by Coach Mat | 19 May, 2018 | About Coach Mat, Boredom, Burn Out, Design Principles, Distraction, Failure, How To Train?, Kaizen (Continual Improvement), Mastery Process, Motivating Swimmers, Motivation, Plateau (No Progress)
In the Positive Psychology realm, ‘engagement’ (Seligman) is another term for ‘flow state’ (Csikszentmihaly) which I’ve written quite a lot about in a previous series of posts. An aspect of this engagement or flow is being absorbed in a...
by Coach Mat | 15 Jul, 2017 | Competitive/Performance Training, Discomfort, Failure, Fitness Training, How To Train?, Kaizen (Continual Improvement), Pleasure Swimming
What’s the biggest obstacle standing in the way of your reaching your swimming goal? Would you like me to tell you how to solve that problem? Well, I can’t address every individual problem there is, but I can point out the different categories you can...
by Coach Mat | 9 Apr, 2017 | About Other Perspectives, Failure, Fear, Lessons From Elites, Mastery Process, Mental Training, Racing, Recommended Reading, Survival Instincts
Three Kinds Of Hardship Like you, I love to hear stories of those who have accomplished amazing things in the realm of sports and adventure. I recently listened to Rich Roll’s interview with Kimberly Chambers, ultra-distance open water swimmer, who, in 2014, was...
by Coach Mat | 16 Aug, 2016 | Coaching Methods, Competitive/Performance Training, Design Principles, Energy Management, Failure, How To Train?, Injury, Injury Management, Injury Prevention, Kaizen (Continual Improvement), Muscle Training, Neuromuscular Training, Physiology, Plateau (No Progress), Practice Examples, Recommended Reading, Self-Coaching, SPL, Stroke Length (SL), Strength Training, Tempo Trainer, Tempo, Stroke Rate (SR), Training Theory, Triathlon Swimming, Weight-lifting
I want to keep confronting the false notion that fitness training and technical training are two separate activities in the pool. Fitness and Technique are truly inseparable, and should be regarded as such in every practice activity. All repetitive movement is...
by Coach Mat | 28 May, 2016 | About Coach Mat, Failure, Injury, Injury Management, Kaizen (Continual Improvement), Running
For over eight years I have had strange aches and pains hinder my efforts to run regularly. Two years ago I almost gave up for good. But I came upon some improved understanding and renewed hope that I could restore ability to run and train again. I am pleased to say...
by Coach Mat | 28 Nov, 2015 | Coaching Methods, Competitive/Performance Training, Energy Management, Failure, Fitness Training, Kaizen (Continual Improvement), Learning Methods, Lessons From Elites, Recommended Reading, Speed and Pace, Strength Training, Test Swims, TI Philosophy
Here is an excerpt from the instruction in the12-week Master Class 1K course inside our Online Coaching Program. It is describing the role of the test swim and guiding the swimmer’s response to it: To test progress and reveal strengths and weak spots you need to...
