Swimming Sculpture - Tower Bridge - Friday 21st September 2007

Swimming Sculpture - Tower Bridge - Friday 21st September 2007
Originally uploaded by kevenlaw

Wow! How impressive is that? I thought my readers would appreciate this photo.

Go Swim Breaststroke with Brendan Hansen - Instructional DVD Review

GoSwim Breaststroke with Brendan Hansen is yet another great instructional DVD from the team of Glenn Mills and Barbara Hummel. Like the Peirsol Go Swim Backstroke DVD, this video breaks the stroke down into 6 key focus areas. By doing this, the viewer can watch a section and focus on that portion of the stroke while practicing until ready to move to the next focus area. After breaking the stroke down into easily practiced parts, the stroke can be performed as one cohesive unit with all parts working together more effectively and correctly.

The instructional DVD comes with a laminated drill guide to help you recall the 6 areas of focus while at the pool.

Learn the importance of:

• Streamline Timing
• Connecting Hands, Head and Hips Going to Air
• Connecting Hands, Head and Hips Going to Streamline
• Fast Hands
• Hiding Your Kick
• Pressing Your Hips UP!

This DVD is appropriate for beginners to accomplished swimmers and is easy to follow as well as enjoyable to watch.

The underwater camera work is excellent and really shows each key area clearly, allowing the swimmer to understand completely what each section is demonstrating.

Go Swim Breaststroke with Brendan Hansen is a MUST-HAVE for age-group youth swimmers, IMers and breaststrokers of any level.

My Rating
Quality of Material – 5 Stars
Ease of Use – 5 Stars
Appropriate Swimmer Level – All levels
Ages - (ages 9 and up) For younger swimmers it's definitely wise to watch in sections depending on attention span.
Overall Impression – A must-have for competitive swimmers 5 Stars

Anyone else seen this video? Feel free to comment!

Selecting the Best Swimming Goggles for Age Group Swimmers

If your child is new to swimming and will be swimming on a team, it is really important to find the right goggles. Surely you can imagine trying to swim with water swishing around in the lenses or swimming with a severe headache. The following should be taken into consideration as a whole when you begin looking for the right goggles for your swimmer.

FIT: Make sure the goggles fit snuggly within the eye socket (but not tight). Test this by placing the goggles over the eyes as normal without the straps. Press until there is suction and remove your hand. If they stick evenly for a brief moment, they should keep the water out when the straps are adjusted for your child’s head.

COMFORT: Even if a particular goggle fits and does not leak, it has to be comfortable or your child will be miserable.

QUALITY & PRICE: It seems to be a common theme for some children to lose several pairs of goggles during a season. Goggles can also break. While it may be tempting to buy a cheap pair, don’t do it! You will end up spending more money in the long run because they are poorly made.

TYPE OF GOGGLE: There are many types of goggles available. The most common type for competitive swimmers is the racing or sprint goggle. If the swimmer competes in open-water events, there are goggles the suit that type of swimming as well. Low profile goggles are optimal for competitive swimmers because they are less bulky and produce less drag.

NOSEPIECE: Many people overlook this, but goggles with interchangeable nosepieces are desirable because everyone’s faces are different (spacing of the eyes and the size of the bridge). Being able to adjust the nosepiece can greatly improve fit and comfort.

LENS TYPE: Lenses come in clear or tinted. Clear is perfectly fine inside, but outdoor swimmers should select a pair of goggles with a tinted lens and UV protection. Tinted lenses are fine indoor was well, but clear may be better for smaller swimmers as they are still getting acclimated to the layout of the pool, lane lines, walls, etc.

ANTI-FOG: Goggles get fogged up easily. Many goggles are made with anti-fog lenses. Even so, they can still fog up. The most practical way to prevent fogging is to smear saliva (I know, gross) on the inside of the lenses. This works like a charm for swimmers and scuba divers alike. There is also anti-fog spray. This requires a little more effort, but is also a great option.

