 
 Barrow Amateur Swimming Club Barrow Borough Sports Council's Open Age Team of the Year 2008 Cumbria Diddy League Champions 2008 and runners up 2009 Grand Final North West Division 1 of the National Swimming League Champions 2008 Winners of Tommy Hatch Trophy & Cumbria County Championships 2009 & 2010 |
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Recording
Swimmers Basic Performance Data
What is the Race Split Sheet?
In assessing a swimmers performance during a race, some basic information can be
recorded simply by observing the swimmer and writing down some basic data. This
will give an indication as to how consistently and in
control the swimmer is performing and is a good indicatior of how well
the swimmer is able to hold technique and how effeciennt they are in their
stroke. It may also be an indicator as to how well conditioned the swimmer is
too. The race "split sheet" can be used to record a swimmers data and used to
compare a swimmers performance from race to race. Comparing swimmer to swimmer
is largley irrelevent, afterall, you can only control the controllable. In other
words, a swimmer can only control what they are doing and
not the swims or performance of their competition. Similarly recording and
comparing data from swimmer to swimmer is of interest but largley dificult, if
not impossible to make any meaningful comparison.
"Split" or "Lap" Times
Recording a swimmers split times per length can be simply done using the "lap"
facility on most modern stopwatches. Similarly most watches if they have a "lap
count facility" will also have the "cumulative or "running" time which can be
recorded against each split. Consistent split times are a great indicator of the
swimmers ability to hold technique and also an indicator of their conditioning
and fitness when they are compared against other events they have done.
Stroke Count
The stroke count, is the number of strokes taken for each lengtt, i.e. in
backstroke and freestyle, the total number times individual arms recover and fly
and breast the number of complete pulls (for both arms together).
Stroke counts per length of the pool should generally be consistent, this
assumes also the the turn and transition underwater into the stroke and kick
during the swim is also be consistent. If all other aspects of the swim
therefore remain unchanged and if the count is higher, the swimmer may well not
be "fixing"on the water and shortening the stroke "slipping" water instead.
Similarly if the stroke count is up and down (ie 15 strokes one length 19
another and so on), the turns may well be poor and inconsistent, leg kick
inconsistent, or the swimmer simply has poor stroke control of effeciency. The
ability not to hold stroke may also be an indicator of the swimmers conditioning
or fitness in their ability to "hold stroke".
Stroke Rate
Another good indicator is the stroke rate, this is the amount of strokes taken
per minuite, only certain stop watches have this feature. Alternatively, they
can be counted over 10 seconds and multipled by 6. Here a complete stoke is the
start of a pull to the same start position of the next pull. Swimmers will have
an optimum stroke rate for each stroke type. Also if they are sprinting 50m or
if they are on a 100m, 200m, 40om, 800m or 1550m event. Thsre is no right number
bt they need to be cosistent.
Distance Per Stroke (DPS)
Another simple indicator of stroke effeciency is the "distance per stroke" ie
the amounf of distance travelled for eacgh stroke. This calculation is simply
the pool lenght (ie 25m) divided by the stroke count per length.
So with a stoke count of 17 over a 25m length, the Distance Per Stroke = 25/17 =
1.47m for each pull. Each swimmer will develop optimum stroke counts and stroke
rates, not all swimmers are the same but knowing what each swimmers ratyesv and
counts are and how they vary from event to event and more particularly through
each length of the race, the swimmers performance in terms of sroke control and
effeciency can be assessed
The name of the game is consistency, if the rate and count is consistent
the more control the swimmer has over their race.
Remember the fastest swimmer in a race is the swimmer who slows down the least!
ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE WITH YOU; YOUR ‘PINK’ EVENT CARDS (IF APPLICABLE), A COOL DRINK (NOT FIZZY), EXTRA TOWEL, TEE SHIRT (WARM TOP) FOR THE POOLSIDE (see advice regarding water bottles)
TURN UP AND ENSURE YOU REGISTER/POST ‘PINK’ EVENT CARDS (IF APPLICABLE, SEE PHOTOCOPY) 30 MINS BEFORE WARM UP
LISTEN FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING WARM UP LANES, SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS, IMPENDING EVENTS, ETC
DURING WARM UP, TAKE CARE TO WARM UP SLOWLY, DON’T RUSH. MAKE SURE YOU ARE SWIMMING IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION AND ON THE CORRECT SIDE OF THE LANE
ENSURE YOU PRACTISE YOUR EVENT STROKE AND TURNS ESPECIALLY BACKSTROKE, PRACTISE COUNTING STROKES FROM FLAGS TO WALL/FLAGS TO TURN
IF TIMING PADS ARE USED PRESSURE MUST BE EXERTED AGAINST THE PAD TO REGISTER YOUR TIME. DO NOT CLIMB ONTO THE PADS WHEN GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE WATER….USE THE STEPS
BEFORE YOUR EVENT YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN TO THE COMPETITORS STEWARD, THIS CAN BE IN AN AREA AWAY FROM ALL OTHER SWIMMERS OR, AS IN OUR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS, IT WILL BE ON THE POOLSIDE
SWIMMERS WILL BE TAKEN TO THE START AREA TWO HEATS PRIOR TO THEIR RACE. THE SWIMMERS WILL BE LINED UP IN LANE ORDER. REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR GOGGLES/HAT AND ‘PINK’ CARD (IF APPLICABLE) WITH YOU
AS SOON AS THE PRECEDING RACE TO YOUR RACE HAS STARTED MOVE TO A POSITION BEHIND YOUR ALLOCATED LANE, HAND THE ‘PINK’ CARD TO THE TIMEKEEPER AND PREPARE FOR YOUR RACE….THINK ABOUT THE START, WHAT STROKE YOU ARE GOING TO DO, APPROACHING THE TURNS, WHAT TYPE OF TURN AND WHAT TO DO TO ENSURE YOU DO NOT GET DISQUALIFIED, ETC
WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO RACE THE FOLLOWING ORDER WILL BE USED:
FIRST WHISTLE: THE REFEREE BLOWS THIS AND IF YOU ARE DOING FLY/BREAST/FRONT CRAWL YOU MUST CLIMB ONTO THE BLOCK, APPROACH THE FRONT WITH TOES AT THE EDGE. IF IT IS BACKSTROKE THEN YOU MUST ENTER THE WATER AND PREPARE FOR THE START
SECOND WHISTLE: THE REFEREE WILL RAISE HIS HAND AND SIGNAL TO THE STARTER, YOU ARE NOW UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE STARTER
STARTER WILL SAY, "TAKE YOUR MARKS", WHEN EVERY SWIMMER IS STILL A ‘BEEP’ SIGNAL OR GUN SHOT WILL SIGNAL THE START OF THE RACE
IN THE EVENT OF A FALSE START, A ‘BEEP, BEEP, BEEP’ SIGNAL OR SECOND GUN SHOT WILL BE HEARD. THE STEWARD WILL RELEASE THE FALSE START ROPE. AT CERTAIN EVENTS A SINGLE START RULE WILL BE APPLIED, YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED IF YOU DO ONE FALSE START AT THIS TYPE OF GALA. AT BASC CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS WE ADOPT THE ONE-START RULE
FOR A TWO-START EVENT WHERE A FALSE START HAS OCCURRED ALL SWIMMERS ARE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE, THE REFEREE WILL ANNOUNCE "SWIMMERS, THIS IS YOUR SECOND START", ANY SWIMMER COMMITTING A FALSE START WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE DISQUALIFIED, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER THE HEAT/FINAL HAS STARTED OR NOT. FOR THE SECOND START, THE FALSE START ROPE WILL NOT BE LOWERED AND THE HEAT/FINAL WILL BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO ITS CONCLUSION
THINGS TO REMEMBER DURING THE RACE TO REDUCE THE RISK OF BEING DISQUALIFIED:
BACKSTROKE: DO NOT TURN ONTO YOUR FRONT UNTIL THE RACE HAS FINISHED APART FROM AT THE TURN, DO NOT KICK/PULL INTO THE TURN. DO NOT STAND UP
BREASTSTROKE: ENSURE THAT YOU TURN/FINISH WITH TWO HANDS TOGETHER, REMEMBER TO DO ONLY ONE PULL/KICK UNDERWATER AT THE START AND TURN. DO NOT STAND UP
FLY: AS WITH BREASTSTROKE YOU MUST TURN/FINISH WITH TWO HANDS TOGETHER, THERE MUST BE NO FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE HANDS UNDERWATER (ARM STROKE MUST ALWAYS BE OVER THE WATER). DO NOT STAND UP
AT THE END OF THE HEAT/FINAL, ALL SWIMMERS MUST STAY IN THE WATER UNTIL ADVISED BY THE REFEREE TO CLEAR THE POOL
REMEMBER IF YOU’VE TRIED YOUR BEST, NOBODY CAN JUDGE YOU, AND IF, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU HAVE BEEN DISQUALIFIED, FIND OUT WHY AND USE IT AS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY, FIND SOMETHING POSITIVE IN THE DISQUALIFICATION WITH WHICH TO IMPROVE
Competition/Training Nutrition Plan
Since Swim Meets can last ALL day (Cumbria Age Groups), or All week (ASA Nationals), swimmers need to be aware of what they are eating and drinking either before, during or after they race.
Timing of the Pre-event Meal.
