I had a email conversation with Ahelee about how an "old boys network" will be deciding the fate of speedsuits and that we have yet to hear any female voices; Well, here's one and she actually swims too. From the Sydney Morning Herald:
"...MULTIPLE Olympic gold medal winner Libby Trickett believes banning the use of hi-tech bodysuits would set the sport "back a decade".
"...I read that in 1972, I think, there were 53 world records broken, and there has been 54 [long course] this year," Trickett said. "What provided that difference that year?
"...I don't think it really makes sense to ban the suits across the board, because then we would be going back over a decade ago to when we were just wearing the togs - and that, to me, would be a reversal in the sport. I don't see why we would want to go back to that time.
Mike Freshley told me at the Santa Clarita Masters Meet a couple of weeks ago that, "you learn how to win when you lose!"
Katie Hoff is switching coaches. From the Washington Post:
Swimmer Katie Hoff has changed coaches after a disappointing Olympics in which the six-time world champion failed to win a gold medal in a half dozen events.
Hoff is working with Michael Phelps's coach, Bob Bowman, who has returned to her North Baltimore Aquatic Club after four years at the University of Michigan. Hoff trained with Paul Yetter since before she qualified for the 2004 Olympics as a 15-year-old.
About Southern California Aquatics (SCAQ): SCAQ has three coaches who have swum in the Olympics and many more that have come close by qualifying for Olympic Trials. One of our USC coaches even swam in THIS year's Olympic Trials! So, when you are wondering what Olympians do in workouts, you are experiencing it at SCAQ. (Okay, watered down of course).
Let me do some more bragging about our staff: Coach Erik Hochstein set a World Record for the 40-45 age group in the 100 Freestyle and came within tenths in the 200 and the 50. Current Olympian Amanda Beard (three-time Olympian/two-time Gold Medalist) swam in two SCAQ workouts in the last year as did the current 200 backstroke world record holder and two-time Olympian Margaret Hoelzer. Last summer, Michael Phelps swam in one of our workouts, but I will have to admit he got his own lane and did his own thing. What a treat that was. We still have some of our fast SCAQ advanced swimmers bragging that they beat him. Of course he was warming up while they were sprinting all out, but still...
The best thing about SCAQ is 60% of all swimmers are beginners and they have workouts [and clinics for the first-timer including lessons. The first ever swim workout with a coach was with SCAQ. If you are ever in LA SCAQ welcomes drop in visitors. If you live in LA then think about signing up. Check out SCAQ at SWIM.net or call the office at (310) 390-5700 [Link]
Upcoming clinic and events:
SCAQ OCEAN CLINIC: swimming through the California Surf. Come learn all the tricks to swimming in the ocean: getting in and out of surf, sighting, and swimming better, safer and faster! You must call the office to register.
TRIATHLETES hopefully will be inspired by the Olympics and start swimming with their local masters team and all the great coaches across the USA. It is not good enough to just buy books, tapes and take a two day clinic by “drive-by” coaches. Get in with a group of experienced swimmers where you battle for pool space.
Where do you think all the college swimmers workout? Masters! So, if you have no swimming background, you need heavy pool time: working hard and watching that clock. Two major triathlons are a month away, so get swimming! You think the Olympians would be doing one or two swims a week and mostly drills? A two minute improvement in your swim can mean dozens of places...
SCAQ NOVEMBER TRIP TO BEIJING AND THE OLYMPIC POOL – Clay Evans has been investigating a swimming adventure over Thanksgiving to Beijing (Nov 17 – 24). He has contacted the Chinese Embassy and would like to know who would be interested in a week of swimming, coaching by Clay and exploring Beijing including an excursion to the Great Wall. Costs -if we could get 20 people- is estimated at $3,500 and would include air, buses, pool rental and hotel (not food and entertainment). This will be a small group so get on the list now, email Clay@SWIM.net. First come first serve. Put Beijing in your subject line. drills?
[Above is a photo the Santa Monica College pool, a SCAQ affiliated pool that I swam in this morning. -- T.A.]
