Long Course

I have probably railed about this in the past, but it is one of my biggest pet peeves as a swim coach. That meters swimming somehow makes you more fit and that if there is no long course training in you, you cannot race LC well. Well, we disproved this again this weekend.

USA swimming has taken to ending their National meets with a Long Course Time Trial day. Considering the official SC season is now only Sept-Dec and the rest of the year is considered LC and the entire world but us swims it, it is a great idea. However, only about 30% of the swimmers take advantage of it. Most coaches can be heard saying "we haven't been training meters. There is no point in staying and racing it." Really?!!??!?! Your telling me that if you are fit for yards, somehow you are not fit for meters. I don't buy it. That's like all these triathletes in Boulder saying that somehow the 25 meter pool will get you in better shape than the 25 yard one. C'mon, that extra 2 yards a length isn't what you need, trust me.

So RACE stayed and gave it a go. We do a lot of distance per stroke and a lot of efficiency work. It translates to Long Course well. We have not done a day of Long Course since August. The final tally from the LC day. 12 swims, 5 best times and only 2 swim that was way off. Must really need to train it to race it, huh?

It just goes to show, it is all in a state of mind. If you believe you can race it, you can race it.

Anna 100 free 58.80, 50 free 27.4
Siobhan 100 free 1;00, 50 free 27.6
Kourtney 100 BR 1;13.0, 200 br 2;40.2
Amanda 100 br 1:17.8, 200 br 2;50.3
Caroline 100 bk 1;08, 200 bk 2:26
Rin 100 breast 1:07, 200 br 2:27

All the attention now turns to the Sectional meet in March. This will be the main team meet for RACE this season.