Inside triathlon has an article on open water swimming

Anytime I see an article that begins with: "The Secrets of...", I grab on to my wallet and my common sense for dear life. Though it has a lousy title most of the information is very good. I do disagree with the "draft off another swimmer" concept. Having placed very well at the Alcatraz Sharkfest swims I can tell you that drafting is dangerous.

Ocean water, albeit a lake or a sea, is usually murky. By drafting you have the potential to swim your nose or throat into a vicious kick if the swimmer in front of you stops to spot and then kicks to regain momentum. Also, does the swimmer in front know where he/she is going? Drafting works well in a pool but not a ocean race.

Secrets of Open Water Swimming by Coach Jared Burg [Link]

My swim club has Open Water Clinics coming up. Check this page often for either free clinics, open water, or otherwise [Link]

His name is Griffy

Mike Freshley swim quotes

Mike Freshley is a 65-year-old age grouper and he can do a 50 fly in 27 seconds? I can't. Here are some quotes of his:

"Before 50, swimming is optional," he says. "After 50, it's mandatory."

"Show me a 70-year-old swimmer and he looks like 50, he maintains, but a 70-year-old runner, he looks like 90."

Natalie Coughlin piercing the water like a missle

This is an amazing dive sequence of Natalie Coughlin mid-air doing a perfect streamline within a fraction of a second. This is ballet at it's finest. It must have taken her years to get a reaction time that fast to assimilate a pose that graceful in summarily the blink of an eye. Just look at her feet placement too. She just compresses into a pencil.

This site is located in Brazil and it is worth a look a serious look through. [Link]

French election: Bayrou's loss means Manadou swims

Though a "snappy" dresser, Francois Bayrou pissed me off with his comments that he would like to see France boycott the Beijing Olympics over China's economic involvement with the Sudan and Dafur. These disputes should be handled at the U.N. or other political venues rather than the Olympics; but his loss is our gain. We will now likely see a rematch between Kate Ziegler and Laure Manaudou in the 400m and 1500m.

Here is a cool cultural photo of a long line of French political posters side my side in what appears to be a park in France. I like Ségolène Royal's poster best. The red bars with the B&W photo makes the eye vibrate. Also, it does not hurt that she is both attractive and the current President. I am surprised that none of the candidates used the colors of the French flag in their posters. [Link]

Regionals 3rd day: I broke a minute

I went a high 59 for the 100 free. I am elated and feel like I can do anything. Erik gave me amazing advice but like an idiot I only followed 50% of it. If I would have followed the rest of his advice, I would have done a 57 or 58 easily.

I decided it would be a really brilliant idea not to breathe for the first lap-and-a-half. By the second 50; to steal a quote form Todd, it felt like I was swimming with a piano on my back with Liberace playing a duet with Fats Domino.

Todd beat beat me in both the 50 and the 100 free but we will rematch at UCLA.

I see fast people and they don't even know that they are fast...

Cole Sear: "Swimming around like regular people. They don't see each others' times. They only see their own times. They don't know they're fast."

Malcolm Crowe "At Regionals, On TV?

Cole Sear: Everywhere! The Culver Plunge, Santa Monica College, LMU and VNSO!

SPMA Regionals 3rd day: Doug Kajiwara stormed just about every event he was in.

Erratum: Doug won every event he was in and I spelled his name wrong. Doh! It is corrected now.

Doug did well today, he either ribboned or medaled in every event he signed up for. I swim with Doug about 2-3 days a week and he is inspiring to pace off of. I am going to post a video of several swims that took place today here at the blog once I am done editing them all.

BTW, why does the water always look bluer when fast people are in it?

Sea creatures made of glass

In about a 1/2 hour or so I head off to the third day of SPMA Regionals. I am bringing the camera and I may post a video too. Again, I am hoping to break the one minute barrier in the 100 free for the second time in my life.

