Friday, November 26, 2010

Claremont Pool due to reopen on Wednesday!


Dear Swimmers

I can't quite believe it! Today I was invited down to the newly refurbished Claremont Pool to check it out before it is officially re-open on Wednesday 1st December and I have simply one word: WOW!

It truly is amazing and looks absolutely fantastic AND it is ready before time!

We are due to re-commence our sessions there from Monday 6th December onwards. I've spoken with the Manager and the Pool Bookings Coordinator and there seems that there may be a slight adjustment to my planned program as per http://www.swimsmooth.com/perth_timetable.html - but I'll now more on this on Monday or Tuesday and will get back to you then.

Given that we are adding in a load of new sessions to keep you pumped over the summer, on Thursday 2nd December at exactly midday I will email you all directly with a link to put in your requests for which sessions you plan to attend. I will remind you of this over the course of next week as well and if you could let your friends know too if they are not on this mailing list, that'd be great. I don't want anyone to miss out. This will be on a purely first-come, first-served basis and in the event of an over-subscription at any of the sessions, preference will be given to those who have swum over the winter up at Challenge Stadium. This is the fairest way I figure that I can do this given the change of venue and I actually anticipate that with the greater number of sessions offered there will be much more of a spread occurring in the sessions to keep the numbers at a nicely balanced ~24 per session to prevent over-subscription.

Great, really excited about getting back down there...one more week at Challenge...I for one will be sad to say goodbye there as Challenge and it and the staff have been an absolute lifesaver for the squad whilst Claremont has been closed.

Cheers and have a great weekend!

Paul

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Wow! What a trip!

Dear TEAM

I'm sat on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport awaiting my final leg back to sunny Perth. It's been an absolutely awesome trip and I thought I'd share with you some of what we've been doing in the last 3 weeks over in the UK as it's topped even my own expectations. It's a long read, but hopefully interesting...

Before I get into that, I hope you've also had a great 3 weeks training with the other excellent coaches in my absence and that you've found it all to be a nice balance and a good bit of variety. I'd love to hear back from you about your experiences of this last 3 week period and whether or not there is anything I can do to manage and improve it further for the next time. I'd like to formally thank Shelley, Sandy, Adam, Glen, Nikki, Sally and Ceinwen for all their assistance and will be aiming to touch base with all the coaches in the next fortnight to see how it all went.

What we do here in Perth with the swim squad forms very much the central hub of everything that is "Swim Smooth" and has been for the last 6 years. Your participation in these sessions is absolutely integral to what we do when we head overseas on these coaching projects, as it is through this day-to-day coaching in such an awesome place as Perth that new ideas are formulated and tested out. Without your support and active interest in these sessions, what we do overseas wouldn't be able to happen anywhere near as effectively. Likewise, the new stimulus that I get with these 2-3 times per year trips overseas spurs me on with new and exciting ideas to bring back to Perth as well. It all goes hand in hand and I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to do this and absolutely love doing what I do. Thank you all for allowing me these opportunities.

Back to the trip. As you may recall, one of the big things that prompted the trip to the UK was that the British Triathlon Federation (an organisation 4 or 5 times larger than Triathlon Australia) have recently signed us (Swim Smooth) up as their official coaching consultants. This essentially means that we have, and will be, producing video content, online media and helping rewrite the swim coaching syllabus for the BTF's 3,000+ registered coaches. This is an amazing thing for us to be part of given that when I created Swim Smooth almost exactly 6 years ago I had no idea that things would grow like they have, especially in the last 18 months since we released the new website and Mr Smooth. Mr Smooth has been downloaded over 35,000 times since launch in July 2009 and we have over 30,000 people around the world receiving our once weekly tip on improving their swimming technique. We have also built up a network of over 300 international coaches who are keen on eventually becoming affiliated with Swim Smooth as we start to develop that area of our operation. It is this that really excites me and formed the biggest part of what we have been working on over the last 3 weeks.

We kicked off the 3 week tour by inviting 12 international coaches to spend 3 days with us at the prestigious Loughborough University (home of the British Swimming and Triathlon team) learning about our coaching methods and in particular video analysis and stroke correction using our newly released Swim Types system. It was a lot of fun, and much of the discussions and interactions carried on well into the evening and very early hours as we all stayed together in a quaint little hotel. 

Spending this close, quality time with 12 experienced coaches who want to soak up everything you can offer is for me what coaching is all about - shared knowledge and constructive interactions with like-minded people. I don't see any value at all in being closed or "secretive" with your training methods and this 3 day course provided the perfect opportunity to pass on some of what we have learnt and developed over the years. 

