Hanging up my "Distance Suit"

With June starting and championship season on the heels of many swimmers across the country it's time to set the record straight. Of course many of you know I've been injured for over a year now with various shoulder issues that I'm still recovering from and doing daily therapy for. This is something I'll be doing for the rest of my swim career to ensure I'm sound and not doing anymore damage. It has been a long year, filled with many changes and ups and downs. A year ago I would have NEVER pictured myself in the situation I'm in and lets be real here no one would have predict this change, not even me. Here I am swimming in a new environment, with a new coach, with a different philosophy then most coaches in Ontario and Canada.

This season has been and continues to be a rebuild for me. Going from not being able to swim in September for several months one can't expect lifetime bests. Some people will likely look at the heat sheet and say "well he added 25 seconds to his 400 free" and as I say to those people thinking that 'who cares, and try going through an intense rehabilitation phase and continue to do so daily to ensure I can get better and continue to train. It was said by a couple different doctors I would never swim at the level I am today and even one went as fare as saying surgery would be my only option to fix all the damage caused from last seasons mess.

Many athletes receiving such difficult news would hang up the suit and say forget it, I'm done, it's not worth it anymore. Not this swimmer! Instead I took this head on and took the long road. Facing this uphill battle of kicking for weeks and weeks and building confidence each day to improve and knowing I was doing the right thing. Racing my first 50 free in Short Course meters in London in late November was the best thing for me as I was with the team and my confidence was building heading into Decembers Pointe Clare meet. At this meet I put in entire times that reflected where I was at during the meet and swam a handful of events plus relays with the intention of swimming stress free and if I needed to scratch I would. With swimmer and coach on the same page life in the pool was enjoyable, relaxing, and for once in a VERY long time FUN again, something the sport should have always been but sadly pointless politics and other peoples feelings, ego, and career were in the way of causing for the sport to turn into a hellish mess for anyone in a 50 meter radius.

By December I knew I wouldn't be swimming distance anytime soon. This had been my plan with my coach since September. I had mentioned I wanted to focus on my 200 free & 400 free, as well my sprint 50s 100s and backstroke. After Victoria trials in 2014 I guessed I had done everything I could in my 800 & 1500 free. And to this day my lifetime best is still from Victoria. It wasn't my last 1500 of my career as I swam one in June during Quebec Cup and added a lovely 2 and a half minutes to my best time. If that didn't send alarms and signals something was wrong then I don't know what would. So now that I'm not training for 800 & 1500 free I have been working hard on training for 400 and under races.

To set the record straight, NO I'm not a sprinter! I am a mid distance swimmer who is now specializing in the events ranging from 50 - 400 free and 50 - 200 back. Having previous distance training in my system I am able to go from a 50 to a 400 and be able to preform well all around those events which is helpful in terms of varsity swimming coming up in the fall.

This injury has been a blessing in a strange way. Thanks to peoples poor judgement and terrible listening/seeing skills I turned into an injured, angry swimmer, who didn't want to compete in the sport he once loved anymore. Luckily, I found a coach who understood and knew exactly what to do and when to do it. This rebuilding year has been a rewarding year and something I'll never forget.

So going forward you will see me swimming more and more short distance swims and 50s and 100s. My Regional event line up has nothing over 100 meters which is a huge change for me. I'm looking forward to new experiences and more seeing improvements in my shorter distance races.    

#TmacSwims 'Links of the week' May 18

Links of the week May 18 Happy Victoria Day!