For now here is a very ornate gallery of sea creatures modeled in glass from the 1800's. Be sure to check out the glass octopus [Link]

Some pictures of some of my teamates at the SPMA Regionals meet

Dan Leonard is hungry off the start and effective in the drink. Dan has a fast butterfly and a really strong catch. He swam a lot of events today but he actually had the gall to laugh in my face when I requested that he be my lap counter and a bell-ringer when it was time for me to do the 50 fly. I should have drawn a mustache on his photo. Click on the image to see a larger version.

I swim with Mike occasionally at Santa Monica College and every now and then at LMU. His heart is a like a steam engine and he is formidable in all the strokes. Here he is off the blocks in the 100 Breast and I believed he ribboned or medaled. Click on the image to see a larger version.

This is what your blogger looks like with a fresh sunburn, before a shave, and the sun in his eyes. Just before I took this photo Dan ordered me to pick up my pink ribbon for finishing sixth in my 50 fly. I had no idea I placed until he told me to acknowledge the three points I scored for the team. How ironic that the event I am the most inefficient in would be the only event that I would actually get a ribbon for. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Day Two SPMA Regionals: A very eventful day

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.

Timed Finals has re-entered the building and it's news feed is back in the right-hand links column

Michael Phelps owns the flipturn and the underwater aspects of any race he swims

Here is Phelps winning the 100 free at the "Duel in the Pool" meet. Not only does he win but he beats Eamon Sullivan and Cullen Jones. Note his position in the race when he gets to the wall then see where he is after the turn. He also looks up when sprinting.

"Just Add Water" has re-entered the building

I upgraded blogger and I lost a lot of stuff, such as the Timed Finals news feed and and my link to my very favorite open-water blog, Just Add Water. Well, it is back in the links column and I am still working on the Timed Finals news feed.

Gary Hall Jr. back with Speedo and will donate a portion of his bonuses to juvenile diabetes research

From Lane 9 news over at Swim World:

In an effort to continue his fight against diabetes, an illness Hall was diagnosed with in 1999, Speedo will donate an additional 10 percent of all Speedo performance bonuses earned by Hall to the Gary Hall Jr., Foundation for Diabetes. [Link]

To me this illustrates character, responsibility and empathy. Here is a press release form the International Sports Movement:

LOS ANGELES April 17, 2007) - SPEEDO®, the top-selling swimwear brand in the world, today announced the signing of 32-year-old swim star and Olympic veteran Gary Hall, Jr. to a multi-year contract through 2010. A ten-time Olympic medalist, Hall represented the U.S. in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games and is projected to be a serious medal contender at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in his specialty, the 50m freestyle. If he wins gold in Beijing, Hall would become the first-ever Olympian to do so in the same event three times. [Link]

I have some good news and I have some bad news!

The bad news is that I screwed up the coding on this blog and I have temporarily lost my news feed to Timed Finals. The good news is that is that if you scroll down you will see some swim videos in the right hand navigation that if you click on will magically appear at the top of this blog for viewing. I am still working on key words so I can keep them varied. So, each time you come you can see new swim videos from around the planet.

Psychology Today: The Art of Trash Talk

At the 2000 Sydney Olympics Gary Hall Jr. proclaimed in a CNNSI blog that the USA relay team was going to, "smash the Australians like guitars." Well, it didn't work out that way. Above is a picture of Gary Hall just before he won a gold medal in Athens.

Here is what Psychology Today says about "trash talk":

"... But does it work? Jonathan Katz, a New York City-based clinical sports psychologist, is doubtful. He believes that thinking up put-downs can actually impair an athlete's performance. "Some players feel they can intimidate other players by getting into their heads," says Katz, who has worked with the New Jersey Nets and several college basketball teams. "But many athletes are putting time and energy into something that distracts them from playing their best. Playing well is the most intimidating factor. ..." [Link]

From "About.com": Swimming Research Center in Amsterdam

This site has a blog , propulsion theory formulas, abstracts with math formulas; (yawn), and lots of training information with graphics and charts. Best of all is a video of Inge de Bruijn: [Link]

I got the link from About.com. You can have them send you swim updates if you want, but for now Here is their synopsis:

"... The object of study of the Swimming Research Center Amsterdam is competitive swimming and how to improve a competitive swimmer.What aspects determine performance in swimming? How does the swimmer adapt to training?How is propulsion generated? Can drag be influenced by technique?What is the optimal training program? Rather than looking at any of these aspects separately, the major mission of the Swimming Research Center Amsterdam is to reveal the relationships between metabolic, morphological, mechanical and coordinative aspects of swimming. ..."