Clay Evans: "... Katie Hoff gave away the 400 free with horrible beginner's finish/ touch. She looped down and up touching with almost a completely flat hand like she did not want to break a nail. Meanwhile the Brit lunged forward plunging in a direct STRAIGHT line to the electronic pad making up at least one foot. It was plain as day in the under water shot. I was dumbfounded at that error.
Erik Hockstein: "... This Katie Hoff finish will be replayed by American coaches for the next decade - yes, even a world-class swimmer can lose a 400 Free on a finish. This type of finish is actually more common than expected - I have seen this quite often at the elite level in the last few years.
--•--
My take: I am seeing people breathing off the walls, looking at each other under water, and people looking up as they glide into the wall for their touch. Is it hubris or coaching issues?
Here is an article from the Baltimore Sun regarding the 400 meter free: [Link]
UPDATE: Reedit number three of this of this post with better references especially since Glen Mills says it better than I do in the third and fourth paragraphs and I also included an article he wrote dedicatd to the subject. Also, I quote the Canuck Swimmer way better:
Technique should not be a religious conviction but rather a evolving process validated by the clock.
The Total Immersion school refrains from a straight arm recovery and in my opinion they should adjust and be less dogmatic. Note Ceasar Cielo's straight arm recovery. So, now we have Stefan Nystrand, Eamon Sulivan and Cesar Cielo swimming and winning with a straight arm recovery. This is more evidence that swim technique should be adopted to one's body type and abilities rather than compromising one's ability or strengths to fit into a specific technique or form.
Glen Mills says: "... My opinion is simply that they should each be tried, cause ya never know which is going to be right for the swimmer until each has been somewhat explored.
You can tell pretty quickly with most swimmers, but with some it's going to take more work. From a physiological, and biomechanical point of view, since no two people are created the same, I personally don't think we can say one has an advantage over the other. Of course, until you apply it to one person... then we're back to the previous statement, search, experiment, explore, then determine. ..." [Link]
Here is an article by Glenn Mills dedicated completely to the subject of arm recovery: "...Everyone will have a slightly different recovery, based on physiology, age, gender, strength, fitness level, flexibility, goal of swim, etc. (you can see there are a lot of variables). Yet with all the variations and suggestions about the proper recovery, everyone is pretty much agreed that the GOAL is to get the hand to the point at which it’s going to begin the next stroke. Generally, you want to achieve full extension out front, enough rotation to hook your body into the stroke, and (hopefully) not too many air bubbles UNDER the hand (even that’s open to debate). ..." [Link]
The Canuckswimmer stated on his blog: "...A column written by Olympic gold medalist and physician Gary Hall Sr. goes a step further and speculates this technique may be a major contributing factor in their success by virtue of its ability to utilize centrifugal force to speed up the recovery stroke.
Clay Evans said that exceptionally strong upper bodies of the swimmers in question all have the ability to use their arms as effective fulcrums leveraging more water like a kayak paddle.
My take is that the freestyle stroke becomes a physically simpler stroke to execute with less "wiggle" and "fewer moving parts" since a straight arm recovery forces the hips and shoulders to rotate in unison thereby leveraging the body into the proper hydro-dynamic position setting up a better streamline scenario for a powerful catch.
Clay Evans, Lyle Nellie and Erik Hochstein told me that during a sprint you reach your maximum speed by the 4th or 5th stroke and that is when you relax and just maintain momentum. Erik, Clay and Lyle called it "easy speed." So does Bonnie Adair. Hence, the simpler the execution, the easier it is to relax and maintain momentum and that is the crux of all swimming: maintaining momentum.
I am not a great swimmer, I may even be the slowest blogger but I love swimming and I love trying to improve my swimming in every workout. I do that by listening, practicing and refining. This straight arm rcovery has me intrigued!
Here we have Burt Lancaster looking like pretty good for a 55-year-old man.
