4 x 25, @95%, rest :20
REST 1:00, REPEAT
1 x 75, fast @95%, rest :20
75 easy
REST 1:00, REPEAT
2 x 25, sprint, rest :30
1 x 50, AFAP, rest :30
1 x 50 easy
REST 1:00, REPEAT
Cool Down (400 yds)
1 x 200, pull, no paddles
1 x 200, Social kick, w/fins or w/o fins
Flexible options:
Use this for any of the four major strokes.
For an excellent database of workouts, go to the USMS Swim Workout Library
Introducing a new feature this month:
Guest Coach of the Month
We'll introduce a new coach each month and ask them to provide their view and insight into coaching "Master Swimmers"
| Guest Coach of the Month Dave Beem (Head Coach - Nautical Milers) August 2024 |
INTRODUCTION: Welcome to the Coach’s Corner for the Georgia LMSC! This month, I asked Dave Beem, Head Coach of the Nautical Milers, to share what it is like to coach those swimmers who are on the Autism Spectrum. Many Master Swim Teams have members who are on the Autism Spectrum and Dave’s insight may help you as a coach when they join your team. Barb Ingold
WHAT LANE AM I IN?
Dave Beem, Head Coach
Nautical Milers Special Needs Swim Team
Master swimmers come in all shapes, sizes, abilities and some even come with disabilities. It is those with intellectual or developmental disabilities that I coach. Most of my swimmers are on the Autism Spectrum which means some are high functioning while others are not. We have had Down Syndrome adults on the team but currently do not.
Special needs adults participate for the same reasons all swimmers do; competition, fun and exercise. But with special needs adults, each has to be coached in their unique way. Some swimmers can quickly learn to share a lane, swim in a circle, dive off a block and understand how a relay works along with understanding stroke technique. But most require additional help and lots of repetition. So, teaching good swimming technique can be a slow process that requires patience and understanding. But that does not stop disability swimmers from working hard, competing and enjoying swimming.
As all coaches know, the key to improving your swimmers’ skills is good communication. This is especially important when coaching swimmers with intellectual or development disabilities. Some are non-verbal, many have understanding difficulties, and some have tics and motion control issues. It is up to the parent/guardian to let the coach know what issues each swimmer may have and how they may react to specific situations. It is up to the coach to learn to communicate properly with each individual, so the swimmer understands the technique being taught or the drill being demonstrated. YouTube videos may help to show these athletes the technique or drill, but it may also require getting in the water with a swimmer to help demonstrate the skill. In addition, the coach cannot be discouraged by the time it requires to teach a technique as each swimmer understands at his or her own pace.
Because of the diversity of the special needs, the skill levels and the speed of each individual on our team, we developed different workouts for each group. The ones that need the most work with technique get grouped so individual attention can be provided, such as proper flip turn or head positioning in the water. For those with higher skills and greater stamina, workouts consist of some tech sets and stroke sets, but the timing of these may vary from lane to lane. It is up to the coach to divide his or her time between these groups or find others who can help teach these skills.
For all swimmers reading a clock is essential for swimming a tech set or a speed set with proper rest intervals during practice. Many special needs swimmers have vision or hearing issues or do not have the ability to understand the pool clock and how to read it properly. Because of this, the coach must keep watch on several lanes and the clock so he can verbally tell each swimmer when to start and when to rest.
Those swimmers on our team who actually participate in a swim meet (Special Olympics and/or Masters for example) can become easily distracted, confused, or their attention span can wane. So, it is up to the coach or parent to get the swimmer to the correct lane on time. Many times, I have rushed around trying to find a swimmer who has wandered off to another part of the pool area and has actually missed their event. Getting all our swimmers to their lanes during a busy meet is a major accomplishment.
