Swim tips, advice, Joeisms; other half truths.
I love to blame it on the shoes
My knees are so sore
My hips I do not adore
My calf is as tight as it gets
Please help me before it sets
I blame it on the shoes
I most certainly have the blues
My achilles feels like rusty screws
Look, at least give me a clue
My gait sounds like a rabid zoo
I blame it on the shoes
Darn it, tell me why I hurt
So next time I can quickly avert
Please oh please help me
My body does not easily amuse
Time to go buy new shoes
![found-type-great-desire[1]](http://swimmerjoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/found-type-great-desire1-240x140.jpg "found-type-great-desire[1]")
by SwimmerJoe
Many times athletes get in an area where they feel they aren’t improving like they should, or they are seeing others pass them by. Well, it could be a number of things. My dad always used to tell me, you have to do more than anyone else if you want to be the best. If you think about that for a second, it’s true.
Let’s take swimming for this example. The coach gives everyone a workout and the majority of the swimmers train hard and roughly swim the same throughout the different sets given. Did you take 2 extra kicks off of every wall? Did you not breathe off of every wall until the 3rd stroke? Are you fully concentrating on the drill given or just giving a half effort and resting until the next main set? How about sleeping more? Are you, and this is a big one, watching films, searching for tips, reading Splash magazine for the latest info on great athletes and being a student of your sport. I know what the answer there is. NOT MANY. Too bad, there is tons of stuff out there. There is no reason for mediocrity. If your coach isn’t paying attention to you, ask him or her questions, let them know your really care about your own improvement and share the desire for greatness. All of these things together will work. It may take time to form new habits, but it will work. Be patient, very patient.
So back to when I was a young athlete, after about the 5th or 6th time my dad kept telling me to do more than anyone else, I finally took action. More time in the weight room, concentrated more at practice, worked harder at my sport, watched other swimmers and athletes, learned how to be better at what I do. Do you think Michael Jordan did more than everyone? How about Michael Phelps? Dara Torres? How about Lance Armstrong? Ever heard or Ryan Lochte? Did you think these guys all just “tucked in” in practice (or out of the water) and maintained what everyone else was doing? Easy answer.
Have a desire to be great and the will to work for great speed in and out of the water is what you need to do.
So do more than anyone else for a couple months, whether you are an athlete, or have personal goals, or in the work place. It will work. Let me know how your life has changed for the better.
Are you a cycling fan? This is another great site for live streaming. I watch this all the time. Check it out!
Site address: http://cyclingfans.com/
This is another great live streaming site for triathlons. Great filming a great stuff (that’s a Livestreaming term…ha)
here is the link for these guys! http://triathlonLIVE.tv
Winter Training.
Different coaches may have their own reasons, but mine is quite simple and easy to understand. After a decent fall season with the age groupers, a week or so break, I normally like to jump back on it. This time, the timing was right-mid December. So we got back on the training, at least for the next 3 to 4 weeks or so. You can follow it in the workout section of swimmerjoe to see what’s going on.
My immediate reasons for it are getting the young athletes swimming harder than normal, building up some pain tolerance, and creating a very solid foundation. Most coaches do this, if athletes and dedicated, they normally have a love-hate relationship with this time of the year or training cycle. My main reason is this: to have the ability to swim higher quality sets in late January and February for the last of short course season. This will give us the ability to do this and create some real crazy speed! It really works, I have done it for years.
There are many different ways to do things in training and get ready to swim fast, and this is one of them. Let me know what you guys do. I am always curious. Have a great season!
For future reference – This blog has moved over to the Florida Swim Network site. Take a look - http://FloridaSwimNetwork.com
Monday November 7, 2011
30 minutes circuit dryland…keep up baby!
5 x 100 1:20 Swim
50, 100, 150, 200 :55 base KICK – down all out, back moderate
(x2)
3 x 300 1:25 base 100 IM, 100 IM, 100 IM
4 x 25 :30 No breath DPC
50 1:00 ALL OUT CHOICE
3 x 200 1:25 base 100 IM, 100 IM
4 x 25 :30 No breath DPC
50 1:00 ALL OUT CHOICE
3 x 100 1:25 100 IM
4 x 25 :30 No breath DPC
50 1:00 ALL OUT CHOICE
200 TIME Stroke – Broken at 50 with :10 seconds
15 x 100 1:10/1:15 4 on fast interval, 1 on 1:30
Try to do the swimming in 1.5 hours…gotta stay busy people!
Let me know how you did. This is a great workout for heart rate, keeping your heart rate moderate while, increasing speed.
For future reference – This blog has moved over to the Florida Swim Network site. Take a look – http://FloridaSwimNetwork.com
Need a workout? Why don’t you try this one on for size? This was a workout done by the Blue Dolfins Age Group athletes on Saturday, November 5, 2011.
