Swimming for Masters, Triathletes, Open Water, Fitness Swimmers, Coaches, Including Workout Development, Workout Modification and Workout Sets

By Chuck Slaught AA BSB MED EDD ABD

A MUST READ LOADED RESOURCE FOR MASTER SWIMMERS, TRIATHLETES, FITNESS SWIMMERS AND COACHES

Swimming for the Mature Audience is a great resource for the above 18-year-old swimmer. This is a comprehensive guide for USMS Master Swimmers, USAT and new Triathletes, Open Water Swimmers (USA and Masters), Fitness Swimmers, and Coaches designed to help explain what works and why in the sport of swimming. It contains all the nuts and bolts of sound and effective practices that work! It is also an introduction for new athletes to the sport with all the knowledge needed to fit in immediately. Youll find insight into the sport, including how to modify and even build workouts that work for you designed to alleviate the learning curve and fear associated with anything new.

A wealth experience, knowledge, and sound practices are contained in this easy-to-read resource guaranteed to help everyone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483660080

Chuck Slaught AA BSB MED EDD ABD

Chuck Slaght, AA, BSB, MA, Med, EdD/ABD, ASCA level 5 E&E certified coach (Masters, Age Group, Disabled), offers over 55 years of experience as an elite national record holding swimmer, multiple time California Interscholastic Federation state champion, nationally ranked masters triathlete (completed all distances), world-class coach, consultant, author, educator, and organization builder drawing from experiences in public and private facility utilization, management, aquatic facility design, public and private school (elementary through College) coaching and administration, fund-raising, mentoring, and athlete training from beginning to world record swimmers. He has coached eight teams (AAU-USAS), three middle schools, eight high schools, college, and five multi-team summer league programs. He has coached and helped thousands of swimmers over his 40 plus years of coaching. Chuck is a visionary, mentor, servant-leader and loves aquatics but especially wants to help others develop to and beyond their potential.

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Copyright © 2013 by Chuck Slaght AA, BSB, MA, MEd, EdD/ABD.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 06/24/2013

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Contents

Introduction: Why read this book?

Masters Swimming: A Comprehensive View

Triathlon Training and Coaching: What Works

Fitness Swim Training: A Great Fit For Aquatic Programs

Developing and Modifying Workouts That Work for You

Techniques and Ideas for Coaching Older Swimmers

Sample Workouts and Some Favorite Sets

Introduction: Why read this book?

The development of this book and training assistance is to acquaint people with the benefits of swimming on all levels and to give everyone a basic understanding of the nuances associated with swim training (workouts and coaching), cover all the facets needed to start swimming and to improve, explain the different groups and governing associations for adults who swim, and to cover competition issues. I wanted to give everyone a comprehensive resource to use as a guiding reference to make everyone feel comfortable beginning or joining any level swimming program. This book will cover Masters Swimming, Triathlete training along with Open Water Swimming, Fitness Swimming, Coaching Adult Swimmers, and Workout Development and Modification, what to do, how to do it, what to have, why swimming is the best choice for you, and other important elements for the beginner non-competitive swimmer to the elite world-class competitor. Each section will have information that is interrelated to anyone training for any event or simply for fitness and fun. Just to qualify the work and about my background, I have coached since 1968, participated in all forms herein since 1956, on all levels, and have always tried to help others develop their potential and, I was always dedicated to generating aquatics programs that work toward benefiting everyone and constructively incorporating programs (Inclusive Aquatics)! I am also an American Swimming Coaches Association Level 5 E&E certified credentialed coach (masters, age group, disabled), coached and/or sponsored every aquatic sport, an aquatics consultant-designer, as well as a Certified Aquatics Administrator. It is my hope to give everyone a solid working knowledge of aquatics so that everyone is comfortable and has access to the nuts and bolts information in all forms of swimming at any level in any venue.

So let’s open with this, swimming as a sport and for anyone’s health, benefit, and mental welfare is really safe and injury free, think about that and compare it to other long-term training and various forms of exercise (joint impact training)! There will be information in each section to help everyone learn and especially to help others as they begin their swimming careers, helping everyone achieve whatever level they may desire through workout goal setting. Each particular section within, Masters, Triathlon, Open Water, Fitness Swimming, Coaches, Workout Development and Modification, and actual sets/workout sections which will help everyone understand the various elements in each area as many times groups of swimmers are congregated on a team with many different goals but everyone will need help, want answers, hopefully encourage one another, and share sound advice as they progress; people tend to overcome fears and exceed expectations if they are educated and aware of the unknown. It is much easier to master something if you have a basic understanding of what will happen, what to expect, understand strange new terms, and have a basic understanding of how to go about doing it.

