Friday, December 18, 2009

Swimming, Canadian-style!

Dear Swimmers

 

Just before you all slope-off for a great Christmas and New Year break after our last session on Saturday 19th December (and re-commencing on Monday 4th January with the schedule as per: http://files.me.com/swimsmooth/4yeg6v ), I just thought you might find a couple of my musings on the quirks of swimming in Canada somewhat amusing given that we are rotating between 4 council-run pools here. I don’t wish to offend or seem in anyway ungrateful (especially as our next stage of our trip is the U.K where we’ll be lucky to even get a bath in nevermind a swim!) and I apologize now to Mishy for posting this, but it was just too good to let it slip by!

 

Every country has their fare-share of swimming pool “quirks” (none as much as the UK!), but whilst training over here in Canada, these are some of the most amusing ones which make you realize just how good we have it in Perth. So, the next time it’s 2 degrees warmer / colder at Claremont than normal or you have to share a world-class 50m lane with more than one other person, spare a thought for your Canook-brothers and sisters over in the Great White North:

 

1. It is illegal to go for a swim in Ontario without prior showering with soap and warm water in the facility’s change-rooms. According to legislation 565/90, Ontario Provincial Law demands that no swimmer shall enter the pool without first having cleansed themselves. If any swimmer is caught not doing so this is punishable in a court of law and further action may be taken against the facility management for not enforcing this. I am deadly serious about this – can you imagine me enforcing this at the Claremont Pool at 5.30am on a wet and cold July morning?! No, didn’t think so!

 

2. Whilst it is customary for most pools to open at 6.00am for Early Bird lane lap swimming and to actually let swimmers into the facility 10 to 15 minutes beforehand to get changed in readiness for the pool lifeguards being ready (good), swimmers are actually kept behind a sophisticated cage-wall to block them from entering the pool deck area until exactly 6.00am (bad). In pools where this cage has not yet been fitted, swimmers stand about on pool deck looking anxiously from one to the other like racing drivers on the start grid until such time that the lifeguard gives the signal to get in. This is usually that of resting their empty cup of Tim Horton’s vanilla-flavored coffee by their lifeguard chair and shouting “let’s get going, eh?!”

 

3. Despite all the pools that we have swum in measuring exactly 25m x 15m (i.e. standard regulation for a 6-lane 25m competition pool), only two lane ropes are ever used, even in lap swimming sessions. These two lane ropes evenly divide the pool into three thirds and yet swimmers are instructed to still swim as though six lanes were present. This causes a  huge amount of confusion and frustration as each lane alternates between clockwise and anti-clockwise in direction. Collisions are inevitable and par for the course. What is doubly frustrating is that there are always three other lane ropes laying on the side of the pool just screaming to “Use me! Use me!”

 

4. The lap clocks in all the pools we have visited have not one clock hand (i.e. one on the “0” and the other on the “30”) but two, neatly dividing the clock into four quarters. In all fairness these are color-coded, however, being approximately half the size of Australian pool clocks make them extremely difficult to read and interpret, even with my 20/20 X-Ray Vision Speedo googles. Good job we are armed with our trusty Wetronomes!

 

5. It is customary for all swimmers to totally ignore the signs allocating “fast”, “medium” and “slow” and just randomly jump in any old lane as they see fit. This, I don’t need to tell you, is incredibly frustrating!

 

6. It is $5.67 (plus tax) to swim for one hour at these pools. The tax thing is the bane of my life – why-o-why can’t they just add it and tell you the real cost of each session (for your reference this works out to be $6.05) – it’s not like anyone is asking for a receipt to claim their GST and PST back from a lowly early-morning dip!

 

7. Every pool is kept at a lovely (not!) 31 to 32 degrees celcius with a poolside surround lacking any airflow whatsoever and maintained at what must be at least 45 degrees celcius. Forget the showering legislation and the risk of spreading Cryptosporidium this way, I’d suggest lowering the temperature in the pool by 5 degrees and the pool surround by at least 15 and these bugs will stand no chance.

 

To cap it all off, after this morning’s “Fresh & Fruity” session I was accosted by one of the local swim coaches as I exited the pool wanting to know what or who my swim cap was (“Swim Smooth”), who I trained with, where I’m from, how many names could I drop in the swimming world and was this even half of the number he could (!), how much FINA sucked, how every other country apart from Canada was doping their athletes and was I aware that he had been coaching for at least forty thousand years before I was even conceived? I wasn’t even coaching when he saw me, just having an enjoyable swim and minding my own business! The funniest thing was that he was so insistent that he have my full name (presumably so that he could look me up and check on my credentials?), and yet when I asked him at the end of the very long and tedious conversation what his full name was he just responded with “Chuck*…Coach Chuck…you can call me Coach!”. OK, “thanks Coach!” I said as I walked off, vowing never to engage eye-contact again with anyone on a Canadian pool-deck who looked remotely like a coach.

 

*the “part-names” have been changed to protect the innocent!

 

Finally, last year I posted some “Christmas Fitness Survival Ideas” at:

 

http://theteamcore.blogspot.com/2008/12/exercise-tips-to-help-survive-holidays.html

 

…so if you’re struggling for a few ideas, please check them out if you’re wondering what to do to keep fit over the 2-week holiday period. NB. A few of the links on that Blog aren’t available any longer, but the general plan should be useful for you!

 

Cheers and have a great Christmas everyone!

 

Coach ;-)

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Update to timetable for this week!

Dear TEAM

Two errors in the timetable sent out yesterday - apologies:

1. There WILL be a swim session at 9.30am on Friday 18th December with
Ceinwen despite me missing it in yesterdays blog. This was purely an
oversight on my behalf.

2. Apparently there is a swim race next Saturday from Scarborough to
Trigg at 8.30am which clashes with the proposed 6.0km swim that we had
down. Therefore I suggest potentially doing the race and then swimming
back to Scarborough as a cool down. This should give you roughly 5km
plus a bit extra with the warm up and cool down.

Hope you are all enjoying training with the new coaches.

Cheers

Paul

This Weeks Training

Dear Athletes

 

I hear on the grape vine that it’s been 38 degrees there this weekend – phew! A stark contrast to what we have had over here in our first few days in Canada – minus 6 degrees, snow and a wind-chill factor of minus 15 – ouch! Still, all is going well and it’s great to catch up with Michelle’s family and friends and show off the little guy!

 

We released our UK Swim Smooth Clinics yesterday and all but one of them is fully booked within 12 hours – amazing stuff and very encouraging…our Windsor Clinic on Saturday 9th January actually filled within 30 minutes of being released to the public! These Clinics are effectively a 1-day workshop where 12 swimmers can attend a full day of video analysis and stroke correction with myself and Adam and some of our other UK-based Swim Smooth coaches. They are lots of fun and very engaging for the swimmers.