But even though these issues exist, these swimmers work as hard as any swimmer and love the water, love to practice, and love to compete. As a coach they make me extremely proud.
| ELAINE’S TIP OF THE MONTH Freestyle: Making the Connection for Stability and Balance July 2024 |
Do you have a difficult time staying consistently balanced and stable while swimming freestyle? There may be various stroke flaws that are causing this, but this one tip really helps me when my freestyle rhythm feels off: concentrating on connecting the stroke with the kick. In this video, the tip is demonstrated with an exaggerated two-beat kick, so the swimmer is kicking only twice per pull, which is a great way to conserve energy for long-distance swims. Most of us use a six-beat kick; three kicks per stroke. So, with each stroke, the rhythm would be “1-2-3, 1-2-3.” This video demonstrates the six-beat kick well. On “2,” whichever arm is entering the water, the opposite foot should be kicking down. This is the proper connection between the stroke and kick.
For freestyle, I find it easier to think of it this way: The same arm that is pulling through the water is the same foot that should be kicking down. So, if my left arm is entering the water and extending forward, my right hand would be pulling through the water, and my right foot would be kicking down.
Next time you swim, give it a shot during your warm-up and see if it helps your freestyle feel more connected, stable and balanced.
| ELAINE’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH Kick It Up A Notch! July 2024 |
This is your opportunity to put my Tip of the Month in this newsletter into practice, connecting your stroke with your kick. Refer to my tip for an explanation of how to make that connection and watch this video.
Before you swim this set, make sure to swim your usual warm-up as well as a cool-down at the end of your swim session.
5 x 200 Freestyle @ RI:15- 25 kick, 25 swim repeats, building speed throughout the last half of each 200
Total yardage: 1,000
Explanation of set: For each 25 kick, your arms will be straight out in front of you. Do not use a kickboard. For each 25 swim, remember to concentrate on making that connection between your stroke and kick. Take it easy on the first 100, so you can get in the rhythm of making that connection, and then build the second 100 and see if you can maintain it. Rest for 15 seconds between each 200.
Flexible options:
- Watch this video on good kick technique.
- Are you a distance swimmer? Watch this video on doing a 2-beat kick.
- Kick on your side during each 25 kick.
For an excellent database of workouts, go to the USMS Swim Workout Library
| ELAINE’S TIP OF THE MONTH Free Swimming Websites June 2024 |
Are you interested in learning more about stroke technique, getting some fresh ideas for swimming workouts, or just getting up to date on the latest swimming news? The following are some free resources available after you have exhausted all the great information USMS has to offer!
YouTube
Search “freestyle stroke technique,” and you will find an abundance of excellent videos posted by Speedo International, Go Swim, Effortless Swimming, and more, including USMS. When you find one you like, subscribe to their YouTube channel, so you can view all their content. There are so many excellent videos available on everything from stroke technique to swimming drills and starts to turns. The quality of videography of the top-viewed videos, shot from both topside and underwater, is superior. In many cases, these are the same videos that you would need a paid membership to view if you went directly to their websites.
USA Swimming
On USA Swimming’s site, drop down the Swimmers & Parents tab, and under “Swimmers,” you will find Athlete Videos, Training & Technique, Open Water, and Swim Camps. No, you’re not a kid anymore, but there is some great information applicable to all swimmers, such as this article about reaching your goals.
Swim Swam
Check out the “Training” section on this site for workout sets, drills, articles, and more. There is also a “Video” section, and the “News” section will help you keep up with the latest on Team U.S.A. in Paris this summer. Don’t forget to search the “More” section (no hyperlink available) because there is a lot more information there, too!
Swimming World Magazine
In the resources section, Swimming World has a library of free workouts available here. Select your ability level, workout type, workout duration, and/or keyword, and then click search. There is also a time conversion tool that will be useful when you register for a long course or short course meters meet and need to convert your short course times for an accurate seed time.
If you are looking for swim blogs to follow, this list will direct you to the most popular ones.
| ELAINE’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH Maintain Good Stroke Technique June 2024 |
Does your stroke technique fall apart when you increase your speed? This set will help you focus on specific aspects of your stroke, one at a time. Although the set is written for butterfly, breaststroke, and backstroke, freestyle can be substituted for any (or all) of the strokes. Check out the flexible options for suggestions.
