Fall 2024 Week 10 Technical & Conditioning Focus
Fall 2024 Week 10 Technical & Conditioning Focus: November 4 - November 9
Technical Focuses: Catch & Breakouts
Conditioning Focus: Anaerobic Threshold
Macrocycle: Fall 2024; Mesocycle: Power & Resistance; Microcycle: Aerobic Power + Resistance
Hello Swim Families!
Welcome to Fall 2024 week 10!
If the Technical and Conditioning Focuses above look familiar, it’s because we will be revisiting what we were supposed to do last week before the pool heater went out, though with some modifications to the original plans.
I understand the frustration of not being able to swim; however, I do want to say that I do not think anyone’s season is ruined by this inconvenience. Not even close. That does not diminish from our inconvenience, though I know that high school Reid probably would have freaked out about not being able to swim for a week. (Actually, high school Reid would have driven to Salina and swam at the YMCA—I did do this, in fact, many times when the KSU Natatorium was closed, but that is neither here nor there.)
So here’s the information:
- Monday: Dryland from 4:00 – 5:30 pm – No Swimming
- Tuesday: Dryland from 4:00 – 5:30 pm – Swimming Questionable
- Heater part expected to be delivered. The time of day it is installed will dictate whether the water has adequate time to warm up to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing for safe swimming.
- Wednesday: Swim practice anticipated to return to normal.
Platinum: 3:15 – 5:00 pm
o Blue: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
o White: 6:00 – 7:00 pm
- Thursday: Swim practice anticipated to return to normal.
o Platinum: 3:15 – 5:00 pm
o Blue: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
o Minnows: 6:00 – 7:00 pm
- Friday: Swim practice anticipated to return to normal.
o Platinum: 3:15 – 5:00 pm
o Blue: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
o White: 6:00 – 7:00 pm
- Saturday: Swim practice anticipated to return to normal.
o Platinum: 7:15 – 9:15 am
o Blue: 7:15 – 9:15 am
o White: 8:15 – 9:15 am
o Minnows: 8:15 – 9:15 am
Okay, so now let’s focus on what we are going to be doing during our time in the water.
- Technical Focus: Catch & Breakouts.
- Exploding through the water after every start and turn is essential to a successful race, so we will focus on improving the timing of our first stroke on every lap. This is the breakout. The breakout is followed immediately by the catch, meaning the first 15 or so percent of the pull. This is a vital—some would say the most important—part of each of the four competitive strokes. This is followed by a high early-vertical forearm (EVF), which is essential to a successful pull.
- Conditioning Focus: Anaerobic Threshold
- Basically, swim fast but not too fast while also controlling the number of breathes taken in a given effort. This is vital to race strategy and management.
- Microcycle: Aerobic Power + Resistance
- Imagine sprinting freestyle or butterfly for 25 yards and not breathing—that’s aerobic power. This, of course, can only be trained over the course of years of preparation, and workouts are scaled to age and adaptability.
- Resistance is exactly what it sounds like: parachutes, Stretch Cordz, the X1-Pro, paddles, fins, and Coach Reid’s personal favorite: drag sox.
As you will have seen, this week will culminate with the Legend’s Invitational hosted by the Wichita Swim Club at the Garvey Aquatic Center. We anticipate having warmup information on Wednesday or Thursday—I spoke with their entries chair on Saturday, and they are excited to have the Marlins at their biggest meet of the fall!
Coach Reid will be in Wichita for all five sessions of the meet Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. Coach Myles will run the show in Manhattan on Friday and Saturday—I have already written the workouts for the entire upcoming week, so we are prepared!
Please let me know if you have any questions, and I’ll see you at the pool!
Reid Carlson
Head Swimming Coach, Manhattan Marlins Swim Team
Senior Content Writer & Media Producer
SwimSwam, LLC