 

So, this week is the last week of training before a 2-week lay-off over Christmas, resuming again on Monday 4th January. Here’s what we have in-store this week:

 

Monday 14th December:

 

7am = technique swim session with Shelley Taylor-Smith

 

9.30am = low-key endurance set with Ceinwen Williams

 

Tuesday 15th December:

 

5.30am = low-key endurance set with Nicola Holmes & Adam Mullens

 

6.30am = low-key endurance set with Adam Mullens & Nicola Holmes

 

6.15pm = low-key endurance set with Adam Mullens

 

Wednesday 16th December:

 

5.30am = endurance set perfect for Rottnest swimmers with Ceinwen Williams

 

9.30am = Fresh & Fruity session with Ceinwen Williams

 

Thursday 17th December:

 

6.00am = open water skills session at Cottesloe Beach with Adam Mullens

 

Friday 18th December:

 

5.30am = Fresh & Fruity session with Nicola Holmes & Adam Mullens

 

6.30am = Fresh & Fruity session with Adam Mullens & Nicola Holmes

 

4.30pm = Rottnest Solo Squad session at Claremont Pool (Session # 1 from the Monster Sets = 7.5km)

 

Saturday 19th December:

 

6.00am = 3h30 Freeway south ride – a great one for those getting in some miles for the Busselton Half Ironman in May 2010. If this is your first ride back for a while, limit yourself to just 2h00 with a short run off the bike. Meet at the Bell Tower.

 

8.00am = 6.0km ocean swim at Trigg Beach (meet at the SLSC tower at 7.50am) and then swim south for 3.0km (just past Scarborough Beach, see: http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=90783 )

 

1.00pm = open water skills session at Claremont Pool with Shelley Taylor-Smith to see you off into the Christmas break with a bang!

 

Sunday 20th December:

 

REST!

 

From all of us here at The TEAM CORE, we’d like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

Cheers

 

Paul

 

 

 

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

That's all folks!




Dear TEAM

Just a quick note before we head off to the airport to catch a flight to Canada for 2 weeks of skiing, egg-nog and roast moose - I just wanted to say thank you all for a superb 2009! It has been a real pleasure coaching every single one of you and seeing how you've all been improving and enjoying the various sessions that we offer! It started off as quite a nervous year (being the first full year in operation and not knowing quite how it would all go) and then with the birth of little Jackson etc etc, but through your support and commitment to the squad we have been able to develop something really quite special at the Claremont Pool and I look forward to making it even bigger and better in 2010!

Whilst away we might email out the occasional photo from our trip so you can see what we're up to and contrast your boiling temperatures with our freezing climes - brrrr!!!

So, this week is a great week to be down at the pool and ocean learning some new stuff and new ideas from all the new coaches that we have in operation. As a reminder, here's who's on and when:

Tuesday 6.15 PM = Adam Mullens taking you through a long aerobic set as per earlier this morning.

Wednesday 5.30 AM = Ceinwen putting you through your paces with a 1.5hr endurance set and again at 9.30 AM Ceinwen will take you through our Fresh & Fruity Session.

Thursday 6.00 AM (Cottesloe Beach) = next up is Adam Mullens together with 7-time world marathon swimming champion, Shelley Taylor-Smith who will be taking you through some tips and techniques to swim better into and out of the waves - it'll be heaps of fun and who better to learn from than arguably the world's best ever open water swimmer!

Friday 5.30 & 6.30 AM = sharing the load in our Fresh & Fruity Session will be Nikki Rogers (Commonwealth Games bronze medallist) and the ever-strong Adam Mullens (3rd session this week!). Ceinwen will be back later at 9.30 AM to take you through a relaxing technique set. 4.30 PM will be the SOLO swim session (please refer to your Master Plan for this - it's Week # 6 from the Monster Session program - a cruisey 5.0km).

Saturday 6.00 AM = meet at the Bell Tower for a 67km ride out and around Kalamunda (~3h30). 8.00 AM = swim at Cottesloe Beach (max of 4.0km) and then at 1.00 PM = Shelley and Ceiwen will be teaming up for an afternoon of fun open water technique work in the pool!

Sunday = Champion Lakes 2.5km, 5.0km or 10.0km swimming event. Highly recommend SOLO swimmers with some good distance under their belt already to give the 10.0km a go (as this then takes some of the pressure off in January to qualify), but if you haven't yet swum over 8.0km, suggestion would be to build a little more base first and then tackle the 10.0km in January. If you do the 10.0km, don't worry about times, just get into  good rhythm, enjoy yourself and keep well fuelled!!!

Over and out!

Paul

P.S I am so sorry but I inadvertently missed John Annear's Busselton Ironman results from the weekend - sorry John, especially given he placed 2nd in his age-group and qualified again for Kona - nice work!





Sunday, December 6, 2009

Ironman WA 2009 Results

Dear TEAM

Here are the collated results from yesterday's Busselton Ironman:


...it was absolutely stinking hot yesterday and it looked like most of the field (including the PROs) really struggled on the run component - so if you got through and completed the event you should be very pleased with yourself indeed!

Big shout out to Russell Cox and Chris Domoney who both came 2nd in their respective age-groups and have no doubt scored a place in Hawaii 2010. Also, another big well done to Louise Jones who (6 months ago) was really struggling with her swimming and wasn't sure if she'd complete the distance of 3.8km - she did that (and more!) in 1:19 - so awesome effort there!

Well done to everyone - that was a hard, hard day!

Paul





Friday, December 4, 2009

Blue Seventy Suits

Dear Swimmers

Many of you have been trying (unsuccessfully) to get hold of one of the Blue Seventy swim suits for the Rottnest Channel Swim in February. Blue Seventy have apparently been snowed under with demand for this great suit and supply has been very short. I wore one in my Solo swim this year and it was fantastic, hence the reason I am more than happy to advocate their benefits and more importantly where to get one. 

The "Swimmers World" shop at 208 Cambridge Street in Wembley have just managed to get five suits in (out of a requested 20!) of various sizes in male and female fittings and also in the short or long-leg versions. If you want one get down there as soon as you can or give them a call on 9382 4483 as they will go very quickly. Don't miss out!

Hope this helps!

Paul




Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Training this weekend and Ironman Preview

Dear Athletes

I hope you are all enjoying this warmer weather! Its tipped to be 38 this weekend I believe which should make things interesting for the Ironman down in Busselton. More on that in a moment!

PAYG Session Cards: Just a quick reminder that if you are running low on credits to encourage you to purchase your PAYG cards online at http://www.theteamcore.com/shop.html or in cash / cheque ("The TEAM CORE") prior to my departure for our holiday next Tuesday so that I can issue you one in time.

I am trying to streamline the whole process for the new coaches whilst I am away and as such your support on this matter would be much appreciated. Remember, we have a 2 week break for Christmas from the 20/12/09 to 3/1/10 (inclusive, restarting on the 4/1/10), so there is effectively 2 weeks of training before and after the Christmas break when I will not be around. I have set-up the coaches with the facility to issue cards if absolutely needs be, but we'd prefer if you could pre-purchase before I leave. Thanks in advance.

