Pursue Speed Intelligently

by Coach Mat | 8 Feb, 2011

I swam 3500m today at Akdeniz Univ pool. The water was 29.5 C. Started at 9:15. 10x 50m check-in and warm up 6x this cycle with Tempo Trainer, starting on 1.18 and descend -.01 sec per cycle 50m fist 50m, hold 16 SPL 50m fist 100m, hold 16 SPL 50m fist 150m, hold 16...

Building Gears Into My Stroke

by Coach Mat | 3 Feb, 2011

I swam 3750m today at Akdeniz Univ pool. The water was 30.8 C. I started at 9:00. 10x 50m gentle, check-in warm-up Then 3x these sets: 6x 75m – hold SPL 15, 16, 17 per 25’s w/ 4-breath rest between 50m fist ez 3x 150m – hold SPL 15, 16, 17, 17, 16,...

Improving ‘Endurance-Of-Focus”

by Coach Mat | 1 Feb, 2011

I swam 3750m at the Akdeniz University pool. The water was 30 C. Started at 9:00. 10x 50m gentle, ‘check-in’ warm-up 2x this set: 100 fist, 16x 25m FR 100 fist, 8x 50m FR 100 fist, 4x 100m FR Objective was to hold best SPL with fullest catch. Take 4 to 5...

Slow Work Produces Full Catch

by Coach Mat | 29 Jan, 2011

I swam 3250m at the Akdeniz University pool. The water was 31 C. Started at 10:50. 10x 50m gentle, ‘check-in’ warm-up 5x this set: 50 fist, 50 full-hand 50 fist, 100m full-hand 50 fist, 150m full-hand The objective was to maximize the catch, while holding...

What’s The Right Angle of Rotation?

by Coach Mat | 27 Jan, 2011

I swam 2250m at the Akdeniz University pool. The water was 30.5 C. Started at 8:45. 10x 50m gentle warm-up 7x this set: 25m, 50m, 75m, 100m The objective was to minimize SPL, and find a point that I could focus on and refine in each new set. Open-turns (to reduce...

In More Hot Water

by Coach Mat | 13 Jan, 2011

Unless the university pool heater breaks down again this year, or we just have extraordinary cold weather, I might have to get used to this hot water and scrap my plans to do sprint work this winter. [Olypmic swimming standards call for 25-28 C in a competition pool....

Hot Water, Good Opportunity

by Coach Mat | 11 Jan, 2011

I swam 2400m in our university pool today but it was a nearly painful 88 degrees (31 C). So I knew I needed to adapt and do slower work to keep my heart rate from shooting up under heat-strain. So I did 1200m (2×25, 2×50, 2×75, 2×100, 2×150,...

Reformatting My Stroke #3

by Coach Mat | 8 Jan, 2011

This is my third practice of the New Year, as I begin to reformat my stroke- I’m taking the best of both stroke patterns I developed over the last year or so and making my single new one. Before I had a ‘distance’ stroke pattern that had a wider...

Boiled Like A Frog

by Coach Mat | 25 Nov, 2010

I moved from one end of the uncomfortable-water-temperature spectrum to the other. I jumped into the Akdeniz Univ pool today for the first time since last spring, and it was a stinking, boiling 31.5 C! That’s nearly 10 C higher than what I have been swimming in....

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...