From wikipedia: "...The story takes place in the affluent suburbs of Westchester County, New York, and focuses on Neddy Merrill, who despite being middle-aged, wants to retain his youth and believes that he is a vibrant individual. He marvels at his trail-blazing idea of "swimming the county". At the beginning of the story, Neddy is at a cocktail party at the Westerhazys' and realizes that by following an imaginary chain of private and public pools in his affluent community he can literally swim home. Next we have a succession of similar scenes, as Neddy enters the backyard of his neighbors, sometimes bursting into a party, sometimes engaging in conversation, and most of the time having a drink - but always swimming the length of their pool. Soon it becomes clear to the reader that something has gone awry. ..."
The film was directed by Frank Perry. However Perry left the production due to creative differences, leaving the scene where Neddy meets his former mistress Shirley Adams unfinished. This final scene was directed by Sydney Pollack. ..."
As a kid, I saw this film on late night TV one summer in between grades and it disturbed me greatly. When the third act begins, the movie gets quite dark and depressing. It has a creepy ending which really startled me. Rumors are that Alec Baldwin wants to do a remake. He will need to start swimming and lose some weight if he gets the green light. Personally I think Clay Evans would be a better casting choice. ;-D
What inspired this post was an About.com article regarding a swimmer, Dennis Sopczynski, who wants to swim from San Francisco to L.A. just like "Neddy Merrill above.": [Link]
I hear if he dies and goes to hell, Satan is going to make him a swim coach for lost souls such as Clay Evans, Dan Leonard and myself. Snippet:
"... You will enjoy swimming butterfly because you will be swimming it longer, stronger and faster. Get used to heading down to your favorite beach and swimming nothing but butterfly for at least an hour. I often swim more than 90 minutes at a time when training for Big Shoulders [race]. Lastly, leave the wetsuit at home!"
I would like to say that the above was the devil talking but it is Daniel Projansky the swimmer in question. [Link]
[Don] Schollander averaged only 1:04.1 to win the 1964, 400m in a 4:12+.
Burton averaged only 106.5 to win the 1968, 1500m with Kinsella averaging 107.8 for the silver.
They seemed like Gods to me back then but so slow now. I think in my prime with some more distance free I could have done those times? I think I made 7 out of a set of 10 x 100 @ 1:10 meters in 1980 and that was in a workout when I was going for only the 100 fly. Strange.
Kate Ziegler would kill them all. As a matter of fact she would "LAP" Burton and Kinsella in a 100 meter pool if we threw her back to the 1968 Olympics 1500m free. Think about that! WOW! Girl laps men and wins by over 100m. Looking at Masters, 45 year old Masters swimmer gets silver to Burton circa '68 by only 4 seconds in 1500m. 40-year-old men win gold by 10 seconds in 68. How is it possible? McConica is close to Burton's times now. Wasn't he almost there in '68?
It seems that the1972 Olympics is about like an elite 35 or 40-year Masters Swimming Age Group record.
[Pacing is apparently the paradigm for spectacular swimming. We are seeing it with Michael Phelps and Kate Zeigler as well. Clay Evans wrote an article for SCAQ members regarding pacing.]
PACE PACE PACE! For those of you who are ocean swimmers and don't think pacing is important, take a look at Kate Ziegler who just broke Janet Evan's 19-year-old World Record in the 1500, the oldest record on the books. She broke the World Record by 11 seconds holding nearly precision timing pacing. See her splits below for her world record:
You can bet she did this over and over in workout until it felt second nature to her. She was definitely in a groove. This applies in the ocean as well. If you know your pace and are in a groove when you swim you will finish stronger and without dying at the end of the race. Everyone has an optimal pacing speed. You need to spend some time in the pool going back and forth and working with the clock, to know what that pace is for you personally. This comes from clockwork, during warm-up, main sets, kick sets and warm down.
