Swimming with Polar Bears Podcast

Coach Ryan will be leaving us for the lower 48 next week.  Today we are celebrating his time with us with some fun and games and time with Coach Ryan. #coachryanrocks #nlscak  Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimming #worldaquatics #alaskaswimming #swimfaster #thelegsfeedthebear @usaswimming

We are working several facets of our breaststroke.  In warm-up we will focus on turns and body position.  Toward the middle of practice we will work on breaststroke drill work before heading out on an aerobic Breast/Free set.  Toward the end we will focus on back-to-breast transitions and maybe even some starts. Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #n...

We are bringing more breaststroke into the practices this week.  We are going to spend time working on our distance per stroke in breaststroke today, as well as continue working on our Crossover turns for our back to breast transitions.  Starting to introduce more butterfly work this week, but we are starting with our legs. Visit www.swimalaskavirtual.com to support learn to swim programs througho...

We are reinforcing the technique work we started with our Freestyle and Backstroke, but we are introducing some short axis work today.  Specifically we will be working on some Breaststroke technique work, along with some dolphin kick work streamline on our backs. Be sure to check out our sponsor at www.swimalaskavirtual.com today! Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #s...

It's back to School time in Anchorage! This practice video is brought to you by www.swimalaskavirtual.com Today's practice has an IM focused beginning, a Cross-Over turn middle, and then a kick focused ending.  It's the first day of school, so we will finish up practice with some fun relays! Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakp...

This practice brought to you by Swim Alaska Virtual.  Visit www.swimalaskavirtual.com today and get the motivation and SWAG you need to swim this fall! Today's practice is about creating a massive aerobic base for our fall season.  Intensity will be low, while we bring our volume up.  We have 9x500, rotating a 500 Free, 500 Kick w/fins, and a 500 Back.  Effort will be just above warm-up pace....

This practice is brought to you by Swim Alaska Virtual.  Visit www.swimalaskavirtual.com today. Today's practice has us working on swim freestyle and backstroke.  We will get warmed up with some free and sprint medley and then move on to some backstroke technique work, a commit set, and then some aerobic backstroke. We will be spending some of today's practice discussing the importance o...

Today's practice will be comprised of our early season offerings.  We will be working on Freestyle technique, a bit of fast kicking, and a discussion of our season expectations.  This is an important discussion because it helps us tether our efforts together.  We have to work together if we are going to optimize our season ending performances. Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice vi...

We are going to be dong some meet prep work for the State Fair Invite, in Palmer, on Saturday.  We are sticking to our aerobic base work, but we will include a few dive start sprints, race pace turns, and technique work into the practice.  Looking forward to the only USA Swimming meet held in the Mat-Su! Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpra...

Today we are continuing on with our Free technique work by focussing on our breakout efficiency.  We have a host of other items as well, including a breath control set, and an aerobic backstroke build set. Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimming #worldaquatics #alaskaswimming #swimfaster #thelegsfeedthebear @usaswimming

Coming off an invigorating Coaching Clinic in Seward with the likes of @theafish1 and Gregg Troy. It was really great to learn new things AND be reminded of old things. Today's practice leans into the freestyle technique discussed at the clinic...enjoy! Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimming #worldaquatics #alaskas...

I will be in Seward at a Coaching Clinic with Gregg Troy, Abbie Fish, Coleman Hodges, Sol D'Amico, and more.  NLSC's very own Coach Ben will be substituting, and we are going to be tapping into his experience for some Free and Back technique work. Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimming #worldaquatics #alaskasw...

Today is a leg centric day.  After our warm-up we will work on a mid-distance kick set at efforts at or near VO2Max levels.  After a short recovery we go straight into THE 40x25 set.  This is a USRPT style set designed to take our legs to the limit. Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimming #worldaquatics #alaskaswimming #...

We have 3 specific areas of technique on which we will be focussing.  Six kicks per cycle is important for our backstroke, to keep it balanced and smooth.  Back to Breast crossover turn transitions are .3 seconds faster than a typical open turn.  Scull practice is important for all of our strokes, but especially breaststroke.  As we move through the workout, we will highlight these various areas a...

For the Silver group we are getting some good middle distance free and butterfly work in today.  We have a BOSS 500 then a BOSS 200.  Fly work includes some "simulated" 200 Fly's and some technique work with fins on.  We wrap things up with some 300's Back/Breast. Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimmi...

With an eye toward having strong legs at the finish of a 500 Free, we will be swimming a couple of BOSS 500's.  A BOSS 500, put simply is a broken 500.  The first 350 is a fast (90% or more of max effort) freestyle swim.  At the 350, stop and quickly put on a pair of training fins.  Immediately commence a SPRINT 150 flutter kick.  We will do this twice through with plenty of recovery time in...

This week marks the start of a new season.  For our high school age swimmers and exciting 13 week season is about to begin.  For our younger club swimmers, we are preparing for the Alaska IMX Challenge and the IMX Games.  It's a fun time of the year!  ​ Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimming #worldaquatics #alaskas...

This is the last day before high school swimming begins in Alaska.  Our practice today will see an even split between Aerobic maintenance, Speedwork, and kicking.  After this practice, it will be August 21st before we offer our morning practices to our high school swimmers.  I hope all of our swimmers enjoy their high school season! For our Silver swimmers we will working toward our fall season IM...

With HS season around the corner we are warming up with the HS order of events (individual events only).  We have some sprint medley early on, and then "Speed Potion #9" as our main set.  Included in the practice some aerobic maintenance backstroke and a flutter/dolphin kick set to keep our legs in the groove. Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #n...

Working our mid to upper aerobic range AND our kick in this practice.  Getting ready for HS season which begins next week!   Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimming #worldaquatics #alaskaswimming #swimfaster #thelegsfeedthebear @usaswimming

We are on the final countdown to high school season!  Practices begin on August 2nd.  Let's be prepared by working our aerobic base and kick!   Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimming #worldaquatics #alaskaswimming #swimfaster #thelegsfeedthebear @usaswimming

It's almost time to race!  Today's practice is personal.  You choose your pre-meet warm-up, speed components, and areas of technique on which to focus.  Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimming #worldaquatics #alaskaswimming #swimfaster #thelegsfeedthebear @usaswimming

Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. We are still paring away much of the volume of the practice, but making sure to leave enough intensity to keep us primed and ready to race this weekend. Again, this is just less of the same.  Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimming #worldaquatics #alaskaswimming #swi...

Our taper is going to be "less" of the same.  As we move forward, our attention to things like turns, starts, and sprint medley will seem to garner a greater percentage of the overall practice.  The goal is to target our actual race day requirements.  Visit www.nlscak.coach for additional practice videos. #swimming #swimcoach #nlscak #nlscakpracticevideo #usaswimming #worldaquatics #alas...

It is meet prep time, also known as TAPER TIME!!!  This week is about management energy with a gradual reduction in volume as we head into the championship meet.  This doesn't mean that we stop working hard, but it does mean we will spend more time on our rest and focussing on quality.  Keep track of sleep, hydration, and nutrition as we head into our competition at the end of the week. #nlsc...