Psychological | Mediterra Swim & Run

Love Your Goggles

by Coach Mat | 17 Jun, 2015

It may sound like a silly question but… Do you love your goggles? Let me rephrase it… Do you love being able to see clearly and comfortably when you swim? It may sound like an obvious thing, or it may sound like no big deal. But care for your goggles is...

Deep Practice Encouragement – Part 3

by Coach Mat | 6 Jun, 2015

The practice advice continues from Deep Practice Encouragement – Part 2… *** You Can’t Do It All At Once You can’t perfect everything at once, or in one season. Yet, by race day, you’ve got to have some chosen skill improvements...

Deep Practice Encouragement – Part 2

by Coach Mat | 30 May, 2015

This essay continues from Deep Practice Encouragement – Part 1… *** Now, a bit of practical advice on Deep/Deliberate Practice. The Four Deliberate Practice Principles 1. Make it a specific, clearly-defined, skill objective. “I am going to swim...

Deep Practice Encouragement – Part 1

by Coach Mat | 23 May, 2015

I recently read Joshua Foer’s book “Moonwalking With Einstein: The Art And Science Of Remembering Everything” about his journey from an ordinary forgetful guy to the finals of the US Memory Championships a year later. Along the way he learned a great...

Good Attitude

by Coach Mat | 16 May, 2015

The real test of your good attitude will not happen on a good practice day. It will be exposed and tested on a bad practice day. When you experience a ‘bad’ practice (i.e. failure to produce expected results) that is the best opportunity to examine the...

Swim Prep Habit

by Coach Mat | 11 Apr, 2015

Here is an inspirational description in the book The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg of the habit Michael Phelps had set up to support his success in every race. This story makes a persuasive argument for competitive athletes to set up a personal pre-race habit like...