STYLE: When a child reaches a certain age, looking good becomes more important. Fortunately, goggles come in a wide range of styles and most are reasonably priced. Your child should have no problem helping pick out a pair of goggles with great fit, comfort, quality and style.

TIP: After you have found the PERFECT pair of goggles for your child, buy more than one pair, especially if you find your child’s model on sale.

TIP: To make it harder to lose goggles, get your child in the habit of tucking the goggle straps under the outer leg opening in the bathing suit, under one of the top straps of the bathing suit, or under the waist elastic (for boys). (You can do this with the caps as well)

Swimoutlet.com has regular sales on goggles. Even with shipping they are cheaper than the closest swim shop and the sporting goods store. I usually buy several at one time.

Dealing with Plantar Warts and Athlete's Foot - Common Among Swimmers

You swim several times a week and take a shower right after you finish swimming laps. So why are your feet so dry and cracked? And what are those clusters of dark spots on the bottom of your feet?

Plantar warts are fairly common (but very rarely spoken of) among swimmers. Like athlete’s foot, it is fairly easy to get the virus which causes plantar warts from showers, the pool deck, or the locker room. Because plantar warts are caused by a virus, the ointments, creams and powders intended for athlete’s foot fungus are destined to fail.

If you already have plantar warts, you want to keep them from spreading. Because plantar warts are caused by a virus, they spread easily and fast. The goal is to get them to dry up and fall off. Try using one or more of the following methods to get rid of these unsightly, and sometimes painful, outbreaks.

• The first attempt to rid your feet of plantar warts should be to apply acne medication (salicylic acid) which will help dry the wart. Clearasil wipes actually work well.


• If the bottom of your feet can handle it, you can try to scrape the warts off with a pedicure file, callus scraper or pumice stone.


• If the warts are already getting out of hand, products like Freeze-Off by Compound W are a great option for blocking the virus from spreading and helping the infected skin dry out. This can be somewhat uncomfortable, but works fast if applied according to the directions on the package. *** If you feel like you cannot do this yourself, you can have a dermatologist, or a general practitioner, do it for you (but the product they use is basically the same).


• Dr. Scholl's Medicated Pads (medicated anti-wart padded discs which cover the wart using an adhesive) in combination with a freezing product will quicken the process.

In a few days, you will notice the warts changing appearance as they dry up. After several days, most fall off by themselves. In some cases, you may have to remove them manually, but this should not take much effort and since the skin is dead at that point it causes very little discomfort.

The BEST treatment for plantar warts is to take steps to prevent them. Keep your feet clean and dry them thoroughly (don’t forget the skin between the toes) before putting on socks or shoes. Always wear shoes on the pool deck, in the showers and in the locker room. Crocs are great for this, as are flip flops.Even when you have not been in a swimming pool for a few days, your general routine should include keeping your feet clean and moisturized so they do not crack or peel. The virus that causes plantar warts gets into your body through tiny openings in the skin barrier.

*** Although treating athlete’s foot is different, preventing athlete’s foot is basically the same. Proper foot care and minimizing contact with the fungus is key.

Swim Meet Eligibility Determined by Age Group Time Standards

What is the deal with time standards? How do I know what meets my swimmer can enter?

Basically, meets are open to certain age groups and have restrictions for entry based on best times achieved. In addition, the meet director can establish additional criteria which your child will have to meet in order to participate (for example, an event may be open only to members of a certain local swimming committee).

If your child has never competed, they will have to enter an open meet. Often, these meets are referred to as B/C meets. This meet will establish times for your child in their current age group and will determine what future meets your child can enter. Some children immediately place out of these meets, while others remain at this level.

To provide a fair competitive field and to allow for an effective ranking system, USA Swimming has different achievement levels. The most inclusive level is “C”. The next level is “B”. So, if your child enters a “B/C” meet and does better than the fastest “B” time, they will now have a “BB” time.

