“How should I swim this race?” How many times have you heard this? Swimmers of all ages and abilities have the same question. There are many different ways to swim a fast 200 in every stroke and the IM's. The name of the game is understanding all the different ways to execute the race and seeing what works for you! On Day 1 of this camp the focus will be exclusively on the IM's. On Day 2 the focus will be on the 200's.

DAY 1 (Friday, December 27): The IM's

Fast racing is all in the details. During this session, swimmers will focus on each component of racing fast in the IM! Participants will work with elite clinicians to develop a deeper understanding of high-performance concepts that are important to racing at a high level.

• IM TRANSITIONS: The back-to-breast transition has a couple of ways that swimmers can approach it. Our elite clinicians will work with participants to finesse their IM transitions and explore different types of transition turns to have the tools to go from the backstroke to the breaststroke leg the fastest way possible!
• OPEN TURNS: Swimmers will work on transitioning all of their speed and momentum from the butterfly leg into their backstroke leg through a snappy, tight open turn. If swimmers go through the motions of an open turn or have bad technique, they can lose valuable time in a race!
• IM STRATEGY: Every IM swimmer has a different strategy that they have developed over years of practice and racing. At this session, our Elite Clinicians will work with swimmers to develop a deeper understanding of utilizing their own unique strengths and weaknesses to build a customized race plan that will help them swim faster!
• STROKE PACING: There are many ways for a swimmer to adjust their strokes to maximize efficiency or speed. Lengthening distance per stroke at critical times in an IM can help conserve energy. Swimmers can also prioritize tempo in their stroke to try to accelerate or finish strong! Elite athletes know themselves and how they need to adjust their strokes. Participants will learn how to seamlessly change these elements within their strokes to maximize the effectiveness of their strategy.
• IM RACING: Many swimmers have different strategies while racing, especially when in the IM’s! Swimmers will need to adjust their racing strategy based on how they stack up among their competitors during the race. Swimmers will work with their elite clinicians on balancing energy expenditure while competing against others to find the ideal combination for IM races!
• STRATEGY REINFORCEMENT & TRAINING: Swimmers will work with our clinicians on finessing different IM racing techniques learned during the session. They will also go through a training set developed by our clinicians and the Fitter and Faster coaching team to help swimmers maintain their strategy and technique through fatigue!

DAY 2 (Saturday, December 28): 200's in ANY Stroke

The 200 in any stroke demands precision and attention to detail. Under the guidance of elite clinicians, swimmers will delve deep into the intricacies of technique, pacing, and race strategy. By honing in on these crucial elements, participants will gain invaluable insights into excelling in the 200.

• STRATEGIES: At this camp your swimmer will learn various strategies that elite swimmers have executed with top results. Before your camp you will be emailed links to several elite level races of 200 yards/meters across all strokes, along with a brief summary of each. At the camp we will discuss and practice those strategies.
• "EASY SPEED": Establishing stroke length with the proper tempo after the breakout is essential to setting up a strong 200 in any stroke. Going as fast as we can with ease is the key to “easy speed”. We don’t want to kick or pull too hard on the first 50 in the 200. This will cause early fatigue. Swimmers will work on techniques to swim as fast as they can in all strokes with “easy speed”.
• SPLITS: Splits not only show a swimmers race strategy, but in combination with stroke rate, stroke count, and kick count can show a straightforward path to improvement.
• FRONT-END & BACK-END SPEED: The first half (front-end) and second half (back-end) of the 200 can be “broken up” to ensure an effective plan. Some swimmers go out really fast and hang on, while others control the first part of their race, then try to “back-end” the race at full speed. Testing new strategies at this camp will give your swimmer confidence in their next race.
• UNDERWATER KICK COUNT: Underwater Kick Count: Figuring out the optimal number of kicks off each wall is essential to a fast 200. A swimmer wants to spend only the absolute necessary amount of time underwater to establish speed with each length. We want to avoid losing our breath and/or taking weak kicks.
• STROKE COUNT: The number of strokes/lap is easily measured and provides great insight into a swimmer's distance per stroke and efficiency in the water.
• BREATHING PATTERN: Establishing a breathing pattern will help the swimmer stay focused and relaxed on their own swim. It will also help them finish the race with enough oxygen to close the race at full speed.
• ESTABLISHING A PLAN: A racer should have a plan for the race before it is swum! What’s your plan for front-end and back-end speed? How much time will you spend underwater before your first breath? How often will you breath each length?
• TEST THE PLAN IN PRACTICE: Now we test it! Swimmers will do a complete short set at the end of the session to practice racing the plan and stroke under race conditions. We’ll get off the blocks and practice some front end swims, push some back end swims, and race some straight 200’s depending on the sessions.
• CONFIDENCE: One of the essential elements to dropping time and swimming fast is being willing to try new strategies when swimming a race. It’s ok to feel nervous and a little bit uncomfortable before your race! Entering a race with a strategy will help your swimmer with their confidence… and that confidence will help propel them to the results they aim to achieve.