Duel in the pool is going to be on TV this weekend

I am probably going to miss it since I have a two day meet this weekend and I don't own a Tivo. Well, there is always YouTube. Here is a link to the "Duel in the Pool" website where is has video interviews and swimming videos too: [Link]

Here is a USA Swimming press release with days and times: [Link]

I am in "slo-mode" today but this indeed is how swimming should be filmed

Here is Mark Foster, a sprinter from England who should have been on the 2004 British Olympic team. Here is a British wiki on him:

• Mark Foster (born May 12, 1970 in Billericay, Essex, England) is a former British swimmer, specialising in butterfly and freestyle at 50 metres.
• He is a specialist short course (25 metre pool) swimmer. In terms of medals and longevity (1986-2006), Foster is amongst the most successful British swimmers of all-time.
• ...
• In 2004, Foster was to face the disappointment of not being selected for the Olympic Games. At the British Olympic Trials, he won the 50 free in 22.49 seconds, well under the Olympic qualifying standard but seven hundredths of a second below the standard National Team Director Bill Sweetenham had set for inclusion in the British Olympic Team. Foster has openly criticised Sweetenham's management style and has trained outwith the British team's auspices.

I love this video since it is so detailed. It shows a close up on hand entry, rotation and his streamline. This is show swimming should be filmed

Grant Hackett in Slow Motion

Note that he only kicks when he is about to breathe. I do that and I hate myself for it. I feel I should always be kicking in some symmetrical fashion. I am going to try and implement a Laure Manaudou two-beat kick instead of my current "tom-tom shuffle".

I found this video on a swimming blog called SwimmingScience. There is a critique therein of Grant's stroke.

Selective cuts on Laure Manaudou's technique

I think Laure could have beaten Kate Ziegler in the 1500 at World Championships if her race load hadn't of been so diversified.

USA Swimming is promoting swim lessons

Here is a creepy Center for Disease Control (CDC) water related fact sheet:

• In 2003, there were 3,306 unintentional fatal drownings in the United States, averaging nine people per day. This figure does not include drownings in boating-related incidents (CDC 2005).

• For every child 14 years and younger who dies from drowning, five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. More than half of these children require hospitalization (CDC 2005). Nonfatal drownings can cause brain damage that result in long-term disabilities ranging from memory problems and learning disabilities to the permanent loss of basic functioning (i.e., permanent vegetative state). [Link]
  

The best way to prevent drownings is through constant supervision and swim training. If you have kids, get them lessons. If you are in the Los Angeles area, my swim club offers lessons for kids and adults. Here is the phone number: (310) 390-5700, ask for Aqua Pro swim lessons for kids or swim lessons for adults.

Important side note: a lot of drownings occur when kids try to save a friend or family member who is drowning. It is very easy to become a victim yourself when attempting a rescue for when a rescuer approaches a victim without a flotation device, the victim grabs onto the rescuer like they are a stairway to just one more breath of air. Consequently the rescuer or both are pulled underwater and subdued. This happened twice last month in icy waters back east.

Glenn Mills won a gold medal in 1984 and he has a great site

When I took up masters swimming about three years ago this site taught me how to do a modern flip turn. It is a great site for visual demos and such. Recently it taught me how to do the new breaststroke turn and has giving me several ways to train better. The site has flash movies, technique articles, message boards, drills, and great commentary. You can also sign up for weekly mailings.

