Motor Learning | Mediterra Swim & Run

Deep Practice Encouragement – Part 3

by Coach Mat | 6 Jun, 2015

The practice advice continues from Deep Practice Encouragement – Part 2… *** You Can’t Do It All At Once You can’t perfect everything at once, or in one season. Yet, by race day, you’ve got to have some chosen skill improvements...

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...

Use Your Energy Well

by Coach Mat | 2 May, 2015

There are generally two approaches to swimming faster: Generate more power. Use the power you’ve got better. They don’t need to be mutually exclusive in training, but which one makes sense as your first objective as an athlete? The wise goal – no...

Judging An Efficient Stroke

by Coach Mat | 28 Mar, 2015

In response to the recent essay Stroke Length Loyalty (and the subsequent essay Intro to Pace Combinations) I’ve entered into an enjoyable email discussion with a retired engineer about judging efficiency of the stroke. He has been asking how we know when a...

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...