Multisports Orange County (CA)

Open Water Swimming - Skills, Techniques, & Racing Tips by Michael Collins & Endurance Films is available at Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel, and Edge Cyclsports as well as online at various outlets. The retails price is $29.95, or for a discount if you attend a clinic off by Coach Michael Collins. Open water swimming can be one of the most spectacular and exhilarating experiences. Or it can be an intimidating and fearful one. What you do in preparation for open water swimming can have a big effect on how enjoyable your experience will be. Open Water Swimming takes you through skills, both fundamental and advanced, of open water swimming so that you can perform to the best of your ability while enjoying open water and triathlon competitions. Here's a review of the DVD by Mike Mullane aka “Marmadaddy” B.T.com Gear Reviewer The Product Open Water Swimming – Skills, Techniques and Racing Tips The Maker Endurance Films The Price $29.95 The Rating (4.75/5) The Skinny A solid overview of the skills and information needed to race in open water. For the beginner triathlete, nothing causes quite as much anxiety as swimming in open water. The stories of being in the “washing machine” and having problems navigating from buoy to buoy aren’t exactly meant to make it sound easy. There’s no substitute for practice and experience, but you also want all the reliable information and advice you can get. Toward this end, trainers Michael Collins and Gerry Rodrigues have created an instructional DVD called Open Water Swimming - Skills, Techniques & Racing Tips. The video opens with Collins making the statement, “This video will help teach you the necessary skills and techniques needed to compete to the best of your ability and enjoy open water swimming in triathlon competition.” The DVD assumes little-to-no experience with competitive swimming and starts off in the pool citing the need to build confidence in a controlled environment. It then goes into a good beginner level explanation and demonstration of the differences between efficient and inefficient swimming. The basics of swimming technique are covered and a series of drills are presented with camera work both above and in the water, sometimes simultaneously. A short section on Course Evaluation follows. This is a tutorial on assessing conditions before entering the water. We get a comprehensive list of things to evaluate over some great video from races before the swim start. Then comes the meat of the DVD: the actual open water section. You get good descriptions of the most efficient ways to enter the water from the shore in race conditions, followed by different strategies on drafting and sighting. (My favorite part of this section is the detailed description of “dolphining” to get to deep water.) I would have liked to have seen a section on wetsuits, but this was taken care of in the “Bonus” materials with a segment from another Endurance Films production called Racing Faster. Pro triathletes Barb Lindquist and Wes Hobson give a tutorial on putting on a wetsuit, using lubricants, sleeveless vs. full suits, and the like. Also, in the open water section, when they’re talking about sighting, it would have been useful to have some footage from the perspective of someone in the water. Overall, Open Water Swimming - Skills, Techniques & Racing Tips by Endurance Films is a good overview of the skills and information needed to race in open water.

