Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Same, same, but different!

Dear Swimmers

Hope you're doing well and lapping up every one of today's 31ºC!

A couple of notes this week:

  1. we are still seeing a good number of people NO SHOWING for sessions despite you now having the tools at your fingertips to easily cancel out of a session up to 12hrs before that session starts. I hate to groan about this, but this morning was a prime example - we had 8 people on the wait list for the coveted "Red Mist" session at 5.30am and 9 people no show. This is very disappointing as every one of those wait-listers could have been permitted a start. Please make sure you download the freely available app in the Appstore (iOS) or Playstore (Android), search for "Swim Smooth Perth", download the app, login with your email as your username and your password as swim0400000000 (unless you've already changed it, and where the number is YOUR mobile number) and please get cancelling out of the sessions you cannot attend. It's really very easy. If you don't have an iOS or Android device, just perform the same function by visiting www.swimsmoothperth.com and using the login portal there. Of course those that don't show are not being charged a credit yet and the proposal was for this policy to be enforced from November onwards, though really you have everything at your finger tips now to please - out of courtesy to the program and the other swimmers - do this. We will be bringing this policy of charging for no shows forwards to Monday 5th October (my originally proposed date), now that everything is in place with the new system and it's been so for nearly 8 weeks now. I hope this seems fair and reasonable for all parties. Remember, if you have an emergency crop up that doesn't allow you to attend and you feel it fair and reasonable to request an early cancellation (no fee) then just email me later that day.
  2. Swimmers who continue to NO SHOW without notice (I have a list of about 20 people) may have their "permanent" bookings revoked and offered to someone on the waiting list. Again, I hope this is only fair. This might suit you better anyway (takes the stress off etc) and with the new system will allow you to simply register for the sessions you want to do, when you know you can make them. You might have to go on the wait list for a couple of your favourites, but if everyone is doing their thing and cancelling when they should, this should still allow you to attend. If you know already that you want to withdraw your permanent spot or are in need of cancelling a large block of sessions, just email me please.
  3. I have to commend the 9.30am squad on their ability to do the above mentioned request - almost every session here has a 100% show rate (thank you all!) and consequently many wait listers are finding they've been able to access these sessions as a result of people kindly cancelling out of these sessions when they know they can't make it. What should leave us all with no excuse is that many of these swimmers are "maturer of age" and would be the first to say they weren't the most technology savvy people…so if they can do it, so can you (please!).
  4. Some of you are still asking how to view their remaining credits and what does it mean when the iPad shows "zero credits remaining", either please read this explanation here or watch this NEW 3 minute video clip here, or simply wait until you receive the automated email when you have 2 sessions remaining and then follow the link to top-up.


Same, same, but different!

What do you think is beautiful about the picture above? That's right! A reasonable "Mind The Gap" gap between the swimmers in this morning's Red Mist Session, limited drafting and ironically each lane working like a well-oiled machine with and ironically with very little "Red Mist" to be seen. How was this achieved I hear you ask? Not by shouting or bribing surprisingly, but with a change to the pecking order within the lane which we're going to try on Thursday 6.15pm and Friday's 5.30am, 6.30am and 9.30am sessions. Those of you who don't like to see the detail of an upcoming session, look away now:



The details for Thursday / Friday:

  • each lane has two groups (SAME)
  • each group has a leader, each with a Tempo Trainer (SAME)
  • both groups within the lane are on the same cycle time / target time (DIFFERENT), starting 50m apart, so that the two groups never (in theory!) meet

What this results in:

  • less drafting (we save that specifically for the Saturday 1-2pm session), but more of a "true" effort on your part, which will only be a good thing
  • more of a challenge, i.e. race simulation with those faster swimmers in front of you gradually pulling away
  • giving you a challenge of seeing how long you can hang on for and how this might aid your ongoing development
  • learning to psychologically deal with faster swimmers pulling away from you, but for you to focus on yourself and holding your stroke together when this happens!

Anyway, we'll give it a try this Thursday / Friday and see what you make of it! Interestingly Lane 2 in the 5.30am squad have been working like this for many months now and it seems to work very well. Let me know what you think, good or bad, once you've tried it!

Cheers

Paul

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please add your comments here: