Book Review: "Conquer the Pool: A Swimmer’s Guide to a High-Performance Mindset" by Oliver Poirier-Leroy

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by Ryan Woodruff

Olivier Poirier-Leroy has put together a fantastic tool with Conquer the Pool.  I got a copy right after our team concluded a successful long course season.  One of our swimmers was having trouble re-setting her goals and finding motivation to start the new short course season — and this was a swimmer who I would previous have rated as among our most driven.  I handed her the book and asked her to read it and do the exercises.  The book is laid out in such a way that it guides the athlete through a process of self-discovery and self-examination. 

Here is what my swimmer had to say…

“I really liked how it helped me understand what kind of athlete I mentally.  There were parts where I read a description that sounded like me… I showed it to my mom and she said ‘That’s totally you!’.  I liked how once I figured out how I am thinking, and talking to myself the book showed me what to do about it.  It definitely helped!”

You might be wondering… How did this swimmer do after using this book? She had a fantastic meet in December with a bunch of big time drops and a meet where most importantly she stayed mentally strong throughout.

In short, I highly recommend that every swimmer get this book.  It is best geared toward the athlete who is at least a teenager.  Coaches — you should encourage your athletes to get a copy or even thinking about getting one for every swimmer on your team — it is that helpful!

Learn More and Order Your Copy Today

Our 10 Most Popular Guest Workouts of 2017

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This year, we have posted over 330 workouts, sets, and ideas to this blog.  We are so thankful for the many coaches who send in their ideas. Here are our 10 most popular guest posts this year.  Contribute a workout and maybe you will appear on this list next year!

1. Middle Distance Push/Tolerance Set with Coach Brad Herndon

2. VO2 Max Set with Coach Mathieu Leroy

3. Zig-Zag Ironman with Coach Ken Thorley

4. Empty the Gas Tank Set with Coach Todd Kramer

5. Technique and Efficiency Workout with Coach Mathieu Leroy

6. Wild and Wacky Kick Set with Dan Mascolo

7. Intense Focus on Streamlines with Coach Rob Bond

8. Texas 25s with Coach Darian Townsend

9. Thanksgiving with Coach Tony Carroll of the Lakeside Seahawks

10. Another Good One with Coach Brad Herndon

For another “Best of” in 2017, check out our Top Reads from 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, and 2012

400 IM Race Pace Set

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

This SCY set working on 400 IM race pace was pretty successful. We spent about 40 minutes prior to this warming up and doing some technical work.

7x:
     200 FRIM (50 Free/Back/Breast/Free) @ 3:00
     100 at P400IM @ 2:00
       #1 – All Fly
       #2 – 50 Fly/50 Back
       #3 – All Back
       #4 – 50 Back/50 Breast
       #5 – All Breast
       #6 – 50 Breast/50 Free
       #7 – All Free

The Best Thing I Read, Watched, and Listened to in 2017

IM Set #806

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

SCY

We were able to get some excellent results on this IM set.  The intent is for the 400 IMs and 200 IMs to each descend 1-3.

4 x 75 Fly @ 1:10
   25 – 3 kicks on side/3 R arm strokes/3 kicks on opp side/3 L arm strokes
   25 – 4-kick drill
   25 – fly swim

1 x 400 IM (done as 4 x 100 IM) @ 5:20  5:40

4 x 75 Back @ 1:05
   50 – focused on connecting finish to entry
   25 – awesome UW kicks

1 x 400 IM (done as 2 x 200 IM) 5:20 5:40

4 x 75 Breast @ 1:15
   25 – 3 kicks/1 pull drill
   25 – FHFK (Fast Hands Flutter Kick Drill)
   25 -Swim

1 400 IM Fast, Broken :10 rest at each 100
       +                                                                   > @ 8:00
1 x 100 EZ Free

***ROUND TWO – CHANGING 400s to 200s****

4 x 75 Fly @ 1:10
   25 – 3 kicks on side/3 R arm strokes/3 kicks on opp side/3 L arm strokes
   25 – 4-kick drill
   25 – fly swim

1 x 200 IM (done as 2 x 100 IM) @ 2:40  2:50

4 x 75 Back @ 1:05
   50 – focused on connecting finish to entry
   25 – awesome UW kicks

1 x 200 IM @ 2:40  2:50

4 x 75 Breast @ 1:15
   25 – 3 kicks/1 pull drill
   25 – FHFK (Fast Hands Flutter Kick Drill)
   25 -Swim

