I
hope you noticed the addition of a topic in
my subject line on the monthly newsletter?
O2 has had several requests for this and my
hope is that it will cause more of you to
open up my newsletter and gain some useful
insights - always my intention :-)
My
monthly theme for December is :
Going
Old School ~
I
realize that many of my younger swimmers may
not have a clue where this may lead, but my
“over 30” kids will get it right
away. Several events in my life recently have
cause me to once again rethink my own plan
and strategy….. It is important to look
both UP and DOWN the levels of swimming around
you to better evaluate where you actually
are and how you can improve your lane assignment.
****Notice they rarely put Michael Phelps
against the wall in races? It is because he
swims fast enough in the qualifiers to get
his spot in the faster middle of the pool.
The
bottom line of GOING OLD SCHOOL is to do more.
Traditionally, swimmers swim a lot - more
than many of you might think. I have 10 year
olds swimming 5000-6000 yards a day and they
do it 4-6 times a week (without crying about
it). Interestingly, in that age group, their
average race is 50-100 yards. How long is
your average race?
My
high school swimmers are doing 6000 - 10,000
yards a day and my collegiate swimmers are
just above that - plus dry lands ! As the
longest race in high school swimming is the
500 and in college it is the 1500, this is
a ton of yards.
Much
of swimming is based on speed filtered in
with distance; there are many crescendo and
decrescendo sets. We do not swim whole practices
at the same speed.
So
here is my December challenge to ALL of you:
To
Swimmers ~ RACE every day. Pick one
or two spots in practice to go for gold. Teach
your body every day to break the last limit.
Get ugly. Get fast. Everyday. Keep it to a
maximum of once or twice, but they must be
serious. Your “world record swims”,
not just a little push. Go old school !!
To
triathletes ~ I know of no one that
swims too much…. Go old school = double
your distance. Go one more day a week. Over
the winter, here are my weekly guidelines
to send you rocketing into the 2016 tri season:
Sprint
kids = 4,000 yards per week minimum
Olympic
kids = 8,000 yards per week minimum
Half
kids = 8,000 yards per week with
more speed work and some distance pushes every
3 weeks. MINIMUM.
Iron
Men = 10,000 yards per week with
some speed work every week. Do your crescendo
and decrescendo work. Swim FAST sometimes.
Even a 3000 - 4000 yard workout is only 1
- 1.5 hours of swimming. Be serious with you
time. Go old school !!!
My
weekly goal has been 10,000+ yards a week
for many years. I reach this goal 80% of the
year, but have a HUGE variety in difficulty
as I periodize my year. I swim 3 days a week
80% of the time, 4 days a week 10% of the
time and less than 3 only when life interferes.
Go
old school. Recognize you CAN do more. Once
you do, it will help you get faster and break
out of the plateau.
And
now, my 12 Tips of
Christmas:
1)
Do your catch up drills every day - no exceptions
!
2) Variety is the spice of life - look for
better workouts…. ***I post mine on
the O2 SWIMMING Facebook page, as do several
of our better swimmers.
3) Use pool tools to add diversity: My bag
contains all FINIS products now…. Z2
fins, Agility paddles, Infinity paddles, Axis
buoy
4) Race Everyday !!!!
5) Monitor a time standard once a month. Has
your 100 time gone up or down? 500 time?
6) Go play on You Tube and find a video of
a swimmer you know doing it right, you might
learn something !!!!
7) Swim slow in the warm up… FEEL the
water early and learn to control it.
8) Stretch after your warm up - all great
swimmers are loose, it is worth 2-3 minutes.
9) Get a friend. The clock can push some of
us, but a pool buddy will motivate you even
more.
10) Separate your buoy from your paddles -
one of the best new things I have done in
years… O2 no longer uses the 2 together…
11) Work in more crescendo and decrescendo
work
12) Get the Axis buoy from Finis. Go on-line
and get your O2 coach’s discount through
my website. This new device rocks !!!
Enjoy
your holiday. O2 is not scheduled out yet
for the year, so call now to reserve your
spot….!!!
And
last, thank you for your support through the
last 15 years - it has been life changing
for me :-)
If
I could ask for any recommendations through
Facebook, I would greatly appreciate it. I
try to ask for some comments about once a
year so it looks like O2 SWIMMING is still
around!
Enjoy
your holidays and time with family.
PS.
I started going Old School TODAY - why not
!!!!!!
SwimStrong.
SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
NOVEMBER
2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
This is the time of year I choose to split
my newsletter specifically into two sections:
Swimmers and Triathletes. I do this because
I feel the need to reach out to you as distinctly
different animals once in a while. It was
sparked by on of my favorite athletes (Thank
you, CK) who sent me a piece debasing swimming
like a swimmer for triathletes.
The
reasons these ideas are faulty are myriad,
but to cite a few as concisely as possible:
1)
An efficient human swim stroke can ALWAYS
adjust and be made faster
2) Of course choppy water affects speed…
that is just a “DUH” observation
!
3) Walls are accelerators, but current can
certainly be too. One of our swimmers did
the Little Red Lighthouse 10km race in an
hour a few years back…true story and
congrats to RH ! Is he that fast? Well, yeah,
with a 10 mph current surfing him down the
Hudson River !!!
4) A choppy fast stroke will NEVER beat a
smooth , sustainable long stroke because those
with the more efficient stroke can adjust
better than the one trick pony who feels the
massive energy output is synonymous with speed.
Effort will not correspond to speed in water
most of the time (like 98%).
ENOUGH
!
Moving
on to my real topic for this month : FLOW
What
is FLOW?
Do you have it?
Why you want it?
I
see FLOW as sustainable and uninterrupted
energy transfer making one propel forward.
Note well each word in my definition.
To
test your FLOW, slow down… YES, slow
down. Do you feel ANY interruption in forward
motion? Any sink? Or, do you feel fish-like?
This is a huge reason why I ask all of you
to warm up and to do it slow and easy. You
are a vertically integrated animal. Going
horizontal is a challenge for you. The warm
up gives your brain (an essential organ) time
to adjust to this linear motion. If you start
slow, you will FEEL glitches in the stroke
if there are any. Wrinkles will appear and
you can work them out right away. How valuable
is that versus the daily struggle that can
morph into real problems.
YES,
you want/need FLOW to sustain an uninterrupted
forward progress. In the water, we need to
be going FORWARD all the time, not accelerating
and stopping. I am old, but swim a 13 SPL
(yard pool) and can hold a 1:25 pace all day
long AT THAT SPL. When I go to 14 SPL, I can
go 1:15 - 1:20 pace but I pay for it. My max
is 15 SPL where I have gone all the way down
to 1:00/100 pace, but am done at the 100 mark
:( I can FEEL where my sweet spot is and where
it is sustainable.