We had pre-selected the coaches from over 30 international coaches who had registered within the first 24 hours of announcing the course, at which stage we decided to close the applications. It was unfortunate that we couldn't invite all of the coaches on this course, though we wanted to maintain a high level of quality and 1-2-1 work educating the coaches with our methods. We also paid for and flew in the highly popular Montreal-based coach Charles Gaston Coutrier who many in the online coaching fraternity simply know as "Solar Energy". Charles will be working with us on numerous projects in the next 12 to 24 months and it was great to have him over in the UK for this first week of the tour, sharing his incite, knowledge and HUGE passion for the sport - if you think I get excited about "Fresh and Fruity" sessions, wait till you meet Charles!

Over the 3 days we were very fortunate to have been allowed access to film 2006 Commonwealth Games dual gold medallist Ross Davenport who kindly gave up his time to swim for the coaches whilst the coaches observed his freestyle stroke as myself and Adam captured some unique video footage. His stroke was truly amazing and not too dissimilar to Jono Van Hazel's. We asked Ross to do a fast 100m kicking set and he easily cruised home in 1'12" (legs only!) and then followed up with a seemingly effortless 55 seconds 100m freestyle from a dive. Ross had only just returned from the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and so getting this access to him was brilliant and we have to thank Dean, Julie and Steve our friends at Blue Seventy Wetsuits for organising this all for us. Later that day we were privileged to have access to Loughborough University's swim team training session which featured many of Britain's best swimmers (including Ross, Jo Jackson, Fran Halsall etc etc) under the watchful eye of legendary swim coaches Ian Armiger and Ben Titley. The coaches were thoroughly enthused after all of this as you can probably imagine.

We delivered a good mix of classroom theory and pool based practical work for the coaches in the first two days which culminated with each of the coaches having to perform a full video analysis in front of their peers of some stock footage which I have collated over the years. This was a real highlight for me as it gave us chance to see how well the coaches were now applying the knowledge and skills we'd been building up over the last two days. 

We rounded off the three day course with a full "Swim Smooth Clinic" for 12 independent swimmers and triathletes who sought our assistance with video analysis and stroke correction to help them improve their efficiency in the water. I assigned one coach per athlete and then ran a coach-led session for the 12 swimmers with each of the coaches working with their athletes in a 1-2-1 scenario. This worked extremely well and gave the swimmers unprecedented attention which they would not have been able to get at their local pool or swim club. We finished the day with a demonstration on the benefits of drafting. Legendary UK ironman athlete and multiple world fitness champion Hywel Davies had registered for the course as he felt he had plateaued off at ~55 minutes for the ironman swim distance of 3.8km. Given that Hywel has already gone sub-8:50 for the ironman, he is aiming to get his swim time down to as close to 50 minutes as possible. One area that I felt he could probably improve upon (as he trains totally by himself) is on drafting. He came into the course with a PB for 400m of ~5'45" and so I suggested that we'd work together over a timed 400m with the goal of Hywel sitting on my feet and aiming for a swim time of 5'20". Drafting has been shown to save you up to 38% of your energy expenditure and this is why our Saturday 1pm session is always entirely focussed on this skill. I thought it totally reasonable that 5'20" would be possible if paced correctly and if my turns weren't too fast (as Hywel doesn't tumble-turn). We didn't quite make 5'20" in the end (5'29") as my turns were a touch on the quick side (what can I say - I had good coaching as a kid!), but Hywel hung in there easily at this pace and was convinced that this speed (and faster) would be maintainable if worked upon over the British winter. What's more, we asked one of the other swimmers (Rob) who was a 7'15" 400m swimmer to hop in with us and trying drafting behind us over 50m and he had no problem staying with us once we sheltered him correctly. This proved very inspiring for Rob and also all the other swimmers who were watching the events unfold on the pool deck.

So, after we'd finished our three day stint in Loughborough, we waved goodbye to the world class facilities there and headed off to six more sold-out one day Clinics. We visited Coventry where they were commemorating the rebuilding of the cathedral after the second world war, bonny Glasgow with a stunning view over the River Clyde, my childhood neighbourhood of Manchester and then finally three more clinics in north-west London. All told we covered nearly 2500km in 2.5 weeks and saw a plethora of different pools and meeting / hotel rooms as well as a huge diversity of swim strokes all fitting neatly within our Swim Types system. This system allows us to accurately identify exactly what is holding someone back within their stroke and then work to systematically implement a range of drills and visualisations to help improve these aspects. What's more, it's a lot of fun and seeing the swimmers easily recognising their own stroke against our example Swim Types and matching this up with our proposed link with their individual personalities proved highly entertaining for everyone.

