Metrics | Mediterra Swim & Run

Be Slippery When Wet

by Coach Mat | 23 Dec, 2011

For the last several practice sessions in the sea I was working on improving my ability to hold a long stroke at higher tempos. For me, my goal is to take the long-stroke I enjoy effortlessly at 1.20 tempo, down into my race level tempo range of 1.00 to 0.90. Here was...

Overlap For Length

by Coach Mat | 19 Dec, 2011

I was inspired to write a few essays on this topic of stroke length because of my open-water swims last week. I was working with a Tempo Trainer, concentrating on my stroke-lengthening skill over 3km distance- increasing tempo, while holding stroke length. Stroke...

Go For Muscle Or Skill?

by Coach Mat | 19 Nov, 2011

I want to stimulate our thinking about the difference between focusing on building muscles (i.e. fitness) during swim practice versus focusing on building skill. Let’s take this example of the difference between a practice set using paddles versus a set using a...

Critical Skills For Mastering Waves

by Coach Mat | 2 Jun, 2011

Here on the Mediterranean Coast off Antalya I have a mild selection of adverse open-water conditions – the coldest the sea gets, in February, is 16 C. By May it is up to 20 C, and by mid-August up to 29 C. The afternoon swells and waves, except during a storm,...

Using A Tempo Trainer- SPEED IT UP!

by Coach Mat | 25 Apr, 2011

Using A Tempo Trainer – SPEED IT UP! If you’ve read the previous two lessons then great. Let’s procede. If not, I suggest you take a moment to go back to the Intro and see how those two lessons set the stage for this one. Speed = Stroke Length (SL) x...

Using A Tempo Trainer- SLOW IT DOWN

by Coach Mat | 25 Apr, 2011

Using A Tempo Trainer – SLOW IT DOWN! If you have not read the Introduction, I invite you to do so now to get an idea of what I’m trying to explain with these Tempo Trainer lessons. If you know your current normal SPL and SR for your targeted distance event,...