This will also convey the language of swimming (descend, negative splits, drilling, 10x100 Free on the 1:30, etc.) which is also a concern for new athletes especially in a workout situation this book will help you understand that language from day one. While we all want people to join in and be a part of an organization or team many will train alone and therefore this guide will help them to excel as well. There is also a socialization process within adult training that makes this, as well as how people train, suffer, compete, play together, and enjoy swimming together. This comprehensive and fun guide could also be used for training clinics that can be held in different areas. The goal of all swimming is to have fun (weird sort of fun) while training to meet and exceed one’s goals, be that a particular time, a fitness level, or a finishing place (beating that old nemesis).

There will be workouts and sets included with this book, from other Master swimmers, but you can use any workouts (Internet, book, etc.) but you must know how to modify them, work with intervals, and set effort percentages to suit your needs/goals, to improve your particular level of fitness, and fulfill your purposes and goals for training. To actually create workouts or modify them, this book will help you understand workout building and a modification process for you to use: less frustration with training where impossible sets as given become possible (modified by number-time-distance). Having different ability levels within a workout can be daunting at times but a simple modification of distances, times, repeats, etc. will make any workout and group a doable effort for any swimmer: it is not about keeping up that is important it is what works for the individual that is important and feeling like you fit into the group. I suggest you read the Masters Swimming section first and then other sections that suit you best (Triathlete-Fitness-Open Water-Workout Development), begin your workouts, (team or alone) then come back and read all the other sections.

I love being immersed in water, training, and working with people and hope you will share my love of swimming!

Masters Swimming: A Comprehensive View

Looking for that form of exercise that minimizes the damage that you can’t afford anymore to your poor pounded joints and body then, swimming is the answer. This great form of exercise applies to anyone who wants to have a fitness program, to simply train and not compete, a triathlete, and to those who may want to compete in the pool. Anyone can be a Master’s swimmer but I want to make sure that we up front include the disabled athlete individuals as they also can compete and enjoy the camaraderie this is a very friendly sport and the people are very patient and helpful to all, the joy is in just doing it together! Masters swimmers are there to compete, improve, and have fun but not to be chasing after world records although some can and will work toward breaking those records: the major overarching goal is healthy participation leading to happiness! The goal of this section will be to give everyone a basic knowledge with various forms of training ideologies so that you will know what to expect when you show up for a masters or other type of training program. The core philosophy and basic psychology of Masters swimming is to be healthy, to socialize, to participate, to achieve one’s goals, but most of all to have fun!

All you need is a swimsuit, a pair of goggles, and a pool! The other equipment is normally available to use at the pool where you will train. I have seen people who could only swim 15 yards when they started become distance swimmers and solid triathletes doing half Ironman competitions. It is up to you just how far you want to go and how good you want to become I have seen the transformation, improvement, and achievement of huge goals happen many times! It just takes the will, dedication, and time to improve.

Here’s the good news about swimming, there is literally no impact to joints except on turns and that is minimal therefore impact type injuries are almost nonexistent. The benefits of supplemental cardiovascular training along with minimal resistance are well worth the effort to enhance your training and health. If you can complement this with some brisk walking and maybe a little biking you have all forms of beneficial low impact exercise (for bone density maintenance). Add to this the organizational and individual benefits/rewards of masters swimming, socialization, or even the effort it may take for you to create a Masters swimming program, if there are none locally, far exceed the required energy and time it takes to support or develop this aquatics program (a win-win situation).

As a coach and swimmer I would like to cover the elements of what a good comprehensive program consists of in this book as well as some tips and other subjects of interest. Remember foremost that training must be fun but also challenging and carefully administered. But first let me ask do you have a coach, do you know who is coaching you, what are their credentials, and how are you helping them and the sport improve (your investment): many times you are just lucky to have anyone help, draft workouts, or even coach? A coach will help push you in the right way so I highly recommend you train under a qualified coach. If there are no coaches in your area you need to develop a group and seek out a coach (there are many coaches who are retired who may want to help); get a special interest story in the media asking for a coach to come forward. You need to be the change that you want to see, the organization you want to have, but please enlist others to help you! Enough said onward…

What is Masters Swimming and who benefits from it?

United States Masters Swimming (USMS) is the governing body for older athletes (18-100+). Individuals can be in different programs from USA Swimming, USA Triathlon, and USMS organizations or simply use this training for exercise/fitness. The USMS organization envisions adults seeking all types/levels of training, to promote healthy forms of exercise, to combine with other people who want to swim for fun, fitness, and socialization, as well as those who want a forum to compete on all levels (beginning to elite)! So there is a place for anyone and everyone to be a Masters Swimmer and all will benefit from one another’s great company!