Here is a sample of his step-by-step coaching of this flip turn drill.

How To Do It:
1. Submerge yourself under water, pretty deep. What you're about to do will most likely cause your legs to float up to the surface, so you want to be deep enough to keep all of your body under.

2. Push off the wall with enough force to give you some momentum. If you push off too softly, you won't feel the the full effect of the sensation you're going for.

3. The INSTANT your toes leave the wall, tuck and send your chin down JUST a bit and allow the water to throw you around. Don't fight the water pressure, or try to help. Feel the water pushing your body down, and allow your hips to keep moving in a straight line toward the other end.

4. To incorporate this feeling into your turns, make sure you don't do the usual down-up-down-and-around approach to the wall. Rather, submerge or dive slightly before you reach the wall, and follow your final stroke down and around with your eyes. The water pressure will throw your head down, and get you into a nice tight tuck.

There is a flash video too of this flip turn drill. Take this site seriously. [Link]

One minute movie of the 12th FINA World Championship swimming pool being constructed at Rod Laver Arena.

What happened to to this incredibly fast pool post event?

TYR Music Video featuring 'Such Great Heights' by the 'Postal Service

Either TYR or a fan has uploaded a whole bunch of TYR promotional videos to You Tube and they are a lot of fun. Here is a page worth of them. [Link]

From Europe, a No-Chlorine Backyard Pool

The New York Times has an article about self-cleaning pools for the backyard that use no chlorine. Invented in Europe these pools meet strict EU water quality standards. From the article:

• The pools have skimmers and pumps that circulate the water through the regeneration zone and draw it across a wall of rocks, loose gravel or tiles, to which friendly bacteria attach, serving as an additional biological filter. Unlike artificial ponds, which tend to be as murky with groundwater runoff and sediment from soil erosion as the natural ponds they’re modeled on, in a natural pool the water is clear enough to see through to the bottom. [Link]
  

Chicago over L.A.: Chicago gets to bid for 2016 Olympics

I actually felt that L.A. didn't deserve the right to bid for the 2016 Olympics. I know it sounds odd but this city is not worthy of the Olympics. Los Angeles has the all the sports facilities to host the Olympics but we certainly are not the best city in America and it is my feeling that only the best city in America should host the Olympics.

L.A. has no viable rapid transit system because we are so large. The middle class has been erased; (The average cost per house in L.A. County is $500,000 but the average income in the city of Los Angeles is $20,000 per capita, and $39,000 for households). Only 44% of high school students in the Los Angeles Unified School District graduate in four years time, the LAPD is ordered what laws it can selectively enforce, and none of what I am saying is a lie or hyperbole. I think only the best city in America should get the Olympics and Los Angeles is not the best city. GO CHICAGO!

Here is a link to the Chicago gets to bid over L.A. article: [Link]

Sea Creatures made from plastic water bottles

In Miwa Koizumi's own words:

• "... I love the idea of using liquid containers to make water animals. Contained/containing, trash/not-trash, like the jelly-fish or anemone: Living/non-living

• And I wanted some pets..."

• "... I use a combination of heat guns, soldering irons and different cutting utensils to make these PETs. I wanted to work with glass but this is more fun. I have as much material as I want just by fishing in the garbage. ..." [Link]

Swim photography

Ogged shared a link with us all to some very rich underwater swim photography by Grant Steinfeld. [Link] Here is a link to his blog, Aqua Hill, with some great insights on photographing swimmers: [Link]

The more I look at this the more it looks like a bullet being shot into ballistics gel.

Chlorine pools tied to more colds

Here is an MSNBC article sent to me by Trevr; (check out his blog link in the right-hand navigation), that states pool workers and swimmers are prone to more colds due to a mixture of chlorine, sweat, and urates. (Urates is a polite word for urine.) Makes sense, since mixing chlorine, sweat, and ammonia has to make for one heck of a caustic martini. Here is the story at MSNBC: [Link]

But there is a solution! Take the acid and the chlorine out of water completely and replace the chemicals with an ozone purification system. Ozone works amazingly well and produces water completely free of bacteria and viruses of any kind. Thus, the water will be safer for pool workers, swimmers and the ozone layer.