It was a great trip, made even more special by the knowledge that I'm coming back to a great group of swimmers here in Perth, ready to enjoy a great summer of swimming! I'm also excited about the prospect of sitting my Australian Citizenship exam on Friday (eight years in the making) and also the news that we've been successful in purchasing our very first humble little home in Innaloo. Happy days. Your support and interest in all that we do in Perth is what makes all of this possible and for that I am truly grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you.

I'll see you all from Monday next week once I've settled back in and got over the jet lag! 

Cheers

Paul



Thursday, November 18, 2010

Shelley's OW Clinic

Dear Swimmers, here's something great from Shelley...

Exclusive for Triathlon WA members!
 OWS Clinic Mastery with Shelley Taylor-Smith

All attendees will receive 50% gift voucher for the soon to be released DVD: "OWS Mastery with Shelley Taylor-Smith; How to Eliminate Your Fears, Build Confidence and Improve Your Skills."

OWS Clinics in Perth, Western Australia to help you prepare for the Busselton Ironman 5 December 2010 PLUS clinics for novices through to advanced & professional levels. Triathlon WA... proudly presents this once in a life time opportunity not to be missed....
2 upcoming clinics:

Saturday 20th & Saturday 27th November 2010

Go to http://www.championmindset.com.au/openwaterswimming.htm for booking registration and detailed information.

Cheers

Paul

Friday, November 12, 2010

Need accommodation for Busso Ironman?

Hi Troops!

Now up in Edinburgh where it's very chilly indeed! So far the courses have gone really well, though I have to say I'm missing the larger 50m pools of Perth!

Anyway, quick note today - if anyone is still searching for accommodation for the Busselton Ironman in December, please contact chrisue@iinet.net.au who has a house available for rent which might just help get you out of a tight spot if you're frantically looking for somewhere! Thanks to Lisa P for this information!

Hope that helps.

Cheers

Paul

Monday, November 1, 2010

Details whilst Paul is Away!

Dear Swimmers

This is a little "au revoir" from me, Michelle, Adam and Jackson before we shoot off to the UK this evening bound for adventures in the Mother Land far and wide! Big shame that the first Open Water series race in Rockingham got cancelled yesterday, but hey ho, there we go, better to be safe than sorry.

For your information we leave on the 1st November and I will be back on the 25th November. Covering the sessions in my absence will be:

