Practice Design | Mediterra Swim & Run

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...

Training: 4k Feeling Better Further and Faster

by Coach Mat | 9 Nov, 2010

I swam 77 minutes today starting at 10:10 at Konyaaltı Creek, swimming west half-way and back. It was sunny, cool-warm, clear, with a soft off-shore breeze, but suprisingly calm on the water. The sea was 23 C, glass smooth at first, then a little chop picking up on...