Before you swim this set, make sure to swim your usual warm-up as well as a cool-down at the end of your swim session.
3 x 400 @ R:20 as follows:
#1- 25 butterfly/ 25 easy backstroke kick; repeat for 400 yards
Focus on 1st 25: Take a low breath with chin on the water and get your head back down fast after each breath.
Focus on 2nd 25: Keep your arms low on recovery.
Focus on 3rd 25: Proper hip position
Focus on 4th 25: Put it all together remembering the above focus points.
#2- 25 backstroke/ 25 easy backstroke kick; repeat for 400 yards
Focus on 1st 25: Use proper hand entry on the pull, making sure your hands don’t enter the water past the centerline of your head. (Think of the face of a clock with your head being at 12:00. Your hands should enter at either 11:00 and 1:00 or 10:00 and 2:00. Neither hand should cross over past 12:00.)
Focus on 2nd 25: Keep your head still
Focus on 3rd 25: Pull with a bent elbow and proper hand position
Focus on 4th 25: Put it all together remembering the above focus points.
#3- 25 breaststroke/ 25 easy backstroke kick; repeat for 400 yards
Focus on 1st 25: Keep your head in line with your spine.
Focus on 2nd 25: Pull with proper hand position.
Focus on 3rd 25: Kick with feet turned out.
Focus on 4th 25: Put it all together remembering the above focus points.
Total yardage: 1,200
Explanation: The first time (or several times) you do this set, slow down your stroke so you can effectively focus on your technique. As your technique improves, increase your speed, so you can focus on maintaining good stroke technique as you increase your speed. The goal is to build muscle memory doing each stroke correctly, so when you race, good technique will be ingrained, and you can focus on swimming fast.
For each 400, there will be a different stroke technique focus for each 25. During the easy 25 yards of backstroke kick, think about how you can improve the technique you had just focused on during your 25-yard swim. These are the things to remember when you swim that last 25 and put it all together.
Flexible options:
- Substitute freestyle for any (or all) of the other strokes. Focus on the following:
#1st 25: Concentrate on the timing of your breath.
#2nd 25: Concentrate on proper body position.
#3rd 25: Kick from your hips and keep your kick narrow
4th 25: Put it all together remembering the above focus points.
#3rd 25: Kick from your hips and keep your kick narrow
4th 25: Put it all together remembering the above focus points.
- Substitute stroke technique focus point on any of the 25’s. Check out U.S. Master Swimming’s You Tube Channel for ideas.
- Focus on the same stroke technique for all 25’s to correct a stroke flaw and build muscle memory for the correct technique.
For an excellent database of workouts, go to the USMS Swim Workout Library.
| ELAINE’S TIP THE MONTH The Older We Get the Faster We Were May 2024 |
Sad, but true—at least for most of us Masters swimmers over the age of 40. Have you done all you can to improve your stroke technique? (It’s a never-ending process; we can always improve, so keep working on it!) Are you training as hard as your body (and your schedule) will allow? Are you training consistently? If you can honestly answer “Yes!” to all the above questions, and you can’t understand why your race times are slower than they used to be, well, the fact is, the older we get, the faster we were. It will eventually happen to all of us at one time or another, no matter if we are Michael Phelps and Katie Ladecky or you and me.
Some Masters swimmers can’t accept getting slower, so they get frustrated and quit competing. I have a better (and happier!) idea: Instead of unrealistically thinking you will always continue to improve your race times, try setting goals based on this 2024 Motivational Times Chart by Jeremy Steeroff. (The link will take you to a USMS Community post, and the chart is in the included .pdf. Jeremy explains more about it in his post.)
Look over the chart and see how the times (in most cases) get slower in each category for your events as you age up. For example, I swam the 50 Yard Breaststroke in 47.88 at Auburn this year at the age of 62, which ranks me between AAA and AAAA on this chart. A time of 46.37 would be AAAA. When I age up to 65, a time of 48.36 would be AAAA.
Another option is to search the USMS Event Results Database to see how you rank in your events against others in your age group. Consider setting goals based on your rankings.
