The big meets for the summer are just about done. The last of the summer championships are in the books. We know there are still several big "end of season" triathlons still on the books but in general things are beginning to wind down.
What we do, especially at this time of year, is to think about things we learned from observing our team perform at the big meets. We add to that what we learned watching other swimmers in the same setting. We have been asking coaches for tips. One very nice thing about American swimming is that coaches seem willing to share ideas about what works and what doesn't...at least in their situations. So here are some of the observations we have made. We'd love to hear from you about yours. Sharing is a wonderful of getting better.
Jim Bauman, the US Swimming Sports Psychologist, encourages athletes to "make sure your autopilot is engaged" when it comes to being able to perform at big meets.
In butterfly we saw Tyler McGill breathe every stroke for about 90 meters and then none at all for the last 10 meters. We also saw Michael Phelps take 17 strokes per lap - talk about distance per stroke.
Larry Liebowitz who coaches women at Oregon State turned us on to tabata training. Look it up on the web and or You Tube. He also said he has been collecting old "retired" fire hoses which are free instead of having to purchase heavy ropes.
Nort Thornton said he had recently seen an older interview with Popov who said the three things he kept thinking about were "rhythm, range and relaxation".
Several coaches spoke about Matt Fitzgerald's new book "Run".
John Dussliere who coaches the Santa Barbara Swim Club said since he has put his kids on jump ropes his shoulders problems have vanished. He also mentioned a good book, "Evolve Your Brain". He has developed a monster drag chute that seems very interesting. Watch for news about that.
David Marsh talked about how important his Masters group was to his Youth swim team...in a variety of ways from fund raising to development of additional coaches. He is speaking on this topic at the ASCA World Clinic.
And then this gem, from Theo St. Francis, a sophomore who swims for North Bay Aquatics. We were talking about the upcoming season and how many workouts each week he would be able to make given his school schedule and his commute. He had big improvements in his backstroke this year and can now "see" making his Junior National cuts. We said to some degree it matters how many sessions you make but it is even more important to put your best effort forward when you do train. He responded nearly instantaneously, "If I'm going to put in the time I might as well put in the effort". Truer words have never been spoken. It made us think about how many athletes - and coaches - put in the time but not the effort. And how many put in the effort but not enough time to really make a difference. It is definitely the combination that makes the difference. Put in the time plus the effort and you will get the results...especially if your auto pilot is engaged.
See you at the pool!
Showing posts with label innovation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label innovation. Show all posts
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Resistance Training
We are always looking for ways to train that incorporate good technique with extra resistance. In the olden days (the 60's and 70's) swimmers would swim with Clorox bottles tethered to their ankles with rubber straps cut from inner tubes. We would then fill the bottles with differing amounts of water for resistance. Swim coaches weren't looking ahead much in those days...they missed the manufacturing and marketing opportunity! Today all sorts of resistance devices are available. We do quite a bit of training (at least one day a week) with parachutes for drag. We are looking to build power.
While on the plane ride home from Junior Nationals this summer Ken and Don were discussing the idea of developing a suit that had pockets which could be filled with water to add weight without distorting the body's natural position and shape. Like many excellent ideas this one got shuffled to the back burner.
One of our SwimCoachDirect members turned us on to Hyper Vests about three weeks ago. And we thank you Mark! We contacted the company - you can find them at www.hyper-wear.com - and found an innovative and progressive group of folks who wanted to know more about how this would work with swimmers. They have had some swimmers use their vests during dry land training. We were interested in how they might be used in the water.
We now have several of their vests and recommend them highly after our initial testing. The vests fit comfortably. The weights can be fairly easily changed to increase resistance. One of the things we like best is that since the additional weight is distributed over the entire thoracic cavity there is very little chance for a specific muscle or joint strain occurring due to the additional weight. We are always watchful about injury due to change in resistance. These vests seem to pose no problem at all. We recommend that you kick with fins since the extra weight (up to 5 lbs) does make a significant difference in how the body rides in the water. We also suggest beginning with 25's until the stroke can be down correctly with the added weight before moving to 50's.
Remember, as in all things new, progressions are the key. Let us know what you think!
While on the plane ride home from Junior Nationals this summer Ken and Don were discussing the idea of developing a suit that had pockets which could be filled with water to add weight without distorting the body's natural position and shape. Like many excellent ideas this one got shuffled to the back burner.
