Attention/Focus | Mediterra Swim & Run

Deep Practice Encouragement – Part 2

by Coach Mat | 30 May, 2015

This essay continues from Deep Practice Encouragement – Part 1… *** Now, a bit of practical advice on Deep/Deliberate Practice. The Four Deliberate Practice Principles 1. Make it a specific, clearly-defined, skill objective. “I am going to swim...

Deep Practice Encouragement – Part 1

by Coach Mat | 23 May, 2015

I recently read Joshua Foer’s book “Moonwalking With Einstein: The Art And Science Of Remembering Everything” about his journey from an ordinary forgetful guy to the finals of the US Memory Championships a year later. Along the way he learned a great...

Swim Prep Habit

by Coach Mat | 11 Apr, 2015

Here is an inspirational description in the book The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg of the habit Michael Phelps had set up to support his success in every race. This story makes a persuasive argument for competitive athletes to set up a personal pre-race habit like...

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...

Quality Rest Time At The Wall

by Coach Mat | 22 Feb, 2015

In our private workshop with the MaratonIST Triathlon Club of Istanbul this weekend I used one of our practice sets to show how we turn even those passive rest moments (= being still) at the wall into valuable training opportunity. Those moments are not just about...

Swimming Past Exhaustion Point

by Coach Mat | 21 Dec, 2014

Have you swam past your exhaustion point? Why, or why not? ** There is a difference between a difficult swimming situation that produces struggle and a difficult situation that presents challenge. Swimming as Struggle = swimming in a situation where I have lost...