You can be sure that in the open rough water you will need to return to your pace. Something will interrupt you or throw you off pace and you need to be able to find your pace again and return to it. Pacing not only means finding your racing speed and sticking to it, but also means holding back a little. If you go out, or begin, a race too fast you will struggle with fatigue at some point in the race. Fatigue will result in poor technique, which will in turn slow you down. If Kate Ziegler had started her race too fast she could never have held another 14 100's at that pace. She knew what she was doing. She had practiced it over and over.
Clay does this to me every time and I fall for it.
"Hey Tony, for the main set how does a 1:30 base interval sound?
I am thinking no problem. Even when I am tired I come in at 1:25 so no big deal. Consequently I swim 6 x 50's @ 45-seconds, Then 3 x 100s @ 1:30, a hard 300, 6 x50's again at 45-seconds a sprint 100, a sprint 50 and a sprint 25.
I was pronounced dead on the last 6 x 50s. I did a "zombie" swim of the 100 sprint but rose from the dead on the 50 and 25 sprints. It seemed like I never had more than 5-10 seconds rest the whole workout.
Any ideas? I 'm thinking of some sort of incentive; say like a discount for a couple of months. Perhaps some free swim technique clinics or maybe a free suit, Zoomers and goggles?
There there is always the proverbial contest: Bring us the most new members in between now a the autumn and you win a TYR super hero outfit of your choice?
UPDATE: William Patrick (Parry) O'Brien passed away at the SPMA Regional meet yesterday. As a witness to his passing I can say he is sorely missed.
William Patrick (Parry) O'Brien is an Olympian who competed in four consecutive summer Olympics. His event was the shot put where he won two consecutive gold medals in 1952 and 1956, a silver in 1960, and he placed fourth in 1964. As a result of his contribution to US Track and Field he was inducted to the US Olympic Hall of Fame.
But Parry loves swimming just as much.
In the middle-eighties here was a guy with stacks of trophies, gold medals and a silver who discovered Masters swimming and began swimming regularly. Clay Evans told me that during a meet at Santa Monica College in or around that decade he saw Parry standing in line to collect a 6th place, cheesy, SPMA, ribbon to add to his collection because swimming meant so much to him. Parry swims open water, swim meets, workouts, everything and everywhere.
Today during the 500 free Parry came out of a flip-turn in or around the 200 yard mark and lost consciousness. For what seemed like 20 minutes or so; (I want to emphasize that it seemed that long since time dilates during a tragedy), lifeguards were administering CPR to revive him without pause. Then the paramedics came, added an IV line and spent another 5-10 minutes doing the same compression pumps to his chest. Soon the defibrillator was brought out and it was nothing like what you see on TV where the patient jerks. It was much more graphic and unpleasant to see and it certainly looks like no fun to go through.
I don't know what happened after they took Parry to the hospital, the meet was stopped for perhaps 1-2 hours, but later resumed because Parry would have been pissed if it stopped.
My times were mixed: 26.87 for the 50 free, 35.99 for the 50 fly. Tomorrow I try and break a minute in the 100 free. I will post pictures once the shell shock wears off.
From the email: "... SCAQ founders Bonnie Adair and Clay Evans will both be coaching the VNSO workouts tomorrow night and conducting a stroke technique workout. This is short notice, but it will be an intensive session of stroke work and how to get started swimming. This is perfect for those of you in the San Fernando Valley area and can't make the mid week workouts and clinics. This is open to all swimmers that are not on SCAQ! ..."
Here is an article about SCAQ in Competitor Magazine: [Link]
1) When you get to the pool for a workout, jump off the blocks instead of just jumping in feet first. This allows you to practice your start dive several times a month rather than the day of a meet.
2) On my flip, I must be sure that I don't twist while flipping for it creates drag. Just land the turn with your feet shoulder width apart and then feel the power.
3) Don't breathe into or off the wall, it kills your momentum. (Fast Dave lesson.)
4) Fins really do make your ankles more floppy.
5) I should pattern my stroke after a Janet Evans, Laure Manaudou, or Popov due to the poor flexibility in my shoulders.
