Summer 2025 Week 1: Technical and Conditioning Focus: March 23 – March 29: Email 1 of 3

Summer 2025 Week 1: Technical and Conditioning Focus: March 23 – March 29: Email 1 of 3

• Macrocycle: Summer 1: March 23 – May 31
• Mesocycle: March 23 – April 12: General Preparation
• Microcycle: March 23 – March 29
  • Catch, Pull, & Body Position

Hello Swim Families!

Welcome to the Summer 2025 swim season!

Wait, what, it’s only March, how can it be “summer?”

Fair question. I call this the summer season because, with one exception, the Sunflower State Games (July 20), every swim meet from now until August will be held in the long course meters (LCM) format, meaning the Olympic 50-meter pool. Here is a very basic overview of how I plan a year of training.

• Fall
  • September through early December
• Winter
  • December through mid-March
• Summer 1
  • late-March through end-of-May
• Summer 2
  • June through mid-August

We will not begin training at City Park Pool until June 2, though our training for the next six weeks will emphasize technical preparation, focusing on stroke efficiency and distance per stroke (DPS), and aerobic endurance to be prepared for the increased aerobic capacity demanded for the long course format.

So, why is there no "spring?"

I don’t consider there to be a “spring” season as regards swimming. The championship meets take place in the months we consider spring—mid-to-late-February, March, and early-April; however, all the work required for those meets is done September through early-to-mid-February. I will note that astronomical spring began on March 20, 2025, in the Northern Hemisphere, but that’s not relevant to my season planning. Furthermore, there are no championship meets in May; therefore, late-March, April, and May are focused on preparing for the long course season and are therefore considered “Summer 1.”

Our first long course meet of the year will take place April 11-13 at USD 501 Natatorium in Topeka. It is called the Voorhees-Maxfield Invitational. If you look at the meet information PDF it calls it the Voorhees-Maxwell Invitational, which I believe is a typo. This is also reflected on Missouri Valley’s website when you click on the event for the meet information. It’s needlessly confusing but nothing anyone on our team needs to worry about it. Registration is as per usual and already open, and the registration deadline is April 3.

As the first long course meets begin in April, and the long course season really gets rolling in June, which is when the “Summer 2” macrocycle begins, that is when we both transition to training in the long course pool (Manhattan City Park Pool) and shift our focus from general preparation to a more specific preparation towards end-of-season and specific-race preparation. Remember, summer is short in Missouri Valley!

This summer, 2025, our outdoor season will take place from June 2 to August 8. We will likely resume our Fall 2025 macrocycle on September 2, though that is yet to be officially determined.

All that said, expect these emails once again on a weekly basis—I want y’all to stay in the loop on what we are doing and why we are doing it! Also, swimming and the Marlins is my one true passion, and I love writing to y’all about what our team is doing and how it will benefit us.

Now, to address the technical and conditioning focuses for this week.

• Technical Focuses: Body Position, Catch, & Rotation
  • If a swimmer could hydroplane, they would be the fastest in the world! Achieving a high body position is imperative to fast swimming. Having a strong core and a strong kick are vital to achieving the horizonal 180-degree body position ideal for racing. Efficiency at the beginning of the stroke's pull--the catch---is also vital.
    • Random Question: Why is single-arm butterfly Coach Reid's favorite butterfly drill?
    • Answer: Because it helps swimmers to establish an incredible catch while simultaneously reinforcing excellent rhythm and breath timing!
    • Random Question: Why is single-arm backstroke Coach Reid's favorite backstroke drill?
    • Answer: Because it helps swimmers to establish an incredible catch while simultaneously reinforcing great rotation--each shoulder comes out of the water each stroke!
    • Random Question: Why is 2-Kick-1-Pull Coach Reid's favorite breaststroke drill?
    • Answer: Because it reinforces high body position!
    • Random Question: Why is the FLO Coach Reid's favorite freestyle drill?
    • Answer: Because it helps swimmers to establish an incredible catch while simultaneously reinforcing a great body position.
• Conditioning Focus: General Aerobic
  • General Aerobic means an emphasis on an athlete’s aerobic capacity. At the start of every season, an athlete needs to build their aerobic base. That doesn’t mean cranking out 10,000 yards per practice; rather, building aerobic capacity to swim for more than 150 yards in one go at a high intensity. In recent years in the coaching community, “aerobic capacity” has taken some harsh criticism, particularly from those who promote Ultra-Short Race Pace training (USRPT) and the “sprint revolution;” however, coaches like Bob Bowman, Gregg Troy, Anthony Nesty, and Jack Bauerle, don’t shy away from old school high-volume training, and their premier athletes include Leon Marchand, Katie Ledecky, Bobby Finke, Josh Liendo, Hali Flickinger, Chase Kalisz, Olivia Smoliga, Jay Literland, and, though retired, Michael Phelps. Good company, in my opinion.

As always, the Manhattan Marlins are open to new members joining, so if you know of anyone interested in competitive swimming, please spread the word!

This summer we will again be offering a Summer League version of the team—more details on that shortly! It will offer swimmers a very fun and low-pressure introduction into the wonderful world of competitive swimming!

I hope you are taking full advantage of the new SwimOutlet.com team store! Get that swag!

As always, I’ll see you at the pool!

-Coach Reid