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January 2008 edition

Coach Bottrill's blogs from the Bell Canada Grand Prix, November 23-25, Toronto:

Thursday, November 22:

We rolled into snowy Toronto almost on time, grabbed a subway sandwich and headed straight to the Etobicoke pool for a swim out. This is the set we did:

300 Swim/300 Pull
400 kick (200 IM/200 choice)
200 Swim/200 Pull
400 kick (200 IM/200 choice)
3*200 @ 3 min hr 140
6*100 @ 130 hr 160
400 Drills
Dive 25 easy speed.

Everyone felt pretty good considering the flight and sitting for more than 4 hours.

We went out together to Peter’s on Englington, a favorite swimmer haunt due to the portion sizes you get.

That night we had yet another fire alarm in the hotel. This is the third consecutive meet this has occurred at and so we are becoming veterans at dealing with this kind of thing. It was cold standing outside with all the other teams, and some of the other team’s swimmers had bare feet. Ours seemed smarter than that.

Friday woke up early and a nice breakfast in the hotel and off to the pool at 8:15. Warm up was:
300swim100kick/200 swim200 kick/100 swim 300 kick
4*200 @ 3:00 hr 140
4*100 @ 130 hr 160 (this set was put in place to derive familiarity with the previous nights feelings: we were all faster on the same sets)
8*50 @ 50 1 Free moderate, 1 stroke hard: this is to get HR up and feel the speed
Round the warm up out with pull and drill’s choice, then pace and dive work.

It turned out to be a very good first day for the team. Andre opened the show for us with a stellar 200 back he lead from start to finish to come in at 13th over all. It was a best time by over 3 seconds. Next it was Mike who raced the second fastest heat of 100 Breast to finish with a best time and 15th overall. Then it was Mike again in 400 IM who had the fastest heat in the meet to contend with and acquitted himself well, another best time and a top 8 swim to boot. Right away we had Vanessa in the 400 IM who swam a bit rough due to ongoing back stiffness from a fall on the slippery Etobicoke pool deck (Youth Cup swimmers be forewarned, this is not a pool to wear flip flops around!). Then it was Andre in the 50 Fly fastest heat who raced to 5th and 12th over all. Vanessa toughed it out in the 1500 but it was not a best time. She dusted herself off and we will have another go at it tomorrow. As for the boys, they have 2 finals each so we look forward to a busy night. As well, these finals are going to be LC, so that will change thing dramatically for the field and separate the good kickers from the good turners. It will be fun!

Friday, November 23:

I looked up the club record for the 200 Back and confirmed that Andre’s morning swim was a new record by 3 seconds. Good to see more of these older records start to move!

The night swim was LC, so we made a few adjustments in the warm up, made sure the legs were ready to go. Pace work for Andre was on 50’s and Mike still did 25’s as he felt good.

Andre started the evening with the 200 Back, had a great start and everyone was at the 50 wall together. He was a bit lower in the water than the morning though, his head position pushing the water instead of breaking it. He ended up with a 2:11.25 to come in 5th, a decent swim but a bit off from the great morning swim.

Mike was up next, he did a great job. Perfect start and the breakout was quick and with the others. Again, 13.8 for the 25, which is the second time under 14 for him, but still a 31.5 at the 50, which put him 5th at the wall (I would like to see him at 30.high). He held together really well coming home and fought hard to the 75 and maintained his position to the wall. Best time and 5th in the B. Mike kept us excited with his 400 IM, out with everyone at the 100 Fly leg, and then backstroke, which is a bit of a hit or miss for him, well….miss this time. Bit left behind on this lap, but a valiant Breast leg to reel in some of the distance he lost. Turned over the free leg in 7th and stayed there. Best time in 4:43.96. I think he would like to have that backstroke leg to do over again.

Andre finished the night with the 50 Fly. Great start, but rushed the break out and over swam the first 25 meters even though the split was decent at 11.5, the stroke rate was off by an arm cycle with the rest of the field. So when he comes to the wall, his head is ready but the arm cycle is off compared to the others. In any event, swims to 8th with a decent if not off-timed race. Really good legs though, so the 100 and 200 look promising.

Hyack has 20 points after one night of racing. We are on the Board!

Saturday, November 24:

Saturday morning racing is always a treat, we get to see those who are prepared to go to work to win their races and those that fall to the wayside. It seems that there is always those two outcomes. Fortunately we built on the tough LC racing from the night before, and picked up some great morning swims today.

The meet started with Vanessa’s 400 Free, and at 4:29 it was a bit off from the type of races she has shown lately.