• 10 days till AGI
• 18 days till WOSA Regionals 
• 45 days till East Coast Championships 
• 72 days till Canadian Age Group Championships 
• 79 days till Canadian Swimming Championships 

http://swimswam.com/2015-arena-pro-swim-charlotte-watch-katinka-hosszu-break-200-im-us-open-record-all-day-4-race-videos/

Katinka Hosszu with a blazing fast 200 IM and swims the fastest time in the world this year! She will be one to watch this summer. The excitement from her time in this swim is because it’s May and a lot of clubs are in full training mode and didn’t come down in mileage and if they did it was only a couple days out of the meet. This Arena Pro Swim series meet was used as a stepping stone for competitions this summer as well a measuring stick for next summer’s Olympics in Rio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bWspo2dcSg

Phelps, Phelps, Phelps. It was obvious Phelps is in a tough training block as it was showing in his results in Charlotte, but guess what no one will remember his B final swims on Sunday night in a few months from now. With his second come back in full swing, Phelps just needs to race more and rest more. The rest will come this summer when he swim the US Nationals in August and the hope with his swims this past weekend were he can measure where he is at. Rowdie Gains mentioned in the webcast ‘Phelps is might be swimming angry, but when he does, he can pull off some good swims’ and he swam a solid 200 IM in the B final. The best part (also mentioned by Gains) Phelps was noticeably frustrated with his time because he looked up at the clock and shook his head. It will be interesting to see where Phelps is at come the summer.

http://swimswam.com/2015-michael-phelps-predictions-for-u-s-nationals-gold-medal-minute-presented-by-swimoutlet-com/

Staying with Phelps for a moment, here are the prediction times for Phelps for US Nationals this summer.

MEL PREDICTIONS FOR U.S. NATIONALS

100m butterfly – 50.49

100m freestyle – 47.87

200m IM – 1:54.9

Tyson’s Predictions for U.S. Nationals

100 butterfly – 50:89

100 freestyle 48:05

200 IM – 1:56.54

https://www.swimming.ca/NewsArticle.aspx?newsid=4603

I thought Canada had an excellent showing in Charlotte! With our spring Nationals behind us a lot of the athletes were unshaved and weren’t tapered fully for the meet as it’s a stepping stone towards the summer. With Canada having a strong showing at this meet it made for great international racing opportunities for our athletes as well a taste of what’s to come this summer in a tough training block. 

#TmacSwims 'Links of the Week' May 12th

Back from Sudbury and now catching up on my 'Links of the Week' which features a nice variety of links this week. As the Long Course season is in full swing, hard work and many meets are on the horizon. Below is a look at some important countdowns till major meets!

16 days till AGI

24 days till WOSA Regionals 

51 days till Ontario Provincial Championships 

79 days till Canadian Age Group Championships 

87 days till Canadian Swimming Championships 

Links of the week May 12

http://usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=0&itemid=8846&mid=14491

I think someone like Katie Ledecky has a good chance at giving getting close to men’s WR. Some athletes and reports have said in the nicest way possible she’s like ‘a man’ or she races like ‘a man’ and honestly they aren’t wrong. Ledecky is now the best distance swimmer in the world! Every time she dives into the water the record books are sweating because they may have to be re written when she touches the wall. I admire Ledecky because as much as she is amazing in the 400, 800, & 1500 free, she is proving races like the 100 & 200 free can be done by someone like her. I have found this as well. I remember swimming 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, & 1500 free at a national or provincial meet. Now I just swim 50, 100, 200, 400 free but as I look at it, you need the 200 & 400 for a good 50 & 100 as well this can be flipped by needing a good 50 & 100 for a strong 200 & 400.

http://swimswam.com/8-michael-phelps-quotes-get-fired/

Swimmers no matter how good or bad they are always need a boost in energy or mental wakeup call. These quotes from the greatest swimmer ever will make you feel better about your swimming and help ease the stress of the sports. All swimmers have ups and downs in swimming; it’s all part of the growth and development of a swimmer.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/samstryker/all-the-chlorine#.jsbjMRad2

This article is one of those ‘LOL’ articles I found on buzzfeed one day and made me think there is a lot of lingo or statements swimmers would never say. If you’re having a bad day at the office or in the classroom, take 5 minutes and look at this link, I can guarantee laughter.

http://swimswam.com/7-tips-for-swim-parents-on-the-college-recruiting-process/

This article is based off the NCAA in the States but most of the tips are relatable towards Canadian athletes staying in Canada and Ontario. The most important part of being a successful swimmer is being proactive and responsible for your actions and taking initiative on your future in the pool.  

