This is a message out to the novices.   It is also a good item for the experienced athletes to have reinforced.

It is important to understand that all practices have the same basic structure regardless  of whether we are doing dry land training or on the water training.

These steps are all necessary to complete a well rounded effective practice.

All practices start with a warmup which involves low intensity activities such as running and/or dynamic stretching.    This should not be done at any high intensity.  The purpose of this warmup is to gently warm the muscles and prepare them for the body of the practice.   It should be a duration of roughly 10 minutes.

The body of the practice is where the bulk of our training takes place.   At the current time we are looking to get you to be able to do 45 to 50 minutes of high volume low intensity activity.   The goal is consistency and keeping your heart rate at a reasonable level but not excessive.  You should not be gasping for air but able to carry on conversations with your training partner.   We’ll discuss target heart rate in an upcoming practice.

The last step is a cool down.   This involves a 15 minute proper stretch with the purpose of allowing the muscles to cool down and to also train the muscles to be more pliable long term.   It is very crucial that you perform this step for every practice.

The coaches will be providing more details on these steps and what you can do become more proficient in executing them.

Do not hesitate to ask the coaches if you are unsure of any activity.