SPL, Stroke Length (SL) | Mediterra Swim & Run

Intro to Pace Combinations

by Coach Mat | 25 Mar, 2015

A question from a friend about Pace Combinations made me realize that I have referred to Pace or SPL x Tempo Combinations several times without really laying out a direct introduction to it. So this essay is meant to give a brief explanation for Pace Combinations and...

Stroke Length Loyalty

by Coach Mat | 21 Mar, 2015

When you start feeling fatigue in your race (or while ‘just swimming’) you are urged to slow down. At some point you finally must give in. But when you do what is changing in your stroke to slow you down? SPL x Tempo = Pace (the inverse of the Speed...

A Better High Elbow Catch

by Coach Mat | 15 Feb, 2015

These last couple weeks I received a some inquiries about my perspective on what is known as the High Elbow Catch so I will share some of the comments I gave. Appearance Or Function? The label ‘high elbow catch’ is a descriptive term of an external appearance – and...

Faster Tempo = Easier Swimming?

by Coach Mat | 29 Nov, 2014

Could it actually be easier to swim at a faster tempo? Yes. This could be the case for some of you. To swim fast or swim far you are not looking for longest stroke or the fastest tempo – you’re looking for optimal combination of stroke length and tempo for...

My Head Or My Watch?

by Coach Mat | 12 Jul, 2014

Should I count stroke in my head or can I use my swim watch? It’s a good question – you’re likely asking it because you own one of those expensive swim watches, and need to know what it is good for. I don’t want to discourage anyone from using...

Metrics In Open Water: Measuring Improvement

by Coach Mat | 21 Jun, 2014

When training in open-water how do I measure improvement? The best arrangement is to set up two fixed points (as described in the previous post), and then measure 2 of the 3 variables in the Pace equation: Pace = SPL x Tempo More specifically, for calculating Pace at...