USMS provides guidance and rules for competition mostly in alignment with FINA the international aquatics governing body. Age groups are in 5-year increments (40-44, 45-49, etc.) for competition however FINA has a different spin so carefully read the December 31st determination of age for Masters LCM/SCM meter courses competition. Local Masters Swimming Committees (LMSC) regulates local areas/regions for competition and provides leadership while developing new ideas to expand participation on all levels. Please, make sure you are involved and active in supporting the efforts of USMS and your LMSC. A few LMSC’s encompass the entire state as a single team which makes relay composition for smaller teams easier at meets: local swim groups train at their own facilities then combine swimmers at major meets. Other LMSC’s have independent swimming teams located throughout the state. The level of performance stress and anxiety within Masters swimming organizations is for the better part non-existent (except for a few elite athletes and some naturally grumpy folks) and almost everyone is extremely friendly, helpful, and fun to be around. Everyone roots for the underdog; it is all about the effort, trying, but not the speed! USMS provides the rules and regulations for competition but follows the rules developed by FINA and USA Swimming (USAS) for the major part but make sure you read a copy of the current rules (a rulebook is sent to every USMS member).

Another benefit to joining USMS as a member is insurance coverage, which is a supplemental policy that helps in case of an accident much the same as USA Swimming offers to its young athletes (a great deal for minimal money). This insurance helps cover you during workouts, going to and coming back from scheduled workouts and training events, and travel to and from meets or events sanctioned or approved by your coach in the amount of one to two million dollars (make sure to obtain an insurance claim form from USMS/USAS should the need arise, coaches and meet directors should have these available).

Remember Masters is just the term used for the group it does not mean that everyone is a master professional, highly experienced, swam forever, ex-Olympian, or even a super gifted swimmer; it is simply what it is called Masters Swimming. Check out United States Masters Swimming (USMS) website at http://www.usms.org where you can find pools, training groups all over the nation, membership, workouts, about insurance, and other great information via this website. If there is not a Masters program in your area contact the Local Masters Swim Committee that encompasses your region for help and advice on starting a program/team. Training with a like-minded group of people is the best way to train and succeed no matter what level or capability you are at! A like-minded group is fun to hang around with and to share the experience.

Everyone of every level and ability can benefit from swimming. Everyone has a place in Master’s swimming. Every swimmer is an important element to the survival of the swimming social organism called a team. Master swimmers are a great bunch of people, I am amazed at how accepting, helping, and friendly they all are no matter what level you are on. Slow or fast everyone belongs and is welcome. Finally, everyone can have fun and be a part of a great social organization! I am amazed at how fast everyone improves once they commit to compete and set goals of simply improving (no pressure). Once you go and simply participate in a Master’s meet, no goals or expectations, just swim an event(s) for fun, you will see exactly what I am saying.

I just want to speak about disabled individuals as an inclusive inspirational element to Masters swimming. Specifically, I want to mention a GREAT individual who has Cerebral Palsy and has used swimming as a tool to remain active and fit she is currently in the Florida LMSC and serves as the Fitness Chairwoman and has published a great article: (www.usms.org/articles/articledisplay.php?a=149). But I would also like for you to read what was recently published about her and how she is an inspiration to many able-bodied as well as disabled athletes: http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_east_hillsborough/brandon/despite-cerebral-palsy-diagnosis0003-sue-moucha-is-a-star-swimmer

Sue Moucha is truly an inspiration to us all and proof that the human spirit is able to overcome all obstacles. There are many disabled individuals who could become great swimmers but none that have the fortitude, will, and internal strength that Sue Moucha has or we would see many more trying swimming. However, where there is a will there surely is a way! As a coach I am totally for inclusion and have worked with many disabled athletes; it is very rewarding for the individual, the team, and an honor for me to at times coach and have these athletes as members of our Master’s swimming community! So encourage a physically or mentally challenged individual to try swimming with your organization you will be totally impressed and thankful you did!

What are Good Elements within a Masters Program?

The three major elements of a good program are the facility, the group, and coaching. Facilities need to provide multiple times for training as master athletes and triathletes also work making a morning, noon and evening practice schedule very attractive. Some facilities combine the age group team times with masters training times, this is okay however using the same coach for both groups is not wise as it is extremely difficult to properly regulate and train all levels and groups at the same time. Water time and lanes are always a critical issue and we must always be willing to work together for the benefit of all. Facilities should try and host one to three meets at their facilities each year with local media coverage for promoting growth of these healthy programs: this also helps with raising funds. The masters group should be as diverse as possible: fitness swimmers, social swimmers, open water swimmers, triathletes, low-key competitors, and elite avid competitors. The dynamics of this diverse group makes this very interesting, mentoring occurs frequently, socially promotes interaction, it is fun, and creates a common bond prompting others to get involved. Swimming is contagious when you’re around other swimmers. The interaction of the various groups and their dedication levels also makes this great for mentoring in and outside the pool. The final element, the coach or coaching staff is a critical factor to the organization; leadership, qualifications, certifications, psyche, a critical eye for technique, knowledge, and experience should be the major factors in recruiting and retaining a coach-leader.