And now to YOU specifically:
SWIMMERS
~ Let’s face it, all out racing can
get ugly, but if you trained the body in a
FLOW STATE in practice, your stroke will hold
together during the race. Use the warm up.
Check in with your SPL as instructed. In order
to increase your speed BEYOND YOUR CURRENT
CAPACITY, you must cross lines. Every practice
should be a partial experiment in crossing
over the edge of your own razor. Get ugly
on purpose once a day. See what that line
feels like, then come back. It is by pushing
limits that we find new places. Don’t
be afraid to get ugly once a day :) ***Be
sure you know when and control the timing
of this, as well as re-entry to your efficient
self.
Triathletes
~ My best advice is to spend your off season
working on stroke efficiency. What better
way to spend some cold days than in the warm
natatoriums of our wonderful world? Become
a student of FLOW. Take your easy pace and
lift it in small doses. Does it respond positively
or negatively? If negative, do not think that
you will overcome by beating water - you will
lose. I promise. Observe other swimmers while
in your local watering hole. Who looks good
and why? Who looks bad? Why? I learn form
ALL of you, you can learn by watching both
good and bad. The world knows no good without
knowing evil :)
Do catch up everyday. I do. Phelps does. No
excuses here - make your aquatic time count.
And
for those of you still shaking your heads
(I already know who you are), I offer Andy
Potts as proof of species…. He usually
wins the swim because he is a swimmer. Why
would you not want to be? Do not be taken
in by the tri gang trying to reinvent science.
Study swimming and you will see what I see.
Last,
USE THE WALL. I get crazy when I see any triathlete
pushing off the wall crooked and taking 1/2
the pool to get even reasonably straight again.
AAARGGGHH. The wall is your opportunity to
get perfect every 25 y/m. It is up to you
to fail after the wall GIVES YOU a perfect
streamline… Succeed !!! The choice is
up to you. So, how about less junk miles and
more focus? Train your mind and let the body
follow…
Some housekeeping notes that
I lay out there every year for you:
2015
scheduling closes at the end of the calendar
year. If we are currently working together,
get your sessions scheduled. As of Jan 1,
we turn everything over to the accountant
and start the New Year fresh - no carryovers
since 2002. I always have openings, so let’s
be respectful of each other.
As
the holidays approach, keep in mind the awesome
discounts offered through my web page. I only
offer what I use and recommend and YOU get
my coach’s discount. Great for holiday
gifts. ***HIGHLY recommending the FINIS AXIS
BUOY this season !! Every year, swimmers get
really fast speed suits that are “so
last year” for both the discounted old
price and the discount on top of that. So,
if FINIS has the “last year” model
speed suit for under $100 - is that OK? Or
do you need the new $400 suit? Depends, I
do have one 12 year old who is looking to
bring home a National Age Group Record…
How cool is that !!!!! By the way, what are
your goals? This young man should inspire
you to think about it for a minute……
:-)
PROBIOTICS
!!!! As most of you know, I am pharmacist,
nutritionalist and swimmer. I truly believe
that probiotics are ESSENTIAL for chlorine
poisoned swimmers. And, to be crystal clear,
all supplements are not created equal. I use
only GMP certified supplements and you can
find that link and discount on my web page
too under Emerson Ecologics. Discounts are
good, but superior quality is great too !!
Good
luck everybody. Enjoy the water. Laugh. Play.
Train. Get strong Take over the world :-)
Until
next month…..
SwimStrong.
SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
OCTOBER
2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
Thank
you for the feedback I received through Facebook
and directly concerning my request for what
TOPIC you would like to see covered in this
month’s newsletter. I am amazed at how
many newsletters I have written over the last
(almost) 15 years !! Thankfully, I am usually
not at a loss for words - part of my Irish
coming out, no doubt :)
So,
the topic for October, as we finally enter
the fall swim season and begin the wind down
period for most triathletes - is:
Evolution
!!!
1)
One of the topics suggested by you was NUTRITION.
Nutrition is very near and dear to my heart,
as a Board Certified Holistic Health Counselor
and with a lifetime of health sciences under
my belt, this is very important - and very
misunderstood. Some of you may have seen that
I am on Day 10/10 of a Fall detox/cleanse
today. YEAH! I started doing these upon graduation
from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition
and do them at the spring and fall equinox.
They are NOT weight loss schemes, but the
one I utilize is a “doable” athlete
cleanse of the vital organs of the body. Liver,
gal bladder, kidneys, etc are your filtration
organs. As such, they are assaulted every
day by all the chemicals in the modern world.
You know what the ingredient list looks like
on most items now : chemicals you can’t
pronounce, fillers that should not be there,
many ingredients… Simple one ingredient
foods are the answer: chicken, carrots, apple
- you get the idea.
I
am in the “over 30” age group
by more than most of you; yet, I have not
been sick in so many years I can’t remember
(30++). I have been within <10 lbs in weight
since I was playing water polo in college.
I take no RX medication. Not too bad ~ because
I fight for my health every day. Exercise
is a huge part of my life 6 days a week. We
eat over 90% of our meals at home - most with
single ingredients, just spiced up with more
single ingredients: garlic, pepper, cumin,
etc….more than the seasoning packages
that often have MSG and other non essential
ingredients.
Simple.
Effective. Yet, the world confuses you at
every turn. Don’t think too hard. Eat
what you know is the better choice. Stick
to single ingredient foods.
EVOLVE into the best you can be through nutrition.
*****Any further questions on the detox/cleanses,
etc., reach out for me directly.
2)
Equipement EVOLUTION !! Below, you will see
MY lifetime evolving though my pool tools:
From
the left ~
a) The old school “tombstone”
kick board. These are terrible and should
be outlawed!! This archaic style calls the
swimmer to put their goggles up on their head,
take the head up and out of the water, and
generally pull themselves down the pool via
the lane lines :(
b)
My pool buoy from high school - I bought it
for $0.25 back in the 1980’s , as we
were “upgrading” to larger models.
****Larger is NOT better, as a buoy is not
helpful by causing lift, but by keeping the
legs together - in streamline. Smaller is
better !!! I used these until 2 weeks ago
- not a bad investment….30+ years for
a quarter :-)
c)
FINIS alignment kick board. A GO-TO item for
all the years I have been coaching. This tiny
board begs the swimmer to keep their goggles
on and extend full forward into the swim position.
How novel !!! With this board, your hips and
shoulders are both HORIZONTAL - the way you
swim. Perfect. Love this!
d)
FINIS small pool buoy. Since none of you could
buy MY old buoy for $0.25 and most are too
big, this version was our best option….
e)
FINIS AXIS device. I call this a “device”
because it is another genius product from
our friends at FINIS ~ a company started by
Olympic swimmers. Try calling there at noon….no
one will pick up, they are all out swimming
!!!