Training this weekend: There are a few big events on this weekend (the Swim Thru Rottnest & the Busselton Ironman) but whilst that might mean slightly quieter sessions, these will all still proceed. So:

Friday - AM - all sessions, 5.30am, 6.30am & 9.30am as normal

Friday - PM - 4.30pm session for Rottnest Solo and DUO swimmers - have a crack at the 4k, 3k, 2k, 1k set from the "Monster Sessions" list. Make sure you hydrate and fuel very well indeed on this. Keep you effort steady and consistent with breaks between sets of 2 mins being for fueling purposes. If your longest session so far is just ~5.5-6km please do a max of 8km today, i.e. 4k, 3k, 1k.

Saturday - AM - 6.00am ride around the river from Cottesloe Beach car park. 8.00am steady swim down to north Cottesloe and back (Solo swimmers to do Rottnest Swim Thru if possible - it's a great event!).

Saturday - PM - 1.00pm squad swim session at Claremont Pool. Wahey, 1.00pm!!! Hope you can make it!

Busselton Ironman:

We have a range of athletes racing this weekend at the 6th Busselton Ironman. Conditions look set to be tough with highs of ~34 and strong winds forecast - this will make for a strong and determined athlete's course I suspect. Hydration will be of the utmost importance. Many of the athletes below are doing this distance for the first time (good on them!), but one of the athletes whom I have been advising with his swim training (Petr Vabrousek from the Czech Republic) will be making this his 85th outing at this distance - simply amazing! Let's wish them all well:

  • Petr Vavrousek (Male PRO) - Czech Republic
  • Karol Dzalaj (Male PRO) - Slovak Republic
  • Kate Bevilaqua (Female PRO)
  • Michael Bowles (M 45-49) - Ironman Virgin
  • Graham Crocker (M 60-64)
  • Christopher Domoney (M 60-64) - UK, one of the guys responsible for getting me into triathlon back in 1994!
  • Tracey Edwards (F 35-39) - Ironman Virgin
  • Kirsti Hansen (F 40-44) - New Zealand - Ironman Virgin
  • Paul Heyes (M 45-49)
  • Tony Highfield (M 50-54)
  • Michael Hodgson (M 45-49) - Ironman Virgin
  • Matt Howes (M 30-34) - Ironman Virgin
  • Desmond Jennings (M 35-39)
  • Louise Jones (F 35-39) - Ironman Virgin
  • Ian Lane (M 45-49)
  • Paul McQueen (M 45-49) - Ironman Virgin
  • Daniel Palko (M 30-34) - Slovak Republic
  • Malcolm Rose (M 35-39) - United Arab Emirates (attended our last Swim Smooth Clinic in Windsor, UK)
  • Daniel Tarborsky (M 25-29) - Ironman Virgin
  • Dan Timbers (M 30-34)
  • Luc Tournier (M 35-39)

Cheers!

Paul







Sunday, November 29, 2009

Christmas Holiday Details For Your Diaries!

Dear TEAM

Please, please take 5 minutes to read this entire newsletter as it contains some very important information about the holiday period and because you have just won $1,000,000 and need to collect your ticket from the bottom of this page...OK, so that last point was a bit of a fib! ;-)

BREAK:

Please be advised that the squad will take an official break of 2 weeks from Sunday 20th December to Sunday 3rd January (inclusive). The last session before the holidays will be our Saturday squad session at Claremont Pool at 1.00pm and the first session back in the New Year will be the Monday morning sessions at 7.00am and 9.30am - both focused on steady swimming with an emphasis on technique. If you keep reading you'll see the link to the download for the timetable for this period - print it off and you'll be all set!

ADVICE:

Over the 2-week holiday period I would encourage you to take a bit of "time-out" to relax and "smell the roses". Activities such as ocean swimming, jogs along a scenic coastal path or the odd cafe ride will keep you ticking along just nicely. Unless you are not training for a specific event (in which case you have a program to work towards in the form of our Master Plan posted a few weeks ago), don't be afraid to ease off a touch over this period. You'll find that you're a lot more energised and ready to go then in the New Year!

PAUL ON HOLIDAY:

OK, so as you all know, Adam has now left for the UK and won't be back until the middle of January. Myself, Michelle and Jackson will also be leaving after my last morning swim session(s) on Tuesday 8th December 2009. This is the first proper break we will have had since we started The TEAM CORE over 18 months ago and I am so looking forward to it! Its been a very busy time (new business, new baby etc etc) and we now need some R&R. We will be away for exactly 6 weeks, split as 2 weeks in Canada and then 4 weeks in the UK. This will be a great trip for Jackson to finally meet all his family and see where Mom and Dad come from for the first time! We are very excited!

Please note, I will still be checking my emails during the period and will be sending out the usual weekly email with "what's on" whilst away.

NEW COACHES:

It is of course, quite a "nervous" time for us also - being away for 6 weeks from a relatively new squad has involved a HUGE amount of planning and preparation in terms of sourcing, training and rostering suitably qualified coaches to run the sessions in my absence. It has literally taken 3 months of preparation - but it will be worth every minute! As we have informed you previously, we have sourced 7 new superb coaches who are all detailed here:


We ran a full-day coaching clinic for these coaches in September to bring them up-to-speed with our practices and to have some fantastic round-table discussions about how each of them will bring something new and exciting to the squad sessions during this period. Over the past few weeks, all of these coaches have voluntarily given up their time to assist me on pool deck to get in some "work shadowing" and to also get to know many of you. Rather than just desperately getting in any coaching cover in a bid for me and Michelle and Jackson to take a break, we see this as being a massively important step to demonstrate how important this rostering is to us and how much we believe in all these new coaches. 

Here is when and where you will see them over the 6 week period whilst I am away:


Through your support and enjoyment of all our squad sessions over the last 18 months, The TEAM CORE has grown tremendously to a point where it can no longer be a "one-man-show" (yup, I need a break sometimes too!). We see this 6 week period as an excellent opportunity for you to get to know and hopefully love all the coaches for their own individual merits. I have personally written every single session for this 6 week period, however, each coach has been instructed to add their own flair and personality to the sessions and as such we hope that you will really enjoy the variety! We have ongoing plans for each of the coaches to continue with some of the sessions even once I return from my break as well.

PAYG SESSION CARDS:

Please can I suggest that you have a quick calculation on how many swim sessions you are likely to attend over the 6 week period whilst I am away. If you do not have enough sessions on your current PAYG card, please can I ask that you order a new one online before the 8th December ( go to http://www.theteamcore.com/shop.html ) or pay cash or cheque this week and I will organise one for you with an extended expiry date. I am hoping to keep everything as hassle-free for the new coaching team whilst I am away and as such your support and forward-thinking on this matter will be much appreciated.

PLEASE KEEP ATTENDING!

So, to sign off then, the biggest way that you can continue to support our squad is simply with your presence at the sessions over this 6 week period. We are anticipating a slight reduction in numbers given the holiday season, but would really hope that you will all continue to attend the sessions wherever possible.

Thanks for your time and support everyone, it means a lot to me!

Cheers

Paul





Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Christmas Gift Ideas




Dear TEAM

Over the last couple of months many of you have been asking where you can buy a lot of the cool swimming gadgets that I often use in the pool sessions - the good news is that we have just become stockists through our www.swimsmooth.com website of many of these items and as such I thought you might like to know about what we have available, what they cost and also about our Multi-BUY discounts as well.