  • Monday 1/11 @ 9.30am = Nikki Rogers = a nice set to try today with plenty of variety which will see the time just slip away! Really focus on being relaxed and just slipping through the water!
  • Tuesday 2/11 @ 5.30am & 6.30am = Shelley Taylor-Smith = a nice set to try today with plenty of variety which will see the time just slip away! Really focus on being relaxed and just slipping through the water!
  • Wednesday 3/11 @ 9.30am = Sandy Burt = this session will absolutely whizz by! The variation in interval distances will keep you engaged and focused on swimming well today. Enjoy!
  • Thursday 4/11 @ 5.30am & 6.30am = Adam Mullens = this session will absolutely whizz by! The variation in interval distances will keep you engaged and focused on swimming well today. Enjoy!
  • Friday 5/11 @ 9.30am = Sandy Burt = I love this set to start out a training program - it gets right to the nitty gritty of improving your feel for the water and helping to lengthen out your stroke. You don't need to go crazy long here, just keep it smooth and relaxed with good rhythm!
  • Saturday 6/11 @ 1pm = Glen Blackwell = a veritable cocktail of open water skills goodness - come and try, you'll love it!
  • Monday 8/11 @ 9.30am = Nikki Rogers = a good solid main set here...think of it as a continuous swim, punctuated with short rests but with the added benefit of being able to really gauge your pacing consistency at sub-threshold level.
  • Tuesday 9/11 @ 5.30am & 6.30am = Shelley Taylor-Smitha good solid main set here...think of it as a continuous swim, punctuated with short rests but with the added benefit of being able to really gauge your pacing consistency at sub-threshold level.
  • Wednesday 10/11 @ 9.30am = Sandy Burt = today's session is a chance to mix your pace up a bit, both above and below threshold pace. See if you can nail the changes in pace. Good luck!
  • Thursday 11/11 @ 5.30am & 6.30am = Adam Mullens = today's session is a chance to mix your pace up a bit, both above and below threshold pace. See if you can nail the changes in pace. Good luck!
  • Friday 12/11 @ 9.30am = Sandy Burt = I love these technique pyramids - a really simple way to mix things up a little bit and give your whole stroke the once over. After the session today, make a note of what felt really good for you. Focus on this aspect going forward!
  • Saturday 13/11 @ 1pm = Ceinwen Williams = The Pocket Rocket will be back today to give you a challenging but beneficial session focused on open water skills and drafting - be there or be...
  • Monday 15/11 @ 9.30am = Nikki Rogers = They say that variety is the spice of life and nothing could be further from the truth in this set! Really focus on the middle 100m of the drill set where you are swimming at 80% effort but maintaining good form!
  • Tuesday 16/11 @ 5.30am & 6.30am = Shelley Taylor-SmithThey say that variety is the spice of life and nothing could be further from the truth in this set! Really focus on the middle 100m of the drill set where you are swimming at 80% effort but maintaining good form!
  • Wednesday 17/11 @ 9.30am = Sandy Burt = This is surprisingly tough! This session starts off feeling quite easy (even at threshold pace) but it is very easy to be deceived into believing the whole thing is going to be a dawdle!
  • Thursday 18/11 @ 5.30am & 6.30am = Adam MullensThis is surprisingly tough! This session starts off feeling quite easy (even at threshold pace) but it is very easy to be deceived into believing the whole thing is going to be a dawdle!
  • Friday 19/11 @ 9.30am = Sandy Burt = By repeating both the warm-up and the main set twice you get the chance to have a good run-through at the drills and technique pointers today. Let your focus be on connecting with the water and achieving a good feel for it!
  • Saturday 20/11 @ 1pm = Ceinwen WilliamsThe Pocket Rocket will be back today to give you a challenging but beneficial session focused on open water skills and drafting - be there or be...
  • Monday 22/11 @ 9.30am = Nikki Rogers = This is a nice little session to break up the monotony of longer intervals at a steady pace and is a subtly different set to 2 weeks ago. The 50m intervals will ensure that you stay on your toes and inspire good form!
  • Tuesday 23/11 @ 5.30am & 6.30am = Sally ScaffidiThis is a nice little session to break up the monotony of longer intervals at a steady pace and is a subtly different set to 2 weeks ago. The 50m intervals will ensure that you stay on your toes and inspire good form!
  • Wednesday 24/11 @ 9.30am = Sandy Burt = A chance to really let rip today and see how quickly you can swim without the restriction of the beeper. PFQ = Pretty Flippin' Quick! Enjoy!
  • Thursday 25/11 @ 5.30am & 6.30am = Adam MullensA chance to really let rip today and see how quickly you can swim without the restriction of the beeper. PFQ = Pretty Flippin' Quick! Enjoy!
  • Friday 26/11 @ 9.30am = Sandy Burt = A nice little set today to allow you to focus on connecting a good initial catch of the water with a very smooth body roll.
  • Saturday 27/11 @ 1pm = Shelley Taylor-Smith = The Queen of the Open Water will be giving you her top tips and advice on swimming proficiently and strongly in the open water today by practicing some specific skills in the pool - not to be missed!

A few additional pointers:

  • For those swimming in the 5.30am and 6.30am sessions, please see http://www.swimsmooth.com/pauls_images/Squad_Names_Paces.pdf as an easy reference to which lane you should be swimming in and at what pace for which session. Hope this helps!
  • Please be aware that officially we only have 3 lanes at 5.30am and 6.30am but have been very fortunate that Coach Paul from "WAIS" has kindly been donating one of his lanes to us over the last 4 weeks. This is not guaranteed however and all the coaches have been briefed that we may actually have to squash into 3 lanes at times. Your help and cooperation here is much appreciated.
  • A quick reminder that the 5.30am and 6.30am sessions actually (officially) start at 5.35am and 6.35am respectively to allow you time to get down to the pool from the main reception.
  • Typically all sessions will be in the Outdoor 8 lane pool at Challenge Stadium, except for Friday 5th November at 9.30am which will be in the Outdoor 10 lane pool. Please keep an eye on the white boards for further information.
  • Most of you have recently purchased additional PAYG cards for whilst I am away which is really appreciated and will help the smooth running of the program in my absence. If you do still need some cards or find that you have run out whilst I am away, please either pay online at http://www.swimsmooth.com/perth_buycard.html and bring your online receipt to the pool in order for the coaches to issue you your card(s) or pay in cash on the pool deck. Online payment is preferred and easiest for everyone concerned for your reference.
  • We are due back at Claremont Pool from Monday 6th December onwards.

OK, see you in a few weeks - I am hoping that you're all fit and raring to go when I get back, so please ensure you keep popping along to the sessions to keep that consistency up and working on the technique we went through in Saturday's mini clinic.

Kind regards

Paul

Paul Newsome
Head Coach
World Class Coaching in Your Language!
Tel. +61 (0) 431 540 980