What’s The Right Angle of Rotation?

by Coach Mat | 27 Jan, 2011

I swam 2250m at the Akdeniz University pool. The water was 30.5 C. Started at 8:45. 10x 50m gentle warm-up 7x this set: 25m, 50m, 75m, 100m The objective was to minimize SPL, and find a point that I could focus on and refine in each new set. Open-turns (to reduce...

In More Hot Water

by Coach Mat | 13 Jan, 2011

Unless the university pool heater breaks down again this year, or we just have extraordinary cold weather, I might have to get used to this hot water and scrap my plans to do sprint work this winter. [Olypmic swimming standards call for 25-28 C in a competition pool....

Hot Water, Good Opportunity

by Coach Mat | 11 Jan, 2011

I swam 2400m in our university pool today but it was a nearly painful 88 degrees (31 C). So I knew I needed to adapt and do slower work to keep my heart rate from shooting up under heat-strain. So I did 1200m (2×25, 2×50, 2×75, 2×100, 2×150,...

Reformatting My Stroke #3

by Coach Mat | 8 Jan, 2011

This is my third practice of the New Year, as I begin to reformat my stroke- I’m taking the best of both stroke patterns I developed over the last year or so and making my single new one. Before I had a ‘distance’ stroke pattern that had a wider...

Boiled Like A Frog

by Coach Mat | 25 Nov, 2010

I moved from one end of the uncomfortable-water-temperature spectrum to the other. I jumped into the Akdeniz Univ pool today for the first time since last spring, and it was a stinking, boiling 31.5 C! That’s nearly 10 C higher than what I have been swimming in....

Training: Last 4km BareSkin Swim Of The Year?

by Coach Mat | 22 Nov, 2010

The weather could turn any day now, so I was eager to get in while the sea temperature was still on the edge of what I could handle for an hour without shivering to death afterwards. I swam 71 minutes today, starting at 10:15 at Konyaaltı Varyant. I swam west all the...

Training: 4km High Elbow Catch Conditioning

by Coach Mat | 20 Nov, 2010

Is a high elbow catch helpful to sprint speed and making a longer stroke length? My observations and experience say “YES”. Today, this was my focus for 4km in the sea. I swam 73 minutes, starting at 9:30 at the Konyaaltı Creek area. It was sunny, but not quite warm...

Defining COOL Versus COLD Water

by Coach Mat | 11 Nov, 2010

I have an idea for how to define COOL water versus COLD water for my personal situation. In COOL water staying warm is on my mind by not dominating how I train that day. In COLD water all I can think about is working hard enough to keep from freezing! In COOL water I...

Training: 4k Feeling Better Further and Faster

by Coach Mat | 9 Nov, 2010

I swam 77 minutes today starting at 10:10 at Konyaaltı Creek, swimming west half-way and back. It was sunny, cool-warm, clear, with a soft off-shore breeze, but suprisingly calm on the water. The sea was 23 C, glass smooth at first, then a little chop picking up on...

Training: 4km Tempo By Feel

by Coach Mat | 6 Nov, 2010

I swam 70 minutes starting at 10:10 at Konyaaltı Creek, swimming west along the beach. It was sunny, warm, clear, with a slight offshore breeze. The water was 23 C and totally calm and clear underneath. 11 minute warm-up then alternating 250-stroke race SR, 250-stroke...