#Tmacswims 'Links of The Week' May 4th

Another Monday, another Links of The Week with Tyson MacDonald.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul9t_K88TGo

An excellent inspirational video I first saw on SwimSwam regarding the 2015 Pan Am Games. These Games will electrify the GTA and enhance sports in Ontario as well Canada. Thanks to the Pan Am and Para Pan Am Games many facilities have underwent extensive renovation or brand new facilities have been built which will serve different sports for years to come.  It’s going to an exciting summer to watch sports on TV, don’t miss a second of it!

http://swimming.about.com/od/swimworkoutsandskills/tp/4-Tips-for-a-Better-Swimming-Start.htm

We can all benefit from a faster start in a race. The worst thing is looking at results and finding out your reaction time off the blocks was over 0.75 and you think if I was 0.65 or even 0.70 I could have went a best time in the 50. Here are some tips on how to have a faster start. The most important goal is to be working on race quality starts often in practice, because whatever you do in practice reflects your performance in a meet.

http://swimming.about.com/od/swimworkoutsandskills/tp/4-Elite-Freestyle-Flip-Turn-Tips.htm

Here is another technical link for everyone to consider. Flip turns are another excellent spot to save time and clean up technique and like starts it’s a technical unit that is overlooked by 95+% of clubs because meters take place of technical work. Another one is coaches will argue swimmers do hundreds of turns a practice. My question to those coaches is “Are all your swimmers doing international quality turns on every single wall during a workout?” The answer is likely no. The next time your coach wants to work on turns make sure they are fast and efficient as well try to work on them often, even if it means taking 2-5 minutes out of warm up to practice fast spins in the mid pool.

 http://swimswam.com/6-questions-to-ask-to-make-yourself-a-mentally-tough-swimmer/

As the season continues on and some people are finding it tougher and tougher to get in the pool or the weight room here are some tips to help put things into perspective. We all have to understand whatever we put into performance in practice is what shows in a meet. If you’re holding 30 seconds for pace 200 50s then it’s likely you will go 2:00 in a meet. It’s important to think about your performance before reacting to it. I’ve scene a lot of swimmers over the years have meltdowns and arguments with coaches (I’m included in this) and it’s unfortunate it has to happen. I’ve learned to take the performance into consideration, where I’m at in the season, and how it lines up with my goals. This has helped me a lot this season as I’ve been dealing with shoulder injuries.

http://swimming.about.com/od/swimworkoutsandskills/tp/5-Tips-for-Massive-Time-Drop-and-a-Faster-50-Freestyle.htm

Looking for a massive time drop in your sprint 50s? This link gives you 5 tips on how to take time off. A 50 is a race where you can’t think about anything and if something goes wrong like a start, under water, turn if it’s short course, or a finish can put you first or tenth.

http://swimswam.com/11-reasons-to-love-swimming-outside/

The weather is finally getting warmer and it will soon be time to train outside. I love training outside, you get sun, you can breathe fresh air, and it’s just all around better than inside. Many championship meets today are outside and having the opportunity to train outside makes competing easier as you are used to it. Training outside allows for different types of training, you may train in sun, cloud, rain, wind, fog, or yes even snow. Next time you swim outside work hard but enjoy the change in venue. 

#Tmacswims 'Links of The Week' for April 27th

It's Monday, which means it's time for another round of #Tmacswims 'Links of The Week'
Have a cool link you've found and want me to share? Send it to me and I'll post it on 'Links of The Week.'