If nothing else, reviewing the 2024 Motivational Times Chart and USMS Event Results Database will help you gain perspective and improve your mindset about your slowing race times!
| ELAINE’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH Build 125's, 1-4, 5-8 May 2024 |
Did you hear the great news? A long course (50-meter pool) meet was added to the 2024 Georgia swim meet schedule and will take place in Augusta, on August 2-3. If you don’t have access to a 50-meter pool to train for this meet, the following set will help prepare you for 100-meter events.
Before you swim this set, make sure to swim your usual warm-up as well as a cool-down at the end of your swim session.
8 x 125 Freestyle @ R:15, build 1-4, 5-8
Total yardage: 1,000
Explanation: Swimming 125’s (“over distance”) will help improve your race endurance for the 100-distance events. One of the goals of this set is to swim each 125 faster than the last and for your 4th to be an all-out, 100% effort. Rest 15 seconds between each 125. Repeat this for your 5th thru 8th 125 with your 8th being the fastest. The other goal will be to maintain your best stroke technique throughout the set.
Flexible options:
- Swim the set as freestyle for the first four, and backstroke for the second four. (This will work the two long-axis strokes.)
- Swim the set as butterfly for the first four, and breaststroke for the second four. (This will work your two short-axis strokes, but it will be a killer set, not for the faint of heart! Be forewarned; you will probably need more than 15 seconds of rest!)
- Swim them all as individual medley (IM) with 50 yards of freestyle.
For an excellent database of workouts, go to the USMS Swim Workout Library.
| ELAINE’S TIP THE MONTH 4 Considerations When Choosing Your Meet Events April 2024 |
In the March newsletter, I stated my case for why you should participate in Georgia Masters swim meets. Hopefully, I was convincing, and you have checked over the meet schedule on the Georgia Masters website and added them to your calendar!
The next step is to choose which events you are going to sign up for when registration opens for your first swim meet. First, read the meet information and print out the event schedule, so you can cross out the races you won’t be entering. This process of elimination will leave you with less choices and make your decision easier.
The following are 4 considerations that will help you choose between the remaining events:
1. What strokes can you swim? If you don’t swim butterfly, for example, that immediately eliminates the 50, 100, and 200 Butterfly as well as the 100, 200, and 400 Individual Medley (IM); so, you can cross those off.
2. How often do you train and how much yardage do you swim in your training sessions? If you are a newer swimmer, swim less than four days per week, and you are swimming less than 2,000 yards per session, you may want to rethink the idea of racing the “mile” (1650 yards or 1500 meters) unless you have practiced that race and/or don’t want to race any other events that day.
3. Have you been training any of the other strokes besides freestyle? Breaststroke, for example, is the most technical stroke with a lot of rules attached. Unless you are familiar with those rules, there is a good chance you will get disqualified during your race. Either learn the rules (and practice!) before the meet or wait until your next meet to race breaststroke. Go ahead and cross the 50, 100, and 200 breaststroke off! For backstroke, anything goes as long as you stay on your back throughout the race except for the turn. To avoid getting disqualified, pass on doing a flip turn, and do an open turn.
4. Do you have any injuries or physical issues that would be impacted by swimming a particular stroke or event? Be honest with yourself about your physical limitations and how much rest you may need in between events.
After taking these four considerations into account, you should be left with an easier decision regarding which events to race in your first swim meet. For some excellent advice on how to prepare for your first meet, click here.
| ELAINE’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH Individual Medley Endurance April 2024 |
This was a set I put together a few days after I returned from traveling for three weeks and being out of the pool the entire time. The first two days back, it felt like I was swimming through mud! My warm-up felt good by the third day, so I decided to work on building my endurance back up for all four strokes, concentrating on stroke technique rather than speed. I didn’t keep track of my times except for my rest intervals. I suggest you do the same after you have been out of the water for that long if you don’t want to get frustrated!
Before you swim this set, make sure to swim your usual warm-up as well as a cool-down at the end of your swim session.
