Using Avidasports for Sprinters

Check out my latest video blog at: http://youtu.be/fKYXHWx9wig
This week I’m highlighting the use of Avidasports for sprinters and talking about kick tempo!

Bennett Clark

Bennett Clark – Using Avidasports metrics is making a difference

Although Avidasports provides eight performance metrics, I have found that it serves as a constant reminder of the importance of good technical swimming.  I swam a set this past Saturday morning and throughout the set I completed three 50’s fast from a push.  The first and second 25’s had the same stroke count, kick tempo, and almost the same tempo (.04-.06 slower on second length).

I was surprised to find that I back-halfed each 50… meaning I was .3-.4 seconds faster on my second 25 than my first.  The only correlation that was different between lengths was breakout time.  I was 1.0 seconds on the push-off on first lengths and about 1.5 on the second 25’s.  Let me be upfront by saying I am not a strong underwater kicker (or regular kicker for that matter).  However, the speed generated by carrying a strong body line off the turn – not even considering dolphin kicking – is faster than swimming on top of the water.

I am not strong at carrying my speed more than 3-4 dolphin kicks, but I am pretty efficient for the three that I do take.  I learned that my length times were getting better because I was holding a good body line off the wall, not necessarily that my dolphin kicking is that much faster than my swimming.  Luckily for me the 50 and 100 free start from a block, so this issue won’t matter in a race, but it is a great reminder to carry a tight line and minimize drag at all times.  This is something that I work on everyday in the pool and in the weight room to help strengthen my core, providing more stability to my starts and turns, as well as my body position while swimming. 

Bennett Clark

Bennett Clark highlights audio feedback in his second video blog

Be sure to click on the link below for my second video blog – this week I’m talking about how my audio feedback  helps me to track my matched and varied strokes.  
http://youtu.be/hqpm2cqR05Q

And don’t miss my next installment next week!

Bennett Clark

Tracking my progress with Avidasports featuring Bennett Clark

A big part of tracking my progress is going to require capturing similar speeds with my swimmer devices.  When I swim in practice, I have four different speeds/strokes that I use: a slow pace that is swum very smooth (Category 5), 400/200 pace swum with rhythm (Category 4), 100 speed (Category 3), and 50+ speed (Category 2).  Category 1 is Distance Pace (400/800 pace) which I will never use.

I swim much of workout in Category 5, which I made a catch-all Category.  I use this when I’m drilling/kicking/swimming smooth, and warming-down.

Anything that is swum at 200 pace or faster is of interest to me.  Category 4 will record my “flow” stroke that is swum with rhythm and rotation.  Category 3 and 2 are both crucial to measuring my improvement, because these are my actual race strokes.

My plan is to get baseline data (i.e. average kick count whenever I swim at 50+ speed) and set high goals for myself.  Once I have several hundred yards of data for each Category, especially at 50+ and 100 speed, I will use this baseline data to start tracking my progress moving forward.  I plan to have enough baseline data by Tuesday, February 7th to start monitoring my improvement in key areas. 

Be sure to follow my  progress, a new blog will be coming again next week!

Bennett Clark

Bennett Clark – A recap of his first week training for the Olympics with Avidasports

Click on the link to watch how I have started to use Avidasports as part of my Olympic Training regimen - click here!

Stay tuned for my weekly installments and see how my training has progressed!!

Bennett Clark

The Road to London 2012

After taking an 18 month break from swimming competitively, I began a dryland training regimen from August up until the middle of December to start building my base back up so I could really hit the ground running once my swimming training started.

Colorado Springs, CO – December 28, 2011…  My first day fully back into it.  I am very fortunate that I am training with the best coaching staff in the country, because they let me ease back into the swimming to some degree.  What really surprised me is how my pull was ahead of where I thought it would be, but my kick was MUCH worse than I thought.  I am normally a mid-tier kicker, but I began as the worst kicker in the group.  This is actually encouraging to me because I see this as a huge space for improvement.  I am very interested to see how my Kick Count and Kick Tempo improve using Avidasports on a daily basis.

After 4-5 days in Colorado, I started adapting to the altitude and generally heavy training lifestyle that swimming consists of.  I also started evaluating where I currently was at and where I wanted to go moving forward.  Using my 7’2” wingspan is something I need to utilize.  So establishing a low stroke count will be one of my first priorities.