The image above comes from the European Space Agency from a GOME measurements of chlorine activation over the Arctic circle. Chlorine is bad "mojo" for both the ozone layer and our air quality so why are we using it when there is a better solution that is cleaner, safer, and has been in use on an industrial scale for the past 50 years?

Another byproduct of ozonated water is that the water has a clarity to it that chlorine or other chemicals can't match. Here are some links explaining how it works. The first link is to an ozone pool product site, the next two are independent news articles, [Air Tree] - [Water Tech Online] - [Daily Yomiuri Online]

Bubble test for my surfing cartoon

I am REALLY inspired to do my own surfing cartoon after seeing Kleeman and Mike so I began working last night in earnest. It has no title yet but it is coming along conceptionally. First thing I am doing is building the art. I want great water art, neat character designs, and really tight wave animations

So, after working in Flash and Photoshop for 8 hours at work, I came home and spent another 3 hours of trying to animate the perfect wave; all of them were just mediocre and I wasn't to happy. :-(

So, to finish the night with some sort of victory; I chose to work on a "bubbles-test" instead. The above static graphic is how they turned out. Sorry that the graphic is static. Blogger wouldn't let me upload the animation. In the Flash animation the bubbles go up and down at different intervals and they look really "plushie". These bubbles will be part of the whitewater.

I love the impressionistic rendition in the Kleeman and Mike cartoon but I am going to go with a completely different style so that mine isn't rip-off.

How swimming should be filmed for TV or cinema

Swim photography needs more Zen! The way races are filmed now is summarily just to see who touches first. In my opinion, if you are great enough to make it to a final, you should have a least three additional camera views such as the ones shown in this Canon commercial.

This blog endorses Phelps, Hoff, and Megan Jendrick

If you donate time or money to Special Olympics then you are so officially endorsed by this blog. Michael Phelps, Katie Hoff and Megan Jendrick in China to promote Special Olympics:

• Earlier Thursday, Phelps and Hoff took part in a fashion show for garments being sold to benefit the Special Olympics, which Shanghai is hosting this October.
• Asked about similarities between the regular Olympics and the games for the intellectually disabled, Phelps said they were closer than some would think.
• "I think the Special Olympics and the Olympics are actually pretty similar. We all have dreams and we all have goals. And you have to work hard to accomplish your dreams and goals," he said. [Link]

Will Ferrell to Participate in “Swim With Mike” and you can too

Here is a SCAQ (Southern California Aquatics) email I got yesterday about the event:

Hello Tony,

SWIM with MIKE this Saturday! Last year there were six Olympic gold medal winners coaching these masters clinics! SCAQers, this is an incredible place to get instruction, so take advantage of this! USC’s McDonald’s Olympic Swim Stadium opens at 8AM, and swim clinics begin at 9AM. Swim With Mike is an annual event held to benefit the Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund. SCAQ has been participating with this great, worthwhile event for many years. If you want to take advantage of a great event and clinics done cheaper than anywhere, then please support this event. For more information, please visit:

http://www.swimwithmike.org/swmusc.html and/or http://www.swimwithmike.org/events07.pdf

Clothes come alive when submerged

My favorite is the jelly fish and the clam. The imagery just makes me want to go swimming.

If you surf, or get up early for swim workouts, this animation will make you very happy!

This cartoon is exuberant, funny, surprisingly human and it made me smile. Submitted for your approval, Kleeman and Mike Surf Cartoon: [Link] (Click on the hat to get it started.)

Los Angeles and the State of California really want the Olympics in 2016

Above is the LA Colosseum during the 1984 Olympic ceremonies. LA held the Olympics in 1932 as well so a third Olympics would be historical. Experts are picking Chicago but now Governor Arnold has gotten involved and has offered a quarter-billion reasons to pick L.A. and they all contain the name George Washington.