After a swimmer has achieved a new level, the types of meets they are eligible for may change. For example, if a meet is classified as “B/C” and your swimmer has achieved a “BB” time, they may not be able to enter the “B/C” meet. Likewise, if your swimmer has not achieved a “BB” time, they will not be able to event a meet which specifies that the swimmer needs to have achieved a “BB” time standard to qualify for the meet.

The basic time standard levels recognized by USA Swimming are as follows (each time standard reflects faster times):

C (any time slower than the B qualifying time)
B
BB
A
AA (Double A)
AAA (Triple A)
AAAA (Quad A)

A breakdown of the time standards for boy and girl swimmers is available on the USA Swimming website. In addition, many meet programs have these time standards included. Many swimmers have plastic bag tags with the times on them that can be attached to a swim gear bag so you and your child have a reference while at a meet. (The bag tags are only $2.50 at Bag Tags Inc)

*** Make sure you purchase the correct bag tag because there are certain specs that need to match your swimmer (boy/girl – age – SCY or LCM)
SCY (Short Course Yards) These times are intended to be used for 25 yard pools
LCM (Long Course Meters) These times are intended to be used for 50 meter pools

Michael Phelps wins 26 percent of all US Swimming Medals at the Water Cube in Beijing

What an exciting swimming presence the US had at the 2008 Olympics! I'm bummed it's over.

The United States won a total of 31 medals in swimming:

• 12 Gold
• 9 Silver
• 10 Bronze

Phelps 8 gold medal goal which accounted for approximately 26 percent of the US medals earned at the Water Cube in Beijing.

• Phelps shares the gold medal with the 4x100 Freestyle Relay Team of Cullen Jones, Weber-Gale, and Lezak
  
• Phelps (swimming fly) also shares the gold with the Medley Relay Team of Peirsol (Backstroke), Hansen (Breaststroke) and Lezak (Freestyle)


• Phelps shares the gold with the 4x200 Free Relay Team of Lochte, Berens and Vanderkaay


• Ryan Lochte 200 Back


• Phelps 400IM


• Phelps 200 Free


• Natalie Coughlin 100 Back


• Aaron Peirsol 100 Back


• Phelps 200 Fly


• Phelps 100 Fly


• Phelps 200 IM

Dara Torres had an outstanding meet and has inspired many adults to take up (or get back into) swimming.

There were several photo finishes incuding the Phelps/Cavic 100 Fly and Dara Torres' 100 Free Lezak's impressive anchor relay leg of the 4x100 Men's Freestyle was awe inspiring.

I hope the excitement of the swimming events at the Beijing Olympics brings a greater focus on swimming in general and I am looking forward to more youth swimmers getting invloved.

Yet Another Post about the Phelps Cavic Finish in the 100 Fly

There are so many posts about the finish of the men's 100 Fly in Beijing, but I just had to chime in.

If I had not seen the scoreboard, I would not have thought Phelps would have been the gold medalist in the 100 meter butterfly. Phelps' mom and Bob Bowman couldn't believe it either. It was that close.

If anything shows the importance of the finish in the sport of competitive swimming, this race makes the point clear. Cavic clearly had Michael beat, but made the "micro-split" second decision to not take an additional stroke and finished with a long glide. Phelps, on the other hand, exploded into the wall with a powerful, lightning fast, extra stroke. Had he not done this, Cavic would have been wearing a gold medal around his neck.

You can currently see a frame shot of the finish from beneath here... (Not sure how long these pics will stay up due to the controversial nature of the finish).

The Anatomy of a Swim Meet Heat Sheet

Whether you are a swimmer or parent of a younger swimmer, you need to know how to read a heat sheet (aka meet program). Heat sheets contain a listing of all swimmers by event number, heat, and lane assignment. This will allow the swimmer keep up with where they need to be and when. Parents, friends and relatives will also need to know how to read a heat sheet so they don’t miss seeing their swimmer compete.

