Past Clinic: Comprehensive Freestyle Racing Camp
North Pointe Aquatic Center
335 Holloway Road,
Ballwin,
MO 63011
A description of what was covered at this past clinic is below the upcoming clinics.
Upcoming Swim Clinics and Camps
Within 250 miles of Ballwin, MO.
Past Clinic
Introduction
Two-Day High Performance Swim Camp - This camp will focus on racing faster in every freestyle race. Sign up for one or SAVE by signing up for both days!
Swimmers will take their training and racing to the next level at this comprehensive freestyle racing camp! Each age group will have two sessions: on Saturday, participants will focus on the mechanics of a smooth and powerful freestyle to become faster and more efficient swimmers. Then on Sunday, participants will work on developing speed, focusing on distance per stroke vs tempo, pacing, and a freestyle training set.
This camp will be led by Olympic gold medalist Cierra Runge. Cierra is a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic clinician with the ability to relate with swimmers of all abilities. Scroll down for more details on the curriculum.
Session Times (Both Days):
12 & Over: Check in 5:30 AM, Clinic 5:45 AM-8:45 AM
11 & Under: Check in 9:15 AM, Clinic 9:30 AM-12:00 PM
Social Distancing: Fitter and Faster is following all guidelines as it relates to COVID-19 as set by the CDC, NIH and local authorities. This camp will have limits on the number of swimmers per lane to maintain social distance. We also ask for you to please drop your swimmers off at the sign-in table and to pick your swimmers up after the clinic. If a waitlist is established, please join it. If enough people enter the waitlist we will plan for additional sessions! THANK YOU!
Suggested Participants
Cierra will lead two sessions for each age group. This camp is recommended for swimmers with at least one year of competitive swimming experience. Swimmers younger than 9 years old are not recommended without their coach's approval.
Curriculum
DAY 1 (SATURDAY): HIGH PERFORMANCE FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE
As you know, freestyle is the stroke swam more than any other in races and practices. Creating and cultivating good habits now will not only make your swimmer faster but will also reduce the risk for injuries in the long term. Olympic gold medalist Cierra Runge will lead participants through a progression of drills that will allow them to deepen their understanding of each part of the freestyle stroke and help create good habits for fast and efficient freestyle technique.
- BODYLINE: Your swimmer's freestyle will never be fast without a strong bodyline. Your swimmer will reinforce good posture and engage their core to have a strong foundation for a faster freestyle.
- ROTATION: Participants will learn to utilize their rotation to form more connection and power out of every pull and kick.
- KICK: Your swimmer will become a stronger and faster kicker through learning about both the technique and timing of each kick.
- PULL: The best swimmers in the world utilize an early vertical forearm to put immediate pressure back on the water. Cierra will also teach swimmers how to get maximum extension and a powerful finish to the stroke! Learn new drills and exercises to get more power from every stroke.
- BREATH: All swimmers know to keep one goggle in and one goggle out of the water when they take a breath, but the length and timing are also important! Cierra will show your swimmer how to make each breath more efficient for faster freestyle racing no matter what distance.
DAY 2 (SUNDAY): FREESTYLE APPLIED SPEED & RACE STRATEGY EXECUTION
The technique for swimming a fast freestyle race changes depending on the distance. Learning how to prioritize tempo vs. length and speed vs. efficiency can make a big difference in maximizing speed in shorter races or increasing endurance in longer races. The session will also include a training set designed to challenge swimmers and complement the technical foundation developed on day one.
- DISTANCE PER STROKE: One way to increase efficiency is to take fewer strokes. Counting the number of strokes and improving technique to decrease that number will save energy. On the other side, it may be faster to take more strokes per length, especially in shorter events.
- TEMPO: Your swimmer’s tempo is how fast or slow they complete each stroke. Having a slower tempo allows swimmers to conserve energy by taking fewer strokes, while a faster tempo is more tiring but much faster. Changing tempo based on event distance and fatigue level will help your swimmer swim as fast as possible.
- PACING: When racing, many swimmers will prioritize tempo over distance per stroke, which causes them to take a higher number of shorter strokes on each length. This is a very inefficient way to swim and can cause a swimmer to race much slower and fatigue quicker. At this session, Cierra Runge will help participants refine their stroke count and tempo so that they can utilize their strengths to race faster in any distance!
- TRAINING FREESTYLE: Also included in this session is an elite workout designed by Cierra and the Fitter and Faster Coaching Team. This workout is specifically designed to challenge your swimmer’s freestyle and help identify strengths and weaknesses in their training, which will ultimately transfer into becoming a better racer!
ASK QUESTIONS
Swimmers and parents are invited to ask our Cierra questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into her training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.
WATCH THE CLINICIAN
Observe Cierra swim at full speed and demonstrate a progression of perfectly executed drills to achieve powerful, efficient, and fast swimming.
PUT YOUR SKILLS TO THE TEST
Swimmers will get to practice what they've learned by taking their stroke to top speed with one of the best swimmers in the world! They'll work on holding onto their form while challenging themselves.
Take a photo with Cierra, get autographs, and ALL PARTICIPANTS receive a FREE Fitter and Faster Collector’s Bag Tag for each day they are at the camp. Collect all 37 and trade with your friends!
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
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