Look who coaches for SCAQ

Clay Evans sent me this:

How Badly Did Your Swimming SUCK This Summer?

Bad? Then you need to SWIM! Start off by joining us in a swim workout/clinic 101 this Sunday 8 AM at LMU, 11 AM at VNSO [Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Pool] or Monday nite at Westwood 7 PM or at the Culver City Plunge at 6:30 PM. You need to RSVP by midnight tomorrow for this Sunday. We do them every Sunday so you can go next week, BUT WHY WAIT?

Pardon my language in the subject line, but seriously, do you think you will get better if you do not swim this fall? Winter? This email is going to our massive list of swimmers and triathletes who have not joined SCAQ (some members are getting it) and we want to give you a chance to really get to know the sport of swimming and be proficient at it.

I am going to brag about SCAQ in this email. I think we have a right to brag. We have just about the best seven pools in LA County and certainly the best coaches. Unfortunately there are many "certified" coaches out there that have done a couple of triathlons, but have never swam on a college team, competed many years in USMS swimming or have never even competed in a sanctioned swim meet . Our coaches have and they truly know the sport of swimming. You cannot get good at swimming by wishing it, watching tech videos and then start up again in Spring. Sorry, you are new and you need to get into the water as much as possible. And why not? Swimming is after all the very best exercise and so you learn and get in shape.

Swimming is very technical and you can only scratch the surface in first year. It takes time and effort and that is why SCAQ has grown into the most successful adult swim program in history, anywhere. Our success is because we coach fun but serious workouts run by some of the following great coaches. And, you will be swimming with the best group of adult swimmers on this planet. Just take a look at some of the fresh faces in the last year on our coaching staff. What a group! When you come in to swim they do not need to make up a bunch of sill things to tell you, they know exactly, in just a few strokes what are your technical issues and what you need to work on.

Tim Murphy grew up swimming for the famous Cincinnati Marlins Team where he was a Jr. National qualifier , a YMCA Nat. finalist, high school All-American and competed for the NCAA div II dynasty Kenyon College where he was All-Conference.

Sangeeta Puri returns to us after her stint in law school. Her international swimming career culminated in the 1996 Olympic Games . She is a Princeton Alumni.

Rada Owen was a 17 time All American at Auburn University and also competed for the USA in many international competitions, including the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Jon Albrecht was a 2005-2006 co-captain of the men's swim team at University of North Carolina, where he was one of their top backstokers.

Jon Carroll swam University of Pennsilvania before migrating to California he is currently the Head Coach for Team Santa Monica. John is currently the Age Group Rep. of the Pacific Section.

Erin Robertson swam extensive team swimming before concentrating on water polo at CSUN , she is also coaching at Team Santa Monica.

Eric Tomalchoff swam for USC from 1999-2003. He competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Trials and recently qualified for the 2008 Trials ! Go Eric.

SAMPLE OF OUR WORKOUT:

Focus of this example workout:

1) Start off getting to know your own times. Our simpler workout strategy is designed to provide YOU with more COACHING. Our coaches keep track of varying abilities, get times and help set goals in a workout.

2) The set is broken up in different increments, which keeps the "carrot" dangling within reach of the swimmers. This way, you are always encouraged to work a step harder than you thought you could.

MAIN SET: After a good, solid warm up of of 1,000:

ROUND 1 - 3x100's - descend so that each 100 gets faster with an interval that will give you 10-20 seconds rest. Pacing, via descending is critical to good workouts. Then two easy 50s for the fastest guys, one for the middle lanes and none for the beginners so that you can all start the next round at once.

ROUND 2 - 3 x 100's - on the very best interval possible. Less than 5 seconds rest on each repetition. Couple easy 50s between rounds.

ROUND 3 - 7x100's - the first and last are on interval above or even faster than the middle five 100's are. on that interval above but an additional 5 seconds rest per repetition. Easy couple 50s. Slower groups go 6 x 100s and 5 x 100 respectfully with the same theme. Comments: "This is like doing an ocean swim-- going hard to the first buoy and then finishing hard at the last buoy. "

ROUND 4 - 3x100's - 1 and 3 fast, # 2 is easy plus 10 seconds rest. This set should be all lanes starting at same time and all lanes hearing PEP talk from the coach!

100 easy for fast guys, 50 for medium and rest for slow lanes so that next round 5 can also go as one group.

ROUND 5 3x100's 1 and 3 easy, # 2 is the GREATEST of all 100s! Then 100 easy for fast guys, 50 for medium and rest for slow lanes so that the last and final round can also go as one huge group...

ROUND 6 100 ALL OUT!!

See you swimming, Clay

SCAQ website: [Link]

Clay handed me my bum today at workout at the SMC Pool!

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.

I swam long course tonight at Santa Monica College.

Since I have been swimming open water on Sunday mornings in between the Manhattan/Hermosa piers, long course meters now feels as small as a motel pool. Of course that is hyperbole but I do feel more comfortable swimming long course than I do swimming short course yards. My stroke is longer, I can focus more on technique and I maintain my momentum.

On prima facie this is an obvious indication that my turns need work but that open water swimming has been good cross training mentally and aerobically.

VNSO Swim Workout - Dimitriy Coached

It was on the cool side last night but as I write this at 7:00 AM this morning the temperature is warmer now than it was a 7:00 PM last night. Santa Ana winds out from the north I guess .

Held a pretty good pace on the 400's; averaging 1:21 to 1:23 per hundred, since anything over a 100 yards for me distance.

Warm up: 200
6 x 100 drill/swim by 25s
8 x 50's descending 1-4 than 5-8 on the 55
Easy 50

Main Set:
1 x 400 @ 4:30
2 x 100s @ 2:00
1 x 400 @ 4:30
2 x 100s @ 2:00
1 x 400 @ 4:30
1 x 100 warm down

Santa Monica Swimming: SCAQ Workout Today

I took these pictures 20 minutes before workout. Santa Monica College has a really nice pool and if you get a chance to go swim there I really reccomend you do so. What I like best is their overflow gutters. Note that the water comes right up to the tippy edge; this allows chop to exit the pool and flow back into the pool vents below rather than backwashing into the pool.

Dimitriy coached today and it was primarily a middle distance workout.
200 warmup
12 x 50s - swim/drill the first 6 @ 55 seconds build/easy the second 6 @ 55 seconds
6 x 200s @ 3:00/3:40 - My fastest 200 was 2:30, slowest 2:45
6 x 150s with descending intervals easy/hard which I made
6 x 50 descending intervals easy/hard with the last interval 3 seconds