For larger groups (like 5-20 people), relays are a great way to bring people of different skill levels together. Divide the group into teams of 2-4 people. In a relay team, each individual athlete swims a set distance (usually a 50 or 100, but could even be 25). When the first team member finishes, then the second person can begin (either by diving in or in-water push-off). When the second finishes, the third person starts, and when the third finishes, the last person (or the anchor) starts. Relay teams typically involve four people, but they can also involve 2 or 3 as needed (but not 5 or more as it forces people to sit around too much waiting for their turn). Your relay team finishes when the team’s anchor touches the wall.
Let’s face it. There are a lot of sights to be seen while running outdoors. And with cycling, you get to see miles and miles in training. There’s just not an equivalent in swimming. For the most part, you are training in an indoor pool going back and forth in the same place. The purpose of this article is to show ways to make your pool workouts more fun and exciting. It may never be as exciting as watching the great outdoors whiz by. But these workout ideas may make you a little more interested in hitting the pool more often.
By Duane Dobko
Race 2 (Duane’s easy race): Duane kicks with board (with head start), David kicks underwater for 25 and swims freestyle for 25
Here’s the version of this workout that I have run while training with professional triathlete David Thompson. The set is 10 x 200 meter freestyle on 4:30 send-off time. In other words, each repeat starts 4 minutes, 30 seconds after the start of the previous repeat. Our average time (Dobko/Thompson) had to be 2:18 or better in order to count. A missed goal time is the same regardless of how far off the goal we miss. It didn’t matter if we averaged 2:19 or 3:30, it still doesn’t count. For the “penalty”, we did 50s on 2:00 where we would swim freestyle on the first 25, then turn and kick the entire second length underwater. These were very undesirable; especially when tired and lacking oxygen. We kept doing those horrible 50s until we met another goal time (average time of 32 seconds). When we met the 50 time we got another crack at the 200 we missed. We kept going until all ten repeats were done (or until we agreed to quit!).
If David wins race 2, then we proceed to Race 3
Relays are fun because you can mix varying levels of experience onto the same team. Then you can compete against other teams with mixed levels of experience. Thus, everyone gets engaged, and all levels of experience are swimming the same workout. What if you do not have the right mix of skill levels to make it a race for everyone? You can either choose a time handicap (one team starts earlier than the other so they both finish at approximately the same time), or you can allow beginners to wear fins, or you can have the better swimmers swim non-freestyle (backstroke or butterfly). The handicap concept can also be utilized in smaller groups (even with just two people). Just have the faster swimmer start later and/or swim something slower and suddenly you have a race on your hands.
If David wins race 1, then we proceed to Race 3
Design #2 – Team (2-5 people)
An interesting dynamic has occurred every time I have done this set. It follows a similar pattern in that winners and losers for given races tend to be the same. This is surprising. The next repeat is not pre-determined and is only known from the result of the previous repeat. Since it is a race of inches, a slight advantage means one person wins almost every time. Hence, the winner of race 2 and race 3 tended to always favor one individual, while the “neutral” repeat was close enough that it was fiercely contested. As the participants got tired, they tended to rest a tiny bit on the repeats they weren’t favored to win in order to fight that one close race harder. As a whole, this set is as competitive as any I have ever experienced in a swim practice! I have found this concept to be tremendously motivating and a great way to get excited about the sport.
Design #3 – Racing (2 people)
Ways to Make Swimming Workouts Fun For Groups of People
Race 3 (David’s easy race): Duane swims freestyle for 25, then kicks underwater for 25, David goes 50 freestyle breathing every 4.
Another concept that works well is to swim a set with a team goal time. This idea works well if there are 5 or less people in the group (any more and it is a challenge to manage). Here’s how it works. Before the set begins, the team decides on an overall goal time. Then everyone swims a repeat and the average of everyone’s time is calculated. If the average meets or is below the goal, then the repeat counts. If the team missed the goal, then the repeat doesn’t count. If you really want to make it interesting, you can place a “penalty” on the team for every repeat the group misses. For example, you can have the group do some other less desirable stroke discipline (like butterfly or underwater breath holding or something else not so fun). You can either perform the “penalty” once, or have a separate goal time that has to be met before trying another repeat that actually counts.
So, the next time you are in the pool and swimming in a large or small group, give these set designs a try. It is a lot of fun to swim as part of a team as opposed to feeling alone. The relay design is a great for large groups to bring together a large variation of skill levels. Likewise, the team design is great for 2-5 people and gets people engaged and motivated. Finally, the racing design is a dynamic and high-octane method of swimming fast and getting excited about that extra inch of performance. Until next time, happy training!
If Duane wins race 3, then we proceed to Race 2
The other interesting aspect of this set is it forces the participants to think about and work on weaknesses. In a hard set, it is all too easy to go back to your strengths when fatigue sets in. Use your strengths too much though, and they can become liabilities. For example, I tend to start off fast and slow down very rapidly in the middle of the set. If I slow down too much in the middle of a team set, we start missing repeats and incurring penalties. Thus, I have to pay attention to pacing the beginning of the set correctly so I have enough fuel in the tank to make the goal times later. Also, in teams you really pay attention to the condition of your teammates. If a team member looks like they are in trouble, it motivates you to try and go faster in order to make the goal.
