Focal Points | Mediterra Swim & Run

Overcoming Fear In OWS- Focus For The Mind

by Coach Mat | 3 Aug, 2011

Overcoming Fear In Open Water Swimming Part 6 of 9 – Focus For the Mind Your mind needs positive, productive, prioritized things to dwell on while you are swimming, especially under stress (voluntary stress of racing or in fearful situations). Again, what you...

Building Gears Into My Stroke

by Coach Mat | 3 Feb, 2011

I swam 3750m today at Akdeniz Univ pool. The water was 30.8 C. I started at 9:00. 10x 50m gentle, check-in warm-up Then 3x these sets: 6x 75m – hold SPL 15, 16, 17 per 25’s w/ 4-breath rest between 50m fist ez 3x 150m – hold SPL 15, 16, 17, 17, 16,...

Slow Work Produces Full Catch

by Coach Mat | 29 Jan, 2011

I swam 3250m at the Akdeniz University pool. The water was 31 C. Started at 10:50. 10x 50m gentle, ‘check-in’ warm-up 5x this set: 50 fist, 50 full-hand 50 fist, 100m full-hand 50 fist, 150m full-hand The objective was to maximize the catch, while holding...

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...

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...

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...