News
News from Vancouver..... 3 Jun 2009
Two of the National Squad swimmers, Sally Wood and Craig Benson, are currently on a two week training camp in Vancouver, Canada. They are swimming at the University of British Columbia under the tutelage of renowned breaststroke specialist coach Jozsef Nagy. Nagy is the current coach of world record holder Annamay Pierse (200 Brst, SCM).
I asked them to answer a few questions on their experiences in Vancouver after week 1 of their stay.
What's the weather like in Vancouver?
SW: Amazing so far (touch wood), it's been really sunny and it's only rained once.
CB: Hot and sunny.
What are the facilities like at UBC?
SW: Great, they have everything you need right on hand.
CB: Excellent, better than at home.
What does a typical training day consist of?
SW: 2 sessions of swimming which consist of a LOT of breaststroke plus land training.
CB: 2 swim sessions and 1 land session. Lots and lots of breaststroke pull and kick and often fast 50s breaststroke and lots of underwater work.
What is the hardest set you have done since being there?
SW: 8x100 brs kick max on 1.40, 8x50 brs 25uw/25sw fast, 12x100 brs pull w. fins max on 1.30, 8x50 brs 25uw/25sw fast, 6x200 brs swim (with a fake wall!) max on 3.15, 8x50 brs sw max on 60 - Soooo hard!
CB: Same as above or possibly even 8x200 brs pull max on 3.00 long course.
What does Jozsef think makes a good breaststroker?
SW: Someone with great skills and technique, really good turns.
CB: Perfect technique with a very strong kick and being really fast off the walls.
Who is the best swimmer in the programme?
SW: Annamay Pierse, 200m Breaststroke world record holder (25m).
CB: Annamay Pierse, 200m short course world-record holder.
What is the land training like?
SW: SOLID, I have never felt so much pain the next day in my life I could hardly walk up and down the stairs! They do 3 med ball sessions a week and 2 sessions with weights and everyday they do frog jumps up the stairs which I am getting used to now.
CB: Land training is very difficult the first few times but you get used to it. They do lots of different medicine ball exercises and lots of leg exercises like squats.
What have you enjoyed the most so far?
SW: Getting to shop and sunbathe on our day off even though it was at a nudist beach!
CB: The day off to recover from all the hard training!
What the accommodation facilities like?
SW: Pretty basic, there's a bed, a desk and a wardrobe. I'm on the basement floor so no light penetrates the room so it's quite dark and gloomy!
CB: The rooms smell funny and are kind of small.
What have you learnt about your swimming?
SW: It's not all about the distance that is done but is more about the intensity that is put in and the efficiency of my strokes.
CB: That I need to improve my breaststroke skills like streamlining to help me improve.
I asked them to answer a few questions on their experiences in Vancouver after week 1 of their stay.
What's the weather like in Vancouver?
SW: Amazing so far (touch wood), it's been really sunny and it's only rained once.
CB: Hot and sunny.
What are the facilities like at UBC?
SW: Great, they have everything you need right on hand.
CB: Excellent, better than at home.
What does a typical training day consist of?
SW: 2 sessions of swimming which consist of a LOT of breaststroke plus land training.
CB: 2 swim sessions and 1 land session. Lots and lots of breaststroke pull and kick and often fast 50s breaststroke and lots of underwater work.
What is the hardest set you have done since being there?
SW: 8x100 brs kick max on 1.40, 8x50 brs 25uw/25sw fast, 12x100 brs pull w. fins max on 1.30, 8x50 brs 25uw/25sw fast, 6x200 brs swim (with a fake wall!) max on 3.15, 8x50 brs sw max on 60 - Soooo hard!
CB: Same as above or possibly even 8x200 brs pull max on 3.00 long course.
What does Jozsef think makes a good breaststroker?
SW: Someone with great skills and technique, really good turns.
CB: Perfect technique with a very strong kick and being really fast off the walls.
Who is the best swimmer in the programme?
SW: Annamay Pierse, 200m Breaststroke world record holder (25m).
CB: Annamay Pierse, 200m short course world-record holder.
What is the land training like?
SW: SOLID, I have never felt so much pain the next day in my life I could hardly walk up and down the stairs! They do 3 med ball sessions a week and 2 sessions with weights and everyday they do frog jumps up the stairs which I am getting used to now.
CB: Land training is very difficult the first few times but you get used to it. They do lots of different medicine ball exercises and lots of leg exercises like squats.
What have you enjoyed the most so far?
SW: Getting to shop and sunbathe on our day off even though it was at a nudist beach!
CB: The day off to recover from all the hard training!
What the accommodation facilities like?
SW: Pretty basic, there's a bed, a desk and a wardrobe. I'm on the basement floor so no light penetrates the room so it's quite dark and gloomy!
CB: The rooms smell funny and are kind of small.
What have you learnt about your swimming?
SW: It's not all about the distance that is done but is more about the intensity that is put in and the efficiency of my strokes.
CB: That I need to improve my breaststroke skills like streamlining to help me improve.