One of our SwimCoachDirect members turned us on to Hyper Vests about three weeks ago. And we thank you Mark! We contacted the company - you can find them at www.hyper-wear.com - and found an innovative and progressive group of folks who wanted to know more about how this would work with swimmers. They have had some swimmers use their vests during dry land training. We were interested in how they might be used in the water.
We now have several of their vests and recommend them highly after our initial testing. The vests fit comfortably. The weights can be fairly easily changed to increase resistance. One of the things we like best is that since the additional weight is distributed over the entire thoracic cavity there is very little chance for a specific muscle or joint strain occurring due to the additional weight. We are always watchful about injury due to change in resistance. These vests seem to pose no problem at all. We recommend that you kick with fins since the extra weight (up to 5 lbs) does make a significant difference in how the body rides in the water. We also suggest beginning with 25's until the stroke can be down correctly with the added weight before moving to 50's.
Remember, as in all things new, progressions are the key. Let us know what you think!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
What Makes Something Real?
The swim suit wars have heated up, or should we say, the battle has been joined. The cover of this month's Swimming World Magazine shows an underwater photo of the TYR Tracer Rise and the new Speedo LZR suit with a swimmer between in what presumably is yet another suit. The title on the cover is "Meet the New World Record Holders". It implies that the suits are the new record holders. And on page 6 publisher Brent Rutemiller writes an article titled "A Voice for the Sport - Who Rules The Pool?"
What follows is in interesting look at the FINA rule GR 5.5(b) Material. He states that "FINA changed the definition of fabric altogether, catching many leading manufacturers, athletes and national governing bodies completely by surprise during an Olympic year."
Just this week FINA announced that new suits by Mizuno, Arena and Adidas have been cleared as meeting the rule. Others cannot be far behind.
And the Olympic Trials in Omaha for US swimmers begin on the 28th of this month! The Games themselves begin August 8th in Beijing, China.
SwimCoachDirect has been intimately involved in the Olympic experience since 1972. We know what is at stake when it comes to racing for one of the most coveted prizes in our sport. We can say without a doubt that each swimmer has "the suit" on their minds. "The suit" is the one which each individual believes will help her/him swim fastest.
At the end of the day, it is the swimmer inside the suit that achieves recognition, either personally or worldwide. Today at the Japan Open Kosuke Kitajima set a new world record in the mens 200 breast with a time of 2:07.51, breaking Brendan Hansen's 2 year old time of 2:08.50. Earlier Kitajima wore a T-shirt stating stating "I am the swimmer" in protest of the Japanese Swimming Federation restrictions on the suits that Japanese swimmers can wear.
Each swimmer will definitely wear the one he/she believes is the fastest. As many elite swimmers have, Kitajima choose the LZR. At this level no one wants to take a chance. Each swimmer wants everything available, within the legal limits. That, in our opinion is what makes something real.
As you watch the coverage on TV (or in person if you are so fortunate) be ready for lots of discussions and debates over "the suit".
What follows is in interesting look at the FINA rule GR 5.5(b) Material. He states that "FINA changed the definition of fabric altogether, catching many leading manufacturers, athletes and national governing bodies completely by surprise during an Olympic year."
Just this week FINA announced that new suits by Mizuno, Arena and Adidas have been cleared as meeting the rule. Others cannot be far behind.
And the Olympic Trials in Omaha for US swimmers begin on the 28th of this month! The Games themselves begin August 8th in Beijing, China.
SwimCoachDirect has been intimately involved in the Olympic experience since 1972. We know what is at stake when it comes to racing for one of the most coveted prizes in our sport. We can say without a doubt that each swimmer has "the suit" on their minds. "The suit" is the one which each individual believes will help her/him swim fastest.
At the end of the day, it is the swimmer inside the suit that achieves recognition, either personally or worldwide. Today at the Japan Open Kosuke Kitajima set a new world record in the mens 200 breast with a time of 2:07.51, breaking Brendan Hansen's 2 year old time of 2:08.50. Earlier Kitajima wore a T-shirt stating stating "I am the swimmer" in protest of the Japanese Swimming Federation restrictions on the suits that Japanese swimmers can wear.
Each swimmer will definitely wear the one he/she believes is the fastest. As many elite swimmers have, Kitajima choose the LZR. At this level no one wants to take a chance. Each swimmer wants everything available, within the legal limits. That, in our opinion is what makes something real.
As you watch the coverage on TV (or in person if you are so fortunate) be ready for lots of discussions and debates over "the suit".