From the LAist.com article:

• The California State Senate today voted overwhelmingly in favor of AB300, previously approved 65-1 by the State Assembly, which authorizes $250 million as a guarantee to the operation of a 2016 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
• City, State, and LA 2016 bid leaders continue to express complete confidence in the financial success of a Los Angeles 2016 Olympic Games. The USOC will announce their decision on Saturday, April 14.

From Reuters:

• "Los Angeles has all the facilities the Olympics need," said Schwarzenegger. "It also has incredible tradition and a gold-medal record when it comes to hosting these great Summer Games."

From LAist.com [Link]
From Reuters [Link]

On June 10th I escape from "the rock" for the fourth time, you can too in September!

On June 10th I will be in San Francisco to swim in the annual Alcatraz Sharfest swim for the fourth time. (That's me above.) Last year I finished 65th in the men's wet suit division, or "wuss" division as David Horning puts it, and I finished 87th out of 960 entrants overall. (I am bragging to compensate for how bad I suck in the pool.)

This Sharkfest swim is sold out but the South End Rowing Club of San Francisco has a race as well which will be held on September 15th. There are about 2 dozen spots left so if you want the adventure of a lifetime I recommend this swim. Click here for details [Link]

The South End Rowing Club was established in1873 when text messaging was called Morse code and the locomotive was the only way to fly. With all that history under it's belt, this club knows has to know the San Francisco Bay.

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

Empty swimming pools in one of the most affluent cities on earth. :-(

This swimming pool is located in somewhere in London, England. Photos of this pool exist at a site called "Derelict London" which chronicles London decay of all sorts. Herein is a series of community pools that could have supported several masters swim teams and taught scores of children and adults how to swim but instead lay withering into scary urban landscapes. [Link]

Some "Mad Scientist", or redneck, decided to heat his pool with a BBQ grill

He used 3-and-a-half tanks of propane to heat his pool from 68 degrees to 89.4 in like 48 hours time. Let it be known that propane costs more than gasoline.

• The device heats the water 30 to 35 degrees at 3 to 4 gallons per minute flow. I find I get a 7 degree increase in my 8000 gallon pool for each 5 gallon tank of propane. Each tank will burn for about 13 to 15 hours on high. A pool cover is required...

• The coils come out and the grill converts back to cooking in less then 3 minutes which includes cool-down and draining the coils. [Link]
  

Alexandre Popov up close

Popov has amazing flexibility in his shoulders. However, note that he crosses over with his right arm in front of his head. If I did that I would get a shoulder injury and get less power from my pull but I happen to have abnormally tight shoulders whereas he does not. Also, he looks down as he swims but when he races, he only looks up slightly t0 about 15 degrees or so. See below YouTube.

Dual in the Pool 4 x 100 freestle relay - Lenton sets a world record

Why this video is relevant: Libby Lenton sets a world record while racing against Michael Phelps, Great underwater video of Perisol's backstroke and clear views of Phelps' loping gate while filmed from below while looking straight up.

"Just Add Water" has entered the building

I found the coolest, open-water blog for the San Francisco Bay area. It's called "Just Add Water." It has lots of amazing info regarding Alcatraz swims, the South Coast Rowing Club, Nutcracker swims which are swims form Candlesteick Park to Aquatic Park and these swims nicknamed the Sunriser Swims where you jump off a pier to begin the swim and end up on the other side of the city when you're finished. Great adventures therein. My kind of people. Here is a link to the site and I have also included a permanent link in the right hand navigation: [Link]

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

Swim-Trek: "Feries Are For Wimps" is there slogan

Here is a swim vacation site where instead of taking ferries from island to island as part of some grand tour; you swim from island to island instead. They have packages for Greece, Croatia, the Virgin Islands, the Isles of Scilly, Scotland, Malta, England, and all over creation actually. Here is a link. I get no commission or payment in any way [Link]

Timing of the Arm Stroke in Freestyle Swimming

I linked to this site a day or two ago with a movie they featured of Grant Hackett and Ian Thorpe swimming side by side. Well, I couldn't get enough so I started clicking through the site and I found this page: "Timing of Arm-Stroke in Freestyle Swimming."

