Reg Richardson Memorial LCM Swim Meet - July 8, 2006

Thanks to everyone coming out and joining us for a beautiful afternoon of swimming. The weather was tropically warm, as was the atmosphere of swimmers from all over southern California. Although the meet went a little too quick to allow swimmers much of a recovery, the swims were fast, and the technique was excellent. Below are a few action shots. Click on the photos below to enlarge.
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Here's a rare shot of Danni actually out of the water. Hopefully we'll see her on the blocks very soon =) And speaking of blocks, here's Rochelle waiting for the call to the starting blocks. The events are seeded according to swim times, so everyone swims together!
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Todd up on the blocks. Excellent reaction time and extension! Now we just need to work on getting those legs higher on the entry. Imagine yourself diving through a small hula hoop, and you want your entire body to pass through the hoop, but not at the same time...hands first, then the middle torso, and then the legs. This means the legs have to remain higher than the upper body so as not to land flat like an airplane making a water landing.
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Eric up in this series. Check out the various reaction times (arms forward or arms back). Try to make the first movement after the starting horn sounds FORWARDS. Get out of the habit of winding up...explode forward with the legs!

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In the next series of photos we see Patrick on the blocks using a track start. The "one foot forward, one foot back" technique has become more widely used over the years because it allows a lot more stability while in the starting position. Remaining in a steady position before the starting horn is very important in major competitions because a single false start means a disqualification. Remember to keep the legs straight (and together) while in the air. This allows for a more streamlined entry, which means more speed that you don't have to work for! The fastest part of the swim is not actually the swim itself, but the start. So the idea is to try and maintain that speed for as long as possible. Maintaining a streamlined position will cut down on the resistance, and allow you to keep that "free speed" for a longer distance.
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Eric is up once again, and this time with an excellent backstroke start. Very good reaction time, full extension and streamline position. A little more arch in the back would allow a deeper entry, and keep the speed up during dolphin kicks and the first stroke cycle. ..
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In the next series of 3 here, we have Todd on the starting blocks. GOOD START! Still a bit too flat on the entry, resulting in the arms and legs entering the water at the same time, but great extension! .
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We finished the day with our group in top relay form! Here's the team strategizing as they prepare for their relay swim. With very little rest in between events, by this time the group was more ready for a nap rather than more swimming...thanks Patrick, David, Todd and Eric for sticking around =)