Building Blocks, a training foundation being built for success.

Often when explaining to parents and swimmers about how we train at LY I use the analogy of building blocks.  Those toys that everyone stacked up and knocked down as kids.  In order to build a tower you needed to first build the base.  Taking one piece out of the middle of the stack caused the pile of blocks to collapse.  Training for swimming is very similar.  One piece, one practice missed causes the week’s effects to collapse.  Each day, each block, sets the foundation for the success of the block or practice that follows it.  No block stands alone.  No block is more important than another.  All blocks, each practice, supports another and each depends on the others. 

There are several different types of training categories that we use.  There are aerobic categories, anaerobic, and speed specific and lactate tolerance categories.   Each one is dependant upon and determines the next.   Each supports the others.  If you take even one away you seriously weaken the end product.  Too many missing blocks and your structure will not stand.

Cut the following blocks out and try to make a tower.

You get 3 of the En1 blocks, 2 of the En2 and 2 of the En3.  You get one each of the Sp1, Sp2 and Sp3.    That is 10 total blocks.   Build it with the category face down.

Now, take one away arbitrarily.  You don’t get to look and see what it is.  Now that is what happens when you miss practice.  You don’t know what you are missing until you miss it.  You can’t plan the misses.  Now, before you build the tower take two out. Any two.  Now if I tell you to build it using all 10 in a specific order and your two missing blocks are supposed to support one of the other blocks directly above it you can’t build it.  That is the chance you take when you miss practice.  You run the risk that you are not supporting your own training.  Think about it. You are the mortar that holds it all together and your attendance, each practice is a block.  Are you able to build on what you have started?  Do you have the foundation or are you missing the top?  Each piece is important.  Each day, each practice is an opportunity to build something great.

Go to work, design your future and build it, one day - one practice at a time!