Therein are movies of Inge de Bruijn solo, Grant Hackett & Ian Thorpe, Michael Klim & Ian Thorpe, and Alexandre Popov & Gennadi Touretski all swimming against each other.

There are illustrations and photo illustrations of the freestyle arm timing and a critique discussing the difference between a sprint pull versus a distance one. I think this site is vital for triathletes or those experimenting with style. The site is in both Swiss/German and English. [Link]

Olympian Erik Hochstein's observations while watching FINA World Championships

Timed Finals has a wonderful article by bronze medalist, Erik Hochstein, regarding what swim technique variations he noticed at World Championships. A must read! Especially his comments about Laure Manadou and the amount of strokes she takes to get across a pool.

A side note, at an afternoon workout at Santa Monica College. I once saw Erik do a 1:46 for a 200 free. Everybody in the pool was lapped except for me. I was double lapped.

Here is his article: [Link]

Next year It will be harder to make the US Olympic swim team in the 50m free than it will be to win a gold medal in Beijing

Take Gary Hall, Jason Lezak, Cullen Jones, Wildman Tobriner, and probably some unknown kid from the NCAA. Only two swimmers will be accepted and any of the above can win it. Especially at that level

Here are all of Michael Phelps' 2007 Fina World Championship of Swimming gold medal races

Speedo and WCSN have collected all of Phelps' gold medal swims onto one page at Speedo.com. The only downside is that they are not Quicktime files but rather Windows media slop: [Link]

Since we are on the subject of "Side-by-side"

Michael Klim and Ryan Lochte swimming side-by-side in near perfect symmetry. Ryan seems to have a better kick to me though.

A side-by-side comparison and critique of Ian Thorpe's and Grant Hackett's freestyle

This site has numerous frame-by-frame images of both Grant Hackett and Ian Thorpe swimming side-by-side. Captions next to each photo critique the freestyle stroke.

What I found interesting is that Thorpe; or Thorpie if you are Australian, rotates less than Hackett. Thorpe also seems to use his shoulders more. The site is in both Swiss/German and English [Link]

Trailer: "Go Swim Butterfly with Misty Hyman"

A cool trailer for "Go Swim Butterfly with Misty Hyman" that was a lot of fun to watch. It was so much fun I nearly bought the video till I realized I have two butterfly DVDs already; one from David Marsh and the other by Eddie Reese. Still, swimming is part art and part science and different points of view are all good. I get no commission if you buy or look.

Check out this trailer page: [Link]

Why shaving down makes you swim faster

I bumped into this at "khabarbike.blogspot.com." Here is a complex article regarding why swimmers swim faster when they shave down. It has lots of numbers in it and how researchers conducted their experiments but I just scrolled down to the last sentence for the answer. It's the lack of drag believe it or not. [Link]

Bonnie and Clay will be coaching at VNSO tonight

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]

Herald Tribune article: "In The Arena: Has Chinese swimming really sunk?"

The Chinese dominated women's swimming in the 1990's but then came the positive tests for performance enhancing drugs.

Luo Xuejuan won a gold medal at Athens in the 100 breast but suddenly developed heart problems last year at the age of 23 and had to retire. Developing heart problems at such a young age disturbs me and it is hard not to be suspicious due to China's spotted past with doping. It is reminiscent of Governor Arnold having his heart valve replaced most likely as a result of steroid use.

Now the Chinese appear clean. There were no positive tests at Pan Pacifics or World Championships. This article details some of the problems and some of the corrections China is making to get competitive again. [Link]

Best swim quote of the year! captures what swimming is all about!