Parents, it is important to know what event/heat and lane your child will be in so if necessary you can make sure your swimmer lines up behind the correct swim block in time for the event. Younger swimmers will also need to be reminded what stroke and distance they will be swimming. If a swimmer does not have this information, they may miss their event (there are no refunds for missed events).

It is common to have the event/heat/lane written on the swimmer’s arm or leg so they have it in front of them at all times. It also helps coaches and volunteers help your child if they get confused. Black sharpies are great for this.

The Parts of a Heat Sheet:

• Event Number and Event Name– this will tell you what event number the swimmer will be in.
  
• Heat Number and Lane Number – this will tell you what heat (group of swiimers that swim at the same time) and what lane the swimmer will be swimming in
  
• Age (or year in school)
  
• Team Name (or School Name)
  
• The seed time(the time listed for a swimmer is their best time in that event – distance and stroke)

Things to know:

• Each consecutive heat is faster with the last heat being the fastest.




• In each heat, the swimmer with the fastest time is place in lane 4.

For an annotated example of a collegiate heat sheet, click here.

How to Hold a Kickboard Correctly for Swimming Kick Drills

(correct use of a kickboard)

Holding the kickboard seems self explanatory and unimportant, but there is a right and wrong way to hold one. Many newer swimmers will naturally want to hold the kickboard with bent arms while clenching the sides toward the top of the board (in an effort to keep their upper body afloat). While this is a natural tendency, it is not effective for improving a swimmer’s kick.

To properly hold a traditional kickboard, you will want to place the same side hand on each side of the board securely, but not rigidly. Make sure you try to relax in the water. The more relaxed you are, the better the kickboard will be at keeping your upper body elevated, and in proper form, so that you can focus on your kicking movement.

You will need to keep your arms as straight as possible. All strokes require a streamlined position at some point in the stroke rotation. Keeping your arms straight will keep your body long and more hydrodynamic in the water, further benefiting the kicking motion. You can experiment with different hand placement, along the side of the kickboard and see what feels best for you, but realize that the best position will be the one which allows you to be as flat as possible in the water.

If working on kicking on your back, the preferred method would be without a kickboard. However, if you use a kickboard, you would lay on your back with arms lying flat parallel to the surface of the water (partially in and partially out of the water). Again, concentrating on streamline is the key to performing this correctly. To streamline on your back place your arms above your head with your hands (fingers together and flat) one on top of the other and squeeze your ears between your shoulders. If your shoulders are no longer in contact with your ears, this is a clue that your arms are not streamlined and you will need to refocus your attention to that.

If using a kickboard, I would recommend trying a style which allows, and encourages, a more natural streamline position. This type of streamline (also know as alignment) kickboard comes in several models. I personally use the Finis Alignment Kickboard so can confidently say that it is very effective at maintaining a streamline position and puts very little tension on my neck and upper body. The hands fit overlapped into a snug, but comfortable, strap. While streamlined arms are easier with this kickboard, you will still need to keep an eye on your arms and make sure they are not bent.

Another great benefit with this type of kickboard is the ease of using it to kick on your side with one arm outstretched and the other at your side (head should lie on the shoulder of the outstretched arm). Freestyle and Backstroke have a rotational element that requires effective side kicking because your body rolls with the stroke.

(Finis Alignment Kickboard)

While kickboard drills are great, they should be used in moderation. While they work out the legs, they also tend to keep the head and upper body elevated more than swimming the full stroke and alter the alignment of your body position in the water.

Cullen Jones and 4x100 Gold Medal Relay Team Split Times

I've had a few of you ask about the split times for the USA Men's 4x100 2008 Beijing Olympics Freestytyle Relay Team - Oh, and in case you need a recap...

