mod·ern - ˈmädərn/ adj.
1. of or relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past
Photo: Ederle record break 2011
Hi, I’m Lance Ogren. I am a swimmer and coach.
I have swum competitively nearly my entire life and swam Division I at St. Johns University. After a brief hiatus from competing, I returned to the sport in 2007 as an open water swimmer. Since then I completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming which consists of the English Channel, Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and the Catalina Channel. I am the current world record holder for the 17.5 mile Ederle Marathon swim (2011) and have competed in many other open water swims along the way.
When I returned to swimming in 2007 I started researching stroke technique to see what had changed since my college days. Information was abound now that I was equipped with the internet (not available in 1992). I soon discovered that the internet could be too much of a good thing with lots of conflicting, confusing information. I also found that many of the same stroke techniques I learned as an age group swimmer were still being taught, such as the S shaped catch and pull, thumb first entry, catch up timing and gliding for “efficiency” even though better stroke technique methods had replaced these long ago.
My quest for quality stroke technique led me to Swim Smooth. After years of study and application I took a two week trip to Perth, Australia to become the first Swim Smooth Certified Coach in the United States. I have been privileged to learn the most effective swimming techniques by standing next to some of the best coaches in the world.
Last year I decided to start this blog to create another resource for adult swimmers and coaches to learn about truly efficient freestyle swimming, along with other swim related topics such as dry land training, gear, and nutrition.
My intention for this blog is to get athletes engaged in thinking, not just doing. I hope to approach confusing topics with simplicity and clarity. Swimming is not rocket science and often it is made more complicated than necessary. I hope to gain your trust by providing straightforward information based on years of experience, personal trial and error, and a passion for continued education about human movement both in and out of the water.
I hope you join me.
Lance
