Coaching

The Troubled Life of a Drop-Dead Sprinter

February 7, 2015February 7, 2015 Rick Madge5 Comments

If you've spent any time in swimming, you've probably known a drop-dead sprinter or two. Now, I'm not talking about a normal sprinter who can do a fast 50 or 100, but trains pretty much like everyone else. I'm talking about a sprinter who can do a blazing fast 50 or 100 in a meet… Continue reading The Troubled Life of a Drop-Dead Sprinter

Coaching

How Hard Should We Push our Young Swimmers?

September 14, 2014September 14, 2014 Rick Madge55 Comments

How many hours of training should we put our youngest swimmers through? How intense should training be? When should we ask them to give up other sports and specialize in swimming? These are questions that have been around for a long, long time. And while the swimming world claims to divided on this topic, in… Continue reading How Hard Should We Push our Young Swimmers?

Coaching

Faster, Better, Stronger Swimmers?

May 3, 2014May 3, 2014 Rick Madge14 Comments

In March 2014, David Epstein, a sports science reporter, gave a brilliant TED talk, "Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger?", in which he explores some of the principal reasons behind the assault on the record books. I strongly advise you watch it. It's just under 15 minutes, and you can find it here .… Continue reading Faster, Better, Stronger Swimmers?