There is a very special relationship that develops between a coach and a swimmer-athlete. Developing this relationship, interaction, and trust is crucial for the success of an athlete, the other athletes on a team, team dynamics and culture, as well as developing the coaching staff plus this relationship helps with establishing a nurturing and professional team atmosphere (team culture and camaraderie). The development of this coach-athlete trust factor is crucial as the harder one trains or the more experienced an athlete is the more credibility and trust one must have for one another to be pushed within a workout (this is a critical factor). The older a swimmer gets the harder it becomes to develop this relationship and the more dangerous that relationship can become (too pushy within workouts): it is also harder to monitor older swimmers as well within group workouts (numbers verses safety is a huge issue). Always remember the older athlete is also more set in their ways and how they want to train or be trained; it is harder to break this egg and gain trust. This is also true with highly motivated or accomplished athletes especially once you reach the elite levels of competition (especially nearing world record performances). Goals, expectations, and the workout mechanics for achieving these goals must be shared and known by both athlete and coach (coaches should communicate what you are doing and why for various training periods).

Coaches should be able to explain what and why they are doing something in workouts (purpose) not just be administering a workout and frequently explain what to expect, why, and the purpose of certain sets! Trust, confidence, and competency are HUGE goals to achieve between swimmers and coaches; swimmers cannot reach the elite levels without cultivating this trust in, confidence in, and competency with the coach and the workouts they administer. Once trust has developed between an athlete and the coach a special bond and an actual training comfortable confidence exists (blind faith). The coach must however continue to share the plan and reasoning for what is being done in workouts (goal oriented). This shared status of trust, relationship, may take some time to develop however but it is important to develop these elements. This also helps the athlete to train because trust and familiarity with an athlete’s ability allows the athlete to let go and trust the coach’s workout decisions; concentration on just doing the workout as given no matter how hard or impossible it may seem at the time (trust, obey, and try). Normally athletes will only train up to a point of fatigue and then find an easy out (excuse) to discontinue a set especially if it is hard, too challenging, or exhausting. Once the trust factor is achieved it is much easier for an athlete to trust the coach’s decision to push an athlete or to be placed in an uncomfortable physically taxing training situation. It is so much easier though for a swimmer to let go and allow the workout to be dictated by the coach once trust and this bond have been established. The more accomplished the athlete is the harder it is to establish this trust however and the more accomplished the coach must be. With large groups it is also extremely hard for coaches to work one-on-one or be more prescriptive in a workout with 20+ swimmers training at the same time! This is where we separate the good and the great coaches who can multitask and maintain a focus on multiple swimmers doing various levels and types of workouts in a group setting; watching splits and maintaining an athlete’s effort as assigned (juggling dynamite).

The coaching staff, if you can even have a staff but surely one dedicated coach, must also be nurturing on multiple levels. The coach must also be the consummate professional, highly skilled, and educated (wise). Most programs must share or have a part-time coach and this makes things really tricky. Getting pool time and working with others is very important to getting along in any facility or community; very few organizations own their pool. Getting along with the business community and media is critical as well and a working relationship must be developed. There are many times that the coaching staff needs to take the lead in raising funds for the program, arranging for and running meets, mentoring other coaches, et cetera ad nausea. The coach and coaching staff are critical elements for a successful program. It is therefore very important that an organization selects the best possible coach to lead their program, has the monetary support, has structure and support, and at the same time give the reigns to the coach who is selected to run the program and back them totally! Keeping a great coach happy needs to be a priority for the entire team as this is an exhausting position, even though it is nearly impossible to make everyone happy (work on this support extremely hard).

I hate to talk about money but it is necessary and it is a critical element. Let me just say that coaches (ASCA Masters Level 3+ certified) are severely underpaid and that’s just wrong, the minimum pay for a good on-deck coach is $50 an hour (equates to about $28,800 for one 2 hour workout 6 days a week) which can be shared by the group now that does not include meets, administration time, research-education, travel, benefits, etc. A full time coach cannot live on this salary so you need to be creative and resourceful if you want their full attention and availability otherwise you need to find them a good