Poolside chat - new year, new racing!

[Glittertwins]

Hope this works, am rubbish at this!

Every time I watch a mixed relay, it makes it so clear why men shouldn't race as women in women's sport. Only 2 females swam that backstroke leg and they were 8 seconds behind over 100m and neither of them are exactly slouches in that individual event!

Exactly 👍🏼

The share screen button won't work on my app. Do I need something on tv as well?

Your tv needs to be on the same wifi network work as the phone

It is. We stream Netflix etc from it.

I'll try again another day. When I connect my iPad I have to use the you tube app on the tv. It may be because I don't have the app?

Well I may have had no luck with the iPad to tv but I did get a new printer and set it up despite having to troubleshoot 😂😂

My old one has been a PITA for months, then wouldn't print colour and then stopped actually feeding the paper through to print.

But as everyone knows - it's a necessity for any swim parent 🤣🤷‍♀️

I use the printers at the office!

Looking for a bit of advice. DS has always not been keen on using the cool down pool to warm up before races. Even if his first event is hours after the official warm up. However he has conceded it might be a good idea. Tomorrow he has the 800m free at counties. He has about 1hr 45/2hrs between his warm up and his heat. Do you think there is much to be gained from having an extra little warm up before the event? And if so how long roughly before his heat do you think he should do it?

We would normally ask his coach but his coach is away and the coach looking after them at counties is the coach for the younger ones and doesnt like them doing an extra warm.

My ds uses the T (time of race) - X system.

So starts with T - 3hrs last meal.

T - x hrs pre pool
T- x hrs pool warm up
T - x hrs dry off and race costume.
T - x dry warm up/ pre race prep
T - X call room

I can't remember the exact timings as given to them and will vary dependent on meet and facilities.

But they should definitely have a plan to optimise their heart rate before a race and make sure their body is warm and primed.

So pre pool followed pool warm up 2 hrs before and snack would be optimised by a further pool warm up and dry side HR raises in this situation where it allows.

I'll have a look and see if I can find some examples.

DS does a 20mins warm up 1 hour before his actual scheduled heat time. This is what his coach told him to do (ex Team GB swimmer).

Yes that sounds about right.

So if warm up is 2 hours before it should be a gentle swim and then warm up and suit up and warm up afterwards followed by race priming.

I meant right as in the timings my ds has also been told to do.

Great thanks both of you. Looks like his 2nd warm up will coincide with his friends cool down so that might make him happier.

If he's not up too late to ask, I'll get the details of what he does. I can't remember even though I've done warm ups with him!!

1 x 400 to loosen up
6 x 50 descend 1-3 twice down to 800m free pace
4 x 50 at 15m max effort
1 x 200 with speed bursts

Thats great thanks @Glittertwins unfortunately so busy volunteering didnt see this until just now but will definitely give him this info for next time.

He got a 2 second PB on his 800 Free which isn't bad considering he set the PB 3 weeks ago. The less said about his 50 free in the afternoon the better 🙈

Well done on the PB. Shame the 50m wasn't first as that would have been a useful warm up too.

That's great he got another PB. My ds does 50/100/400 free, occasionally a 200m and has added 800m free on advice of his coach.

He said it's actually really quite difficult to race different distances (especially a splash and dash and a LD event) in one session or day because you tace them so differently.

He loves the fact that usually they are all on different days and so he can tailor warm ups, eating and stroke style to that particular day and distance.

But I think that's easier when they are older and specialise and/or go to 4/5 day meets where the events are more spread out.

British swimming have announced the format for British nationals. Quite a number of changes - no confirmed date yet though.

Main summary of changes

28 per age group (20 for distance)
36 for 18+ with guaranteed 12 places for 18yo
Boys and girls compete from 13yo
Para swimming integrated but will only race over 4 days following the same schedule as BPSIM.

It's on website

Another year and more changes

I wondered if it was because it's an Olympic year?

But ds has only been a national swimmer for 2 years so I have no idea what went on before what's happened previous Olympic years and what it was like pre covid.

But I can see a huge change from the past 2 British nationals ds has done.

Yes, this will be (hopefully) the 3rd year he'll do it. Seeing as Swim England have published their dates, British will have to be before it due to the way the entries are done.

I've been seeing 20th banded about for a few months.

Given usual format of sat - thurs followed by OW and then home nations it would fit knowing the other dates!

Although having said that the first year da did it in 2022 it started on Friday due to the jubilee early school holidays.

So considering term doesn't end until 23rd I'm not going to assume anything until it's confirmed 😂

It will be before English though

2022 started on the 23rd July and the open water was mid August after the English champs whereas 2023 was 22nd then OW then English. As you say, need to wait but I suspect we are all right on the dates