1 200 IM Fast, Broken :10 rest at each 50
       +                                                                  
1 x 100 EZ Free

The Tennis Ball Technique Challenge Set

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

The purpose of this set was to challenge our athletes from a technical standpoint in all strokes.  For the first 75, they swam with a tennis ball in each hand.  As we have posted in the past, this essentially removes the hand as a propulsive surface, encouraging use of the forearms, the kick, and the core for propulsion.   Setting the tennis balls down, we sprinted the first 25 (on a tight interval), paying attention to our cycle count and enjoying the sensation of having use of the hands again.  We followed that up very quickly with a 25 of the same stroke, demanding excellent efficiency and stroke length by asking for the 25 to be performed with 2 fewer cycles than the previous 25.

This Isn’t One of Those Sets

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

Most of the time, sets that coaches share (including the ones I post to this blog) are ones that were at least modestly successful.  This isn’t one of those sets. Instead, this is a set that didn’t work how I was hoping.  I am posting to share what I learned.

This was originally intended to be just a breaststroke set, and I tried to make it work for a few butterfly specialists who didn’t fit into the backstroke/freestyle set that we were doing at the same time.  It was fine for the fly, but for breaststroke it just didn’t work.

Swimmers reported that during/after this set they felt that their timing was off and they felt sluggish.  In hindsight, the 6 x 50 kick with the bucket was probably too much. The volume made the 50s too slow and probably diminished any power-training effect.  The rest of the set probably would still work (FPA = Fastest Possible Average), but it might be better to do 1-2 50s or 2-3 x 25s instead, and include more drill before the FPA.

See other recent breaststroke sets here.

Race Pace Set for a Well-Oiled (Team) Machine

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

This set is a really simple one, variations of which have appeared on this blog multiple times.  I am sharing/re-sharing it today to further explain how we execute this set.

Recently, we moved several swimmers up into our top group, so I have taken that as an opportunity to re-emphasize our procedures.  I like to run a very clean, efficient practice, one where every swimmer knows what he or she should be doing and what the expectations are.

For this set, we had 4 or 5 swimmers per lane across 5 lanes.  The aim of the set is to swim at 200 race pace on EVERY 50, but I instructed them to be mindful of  taking it one-at-a-time.  The early interval gives them good rest to be able to achieve that pace (and build some confidence for later), and then we tighten it up and get a REAL test on #5 and #6.

I typically solo coach 15-25 athletes in a given practice, so in order for things to function efficiently on this set, we do the following:

  • Swimmers push off 10 seconds apart.  This means I don’t have to do any subtracting of times — if I read “Matt…three-two,” he knows that his time was 33.2, not 23.2 or 43.2.
  • Swimmers are timed “to the feet,” meaning they complete a turn at the conclusion of the 50. This corresponds how we would time a mid-race 50 back or free (feet-to-feet) or breast/fly (hand-to-hand).
  • Every swimmer on our squad knows his or her pace for best times and goal times.  Each swimmers always has this info handy using our laminated Pace Cards.
  • I time every swimmer, but with this many swimmers in the pool, I can’t possibly keep track of who is making their pace and who is not, so we have set up a signalling system. If a swimmer achieves her “best time” pace (but slower than goal pace), she gives her self an open-handed tap-tap on the head. If she achieves her “goal time” pace, it is a closed-fist knock-knock on the head.  If the swimmer failed to make goal or best time pace, no signal is performed. This gives me excellent instant visual feedback on how we are doing.

 That’s just one coach’s example of how we keep practice humming right along… what strategies do you use?

Broken Miles with Coach Mike Cook

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Mike Cook
Mason Makos

We did this yesterday as we came off a big meet and get ready for our mile swim after the holidays.