The type of food swimmers eat may influence how they perform in the water.
Fatty foods take a long time to digest. The following foods are good examples:
Protein foods that also contain fat take the longest time to digest. For example:
If the swimmer consumes these types of foods just before they compete, the blood rushes to the stomach to try to digest the food, unfortunately the muscles required for swimming competitively also require the maximum blood supply.
Something has to give, the body cannot do both at the same time, and it may result in a poor performance and probably a stomach ache.
Carbohydrates
Your body needs glucose for energy. The main source of glucose is the carbohydrate – sugars and starches – in your diet. If you do not have sufficient carbohydrates in your diet you will not be able to train as hard or as long and Fatigue (tiredness) will set in.
Any foods consisting of Carbohydrates can be digested quicker than the foods mentioned above. Here are some examples:
These foods can be out of the stomach in approximately 2 hours. Therefore, the pre-event meal should be composed of primarily carbohydrates. It also appears that carbohydrates digested up to 3 hours before exercise may improve performance.
As you can see from the above list there is quite a selection. So, which carbohydrate is best, well it depends on how quickly the body converts the carbohydrate to glucose. Here is a table of some carbohydrates and whether they are high, medium or low speed in being changed into glucose:
|
High |
Medium |
Low |
|
White Rice |
Brown Rice |
Pasta |
|
Watermelon |
Banana |
Apple |
|
Baked Potato |
Boiled Potato |
Baked Beans |
|
Sports drink |
Squash |
Milk |
|
Honey |
Muesli Bar |
Sponge Cake |
|
Bagel |
Bread |
Fruit Cake |
|
Jelly Beans |
Crisps |
Chocolate |
Try to eat High-speed foods just before, during and immediately after exercise. Remember, eat at least 2 hours before exercise then about 30 minutes before exercise have a 50g snack, steer away from bulky snacks as these could cause stomach pains. Experiment with different snacks from the ‘High’ list.
If you train for longer than an hour, you will need to consume carbohydrates to avoid fatigue. Use an ‘Isotonic’ Sports drink, as this will give you the carbohydrates as well as the fluid, (see fluids).
The best time to refuel and restock those depleted glucose stores ready for the next work out is immediately after exercise.
Eating at All Day Competitions
The same principle used to time pre-event meals also applies to all day competitions.
If a swimmer races at 10:00 am and again 2 hours later, a meal high in fat and protein will more than likely be in the swimmers stomach when they get ready to race. This will lead to a possible reduced level of performance and a stomach ache.
Guidelines
Replacing Fluids
During exercise our muscles use energy. However, the muscles only use 25% of the energy the other 75% is released as heat – which is why exercise makes us HOT!
We need to get rid of this excess heat otherwise we would overheat – so, the main way to keep our bodies cool is sweating. Heat from working muscles is transferred to the blood. Blood flow to the skin is increased, and the heat is lost via evaporation – sweating.
Sweat comes from the water in your blood so you have to replace the lost water. Otherwise, you will become dehydrated and suffer.
How Much?
The more you sweat, the more fluid you lose and therefore, the more you need to drink.
Approximately 1 litre of fluid is lost for each hour of exercise. The easiest method of finding out how much fluid you lose is to weigh yourself before and after exercise. Each kg of body weight lost is equal to 1 litre of fluid loss. Another way is to check the colour of your urine – if it’s pale and plentiful you’re well hydrated, but if it’s dark and in short supply you’d better start drinking.
Another consideration is that for every 1% drop in body weight there is a 5% drop in performance, the difference between coming first or last!
When to drink?
As always, prevention is better than cure – start exercise well hydrated. Try to drink between 300-500ml (good-sized glass of water) in the 15 minutes before you start exercising.
Drink during exercise, but do it in-between swimming sets, when your coach is talking.
It’s extremely unlikely that you will drink too much water, but if you are doing excessive amounts of exercise in extreme temperatures you may need an ‘Isotonic’ Sports drink, 5 – 8% carbohydrate in solution, with sodium (salts) similar to the concentration of blood, this is quickly absorbed by the body. It is worth remembering the following:
REMEMBER – don’t wait until you are thirsty, that’s too late, you’re already dehydrated!
Here
is a guide to enable swimmers to perform to the best of their ability.
Many swimmers throw away their chance of a good swim before they even
enter the pool. Follow these simple guidelines to help you to prepare to
race successfully
Before the
Event
If your staying at a Hotel
For the Competition
Crunches
a) Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
b) “Crunch” or curl your stomach to lift your shoulders just off the floor. Try not to use your hip flexor muscles to carry out this movement, or use your arms to pull up your head.