If Duane wins race 2, then we proceed to Race 1
Race 1 (Neutral): freestyle for David and Duane
The third set design works well for 2 people. At a high level, here’s how it works. There are 3 “basic races”. The first race is “neutral” for both swimmers; meaning that it is moderately painful but not awful. This usually means freestyle swimming. The other two races contain elements that are painful for one and easier for the other. A more painful element might be butterfly or underwater kicking. An easier element might be kicking with a board or swimming with flippers. The two swimmers swim the “neutral” race first, and the winner is determined (whoever touches the wall first). Then, the next repeat is easier for the winner and more challenging for the loser. Start times are handicapped such that both athletes have an equal theoretical chance of winning for any of the 3 races.
Here’s the version I use while training with David Thompson. The repeat distance is 50 yards or meters and the sendoff interval is 2 minutes. The races are as follows:
Design #1 – Relays (large groups)
The workout creates an entertaining dynamic even though it sounds horrible (you don’t have to make it as ugly as the version David and I do – the penalty is optional!). It forces everyone in the pool to work together. In between repeats, David and I would discuss if we try and make the goal or “sandbag it”, or take it easy in order to take the penalty 50, and then try the 200 again when a little less tired. The other dynamic is that on a hard effort, you are thinking about the team as much as yourself. No one wants to be responsible for a team’s failure. I found this was very effective in getting that extra ounce of effort.
If Duane wins race 1, then we proceed to Race 2
These ideas rely on the one thing that all triathletes have in common: we all love to compete! The great thing about a swimming pool is that people of many different skill levels can all swim in the same place. I will first provide an example of a fun workout design for large groups (more than 5 people), another design for smaller groups (2-5 people) and a third design that works well for 2 people. This article covers group workouts only. I will leave the topic of single person workouts to another article.
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1.) Have you thought about A Water Feature?– Is it true that a water feature will add equity to my home? What about a swimming pool? Doesn’t a pond require a lot of upkeep? What is the average cost? Do I need a building permit? Do I have to have fish? …we travel a lot!
American Society of Landscape Architects
Landscape Architects Identify Trends for 2007
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –”Sustainable design is bigger than ever and homeowners and commercial building owners alike are looking to utilize outdoor spaces even more. The New Year will bring a number of exciting and creative design solutions from landscape architects.
Homeowners are requesting that landscape architects design complete outdoor rooms, such as kitchens and bars, for entertaining. Water features such as koi ponds, waterfalls, and fountains continue to be popular (with no signs of slowing), according to a new survey of leading members of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).”
The American Nurseryman Association reports that “water features are the fastest growing trend in landscaping since 1990 (2007 should break all records.)”
Regionally, in-ground pools will add about 5 percent to the value of a home in the Northeast, about 6 percent in the Midwest, and 7.5 percent in the Southeast and West. In the Southwest, a swimming pool will add nearly 11 percent to the home’s value.
If you add a $35,000 pool to a $300,000 house, you will just barely recover your initial expense. However, you still have the high maintenance cost and you have just limited the future buyers of your home to people who want a pool. Therefore, you have actually reduced the equity in your home. On the other hand, everyone loves a beautiful water feature, young and old! Therefore, increased equity!
Swimming pools require constant attention and maintenance. Unlike ponds, pool owners cannot rely on the nitrogen cycle to lend a hand at keeping the water healthy. This can only be accomplished by due diligence and a myriad of chemicals. Unlike a pond, the enjoyment of a pool comes from its use; and for most regions of the country, the climate dictates a very short period of time for pool use. Unless you heat your pool, then your dumping more money in your pool.
A pond requires minimal attention compared to swimming pool. Once a properly constructed pond is established with the right proportion of fish, plants and biological elements, a pond will take care of itself, the rest is enjoyment, year round. You do not need to use a pond as you do a pool, it only need to exist for you to enjoy.
2.) What do I do about the safety of my small children or grandchildren? How big should it be? Is this something I can do on my own or do I need professional help building a pond?
Unlike a swimming pool, ponds can be child proofed, with very little expense. A swimming pool, however, requires special self-closing gates with special latches. Another required code requirement is 95-decibel alarms on all exit doors leading to the back yard.
And for your added peace of mind, you can install an unsightly, removable, lightweight fence that cost hundreds of dollars. Then you can continually agonize over whether you, or someone else, forgot to close the fence gate.
A pond, however, can be filled with large boulders, which can be removed later when the children are grown. Or you can construct a pondless waterfall to begin with. Now you still can enjoy the sight and sound of cascading water without the concerns for safety.
An added advantage of a pondless waterfall is that a pondless waterfall costs less to construct and maintain. A pondless waterfall can be added to your front yard, meet all building code requirements, increase curb appeal, and thereby increase the equity and the resale value of your home.