This new tool is THE BEST thing to have in
your bag now. It is a small/comfortable pool
buoy, a nice little kick board, and an awesome
DRAG aid by clipping softly on your ankles.
I was so happy that when I slid these onto
my ankles to do a pull set that they were
super comfy, stayed on during ALL my flip
turns, and begged me to pull harder and work
through the resistant drag off my back end.
I WANTED to work harder. I love these.
Here
is a great video demonstrating why YOU want
one:
***Keep
in mind you get my coach’s discount
on all FiNIS products through my web page.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for all of us !!
3) YOUR EVOLUTION ~ you either evolve or you
stagnate in this world. We move fast these
days…. Get with the program. Get ahead
of the curve. Are you doing the same things
you always did? That would be Einsteins definition
of stupidity. Evolution is a natural occurrence
- let it happen to you! If you haven’t
thought about YOUR process in a while, maybe
it is time to advance. EVOLVE. Go forward.
Give me a call.
As
always, I wish you all well this month. I
hope you enjoyed this month’s edition
of the O2 SWIMMING Newsletter !!
SwimStrong. SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
SEPTEMBER
2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
Monday
was a very special, but sad ending to an awesome
summer of swimming OUTSIDE for me, I enjoy
the luxury of swimming under the sky more
every year :-) It was good to see so many
people at our local municipal pool (Fanny
Chapman) - they were parked on the grass,
double parked and even walking from other
parking lots!! I took the day as just fun
and had only one goal - not to stop swimming…
I did the last open air mile for this year
and enjoyed a long hour workout after that.
As
we head indoors, it is time to buckle down
and get serious about SWIM SEASON. As I am
in the “over 30” age group now,
I have periodized my year into making the
traditional swim season months - my short/fast
months. From now until around mid March, I
will swim mostly hard/fast sets that will
not have too many swims north of 500 yards
at once. By specializing in 50, 100, 200,
300 and even 400s; one learns to keep it moving.
More repeats. More ladders. More focus on
going fast and resting less. All workouts
posted on Facebook will still be in the 3,000
to 4,000 neighborhood, but you will notice
the lack of big chunks of yardage within sets….
I have my reasons…
And
now, the focus of our September Issue:
Front
End Management ~
I
wrote an article on “Hands in Swimming”
several years back (OK, maybe it was 10+)
that was published and embellished by an aerospace
engineer…Ah, the science of swimming.
My article was hopefully thought provoking
to begin to change people’s mindset
relating to HOW and WHEN the stroke is at
its best. Humans are grossly INefficienct
animals in the water. A DARPA study found
that if we hold the dolphin to be 100 on a
scale, humans are closer to 3-4, with Olympic
caliber swimmers maxing out at 10. What does
this really tell us?
There
is really only one point in the stroke where
we are close to perfection ~ when your body
is balanced on the surface HORIZONTALLY, and
your catch arm is exactly VERTICAL. How long
does that last? This is why we are so inefficient;
or at least a huge part of it.
So,
how can O2 SWIMMING help you?
It
all begins at the beginning….
In
my opinion, the reason our best swimmers (Olympians)
are so much more efficient than most of us
is that they get the vertical vs horizontal
equation and use the 2 articulations in the
paddle to produce maximum force at this intersection.
Are my engineers still with me….?
The
wrist is a joint that CAN relax and let the
catch hand begin to dangle - more vertical
than horizontal. IF this happens, it is also
possible that the elbow breaks long prior
to the perfect vertical and helps catch water
sooner. ******This all starts OR ENDS with
the hands being open, relaxed, and slightly
facing down at the inception of the catch.
And
now, my triathletes are demanding proof….
OK:
Fingers
Together Or Apart?
Take a look at these two pictures of Michael
Phelps (left) and Ian Thorpe (right), two
of the greatest swimmers of all time. How
are they holding their fingers?
Arguably,
these two boys “get it”. However,
do not just dwell on the hands. The wrist
joint allows part of the positioning to occur.
Move up the straight arm and see the elbow
on MP already beginning to break a bit and
catch water early. This is one of the great
secrets of swimming. If you have a stiff hand
(do you ?) and push water down, you will only
go UP, not forward very much. This all occurs
easier only if the hands are soft and lead
the way by FEELING the water and beginning
to attain pressure.
Do
you BOB a little when you swim? Slow down
in the warm up and begin to FEEL this affect.
Work harder at CATCHING water than at just
moving it somewhere/anywhere out of you way.
And now for the ultimate punch line ~~~~~~~~~
it all is measurable and definable by your
SPL. Far too many of you feel “slow”
if you have lower SPL numbers and miss the
big picture entirely. Anyone who CAN get to
the end of the pool in less strokes CAN swim
faster. Efficiency is everything, as taught
by our metric - the dolphin.
So
boys and girls, what can YOU do to get faster?
Think about the September Focus as you swim.
My triathletes are mostly entering marathon
season or down time = perfect for gaining
efficiency in the front end. My swimmers will
be back in the pool in a matter of days and
expected to get fit and get fast in a short
time. I assure you that your coach as dialed
in the workouts to get you fit, but will you
be FAST? I think this month is a key.
Thoughts?
See
you soon…..
SwimStrong. SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
AUGUST
UPDATE 2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
Summer
is winding down and many swimmers are on vacation,
but I’m starting to get wound up !!
Hope you have had some time to click on a
few links I have posted on Facebook showing
a couple of old boys still getting it done
~ Lochte in Russia and Phelps here at home.
Both veterans are swimming “fastest
times in the world” and just kicking
tail all over the pool. Ryan looks perfect
as always: perfect stroke, transitions, plenty
of speed. Michael is as ripped as I have seen
him and is stamping his old mark on anyone
making it to the A final with him. Worth a
look, trust me.
Locally,
we have many swimmers at Junior nationals
and a crew of 4 who broke a National record
in their quest to see just how far they can
go…. Many of you reading this may have
raced these boys, be proud of your pool time
with them. Hard work pays off - for ALL of
you :) O2 SWIMMING wishes them continued luck
and success in their quest for an Olympic
bid even as they just enter college !!
Inspired?
You
bet I AM !!!!
This
is also a good time of year to discuss Scheduling.
Right
now, my schedule is “light”….
I fill up some weeks during that week - vacation
time of year and no swimmers in “season”
(other than the ones above!). So, if I owe
you time - especially adults - between today
and Sept 20 things will remain on the quieter
side. Call NOW to get some time :) ****I am
also closing Aug 26 & 27th to do a southern
college tour loop with my daughter. After
Sept 20, swimming will be in full swing and
O2 SWIMMING will start booking 2 and 3 weeks
out very quickly.
As
has been my policy since 2002, all TRI PACKS
purchased in 2015 must be finished up in 2015
(other than those swimming with me in Nov/Dec).