8 x 100, reverse 400 IM order x 2 (100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, 100 butterfly, repeat) @ R:15
4 x 100 choice: 25 drill, 25 swim @ 200 pace, 25 kick, 25 swim @ 50 pace @ R:15 (choose your weakest stroke for #1 and #3, and your second weakest stroke for #2 and #4.
Total yardage: 1,200
Explanation: To ease back into swimming all four strokes, I recommend swimming this in reverse IM order. By the time you swim butterfly, you will be fully warmed up. For each stroke, concentrate on stroke technique, focusing on your worst stroke flaw for each stroke. The 15 second rest period after each 100 will give you time to reflect on your previous 100 and determine how you can improve the second time around. It should also give you enough rest but still present enough challenge to build your endurance back up.
The 4 x 100’s are an opportunity to focus further on your weakest two strokes, swimming them at different race paces after the drill and kick 25’s. Choose a drill that will focus on your worst stroke flaw.
Flexible options:
- Substitute breaststroke for butterfly if you can’t swim butterfly. If you don’t swim either stroke, alternate freestyle and backstroke. The idea is to swim all the strokes you can with good technique and build back your endurance in the process.
- Not quite ready to sprint yet? Try to swim your second 25 faster than the first at the fastest pace you can.
- Swim a different drill each time or repeat the same drill
- Kick face down for the first two choice 100’s and face up on your back for the second two.
- For drill ideas, click here for playlists of USMS drill videos. Make sure to view the entire playlists under each drill video heading.
For an excellent database of workouts, go to the USMS Swim Workout Library
| ELAINE’S TIP THE MONTH 4 Reasons Why You Should Participate in Georgia Masters Swim Meets March 2024 |
1. Gives purpose to your training
Sure, for most of us, our purpose for swimming is to stay fit and healthy; however, training for competition would provide an additional purpose that would open new opportunities to improve your skills, increase your self-confidence, and take your fitness to a new level.
Registering to compete in a swim meet requires you to choose your race events, so those will now be the events to train for during swim workouts, rather than just swimming arbitrary laps. A coach can help you develop a training plan and set goals, or you can access the USMS Workout Library for specific workouts for your stroke and events. Asking for help on the USMS Community Discussion Forums would also be a helpful way to get advice from other swimmers. As your skills improve and you conquer your first swim meet, it will give your confidence a huge boost. Your body will also thank you for the improved fitness gained from kicking your training up a notch.
2. Provides feedback for how you train
Kudos for setting your mileage goal for the year and signing up for Go the Distance (You have signed up, right?)! That’s a great way to stay motivated to keep swimming those laps. If you really want to understand how your training has paid off (or not), though, racing at a meet is the way to do it. The adrenaline you feel right before your race, and the other swimmers racing beside you, will fire you up to swim faster than you ever thought you could. It is difficult during training to duplicate that intensity, especially if you train on your own. There is nothing like seeing the swimmer in the next lane just ahead of you, knowing if you just push a little harder, you can beat them! Not only is the clock great feedback, but you will learn your strengths and weaknesses and discover whether your training prepared you properly to race.
3. It’s a great opportunity to watch and learn from the best!
At a typical swim meet, all but the longest distance events are seeded slowest to fastest (regardless of age and sex), meaning the slowest swimmers will swim in the first heat, and the fastest swim in the last heat. Looking over the heat sheet, you can learn who the fastest swimmers are and watch their races during your down time. Shoot videos of their races, so you can watch and study their strokes later. Better yet, ask somebody to shoot a video of your race, and then compare videos on a large computer monitor to observe the differences. What are they doing that you aren’t? This is an excellent way to determine ways to improve your stroke.
4. The camaraderie at meets is fun!
Swimming may be an individual, solitary sport (especially if you train on your own), but swim meets are very social! While hanging out in between your events, it’s a great time to get to know the other swimmers and ask for advice. Volunteer to swim relays and cheer your teammates on, and you will see just how much fun Masters swimmers have together!
