Fitness Training | Mediterra Swim & Run

When More Is Better

by Coach Mat | 16 Apr, 2016

When you can make time for more practices each week – with good design and focused effect, and in good balance in your other priorities in life – that is a very good thing. All things being healthy, practicing more often will give you a boost in...

Detecting Progress

by Coach Mat | 10 Apr, 2016

Some times, when discussing practice results with a swimmer, I get the impression that this person has a persistent expectation for improvement in one particular way, even if the practice set was focused on other metrics. Here is a common example: in the first stage...

Guidance For Using A Snorkel

by Coach Mat | 19 Mar, 2016

A reader recently asked about my perspective on using a snorkel in training, particularly to help set aside the concern for disruptive breathing for a while. My response… With any pool tool, if you understand what the tool can help you with, what it’s role in...

Appropriate Advice

by Coach Mat | 6 Feb, 2016

My last blog post Longer Length Or Faster Rate? attracted many thoughtful comments from regular readers. Those comments brought up many more enticing blog topics. I would like to lay out one of them in this post. Here is a scenario that seems to happen eventually to...

Pain And Peace

by Coach Mat | 23 Jan, 2016

Is there pain and suffering of some form in your training experience? For many, this is not only a common experience, this is the expected experience. After all, they say you must be tough to be a real swimmer, right? Perhaps. But what kind of toughness are we talking...

Strengthen The Weaker System

by Coach Mat | 16 Jan, 2016

This is an addendum to the post Special Stamina Part 2. I encouraged certain swimmers to test for the weaker system in Test For The Weakest System. The next logical topic is about strengthening that weaker system. Which one is your weaker system? Can you handle the...