There is no carry over into the New Year,
as my books have gone to the accountant and
I have no records of previous years…
Enjoy
the last few weeks of outdoor swim time before
Labor Day hits and we are all shoved back
into the building.
See
you soon…..
SwimStrong. SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
AUGUST
2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
Already starting
to feel that late summer lull, but still having
AWESOME outdoor workouts at Fanny Chapman
~ so life is good :-) I know this is a big
vacation month, but still have an idea I want
you to think about for the month:
The
Kick and………… Overall
body synchronization of power……..
Interestingly,
I may have never formally written about this
in our 15 + years together. But, I have my
reasons today - thanks to some of you; and
profiting all of you!
To
be very, very clear, the legs are a core extension
of the body in human powered swimming (fish
have no legs). Legs are responsible for more
drag than power in more than 99% of all cases.
As proof:
1)
During the 1972 Olympic year, “Doc”
Counselman tested each member of the Olympic
team and found that ONLY Mark Spitz had a
kick that caused more propulsion than DRAG.
***These were ALL elite swimmers****
2)
The greatest swimmers on earth actually live
in the water (fish) and non of them have 2
legs… They have ONE tail.
So,
I often hear strong/competitive triathletes
ask a myriad of good questions about the kick.
Most picture the kick of an Olympic swimmer
on TV - an all out effort. The problem is
that:
1)
These are the best of the best swimmers in
the world
2)
They only race for under 2 minutes (on average)
3)
No one prefers kicking drills over pulling
drills… No one !! It takes 10X the effort
and you still go fairly slow…:(
Modern training has taken us far past Mark
Spitz’s level - for many reasons. One
of the primary things we now understand to
be true and therefor coach our athletes on
is CORE POWER. I have taught each of you to
integrate your core into a full body swimming
stroke. The paradigm has shifted away from
PULLING and KICKING. We (at least the coaches
who understand swimming) now tell our swimmers
that the body does have two halves ~ the right
half and the left half. *****These two halves
can be equal. The old school process of pulling
and kicking taught us that you had 2 unrelated
halves ~ the front half and that back half.
The front and back CAN NEVER BE EQUAL. Hence,
this old school thought process was doomed
into oblivion about 15 + years ago…post
Spitz era.
The
more power you can harmoniously generate using
both sides (right and left!) of your body,
the faster you will go. I sometimes refer
to this as ROTATIONAL VELOCITY. Some people
call it Bilateral, or Symmetry, or Core Drive…
OK,
what can we do to actually HELP ourselves
incorporate legs into faster swimming? That
is all you really care about, right?
KNOW
when to transition between spending the cardio
gas money on a fast kick and when to integrate
it into a core body swim stroke. Technically,
this can be a “2 beat” kick versus
a “6 beat” kick. As stated above,
this e awesome/fast Olympians only swim for
(less than ) 2 minutes. My TRI gang, swims
for north of 30 minutes in most cases.
TOOLS
to help you further develop legs, be that
an integration or a ballistically strong driving
kick:
My
partiality to FINIS continues because they
are THE swimming innovators, they were founded
by Olympic Swimmers, and they reward us with
a great “coach’s discount”
that I pass directly through to you.
For
my TRI swimmers
These
are the Z2 fins that teach LENGTH and integration.
Z2’s develop a long distance, powerful
body coordination. I use them for sets over
200 AND for purely dolphins off the wall.
One of my favorite core sets in the winter
season is a 500 where I try my best NOT to
swim more than a few strokes for all 20 lengths…my
goal is to use the fins to dolphin off the
wall at maximum ACCELERATION for as long as
my lungs hold up. This is very cool, very
challenging, and very rewarding !!
For
swimmers
The
old standard ZOOMERS still rock. These short
fins make even me feel like Michael Phelps
! I use these under 20 and try to go mostly
ALL OUT when wearing these. You want your
HR up? These will do it !! There IS a cost
to doing 100s on about .65 seconds when you
are in my age group (over 30….).
These
2 cover all bases. They should be standard
in all swim bags - at least one of them per
your discipline (swimmer or pure triathlete).
So,
over the next few weeks, how about committing
to improving your overall power by focusing
on your legs as extensions of your core body?
Let me know.
I hope this clears up some of the “opinions”
posted by other sources….
Would love to have a few more of the 600 of
you post up on Facebook once and a while…..:-)
Also,
keep in mind ALL of your team discounts available
through my web page - they are all yours.
***I buy everything I need from these companies!
SwimStrong.
SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
JULY
2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
I wanted to
get this out ASAP this month - before you
all take off for the long weekend celebrating
our Independence! Have fun, swim, be safe
:-)
Although this summer started out dry as a
bone, we have progressed into a deluge of
rain every week. I hope you have managed to
get in some outdoor pool time between the
storms. There is just nothing like swimming
outside in the fresh air, I really enjoy it.
For the first
time EVER, this month I am going to talk about…….
wait for it….. the Endless Pool !!!!
We have covered a wide array of topics since
I started doing this officially in 2001, but
it occurred to me last week that I have never
written an article about the actual pool and
what a difference it makes - to all of us.
As a coach, I am much more precise and effective
in our hour together due to you being trapped.
As a swimmer, you are in a tightly controlled
environment and under scrutiny for an hour
= tough !
This month’s
idea did not arrive in my sleep. As usual,
it came from YOU! Actually it came from 3
young swimmers (ages 13, 15 and 13 - boys
and girls) who all swam with me on the same
day. With each of these youngsters, I noticed
THEY were reading the pool (current and mirrors)
as much (or more) than listening to me. Each
swimmer has a history with me, none were first
timers. I could see in their body language
that they FELT things and were already making
appropriate adjustments. How cool is that?
I have probably told nearly all of you that
my job is to obsolete myself by teaching YOU
how to FEEL the water and then MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
Each swimmer is at a different place in their
journey. Some just want to finish. Many want
to win. All have arrived in my pool looking
for a better way.
I have given
you all my 4 LAWS. I have drilled into each
of you that nothing is more important than
monitoring your SPL every time you swim -
this will show problems and triumphs quicker
than you may register them. All great swimmers
do drills. All great swimmers warm up ~ this
is the important transitional period of being
human to being fish.
What does
the pool do for you?
The Endless
Pool provides you a safe and highly technical
environment to train your BRAIN and your BODY
to fulfill a goal it was not really designed
to do…. Think about it, do you really
think that swimming freestyle makes sense?
Freestyle:
- head is down so you can’t see where
you are going !
- mouth is pointed down into the water so
you can’t breath !
- you have parts sticking out all over you:
neck joint, hip joint, arms, split legs…
Fish have none of this !
So, the task
is actually rather complex. The amount of
feedback in the Endless Pool is clearly worthwhile.
