Archive for the ‘Marathon Swimming’ Category

Crossing Gibraltar Strait: A Journey to Joy
by Terry Laughlin

Posted on October 31st, 2013

On October 11, I swam across Gibraltar Strait, with  TI colleagues Lennart Larsson of Orebro, Sweden and Tommi Patila of Helsinki, Finland. We swam 18km (11+ miles) in 5 hours 18 minutes. Water temperatures started at 18C (64F) near the Spanish coast, rose to 19 in mid-Strait, then dipped to 16C (60F) as we approached […]

Life Lessons from Diana Nyad?
by Terry Laughlin

Posted on September 12th, 2013

The below is a guest post by psychotherapist Jeanne Safer PhD, a thoroughly Kaizen TI student taking weekly lessons at the TI Swim Studio in New Paltz for 10 years. This article was originally published at the Psychology Today web site, where Jeanne has just begun writing regular essays on the psychological revelations possible through […]

Diana Nyad and the ‘Demons of the Sea’
by Terry Laughlin

Posted on December 2nd, 2011

Completing a marathon in six months can’t really change your life. But immersive experiences today can.

May You Have Days Like This
by Terry Laughlin

Posted on September 26th, 2011

Last Saturday I raced poorly yet enjoyed–indeed was uplifted by–one of the best days of my life.

Using Metrics that Matter
by Terry Laughlin

Posted on August 4th, 2011

How did 58-year old Steve Howard improve his pace per 100 yards by 20 percent in two weeks? By focusing on Stroke Count and Tempo, instead of yards swum.

Stay in the moment: Experience timelessness. Enjoy more. Swim better.
by Terry Laughlin

Posted on January 30th, 2011

The most valuable capacity one needs to develop for any endurance swim – more valuable than physical fitness or stroke efficiency – is the capacity to keep your focus in the immediate moment. Like any habit or capacity, this only happens through practice.

Finding Higher Purpose in Masters Races
by Terry Laughlin

Posted on January 20th, 2011

When I set goals for pool times, and pool races, I get all the Arduous Experience and Cognitive Difficulty my psyche craves.

Marathon Swimming as Meditation
by Terry Laughlin

Posted on August 17th, 2010

Set a goal of turning a long swim into a ‘moving meditation.” Make it happen by practicing with half-closed eyes.

How I learned (maybe) I’m not a Marathoner
by Terry Laughlin

Posted on June 30th, 2010

I swam two marathons in 2002 and 2006. I swam two more in March and April of 2010. I now question whether I have the stuff – mentally, not physically, to swim more marathons in the future.

Reduce speed a little. Save a lot.
by Terry Laughlin

Posted on March 10th, 2010

Small reductions in speed – in swimming as well as driving – can lead to LARGE savings in energy. In a triathlon that could pay off handsomely in cycling and running.