Warm up
200 swim 200 kick

66x 25 free @30 with snorkels. Stay focus and long

33×50 free to back @1:00. Build to fast flip with good dolphins off each turn

16×100 free odds @1:20 evens @1:10
1×50 all out free

66×25 kick with fins. Every 6th one underwater dolphin to 15 meter @ 35

Also check out Coach Cook’s IM Fast-Pace Set with Rest

The Best Things I Read, Watched, and Listened to in 2017

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Here is my annual list of my favorites from the year that helped me improve as a coach or simply as a human being.  If you like what you see here, you may want to also check out my lists from 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016.
“We need to believe that hard work can triumph over circumstance.”  This slightly contrarian article described a mentality that I feel is omnipresent in our sport — one that as a coach I have been guilty of as well.
“Ever since I can remember, I’ve been told to strive for balance. Yet I’ve noticed something interesting: The times in my life during which I’ve felt happiest and most alive are also the times that I’ve been the most unbalanced.”  Stulberg is the author of Peak Performance with the aforementioned Steve Magness.  This article struck a chord with me.  Their book is on my must-read list for 2018.

Breaking 2 by National Geographic (Youtube documentary)

Nike’s pursuit to have a human run 26.2 miles in under 2 hours was both controversial and fascinating. As a runner and a general fan of exploring the boundaries of human performances, I was riveted watching this documentary.
This bite-sized bit of wisdom should be required reading for every American.
“About once a month I run across a person who radiates an inner light…They seem deeply good. They listen well. They make you feel funny and valued… They are not thinking about themselves at all.” This is a powerful article from 2015 that I read just recently
“Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake… We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources.”
Actually, there is a good chance you have heard of him if you are a swim coach.  Still, this is an excellent, inspiring read.
This podcast tells the story behind the Russian expulsion from the upcoming Winter Olympics and  the new documentary Icarus.  I haven’t yet watched the documentary on Netflix, but this conversation pulling the curtain back on the anti-doping world was extremely compelling.  Also check out Rich’s podcast with U.S. National Team Swimmer Conor Dwyer and his talk with  legendary triathlete Mark Allen
A fascinating look at ancient stoic philosophy in relateable bite-sized daily nuggets. I haven’t finished the book yet because I started it mid-year. I also enjoyed Ryan Holiday’s appearance on The Forward Podcast

My Favorite Tweets of the Year

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 A good one to show your athletes — what will you do when you “get a flat” and hit some adversity? — FIND A WAY!
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A few excellent pieces of writing that had nothing to do with coaching or swimming, but still made an impact on me:
An Awesome Quote That Is Both Timely and Timeless
From Martin Luther King’s Riverside Speech, 4 April 1967:
“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked and dejected with a lost opportunity. The “tide in the affairs of men” does not remain at the flood; it ebbs. We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is deaf to every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residue of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words: “Too late.””

9 Different Ways to Train I.M.

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

We all know that I.M. is a great way to put some variety into your training. Here are some ways to put a little variety into your variety.

#1 – Reverse I.M. A commonly used version, simply swim the strokes in reverse order.
#2 – Free I.M. Good for masters swimmers who are fly-reluctant or for any time that you want to get good back, breast, and free training without the butterfly. Simply substitute freestyle in for the butterfly portions of the I.M.
#3 – Inside-out I.M. Swim the strokes in the order Back-Fly-Free-Breast
#4 – Fat I.M. – Do these for lengths that are 25% longer than your standard I.M.-125s, 250s, 500s, etc. Double up on one of the strokes (this is the Fat stroke). A 250 Fat I.M. (Back) would thus be 50 Fly/100 back/50 breast/50 free.
#5 – Lemon I.M.
#6 – Emily I.M.- For swimmers with knee injuries/pain or whose breaststroke is not a focus of your efforts for improvement. Swim backstroke double the normal distance and leave out breaststroke altogether. Yes, this is named after a swimmer.
#7 – Baltimore I.M.s
#8 – Skinny I.M. This is the opposite of Fat I.M.s Swim distances like 175s, 350s, etc. Cut the distance of one stroke in half.
#9 – Gator I.M. Alternate stroke and free. A 300 Gator I.M. would be 50 fly/50 free/50 back/50 free/50 breast/50 free.

Do you have any other interesting or creative ways of training I.M.?

This post was originally published to this blog in February 2010. 

Tennis Ball IM Technique & Sprint Set

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

The purpose of this set is promote kinesthetic awareness and a better “catch” in all strokes combined with a bit of speed.  We used tennis balls held in the palm of the hand to take away the ability to pull with the hand surface.  Swimmers enjoyed the effect of the tennis balls when they went back to an open hand.

24 x 50
#1-5 are with tennis balls, excellent technique
#6 – no tennis balls, SPRINT!