The end of Colorado Springs brought a lot of excitement, not only to get back to California, but also to begin using Avidasports gear on a daily basis.  These first couple weeks of usage are going to be fun experimenting with different metrics, as well as different ear bud sizes to get a great overall training experience.  I’m confident in my solution to making the 2012 US Olympic team –  Avidasports, smart training and great coaching.

Stay tuned for my next blog update next Friday.

 Bennett Clark

Coach Don Kimble uses Avidasports to Accelerate Improvement with his Swimmers

As I start a new season I always review what took place the previous season and how we can take the next step. We have used Avidasports since Jan 2011 and I continue to learn the nuances of its use and the positive impact it can have on our athletes.

This summer was our first experience doing long course meters with the system.  I believe that I have only scratched the surface of its full potential from both a training aspect and a technique aspect. Every week on average I have a couple ‘ah-ha’ moments and I would like to share a couple of those.

From a training aspect I continue to see the potential for not only myself but our athletes as well.  The ability to see a graph of multiple practices and a history of length times, stroke counts, tempos, etc. provides clear evidence of their improvement.  This allows the athletes to track their progress and for me to see the impact of our training.  From a technique aspect Avidasports has allowed our program to focus in on each athlete and help them concentrate on one or two metrics to work on. 

In one example this summer, I had our athletes do 50s stroke focusing on both tempo and length time.  I had been trying to stress to a 13-year-old boy, with immense potential, the importance of tempo and distance per stroke. After about 6 lengths and my frustration building I pulled him out and had the ability to show him on deck (with my computer screen) how the metrics interacted with each other.  Avidaports helped me communicate my message.  For the remainder of the set we both saw the improvement which was a significant accomplishment.

As we move into the upcoming season my first change is to utilize the system more specifically.  We will have specific sets, for technique, training, and race prep. I am hoping this will allow me and the athletes to understand the impact of our progress throughout the season.

 Olympic Trails here we come!

Head Coach Don Kimble
Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics/Holland High School

Closing the Gap between AvidaMetrics and Performance

In May of 2009, I officially became a post graduate swimmer. I was training under Mike Bottom; however, my on-deck coach (middle distance group) was Jon Urbancheck. I started preparation for the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia. Throughout the summer, I remained on a standard training schedule that I had done since I was a freshman at Michigan in 2005. We had three key practice focuses, they included:

• Aerobic Threshold – 30-40 minutes of constant aerobic push
• Active rest – descending efforts with easy swimming in between
• Anaerobic sets – pace sets or all-out efforts

Usually we would cycle through these three practices, twice a week. My training simply was just to try as hard as I could at all times. During 2009 I competed in the following:

Charlotte Ultra Swim

• 200 Free – 1:51.5
• 400 free – 3:55.2
• 200 Back – 2:04.6

Canadian Cup

• 200 Free – 1:51.0
• 400 Free – 3:49.7
•  World University Games
• 400 Free – 3:47.5

My times at each of these were somewhat masked simply because this was the summer of the “super-suits.” At the season ending meet I was happy with my performances. Although the suit had a major effect on my times, I was happy with where I placed at the World University Games and my and national ranking.

After the World University Games, I decided to “retire” though I was still on campus at Michigan. While I was not training I was on deck everyday helping the coaching staff. It was a good experience because it taught me a lot about technique. Soon enough, I realized that I was not ready to call it a career – I still felt like I could compete better.

I decided to get back into swimming in January of 2010. At the first of the year I dove back in for my first practice; it took around three months until I was in good condition to compete in practice and meets. At this time I was fully training under Mike Bottom. My training schedule included a three day circuit, twice a week, that consisted of an Aerobic threshold, Kick set and Anaerobic set.

I also implemented a strength program into my regimen. I became much stronger and much more powerful in the water. Getting back in competitive shape took some time; my meets throughout the 2010 summer were the following:

Austin Grand Prix

• 400 Free – 4:01.1
• 200 Fly  – 2:03.2

Ohio State Grand Prix

• 100 Fly – 54.5
• 400 Free – 3:56.9

Charlotte Ultra Swim

• 200 Free – 151.7
• 200 Fly – 2:03.6
• 200 Back – 2:05.2

Canada Cup

• 200 Free – 1.51.4
• 400 Free – 3:54.9
• 1500 Free – 15:34.2

US Nationals

• 400 Free – 3:51.3
• 200 Fly – 2:02.0

This year was a very disappointing year.  Leading into the off season I contemplated changing training and locations; I was spending time with my family in Charlotte, NC. During this time, I ended up breaking a bone in my jaw resulting in a concussion. Unfortunately, I had to take eight weeks off training due to the healing process. After the eight weeks, I was eager to get back into shape and training. After some time away from Ann Arbor, I decided it was the best place for me and where I wanted to continue my career.

