August 11-12th Mini-Swim Camp
Proposal
There has been some interest in a weekend mini-swim
camp/clinic this August. The current proposal is two 2hr sessions on
Saturday, August 11th (10am to noon, after Masters), and Sunday, August 12th
(9:15-11:15am). Cost for registered Carleton Masters would be $20 for one
session and $30 for both ($25/$40 for Carleton Athletics members/students who
are not registered with Masters, and $30/$50 for non-members). A minimum
of 15 participants is required for this to go ahead. We'll ensure a good
student to coach ratio. Interested coaches include Masters Head Coach
Kristi, Varsity Head Coach John, Claudia and myself. The tentative outline
for the sessions is:
Beginners:
Session 1: freestyle technique
Session 2: more freestyle technique (if required),
freestyle skills (open and flip turns), backstroke/breaststroke technique (as
time permits)
Intermediate:
Session 1: freestyle technique and skills (open and flip
turns, racing starts, open water sighting), and if time permits, backstroke
technique and skills (turns, starts)
Session 2: backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly
technique and skills (turns, starts)
Advanced/Varsity: If there is the space
and the interest, we will also offer two long workouts (at a reduced cost [free
to Varsity swimmers!] as there would be less one-on-one
interaction):
Session 1: long workout: distance or sprint session
Session 2: long workout: sprint or distance session
Please let me know by August 1st (by phone, e-mail or in
person) if you are interested in participating, your level (beginner,
intermediate, advanced), what you want to improve/learn, which session(s) you
are interested in, and please list the other weekends in August you would also
be available. If you are interested but you cannot make the proposed
weekend, please notify me of your availability. We will announce by August
4th if the camp is a "go". If we don't get enough interest for August
we'll organize something in the fall.
Announcements
Many thanks to Tamsin
(Whitecaps) for printing out the first nine newsletters and posting them on the
Masters board. Please let your "e-mail-challenged" friends know that they
can now view the hard copies!
Steve Baird is working on rates/times for Masters private
lessons (thanks, Steve!). This information will be published when it's
finalized.
A few summers ago, a group of us went swimming regularly
at Meech Lake at 8:30am on Sunday mornings. If there is any interest in
starting this up again or arranging a session for open water beginners, let me
know. (See "Open Water Swimming Tips" article below.)
Volunteers Needed! On the morning
of Sunday, August 26th, a Kids-of-Steel triathlon (age 7 to 18) is being held at
CFB Ottawa near the Aviation Parkway and Hemlock Road area. Kristi is one
of the race directors and I am the swim coordinator. The swim will be held
in the base 4 lane 25yd outdoor pool. We will need 10-12 volunteers to
help with the swim. Duties will involve counting lengths (you get a paper
and pen, unlike in workout!), and general organization (ensuring kids are in the
right place for their swim start, checking names/numbers, explaining safety
rules, etc.). Lots more volunteers will be needed in the transition zone,
and on the bike and run courses. Volunteers will get a free meal after the
race. Carleton Masters volunteers will also receive a $5 rebate on the
2-day fee for the August swim camp (if it goes ahead).
Women's Locker Available in September.
I will not be renewing my permanent locker in the women's change room
as I now get one in the Varsity room. Permanent lockers cost around $70
per year. Usually fewer than 10 women's lockers become available each
September, and you must line up for hours to get one. If you'd like a
permanent locker, and would like to avoid the line up, let me know.
Triathlon Race
Reports (as usual, please let me know if I've missed anyone or
any races!):
The Graham Beasley Triathlon was held in Carleton Place
today: Sunday July 15th (1500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run), but the results are not
yet posted on the Sportstats site, so they'll be included next
week.
Early Birds (Morning Group) Summer Session
Notes
We'll be finishing the "start of summer session" time
trials during this coming week (week of July 16th). If you'd like to
participate, please decide what event(s) you'd like to swim, and let me know
what day you'd like to do you time trial(s).
Swimming Etiquette
Rule #8: Be courteous to other
swimmers.
The coaching staff wants all Masters workouts to be
enjoyable for everyone. While you should normally be in a lane with
swimmers of a similar ability, if, due to space considerations, you are in a
lane with those a little slower, be cautious and considerate when passing.
While it is easy for tempers to flare when you're working hard, you must always
treat your lane-mates with respect.
Dear Coach: Occasionally my quads
start to cramp and spasm when I push off the wall in workout. What can I
do to prevent this? Quad Cramps
Dear Q. Cramps: While most people get the occasional
cramp, there are things that you can do to help. First, ensure that you are do some range of
motion and light stretching before workout (ask for a demo if you're not sure of
the appropriate exercises), and ensure that you warm up in the pool before doing
any hard swims. Secondly, keep well hydrated during workout with either
water and/or a sports drink. Thirdly, do lots of stretching after workout
(on deck or in the shower). And, finally, ensure that your diet has
adequate potassium (bananas are a good source). You may have noticed that
if you do get a cramp it tends to come back the next time you work out.
