Triathlon Swimming | Mediterra Swim & Run

Intro to Pace Combinations

by Coach Mat | 25 Mar, 2015

A question from a friend about Pace Combinations made me realize that I have referred to Pace or SPL x Tempo Combinations several times without really laying out a direct introduction to it. So this essay is meant to give a brief explanation for Pace Combinations and...

Stroke Length Loyalty

by Coach Mat | 21 Mar, 2015

When you start feeling fatigue in your race (or while ‘just swimming’) you are urged to slow down. At some point you finally must give in. But when you do what is changing in your stroke to slow you down? SPL x Tempo = Pace (the inverse of the Speed...

Metrics In Open Water: How To Train

by Coach Mat | 20 Jul, 2014

For most swimmers who desire it training in open-water may still only be an occasional or seasonal experience. That means most swimmers practice in the pool, swimming and measuring things between walls – this is ‘normal’ while swimming without walls...

Metrics In Open Water: Measuring Distance

by Coach Mat | 18 Jun, 2014

Now that open-water season is more widely opened up in the Northern Hemisphere we should discuss some ideas about translating pool practice into open-water. It takes an adjustment in mindset to move from pool practice to open-water practice. When asked I let swimmers...

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...

Pace Practice For 1500

by Coach Mat | 27 Jul, 2013

How do you set up a practice to train for 1500? A long-time friend of mine emailed me his latest 3000 yard workout, sharing his results for some 500 repeats he made with the 1500 triathlon swim as his target. His (traditional) approach is to jump in the pool and just...