6 fly @:50
6 back @:50
6 breast@1:00
6 free @:50

Sprint Set with Muscle-Ups

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Ryan Lee
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

We use our starting blocks at our pool to perform muscle ups and combine it with sprints.  Our stronger athletes can perform them without the use of their legs and the others bounce off the bottom of the pool to complete the technique.  But, always focusing on contracting the triceps at the end of the muscle up.
4 Rounds – 
3 Muscle – ups 
25 Blast (12 ½, mid pool turn, 12 ½ back to block)
3 Muscle – ups 

*25 Blast are choice of stroke* 

200 Recovery 

4 Rounds 
12 ½ Mid pool dead float blast to block 
5 Muscle – ups 
25 Max speed 

*12 ½ and 25 are choice of stroke*

Breaststroke Workout with Coach Greg Johnson

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Gregory A. Johnson
Head Age Group Coach
Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club

2 rounds (1 min rest b/w rounds):
             4 x { 1 x 100 breast-hold stroke count @ 1:40 (Descend 1-4 by round)
                   { 3 x 50 free fast +overkick @ :40
The set was deceptively hard for the swimmers. Most took off on the first round counting strokes and feeling good, only to be taxed by the 50s. We were not very successful on the descend on round two. They got back on it on round 3 and four. If we do this again, I might set some more specific times to hit on the 100s, but I was more focused on a good stroke count that wouldn’t fade under fatigue. 

Underwater Power and Sprint Set

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

Our club doesn’t have the luxury of having power towers to use (yet), so we substitute by having swimmers hold a stretch cord for the their teammates, giving them resistance for short sets such as the one below.  One swimmer is tethered in the water and performs this set, and then they switch roles.  No rest except where indicated.

1 x 8 all out UW kicks and then get pulled back to wall
1 x 8 all out UW kicks + 1 sprint cycle and then get pulled back to wall
1 x 8 all out UW kicks +2 sprint cycles and then get pulled back to wall
1 x 8 all out UW kicks +3 sprint cycles and then get pulled back to wall
:10-:15 rest, unhook from tether, leave on coach’s “go”:
1 x 25 all out sprint for time
1 x 25 ez swim and trade places with partner

Power, Speed, Hypox…just FUN

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Coach Ryan Lee
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

2 Rounds of 7×25
*1st round w/ dragsoxs and fins (:50) 
*2nd round w/ fins (:40) 
25 (12 ½ fly, 12 ½ free) – max speed
25 (underwater dolphin)
25 (fly) – max speed
25 (underwater dolphin)
25 (12 ½ free, 12 ½ fly) – max speed
25 (underwater dolphin)
25 (free) – max speed

60secs in-between rounds 

Threshold and Lactate Set with Coach Phil Kraus

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Phil Kraus
Head Coach/CEO
Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club

Here is a set I did this AM with my 2 highest groups.  We are getting back into the swing of things after a long 5 week of gearing up for fast meets (HS District, Regional & State and our Prelim/Final meet – THE Gravy Bowl) and then the holiday.  My intention was to work their endurance a bit while asking them for a few Quality swims.  They did a great job and were a bit wrecked after workout.  This was after 50 minutes of weights first starting at 5 AM.  We have to go AM each day and must be done by 7:30 AM.
Warm Up – 750 yards ~ 20 min
400 Swim on 6:00 with Square Turns (touch turns but they have to get tot he correct side) all with Breaststroke pullout
7 x 50 IM Transition Series –  Focus on Turns – Evens are fast
     #1 Fly Drill/Swim   #2 Fly/BK Swim   #3 BK D/S   #4 BK/BR Swim   #5 BR D/S   #6 BR/FR Swim   #7 FR D/S
Main Set – Threshold and Lactate Production – 3500 yards ~ 65 min
5 rounds
2 x 200 Freestyle @ Threshold but loosely based on their Cruise interval before they tapered)
     #1 Breathing Pattern 3 – Goal get between :05 & :10 rest
     #2 Neg Split – Goal get between :10 & :15 rest
          Group A = 2:25   Group B = 2:35    Group C 2:25 (doing 175’s)
6 x 50 on 1:00 – Same Stroke by round on #2 & #3
     #1 Smooth – Choice of stroke
     #2 25 Skill/25 Swim No Free – Skill is anything to improve, drill, BP, Kick, Underwaters, etc
     #3 All Out No Free
Warm Down – 250 yards ~ 5 min
Total 4500 yards ~ 90 min