1. Attendance at training sessions

Swim training improves your ability to swim faster and become a better swimmer. We offer 4 training sessions each week and if you want to be a really develop as a swimmer two sessions per week is the minimum attendance required to do that. With the additional swim time gained from moving to Noel Street, the 4 training sessions that we provide offers swimmers the opportunity to swim approximately 10,000 metres a week. Younger swimmers will do less than this but as you get stronger your body and mind will gradually adapt to the increase.

At the recent Spring competition some Portland swimmers performed brilliantly while others didn’t. A number of swimmers, who didn’t swim so well, couldn’t understand why they swam so poorly. One of the reasons for poor swimming performance was poor preparation and lack of fitness and that can only be gained through training. If you train twice a week this means that, in a good week, you’ll swim approximately 4000 to 5000 metres per week. This is less than half the metres that we offer and over a one month period and 20,000 metres less than if you trained 4 times a week. Some of the swimmers competing for the other clubs in the Spring competition swim up to 15,000 metres per week; if they train with Nova, they’ll be swimming between 25,000 and 60,000 metres per week. However, training 4 times a week can make a significant difference as the performances of some of our swimmers in the Spring competition proved.

2. Time Keeping

Many swimmers have a habit of arriving late to poolside even when they have been in the building in plenty of time to be ready to start. Arriving late is disruptive and it means that the important warm up part of the training session is missed and this frequently leads to swimmers being unable to complete the session as they are too exhausted or they get injured mostly due to the fact that they haven’t warmed up properly. So please make every effort to be ready on time to commence training.

3. Main Set

Improved competitive performances will only come about through hard training. The main set is a crucial part of swim training when the tempo of training increases considerably from the warm up. The reason for increasing the intensity of training is to help the swimmers’ cardio vascular system – your heart and lungs - to adapt to swimming faster and to prepare for competitive swimming. When swimming in a race, depending on the distance, the pulse rate of the swimmer will be approximately 160 to 200 beats per minute. In warm up it will be 120 /130 beats per minute. During the main set it will increase, depending on the intensity of the session, to between 130 and 170 beats per minute. Training at this intensity can be really hard work but if you want to improve it will only come about through completing the set without breaking off to go to the toilet or taking longer rests than requested. If you stop in the middle of the main set for longer than requested then it is virtually impossible to get back into the rhythm of the set again and the benefit of the session is lost. The training set is put together with the different abilities in mind. Instead of stopping or taking a toilet break when you’re struggling to complete the turn around time, please discuss this with the coach and drop to a lane with a longer recovery time if necessary. So please use the pace clock and stick to the Turn around Time requested by the coach.

Recently, some swimmers who struggle with training sessions have got into the habit of sitting on poolside chatting. In future this will not be tolerated and these swimmers will be asked to leave the pool, as chatting by poolside is disruptive to the other swimmers.

4. Swimming Technique

Fairly simple changes in training can also improve swimming performance. If swimmers streamline during starts, push offs and turns seconds can be shaved off race times. Swimmers often fall down in races because of poor starts and turns but if they are done properly in training then it will come naturally in competition. When swimmers are requested to push off streamlined, this means pushing off the wall with one hand on top of the other and not hands apart as many swimmers do. If swimmers complete racing turns in every set then swim performance will improve considerably.

Please remember to leave a 5 second gap between each swimmer on push off or start or at least allow the swimmer in front to get beyond the flags before pushing off or starting. Far too often, swimmers don’t allow any space between them and the swimmer in front and within seconds they are on top of the swimmer ahead thus causing chaos in the lane and frustration to the coach on poolside. Many swimmers fail to use racing turns whilst training.

5. Swimming Equipment

Swimmers must arrive to every swimming session, and to poolside with Floats, Fins and Paddles. Far too frequently, too much valuable swim time is lost sorting out floats. It’s the responsibility of the swimmer to organise floats and other swimming equipment and have them on poolside ready to use as requested during training sessions. If you don’t have any of this equipment please obtain some immediately, as they are a requirement for every competitive swimmer. Floats, Fins and Paddles can be purchased at a reasonable cost from Dave Britton.

6. Drinks

One of the side effects of hard training is dehydration and this can often cause swimmers to feel exhausted and prevent them completing training sets. Drinking fluids such as water during training sessions can help swimmers to complete training sessions, so please think about drinks when packing your swim bag but also remember to drink the fluids and not, as sometimes happens, leave them in the bag, or by the poolside, untouched.

7. Swimming Competition

Many swimmers in the club clearly enjoy galas, competing against others swimmers and clubs. Given the size of the club and the limited number of swimmers, Portland does exceptionally well in swimming competitions. However, just a little bit more commitment, focus and enthusiasm in training could make a substantial difference to your performance in galas. So if you are a competitive swimmer try and work hard in training, attend as many training sessions as possible, and avoid that feeling of disappointment at the end of a Gala. Instead aim to come away from a swimming Gala with a sense of achievement and the knowledge that your preparation didn’t let you down.