I'm not in the habit of using this Blog to "flog" stuff, but I hope that if you are hunting around for a few gift ideas for friends and family, or if you need to point your loved ones in the right direction for something you're after, this will be useful to you. All items are available to view in index form here: http://www.swimsmooth.com/products.html or read below for some more detail.

On our discounts, we have some great offers - buy 2 items and save 5%, save 7% on 3 items or 10% on 4+ items - full details here: http://www.swimsmooth.com/multibuy.html

All products will be shipped first class post from our Swim Smooth H.Q in sunny Wales, UK and should be with you within 7 to 10 days - right in time for Christmas (if you order now or over the weekend!). Full details here: http://www.swimsmooth.com/shipping.html

Here's what we have:

  • BEST-SELLER! The Wetronome Pacing Tool ($90) - you've seen it in squad sessions and have witnessed first hand just how much it has helped everyone improve their pace awareness and in doing so their general efficiency and speed in the water with the new Lap Time function. Also use it to help improve your stroke rhythm as described here: http://www.swimsmooth.com/strokerate.html This is an amazing device invented by our very own Mr Andrew Holmes (Lane 1, 5.30am). The Wetronome has been an international best seller and has literally been selling like the proverbial hot cake - don't miss out! Full details here: http://www.swimsmooth.com/wetronome.html
  • COACHES CHOICE! Finis Freestyler Paddles ($27 - small, $29 - large) - these are those pointy paddles that we use regularly on pool deck to help you with your hand entry into the water, your alignment and to set-up for a perfect catch and pull through. Without a doubt these are THE best paddles on the market for your stroke technique and come highly recommended by me having tried everything else out there! Full details: http://www.swimsmooth.com/finis_freestyler.html
  • ULTRA COOL! Finis Water-proof MP3 Player ($249) - quite possibly the coolest gadget out there! Listen to all your favourite music tracks whilst ploughing up and down the black-line! What's really cool about this player is that it plays through your temple bones, leaving your ears free and unobstructed so you can still here coach on the pool deck! Comes complete with Swim Smooth's unique MP3 pacing and stroke rate tracks on accompanying CD allowing you to test the functionality of the Wetronome unit. Full details here: http://www.swimsmooth.com/finis_swimp3.html
  • BEST-SELLER! Swim Smooth Waterproof 35-session Training Plans ($60) - these Training Plans are superb to have in your kit bag for times when you cannot attend the squad sessions or for friends or family members who prefer to train by themselves with good structure and direction. The Plans feature full instructions on how to get the most out of your sessions and include pictorial directions on the various drills and techniques required. We have two types: 1) those for Sprint / Olympic Distance & Rottnest Team & Duo athletes; 2) those for Ironman Distance & Rottnest Solo athletes. When purchasing, you have the option of Levels 1, 2 or 3 which roughly equate to our squad lanes (i.e. Lane 3 = Level 3 = our fastest lane for the most experienced swimmers). Full details: http://www.swimsmooth.com/trainingplans.html
  • Swim Smooth DVD Boxset ($90) - a two DVD boxset including 8-week training program which is the essential stroke correction guide for triathletes and open water swimmers produced and directed by myself here in Perth and featuring Olympic Gold Medallist, Bill Kirby. More than 8,000 copies now sold world-wide and rated 5-stars and as a "must buy item" by online swimming guru Mat Luebbers of swimming.about.com Further details: http://www.swimsmooth.com/DVD.html
  • Swim Smooth "Learn 2 Swim" DVD & Session Cards ($60) - a single DVD set featuring a unique water-proof training plan to show the complete beginner how to learn the freestyle stroke from scratch. This is only suitable for those who cannot perform a single stroke of freestyle - for those who can string together +25m of freestyle the DVD Boxset above would be more appropriate. Full details: http://www.swimsmooth.com/learn2swim.html
  • Mr Smooth Enthusiasts Console ($50) - upgrade the free version of Mr Smooth (available here: http://www.swimsmooth.com/console.php and downloaded by over 10,000 swimmers around the world in the last 4 months!) with our PRO Enthusiats version which includes more views, angles, controls and usability. Full details here: http://www.swimsmooth.com/proconsole.html
  • Finis Tec Toc for improved body roll ($70) - do you or someone you know need to improve their body roll? Without a coach present, how do you know if you're doing this well enough? Here's the answer - strap this little baby around your waist and as you swim up and down the pool you should here a "tick" and then a "tock" with every stroke as the ball bearing hits from one end of the tube to the other. Genius! Body roll helps improve efficiency through the water by reducing frontal drag, helps to alleviate shoulder issues through maintaining a more neutral shoulder position during the recovery phase and also aids the length and catch phase of your stroke. Full details here: http://www.swimsmooth.com/finis_techtoc.html
  • Finis Pull Buoy ($26) - do you still not yet own your own pull buoy? Tsk, tsk! Have us deliver one to you...just make sure you use a permanent marker to write your name on! Full details: http://www.swimsmooth.com/finis_pullbuoy.html

Hope this helps! Why not group together with some friends to save money?

Cheers

Paul






Training this weekend!

Dear TEAM

Firstly, for those of you contemplating the English Channel Swim in 2011, we have some new news to discuss with you and would like to invite you over to an quick meeting at 4pm on Saturday 5th December at my place: 22 Fairfield Street, Mount Hawthorn. We will be discussing costs, bookings, tactics etc with Philip Rush and Shelley Taylor-Smith. Please let me know if you can attend!

This weekend:

Thursday - AM: openwater swim session at Cottesloe Beach from 6am / PM: run session starting at McGilvray Oval (6 / 6.15pm)

Friday - AM: all swims as normal / PM: Rottnest Solo squad - session # 5 from the Master Plan

Saturday - AM: West Coast 1000 swim event OR the local ATTA cycle time trial event (no structured squad sessions this Saturday due to the clash with these two popular events) / PM: 12.00pm squad swim at Claremont Pool (this is THE last early Saturday session - after this week, we'll be permanently back to 1.00pm! Thank goodness!)

See you out there!

Paul





Friday, November 20, 2009

1km TT Results!

Dear TEAM

Another very successful "outing" this morning for the squad with 68 swimmers completing the 1000m Time Trial swim with 70% of the squad swimming better times than I had predicted for your improvement to this stage. Again, consistency shines through again and again, coupled with the pace work that we've been doing with the Wetronomes over the last 3 months. Well done!


What should you take from this exercise of the 400m, 1km, and 3km Time Trials? Well first and foremost the whole goal of this exercise was to give you a couple of short-term goals to focus on before the real season kicks in. It was meant as a challenge for you (and me!) to see just how much improvement is possible with consistency. A great gauge of improvement for all of you should be how comfortable and fit you feel in the water, but nothing beats the hard facts of numbers to show you that all your hard work is indeed paying off! Nice job! 