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Controversy Over the New LZR
Just in case you were looking for an edge...and had an extra $500+ to spend...we thought you'd like to know the latest in the big time swim biz, the new Speedo LZR racing suit. Years ago the introduction of swim goggles caused a similar stir but since they made such good sense for eye safety and were so inexpensive no one really complained. Now the new suit, which several of our swimmers demo'ed two weeks ago and proclaimed they felt very fast using, is taking claims of unfair advantage to a new level.
The legal question for FINA seems to center on whether or not the suit is "equipment" or a "garment". The former is a problem, the latter is not. Also, the question is/was does polyurethane fit the description of "fabric" since it is synthetic. FINA ruled this weekend that there was no problem with suits made of polyurethane and that the new material is legal. What this means is that the other suit manufacturers can now bring to market their versions.
From our view the new suit is fine. Innovation will often be controversial which doesn't make it bad or wrong. In England, at the Short Course (meters) World Championships just concluded, 18 records have been set. All but one of them using the new Speedo LZR suit. Some claim that the suit is too expensive. We know that as competition enters the marketplace prices will drop. Most technological items drop in price after their initial rollout.
As far as Mark Schubert's prediction that all World Records will fall in Beijing our response is - we hope so! Swimmers and coaches are in the business of pushing and redefining limits. We know for certain that no one will ever swim the 50 meter free in 0.00 seconds. Some time must elapse. However, we also know that the 50 meter free will be swum faster than it has currently been done. That is the nature of our game.
When the freestyle flip turn went from a mandatory hand touch to the currently allowed foot touch did that invalidate all the swimmers who previously held the record? Of course not.
Some of you are old enough to remember the early 1970's when the "Belgrade" suit was introduced for women. Previously all suits were made of nylon and for the women they had a "skirt" or panel of material at the bottom of the suit, presumably for modesty. The Belgrade suit had no such design and was made of a much thinner material. People were shocked at the exposure. But what made the suit so much faster was the very tight fit across the top of the chest and under the arms and across the back. Next to no water was "scooped" by the new suit. And records tumbled. The innovative suit was allowed after some controversy. Of course, at the same time the Europeans introduced the suit many of the Eastern Bloc swimmers were "juiced" so the suit's design was in reality hard to measure.
The ultimate question is this: Does the suit make the swimmer? The answer from this corner is a resounding NO! We feel that the race ultimately goes to the swimmer who has paid the price in terms of preparation vs. at the check out counter. Soon all of you can decide for yourselves. Watch for this new suit at your friendly swim shop!
The legal question for FINA seems to center on whether or not the suit is "equipment" or a "garment". The former is a problem, the latter is not. Also, the question is/was does polyurethane fit the description of "fabric" since it is synthetic. FINA ruled this weekend that there was no problem with suits made of polyurethane and that the new material is legal. What this means is that the other suit manufacturers can now bring to market their versions.
From our view the new suit is fine. Innovation will often be controversial which doesn't make it bad or wrong. In England, at the Short Course (meters) World Championships just concluded, 18 records have been set. All but one of them using the new Speedo LZR suit. Some claim that the suit is too expensive. We know that as competition enters the marketplace prices will drop. Most technological items drop in price after their initial rollout.
As far as Mark Schubert's prediction that all World Records will fall in Beijing our response is - we hope so! Swimmers and coaches are in the business of pushing and redefining limits. We know for certain that no one will ever swim the 50 meter free in 0.00 seconds. Some time must elapse. However, we also know that the 50 meter free will be swum faster than it has currently been done. That is the nature of our game.
When the freestyle flip turn went from a mandatory hand touch to the currently allowed foot touch did that invalidate all the swimmers who previously held the record? Of course not.
Some of you are old enough to remember the early 1970's when the "Belgrade" suit was introduced for women. Previously all suits were made of nylon and for the women they had a "skirt" or panel of material at the bottom of the suit, presumably for modesty. The Belgrade suit had no such design and was made of a much thinner material. People were shocked at the exposure. But what made the suit so much faster was the very tight fit across the top of the chest and under the arms and across the back. Next to no water was "scooped" by the new suit. And records tumbled. The innovative suit was allowed after some controversy. Of course, at the same time the Europeans introduced the suit many of the Eastern Bloc swimmers were "juiced" so the suit's design was in reality hard to measure.
The ultimate question is this: Does the suit make the swimmer? The answer from this corner is a resounding NO! We feel that the race ultimately goes to the swimmer who has paid the price in terms of preparation vs. at the check out counter. Soon all of you can decide for yourselves. Watch for this new suit at your friendly swim shop!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)