Andre had to deal with a faulty clock that delayed the last few heats of this 100 Fly event, everyone was just standing around and waiting. Finally the races were back on and Andre led the 7th of 8 heats through to the 75 (another really good start too), was out turned on that turn by a very good under water kick from Adam Sioui, but finished bly to place second in 55.42 which would end up being 6th overall.

Right away the 200 IM was up and Andre had to rip off his long suit and go to the brief, but the 100 Fly was still sitting in his legs and not much happened for him in this race. Mike though was up in the second fastest heat and raced to finish 13th overall, best time in 2:07.71.

There was a break of all the 50 free’s and Mike was back up with his signature 200 Breast. He pulled a very fast heat and raced to finish 5th in his heat and 16th overall, just off his best time.

So tonight we have one A final and two B’s, it should be fun!

Saturday evening:

Warm up was shorter, we went 200 loosen, 200 im drill, 2*150 free breathing 5-7-9
10 * 50 odds 25 fast kick 25 swim leg dominant, evens 25 scull 25 swim smooth technique
Andre went 3*100 25 swim 50 drill 25 swim and descended them. The a build 50 fly
Mike went 200 Breast on Stroke count, and a build 50
Vanessa did rehearsal work for the 200 and 800 on Sunday.
Everyone looked good.

Andre opened the night for us with his 100 Fly final. It looked good to see our Black and Orange tracksuits standing out as the walk on occurred. Andre’s start was good, but his under water not so great this time, and came up a bit behind on the break out. In the field like this, those breakouts are critical, or else you have to play catch up the whole race, which is very tiring. Anyway he get to the wall at 26.5, which would have been even faster with the better breakout, and was on track to go best time through to the 75, and then the last 25 his legs dropped off a bit to finish 7th and 56.99. In all, a solid swim battling to come back into the race the whole way.

Mike was up next with his double. 200 IM was out fast with everyone and then the troublesome back split hit and we come to the 100 wall 8th to turn over the breast split and play catch-up. Very good split and looked b to turnover to Free and come home really nicely. Bit off his best at 2:13.55 to finish 5th in the B. We had about 20 minutes to get ready for the 200 Breast and Mike was determined to race to win. He went out in 1:10.6 and held 37’s to come to 2:26.00 and finish 4th in his B final and 10th overall. Best time too. Nice swim.

Hyack has 43 points after 2 days.

I look forward to Sunday a.m., we have some more good swims to go.

Sunday, November 25:

Warm up today was a bit longer, with more kick in it.
300swim/300 pull
800 kick as 400 ez, 400 build
6*100 2’@140 Hr, 2 @ 160 Hr, 1 ez, 1 @ 20 of max Hr
Andre went 12*50 3 Dr/1 swim, 2 drill/2 swim, 1 Dr/3 swim: these were done as pace work for the 200
Mike went 8*25 fast, 2k/2p/2dr/2sw, 200 Drill, dive 25
Vanessa went 8*50 1 pull moderate, 1 swim even split trying to hit 30 sec

Mike started us off with the 50 Breast. He was the last off the blocks. He was had very good starts all meet, so this set him back and being seeded in the outside lane in the second fastest heat it didn’t bode well for him. After playing catch-up all race he finished 15th overall with a 29.80, so he gets to go again tonight.

Andre was up next in the fastest heat of 200 Fly. He raced Stefan Hirniak to the 150 and then had to deal with that over the last 50, which was a bit slow. But he finished in 203.66 and was good for 9th. There is a scratch so Andre will move into finals.

Next it was Mike again, 200 Free. He had a great start this time and raced to 55.97 on the first half to finish second in his heat with a best time of 155.74. Vanessa was up right after and struggled to a 2:10.24. A bit more persistence that some of the other races, but fell off a lot in the back half. She will need to consolidate herself for the upcoming 800 Free.

So tonight we go into finals with a 50 Breast and 200 Fly.

The distance events started the session early at 1:00. Vanessa was up in a solid heat of 800’s. All the distance swims were LC. Vanessa did some real good work getting herself more ready for this race, keeping good control on how the race was to be done for her, taking care of the things she can control. With that she had her best swim of the meet, 9:15.89 which is just off her best.

Mike started the evening again for us with a great reaction but perhaps a bit deep on the entry. With that he spent a bit too much time under water. As the 50 developed he was gaining into the wall to finish 5th with 31.11

Andre was up next in the 200 Fly. He had a really good swimmer next to him to work off. Adam Sioui , who he raced in the 100 heats was up for the challenge to win overall. The race opened very fast with Andre 7th at the 100 where he remained through the rest of next two laps finishing with 209.31. The last 50 was a battle to keep the legs going. Great experience being in the final and some very good information to work from now going into the next cycle.

We had a solid step forward at this meet with the swimmer who were here. A lot of learning and success that will help accumulate skill and control for the remainder of the year.