Since I installed mine in 2001, many top ranked
colleges have placed an Endless Pool close
by the main pool so they can pull a swimmer
out of the big water and dial them in quickly
in the confines of the Endless Pool. Miracles
can happen in minutes instead of weeks…
I have 2 motors
and 4 mirrors. How do you feel in the Endless
Pool? Is it easy? How could it be easier?
How does this translate into both open water
or pool racing?
Give me a call soon and let’s explore
just how much better YOU CAN BE !
And, as a
special bonus for America’s Independence
Day this week, how about another look at our
US Men’s 4 X 100 relay team beating
the French?
LOVE
THIS !!!!
Men's
4 X100 free relay - Best Swimming in history
!!!!
SwimStrong. SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
JUNE
2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
Its
raining today - which is water - which is
good !!! The weather made me swim back inside
again, but the Endless Pool does present additional
challenges…. Been thinking about the
ancillary aspects of competition recently:
the start, the finish, cramps, sight tracking,
etc. So here we go ~
The start:
The warm up matters. Each swimmer needs to
know what their best warm up feels like. Develop
it. Change it. In practice, treat some days
like a race day: do your race day warm up,
then get after the distance. Get your HR up
prior to the event. In both Scholastic swimming
and triathlon, I can’t tell you how
many times I see athletes standing around
just prior to the race that are as still as
a statue with a heart rate as close to zero
as possible (thinking conserve energy). This
is wrong :( Get your party started, get the
HR up - BE READY. When the gun sounds, you
will ask your heart to race - do not ask it
to go from 55 to 200 !!! Get the HR over 100
so it CAN make the jump.
The
Finish:
If you are a swimmer, tuck your head, hold
your breath and HAMMER to the wall - no looking
around. Your best is your best! For my triathletes,
start kicking about 100+ yards out. You most
likely have not used much leg over the last
mile or so. Two benefits will immediately
occur:
1) You will get faster (always the goal)
2) You will wake up the legs so you can STAND
and RUN to T-1. ***Do not underestimate this.
Ever see the competitor in front of you shaking
side to side going up the swim ramp? Only
every race!!! Kick it baby :)
Cramps:
What do you do when you cramp DURING a race?
Ever cramp in “practice”? What
do you do then? Swim L-O-N-G some days…long
enough to get a little crampy, then work through
it during the remainder of your swim set.
Go light on fluids and electrolytes to simulate
this. Swim later in the day. Get the idea?
Anything you can do to simulate an issue,
then RESOLVE it (without stopping). I have
learned by doing this certain things that
help get me back on track WHILE I am still
in forward motion. ****This is valuable. With
all the heat and lack of rain this year, venues
will be warmer… Be prepared !!!
Sight
Tracking:
As with anything, you simply must practice
this. This is where I like my “pick
a number” set. Simply pick any digit
between 0 and 9. OK, you picked 6….
Sight on lengths 6, 16, 26, 36, 46, etc. Do
this and gain skill. Here is a nice shot of
a swimmer sighting in open water:
Open
Water Sighting demonstration
Is
this what you look like? What you feel like?
Maybe you should practice it BEFORE race day
!!!
In
closing, I can not stress enough how good
INFINIT Nutrition is…. Discount always
available on my web page. If you do nothing
else new this month, give YOUR OWN CUSTOM
Infinit formula a try.
Keep
me posted on your races this summer - see
you around water soon :)
SwimStrong.
SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
~
Summer hours are back....MORE time for you!!
Just a quick not to remind you that O2 SWIMMING
always adds hours for you over the summer
:) As of this friday (May 29, 2015), we will
be actively coaching the following schedule:
Monday:
mornings by mutual agreement and 5-6pm, 6-7pm
Tuesday: 5-6pm & 6-7pm
Wednesday: mornings by mutual agreement and
5-6pm. 6-7pm
Thursday: 5-6pm & 6-7pm
Friday: morning session only
My
daughter, Summer, will continue with her branch
of O2 SWIMMING…..”Summer Swim
School” by request as her Fanny Chapman
schedule allows !
No
excuses for anyone doing Lake Placid IM, summer
swim teams, or any other kids who need help….
May
- Special Team Discount Addendum, Spring 2015!
Dear Swimmers and Triathletes:
I have had
a ton of questions through both O2 SWIMMING
and O2 NUTRITION concerning race nutrition,
supplements, etc. This is jut a quick reminder
note to get you back on the Team Discount
loop posted on my website:
o2Swimming
Affiliate Partners
o2
SWIMMING Team Discounts
FINIS
- complete line of swim
apparel & training equipment. www.finisinc.com
20% off with us
Promo code: o2swimming
Pure
Sport - Olympic level sports
drinks. www.puresport.com
20% off with us
Promo Code: rao2s
Emerson
Ecologics - medical professional
vitamin and supplement line
accessed via sister company o2 NUTRITION www.emersonecologics.com
15% off with us
Promo code: o2nutr
Zip code: 18902
INFINIT
Nutrition - No
gels, no bars, no road capsules, NOTHING.
You get your own custom blended powder
to mix with water that will have all
the nutrition you need to go as far
as you can handle - all day for you
IronMen!!!! www.infinitnutrition.us
10% off (Plus earn- $5
INFINIT Bucks when you post a race
day picture of yourself on their INFINIT
Facebook page)
Promo Code: o2
A few things
I have learned in my years as an athlete and
a coach to a wide range and ability ~ there
is way too much HYPE out there and it can
take years to sort through it all. As both
a pharmacist and nutritionalist, I can personally
tell you that what I have listed here are
above the “average” by a huge
margin. If you can’t figure out a PERFECT
CUSTOM blend with Infinit, there is something
wrong!! I have been using Infinit exclusively
for 3 seasons and love it - it is MY OWN PERSONAL
FORMULA….I need nothing else going long
or short. How sweet is that? You do not need
14 different things to get through a day of
training or racing… ONE, and it is Infinit
!
Secondly,
we get a nice discount from FINIS as well.
When you need anything for swimming - they
are it !
Third, my
RX level supplements are PROVEN effective
with over 20 years of vetting (by me) in the
pharmacy. Here is the short list that I recommend
for myself and all my athletes and nutritional
clients:
1) Gender
specific multi vitamin/mineral
2) Cold water expressed fish oils (EPA/DHA)
3) Vit D or bone vitamin for any woman over
40
4) Probiotics for ALL swimmers - chlorine
is a toxin
Done.
Just keeping
you in the loop, as I have negotiated discounts
on everything I use because it is THE BEST
I have found…..
Questions?
SwimStrong.
SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
MAY
2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
We
are knocking on the door of summertime - finally
!! The kids are either playing “land”
sports or swimming long course and the triathletes
are beginning to race….life goes on
:-) O2 SWIMMING has been nicely busy, not
insanely overbooked, but once school lets
out - all bets are off. That is my one and
only HINT by the way.