Secondly, I would like you to peruse your 100m pace for the latest 1km swim. With respect to the Fresh & Fruity Wednesday & Friday sessions going forward, you should be aiming to swim 100m intervals ~3 to 6s per 100m quicker than this (given a rest of ~20s). This will likely be very close to your pace per 100m from the 400m swim last Wednesday / Friday. For 200m intervals you should be ~2s per 100m quicker than your 1000m pace as a rough rule when having ~30s between each 200m interval. Given more rest you will of course be able to swim quicker, but when we say "CSS pace" (Critical Swim Speed) or "hold your fastest maintainable pace", you should all have a very clear idea of what this is now. Equally, if we're saying on a Tuesday "swim this interval of 800m at ~8s per 100m slower than CSS" you'll also be able to easily identify what that pace should be. It helps you work out how hard to go when you should be working fast and just as importantly how easy you should be going when swimming steadier sets.

It is very easy to get bogged down in numbers. Some of you love that - others not quite so. Either way, you now have a very clear objective measure for your training going forward, coupled with an enhanced subjective "feeling" for pace work and you're onto a real winner! 

It's been a great winter of training, so now as we transition to the summer season, let's keep up the good work and continue to challenge ourselves even further. Well done!

Paul

P.S A big shout out to Lucas Salter who was again the "Biggest Loser" this week with a 2m25s improvement over my predictions and also to Ermie Robinson who also saw a massive improvement to record a 1m58s improvement and a HUGE P.B with a time of 16m36s!!!




Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, REST!




Dear TEAM

OK, here's the plan going into this weekend:

Thursday AM - 6am openwater skills and drills at Cottesloe Beach - please pop along, it is a LOT of fun and a great workout! Paul will run this session.

Thursday PM - 6pm for 6.15pm start run leaving the UWA Footy Club Rooms at McGilvray Oval for Session 3 (45 - 60 mins tempo run) on Route # 2: http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=90794 (you might need to do multiple laps of Reabold Hill to make up the time). Paul will not be here for this one.

Friday AM - 5.30, 6.30, 9.30am sessions all as normal at Claremont Pool. Paul will run these sessions.

Friday PM - 4.30pm session # 3 from the Master Plan ("The Monster Set") for SOLO swimmers = 7.5km (if your longest set to date is only 5km - limit this to 6-6.5km) Paul will run this session.

Saturday AM - 6am ride from Cottesloe Beach Car Park - 1h45 (hard) around this loop: http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=90789 Riders to ride at their own pace and for those of you racing a fair bit this year you should aim to push this on and not wait around for anyone. Feel strong - its a great course! Do multiple loops / sections for the time allocated. Paul will not be here for this one.

Saturday 8am - 8km swim at Leighton Beach for Rottnest SOLO and DUO swimmers. Meet in the carpark adjacent to the old iron bridge over the road. Course is here: http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=90781 (this is a 4km course...DUOs can do 1 lap, SOLOs with less base fitness = 1.5 laps, SOLOs with strong base fitness = 2 laps). Make sure you have hydration and carbo gels for this swim pleasePaul will not be here for this one.

Saturday PM - 1pm squad swim featuring some filming with our new video rig - it has to be seen to be believed, so please pop along if you can!!!! This session is starting to dwindle a little bit (my feeling is due to the constant back and fourth between 12pm and 1pm which I am frustrated about too!) so if you would like to attend and even if your name is not on the list, please do so! Paul will run this session.

Sunday - good luck to anyone doing the Great Perth Bike Ride on Sunday - looks like a lot of fun!

Cheers

Paul





Monday, November 16, 2009

If you like gadgets, you'll love this!

Dear Swimmers

The TEAM CORE & Swim Smooth bring you a world first.  You can be one of the first to try the Finity Swim Pod: which automatically records your swim session.  The device worn while you swim measures your lap times, stroke rate and  body roll.  A prototype of the device is being formally tested over the next month at our squad sessions.  All you need do is put the device on and then swim as normal.  Finity will then send you a summary of your session within 24 hours - all free of charge, naturally.

Register your interest at www.finitysports.com or ask one of our coaches or the Finity person at the squad session.

What's even better is that this has been designed and built by one of our very own TEAM CORE athletes - how's that for thinking outside the box!!!

Give it a try, its very cool and if you're into numbers, you'll love it!!!

Cheers

Paul





Friday, November 13, 2009

400m Time Trial Results

...can be found here:


...well done to everyone who gave it a go - nearly 80% of the squad posted improvements above my predicted level of improvement which just goes to show what a bit of consistent training over the winter months and getting a little "Fresh 'n' Fruity" once a week can do for your fitness! You're all in great shape, so here's to the start of a great season!!! Well done!

P.S Big shout out to the squads official "Biggest Loser", Lucas Salter, who smashed an amazing 1'02" off the predicted time from 10 weeks ago!!! Stunning stuff!

Cheers

Paul





Thursday, November 12, 2009

Training & Racing this weekend!

Dear Athletes

Just a quick one to inform you of the plan for this weekend:

  • Friday PM = session # 2 from the Master Plan "Long Swims" (total = 6km). I will not be there today (sorry) but please complete as per the program.
  • Saturday AM = Mullaloo Beach Open Water Swim. Registration at 8.00am. Map. SOLO swimmers to do the 5km event, DUO & TEAMs to do 2.5km. There will be no official open water swim session this morning due to this event. Please give it a try! 
  • Also, Saturday 6am, Bell Tower for Route # 2 bike ride into Kalamunda (67km).
  • Saturday PM = Squad Swim Session at 1.00pm - session will be with Coach Ceinwen whilst Paul and Adam are away photographing TEAM member's Helen and Stu's wedding in the Swan Valley. Enjoy! Ceinwen knows how to crack the whip!!!

Cheers

Paul





Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Amendments to Bunbury Results & Thursday Open Water Session

Dear Athletes

A quick apology...I hadn't scrolled down past the blank page of the Bunbury triathlon results to see the details of the Open category athletes who took line honours and also the Sprint distance race as well. Blind as a bat! Sorry. Congratulations therefore to:

  • Craig Scott - 2nd overall in the sprint event
  • Katrina Mercer - 1st overall in the female open event
  • Sandy Crowe - 3rd overall in the female open event

Also, details of the Anaconda event results can be found here: http://www.rapidascent.com.au/Results/WA2009Overall.aspx?e=6

..unfortunately I'm having some difficulty deciphering who was in which team given the various team names and also the fact that I've seen at least 3 errors with different people recorded as doing different legs of the event!! Anyway, well done to everyone who competed and especially to Kathryn Granheim and Carl Andrews who I know for sure raced solo...anyone else, please let me know!

THURSDAY SWIM:

As usual, 6am start on the grass bank in front of the pylon at Cottesloe Beach - best session of the week, pop along and see why!!!

Cheers

Paul





Monday, November 9, 2009

Results from the Bunbury TRI and Anaconda Event

Dear TEAM

It was quite a quiet this last weekend in Perth...people were either racing in Bunbury at the Olympic Distance Triathlon or were down in Augusta at the Anaconda Adventure Race. 