At this time I was introduced to Avidasports. In November 2010, I started Avidasports usage during my training regimen. In the beginning, I had trouble getting used to wearing the equipment, at first the wrist and ankle devices seemed heavy during training. Also, the ear bud was difficult to adopt into my training – in the beginnng the voice always seemed muffled or the volume was too low.  It took around two weeks to get used to the equipment and ear bud. Once I learned standard usage, I started to learn what the metrics actually meant. I started to look through my best practices in the Review portion of the Avidasports system. After studying my metrics, I learned what each metric meant for my individual training performances. After I understood what I was actually doing during each length, I set goals for myself to strive for each length; therefore, I knew if I was getting better or not.

I was training hard, but it was a struggle before I saw positive results. I was not feeling happy with my training nor was I competing well.  My first meet of the year was the Indianapolis Grand Prix and I saw very poor results in all of my events. I went back to training after the meet with the mindset that I just had to try harder but this was not the answer. I month later at the Ann Arbor Grand Prix, I saw similar poor results. At this point I started to question my training and why I was still in the sport.

Around three weeks later, I headed to Colorado Springs for three weeks with the Club Wolverine swimmers and coaches. During that time, Mike knew I was frustrated and really started pushing me to change my stroke. He really felt that my tempo should increase. At first I did not want to change because I had have success in past years with my current stroke. I was being stubborn and was reluctant to find a “better” way to swim; I just thought I had to work harder. Throughout the trip, Mike kept pushing me. I experimented with increasing my tempo, but eventually kept my stroke unchanged, leading into the Charlotte Ultra Swim in May. The first day, I had another disappointing 200 free. Looking on to the next day, I knew I had to change something. Behind the blocks of the 400 freestyle, I decided to race with a higher tempo. I told myself I try to make myself feel like I was “spinning,” I dove in and knew that I had no other option but to change something. If I didn’t change, I would keep seeing the same disappointing results. During the race I felt great, and I swam great. I swam the fastest prelim 400 in almost two years. I knew right after the race that I had a stroke that was competitive with the best in the country because I swam great with a stroke that I had never trained before. It wasn’t about working harder and harder,  it was about swimming smarter.  Over the next few weeks, I took this “new” stroke into my training for the rest of the summer. I used Avidasports technology to truly track my progress.  Every length I could tell if I was hitting a tempo that was similar to my race at the Ultra Swim – eventually I learned what my ideal race tempo was. Right after the Ultra Swim I started to shoot for a 1.7 tempo. With more training at this new stroke and my tracking fast performances with AvidaMetrics I learned my ideal race tempo. For the 400 free, it was 1.5 seconds per cycle. I continued to try to strive for this tempo throughout each training session. Leading up to the next meet, I was practicing faster than I had in years and was feeling very confident. Six weeks after the Ultra Swim I competed at the Canada Cup in the 200 free (1:49.8) and 400 free (3:50.0) and  was very happy with my performance. After the race, my coach let me know that on every 50, I hit 1.5 seconds per cycle. This was exactly what I had been tracking to do with Avidasports.

Leading up to U.S. Nationals, I had confidence and was excited to compete. It was completely different than four months earlier. Then I was frustrated with swimming, contemplating why I was still swimming, and was losing motivation and interest. However, four months later with the tracking of Avidasports, I found myself confident, I was competitive with the best in my events, and I was having fun. Ten days before Nationals, I found myself with a fever and a pack on antibiotics. However, I still went to nationals and went non-suit best times. I swam the 200 (1:49.2) and 400 free (3:49.2). During my race, I held the exact tempo that I was tracking with Avidasports throughout the summer. Avidasports helped me become a smarter swim and helped me rejuvenate my career.

