Psychology | Mediterra Swim & Run

Correction vs. Over-Correction

by Coach Mat | 7 Nov, 2015

With just about every movement art and sport I can think of artists and athletes are trying to bring their movement patterns closer to an ideal, whether that ideal is about beauty, power, or efficiency… or all of them together, as in our case with swimming....

Overcoming Swimming Fears

by Coach Mat | 1 Aug, 2015

You may have heard it said something like this: there is no courage except in the presence of fear. Fear is what makes courage meaningful. *** The day before the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Race, while sitting at lunch on the boat during our pre-race training and...

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...

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...

Education Or Entertainment?

by Coach Mat | 11 Jan, 2015

What is the difference between getting an education from the knowledge we consume versus just getting entertained by it? First, let me define those terms: Education = I have been changed by what I learned. It has improved my experience or performance noticeably....

Focal Point: A Tool, Not A Rule

by Coach Mat | 3 Jan, 2015

In the Total Immersion stroke-shaping and training method… …a Focal Point is a tool, not a rule. This comes as a response to a discussion one of our coach colleagues brought up regarding a student who seemed to carry his use of a Focal Point to an...