So, go ahead and check out the Georgia Masters swim meet schedule here and sign up for your first swim meet. In my thirteen years as a Georgia Masters competitive swimmer, I have never met a swimmer who regretted it. I have met many, many swimmers, however, that are happy they did! I sure am!
| ELAINE’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH Turn, Turn, Turn March 2024 |
No, I’m not talking about that 1959 song by Pete Seeger, made popular by the Byrds in 1965. Now that you have decided to enter a meet, it’s time to work on your race turns! Last November, the flex set featured 25’s of all strokes with turns. Since most swimmers choose freestyle and/or backstroke races for their first meet, this set focuses on turns for those two strokes at various race distances. To get more turns in, each interval will begin at the halfway point of the pool.
Before you swim this set, make sure to swim your usual warm-up as well as a cool-down at the end of your swim session.
200 Freestyle F.I.T.F., first 100 @ 200 race pace, second 100 EZ with F.I.T.F. turns, R:15
200 Backstroke F.I.T.F., first 100 @ 200 race pace, second 100 EZ with F.I.T.F. turns, R:15
100 Freestyle F.I.T.F., first 50 @ 100 race pace, second 50 EZ with F.I.T.F. turns, R:20
100 Backstroke F.I.T.F., first 50 @ 100 race pace, second 50 EZ with F.I.T.F. turns, R:20
4x50 Freestyle, first 25 @ 50 race pace, second 25 with F.I.T.F. turn, R:30
4x50 Backstroke, first 25 @ 50 race pace, second 25 with F.I.T.F. turn
Total yardage: 1,000
Explanation: The first half of each interval is at the pace you plan on racing for that event. When you get to the flags (F.I.T.F. = Fast Inside the Flags), swim fast to the wall, make a snappy turn, and then swim fast to the flags before returning to your race pace. During your RI (rest interval), tread water, float, (or stand if shallow) before the next interval. See the video links for excellent turn advice. The second half of each interval is to be swum slowly, but fast inside the flags with a fast turn.
Watch this flip turn video for freestyle.
Watch this flip turn video for backstroke.
Flexible options:
- Make stroke substitutions for strokes you can’t or don’t swim.
- Make distance substitutions to focus more on distances you will be racing. Are the 200’s too long for you? Substitute 100’s or 50’s instead.
- Substitute open turns for flip turns on freestyle. Watch this video for open turn advice.
- Substitute an old-school turn for the flip turn on backstroke. Watch this video for turn advice.
For an excellent database of workouts, go to the USMS Swim Workout Library
| ELAINE’S TIP THE MONTH Gear Maintenance February 2024 |
Last month’s Flex Set was designed to use the new pool toys you received as gifts (or your
well-worn favorites). To make those toys and all your swim gear last, the following are recommendations on how to care for them.
Going from the top down, let’s start with your swim cap. A guaranteed way to make it (or any of your swim gear) not last is to take it off after your swim and throw it straight into your bag. Instead, rinse your cap off with cold water, dry it off, and sprinkle talcum powder (baby powder) inside to keep it from sticking together. If your cap came in a plastic pouch, sprinkle powder on the exterior of the cap as well, fold it loosely, and place it back in the pouch. Otherwise, slip it into a quart size zip-top bag. Note: Silicone caps last much longer than latex caps!
Rinsing your goggles is just the first step in making them last. Next, dry them off with a clean, soft cloth; microfiber cloths are excellent. To prevent your goggles from fogging next time you use them, spray each lens with anti-fog spray. Save yourself some money by using an empty (and clean) travel-size hairspray bottle filled with homemade anti-fog spray. The recipe: 1 oz. of water, 1 oz. of rubbing alcohol, and a drop or two of Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. (Several swimmers I know swear by Johnson’s brand and say knock offs don’t work as well.) The rubbing alcohol and baby shampoo combined will cost less than commercial anti-fog spray, and it will last much longer! After giving each goggle lens one spray, let the goggles air dry before storing. To protect your goggles from getting scratched or broken, place them in a hard case. I have been using this Speedo case for years, and it works great.