When
I look back at my workout posts on O2 SWIMMING’s
Facebook page, I am amazed at just how many
different plans I have come up with over the
years. If you are doing Eagleman, Black Bear,
IM Lake Placid, etc; you will find a nice
selection of fun and challenging workouts.
Yes, this is another HINT as to what you need
to be doing….
Our
focus this month is : The
Catch
Everyone in the swimming community talks about
the catch, but after many years of swimming
and now coaching, I am utterly convinced that
very few people know what it means. Human
swimmers are hopelessly inefficient - compared
to any aquatic animal. The only time during
the freestyle stroke that we are “perfect’
is when our body is balanced horizontally
on the surface and our “catch”
arm is exactly vertical.
Everything else is a compromise….. How
best to efficiency catch water?
-
Enter the water earlier than you probably
think… If you are fully extended when
you hit the water, you can only push water
down - resulting in you going up, not forward.
-
Soft hands catch water. A stiff or flat hand
slaps water and will not bend when necessary.
-
A soft/relaxed hand leads to a relaxed forearm
and a relaxed shoulder that can move much
faster than a stiff arm ever could.
-
Try to FEEL the water during your warm up…read
the direction of flow….do you feel like
you are going forward? Bouncing? Up?
-
A high elbow ABOVE the water will make a high
elbow BELOW the water….. Angle of attack
going FORWARD is important. *****FEEL the
forward motion of your body that results from
the drive forward more than the pull backwards.
-
Swimming is nothing if not a constant state
of FLOW. Everything keeps moving all the time
- ever see a fish completely STOP?
Bottom
line, lets work on our catch this month. FEEL
the water. Be most deliberate in warm ups
every day. Use the FINIS Agility and/or Instinct
paddles to help you. My SWIMITTs are also
very instructive - I do have some left in
stock for $20.00.
It is time to swim L-O-N-G. There are less
walls in long course….just swim. If
you are a triathlete; get used to putting
in yardage when you do show up. If you have
a half or a full IM in 2015, there are no
days under 3,000 - NONE! Have faith - if my
12 and unders are doing 5,000, surely we can
set 3,000 as our bare minimum !!!
******Just to reiterate, I am in a nice scheduling
season now. Once we get even close to schools
letting out for the summer, life will change
in ONE DAY. If you need O2 SWIMMING, reach
out ASAP.
******
And last, keep in mind that we do rent out
the pool alone - no coaching. $20/hour swim
until you can’t !!
SwimStrong.
SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
APRIL
2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
I
hope everyone had a nice holiday; as we got
both Easter and Passover out of the way on
the same weekend - a new world order? It is
closing in on 70F as I write the April Newsletter
and about time too. This has been a long winter,
but…..IronMan Lake Placid is only 111
days away !! Yes, it is time. It is ALWAYS
time, kids :-)
My thoughts are that most of my TRI kids are
a little behind due to weather, but ahead
from the extra swimming when cycling and running
were less available? April is a bit of a lull
for swimmers too, with only some doing long
course season is the shorty pool at CB South.
So, in the interest of combining both subsets,
we have a mutual theme this month:
Streamline
~
If
we go all the way back to my first session
with you, no doubt you will remember my “4
LAWS” of swimming. Just to refresh:
1) Balance
2) Active Streamline
3) Weight Shift
4) Traction
The
main reason I am focusing on streamline this
month is because I see so little awareness
or respect for it…. Not good. My proof
for the equation of streamline being worth
MORE THAN power is that most of my under 12
girls can beat nearly all of my triathletes
in the water. Sorry kids, just the hard cold
facts. How, when the adult triathlete is SO
STRONG, can a little 10+ year old swim so
fast? STREAMLINE !!
What
is streamline?
Very
simply = your ability to swim through the
smallest hole in the water, essentially, your
shoulders.
Why
are we so bad at streamline?
Very
simple = humans have parts having off that
aquatic animals do not have and we are oriented
vertically.
What
O2 sees that can help you?
1)
Swimming long tightens the body profile, assisting
streamline
2) Rolling the HIPS towards the air instead
of your head and/or shoulders synergies the
front and back ends to follow ONE line (stream….line
!)
3) Use the walls !!!! PLEASE use your walls.
****One of the biggest freebies that the kids
give away is the simple ability of using the
wall (a hard surface) to push off STRAIGHT
AHEAD. I witness over and over again the tri
kids rushing at the wall, coming off all crooked
and taking half the pool to get straightened
out again - only to hit the next wall and
RE LEARN how to be out of streamline. People
who do this lose their streamline almost immediately
in open water because the body is so used
to feeling out of streamline. This makes me
crazy!! You should have every bell and whistle
in your head go off any time you are out of
streamline…. That little 10 year old
has that one skill :-)
4) Streamline is easier.
5) Streamline is faster.
6) In your warm up, swim SLOWER and FEEL your
relationship to the water… Any drag?
ADJUST !!!!!
If
my long course swimmer use the extra space
between the walls to develop better streamline
swimming skills, it will be a win.
If my triathletes SLOW DOWN early and develop
more feel than trying to overpower the water,
it will be a win.
Questions?
Maybe you would like to see an example:
Is there anything more important than your
streamline this month?
Keep
me posted on the O2 SWIMMING Facebook page
- this one matters….
And finally, the BIG Announcement!!
O2
SWIMMING has another coach ~ Summer Holland
:-)
Summer
finished up her junior year season at CB East
at the district meet at LaSalle and was immediately
booked out 2 weeks with the younger generation.
Summer’s services are called:
Summer’s
Swimming School
As
much as I told her kids HATE summer school,
she developed her own program and name and
is doing great! Her services are “in
water” and she charges half of my rate.
Summer has been coaching at Fanny Chapman
for several years and the little fish lover
her! If you have a young child who needs to
learn how to swim or is in the early years
of swim team (7-8), then this might be the
best answer for you… References upon
request.
Enjoy
the day.
It
is time…….!!!!
SwimStrong.
SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
MARCH
2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
It is a new
month ~ one that brings SPRING..believe it
or not! I would like to start out with a HUGE
Thank You to each of you who have showed up
at the O2 SWIMMING Endless Pool Studio through
all of this horrid weather :) Over the years,
and this year is no exception, you have chosen
to brave some nasty stuff to get here and
swim with me ~ THANK YOU!
This morning,
I spent 2.5 hours scraping ice off the 200’
driveway and another 100’ of walkway
and deck. You know why? Because I know
you are coming. I have no doubts. You will
be here tonight and every night - because
you are swimmers! Tough guys! Never say die
kids! All-in athletes!
Coming off
the recent District One Swim Championships
and on the heels of JO’s at GCIT and
PIAA States, I would like to discuss The
Taper ~
First
off, I’m not shaving until the taper
is over !!! It has been a swimming tradition
for decades to shave down… I am with
you! I said I would not shave till districts,
but I always knew some of you would continue
on to STATES… Love the program. Taper
well….
