I spent last weekend with 51 other masters swimmers at The Walnut Creek Intensity Camp in Northern California. I've been trying to get to this camp for years and I finally managed to be in the right place at the right time!
Now USMS has some terrific camps and clinics around the country. And I try to hit as many of them as possible. But so far none have hit the mark for technique combined with serious training the way that Kerry O'Brien and his gang of coaches did it in Walnut Creek.
Also on deck were Walnut Creek Coaches Mike Heaney, Steve Stahl, Deb Santos, Davis Masters Stu Kahn, and Oakland Manatees Brian Stack.
Friday night Steve Stahl presented the Freestyle school and Brian Stack took on the backstroke school. 52 swimmers were split in half and flipped between schools so there was plenty of opportunity to get questions in before flipping to the next stroke.
Roque Santos coached a breaststroke school on Saturday. Funny but solid team up with wife Debbie.
Stu Kahn taught beginning Butterfly and Kerry O'Brien taught the Intermediate (competitive) Butterfly School on Sunday.
Each stroke school was followed by a session in the pool putting instruction to practice. Swimmers were assigned to groups according to ability level for the entire camp, so coaches were able to keep intervals the same and coach groups together.
Underwater video taping by Video DownUnder was on going Friday & Saturday then critiqued by coaches on Sunday. We received our own copy of the DVD to take home.
I loved this part as it has been ages since I saw an underwater video of any of my strokes!
Head Santa Rosa Masters Coach Hermine Terhorst is a "treasure from The Pacific". She demonstrated a simple but powerful session of Pilates for Swimmers Sunday afternoon. This dry-land was before the last workout session and lots of us were grateful for the opportunity to get a little "healing blood" flowing before the final workout of the camp massacre :)
Dr. Al Loosli gave a talk on sports medicine and presented some solid recommendations for swimmers. He has some good stories of the various athletes he has worked with over the years.
Some simple shoulder movement strengthening ideas - and drug information. Suggests only taking anti-inflammatory meds before bed.
His nutrition plug stated "must include meat" and so he did loose me on that point, but most everyone else seemed to agree.
This Walnut Creek Intensity is a swimmers camp.
We swam Friday night after stroke schools and 2 workouts each on Saturday and Sunday! You could actually swim 3 workouts on Sunday if you wanted to do it.
There were workout options of distance, mid-distance and sprint each 2nd session. Stroke specialists could easily train strokes in the mid-distance and sprint workouts.
There were quite a few masters coaches in the water as swimmers, learning from the opposite side which I believe is super valuable. Coaches, put the ego aside and get in the water with the cruisers. Lots of great new technique to experience which only makes it easier to coach your swimmers through if you have done it yourself.
Our USMS SwimFest on the other hand is geared toward teaching masters coaches. It is somewhat more basic level (not competitive) coaching for the attending swimmers. And it also offers the business of running and planning a masters club in classroom sessions.
Some Comments:
All the workouts were written by Kerry O'Brien. They were very innovative and challenging. That says a lot coming from me, since I have been around to a lot of masters clubs and not seen or read about some of the sets and ideas he laid out for us.
Book Hermine to come for a Pilates for Swimmers session at your club or clinic.
She rocks and your swimmers will love it - and feel so much better afterward.
Be ready to be exhausted but thrilled even if you are a stud and in shape.
Great technique advice and 5-6 workouts in 3 days. Everyone went home feeling like they had the potential to improve a lot in their training and strokes.
Even though I was hopeful we could have a session to work on starts & turns, I'm not sure my exhausted arms could have functioned so well in one. If there was such a session, it would be great at the beginning of the camp. Then we would have time to practice in workout sessions under the watch of a coach.
Creekers make GREAT pancakes!
If I went again, I would stay in a hotel with a room mate rather than traveling back and forth from home. Like a real camp - and without sacrificing the extra hours of sleep!
If anyone wants copies of the workouts or handouts, let me know. Need to ask Kerry about that first...
There was no place I'd have rather been on my birthday than swim camp :)
Thank you Walnut Creek Masters!
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Hi Ahelee,
Nice write up! We're glad you liked the camp and had such positive things to say. This camp was the 24th Annual, so next year's is a significant anniversary! This year was my 15th on staff and I look forward to this camp every year. It's great to work with a large contingent of motivated swimmers whom we don't see every day. Plenty of opportunities for the coaches to learn as well.
