Thank you for signing up for your Fresh Freestyle Swim Workshop directed by Co-founder and Master Coach Suzanne Atkinson, MD
Please PRINT THIS PAGE or bookmark it for further reference.
Waiver and Participation Questionnaire
Please fill out this online participation waiver prior to your clinic:
https://steelcityendurance.wufoo.com/forms/waiver-and-participation-form/
Location:
Kingsley Center
6435 Frankstown Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Indoor 25 yd Pool
You can park in the lot in front of the building or on E Liberty Avenue adjacent to the Center.
What to wear:
Women may wear swimsuits or trisuits as desired. Men MUST have a snug fitting swim suit, tri shorts or a tri suit. No boardshorts, surf shorts or baggie trunks! These types of shorts cause drag and make learning much more difficult than it needs to be.
Board shorts/baggies cause drag only around the hips making the problem of sinking hips even worse. Learning how your body interacts with the water is vital and difficult enough without the added “baggage” of baggy trunks. Set any modesty aside and invest in a durable pair of swim shorts such as “jammers” or tri shorts.
Some triathletes have become fans of “Lava pants”. If you own and use these regularly, you may bring them but please consider trying some of the drills without them (so make sure you have jammers underneath)
Recommended purchases for pre or post course study:
Fresh Freestyle – 99 practices for Swimmers & Triathletes
Written by your clinic instructor and two other experienced master swim coaches, This physical book contains 99 practices for all levels of swimmer or triathlete complete with over 50 color images. Download a free sampler here, or purchase from Amazon in soft cover or Kindle
https://steelcity.leadpages.co/fresh-freestyle-sample-practices/
Equipment for your course
Required Equipment: Swim Suit, Swim Cap (one will be provided at clinic as well), Goggles
Optional Equipment: Rash Guard for warmth, Snorkel
Advanced Equipment: Tempo Trainer
Special Equipment: Fins, “Lava Pants”
Required equipment is the minimum necessary for your swim clinic. if you are doing a double pool session, consider bringing a dry suit and spare towel for the 2nd session.
Advanced equipment is used in our speed and advanced skill courses. Your course description will indicate if you must purchase a tempo trainer or if one is supplied with the course
Optional Equipment may make your clinic more comfortable with added warmth using a rash guard and the ability to practice certain drills and skills longer if you have trouble holding your breath for more than 10-15 seconds, or have neck or spine problems.
Special Equipment includes swim “toys” that I feel can be detrimental if used too often and the vast majority of my swimmers do not actually need to use them ever. However some people may benefit from occasional brief usage
You can purchase many items from a local triathlon, swimming or cycling store. If you don’t have a local shop to support, consider using these Amazon Affiliate links to browse for the best price:
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Tempo Trainer Pro – optional purchase. Your coach will have enough of these for each swimmer to use, but you may wish to purchase your own.
This is a small digital metronome adjustable to 1/100th of a second. It is slightly thicker than a half-dollar and slips under your swim cap. For participants that purchase a tempo trainer, I will have specific tempo trainer sets during the last 2 sessions of bootcamp. I will have only a handful of tempo trainers for people to try & buy during the sessions. |
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XTERRA LAVA Shorts Triathlon 5mm Shorts
As discussed above, some people will benefit from these shorts during the learning process, and some choose to train and race in them all the time. At Steel City Endurance we strive to teach you how to balance without the need for flotation aids. However we recognize that some people are more confident and comfortable with them. We encourage you to learn and practice without them, but we won’t stop you from using them. |
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Speedo Men’s Endurance+ Launch Splice Jammer Swimsuit, Black/Blue, 34
Men should practice and arrive to clinic with a jammer style suit as pictured here (knee length tight fitting swim shorts). Many feel more comfortable starting in swim baggies, the type you’d wear at the beach. However baggies have a significant drag coefficient and will make learning exponentially more difficult. Our coaches like the color style with a stripe down the side of the suit to make underwater video easier to discern. Other options for men included the Brief Style Swimsuit |
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Speedo Women’s Race Endurance+Women’s suits have many more fashionable options than men’s suits (yay!) but please choose a design that is sold for racing or training. Avoid suits with ruffles, or two piece suits that you would not feel comfortable diving into the water with. (We won’t be diving, but you’ll be swimming so fast you’ll want to make sure your suit stays on! |
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Finis Zoomers If your kick is not very propulsive, these will help you perform some of the skating drills we will cover. The blue fins are designed for fitness and long distance swimmers. It is a short fin that aids in momentum without creating too much fatigue in the legs. Check size chart carefully before purchasing. These may not be suitable for people with ankle joint problems such as arthritis or instability |
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Original Swimmers Snorkel
A snorkel can be a valuable learning tool for people who feel that they are not as quick to learn new movements, those who may feel as if they have poor hand-eye or foot-eye coordination, or those who enjoy focused practice without interruptions for minutes at a time. Additionally, if you have neck or thoracic spine problems such as arthritis, fusion or disc disease, a snorkel can help you relax while mastering the fundamentals before you start to add breathing skills to your swim |
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NRS Hydroskin tops are my favorite piece for warmth. When trying them on dry, they should fit REALLY snugly like they are almost too tight. In the water they will loosen up a little and feel just right. A baggy rash guard is the worst because it will create drag which increases your effort and also makes swimming less fun! |
, and the 
style. Choose the one you are most comfortable in.