The “size of the water feature” is a relative term. There are many factors that need to be considered. Far more than can be be discussed in the space I have allotted for this article. I will cover it in my next article. A few questions to ask yourself: How big is your yard? Where do you spend the majority of your time? What is your budget? How is the size, shape and topography of your yard related to certain limitations regarding the building codes? Will the existing water table affect your water feature? Does your property currently have adequate drainage? Do you have underground utilities? If so, where are they located? What are the local building codes regarding pond depth? Do you need a building permit, or a licensed contractor? …just to name a few of the topics covered.
Whether you need a professional contractor is another article. What type of access do you have to your property? Do you want large boulders? If so, is there proper clearance for a crane or Bobcat? How do you find a qualified contractor? How do you go about qualifying them? Are they properly licensed? Insured? Bonded? Workmen’s compensation? Liability insurance? Hospitalization? References? Background checks and much, much more. Do your homework and proper research prior to commencement, it could save you thousands of dollars.
3.) What is the single most important first step in building a water feature? What about equipment? Should I get koi fish and a turtle? Where should I place my pond and waterfall? All these questions can be addressed with two words: Plan & Design!
First, decide where you spend most of your leisure activity. …family room, living room, patio etc. Your waterfall and pond should be in close proximity to that location. Not in the far corner of your property. Sound and visualization are two of the major benefits of a waterfall and pond. These decisions are part of the planning process. Once you decide on these issues, the design process begins.
The best way to approach this phase is to consider a digital design. There are companies that can produce an incredible digitally designed, virtual photo of your backyard, by simply providing them with a digital photo of the area you want the water feature located. You may opt to digitally design your own. There are digital design programs that are simple to master on your own for less than a hundred dollars. Just search the web by typing in digitally designed ponds or waterfalls.
The type of equipment you should use is dependent upon the size of your pond. Your budget is another factor. If you have a small budget, you’re looking at designing a small pond. In addition, look at the available options for construction materials.
You can buy a rubber liner kit and install it yourself, or have a rubber-liner-kit-installer-guy install it for you. Bottom line, either way, is there is no guarantee against bucked-toothed critters such as mice, rats, ground squirrels, gophers and ground hogs, from burrowing underneath your expensive rubber liner and chewing a hole in it. Concrete (3500psi) and rebar is the best construction method, and if done correctly, will last for generations. Concrete ponds cost only 10 to 20% more to build than liner ponds.
Your pond will require less maintenance if you allow the nitrogen cycle to do all the work. This means you need to do your part by providing the elements needed for the nitrogen cycle to operate. The fish provide the waste which produces nitrates and ammonia. Certain essential bacteria break down the nitrates and ammonia into safe byproducts used by the plants and other organisms.
Once this process is started, with the aid of a biological filter and possibly an ultraviolet light, future maintenance is minimal and routine. An above ground, high efficiency pump produces more water flow at half the energy and less initial cost than a sump pump used with liner ponds. The savings in electrical costs alone could easily pay for the additional cost of professional concrete construction in less three years.
4.) Where do I find the equipment and construction material I need to complete my project? How do I know what size filter, pump or ultraviolet light I need? If I want to have a concrete pond and waterfall shell, Where do I begin?
The internet is the best place to start looking for equipment. Local pond stores are usually higher priced, because of overhead expense. Most of the internet dealers are knowledgeable on sizing pumps, filters and ultraviolet lights to any size pond or waterfall. However, keep in mind, most on line dealers are trying to push pond liners, sump pumps and pond liner-related filters and accessories.
Look for energy efficient pumps first, and those dealers will carry concrete pond related products such as bottom drains, pool type skimmers and pressured, back-flushable biological bead filters. Also, Liner dealers sell the cheap mechanical autofill devices, because of a high profit margin.
Make sure you invest in a reliable electronic autofill system that is less likely to malfunction such as the levelors and aquafill systems. A stuck float could result in the chlorine poisoning death of all your fish and possibly thousands of dollars in flood damage.
If you act as your own project manager, you can get competitive bids from local concrete contractor for pouring your pond and waterfall shell. Also find a stone mason who will build your waterfall using mortar. With liner ponds and waterfalls, the rocks sit on the liner and can easily move when stepped on by adults or children resulting in serious accidents.
Trying to save hundreds up front, could possibly cost you thousands down the road. You get what you pay for.
Penny wise and [pond] foolish? Happy koi, peace & joy.
For a limited time only… Professional Waterfall and Pond Construction Manual sells for $249 in the bookstores but Now you can get it for only $39.95 in a PDF format on line at:
http://www.watergardenauthority.com/Waterfall___Pond_Constructi.html
Douglas C. Hoover; CEO of Aquamedia Corp, master Waterfall Builder, freelance writer and author designer, architect, inventor, engineer, writer, author and builder of over 1,900 waterfall and ponds in California or the past 26 years. Inventor and manufacturer of the “AquaFill” T.M., electronic float control system for ponds, pools, fountains and hot tubs.
watergardenauthority.com
More info and photos go to: http://watergardenauthority.com/Pondless_Waterfalls.html
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