by Coach Mat | 22 Dec, 2019
Here is an excerpt from my forthcoming book (working title) Better Breathing In Freestyle. I appreciate those of you cheering me on to get this out there. I’ve made a second draft on the first 75% and now working on the first draft of the last 25% which is the...
by Coach Mat | 3 Aug, 2019
I both run and swim year round. In the last year or so I’ve put a lot more emphasis on running, and felt the corresponding motivation for that activity. Back in April, after a week off from illness, I irritated my achilles tendon on the first (allegedly...
by Coach Mat | 10 Mar, 2019
For 10 years I’ve been publishing nearly every week on this Smooth Strokes blog, with more than 500 articles. This blog is dedicated to discussing the practice of swimming, mindfulness, fitness, advanced training and beyond. If you’ve been viewing this...
by Coach Mat | 29 Dec, 2018
It should be well understood that there is a process, and usually a long process we must follow in moving from a novice to an expert in the fundamental skills for an art or sport. There is a process or a path to follow, but there is not a single ‘recipe’...
by Coach Mat | 10 Nov, 2018
The Polyvagal Theory developed by Stephen Porges, describes the way the internal body states influences the brain and perception of the environment, and the environment (especially the social environment) influences internal body states. In my own words, there are...
by Coach Mat | 22 Sep, 2018
This discussion is continued from Part 1… The Aging Dilemma For those chasing medals and records and recognition – a reward now – it is acceptable, even required it seems, to take some risks with injury. The risks are much higher when there is a...