Anaconda:

We are still awaiting the results of this event, but we already have some photos posted up by "Adam the Speedy" at: 


...all I can say is after falling off my bike at least 20 times in the soft sand of the mountain bike leg and dropping back massively in the field, that this is one tough and very skilful event. It has however inspired me to look at us running a program for solo competitors next year where we'll bring in experts in the individual disciplines to help advise (goodness knows I'll personally need the help on the bike!).

There were a good few members of the squad out there racing as SOLOs, DUOs and TEAMs, so it'll be interesting to see the full results when they are published.

Bunbury:

Looking at the results ( http://www.bunburytriclub.asn.au/results/0910/Bunbury%20Classic%202009%20Results%20Overall.pdf ) it seems there were quite a few of the squad racing. As usual at this event, the swim seemed long and slow, the bike ride windy and the run hot and sweaty!!! Here are the results:

  • Glenn O'Connell - 1st place overall male
  • Alan Nicholls - 14th place overall male
  • Nathalie Laurendeau - 26th place overall and 1st place female overall*
  • Daniel Taborsky - 30th place overall male
  • Matthew Howes - 32nd place overall male
  • Suzanne Laidlaw - 66th place overall*
  • Lyndal Tudehope - 69th place overall*
  • Tracey Edwards - 76th place overall*
  • Mark Rayner - 93rd place overall
  • Nicole Klemm - 102nd place overall*
  • David Laidlaw - 110th place overall
  • Louise Jones - 129th place overall*
  • Sandy Tindale - 144th place overall*

*unfortunately there is no age-group data or female-specific results as yet, so its a little hard to see where everyone finished in their respective categories.

Nice job everyone!! Big congrats to Glenn and Nathalie - really awesome efforts there!

Cheers

Paul








Friday, November 6, 2009

This Weekend and The Master Plan!

Weekend Training NEWSFLASH:

Friday 4.30pm squad swim = join Ceinwen for the session as detailed in The Master Plan.

Saturday 6am = ride from the Bell Tower as per The Master Plan. 68km ride into Kalamunda (not back in time for the swim).

Saturday 8am = 6.0km ocean swim, i.e. 6 laps at City Beach (NB. Paul will not be here this week!)

Saturday 12pm = the final session-shift (thank god!). 12pm squad swim at Claremont Pool with guest coaches Shelley Taylor-Smith and Nikki Rogers as per The Master Plan. Please note we will then be back to 1pm as normal going forward.

Dear TEAM

It gives me great pleasure to announce that after much hard work I have finally pieced together "The 2010 TEAM CORE Master Plan". 

This is a free guide for you to all access and download as you choose which will help you plan out your summer season of training and racing, be you keeping fit, doing triathlons or preparing for the Rottnest Channel Swim. The Master Plan contains the outline of every major session from now until May 2010. I have compiled all this information and training tips as well as creating detailed maps of training routes etc so as to take the thinking out of your planning and to help prompt your action into the "doing and enjoying".

The main source of inspiration for this was three-fold:

1. Provide those doing the Rottnest Channel Swim with a detailed plan of how to build-up and prepare for the event, including my "Top-10 Tips for Solo Swimmers" and "5 Long Pool Sets" for those taking on this massive challenge. With 16 weeks to go now until the event, I am hoping this will help you step it up a notch or two and give you real structure and purpose to what you are doing. We'll be with you every step of the way obviously, but this should help you get an idea about how you're going to develop your endurance to permit you to swim 20km continuously in the ocean.

2. Given that the squad has grown so much in the last 18 months there has been the need to add quite a few new training sessions to the weekly program (all here to view: http://www.theteamcore.com/weeklyprogram.html ). So far, I have personally been covering all the new swim sessions which has meant that I have been absent from all the biking and running sessions. Apparently things have tailed off here a tad, and so together with the "Good Shepherd" and athlete mentor (Glen Blackwell) we have compiled a full season's worth of all the sessions that I will suggest and also some new routes to try them out on. Hopefully this will be some good impetus to get you back into the swing of things if you are planning to do some triathlons this year. This will also form the basis of our 2010 Busselton Half Ironman Program which will commence on Monday 11th January 2010. The actual Master Plan kicks off in earnest this week though, so get along if you can!

3. As the squad expands it has been necessary to take on some additional coaching staff. Rather than just appoint anyone in this capacity though, we have conducted a rigorous training regime and mentorship program with 7 of WA's finest up and coming coaches and athlete mentors. You will be introduced to them all through The Master Plan and also over the December / January period (from December 8th to January 19th 2010) when Paul and Adam will be taking a much needed vacation in the UK (well, kind of vacation - they'll be running some Swim Smooth Clinics there as well!). I do hope you will make them all feel welcome and continue to support all the sessions with your attendance and see the benefits in their placement within the coaching ranks of the squad.

OK, enough waffle, here's the Master Plan: http://www.theteamcore.com/images/TeamCorePlan_2010.pdf (please note that this file size for the 16 page document is 20mb and as such will take a few minutes to download).

Enjoy!

Paul




Tuesday, November 3, 2009

3km Swim Results

NERD WARNING!! Non-number-bods turn away now!!

Dear Swimmers

Thanks to so many of you for turning up this morning especially given that a) it was likely to still be a bit cool in the water and b) because you knew you were doing a continuous 3000m swim!!! 

I really don't "like" prescribing these types of sessions (seriously!) as I am well aware that many of you might find this type of swim very boring and perhaps "pointless" as a squad session. However, in an effort to help you guys improve, for you to gauge how much you are improving, and to recognise the fact that a swim such as this every now and then is a great way to boost your endurance, I don't think you can really beat it! So despite a couple of disgruntled looks at 5.30am, I think you all secretly enjoyed it!

OK, onto the results. If you recall, 10 weeks ago I set you all a 3-month training challenge: could the Tuesday Technique / Endurance work coupled with a better pace awareness from the Friday Fresh & Fruity sets help you improve upon my predictions for the following sessions: 1) 14 to 20 x 100m with ~20s rest; 2) 400m Time Trial; 3) 1000m Time Trial; 4) 3000m Time Trial? From last Friday and this morning the answer to Points 1 & 4 have been a resounding "yes!" This is great news. We still obviously have the 400m and 1000m timed swims to go, but like anything, don't fear these - just see what you can do and pace yourself well!

10 weeks ago I went through all 150 squad swimmers and predicted what time you could each hold for the 100m interval test set. My predictions were surprisingly accurate even for a swim-nerd like me! From this I said "can you all improve by ~2.5% in 6-8 weeks?" Using this improved pace per 100m I then extrapolated what you should be able to hold for 400m, 1000m and 3000m building in "fatigue factors" of 2%, 4% and 11.5% respectively. This is not a "cut-throat" method, though it is generally agreed that as the distance of any endurance event doubles the time should increase by 3-4%. I used my own "Fudge Factor" method to eye-ball the results of this equation 10 weeks ago to arrive at a point which I felt was both challenging and realistic. We can debate the accuracy of this method until the cows come home, but given that the first two results from this morning's first finishers with known experience over these distances were both within just 10 seconds of my prediction for 3000m, I'm happy that this is at least a very good approximation! 