Doing all of the above (in even greater quantities), as well as relaxing the
muscle(s) immediately if you feel a cramp coming on should
help.
Dear Coach: My shoulders sometimes start
to hurt when I do backstroke. Why is this? Sore
Shoulders
Dear S. Shoulders: If your shoulders become sore while
you're swimming (any stroke), then there is a technique problem. Ask your
coach to have a look at your stroke to determine the problem. Normally
sore shoulders in backstroke result from attempting to put your hand too deep in
the water (below your shoulder level) with inadequate body roll. This
results in a lot of stress on the joint. Instead of trying to put your
hand as deep in the water as you can, try to roll your shoulders more and keep
your hand in line with your shoulders (with your elbow pointing towards the
bottom of the pool). Thus if you are taking a stroke with your right arm,
your left shoulder should be out of the water (almost under your chin), your
right shoulder several inches below the surface and if you were to draw a
straight line from your left shoulder to your right shoulder and down towards
the bottom of the pool, your right hand would never go deeper than that
line.
Dear Coach: You told me that to get a
good body position in freestyle, I should look at the bottom of the pool to help
keep my hips up, and press slightly down with my shoulders. What is the
equivalent for backstroke? Streamlined
Dear Streamlined: To achieve a streamlined position in
backstroke, as in freestyle, you also need to keep your hips at the same level
as your shoulders. To achieve this, look up at the ceiling and slightly
back in the direction you are swimming. At the same time, keep the
distance between your chin and chest the same as it is in a normal standing
position (i.e. chin is neither tucked nor pointing up). If you feel that
your hips are still sinking, push down slightly with your shoulders.
Ensure that you are pushing down with your shoulders, rather than up with your
lower back, as you do not want to put pressure on your lower back or arch your
back. Once the correct position is achieved, you will be able to feel air
on the tops of your thighs as you roll from side to side.
Goggles
Alan (Early Birds) recently purchased a pair of TYR
prescription goggles that he's very happy with. However, he bought them in
Vancouver and I have not seen these goggles locally nor can I find them on any
swim store web site, so if anyone knows how to get these locally or by mail
order, please let me know!
Open Water Swimming
Tips
Here are John Flanagan (US Long Distance National Swim
Team member)'s top 10 tips for open water racing, extracted from an article by
Alex Kostich. Keep in mind that John lives in Hawaii and does most of his
races in the ocean where there are many more variables than in most lake
swims. Also, please note that in most FINA and Masters open water swims,
drafting is not permitted!
1. Practice sighting
"I've found that the best way to
sight during a race is to lift the head and
look forward as your are turning
your head to breathe. You want to limit how
high you lift your head because
your hips will drop, so try just below the
goggle line. Then take your breath
when you turn your head to the side."
2. Time when you sight
"The more you look, the more
tired you get. The less you look, the less
straight you may swim. It is a
trade-off, but you need to find what is
comfortable for you in the race you
are in. If you are in an ocean race, be
sure to sight as you are rising from
a swell so you can see."
3. Train in open water
"If you have a chance to
train in the open water, take advantage of it. It
is not always the fastest
swimmers that win open-water races, but the ones
who swim the smartest race
and have the most experience."
4. Stay warm during the race
"I've been in races
where my body just shuts down because of the cold. Try
to avoid it by using
everything you can: Wetsuits, two caps and earplugs all
help keep you warm
during those frigid races."
5. Goggles are critical
"Find a pair that you are
comfortable with, and allow you to see very well.
Don't wait until race day
to try your new pair of goggles out!"
6. Learn the course
"You may not always have
someone with you during the race. Before the race,
check the buoys. Look for
landmarks, like trees or houses, that will help
guide you in a straight line.
While you are in the water, you won't always
be able to sight off the buoys."
7. Have a fast start
"Be warmed up and prepared to go hard from the
beginning. You want to limit
as much contact as possible on the start, so get
out fast. You can settle
into your pace after that."
8. Learn to
breathe on both sides
"I have found out the hard way that it is best to
breathe to the opposite
side when someone is next to you. [If not,] you might
get hit in the face,
and/or lose your goggles. It is much worse than a hit in
the back of the
head."
9. Draft when you can
"Drafting is a part of
open-water swimming. It can help you sometimes, and
hurt you others. You may
be able to hang on to a faster group of swimmers,
but you may also get stuck
behind some and not know how slow you are going.
Use it with caution. I would
recommend using it more for triathletes, who
should be finding ways to save
their legs for the bike and run."
10. Eat and hydrate well
"Take care of your body.
It is easy to get dehydrated out in the open water.
Drink plenty of fluids
two days out, but don't get bloated."
General Information
Please remember that for the rest of the summer,
the Early Birds (MWF morning group) will run from 7:30-8:30am ONLY.
The 8:30-9:30am group will recommence September 17th.
Your input to this weekly newsletter is most
welcome, especially for the race results and "Ask the Coach"
sections! To be added or removed from the receiver list, just let me know
(lynnmarshall@sympatico.ca).
Keep on Swimming!
Lynn