If you thought 10 x 400 was tough, it is about to get much harder at Clay's Saturday morning workout. Right at the beginning of the set (after a good warm up), you will do a SPRINT 100 much faster than your regular pace, then return to 3x400s at the pace you have been going. This will mimic an ocean swim. At the finish of the 3x400, then another 100 sprint- and then again, 3x400s. Finally, one last round of sprint 100 and 3x400s and ending (finally) in one LAST sprint 100.. This is much more difficult than going straight through the even-paced 400s. This will only be for those in swimming shape and who have already experienced our 400s workouts over the last few weekends. If you are new to this workout, Clay suggests that you sit out and rest the 100s instead of swimming them hard.
Why these hard 100s screwing up these otherwise nice paced 400s? Because that is the way it is out in the real world. Ocean swims or triathlons never mimic normal, even-paced swims, and no two races will ever be the same. You therefore should prepare for abrupt changes. So, when you have achieved the ability and the endurance to pace yourself for a 200, a 2,000 or a 2 miler you then practice adversity and increase your ability to regain your composure and return to an effective pace. Tactically most ocean races for serious swimmers should start and end with speed (come to one of Clay's ocean clinics in Santa Monica, Venice, Manhattan Beach to find out WHY). And always it will be inevitable that during a race you will need to apply some speed, like get around some slower swimmers, beat people to a buoy, catch the waves, et cetera. And once again, you will have to return to an effective pace. So for the next couple of weeks at Santa Monica College (SMC), Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Westchester, and the San Fernando Valley pool (VNSO), you can expect this workout.
For those of you swimmers stuck at this workout you can change it. Just stay with the interval of your lane. If you want to do middle distance go instead of rounds of three 400s, one 400, one 200 and one 100. If you are an IMers try doing three 300s IM. And for some of you guys that want an all out sprint workout go three 100s.
[Check this page often for both swim clinics and ocean clinics: Link]
Today Clay Evans coached. It was such a beautiful day at VNSO; 76 degrees with a light breeze, that the workout was pretty much open ended. In the south part of the pool there was a free SCAQ Swim clinic with newer swimmers learning swim basics. North of them were swimmers doing 10 swims on the 6 minutes with the slower swimmers doing 300s or less, the moderate swimmers doing 400s and the faster swimmers doing 500s.
However, Steve and I were doing all out 75s for time every six minutes with 150-yard swims in between sets. My best 75 was a 43, my worst was 47. Dave chose to do 100s and he held 56s and 58s throughout. Above is a picture of the pool before 30+ swimmers showed up for workout. Don't you just want to dive in.
If you would like a free clinic or a technique clinic, click the following link: [Link]
My club is having a swim promotion for "new" or "pre-owned" swimmers who want to start swimming. Here is what Clay sent me:
It starts Sunday with two great clinics/101 Workouts and tons of our regular workouts. So, if you are not swimming regularly by now then replace March Madness with April Pool's!!!! With a month of swimming with us then May can be "May" in the "BAY"!!!! You hear that triathletes?
We have so many workouts to offer you, check out our schedule link atSWIM.net/scaq. Check out my recent articles on technique as well on the articles page. So call us or go on line and start swimming.
For all you potential new swimmers scared of starting a coached workout come to one of my workouts 101 for beginners. That is where I will lead you through a beginner's workout with tons of technique. I will also will show you what are the most effective ways to workout such that you maximize your times in the water away from your busy schedule.
Here are two FREE Swim 101 Workouts, this Sunday, April 1st:
LMU 8:00 AM - Directions: [Link] (Park in the first parking lot on the right) Van Nuys Sherman Oaks pool: 11:00am - Directions: [Link]
Remember that movie, My Dinner with Andre? Of course not, it was so last millennium. I spent lunch talking with Clay and the conversation was a lot like the movie. Last week he coached me and he told me that when I blogged the workout, I left out the part about the 200s. I don't remember any 200s because only my brain stem was working and rest of my brain was shut down due to oyxgen debt.