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-18366/top-5-foods-to-eat-before-yoga.html

After taking part in a Yoga class on Friday I came across this link on foods you should eat before going to a yoga class. Yoga is a great way to relax the body and loosen out all the muscles in your body after a hard week in the gym and pool and now thanks to this link we add great foods into our pre yoga workout.

http://swimswam.com/5-ways-swimming-is-like-dating/

Swimming is such a demanding sport on the mind and body and sometimes during the year we need to take a break from the water. If you recall I took 5 days off over March break and it was one of the best decisions I made for myself and swimming as now I feel well rested and rejuvenated starting off my LC season. Sometimes taking time off or trying new things in the water or weight room is the best thing you can do for your swimming!

http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/24/bob-bowman-arizona-state-michael-phelps-swimming-olympics/?utm_network=twitter&utm_post=3622966&utm_source=TW%20%40NBCOlympics&utm_tags=srm%5Bolympics%2Carticle%5D

The greatest Olympian of all time is following his coach’s footsteps and moving to Arizona where he will continue to train under long-time coach Bob Bowman. I have always loved Michael and supported him through thick and thin and this decision will only better his career moving forward. I’m excited to see what Michael will be up to over the next several months with a new swim wear line coming, he’s engaged, and now this move in clubs, it’s never a quiet moment for the most decorated Olympian of all time.

 http://swimswam.com/3-steps-to-maximize-your-endurance-for-long-course/

With Long Course in full swing it’s time to dig deep and prep for major meets coming within the next couple months for many. Make sure you are attending every single workout per week and putting in your best effort so you can improve and achieve your goals going forward. Always make sure you’re keeping up with school work, sleep, eating, and drinking to ensure maximum performance in the pool as well the classroom. 

http://www.yourswimlog.com/16-ways-motivate-train-butt-youd-rather-anything-else/

Training can rewarding and hell for all athletes and being able to control our environments allows for maximum performance and outcome in a meet. Now I don’t think doing 10x200 fly LC is a way to prove a point but doing something you haven’t done before or something that your teammates or lane mates aren't doing to improve your swimming will make a world of a difference. I had a swimmer ask me once why he had to do 200 fly for time during workout while another swimmer didn't have to do a 200 fly or 200 back for time. I simply responded by the coach wants you to do a 200 fly to see how you attack the swim and to practice for your 100 fly. It’s not a punishment and it’s only going to make you a faster sprinter at the end of the day. The most important thing is you always want to try and be one step ahead of your biggest competitor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsDmgu-ZR-w&feature=youtu.be

Katie Ledecky has been on fire since the London Olympics and continues to dominate in the pool. Here’s her 200 free final from Mesa where she went an impressive 1:56 in season swim and this happened to be the 6^th fastest time in the world this year. This young lady can swim events from 100 free all the way to the 1500 free and hold World Records in the 400, 800, & 1500 free. She will be one to watch this summer at the World Championships as well next summer in Rio at the Olympics. 

2015-2016 Provincial Meet Hosts

Swim Ontario has now posted the hosts for the 2015-2016 Provincial meets for most of the competitions and surprisingly a lot of my picks  that I made about a month ago were bang on. Below I have included the full list that Swim Ontario posted.

All and all not overly shocked by these results, all though a couple of clubs aren't on this list that I thought would be, all though a couple of meets are still up for grabs. Congratulations to the clubs on successful bids for the 2015-2016 swim season. Running Provincial meets takes a strong team of fair officials and a state of the art pool to run the meet in. Most of these clubs listed here are able to provide those important qualities for swimmers success.

2015-2016 Provincial Competitions Hosting Information

Update Friday April 24th,

2015-2016 Provincial Competition Hosts

Ontario Winter SC Championships - December 10-13, 2015 - Etobicoke Swimming - ESWIM

Eastern Cup January 15-17, 2016 - Toronto Swim Club - TSC

Ontario Winter Festival - February 20-21, 2016 - Markham Aquatic Club - MAC

Ontario Spring LC Championships - March 3-6, 2016 - Nepean Kanata Barracudas - NKB

Division I Team Championships - April 29 - May 1, 2016 - Etobicoke Swimming - ESWIM 

Division II Team Championships - April 29 - May 1, 2016 - Brantford Aquatic Club - BRANT

*Division III - April 29 - May 1, 2016 - TBD

Ontario Summer Festival - June 18 - 20, 2016 - Mississauga Aquatic Club - MSSAC

**Ontario Summer LC Championships - June 30 - July 3, 2016 - TBD

*There were no bids on hosting Division III Team Championships.  The bid will remain open until June 1st, 2015.  At this time if there are no hosts, the meet will not be offered in the 2015-2016 season.

