Brick Session this Saturday CANCELLED

Dear TEAM

I'm just writing to inform you that I've decided to cancel the official Saturday morning brick session at Cottesloe Beach. In the end only 5 people expressed an interest in doing the session unfortunately and given the time commitment that I would be down there for (~5 hours) I just can't make this work. Sorry if you had hoped to attend. Obviously this doesn't stop you doing your own 1k swim + 70km bike + 10km brick session...and if you're doing the Half Ironman at the start of May, this is what I'd be encouraging you to do.

I'll ask for interest again for the proposed session on the 10th April in a couple of weeks and see how we go with that one.

Sorry to disappoint - it seems like a good number of people are no longer racing the event (for various reasons) and this is having an impact on the interest in this kind of specific session.

Have a great weekend everyone and don't forget we do have the 1pm squad swim session on this Saturday which you might like to do if you just do a bike/run brick in the morning...its a great one for developing your open water drafting skills etc.

Cheers

Paul

Video Filming Project & This Weekend

Dear TEAM

Just a quick thank you to all of those of you who volunteered your time on Sunday for some filming in Challenge Stadium's awesome outdoor 8 lane pool (above). This filming is part of a new project that we (Swim Smooth) are collating which will help swimmers and coaches around the world define and determine what they need to do to help correct their strokes and improve their efficiency. It's a super interesting project and we can't wait to share more details with you once all the filming has been completed.

We still have another round of filming to complete this Sunday (21/3) between 9am and 5pm. Please check your details against the list at:

http://www.theteamcore.com/images/Swim_Filming.pdf

...we have specifically highlighted the strokes of John Harris, Julie Ponthier and Jane Davis whom we'd very much like to film if you guys were able to attend at 2.30pm? No worries if not, but it'd be a great help for us if you'd be keen.

Every swimmer will receive an edited copy of their footage on DVD for free at the end of the month.

You might also be keen to see this short, humorous series of stills looped as a movie file that we put together showing the set-up of our rig. It takes us ~1h30 to do so, but don't panic, this condenses it down to 55 seconds! 10 points for anyone who can correctly identify the theme tune from which famous British Comedy show of the 60s, 70s & 80s:

http://gallery.me.com/swimsmooth/100312

OK, so onto training then this week:

Wednesday: 5.30am and 9.30am (25m pool) swim sessions as normal at Claremont Pool

Thursday: 6/6.15pm run session at the north car park of Lake Monger. Session will be 16 x 500m this week on the hilly course.

Friday: 5.30am, 6.30am and 9.30am (25m pool) swim sessions as normal at Claremont Pool

Saturday: 1st official Brick session of 2010!! Please RSVP for this session!! We need to know how many people plan to attend. Cost will be $20 or 2 strikes on your PAYG card. All athletes will receive a detailed breakdown of their splits for the 1000m swim + 70km ride + 10km run session. Meet in the car park at Cottesloe Beach at 6.10am for a 6.30am in-the-water start. Please note the Sculptures By The Sea is still running this weekend, so it may be a bit busy down there!

Saturday: 1pm squad swim at Claremont Pool - loads of fun!!

Cheers

Paul

Weekly Newsletter

Dear TEAM

Hope you're all having a fan-dabby-dozy week! I was just about to say that I was enjoying the cooler weather and then I took a step outside into this afternoon's furnace...! ;-) It's all good!

OK, couple of notices then this week:

1. Thanks to those of you who have enquired about being a part of our new filming project this Sunday and next. Please find the schedule of filming at http://www.theteamcore.com/images/Swim_Filming.pdf Please confirm your places. We still have a couple of spots available next Sunday (21st March), so please don't miss this great opportunity to be part of a super-innovative program that we are devising - I think you'll all really like it once it's released! The way it will work is that we've allocated each 45 minute window to 4 swimmers. We have a series of ~4 angles to film for each swimmer, but will run through each swimmer at angle # 1 first, then switch everyone to angle # 2 etc etc. This way there should be minimal waiting around and we will aim to run through everyone as smoothly as possible, but will request your patience. I'll set up a bit of an optional swim workout for those who would like the option of doing some swimming after their allotted spot. Please bring a couple of towels and some warm clothing.
2. There has been minimal interest this year in the Rottnest Boot Camp which is understandable given that a large majority missed out on gaining a place for the event. As such we will not run the camp this year but will continue to run our structured Brick Sessions as per the original plan on Saturdays 20/3, 10/4 & 17/4. This also allows me to spend some quality time with my Dad on his "surprise" late-notice visit, so I thank you in advance if you were thinking of this (as I know some were)!
3. Please remember 9.30am swimmers, that this Friday 12th March we will be running our session at Cottesloe Beach, not at the Claremont Pool. This is due to two large Carnivals taking place there. Please don't be put off by coming down! We'll meet on the grass bank in front of the pylon and do some really fun open water skills and drills which I hope you'll all really enjoy! Don't forget "Sculptures by the Sea" (my absolute favourite art festival) is also on at the beach, so what better excuse to come down and kill two birds with one stone!
4. Training over the next few days looks like this: Thursday 6/6.15pm running at Lake Monger (tonight is a quality 4k, 3k, 2k, 1k run set - ideal for you HIM runners!); Friday 5.30am and 6.30am sessions as normal, but 9.30am session is at Cottesloe Beach (as explained above); Saturday 6.30am should be a 3h30 ride (suggestion is a hillier route this week to break the monotony from last week's Freeway ride) followed by a 45 mins run off the bike OR 7.30am swim at Trigg Beach (4-6km for those keen) AND/OR 1.00pm squad swim at Claremont Pool - pop along, its lots of fun!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Cheers

