Specific Skills | Mediterra Swim & Run

Embrace The Butterflies

by Coach Mat | 12 May, 2019

Have you ever had that almost sick feeling in the stomach, just before the start of a race? Or, how about just before going on stage to give a speech? In some cultures we call those ‘the butterflies’. Photo by Alex Guillaume on Unsplash I recall having...

Learning The 2 Beat Kick – Part 2

by Coach Mat | 4 May, 2019

Continued from Part 1… Forming The Kick Conveniently, these two roles for the legs – CBF and 2BK – work together seamlessly. The counter-balanced foot position happens to be the poised position for the feet, ready to initiate the next kick on the...

Learning The 2 Beat Kick – Part 1

by Coach Mat | 27 Apr, 2019

The Kick Is An Advanced Skill The 2-Beat Kick is an action of the feet that must be coordinated with the timing of rotation and arm-switch in front, otherwise it has limited or even a confusing effect. It only has the desired effect when it is timed with that rotation...

Why Choose A 2-Beat Kick?

by Coach Mat | 20 Apr, 2019

A flutter kick – sometimes called a 6-Beat or a 4-Beat kick, when it’s done correctly – is useful for some people in some circumstances, but certainly not for all, and I would like to argue that it may not be best for most. However, it is certainly...

How To Improve Endurance

by Coach Mat | 30 Mar, 2019

When do we need endurance? When we are going really hard? When we are going really fast? When we are going really far? There is great discomfort in any of these and that discomfort needs to be overcome to finish, Maybe we need endurance in all three, but a different...

The Challenge Of Going Slow

by Coach Mat | 23 Mar, 2019

Three Zones There are two extremes that we are urged to avoid in training – going too hard and going too easy. If we go too hard, or go hard too often, something is going to break. If we go too easy, or go easy too often, we simply will not grow, and may even...