You can access the results here: http://theteamcore.com/images/3km.pdf

From the chart, please check for your name, your actual time, your actual pace per 100m, your predicted time from 10 weeks ago, your "improvement" ABOVE my predicted improvement, and your percentage "improvement". Remember a couple of things: 1) even if your improvement was 0:00 or 0%, you have still improved as this takes into account the 2.5% goal from week # 1; 2) anything over 5% is exceptionally good - well done; 3) some of you were a little unsure if you had done more or less than the stipulated distance of 3000m - I have tried to address this below.

Colour Code:

Yellow = no original predicted time from 10 weeks ago (due to absence) - I predicted this as you swam this morning based on other swimmers of known similar ability.

Green = I have modified your finish time slightly to add or subtract the 100m or so that you felt you had done under / over the distance (please note that this is only an approximation)

Red = I couldn't get excel to spit out a negative time (I can't be that nerdy obviously!)...if you are highlighted in red it simply means that you were slightly slower than my predicted time.

Anyway, that's how to spend a morning scouring a whole bunch of numbers - hope you enjoy! ;-)

Paul




Monday, November 2, 2009

Anyone have a room to rent for Jan/Feb 2010?

Dear TEAM

Just a quick one - anyone have a room to rent or a space for a UK athlete to stay between the 25th January and the 13th February 2010?  Lauren is a physio who wishes to come out to Perth for a spot of training in our glorious sunshine but has been let down by her last accommodation "lead". If anyone can help out please liaise with her directly at Lauren lrnbrdshw@yahoo.co.uk

Thanks

Paul




Update on pool temperature!

Dear Swimmers

Just a quick update on the pool temperature at Claremont Pool.
Thankfully the engineers have arrived and are fixing the motor as we
speak. The pool temp today was 21.5 degrees and very chilly for most.
They haven't given me an update on how long it will take to get the
temperature back up to normal but I am hopeful that this will be in
the next few days. I will keep you posted on any developments but
would suggest that if you come to swim tomorrow that you bring a rash
vest or wetsuit if you like. We plan to do a longer continuous swim
tomorrow as per the original plan so this will at least keep you
moving. Why not come down and give it a try and if it really is too
cold for you you can hop out and we won't charge your card.

Hope to see some of you then!

Paul

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Apology and Weekend's Training

Dear Swimmers

Firstly, sincerest apologies to those of you who turned up at 5.30am to swim on Wednesday 28th October for our new morning swim. As explained, the Duty Manager rostered for this shift did not turn up and as such the pool couldn't be opened until 6.05am. Unfortunately we had no way of accurately knowing just how long this wait would be and as such I made the call to cancel the swim and offer to take us down to Cottesloe Beach for a free open water swim instead (where it was very rough!!). This incident was an unfortunate start to many of your days and I can only apologise and pass on the Centre Manager's sincere apologies also. 

Also regarding the pool, there is currently a heating issue which is being investigated and work is due to commence (hopefully) early next week to rectify this. The temperature is currently hovering at a brisk 24.5 degrees which many of you have commented on is "fresh" to begin with but actually really nice to train (hard) in. Hope this doesn't put you off but definitely come attired with a nice warm towel to greet you after the session!

TRAINING THIS WEEKEND:

Saturday - 6am = ride / run from Cottesloe Beach Car Park. This will be a 15 mins easy warm-up, 1hr hard riding (or as hard as you wish to go), followed by a 15 to 20 mins run off the bike for those keen.

12pm squad swim session - early this week and next due to waterpolo competitions.

Sunday - Rockingham Open Water Series race - 1.25km, 2.5km, 5km. Details at http://www.wa.swimming.org.au/

Cheers

Paul





Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Photos from the race and Thursday open water swim

Dear All

Just two quick ones today:

  1. Photos from the race expertly delivered by Adam can now be seen at http://www.bornskinny.com/bs113_itulongcourse09/index.html Adam was experimenting with some arty slow shutter-speeds which look kind of cool. See what you think!
  2. Don't forget, 6am Thursday morning, the place to be is Cottesloe Beach for our open water skills swim session. Lots of fun. Suitable for all - plus, its definitely warming up out there!!!

Cheers

Paul




Sunday, October 25, 2009

Long Course World Championships - Results

Dear All

Well the wind blew hard and it was hot, hot, hot - exactly as I predicted 6 months ago!! Ok, enough about my mystical future-predicting skills ;-) on to the results!

Members of the TEAM who had been training with us for anything from regular swim squad sessions to full Long Course triathlon programs performed admirably in the conditions. In all, 6 athletes scooped up Top-5 finishing positions in their age groups. This is a great result! 

I was particularly inspired by Sandy Crowe's run up to 5th place, Sally Scaffidi's 1st place out of the water, Nat Laurendeau's dominance on the bike leg and Anne Murrell's 5th place in her age-group despite being unsure as to whether she should race or not! Well done to everyone!! I thoroughly enjoyed supporting you out there!

You can see their results here:


And the full unabridged results here:


I have to give a quick shout out to my very good friends and former training partners Jodie Swallow and Daniel Plews who had sensational races! As predicted Jodie totally annihilated the field beating former Ironman WA Champion Rebecca Keat by over 11 minutes and actually lapped one of the race favourites (Pip Taylor) on the run course. Not bad on a 5km lap I think you'll agree! This result was really pleasing and I am so happy for Jodie that she has claimed her first senior World Title. Well done. Dan Plews took a bronze in his age-group which was doubly special as his Dad also scooped up a bronze in his 55-59 age-group too!

Cheers

Paul





Saturday, October 24, 2009

Fisher Photography Exhibition for Heart Swim Week

Dear Team

Masters Water Polo Player and multi-award winning professional photographer, Geoff Fisher, is hosting a photographic exhibition, entitled 'Rising to the Challenge,' featuring local swimmers and his photographic art. The exhibition is to be held at Challenge Stadium from Friday 6th November 2009 to Sunday 15th November 2009.
The exhibition will coincide with Heart Swim week being held at Challenge. The title, 'Rising to the Challenge,' and the link to the Heart Swim is based on Geoff's own journey from serious heart-related illness. In early June this year the super fit veteran water polo player was struck down by a virus that damaged his heart and left him near death on the pool-deck at Challenge. Subsequent blood-clot induced paralysis has seen Geoff journey through hospitals, rehabilitation, wheelchairs, and now crutches on his long road back to the pool.

Profits from the exhibition have been pledged to the Heart & Lung Transplant Foundation to aid the work championed by cardiothorasic surgeon and masters water polo player, Dr Rob Larbalestier. Rob, a long-time friend and team mate of Geoff, was swimming at Challenge with Geoff when Geoff's heart stopped. Rob literally saved his life.

Ticket numbers to the Friday evening function Nov 6 are limited so please respond quickly by contacting Fisher Photography on 9381 2233. You can purchase over the phone or drop in to the studio at 294 Hay St. Subiaco.

