As a young boy I was fortunate enough to be able to try almost all mainstream sports during school – finding that I was highly un-coordinated at most of them. After knocking over hurdles, jumping face first into the sandpit while attempting to Long Jump and plodding along the running track with big flat feet, […]
Continue readingFirstly, always start by warming up – it increases blood flow to all parts of your body, hence helps to avoid that “shock” you might feel when the gun goes and you hit the water for the first time. Secondly, aim to contain your nervous energy in the first few minutes and instead take it […]
Continue readingRecovery after a race is just as, if not more important, than the training process involved in getting ready for the race. Just like the Jetstar planes – if they aren’t refuelled after each flight they won’t be able to take off again, the human body is exactly the same. If it isn’t refuelled and […]
Continue readingThe faster, more efficiently you can recover – the stronger your body will be. That’s because during recovery, your body repairs the ‘damage’ you’ve done. Recovery is when you reap the benefits of your training. Here are 5 ways to speed up your recovery. 1. Nutrition –protein and carbohydrates The primary fuel source for […]
Continue readingSwimming efficiency always leads to speed. Without it, you can aim to get fit and thereby improve your swimming, but as soon as you lose that fitness you’ll be back to square one. And that’s a frustration familiar to many of you reading this right now.. Lasting effective technique relies on learning to drop your […]
Continue readingThe Topgun Pilots at Jetstar always put a great deal of planning into how to get from A to B in the most efficient of ways and, fortunately for us – although not as much study is involved, we as open water swimmers can practice our sighting techniques so that we can get around the […]
Continue readingCramp in swimming generally occurs in one of three areas: 1. the small muscles in the toes 2. the arch of the foot 3. and/or the third and main area, the calf It’s no coincidence that all these muscle regions activate together when you point your toes, something that you shouldn’t be doing if you […]
Continue readingCapital Classic – Wellington Warmth As swimmers, most of us are a custom to kickstarting the day before dawn by taking our clothes off in less than ideal colder temperatures and plunging into a pool – the water temperature always making sure that if we weren’t awake before we got in, the fresh rush of […]
Continue readingEvery swimmer knows that bilateral breathing is a good skill to have. But is it something you should be doing 100% of the time or is more relevant to certain situations? Contrary to many new swimmers’ belief, 3 stroke breathing is NOT the norm for a competitive swimmer. Any breathing pattern above 3 (eg 4 […]
Continue readingEasy swimming is simply a category of effort, one which when executed properly and also mixed in the right ratios with some hard work will create a great result, just like a recipe. But we need to know these ingredients well and how they need to be stirred together. To create forward movement in […]
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