Anyway, I blogged that I did a 1:05 on the last 100 free on Sunday and Clay mentioned that he forgot to scold me on Sunday stating I went out on the first lap with out taking a breath whatsoever and consequently on the last lap I was breathing in-and-out like a whoopee cushion in reverse.
He suggested I breathe every fourth stroke when I do a 100 free and don't breathe the last lap. Tonight after a tough IM workout with Dimitriy I did and all-out 100 free at 95% effort breathing every fourth stroke. Despite a small cramp, screwing up a streamline after a turn, and partially breathing like a reverse whoopee cushion on the last lap I did 1:04 . If I was fresh I think I could have broken a minute with a dive.
It's a bit rudimentary but useful. From the article:
"...The ENTIRE point of this drill, or focus, is to create more FLOW on your flip turns -- whether for freestyle or backstroke. The goal is to eliminate ANY delay between when your feet are ready to push off... and when your hands are ready to streamline. The two things should happen at the same time... and the hands should get into position with no hesitation and with no jerky or sudden movements. ..." Here is the article: [Link]
Personally, I think it is a worthwhile investment to do a " "Freestyle Technique with Turns" clinic with Bonnie at the LMU pool so Bonnie, Clay or another coach can look at your turn and coach to your abilities. That's what I did and I learned about not breathing off the walls, creating a more symmetrical flip, and better streamline position.
However, if you're cheap, I think this article is marginally decent but drills are best learned when coached. Learning something as fine tuned as a flip turn from a website is like trying to learn Tai Chi from a cheesy pamphlet you bought in China Town.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
If you are having shoulder pain, here is an snippet on a quick shoulder fix by Clay Evans. My comments are at the bottom.
If your shoulder is sore after a workout, try lots of ice - every two hours for 20 minutes. This is what most trainers have told me. The problem is in the pool. Shoulder issues are because of bad technique (unless of course you banged it snowboarding). When you first come back after having a sore shoulder: start slow, warm up long and do easy stretching before and during workout. It is simple; when you are at the wall between swims: stretch, slow and easy.
Now about technique: First of all breathe to the bad shoulder. Most bad shoulders are the shoulder you breathe away from. This is because swimmers use that arm to support the turn of the head to breathe on the opposite side. They tend to do this with a straight-arm catch instead of a correct reaching over the barrel catch.
If the shoulder problem is worse than "bad" and you have tried technically to fix it you can just not swim with that arm. You do NOT have to quit swimming. Three extremities only can be done. Skip one arm and you will still get a great workout. I did it many times with a shoulder that dislocated often in my college water polo career. That is much better than nothing.
Another option is you can also try to cut the stroke short at the front end. This takes quite a bit of pressure off and you can still get 75% of the arm exercise. You can cut short your stroke at the point of hand entering the water as dramatically as coming in at the shoulder level and not extending any farther forward in front of your head. You get a great push from the shoulder level down and follow through like normal. That is 75% of your pull anyway. It is only at the front first 6-12 inches that shoulders are really hurt by swimming.
All these options will get you burning calories off as much as regular swimming. You might look a little strange and be swimming in slower lanes but who cares about appearances?
The secret is technique, it is not that hard, you just have to be vigilant every single stroke, every single swim, every single workout. Please come to any of my workouts if you have any shoulder issue.
[Note: A sore shoulder is a different animal than an injured shoulder. A sore shoulder could be as benign as strained muscles or fatigue or more a more serious condition that needs attention. If it is the former, a strained muscles or fatigue, I completely endorse the above article. However, a persistent or worsening pain in one's shoulder is certainly a red flag so use common sense. If the pain persists or gets worse; obviously you may be injured so get it checked out by a doctor.
I do believe that in most cases swimming incorrectly, such as crossing over to the front of your head compounded with a bad pull, WILL cause a shoulder injury so technique is vital. VITAL!]
I had a email conversation with Ahelee about how an "old boys network" will be deciding the fate of speedsuits and that we have yet to hear any female voices; Well, here's one and she actually swims too. From the Sydney Morning Herald:
