Have you hit a pace plateau?

Is getting faster just not happening? Or you’ve gotten a tiny bit faster by using a ton more energy?

Discovery Aquatics age group triathletes can help you out. Here they demonstrate 3 focal points, related to the underwater phase of freestyle (aka catch and pull, power phase, stroke phase…) that has them blazing through the pace plateau.

These are stills taken within the first 4 hours of instruction at the Discovery Aquatics studio. The 3 focal points translated to a pace improvement of 30sec/100yd for one swimmer, and a pace improvement of 5sec/100yd with an increase in distance per stroke of 15% for the other.  Happy swimmers! Happy Coach!

First take a look at your body shape. The goal here is to create a stable, hydrodynamic platform. Start from the core- roll the armpit over and forward, keeping the arm weightless but long, hands relaxed and fingertips hanging down. When the core is guiding this shape, the lead arm feels like it is draped forward over a large exercise ball.

It is important to note that during this time, the recovery arm (the arm in the air – in the picture above it’s the right arm) is moving out and forward. No patchy pauses please!

Then find a better direction to take the water backwards. Straight backwards. Take that imaginary exercise ball and using your palm and your lats, gently indent the ball an inch. Your palm should now be facing back, and your elbow high as a side effect. The indent should happen slowly, no need to rush here.

Anything other than straight back will have a consequence – in the picture above on the left, a downward direction is pulling the body out of the hydrodynamic shape.

It is important to note that during this time the recovery arm (the arm in the air – in the picture above it’s the left arm) is just sliding through the entry. No premature pulling please!

Now you can work on the precise pressure needed to move the body forward and the lead arm backwards.  Match the pressure to the momentum moving forward, keep it headed backwards and keep it even. No purposeless power please!

This is challenging and requires control through the core, the ability to predict and feel the speed of the body moving forward and the ability to match the backwards applied pressure to this.

It is important to note that during this time the recovery arm (the arm that was in the air – in the picture above it’s the left arm)  is sliding forward ready to begin again at #1. Improve Shape.

Coach Dinah

2014 Holiday Gift Ideas for Swimmers

Do you find yourself suffering from holiday gifters block? No worries, I got you covered. Sit back, relax and get inspired by these ideas that may just get you on the gift giving podium.

1. Wetsuit Care Kit
Maintenance is not just for bikes. Give your neoprene some love over the holidays and you’ll be ready to roll in the spring.

2. Way to Display
Show off your well deserved bling with this handmade in the USA medal rack. (I would like one of these please!)

3. Mantra Cap
Greet the sun, test the water, dive in, feed your body, nourish your soul, embrace laughter, live fully, repeat.
Love this sentiment. Wear it, live it.

4. H2Open Magazine Subscription
Enjoy catching up on all things open water. It’s great, global and bi-monthly!

5. Travel Mug
Veni. Natavi. Vici.
I came. I swam. I conquered.
A reminder of any epic swim with every mornings cuppa.

6. Safer Swimmer Buoy
Be seen…..and so much more. It’s a beacon, it’s a dry bag, it’s a buoy. Nuff said. Bonus 10% discount with code ‘coachdinah’

7. The best bags ever!
Handmade by my dear friend, and designed with the person who enjoys getting wet in mind. These waterproof lined beauties will house your wet suit or your wetsuit! A little outer pocket for goggles, cap, chip strap, lube or what have you, means no more scrambling around on training day or race day. Love!

8. Wet Brush Wonder
Post swim hair tangles? Knot a problem, this bad boy gets through anything.

9. Blue Mind by Wallace Nichols
Water science meets neuroscience in this interesting read on the relationship between water and how we think and behave.

10. Waterproof Note Books
Need to pop a love letter in your swimmers bag? Get inspired when you swim and need to record some notes? Or perhaps just use it to jot down your practice sets, love this practical paper.

11. Tasty Treats
Love these little guys, just the right size and just the right deliciousness for pre or post swim snack.

12. My personal fave
Choose number 6 or 7 and fill it with numbers 1,3,4,5,8,9,10 and 11! Bam!

Happy shopping y’all!

Coach Dinah