Freak or Heroine?

by Coach Mat | 17 Nov, 2012

Here is a recommendation for you: On the topic of cold water swimming I think Lynn Cox’s book Swimming To Antartica is really informative and inspirational. She is, afterall, the modern pioneer in extreme cold water swimming. And from my impressions in the book,...

Crest Or Slump

by Coach Mat | 12 Nov, 2012

I imagine that most who are drawn to Total Immersion are fairly motivated people. We see inspiring common threads in the kind of people who attend our training events. But I am sure even greatly motivated people struggle to keep the momentum of training or exercise...

Easing Into Cool/Cold Water

by Coach Mat | 9 Nov, 2012

I want to launch a little discussion (in your head at least) about how to get acclimated to colder water. Let me review my proposed temperature grades: Cool Water = 20 C to 16 C (68 to 61 F) Cold Water = 15 C to 10 C (60 to 50 F) But really, what matters is how you...

Left = Right = Excellent

by Coach Mat | 5 Nov, 2012

Every swimmer I’ve ever asked has agreed that they have one side that is easier to breathe on than the other. And just about every swimmer I have ever observed shows some sort of difference between their left side stroke and the right side. It is very common and...

Why Do I Slow Down?

by Coach Mat | 2 Nov, 2012

Why do I get tired and slow down as the swim progresses? Interpretation #1 Well, I got tired and so I slowed down. I must therefore work out harder to get in better shape so I can hold consistent pace at this distance.   Interpretation #2 I lost concentration on...

Cool/Cold Water Planning

by Coach Mat | 25 Oct, 2012

Since there are quite a few of us who are interested I am going to start a series of articles to stimulate our thinking about adapting to cool/cold water swimming. Here is the objective of our conversations: to maximize our safety, our enjoyment and our longevity...

Is Your Open Water Season Closing?

by Coach Mat | 24 Oct, 2012

It is near the end of October, and so many regions in the northern hemisphere are considering the wild water closed until next spring. I had the privilege of helping ‘close’ the season for TI Coach Tracey Baumann’s ow venue, Taplow Lake in London,...

Official Polar Bear

by Coach Mat | 17 Oct, 2012

I did it. Today in a cold lake in Windsor, outside London, with Coach Terry eagerly swimming ahead, I made it 12 minutes in 12 C water. The body was fine, but my ice cream headache was unbearably painful when I submerged the head. Once I got breath under control i...

The Role Of Heart Rate

by Coach Mat | 25 Sep, 2012

Another question came up soon after the Kickboard question: What about training and Heart Rate? Heart rate is a response in the body, not a causation. You don’t ‘train’ your heart rate, instead your heart rate gives you information about your...

Chuck The Kickboard

by Coach Mat | 23 Sep, 2012

At my last workshop in Kazan Russia a student (a swim instructor taking our course for the first time), after listening to our ideas about training, asked, “But what about kickboards then? Do you use them?” I paused, looked at her, and asked in return,...