Enjoy and let me know how you did.
12 x 50 :40 every 4th backstroke
300 3:45 Free
3 x 100 2:30 IM
3 x 100 2:50 KICK
3 x 50 1:00 Descend, stroke
(3 x)
Fins
6 x 50 1:15 37 ½ under, 12 ½ sprint
6 x 25 :25 underwater shooter
4 x 25 :40 All out choice
9 x 50 1:00 boys under :25, girls under :27
4 x 400 5:15 Paddles and Buoy, long, breathing every 3 strokes down, every 5 strokes back
Let me know how you did. Tell me your sets or workouts and we will post them! Bye for now, train hard!
I believe this: If you are an age grouper, you need to cross train.
Why? Well, swimming is the most difficult sport-if you are training properly and putting your heart and soul in it, then you may need a mental break with a physical twist to it. Or at least that’s what we do, especially to keep our kids from the typical “burn out.”
We have incorporated cycling and running into the weekly plan…Here is a quick look:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUFfEkJcQlQ&w=560&h=315]
Before the ride
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US7JgYwcyvA&w=420&h=315]
Having fun on the trail
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDA4c9Ex7ZQ&w=420&h=315]
We love changing things around working the heart rate, just the same as if we are swimming! If any of you want to join us, let us know! We thoroughly enjoy the bike/run!
So maybe you’ve seen the dismantling. I have and I’ve heard about it too!
Being tired of losing will do that. Tired of second or third. Sick of it. Living with his talent wasn’t enough. Living with his incredible skills and gift in the water wasn’t enough. So he had to fix something. He was over it. A competitor that met the roadblock and kicked it aside to fix his issues.
What were they?
1. Eating! Being an avid fast food and especially McDonald’s abuser wasn’t doing the deal. The hamburglar yes, together with swimming, NO! He wasn’t getting the power and energy needed to control the world and own any event he trained for. Now he does—All-In!
From an article by Jason Devaney (Universal Sports) “Riddled with knee and groin injuries this year, Lochte decided to change up his habits. Gone are the days of constant McDonald’s runs; he’s eating better now. The Floridian also hits the weight room more and said he feels as strong as ever.”
2. More than weights! Yes, yes, working hard in the weight room with all the other swimmers is one thing, and even working harder than them is great, but doing more than the general population with innovative techniques and strength building is way over the top. What else does that type of training help? It strengthens the mind, the mental depth to succeed beyond the regular SwimmerJoe. I am a huge believer in this. Everybody I’ve coached with knows what I am talking about. Check this about Ryan Lochte–what a change, what a stud—All-In!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxQ6e1Quw_o&w=560&h=349]
3. Sharpened focus! Ryan was tired of getting second and third. I don’t blame him, I can’t stand it either. Tired of working hard but not having the “total package” to get the job done. So he focused on ALL the elements his body and mind needed to get the job done of being the world’s number 1 swimmer. AND it worked, plain and simple.
Good for Ryan. It’s great to see him put everything together. Swimmers, triathletes and weekend athletes like myself: Words to you! Go “All-In” for a training season, in the pool, at the food table, and in the weightroom. Secondly, train with an uninterrupted razor focused mission, move all energy, mentally and physically to your goal.
So what happened? Check it out the result of Lochte’s training-it happened twice this week at World Championships!
http://www.floridaswimnetwork.com/#1
http://www.floridaswimnetwork.com/#3
Next time, I will see you at your best!
By the way, free World Swimmng Coverage http://MyPremium.tv go to right column, click British Europort
Hello all. The young athletes responded well to this one. We are 6 days away from their big meet of the summer. If you are masters swimmer or triathlete, this is a good one for you as well! More to come.
16 x 100 1:30, 1;20, 1:15, 1:10 (repeat)
4 x 200 KICK @ 3:30
4 x 25 No breath @ :40
16 x 50 2 @ :35, 2 @ :45 (all pace), 4 Fly @ :1:00 (all repeat)
4 x 25 No Breath @ :40
12 x 25 Long axis drills @ :40
8 x 125 IM Add-on each stroke on each one–twice
4 x 25 No breath @ :40
2 x 500 Hypoxic Pull, 3-5, every 4th lap 5 second delay @ 6:30
If breaststroke at FLAGs – 6 x 50 Breast kick @ :60
The athletes did react well to this. We will do more pace oriented items tomorrow to zero in on what we are trying to do. As we get closer, we really don’t rest much for the distance swimmers. If you are a masters swimmer or a triathlete, I wouldn’t rest much either. You have to keep you pace and longer swimming up to maintain all you have worked for. Too many times triathletes rest too much for the swim. As a triathlete, you have to remember, your swim portion is a distance event, not a sprint.
Enjoy your weekend.
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