Training | Mediterra Swim & Run

Getting Enough Breath?

by Coach Mat | 2 Jun, 2014

Q: I have read your articles on Metrics-Tempo, Pace, etc with a lot of interest. What I was wondering, if you increase your DPS [distance per stroke], that means your SPL [strokes per length of pool] goes down. If SPL goes down, doesn’t that mean you will take...

Metrics 103: Pacing Failure And Success

by Coach Mat | 24 May, 2014

By gradually increasing distance you will challenge your abilities to hold your chosen SPL x Tempo combination. It will get difficult and you will reach what feel like limits to your ability for that day. Yet ‘failure’ of this type is an important part of...

Accumulation Of Small Advantages

by Coach Mat | 16 May, 2014

At our mini-open water camp in Kas today one of my swimmers was expressing his delight with the improvement he experienced with one or two particular focal points. He kept jumping back in the sea to review it over and over. I was pleased of course, that he identified...

Metrics 103: Pace Construction

by Coach Mat | 12 May, 2014

Can we assume that two swimmers who achieve the same Pace are equal in efficiency as well (in both terms of physics and of physiology)? No. Because the same Pace can be constructed by different combinations of SPL x Tempo, and each of those different combinations...

Metrics 103: Pace

by Coach Mat | 5 May, 2014

This is a simple math equation we use in swim training to measure performance (in terms of time) in a test or race: Pace = Strokes Per Length x Tempo By counting strokes (SPL) over a certain distance and multiplying that by the Tempo, we can calculate Pace. Or we can...

Metrics 102: Fast Tempo

by Coach Mat | 8 Apr, 2014

Why swim at faster tempos? Here are three reasons (among more we might think of): 1. To Improve Speed In order for increased Tempo to result in increased Speed, the swimmer must maintain a certain amount of Stroke Length, or he will end up going slower while...