Cool Water Training | Mediterra Swim & Run

In Defense Of Fat

by Coach Mat | 9 Apr, 2012

I think these links will be of interest to you if you aspire to weight loss, or to adapt to open-water swimming. Not all FAT is equal, nor should be villianized in our swimmer bodies. Here’s a few links from The Daily News Of Open Water Swimming: TDNOWS –...

Argument for Swimming Naked

by Coach Mat | 9 Apr, 2012

I bet the title on this essay is going to get me in trouble on some search engines, but there is nothing inappropriate in the content, I assure you. The title just fits… I was swimming in the Mediterranean Sea in Antalya yesterday. April 8! The water was 18 C. I...

Be Slippery When Wet

by Coach Mat | 23 Dec, 2011

For the last several practice sessions in the sea I was working on improving my ability to hold a long stroke at higher tempos. For me, my goal is to take the long-stroke I enjoy effortlessly at 1.20 tempo, down into my race level tempo range of 1.00 to 0.90. Here was...

A Natural Reward For Facing Fear

by Coach Mat | 7 Jun, 2011

I felt it was time to return to my swim route out along the cliffs. I start where the 40m cliffs that hold up the downtown part of the city, meet the Konyaaltı Beach stretch. Instead of heading West where all the bathers play, I headed East along these cliffs, where...

I Love Cool Pools

by Coach Mat | 13 Mar, 2011

I can’t complain that the pool we were giving our Portland OR workshop in was a bit cool for the level 1.0 drills we were working on today. 27 C is perfect for swimming laps, but for our short drills today it was giving us all the chills. A few laps however...

Training: Last 4km BareSkin Swim Of The Year?

by Coach Mat | 22 Nov, 2010

The weather could turn any day now, so I was eager to get in while the sea temperature was still on the edge of what I could handle for an hour without shivering to death afterwards. I swam 71 minutes today, starting at 10:15 at Konyaaltı Varyant. I swam west all the...