This
is as relevant for triathletes as it is for
swimmers, so hang in there with me.
Taper:
The
act of intelligent recovery by decreasing
workload so that you will perform at an absolute
peak on race day. Simple enough? But how do
YOU taper? You do not taper like me….I
am not in your age group (over 30/under 30?).
Some simple thoughts on the process so that
each of you achieves the maximum benefit from
TAPER:
1)
Let the taper work - do not overburden your
body to “catch up”. The work is
done, let the taper work now….
2) The older you are, the longer the taper
needs to be, but the better it works. Older
kids have more mileage and more muscle to
rest.
3) Some of taper should be RACEY !!! ***most
of taper needs to be long/easy/loose….
4) Nutrition and rest are a huge part of taper
- do you have a plan?
5) Taper is different for each individual.
Even amongst 17 year old boys, each one needs
a little special handling to squeeze the most
of of taper for them… YOU must be involved,
no coach knows everything…. ***Wake
up call maybe? (I mean for the athlete, not
the coaches)
6) Engage your BRAIN during taper. Read the
water. Feedback is important now, as you have
slowed up a bit…. I will never forget
after M Phelps won everything at US Trails
heading into Bejing where the world fully
expected him to dominate; where he was interviewed
and told Rowdy Gaines that HE HAD A LOT OF
WORK TO DO…. Really? Modest? NO! But
most people thought he meant workLOAD. He
meant technique. Michael was feeling bad things
that needed to be dialed in BEFORE the big
stage. He knew he was solid, but not fully
ready. He began to use every day of his taper
to BE PERFECT. Nothing less. Winning takes
commitment. Brain power added to a tuned body
is awesome. When you witness a fully loaded
animal peaking in a sport ~ it is legendary.
Now I ask you - ARE YOU READY?
This
month, I also want to show you a video of
a kid who WANTS TO WIN. This boy from Pedie
School in NJ takes this 100 yard breaststroke
race out as hard as anyone ever could:
Reese
Whitley getting beat for 99/100 yards of breaststroke
at Easterns - NB the turns from the Pedie
Swimmer:
No
doubt Reese is an amazing kid, but look at
the other swimmer continue to ATTACK for ALL
100 yards! He was ready. No one could ask
more…..
So, whether you are still swimming or done,
heading into long course or resting, or ramping
up the swim leg of your tri training - get
your head in the game NOW!
To
my triathletes, you will not taper well if
you do not train enough to benefit if you
are light on workload. I have coached in several
venues already this year and seen plenty of
“light” swim sets. It is March
and racing begins as early as April in some
venues… The winter weather is deplorable,
but inside, the pools are beautiful :-)
I
am committing to a minimum of 10,000 yards
a week now in my 3 workouts. I want more 12,000s
than 10’s, so I really jump on mondays.
Today is wednesday, I have 4,000 + 4,000 so
far this week….can’t wait to kick
friday over the top at 12,000 ! I am “banking”
hours while the weather has kept my bike indoors.
It will pay me back. I am already beginning
to gain speed again. Sets closer to 1:20 pace
than 1:30 pace are happening, and the work
feels so good !! Enjoy your time in the water.
We will set the clocks ahead this weekend.
This crazy weather will end very soon.
Commit now.
As a final point this month, O2 SWIMMING is
very proud to officially be affiliated with
360Run.org.
David Pajer (head coach) is every bit as committed
to the RUN and O2 is to the SWIM. Both of
us share many common traits:
- long history in the sport
- still very active and competitive
- LOVE what we do
- thoroughly researched plan to deliver objectives
to each athlete we touch
- personal interactions that make YOU the
priority
So, if you need the level of help that I give
each of you in the RUNNING area, we now have
a superior option. Reach out for David through
his website: www.run360.org
And tell him I sent you - he is one of the
good guys !
Keep
me posted as you swim JOs and STATES next
week kids ~ O2 loves it when you blow up his
phone on the weekends with tales of glory….
NOTHING MAKES ME HAPPIER tun your success
!
SwimStrong. SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
FEB
2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
I
am a little late this month, but it is 8F
now and plenty is still going on around here
- in the water !! All swimmers are preparing
for championship meets, districts, states,
zones, etc and we are working with each one
on strategy/game plan. Swimming is certainly
not all physical….
O2 has been swimming a little more recently;
mostly because I can’t get out on the
bike (ice, not temperature) and no one likes
a cranky O2!! The problem is that my shoulders
are a little tenuous as I get in that 4th,
and 5th day - and many are here in the Endless
Torture Chamber we all know and love :) I
have renewed my time with the ancient practice
of yoga in hopes that I will continue to avoid
any serious strains beyond my attitude. Yoga
is a 5,000 year old “sport” that
I can advise if by nothing more than the longevity
of this near religious doctrine. If you are
over 30, you owe it to yourself to give it
a try. There are many teachers and guide books
out there - all you have to do is “show
up” and try something,,,,
My
theme for this month is two-fold: Starting
& Finishing
!
Starting:
the act of engaging in an activity.
1) How do you START a stroke?
2) How do you START your training?
3) How do you START the race?
4) How do you START each practice?
Finishing: of or pertaining
to completing an event.
1) How do you FINISH a hard set?
2) How do you FINISH a race?
3) What have you learned from finishing that
will help you START again?
Complicated?
Can be… Swimming is a sport, but it
is also supposed to be FUN - don’t lose
sight of that aspect. A lucky man enjoys both
his work and his sport - I am truly lucky
:-)
Some
O2 thoughts on STARTING……
- it is a mental game as much as a physical
game
- it is never too late to start
- box jump training helps explode starts off
the block
- some people should start in a more appropriate
place in open water races
- the morning is a great time to start
- you only have to start again if you ended
once
Some
O2 thoughts on FINISHING…..
- it is not over until you put hands on the
wall
- one must practice finishing to do it well
- you must want to finish well
- the finish matters
- learn from your last finish
My
thoughts this month as I coach is that I spend
so much time on details that occur from wall
to wall; I must not forget to prepare for
the act of starting and the results of finishing.
I have noticed at several high school meets
that over half of the swimmers need work on
their start and many don’t finish like
they WANT TO WIN. Winning is beating an opponent,
but it is also about beating the clock. Most
of us know someone faster, but each time we
lower the standard on our own clock - we are
victorious.
See
the explosion and the drive? EVERY practice
needs to have a time like this where you get
up and dance. Get out of your comfort zone.
Get ugly and push it. Only then will you ever
know just how fast you can START, how well
you can swim, and how strongly you can FINISH.
Last and hopefully least, I have redone some
of my lists on a new computer and may have
either added you inadvertently or subtracted
you by mistake… Sorry! Please reach
back to me with any requests to reconcile
the O2 SWIMMING monthly newsletter and I will
be happy to make things right immediately
!!
