Tag: swimming

Coaching

Visualization, Adrenaline and Sleep Problems

Rick MadgeLeave a comment

Visualization is amazing; there's no question about it. And there is a phenomenal amount of information available about visualization on the internet (Google "visualization" and you get 19.3 million hits). However, there seems to be absolutely no information about a crucial way in which visualization can go bad. It can steal your sleep. As you… Continue reading Visualization, Adrenaline and Sleep Problems

Coaching

Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Men Swim the 200 Butterfly

Rick MadgeLeave a comment

This time up: 200 Butterfly for Men. The first set of analyses involved the long axis strokes for men and women (here, here and here). We found clear indications of specific race profiles (Sprinter, Distance and Hybrid - see below) that made sense given the efficient nature of the strokes. The women's freestyle and backstroke… Continue reading Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Men Swim the 200 Butterfly

Coaching

Wandering Minds, Unhappiness, and Lack of Improvement

Rick Madge2 Comments

I was driving home today, listening to a TED Talk Radio Hour podcast called Simply Happy. One of the speakers, Matt Killingsworth, has spent years studying happiness as part of his Ph.D. research at Harvard, and this includes a project involving 35,000 interactions with participants (see here). He has arrived at 2 fundamental conclusions. 1)… Continue reading Wandering Minds, Unhappiness, and Lack of Improvement

Coaching

Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Women Swim the 200 Butterfly

Rick MadgeLeave a comment

This is the next instalment in a series that looks at how the elite swim the 200 by looking at their race splits. This time we're analyzing the 200 butterfly for women. In the 200 freestyle and backstroke analyses (here, here and here) we found a number of surprises, or at least things that surprised… Continue reading Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Women Swim the 200 Butterfly

Coaching

Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Men Swim the 200 Backstroke

Rick Madge4 Comments

This is the next installment in a series that looks at how the elite swim the 200 by looking at their race splits. This time we're analyzing the 200 backstroke for men. In the 200 free analysis (link) we found that the men and women swam remarkably different races. The top women generally had the… Continue reading Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Men Swim the 200 Backstroke

Coaching

Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Women Swim the 200 Backstroke

Rick Madge1 Comment

This is the 2nd instalment in a series that looks at how the elite swim the 200. This time we're analyzing the 200 backstroke for women. Thanks to a lot of suggestions, and some renewed thinking about the data, I've focussed this a little differently than the 200 Free analysis (link). First off, I've completely… Continue reading Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Women Swim the 200 Backstroke

Coaching

Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Swimmers Swim the 200 Free

Rick Madge9 Comments

I've long wondered about the strategies elite swimmers use for the 200s. It is perhaps the toughest distance to swim, as it involves a good mix of sprint speed and endurance. I've wondered as to how hard they take it out, or how hard the middle 100 should be? Are there appreciable differences between how… Continue reading Swimming By the Numbers: How Elite Swimmers Swim the 200 Free

Coaching

Swimming By the Numbers: The Unfairness of Short Course – Long Course Conversion Rates, especially for Backstrokers!

Rick Madge7 Comments

I'll start off with the teaser. Existing one-size-fits-all course conversion rates are not remotely accurate, especially for backstroke, and there exists a sizable difference in accurate conversion rates between men and women. Finally, any swim governing body that uses a single, artificially low conversion rate is doing a great disservice to its members. Now, on… Continue reading Swimming By the Numbers: The Unfairness of Short Course – Long Course Conversion Rates, especially for Backstrokers!