Thanks to Jeremy for sending this through. Check out some of the images here.

Cheers

Paul





Thursday, October 22, 2009

Training / Racing this weekend

Dear Crew

This weekend sees the City of Perth being over-run by some of the world's best triathletes in the form of the ITU Triathlon Long Distance World Championships held right here, down at Langley Park and utilising the Freeway and Mounts Bay Road area. It will be a spectacular event to watch, so I suggest you try and make it down. The event consists of a 3km swim, an 80km bike ride and a 20km run to finish. Racing starts from 8am on Sunday down by the Barrack Street Jetty. Full details here: http://www.ldworlds.org.au/en/default.htm

Racing from the squad will be (good luck crew!):

40-44 Mens

  • Matt Illingworth

45-49 Mens

  • Mike Bowles
  • Sandy Burt (...is he back? Judging by the Aquathlon today - maybe?! Good on you Sandy!)

50-54 Mens

  • David Laidlaw
  • Alan Nicholls

60-64 Mens

  • Graham Crocker

25-29 Womens

  • Lisa Delaurentis
  • Sandy Crowe

30-34 Womens

  • Sarah Thomson

40-44 Womens

  • Judi Clemie
  • Suzanne Laidlaw
  • Donna Todesco
  • Sally Scaffidi

45-49 Womens

  • Desiree Silva

55-59 Womens

  • Anne Murrell

We'll also be batting for three British athletes with whom I've shared many a hotel-room whilst on training camps / races etc: Jodie Swallow, Leanda Cave and Daniel Plews - all will be right up there at the pointy end of the PRO field. Give them a shout for me!

OK, so back to the training for us mere mortals then:

Saturday:

6am - ride from Cottesloe Beach Car Park - just under 2hrs at a good old pace on a looped course.

8am - swim from Cottesloe Beach - aim for 3 to 5km for those doing the Rottnest DUO / SOLO swim.

1pm - squad swim at Claremont Pool (please note - 1pm)

Rottnest Solo / Duo Swimmers and those racing triathlons this season:

I've been promising to get this information out to you for a good few weeks now and I'm nearly there - promise!! First up, here's my pick of the races that I would recommend this season on a per-discipline-basis. I'm not suggesting you have to do all of them - just to help you plan: 


The final Rottnest Program (adjusted for this Calendar and our new timetable) is not quite complete yet, but as inspiration for some benchmarks for where you should be aiming as you step up your volume, please see last year's program as a rough guide:


I'm busy writing a more detailed plan for 2009/10 with some tips on what we learnt last year for those doing it this year as solo or duo swimmers which will be very useful for you. Please bare with me - I've been very busy of late (yeah, that old chestnut!). Here's one thing to get you started though - for those doing the Solo swim, aim to do a 2km continuous swim in the pool this week. Do this at a pace which you believe you could go for 5km at currently. Take the time and work out your 100m pace, i.e. 1:45 per 100m. We'll then use this as your Endurance Pace as we develop your ability to swim for ever-increasing distances. This figure is very important, so please make sure you get chance to do this.

OK, see you over the weekend!

Paul





Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Blue Seventy Suits Permitted at Rottnest Channel Swim 2010






Thursday Morning Open Water Swim

Business as usual tomorrow morning down at Cottesloe Beach. Meeting at
6am on the grass in front of the pylon. See you there for a fun open
water skills session. Please remember your PAYG session card. Thanks
in advance!

Cheers

Paul

Monday, October 19, 2009

Tony, Lotti and Bill mix it up at the World Masters!

Dear Swimmers

Whilst some of us were wondering how many 100m intervals we had left to complete the 10,000m relay challenge on Sunday, Tony and Loretta Van Merwyk, together with Bill Moody, were whooping it up at the World Masters Swimming Championships in Sydney.

Tony and Lotti entered the 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle events, with Bill entering the sprint events of 50m and 100m. They had some impressive results (see below). Tony said that for him and Lotti (having competed here once before), that they are now quicker than they were 7 years ago - which is no mean fete! Well done. 

Bill took up the challenge following a slight bit of goading from myself after a Friday morning Fresh & Fruity session where he blew away everyone in the pool over a 50m sprint, including the super-fish in lane 3 who mostly have long swimming backgrounds. 

The World Masters championships are a great event to get involved in. In 2013 they will be held in Turin which will be an amazing venue! Tony said the only draw-back was the fact that they had to do the YMCA and Macarena on the pool-deck in celebration! Very funny!!

Loretta Van Merwyk

  • 50m = 30.3
  • 100m = 1:07
  • 200m = 2:29
  • 400m = 5:13 (massive PB and 5th in her age category!!)

Tony Van Merwyk

  • 50m = 30.2 (got to get 0.1s over the missus!)
  • 100m = 1:06
  • 200m = 2:33
  • 400m = 5:33

Bill Moody

  • 50m = 32.0
  • 100m = 1:12

Well done guys!!





Sunday, October 18, 2009

10km Relay Challenge - THE RESULTS!!



Dear Swimmers

Some fine form yesterday at the inaugural Claremont Pool 10KM Team Relay Challenge as displayed here by these two fine specimens...winners of this year's event from a team of 2009's Rottnest Solo-ists aptly named "Just Keep Swimming!"

The format of the day was for the 8 teams of between 4 and 8 swimmers to a team to complete a total distance of 10KM in as fast a time as possible. All teams had to nominate an estimated finish time and there were awards for a) Fastest Overall; b) Best Dressed / Supported; and c) Closest to Estimated Time.

Taking out line honours were "Just Keep Swimming" in a total time of 2:12:26 which is a fantastic result, averaging well under 1:18s per 100m for 100 x 100m! They didn't have it all their own way though as team "Bar 120" led by Justin Palmer were off to a flying start in the first 1500m, eventually finishing 2nd in 2:17:00. In third place were this year's Best Dressed Team - the "Somerset Super Seals" led by gun water-polo player Karlee Canon. The girls were superbly dressed as super-heroes and finished in 2:25:34. Next in were the "Thorns and 2 Roses" made-up of Trevor, Stuart (the Roses) and Renee and Olivia (the Thorns!) who finished in 2:32:22 and were within 1:30 of their estimated time of 2:31:00 - nice pacing skills!

There was some hot rivalry between teams in 5th & 6th (the "Comodo Dragons" & the "Slappers) and also 7th & 8th (the "Snails" & the "Slugs"). The Dragons were the boys / husbands team and the Slappers were the girls / wives team. It was close between these two teams with the boys finishing just over 2:35:00 and the girls at just over 2:39:00 (awaiting confirmed results...!). The Snails and the Slugs fought it out literally within 2m of each other for the first 7km with the Slugs eventually pulling ahead and finishing 7th in exactly 2:50:00 with the Snails not too far behind in 2:54:00 and a good 5-mins quicker than they thought they'd be!

We've had some very interesting photos through from the day and these can be seen here: http://gallery.me.com/swimsmooth/100143

Thanks to Claremont Pool and their staff for hosting the event and to Adam, Nat and Victoria for the photos! Here's to next year!!!

Cheers

Paul