• They won the Gold
• They set a new World Record (which they set at Prelims and then broke their own record in the Finals)
• Lezak swam the fastest relay leg in history
• The Finish was Unbelievably Intense
• Official Time of 3:08.24

The individual splits...

Phelps
23.31 - 24.20 - 47.51

Weber-Gale
21.89 - 25.13 - 47.02

C. Jones
22.68 - 24.97 - 47.65

Lezak
21.50 - 24.56 - 46.06

Cullen Jones 4x100 Gold Medal Relay Interview Video

WAIT!

I apologize for the 31 second ad on here (part of the terms of use of the video) but it's totally worth it!

You may need to click the player button twice on some browsers.

Cullen Jones and US Olympic Team's 4x100 Free Relay Make A Splash

The US Men's 4x100 Olympic relay team of Phelps, Weber-Gale, Jones and Lezak reclaimed the event for the US and set a new world record by completing the 400 metres in 3:08.24.

The race was insanely intense and nothing was sure until the final touch. Cullen told reporters that he was so excited he almost fell in the water. Phelps and Weber-Gale were in a state of uncontrollable excitement and Lezak had just completed the all time fastest split of 46.06.

Back to Cullen Jones, and nothing against any of the other relay swimmers.

There is a stark difference between the yearly drowning rates of minorities in the US compared to white children and that is where Cullen is focusing his efforts.

Cullen is already involved in Make A Splash, a USA Swimming organization dedicated to promoting water safety. Jones dreams of creating his own initiave called "The Cullen Jones Diversity Tour" where he will be connecting with children and youth with the goal of educating them about the importance of swimming and motivating them to learn this important survival skill.

No doubt, the exposure Jones is getting from his successes in swimming along with his charismatic personality, will allow him to continue making an impact on the lives of children and parents who otherwise would not realize the importance of learning to swim.

You can help a child learn to swim (a child who would otherwise not have the opportunity) by sponsoring a series of lessons through Make A Splash.

Make A Splash

http://usaswimming.org/

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3363011/

New OSB11 Starting Block by OMEGA to be Introduced in September in time for the FINA Swimming World Cup Season

The 2008 FINA Swimming World Cup will be held in October and November and will mark the competitive debut of the intriguing new starting block by Omega.

The OSB11 will include a patented adjustable “wedge” addition, similar to the starting block used in track events. The OSAB11 allows a 90 degree position of the knee on the block. This means an increase in propulsive power and an expected drop in time for swimmers.

Omega introduced the blocks earlier in the year. The subsequent proposal to allow them at Beijing Olympics was highly controversial. After much debate, FINA voted that more time was needed for the athletes to train with the blocks before using them in competition.

Omega’s OSB9 Starting Block & OSB10 Starting Platform was used in Athens for the 2004 Olympics and are currently being used in the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

Omega Live Timing Results of the Olympics
Beijing 2008 Swimsuits

Backstroke Disqualification in Competitive Youth Swimming is Common

I have seen many children swim a great backstroke race only to get disqualified by a stroke and turn official for turning over just a moment before they touch the wall. When they climb out of the pool, their disappointment is obvious.

This is precisely why it is important to make sure that you, as a coach, a parent or a swimmer, are familiar with the rules for swimming backstroke in a meet and focus on these problem areas in practice as much as possible.

The following disqualification rules apply to the backstroke as outlined in the USA Swimming rulebook. USA Swimming is required by it’s Bylaws to follow the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) rules.

---

STARTS: The swimmer may NOT:
Stand in or on the gutter
Place the toes above the lip of the gutter
Bend the toes over the lip of the gutter (before or after the start)

STROKE:
The swimmer cannot remain entirely under water after 15 meters (16.4 yards). After the start and after each turn, if the head has not broken the water by that point, the swimmer can be disqualified.

