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Garrett has some ideas on how to mix up your training!

02/05/10

Phew, finally I’m back home in Texas. Traveling to Florida and Colorado were great experiences but it’s great to be back in my own bed. Not only did I get some really intense training in with Randy Reese at Clearwater Aquatic Team, but I was able to then travel to Colorado and both meet with USA Swimming and go snowboarding to boot! Perhaps the best part of this trip (although snowboarding was a blast) was learning from Randy. So how did I learn?
 
On the learning front…First off, from an early age I went to several swim camps in the summer. My first camp was the summer before my freshman year of high school. I went to a camp at Ohio State, an elite sprint camp at Kenyon College, and to a really unique camp (that is unfortunately no longer in existence) with Bob Gillett in Arizona. The real advantage of going to swim camps was that I got new input on my strokes from outside eyes. At this early age I realized how important it was to continue to seek insight from other knowledgeable minds no matter what level you’re at. The same mentality is what inspired me to go train with Randy for three weeks in Clearwater.
 
Every year in my training I’ve focused on differences in my freestyle stroke. Can you say the same? It’s important to think about that question and hopefully you can say yes. Without a doubt this has been a huge factor in my ability to become a successful swimmer. I always tell people, and truly believe, that I’m not the most talented swimmer out there but that I out-work my competitors. Part of out-working your competitors also includes doing the little things like working on your starts, turns, and strokes. Eddie Reese always tells us the beauty of swimming is that generally the person who works the hardest can be the best. Believe this, it’s true.
 
When I say I learned from Randy, I mean I really learned from Randy! For instance, one of the drills I’ve done for many years has been a head up freestyle aka the Tarzan drill. During this drill I always worked on keeping my head straight and looking at the entry of my hands into the water. Randy said he wanted me to change my head position with each stroke and move my head from side to side as I swim. To break it down a bit, every time your right arm enters the water your head rotates to the left and vice versa. At first I wasn’t sure what this was going to teach me nor how the difference in head position would help me. But after testing out his drill I realized that by rotating my head with my body I was able to further extend my arms and feel even longer in the water. In reality I was now grabbing nearly two or three extra inches of pull at the front of my stroke, which is a lot. To say the least, I was amazed. Over the course of my stay with Randy I continued doing this drill and saw a huge difference in how my regular freestyle stroke felt.

Try this next time you go to the pool. Remember to try and always get some outside opinions from knowledgeable sources…trust me it helps. Let me know how your results are!