**Swim Ontario is still in the process of determining the 2016 Ontario Summer LC Championships.  An announcement will be made at such time as a hosting decision has been made.

#Tmacswims 1st 'Links of the Week'

As promised last week I have been working on a new bit for my blog and I've been thinking about doing this for a while now. If you follow me close on Facebook or Twitter you'll know I share A LOT of cool swim posts from sites like SwimSwam, Swimming World, Swimming Science and today I'm launching a new weekly segment where I'm posting my favorite links with a short bit on what I think of the topic. My goal is to have between 5-7 links for each week, now some may have less (like this 1st post for example) and my goal is to have this 'Links of the Week' posted every Monday to help kick start your week.

1. What I Learned on my way to Swimming 35,000 Meters Last Week

More and more swimmers need to start having fun and enjoying themselves more in workout as well at meets. As an 18 year old I know that the days of 'a best time' in every race are over, heck if I swim a 0.01 best time it's huge. The important thing here is to have a plan and stick to the plan, if your falling off your path you need to figure out how to get back on the path by conferencing with your parents, and as well talking to your coach, but most importantly having faith in you that everything will be alright.

2. Tech Suits Tech Suits Everywhere

Every meet I attend it's obvious nearly all swimmers are in $300 + suits for guys and $450 + suits for girls and I always wonder where is the line crossed? Is it really worth all the money for these expensive suits? I'm a true believer in certain suits really should only be worn by certain swimmers. For example, athletes that haven't made a 'National level time' (Eastern's Western's Olympic Trials Summer Nationals or Canadian Age Group Champs) then they really don't need a suit over $300 BUT of course if the athlete or the athlete's parents is willing to fork out the money for these expensive tech suits then be my guest and go for it but really it won't make you faster, instead boost your confidence.

3. Records Records Records

I always love reading and watching Canadian, Ontario, or Meet Records fall. It gives me as a swimmer motivation to swim faster and faster. Currently Swim ON has a lot of FAST up and coming swimmers that could very well be one's to keep our eyes on heading into the 2016 Olympic Trials.  Penny Oleksiak at just 14 years of age is on fire breaking Canadian Records nearly every time she dives into a race. Javier Acevedo he may only have the 50 free 13-14 SCM National Age Group Record but this dude is getting closer and closer to those 15-17 National Age Group Records. I watched him swim at the Ontario Age Group Champs in Brantford back in March and his strokes are beautiful to sum them up in one word. This dude is a tough swimmer training through many meets most swimmers in this country would 'taper' for. With his Bronze medal performance at the 2015 Canadian Swimming Trials in the 100 free with a time of 49:85 and cracking the 50 second mark for the first time, like Oleksiak, Acevedo is one to watch this summer at the World Junior Championships as well next spring at the 2016 Canadian Olympic Trials. Finally, we have the 13-14 boys quad from the Markham Aquatic Club where they are breaking both Canadian Age Group Records and Ontario Records for relays. Now back in a previous blog post I talked about Time Trials being a waste for swimmers, BUT these four 13-14 year old boys are stepping up EVERY TIME they dive into the water trying to chase down a record and it's paying off for these four boys. Congrats to all these swimmers mentioned in this blog post. Swimmers like Oleksiak, Acevedo, and the Markham quad are what's shaping Ontario and Canadian swimming. Good luck at future meets and I look forward to reading about more record breaking swims in the months to come.