Summary Of My Last Three Years

2009
	Charlotte Ultra Swim	Canadian Cup	World University Games			World Ranking
200 Free	1:51.5	1:51.0				>150
400 Free	3:55.2	3:49.7	3:47.5			27
200 Back	2:04.6					>150
200 Fly						N/A
100 Fly						N/A
1500 Free						N/A
2010
	Austin Grand Prix	Ohio State Grand Prix	Charlotte Ultra Swim	Canadian Cup	US Nationals	World Ranking
200 Free			1:51.7	1:51.4		>150
400 Free	4:01.1	3:56.9		3:54.9	3:51.3	44
200 Back			2:05.2			>150
200 Fly	2:03.2		2:03.6		2:02.0	>150
100 Fly		54.5				>150
1500 Free				15:34.2		104
2011
	Indianapolis Grand Prix	Ann Arbor Grand Prix	Charlotte Ultra Swim	Canadian Cup	US Nationals	World Ranking
200 Free	1:53.7	1:51.2	1:51.1	1:49.8	1:49.2	78
400 Free	3:57.5	3:58.2	3:54.9	3:50.0	3:49.2	25
200 Back	2:01.8	2:02.2	2:03.2			117
200 Fly		2:02.2				>150
100 Fly						N/A
1500 Free						N/A

 Matt Patton
US National Team Member
Club Wolverine Elite

My taper with Avidasports – Get Your Tempo On!

In my approach to US Nationals I have used the Avidasports system to practice race-like situations. My coach, Mike Bottom, has encouraged the Michigan team as well as the CW Elite team to focus on race like tempo. Mike set out specific tempos that each swimmer should strive for.  Individual swimmers used these as goals for each event they wanted to focus on.

The two sets I did while tapering focused on a broken 400 and a broken 200 at practice.

I swam ten fifties, aiming for my 400 pace and tempo.  After each length, I heard my tempo and length time in my headphone.  I wanted to keep my tempo around 1.4 seconds per cycle.

Then I swam six fifties, aiming for a 200 pace and tempo.  Again, after each length I heard my tempo and length time.  I wanted to keep my tempo at 1.3 seconds per cycle.

Mike really enjoys using the system with sets like this because he believes that if the tempo is where the swimmer needs to be, then the length time will be where the swimmer wants to be.

During taper, it has been great to know exactly where I am.  I’ve learned so much about my training through Avidasports.  I know exactly what I need to do to train well then race fast.

Wearing my Avidasports swim devices has allowed me to become a smarter swimmer.  As a result I maximize every length in practice.  I have replicated more race-like conditions to best prepare for US Nationals.

Palo Alto here I come!

Matt Patton
US National Team Member
Club Wolverine Elite

Avidasports is used by Lisa Butler from Purdue…read about her experiences!

This week we sat down with Lisa Butler, a swimmer and soon-to-be graduate of Purdue University.  Lisa shares with us her experience using Avidasports this week.

What it feels like to wear the devices in the water?
“I was really impressed with how little I felt the devices when I swam. My dives, streamlines, flip turns…everything all felt completely the same.  Wearing the devices actually made my stroke better. I kid you not! I have a slight problem with keeping my hands and wrists in alignment. With my stroke my hands typically drift out.  I then have to take more time and energy to reel them back in to start the next stroke. Long story short, the devices allowed me to be mentally prepared every time this happened and helped me correct it.”

What is it like to hear your results during each length?
“I knew the ear bud was going to feed me data after every length but, it took a little getting used to. I knew it was coming every time but, it took a good 200 to get used to it, and for it not to scare the pants off of me. Once I got over the initial shock I really appreciated being able to know my paces. Now could I not only compete with those around me but, I could also constantly compete with myself. John even got on the coaches mic and gave me a few choice words of encouragement, “get off your tush and go faster.” I never thought I would be laughing in the middle of swim due to something my coach said from 50 yards away. It is definitely one of the coolest parts of the Avidasports system.”

Tell me about the data you review after practice – how will this help you?
“Once I sat down and viewed the data I could not believe how smart the tiny computers on my wrists could be. They were able to access and record when I switched strokes. One of the first practices I did had lots of 75′s and even though I was swimming in a long course 50 meter pool, it knew exactly what I was doing. I also loved the fact the system could record and save my data over time. So when using it throughout a season I can compare old practices to current ones to really see how I am improving over the course of the season.”

 Thank you Lisa.  We look forward to working with you.

Bill Burnett
Vice President of Sales, Avidasports