TURNS:
At the turn some part of the body must touch the wall before starting the next length
To maneuver the turn, the swimmer can roll past vertical onto the stomach and perform a partial flip turn as long as the swimmer comes off the wall on their back. Once the torso moves past the vertical to initiate the turn, there can be one continuous arm pull OR a double arm pull (the arms must move simultaneously). More on the backstroke flipturn...

FINISH:
The swimmer must touch the wall with some part of their body on their back (torso must not go past vertical).

---

Stroke Count is extremely important to the backstroke flipturn (this is the part of the stroke that most often causes a swimmer to get disqualified).

Practice your backstroke starts, turns and finishes as much as possible. The more comfortable you are in the water, the less you will worry about getting disqualified and the more successful your swim will be.

For more information on the swimming techniques, I highly recommend the DVDs
GoSwim Backstroke with Aaron Peirsol
Becoming a Faster Swimmer Volume V: Starts, Turns and Finishes for All Strokes

Your Child's First Swim Meet - Stress Free or Stress Full

So you made the awesome decision to sign your child up for a year round swim team. The first meet is fast approaching and while the anticipation of this big event is overflowing, you still need to take some time to prepare. Swim meets can be hectic (believe me, I learned this first hand).

PACK YOUR BAGS (The necessities)

Swim team suit: (Take an extra just in case)
My son usually just wears his jammer (under his clothes) to the meet. This has actually worked very well because he is ready to hop in for warm-up.

Directions and phone number to the pool:
Since this is the first meet, even if you think you know where you are going, it's a good idea to print out the directions and take them with you. If you get lost, you don't want to get into a panic and get disoriented. This is an easy way to be late and your swimmer does not need to feel rushed before swimming.

Goggles (You NEED 2 pairs)
It never fails...something will go wrong if you only have one set. Here's a true-life scenario - My son snapped a pair at one of his first meets and we had to buy a pair from a vendor at the meet (EXPENSIVE). At another meet, someone stepped on a pair and my son had to borrow a set from a teammate (DID NOT FIT THE SAME). You just never know and you definitely don't want to deal with that kind of stress if you can prepare for the worst.

Towels (2-3)
Fact of life, swim meets are wet. At some point, a towel WILL get dropped on the pool deck and WILL get drenched. Even the dry place you were able to stake out before the meet began can become a puddle. Take several towels, keep them in a plastic bag or on a folding chair so your child can keep warm between events and dry off after the meet is over.

Warm up pants and jacket (or shorts and t-shirt):
Depending on the season your child may want to wear something between events to stay warm.

Change of Clothes:
I take a change of clothes in a plastic bag so they stay dry. After my son dries off and has changed, he puts his wet swim jammer in the plastic bad.

Sunscreen: (if an outdoor meet)

Chair:
(Most meets, per regulations, do not allow parents or siblings to be on deck during the meet, so one chair for your child should be fine) Your child may not sit much at the meet, but it will provide a place to put things and keep them dry.

Snacks and Drinks: Your child is racing and will need to keep hydrated. In addition, you should pack snacks so that your swimmer can keep their energy levels up. Good snacks include pretzels, power bars and fruit. Most meets have a concession stand so you will need cash if you decide to buy anything.

Black Sharpie:
This is to write your child's event, heat and lane number on their arm so they know when and where to line up behind the starting blocks. Since you won't be there to keep up with your child, and since most older children do not have "kid pushers", the responsibility falls on your child to get where they need to be. If they miss an event, there is no refund and there is not a "make-up".

Heat Sheet: You will probably want to purchase one of these (one heat sheet usually has the events including all heats and lane numbers for the entire meet broken down by day). You can keep up with how close your child's event is and check out the times of the other swimmers. I always like to write down my son's final times so I can see how he is doing in comparison to his current best time. In addition, I can see if he has attained a new time standard. (And while you can get away with borrowing a heat sheet, you will quickly be seen as a "mooch" if it becomes a habit. If you want/need a heat sheet, buy your own).

Hopefully this will help you get organized before the meet so you aren't running around on the day of the meet.