ATTENTION TO ALL ALCATRAZ SWIMMERS. This is your great opportunity to start preparing for an Alcatraz crossing. Either you are first timer or have done this swim many times, review and learn the tides, currents, landmarks, and gear and equipment needed to make this swim a better experience. If you are a registered swimmer bring your gear or equipment to jump in the water by the island and practice some of the strokes recommended during this clinic or have the view from the water to the City's skyline.

Next Thursday March 6th is our first swimming program orientation meeting. This is your opportunity to learn everything about our Bay swim workouts for the entire season. We give recommendations, tips and advise to help you with your training program either for Triathlons, or long distance swimming or the Alcatraz swim. Where: Fort Mason Building C Room 362 from 6:00pm-7:30p. We are including directions and parking info.

This article will be published in two parts or in two Newsletters. We will give you advise in how to get ready for the season. In this issue we are giving you two of the first steps.
We have been preaching on how to get ready for competitions by swimming in winter and to start the swim in the Bay earlier in the season so you can be in better shape at competition time. Now it is time I start with the tips so we can focus on the training and be in competition mode. Since we all started our training either at the pool or in the Bay, it is very important to set our mind for it. So I am going to refer first to the mental factor. As you register for any event where you will have to swim a distance, you must start not only training but also setting up your mind to the physical conditions of the swim, the place of the swim, and what the optimum training in the pool is (or how to combine it with the open water swim time) .

Mental Preparation- Mind setting or the Phsychological factor. As you register for the race in the early part of the season, do not wait to go and do the race. Instead, immediately imagine yourself going to and recognizing the place where you will be swimming. See how it feels to be there, take a jog or a walk and feel the cool air. Check where the sun's position is at the time of that future race, where it comes out on the horizon, etc. Then try to feel yourself there on the race day -- smile showing that you are already enjoying the place of your competition while hundreds of others can't even figure out what to expect. Even if this is your first triathlon or 100th triathlon/swim, you can say that by being there now your training has started and you're in control of your training and goals.

Equipment preparation for your event and training
As your training has started and you know the conditions of the place where you will compete, you must also be prepared with the right equipment and prepare yourself to compete with the same equipment you have trained with. Get familiar and use to your wetsuit. Not only will it fit better for competition day, but it will also make you feel more confident and relaxed. If you wait until competition day to try new equipment, it may not even fit right. You must also know and evaluate how the temperatures of the place where you will compete will affect your performance. With this in mind, you need to make a list of all the items you must have ready for your training and event perfomance.
If it is cold water, well, some people resist better than others the cold temperatures. If you have been training for some time, you will be better prepared. But still, you want to make sure you are protecting your middle ear from low temperature waters. The middle ear is very sensitive to temp changes and water invasion. For this, I have always recommended using Silicone earplugs. Specifically, Mack's earplugs, as they are very soft, flexible and mold to your ears very well and therefore, seal the water really well. Yes, I know, many people tell me that they won't hear anything. Well, as in your training and during your event, you must concentrate and zone out in your stroke and how you are feeling in the water. This way, you are going to ignore the unnecessary noise and nervousness of many others as well as the typical race day butterflies and open water anxiety.

In next's Newsletter THE DISTANCE TO SWIM
NUTRITION
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IT
Your Coach,
Pedro H. Ordenes, ASCA
(American Swim Coaches Assoc.)

Send us your questions or contribution to:
info@water worwoldswim.com

Research from "Notes for a swimmer" by Coach Pedro H. Ordenes, ASCA