If you need to adjust the strap on your goggles, be gentle, because those plastic strap keepers on each side are not very durable, and replacements are not available for purchase. Don’t yank the strap out of the keeper. Instead, turn the strap so it can slip through the opening. The less stress on the plastic, the longer it will keep the strap in place without breaking.
Next up for care is your suit. Always rinse it out thoroughly in cold water without detergent, squeeze the excess water out gently (or roll in a towel), and then hang it over a shower rod or lay flat on a drying rack. Never wash your suit in a washing machine or throw it in a dryer, if you want your suit to last!
For all your other gear, rinse in cold water and dry before storing it in your gear bag. If you are headed to work after your swim and you don’t have time to dry it all off, take it out of your gear bag when you get to your car, spread it out, and let it finish drying. Don’t park your car in the sun if you can avoid it, though, because direct sun will damage and age your gear.
Care for your swim gear, and it will last you through more of your Go the Distance miles in the pool!
| ELAINE’S FLEX SET OF THE MONTH Broken 100's February 2024 |
Concentrate on holding good stroke technique throughout this set:
4 x 25 Choice @ RI:15 – Sprint
200 Choice @ RI:30 – Easy
2 x 50 Choice @ RI:15 – Sprint
200 Choice @ RI:30 – Easy
75 Choice @ RI:15 – Sprint
25 choice @ RI:15 – Sprint
200 Choice @ RI:30 – Easy
100 Choice – Sprint
Total yardage = 1,000
Explanation of set: Throughout this set, you will choose which stroke(s) you would like to swim. Your rest interval (“RI”) will be 15 seconds after each sprint and 30 seconds following each easy 200. The flexible options are already built in, because of your choice of stroke. You could choose your strokes based on what you will be racing in an upcoming meet, swim a different stroke for each sprint section; or, if you race the Individual Medley (IM), try swimming the sprints in IM order, changing strokes after each 25. This is an excellent way to work on your IM transitions. Watch this video for the fly to back transition, and this video for mastering your back to breaststroke transition. For a demonstration of the complete 100 IM from an underwater view, check out this video.
For an excellent database of workouts, go to the USMS Swim Workout Library.
Happy 2024, Georgia Masters! Now that you are back from your holiday break and your swim bag is full of new pool toy gifts (or well-worn favorites), it’s time to hit the ground running—or, in the case of us swimmers, hit the pool and make a splash!
This is the perfect time to set some goals for the year, beginning with Go the Distance. How many miles do you think you will swim in 2024? Wait just a second. Before you answer that question and click on the link above to enter, think about this first: Use the SMART method of setting your goal. Your goal should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. The big one here is “Realistic,” so don’t forget to look at the calendar and factor in travel and other times you may not be able to swim. Another factor to take into consideration is the average amount of yards (or meters) you swim in a day or week. Do the math, and you have your goal.
Next, take a look at the Grand Prix events listed in this newsletter for 2024. Which ones would you like to enter (once the dates are finalized)? They aren’t all swim meets; many are fitness events, so there is no reason not to participate!
Now, it’s time to set your personal swimming goals that you aim to accomplish while participating in these events. Are there personal records you would like to break? Would you like to race a new stroke or event? The following are a few of the excellent articles at USMS.org that will help you with your goal setting and planning for the new year:
Beat Roadblocks to Success , by Katherine Irwin
Try This Method for Achieving Your Goals , by Scott Bay
How to Achieve What You Really Want This Year, by Marty Munson
To start the new year off right, set your goals, and then put your pool toys to good use with Elaine’s Flex Set of the Month, in this newsletter.
Flexible Options (click on each one for video):
- Add paddles on the pull sets
- Substitute kickboard for snorkel
- Backstroke kick – add Cup On Head Balance drill
- Substitute breaststroke pull for backstroke and use pull buoy
- Substitute breaststroke kick for backstroke using fins
- Substitute butterfly pull for backstroke using pull buoy
- Substitute butterfly kick for backstroke using fins
- Other pull drills for every stroke
For an excellent database of workouts, go to the USMS Swim Workout Library