Tracey McFarlane-Mirande - Championship Swimming: How to Improve Your Technique and Swim Faster in 30 Days or Less

To Travis, the light of my life
TMM

To my daughter, Tamara
KB

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FOREWORD
BY RICHARD QUICK, COACH, STANFORD UNIVERSITY AND TEAM USA

CHAPTER 1
POOLS AND TOOLS OF THE TRADE

CHAPTER 2
FREESTYLE BASICS

CHAPTER 3
FREESTYLE STREAMLINING AND LAPS

CHAPTER 4
WORKOUTS TO IMPROVE DISTANCE AND CONDITIONING

CHAPTER 5
INTERVAL TRAINING: THE NEED FOR SPEED

CHAPTER 6
BACKSTROKE BASICS

CHAPTER 7
BREASTSTROKE BASICS

CHAPTER 8
BUTTERFLY BASICS

CHAPTER 9
TERMINOLOGY, TEAMS, AND SOURCES

CHAPTER 10
EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN SWIMMING-SPECIFIC MUSCLES AND PREVENT INJURIES

CHAPTER 11
ADDITIONAL WORKOUTS

T racey McFarlane Mirande is known as one of the finest breaststrokers in USA Swimming history. She was a 1988 Olympian in Seoul, Korea, and winner of the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke.

I also know Tracey as a collegiate athlete who won many NCAA championships in breaststroke and participated in many NCAA championship medley relays while she was swimming for and I was coaching at the University of Texas. It was because of Traceys desire to do everything possible to help her college team be successful that I know she is highly qualified to write this book on improving swimming technique.

When Tracey came to the University of Texas, she was only a breaststroker without a third individual event to enter at the NCAAs. Her first year, we tried the 50-yard freestyle, but she did not qualify for the NCAA championships. Her sophomore year, we tried the 200-yard individual medley, but again she did not qualify for the championships. Her junior year, she qualified for the championships but did not score. However, her senior year, the Olympic year of 1988, she not only qualified in the 200 individual medley but also finished third.

There are several reasons that all of this is significant to her authoring this book. Tracey was not at all competitive in butterfly, backstroke, or freestyle in her freshman year because of her technique, but through being a student of the sport and determination, she became accomplished enough in all the strokes to put together a great individual medley. Also, the faster she became at the individual medley, the faster she was in her main stroke, the breaststroke, thus surprising the nation at the 1988 Olympic Trials with two wins and an American record in the 100. Tracey McFarlane Mirande was an astute student of swimming as an athlete and remains so as a coach and teacher. I know that her knowledge will help you become a better swimmer and enjoy it more.

Every successful swimmer works hard, but I am convinced that what separates the great swimmers from the successful is technique. An athlete can spend only a certain amount of time in the water and can become only so strong or powerful. Eventually the great athlete understands the limitations of time and volume of training and begins to value technique efficiency as a major weapon in the training regime. Keep in mind that the faster an athlete travels through the water, the greater the resistance, and, therefore, the more important the elimination of resistance becomes; that is a huge part of technique. Also, the more efficient an athlete becomes in the water, the faster the athlete can travel without overtaxing his or her physiology, leaving more energy to finish the race well or to devote to the next segment of the triathlon.

I encourage young swimmers to use Traceys book to work on all your strokes. Do not limit yourself to one stroke; the more you learn about all strokes, the more you will understand what makes your best stroke improve. And triathletes: work on backstroke as well as freestyle for muscle balance, improved kicking, and variety. The more you understand and develop backstroke, the more sensitive you will become to your freestyle weaknesses.