Strength Training | Mediterra Swim & Run

Love Your Weakest Member

by Coach Mat | 4 Feb, 2017

In the last post I shared some transcribed parts of Rich Roll’s podcast that covered one coach’s way of establishing healthy and injury-free athletes. There was one point in that discussion that may have drifted by too fast – it is so subtle but so...

Relax Your Shoulders!

by Coach Mat | 10 Dec, 2016

In addendum to the previous post on What Is Relaxation? I recall another experience I had in running where a specific “Relax!” instruction worked. You certainly know about the global athletics company Nike. It started in Eugene Oregon, my home state, and...

What Is Relaxation?

by Coach Mat | 3 Dec, 2016

A couple weeks ago I participated in a Chi Running workshop led by Master Coach Alice Diffely in Portland, Oregon USA. To prepare for the workshop I was reviewing some chapters in the Chi Running book to refresh my memory of the principles, drills and focal points. I...

The Speed You Must Earn

by Coach Mat | 17 Sep, 2016

This is a continuation of thoughts from Going Beyond Easy Speed. There are some ‘easy’ breakthroughs in speed which come from that initial – and usually radical – improvement in body shape and movement control. But the other way to appreciate...

Self-Limiting Practice Sets

by Coach Mat | 16 Aug, 2016

I want to keep confronting the false notion that fitness training and technical training are two separate activities in the pool. Fitness and Technique are truly inseparable, and should be regarded as such in every practice activity. All repetitive movement is...

The Root Cause Of Failure

by Coach Mat | 25 Jun, 2016

This could be considered Part 3 in a series following Practice As A Puzzle To Solve and Using Failure To Solve The Puzzle. Failure is a key ingredient in progress – it is something you actually want to provoke because it reveals more clearly where you need to...