Here are some general guidelines we would like everyone to follow when participating in a Multisports OC cycling practice. If you are interested in getting some personal help in learning any of these skills please contact us to set up a technique session or find out when the next skills clinic will be. TRAINER RIDES AT COACH MIKE'S 1. Arrive a few minutes before the start of the class so you can get set up and begin warming up. 2. Be sure to reserve a trainer in advance if you do not bring one ($5 rental fee) since there are only a few loaners 3. Bring a towel to wipe off sweat and use it to wipe down the floor or mats after the practice. 4. Bring a bottle of water or other fluids to keep well hydrated during the session 5. Bring running shoes as we will often include bike/run combos to get acclimated to running off the bike. ROAD RIDE ETIQUETTE 1. Review our Safety Suggestions for Training & Racing posted on the Multisports OC website. 2. Carry a copy of your ID, medical insurance, emergency contact info, and some money in your seat pack in addition to tire changing equipment and a multitool. 3. Come prepared with appropriate clothing for the weather conditions, and enough fluids and food for the duration of the practice. We encourage wearing cycling gloves in training, but do not suggest wearing them in races. 4. Be ready to go when the practice is due to start (including tires pumped to 110psi to prevent flats, bathroom stops, bottles filled, etc.). Our moto is "don't be last." 5. Ask what the course options are if you don't already know or missed the ride review. 6. Ask for clarification if you don't understand the purpose and intensity goals of the ride (Some rides include more than one depending on the race you are preparing for). In general the rides will start at a lower intensity and progressively increase (We call this "pacing" or "negative splitting"). If you are going hard off the bat you may end up getting dropped in the second half. It is a good idea to conserve energy in your first few rides on unfamiliar courses and finish stronger if you still have a lot left near the end. 7. Let the coach/ride leader know if you are unfamiliar with the course and may need some navigational help. 8. Let the coach/ride leader know if you brought a new person to try the practice or know of someone new that the coach may not have noticed. 9. Try to partner with someone of similar ability if possible, since it is safer to be a partner. 10. Learn the names of the other rides by introducing yourself before the ride or in the early miles. 11. Stay off your aero bars if you are not riding in the front or have at least a few bike lengths between you and other riders. 12. Call out obstacles in the road or point (without swerving drastically or changing speeds significantly) to warn riders further back of potential dangers they may not see. 13. If you flat or have some sort of mechanical yell loud "FLAT" or "MECHANICAL" so someone can stop to assist if necessary and continue on the ride with you after fixing it. We will usually not have the entire group stop for every flat or mechanical or the rides can become very long and broken. 14. Learn how to do a rotating pace line safely and smoothly. Ask the coach to explain and show you the details of this highly useful skill. 15. Learn to get out of the saddle on climbs without letting the bike fall back so you do not hit the wheel of someone close behind and potentially cause a crash. 16. If you have a problem or issue with something that happened on a ride, please contact coach Mike via email or phone to describe the trouble you had so we can try to prevent it in the future.

USAT Regional Youth/Junior Elite Cups Regional Junior Elite Cups are USA Triathlon’s entry-level draft-legal junior elite events. Working with our Regional Athlete Development Coordinators and interested Race Directors, these events provide athletes with an opportunity to experience draft-legal racing closer to home, learn ITU rules, and determine if they are ready for national-level competition. Regional Cups also serve as tune-up races for athletes preparing for Junior Elite Nationals and other international events March 24 Strawberry Fields Triathlon – Oxnard, CA Junior and Youth Elite divisions www.strawberryfieldstri.com April 29 Tribute to the Armed Forces Triathlon – Tempe, AZ Junior and Youth Elite divisions www.dcbadventures.com May 12 LA Tri Series – Bonelli Park, San Dimas, CA Junior and Youth Elite divisions www.trievents.com June 9 LA Tri Series – Bonelli Park, San Dimas, CA Junior and Youth Elite divisions www.trievents.com September 8 Pacific Grove Triathlon – Pacific Grove, CA Series Championship/ double points Junior and Youth Elite divisions www.tricalifornia.com

Coach Michael Collins & Endurance Films are proud to announce the release of their second film together Triathlon Transitions - Mastering the 4th Discipline. (In 2003 they released Open Water Swimming - Skills, Techniques, & Racing Tips.) Transition techniques are often neglected by triathletes who often choose to spend significant amounts of time on training, and money on equipment to try to shave a little time off in their races, when significant time could be saved by learning to transition faster. This video includes tips and videos of the top pros in action, as well as detailed explainations and demonstrations of critical skills to save time including running with your bike, leaving the shoes in the pedals, running mounts and dismounts and more. You will also be given tips from numerous professional elite athletes such as Joanna Zeiger, Conrad Stoltz, Karen Smyers, Greg Bennett, Matt Reed and more! Features: Pre-Race Preparation Swim to Bike (T1) Bike to Run (T2) Included Practice Sessions: Pushing from Saddle Scooter Drill Running Mount/Dismount Speed Work Additional DVD-ROM Material: Transitions Tip Sheet Equipment Checklist The retail price for Triathlon Transitions or Open Water Swimming is $29.95 from Endurance Films, or you can get them directly from Coach Collins for $20. Link to order from Endurance Films: http://www.endurancefilms.com/store/home.php?cat=249

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REFUND POLICY We do not offer refunds on program fees. We can put your membership on hold for $10 a month if you need to take time off due to injury or other special circumstances, and you can use up your remaining time when you return to the program before being charged again. The hold status starts from the 1st of the following month from when you ask to be deactivated. To change your memberships status sent a note to the MSOC Billing Office requesting the change and start date. (Note: be sure to send the change of status BEFORE the auto billing date of the 5th of the month)