Oblique Crunches
a) Lie on your back. Raise your legs and bend them so that you form a right angle at your hips and your knees. Place your hands gently on the side of your head.
b) Lift your shoulders off the floor and twist, reaching your right elbow towards your left leg.
c) Return to the floor then repeat, twisting in the opposite direction. Take care not to rock. Your hips and legs should stay as still as possible, allowing your trunk to do all of the work.
The Plank
a) Assume a front-support position resting on your fore-arms with your shoulders directly over your elbows.
b) Straighten your legs out behind you and lift up your hips to form a dead-straight line from your
shoulders to your ankles. You should be balanced on your fore-arms and toes, with your lower abdomen and back working to keep your body straight.
Oblique Plank
a) On your side, balance on your right fore-arm with your shoulder above your elbow.
b) With your legs out straight to the left, lift your pelvis so that you are balanced on your fore-arm and feet. Your body should form a straight line and you should feel the oblique muscles down the side of your trunk working to maintain the position.
Static Leg and Back
a) Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
b) Lift your pelvis so that you form a bridge position with a straight line running from your shoulders to your knees.
c) Lift your right leg off the floor and extend it so that it continues the straight line. You should be able to feel your left buttock, your back, and lower abdomen working to keep the position.
Dynamic Leg and Back
a) Assume the same position as for the “Static leg and back”.
b) Lower your pelvis but do not allow it to tilt or touch the floor. This should be a slow, controlled movement.
c) Return to the original position, restoring the straight line from shoulders to toe.
You may find it easier to balance if you hold your free arm out. This will also make the exercise a bit easier by altering the distribution of your weight.
Make sure that your pelvis does NOT tilt at all while your leg is raised.
Your hips should be level at all times.
Hamstring Raises
a) Balance on the floor on your hands and knees. Your back should be flat and your hips parallel to the floor.
b) Raise one leg behind you until you cannot lift it any higher without rotating your hips or arching your back. The movement should be slow and controlled.
c) Return the leg to the floor and repeat.
"Superman”
a) Balance on the floor on your hands and knees. Your back should be flat and hips parallel to the floor.
b) Raise your right arm out in front of you and raise your left leg out behind you, keeping it straight.
Static Straight Legs
a) Lie on your back with your legs together and your arms by your sides.
b) Keeping your legs straight, lift your heels approximately 4 inches off the floor.
Lowering and Raising Legs
a) Lie with your back flat on the floor and your legs raised above your hips.
b) Lower your legs for 30 seconds until the heels are about 4 inches from the floor. Without allowing your heels to touch down, raise them for another 30 seconds. Concentrate on keeping completely still with your hips square and your back flat.
Do not allow your back to arch. The small of your back should be flat on the floor.
Hundreds
a) Lie on your back with your arms by your sides. Raise your legs and bend them so that you form a right angle at your hips and knees.
b) Keeping your arms straight and lifting your hands no more than a few inches, gently tap the floor 100 times.
Leg Extensions
a) Lie on your back. Raise your legs and bend them so that you form a right angle at your hips and knees.
b) Keeping your hips completely still, lower and straighten out one leg so that your heel is about 4 inches from the floor. The movement should be slow and controlled.
c) Return to the original position and repeat on the other leg.
Focus on keeping your hips and legs completely still and your back flat.
Things to remember when doing core stability exercises:
1. Do not let your whole stomach tense up. If your upper abdominal muscles “bulge” outwards it means you have cheated by using the large rectus abdominus (six pack) instead of the transversus abdominus (lower abdominals).
2. Do not brace your lower abdominals too hard; a gentle contraction will suffice. You are trying to improve endurance rather than maximum strength. Only clench them about 50%.
3. Do not hold your breath as this is a signal that you are not relaxed. You must learn to breathe normally since you will need to breathe when you are swimming!
TOP5 minute heart rate builder (to include jogging, jogging with floor touches and jumps, skipping, arm/leg swings etc)
Main theme
| Use a work rest ratio: | JO2/3 | - 20s on/40s off |
| JO1 | - 30s on/30s off | |
| J/SNAT | - 40+ on/20s off | |
| Use the following exercises: |
Continuous running Skipping Star jumps Star jump crosses Burpees Squat thrusts Shuttles Lunge walking Stair runs (only National squads) Speedplay running (sprint on whistle) Squat jumps Step ups Bench hops Crunchies Squats Broad jumps Station work (a number of stations with different exercises – rotating) |
|
Cool down + stretch (min 5 mins)
There is conflicting information available regarding the safety of plastic water bottles
The concerns mainly relate to possible cancer causing chemicals that occur when the plastic degenerates after prolonged use. Bottles that are intended to be disposable but that are instead reused seem to be the prime area of concern
Other articles discuss evidence that they can be a cause of bacterial infection due to bottles being refilled without being thoroughly washed and after having been left in sports bags for long periods
The best advice seems to be:
