I think that the current year 8 were the group most affected by Covid restrictions. Teachers are saying that this year group is being overly challenging in all areas, swimming ability similarly affected in would seem.
Missed that. Champion 
More what is have expected given development at that age is as much based on child development as any physiological training effects
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It’s not too bad at 13/14 AG’s, we did lose a few who would be year 8 who didn’t return but most kids who had started a sport (swim and tri), returned as they were climbing walls and love it at those ages, missed their friends etc. My son is 14 AG at swimming and they’ve easily come through it (years 8 and 9) he was 10 when Covid hit, 13 now. The 13’s aren’t too bad either (7 and 8), it’s 12 AG (yr 6/7) (8 or 9 yrs old at Covid time) that are the most behind in swimming (in my bubble) low numbers competing as many didn’t start swimming/tri, and big gaps between the handful that are OK (but still quite slow compared to older kids) and the rest. In the 12 AG very few girls at all, we have one boy that’s won county medals that wouldn’t in previous years, a second boy who is about 10 seconds /100 slower and the rest are a further 15odd seconds. we have 200 free relay team in league events where the fastest 50 is 31 seconds, and the slowest 2 are in excess of 50seconds. In my sons age we have 4 boys head and shoulders ahead of the rest at all strokes, inc. el nino, if 4 * 50 free he is 30.5 (slowest there) and the rest are 27/28ish (other 3 are regional level freestylers) so comparable to pre covid levels
Tri club we have 15 and 16 years olds, and a lot of younger ones, 8/9, but missing those 11 and 12 year olds also. The academies are struggling to get kids at previous points levels, ie a 13 year old boy (14 by 31/dec) has to swim a 200 in 2:08 - 2:13 to realistically get enough points to get in, then run a 4:30 1500 as well. Not many in the swim and athletic club can do those times, let alone tri!
What I wonder is if it will have an effect later in their development, ie when they get through the other side will that missed year hamper development then, will it affect that ultimate top end the very best can get to. be interesting to study the ages of swimmers and their times going forward for the next 10 years and if we do get a gap in about 10 years of those kids from the Covid Generation to those who had uninterrupted development by not turning 8 until 2021/2
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Was that the year who missed much of their last year in Primary and much of their first year in secondary (plus it was all weird for months after that, including having to wear masks) ?
If so we went to meet the head of the secondary our lad is due to attend and he said his school, and all other schools he knew of, were having far more issues with that cohort than any other they have ever known, including loads of disciplinary problems.
Me and my lad have just been through the race videos and it was incredibly useful, he listened like he never does usually as he could actually see where his errors were costing him time relative to the swimmers in the next lanes.
I can see why Hammerer likes to video races and show his swimmers them, in fact I think all coaches should endeavour to do so.
My feeling about being stopped (at some pools) from videoing ones child racing are well known, but it also holds them back from a coaching perspective.
I did a short kick session at a hotel pool this morning, as I was away for a conference. Was good. I enjoyed it. Was surprised I still felt OK-ish in the water. Didn’t sink!
Separately, the final presentation was Adrian Moorhouse. Didn’t realise he was an EY partner.
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Im not a fan of conferences but its good when you get a decent sports person to do a talk. I was gutted when I missed one that James Cracknell was talking at because of some nonsense.
My last company had Matt Dawson as an ambassador and he did all talk at our annual awards, Im no rubgy fan but was really interesting
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OK so it was tri with BTF but the best presentation I’ve attended was Jurg Gotz at the HPCP in LuffBra. For those that don’t know he was the coach of the first ever British medallists in Canoe Slalom back in 2012. His presentation on “High Performing Coaching” (rather than “High Performance”) took us on an amazing “journey” over the couple of hours.
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Went to a talk by Mike Stroud once, the guy who manhauled to the South Pole with Ranulph Fiennes. Was good. He looked like a middle aged accountant (not that there is anything wrong with that) but clearly had a mindset a few standard deviations to the right of normal.
One of the things he said that sticks in my memory is that in training, he was doing progressively longer slow runs at the weekend. (He was still working full time in a lab at that stage). I seem to remember he said he ran with a loaded backpack, and that he increased the distance by about 2 miles per week.
When the runs were up at around 32 or 34 miles he started getting some pain in the top of one of his legs. He managed to get it diagnosed as iliotibial band inflammation, and was advised to rest. But resting is not convenient when you are planning to haul a sled across 700 miles of frozen wildnerness. So he asked what would happen if he carried on running, and was told it would get more painful and might even rupture.
So he carried on running, and it ruptured, and the pain went away, and he cracked on.
Insipirational stuff but think I’ll go somewhere else for advice on managing sports injuries.
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@hammerer your session 4 x 100m off 1m30 followed by 60 seconds rest is like something out of The Spanish Inquisition. The anticipation of a blissful rest & a relase from the torture… but no, you touch the side and it’s time to go again tout suite.
Managed 6 again today. Actually started number 7 this time too, but was blowing like a whale & stopped at the 50m point.
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Staple session for me was always 20x100 off 1:45. Swim them in 1:30 ish. Kept me bang on the Hour for many Ironman seasons; even managed a 59 one year. Consistent if nothing else.
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Yep.
That and 15 x 200 off 3:30
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Road to 100 x 100m week 4
Road works today.
Felt crappy right from the off, but hoped I might feel better once I got going.
Tweaked my back on Saturday, so tumble turns we’re achy. Then I just started feeling very weak and light headed.
Managed the distance I wanted today but had to modify it to get it done
30 x 100m off 2:00 @ CSS
15 x 100m off 1:45 pull and paddles
10 x 50m off 1:00 pull and paddles
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Maybe try 4-3-3 next time (doesn’t have to be this week again!) for a grilling. As the first two of each set are quite doable after the rest.
You inspired me to do 2x 4x100 yesterday after not really swimming for 4 months. Lost all arm strength, or capacity to swim ‘fast’ after about 150m 
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Ladies and Gentlemen, all nominations for “sandbag of the year” have now been received. Please do not send any more entries. A winner will be announced shortly 
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‘relatively fast’
and ‘relatively not swam’. I’ve done 3km/week for 4 months so that is something, but yesterday was probably first intensity beyond some 15s and 25s.
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Exactly this, theres no real “science” behind 4 x 4 x 100 off “css”. Its literally something i used to get some triathletes thinking about working hard rather than the usual css off 2mins type sets; they can measure a progression and build on something week on week and achieve something noticeable also, ie did 6 this week, made 7, oh i got to 10… a bit like the 17/17s i use for performance juniors (16 x 25 holding 17strokes and 17seconds off 30 which trains the body to swim at elite triathlete pace whilst holding an efficient stroke.
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Yeah it sounds like fruity was scared of completing the 3rd in knowing there was a fail coming. Adjusting to sets of 3 would allow him to get 10 (or 13 
) in across the session. Or could keep as sets of 4 and do the 4th easy off 3-4mim
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