Ryan Woodruff's blog

...and you don't even have to go out on Black Friday!


For the gift that keeps on giving, get The Original Backnobber II ($28.95)and help your swimmer get rid of those tight back and shoulder muscles by making him do it himself.  Or, if you really want to pamper your swimmer and save a little cash, get the Original Palmassager ($7.95).

Some lessons learned from a decade in the sport...

A is for Accountability.  Be accountable for your actions and hold your athletes accountable as well.
B is for Basics.  Stress the basics of sound technique every day.
C is for Communication.  This is the foundation for your success or failure as a coach.
D is for Developing your skills.  Keep learning and improving your skill set.

Today, I received this e-mail from a swim parent whom I have never met:

Dear Coach,
Last year I discovered your blog Swimtelligence and have really enjoyed reading your insights and tips into the sport my eleven year old son has come to love.

Here's an excerpt from Dara Torres' book Age Is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life

Every swimmer should breathe every 3rd stroke during freestyle training. Many are reluctant to change. Allow me to state my case:

Exhibit A: Breathing bilaterally keeps your stroke even. Ever seen a swimmer who "limps" as they swim? Was he breathing every 3? Exactly.

Exhibit B: Breathing every 3 helps avoid neck and shoulder tightness. Swimmers who breathe only to one side try this: Turn your head to the right. Turn your head to the left. Is your flexibility equal in both directions? Most likely you can turn your head further to your breathing side.

There is a belief common to many swimmers and their parents that one's junior year of high school is the "make-or-break year."  They view the junior year as a swimmer's final opportunity to earn a spot on a college team.  I won't argue that the junior year isn't important, but here are a few concerns I have with emphatically taking this approach:

Want to have the race of your life in the "Decathlon of Swimming?" Obey these four fundamental laws of the 400 I.M. to maximize your performance.

1. Negative split the backstroke, breaststroke,and freestyle legs.  Ideally, the difference is less than 1 second.  Because of the time spent executing the back-to-breast and breast-to-free turns, this actually represents near even-pace swimming.

Do you exhibit these traits that might make you an UGLY swimmer?

U sually late is how you arrive to the pool.  Be prepared and start on time to maximize your improvement potential.

G oal setting is a chore for you.  Become a champion goal-setter if you wish to become a champion.

L azy around your walls.  The turns can make an ordinary swimmer good and a good swimmer great.  Concentrate on making yours better to make the leap to the next level.

Don Swartz and Ken DeMont over at Swim Coach Direct have an interesting post on race splits and Training for the 200. I highly recommend it.

Their post encouraged me to share with you a tool we use to help swimmers on our team establish race paces for training purposes.

Welcome to the SwImtelligence blog! This blog exists to promote the exchange of ideas among swimmers and coaches, and to inform/inspire/entertain swimming enthusiasts.  While the main focus of my posts will be technical and training-oriented, sometimes other random stuff comes up. Feel free to leave me a note or respond to any of my posts!