Spring is in the air and the Masters swimmers are looking ahead to the summer racing season. Whether you are getting ready for Masters Nationals, open water swimming, or triathlons, I will offer some suggestions to add that extra pizzazz to your training.
Technique is all important. My coach Buddy Baarcke used to say, "Practice doesn't make you perfect. Perfect practice makes you perfect." Don't waste your time with sloppy technique. Your coach is the best place for guidance. I will offer some simple words of wisdom. Go for length. You want your stroke and your body to be long at all times. Also, anything new will feel funny for a while which is important to keep in mind when changing your technique. You want to constantly keep technique in mind and there will be times when you need to concentrate on swimming hard. When you are becoming fatigued and your stroke is faltering, you need to keep vigilant of your stroke. I encourage you to swim through the fatigue while always bringing yourself back to good form. That is not easy!
Kicking is another area you can concentrate on and improve. Lose those fins and Zoomers. You can't wear them in your races. Swimming without fins can be hard, but the proof will be in the pudding. You can wear fins occasionally, not all the time. The same goes for pulling!
For those of you triathletes and open water swimmers, remember those long swims. A lot of your races will be 20 minutes or longer. I suggest you do one swim a week of at least 30 minutes at a good pace.
Feel the need for some speed. At least once a week do some sprinting -- three 100's, or six 50's, or twelve 25's -- all out with plenty of rest.
Remember to get enough rest and eat right. Drink water. Here's the formula for water. Try this and you will be amazed at the results in your life. Take your body weight, divide it in half, and that is how many ounces minimum a day you need to drink. Water only! Sports drinks or juices do not count. Try it and you will be pleased with the results.