A Note from The Coach
Being in the middle of the season feels like being in the middle of a race. When things are going according to plan, we can’t wait to blaze across the finish line. When the race plan doesn’t work (or we don’t even have a race plan), we want to go back and start over. Herein lies the problem… we can’t have a re-do because we’re in the middle-you must proceed to the finish, no matter the outcome.
As we approach the middle of summer, everything tells us that the finish line is coming quickly. In Sumner County, school begins early, thus signaling the beginning of fall. Training plans can get interrupted by many types of events … an injury, adjusting to a new work assignment, or perhaps an unexpected and unscheduled family event. So … how do I shift gears, re-direct, or make a new plan?
When an athlete gets “lost” in the middle of the season, the mountain in front of them can seem like it is impossible to climb. For others who are on task and excited about crossing that finish line, the question now is how high I can climb. When climbers attempt a new summit, they set up a base camp to assess the situation. They carefully evaluate equipment, tools, and supplies necessary for their success. A careful strategy is planned as they begin their ascent. No one should attempt such a climb unprepared.
One of our teammates, Mike Yarbrough, went on a climbing adventure to Mt. Everest this past year. At 29,035 feet, Everest is quite literally the apex of mountain climbing. Many have attempted and many have failed. Success came to those who properly prepared. Mike and his group had the goal of climbing a little more than halfway to the top. He told me about the importance of the Sherpa, or guide who directed the climb. The Sherpa was like the coach or leader who had to continually evaluate and make sure everyone was doing fine. He defined the plans to make sure that time was not wasted, and wanted to be sure that everyone was in proper condition to continue with the trek.
At about 9,000 feet, they prepared their base camp. Base camp was crucial to their success; it’s where they acclimatized and rested. They also used the base camp as a benchmark; they would ascend beyond the base camp and then back down to camp, where they could rest and think ahead about the rest of the journey. They talked about being within reach of their goal; they enjoyed the spectacular view from the top of the world and had fun. The base camp helped to re-energize them for the rest of the climb.
I asked Mike if a person can climb Everest without a Sherpa. Mike said yes, but it was a tough way to go. In fact, he met a guy from Korea who was on the descent and very proud of his accomplishment. Mike thought a lot about how he looked - Mike prayed for him often that day because he thought the guy might die.
For an athlete, the same type of strategic planning is necessary to guarantee a satisfactory result. This plan will need to be tooled and re-tooled with specific attention directed to individual needs of the athlete. Just like a climber, the athlete needs coaching and direction to develop a specific plan. I am continually fascinated by people who call me to learn how to swim in order to do a triathlon. Their fear is that they might “drown”. While I am sure they can succeed in their adventure, I am certain that with proper guidance and preparation, they will have a much easier time as they ascend to their goal. Just like the Korean guy that Mike saw on Everest, I see many people trying to grasp at anything they can to help them conquer their goal. Some go to the internet for coaching, some to You Tube. When I see them swim, I wonder if they too might die.
As the coach of MTSC Masters, my job is to insure that our training plan is on task, and that our swimmers are making steady progress toward their end of summer goals. Our team has grown tremendously this summer, not only in terms of numbers of bodies in the water, but also in our ability to conquer challenging sets, and swim fast at meets and multi-sport events. We have also seen a tremendous amount of interest in multi-sport athletes who are looking for professional coaching and direction. We will turn our attention to that task next by offering a three month coached program called ENDURANCE ATHLETE BASE CAMP. You can click here to find information about how to get involved in the program, and who will be coaching. The focus will be scientific; we will testing each participant, and then guiding them through coached sessions on a weekly basis that will produce MEASURABLE RESULTS.
For those of you who are swimming purists, we will continue to swim through this last training cycle with Masters Nationals in Indy, and Senior Games in Palo Alto. In mid August, we will begin with our “Stroke School” focusing on each of the competitive strokes along with turns and IM transitions. Whatever summit you want to climb–whether fitness or competitively related–you can find it at MTSC, where we will train smart in order to race fast!
While in Southern California, I also had the opportunity to visit with my niece, who works for Coach Pete Carroll at USC. We were able to visit his closed workout on the Thursday evening prior to the Notre Dame game. What fun it was to see his connection to the players and his different techniques for motivating them. While it “never rains in Southern California” (especially in October), the area received a torrential downpour during the practice. Coach Carroll took a break from practice to play “slip and slide” along the sidelines of the field. The players ran, launched, slid and glided across the field. The spirit was relaxed and upbeat—with a new found motivation to move on toward game day with an enhanced attitude. 
favorite athlete in a gold medal winning Olympic performance is motivating. For others, it can be working with a new trainer in the gym who helps to “tweak” your dry-land routine. One of our age-group swimmers, Olivia Been, had an inspirational time attending a clinic during fall break where she met Olympic Gold Medalist Rebecca Soni. What a thrill for a young swimmer to meet an Olympian in person – and what great motivation! 
by seastar
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