Paul

P.S We haven't moved any further forward yet with the Thursday morning session idea, but will be launching something here fairly soon - watch this space!

Rottnest Island Half Ironman Boot Camp

Dear TEAM

Expressions of interest are now being taken for our annual Rottnest Island Boot Camp on the 26-28th March (leaving late on the Friday evening and returning lunchtime on the Sunday). This will follow a similar format to last year's camp, as seen here: http://www.theteamcore.com/bootcamp.html and cost $250.00.

Please let me know if you are keen. My Dad is visiting from the UK for that week for the first time since I've been living here in Perth and we have planned to go to Rottnest Island that weekend to show him around, so we will run the camp subject to the level of interest. Please let me know asap.

Cheers

Paul

Free Video Filming of Your Stroke this Sunday!

Dear Swimmers

As most of you know, myself and Adam have been busy beavering away with our latest swimming project - the filming of our new series of DVDs and instructional swimming videos. We have invested in a fantastic new filming rig which is essentially a 50m train track that follows the swimmer up and down the pool and films you with the very highest definition footage that is currently possible. Its an amazing piece of kit, built mostly by Adam. Here is some sample footage:

http://www.feelforthewater.com/2010/02/what-is-efficient-freestyle-stroke.html

This Sunday (14th March) and also next Sunday (21st March) is your chance to come to the Challenge Stadium and have your stroke filmed entirely for FREE! What we are hoping to do is capture a wide range of stock footage of various different styles of strokes from various angles. Each swimmer will be appointed a 10-15 minute filming window which will be on a strictly first-come, first-served basis in response to this email. Please email me back asap to lock in your spot and I will provide you with a time to attend by the end of the week. All we ask is that we are able to use your footage in our upcoming series of videos if your stroke displays the traits that we are hoping to capture for our project. 

Adam will prepare a DVD of all the source footage which we will distribute to those who attend by the end of the month.

Please note, this will not be a video analysis session per se (those can be booked here: http://www.theteamcore.com/videoanalysis.html) but if you have never had your stroke filmed before, or are in need of a refresher, this will be the ideal opportunity!

Hope to hear from you soon. Bookings being taken and appointed from this Sunday (14th) before rolling over (if needed) into next Sunday (21st).

Cheers

Paul

Training this weekend!

Dear TEAM

Just a couple of points on this weekend's training:

• Thursday - run session at 6/6.15pm on the north side of Lake Monger - come on down if you can!
• Friday - all sessions as normal (5.30am, 6.30am and 9.30am) - Fresh & Fruity!
• Saturday - 1pm pool squad swim session will be with guest coach Shelley Taylor-Smith this week - please attend if you can. Myself and Adam will be away down south shooting a wedding. Recommendation is for the HIM crew to do a 3h30 ride down the freeway bike path followed by a 30 to 45 mins run off the bike (depending upon how your fitness is progressing!). Recommended meeting point = Dodgy Digital Dunnies at 6am. For those who prefer an ocean swim, recommendation is a Cottesloe to Grant St. and back swim at 7.30am.
• Sunday - BRW Triathlon for those doing it.
• Monday - both the 7am and 9.30am sessions will be run by guest coach Nicola Holmes today - both will be very technique focused and in the 50m pool, so get along if you can.

Have a great weekend!

Paul

English Channel Swim Meeting & BRW Triathlon

Dear TEAM

Just a couple of quick notices today if I may:

1. Don't forget, anyone keen on attempting the English Channel swim as part of our solo squad for 2011, please aim to attend our information evening and BBQ social tonight (Wednesday 3rd March) at 6pm. Address is 22 Fairfield Street, Mount Hawthorn, WA 6016. Please bring your own meats for the BBQ and drinks - we'll provide salads, bread etc.

2. Anyone keen on doing the BRW Triathlon this weekend can do so for the Rio Tinto team as they have a few spots left. Please contact Mel on melissa.cundy@riotinto.com for further information.

Also, if you've been thinking of coming along to a Saturday swim session at 1pm and have wondered why it's just such a cool, fun session...check out these video clips - perfect for your open water and triathlon swimming preparation:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=352876386317&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=352882841317&ref=mf

Cheers

Paul