TI6 Coach Videos - Pool & Open Water

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

We never seem to post enough coach videos. Here are videos of the coaches from the TI6 relay team, both pool and swimming in the English Channel. Stuart and Dave are further away from the boat due to more "lumpy" conditions, but the long stroke characteristics are easily seen.

Swimming in the pool:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=3&theater

Swimming the English Channel:
Todd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjIvkpUw0vs
Jai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAX80lKHS3Q
Rachel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQMbbQOunKc
Mandy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7tN25zT7HY
Stuart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEFQu1erqOo
Dave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzFO...S7Tc1HvRA6pa60

Stuart

[limus]

Thanks for sharing Stuart. But Dave's swim video link is broken.

Limus

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Hi Limus,

Ahh sorry, thanks for catching:

Coach Dave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzFO...S7Tc1HvRA6pa60

And I'll fix in the previous thread too.

Thanks,

Stuart

[bx]

Hey Coach Stuart,

I am confused dot com. Is the TI6 relay team the same as the EC6 relay team?

Thanks!

Looking at the EC6 facebook page again, it list the team as:

Andrew Chamberlain
Bernie Zeruhn
Christof Wandratsch
Dave Warren
Kirsten Cameron
Steve West

And the TI6 team is obviously the TI coaches listed in your message above.


I think there may have been some confusion because Total Immersion also sponsored the EC6, together with a nutrition company?

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Hi bx,

Correct, two separate teams: EC6 and TI6

The EC6 were uber fast swimmers sponsored and coached by Total Immersion and they were out to set a channel record, but missed it by just 11 minutes. I understand Christof Wandratsch once held the record for solo crossing of the channel. All sub 20 min mile swimmers - FASSST!

The TI 6 are all TI coaches that got together and decided to do the channel as relay team - lead by Coach Dave Cameron. We have all coached together in workshops and/or in coach training over the last couple of years. We certainly had a ton of support, but no sponsors - all costs were incurred by us, out of our own wallets. And I think I can speak for all of Team TI 6, we'd do it all over again in a heartbeat (we can always live on pancakes for a few months - right?). It was an awesome week, incredible journey - quite suspenseful with very "lumpy" conditions arriving the same week as Hurricane Bertha too :-)

Stuart

[bx]

Thanks for this Stuart. All is now clear! I didn't realise EC6 were coached with TI. And many congratulations!

[tomoy]

Just noticed this posting. Quick thoughts. Wow, waves. Wow, quick tempo, strokerate. What percentage of capacity did you feel you were running most of the time? 70%? +/-?

Nice balance, all those heels skimming the surface! Interesting to see the real-world requirements to get air. I see bigger lift and rotate than "your" pool technique (well, I've seen you, Mandy, Dave in-pool), but a quick return, if not deep-dip back in to recover balance as quickly as possible. Stuart, you were too far off, were you breathing every 2 or 3 strokes?

Kind of seasick already! Is someone ALWAYS watching the in-water swimmer - or are there occasional gaps, as in "hey has anyone seen Mandy lately?"

Great accomplishment, and congratulations to you all!

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Thanks Tom, BX. It certainly was a great 'bucket list' experience and quite a journey.

Breathing was a challenge in those 'lumpy' conditions, and generally breathing on 2's to my right (stronger side), but had to time breath on back-side of the swells otherwise I was taking a drink. And to get more air, often breathed left and right on 1's. I was actually very happy to be swimming in those conditions since I could see the boat rolling from side to side so much I could see shoes and the team holding on to hand bars and seats for dear life. I could only giggle and thought "sucks to be them", but also knew in 45 mins, Dave would jump in for his swim leg, and I'd be back on the rock-n-roll boat hanging on too. Surprisingly, none of us got seasick - thank you Dramamine! Per Dave, our fearless leader, "take a Dramamine an hour before getting on boat, another when you get on the boat, and if necessary another 4-5 hours in. I didn't hesitate to take my prescription of three. Many teams in past, I hear around 5% or more, have had to abort their channel swim due to seasickness.

I did get a bit far away from boat, close to 50m at times. Pilot Mike told me before I jumped the tide was beginning to ebb north at six knots and stay a good distance away from port (left) side of boat - but don't think he meant that far :-). It was easy to drift away, and difficult to swim back to the wheelhouse of the boat. There were always two or more sets of eyes on the swimmer, the Observer from CSPF and at least one of us.

Thanks again - it was absolutely FUNNN!

Stuart