SwimStrong.
SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
JAN
2015 Newsletter
Dear
Swimmers and Triathletes:
As
I swam friday (Jan 2nd) and today (Jan 5th),
I am reminded of many things: how healthy
swimming is, how therapeutic water can be,
how heavy H2O can be if you have not played
in it for a while, and how much of a lifelong
journey it is to master the art of swimming!
These are all good things and I am always
excited to see new faces in the pool - if
only for the first few weeks of any new year...
So, what do YOU have planned for 2015? Not
talking about "resolutions", but
simply, what do you want to accomplish and
how can O2 SWIMMING help you get there?
Going under :60 for your 100 yard event?
Feeling solid after your 1500 start to your
Olympic Tri?
Setting a PR for your next IronMan?
Making Districts? Zones?
Qualifying for JO's?
There
are many swimmers in our ranks, each an inspiration
in their own right. We can all continue to
learn from each other. The only mistake will
be showing up and doing the same things (stroke,
workout, etc) and expecting a different result.
We CAN improve... The question is always -
DO YOU WANT TO?
My
theme for this month is: Do not swim the square
~
Although
this is another variation on a theme I have
addressed in past Newsletters, I am observing
and thinking about it is a different way today.
I have been really working on DRIVING my hand
forward as I swim faster sets over the winter
swim season. It is apparent that as I go faster,
it takes more energy to drive far enough forward
that I get a decent rotation. As I observe
many swimmers, they "swim a square",
meaning that they extend forward only to that
all-too-comfortable spot in front that leaves
their shoulders square (wide and not streamline
to the coming force of the water). Stand up
(yes right now!) and extend your right hand
forward into your preferred swim position.
Now leave that hand there (oh God, he is preaching
catchup again :) and bring the other hand
forward - comfortably. What do you notice?
Yes, you just made a perfect square in front
of you where you are shorter (by not extending
into the stroke) and are giving maximum resistance
to the water by virtue of a square versus
and angle slopping water away.... As a fly
fisherman, I see very few perfectly square
edges on the rocks FACING the current. They
all get worn into rounded edges by the water.
Conversely, many trailing edges of the rock
remain much more square due to lack of force
pounding on them. YOU are no different than
that rock in the middle of my stream !!! Now,
repeat the exercise (yes, you must stand again....see,
I give you multiple opportunities to exercise
every day!), but this time extend the right
hand/arm uncomfortably forward as you REACH
OUT. Did you reach far enough that your HIP
TURNED also? If not, you are still too square.
Imagine
this relationship in the water EVERY stroke
you take. What is you SPL? There is never
a day we decline to monitor this, as it is
always YOUR WAY to seek and monitor efficiency.
As you develop more strength, reach further
forward and negate the square. Be long in
the water. Swim on your edges. Never be flat.
Ever hear any of this before, maybe in different
explanations of smooth flow and streamline?
You now have yet another focal point to think
about as you count laps in 2015. Keep in mind,
ALL OF THIS directly relates to SPL which
translates into efficiency, which makes one
faster. The end !
FEEL
this affect early in your day by really improving
your catch up drill.
Notes
for swimmers:
You have all survived the massive yardage
of the holidays. While the whole world is
getting fat, you got lean! Most of you are
in the best shape of your lives so far and
ready to step up on the blocks and launch
!! What can YOU do better? Work on it NOW,
as the end of the season will come quickly
as the meets take up your schedule.
- Starts as good as you can do? *****Watch
your fastest teammates and learn
- Reaction time as fast as your competitors?
***You can practice box jumps at home. QUALITY,
not quantity!!
- How do you take out the first length? ***Are
you waiting to see what happens, or taking
the race to them?
- Turns leave you solidly in the race, or
are you catching up after every wall?
- Breakouts feel strong or weak? ****Come
off the wall swinging for the fence !!
- Finishing like a champion? *****By now,
I have counseled each of you on picking a
spot in the pool where you can put your head
down, stop breathing, and FINISH HARD! Sometimes,
it is not who swims "better" but
who finishes harder that wins the tough races...
Notes
for triathletes:
Jan 1 ALWAYS brings a renewed sense of competitiveness
to the tri community. The weather will often
not be nice - outside. It is ALWAYS nice inside!!
We live in a world that the average man can
join and indoor, heated pool and swim from
5am till 11pm most days.... Are you getting
it in? NOW is the time to think through your
race calendar and put the time in the water.
I can help you, as most of the tri community
focuses on "surviving " the swim
and then buying gadgets for the bike.... All
good, but there is no substitute for focused
hard work and you have resources. My workouts
are posted on Facebook every week - let them
be your guide. You do not have to do them,
but they give you a clear understanding of
how a swim workout is structured. Follow my
lead here. Reach out for me with questions.
Although I try very hard to keep my hours
focused on competitive swimmers this time
of year, we can talk and still get you motivated.
Keep the faith, the majority of the kids wind
up in the next 6 weeks or so.... Until then,
you should get started and regain some strength.
Have questions.... Swimming is a very evolutionary
sport.
Housekeeping
~ Thank you all for a great 2014 (again, busiest
ever!), looking forward to lots of PRs in
2015! As some of you may have noticed, I am
not the greatest on email.... Sorry. No excuses,
but it is not likely to change. I am old and
have too much technology sometimes:( PLEASE
call or text me when you really want/need
to find me. I am always here!! ***I do not
get emails on my phone - it helps me keep
sane and still deliver more energy to those
standing in front of me.
If
you have not joined O2 SWIMMING on Facebook,
I would much appreciate you sharing in our
community with your stories, pictures, highlights,
etc. We have a truly amazing group that keeps
inspiring not only each other, but me!
Last,
the not so fun stuff: O2 SWIMMING had a price
increase as we entered the new year. I will
continue to provide the maximum value for
your money by dedicating time with you one
on one in the Endless Pool and my written
follow up reports. I use video both of swimmers
and professional examples, as well as my knowledge
from the Olympic Swim Coaches Conference(s).
O2 SWIMMING really is a unique place and several
major companies have stepped up over the years
to support us with TEAM DISCOUNTS (available
links on my web page).
2015
Rates:
Single
hour session: $58
Tri Pack : $148
Pairs Coaching Package: $240
Pool time: $20/hour for distance swimming
practice
O2 SWIMMING also has Summer Holland available
for younger children to get them ready and
legal for swim team and a 50% discount to
my prices. She has no written follow ups,
but gets in the water with each student. She
has limited availability during her high school
swim season (Nov - March).
SwimStrong. SwimSilent.
Ken
Holland
Head Coach
O2 SWIMMING
Doylestown, PA
267-994-0568 | www.o2swimming.net | www.o2nutrition.net
HEALTH
COACHING
Kenneth W. Holland
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