"Wow, I am so stoked," she said after becoming the first woman under 53 seconds. "I just went out to have fun and I got to swim against the best in the world; [read as Michael Phelps]." -- Libby Lenton

Voice of America Article: "Calls to boycott the Olympics"

From the article: "... American actress and U.N. Children's Fund goodwill ambassador Mia Farrow recently co-wrote an article in The Wall Street Journal calling for a boycott of the games and accusing Beijing of "bankrolling Darfur's genocide."

French presidential candidate Francois Bayrou has said French athletes should boycott the Beijing Olympics to force China to act on Darfur. ..." [Link]

I bet these people have never swam 100 meters, ran a 10k, or swung a foil. I have no idea how boycotting an Olympics would suddenly bring peace in Darfur but an aggressive trade policy could.

China responded in an anemic fashion since they not only are buying oil from the Sudan but they are selling them weapons as well. The aforementioned rich people would better serve the people of Dafur by either donating to relief agencies that will assist in humanitarian efforts or by concentrating on draconian trade policies with China which may be much more effective.

"Duel in the Pool" is going to be on TV

NBC Sports will air the meet on Saturday, April 21, from 2-3 p.m. (EST), and Sunday, April 22, from 4-6 p.m. (EST). SO far there has been three meets, 2 in the USA and this meet was the third held in Australia. Here is a link to the "Duel in the Pool" website: [Link]

Libby Lenton jokingly "trash talks" Michael Phelps before racing him and then sets a world record in the 100 free

They have these races called "Duel in the Pool" whereas Australia and the United States send their best racers to compete. In this case Libby Lenton the female Australian swimmer who I liken to Michael Phelps, got to race against Phelps in the 4x100 relay. Therein she set a world record for the 100 freestyle in 52.99 seconds which will stand since she was the lead-off swimmer and there was no rolling start. [Link]

• "I was trash talking ... asking what he has got and telling him if he is going to bring it tonight,'' Lenton said, joking. ``I think deep down he was really scared of me.

• "Before the race he said good luck. He is a good competitor to race against and I will remember that for the rest of my life, that I raced against Michael Phelps.'' [Link]

Libby Lenton won 55% of Australia's gold medals! Here she is in the 50 meter Free

I probably talked up Natalie Coughlin to much and really didn't blog about Libby when I should have. Now, if you look at the medal count here: [Link], You will note that Australia won 9 gold medals total; but Let it be known that it was Libby Lenton who won 5 of those gold medals or 55% of their gold medal total. That is a Michael- Phelps-like accomplishment and it was poorly reported. Libby Lenton is the new Ian Thorpe. Australia should throw a party for her!

My breakfast with Clay

Four points I learned:

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.

SCAQ email about Clay's "SUPER IRONMAN WORKOUT"

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]

Sunday - VNSO Swimming (Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks)

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]

Monkey amps up for Beijing

This southeast Asian monkey has a great dive and a pretty good breaststroke but he would definitely be DQed for not using a two-handed touch at the wall and for swimming naked. April Pool's!

2 World Records in the IM: Phelps and Hoff

Look at Phelps' Sternomastoid muscle bulging in his neck as he strains to look at the clock. Boy, you know he wanted that record.

Michael Phelps has now won more medals in a FINA World Swimming Championship than Ian Thorpe and he now matches Mark Spitz. Last night Phelps made it 7 gold medals by breaking his own world record in the 400 IM by over 2 seconds in a time of 4:06.22.

There hasn't been a swimmer this inspired since Mark Spitz or Ian Thorpe.

I joke with friends that I am not convinced that Katie Hoff is a land dwelling animal. Her butterfly is dolphin-like, the pull on her backstroke defies physics, and her freestyle seems effortless after swimming the 3 events before. Katie set broke a seven year old world record in the 400 IM in a time of 4:32.89.

This USA team is the strongest in history. If it maintains this momentum you will be seeing phrases next year at Beijing stating that the US is a "world swimming superpower" and they won't be read as hyperbolic either but rather accepted as a fact.