In-deck wiring is great – when it’s working. Unfortunately, because the plates are constantly exposed to water, it requires a lot of maintenance to keep running. Fortunately, IST has an answer – DECKLIGHT. DECKLIGHT is our completely sealed and metal-free in- and on-deck connection system.

If you don’t have DECKLIGHT, there are a few things that you can do to maintain your in-deck wiring and keep it working a little longer.

Cleaning:

It is important to clean your deck connections regularly, and with the proper cleaner. DO NOT CLEAN METAL CONNECTIONS WITH CLR OR MURATIC ACID. Metal connectors are plated, not solid. If you clean them with an acidic product you may end up stripping off the plating, which causes the connection to stop working.

To properly clean the connections, start by using a wet/dry shop vac to suck the water and debris out of the connectors in the deck plate. Then, spray an Electrical Contact Cleaner like RidOX or CRC QD Electronic Cleaner. You can find these products either on our website or at a local electronics store. Spray the cleaner into the socket on the deck plate, then use a pipe cleaner to gently scrub around the sides. The cleaner also leaves a thin residue that will continue to protect the connection for a while.

You can use the spray on the connectors for the touch pads and backup buttons as well. It is easier to spray it onto a cloth or paper towel and wipe it onto the connectors. Be careful when spraying this on the pool deck – the area can become very slippery.

You can also use these products to clean your wall plate connectors. Simply spray the connector and gently scrub with a pipe cleaner. You can also spray a little into the lid of the container, dip the pipe cleaner in and scrub with the moistened pipe cleaner.

Protecting:

If you are not going to be using your in-deck connections for a longer period, you may want to consider protecting them with a silicone based dielectric grease, available on our website or at local electronics stores. Clean the connectors as described above. Once they are clean, squirt enough of the dielectric grease into the hole to just fill it. This will help keep the water out while you are not using it. When you are ready to plug the pads and buttons in again, you can just plug them in with the grease still in the holes. Wipe away any excess, it will be slippery if it stays on the deck.

Upgrading:

If your in-deck wiring is beyond repair, you should consider upgrading to DECKLIGHT. IST personnel or your own maintenance personnel can do the installation. IST will provide the necessary wire and clear step-by-step instructions for site installation. If you already have in-deck wiring it is just a matter of pulling out the old wires and pulling in the new ones.  Connect those wires to the provided wall and deck plates. The connections are simple to make and the plates fit right where the old ones were.

If you are interested in finding out more about our DECKLIGHT deck connections, give us a call at 800-835-2611 or email info@istime.com

Our Bluetooth enabled pace clocks are designed to make a coach’s life easier. Enter the set or workout, press start and walk away. The clock will keep the count and time for the set so you can focus on your swimmers and their technique.

Phone are small though, and sometimes it is easier to write your workouts on your computer. Fortunately, with our WORKWARE software you can do just that – then download the sets and workouts to your phone to run on the clock.  Below are the instructions for creating and downloading the file onto your phone.

Creating the export file:

First, in WORKWARE3 select Library/Export. On the left you will see the workouts in your library. On the right are the sets in the library sorted alphabetically by category and name. To create the export file, first select the workouts and/or sets that you want to download. To select a workout, click on it to highlight it. This will also select all the sets that are contained within the workout. To select multiple workouts or sets, hold the CTRL key on your keyboard while clicking on the workouts or sets that you want to select

Once you have the workouts and sets selected, select PHONE for the EXPORT FILE TYPE. Click the BROWSE button to save the file either to your device that is already connected to the computer or to the desktop or other folder where you will be able to find it. Give the file a descriptive name and click SELECT. Click the EXPORT button to build the file.

Downloading the export file to the phone:

For Android connected to the computer with a cable: open Windows File Explorer, select the device name and the PHONE folder. Look for the folder ISTWORKOUTS and select that. Copy and paste the file into this folder.

For Android using e-mail: E-mail the export file to the address that can be checked on the Android device. NOTE: You must be able to download attachments. If you use Google Inbox, you should switch to Gmail for these instructions. Open the e-mail on the device and download the attachment into the ISTWORKOUTS folder. If you can not choose where the attachment goes, once you have downloaded the file use the MY FILES app to find and move the file into the ISTWORKOUTS folder.

For iPhone: Connect the phone to iTunes and download the exported file into it. Save the file in your iCloud Desktop folder.

Importing the File

Once the file is on your phone, go to the SWIMCLOCK app, tap WORKOUT mode, and select IMPORT WORKOUTS. Tap on the box at the top of the screen and choose the file that you exported. Click IMPORT to load it into the phone. You can now go in and select the sets and workouts that you imported and run them the same way you would have if you had created them on the phone.

For many swim coaches, the rules of diving and creating a dive sheet can be confusing. What’s the difference between voluntary and optional? Why don’t all the letters match the actual position name? What’s with all the rules for 11 dive lists? Fortunately, IST can help with that last question. We provide a free on-line web page that allows you to build and validate 6 or 11 dive lists. Once your list is complete you can email, print or download it.

Using the Dive Sheet Generator

To find the free Dive Sheet Generator, go to our website: www.istime.com. On the top of the home page you’ll see a button that says Dive Sheet Generator that you can click on. You can also just bookmark the direct link: http://www.istime.com/divesheet.

The first thing you’ll need to do is choose whether it is a 6 or 11 dive entry that you are going to be working on.

Enter the information for the diver at the top of the screen.

Entering the Dives

For each round, type in the Dive Number (numerals only), then select the position. For reference:

A = Straight
B = Pike
C = Tuck
D = Free

Then choose the Voluntary or Optional. Voluntary dives are the “required” dives. In a 6-dive list, this will be a dive from the required group for that week – Front, Back, Inward, Reverse or Twist. The maximum degree of difficulty (DD) is set a 1.8, regardless of what the normal degree of difficulty is for that dive. See your State Association for information about which dives are required for each week of the season. For an 11-dive list, the total degree of difficulty of all the Voluntary dives cannot exceed a certain number.

As you enter your dives, the total Degree of Difficulty for both Optional and Voluntary will be displayed on the bottom of the screen.

Validating the Dive Sheet (NFHS Rules)

Once you have your dive sheet filled out, and especially if it is an 11-dive list, click on the Validate button. If there are errors, you will see them listed in red at the top of the screen above the diver’s name.

You can fix the errors and validate the sheet as many times as you need to. Once the sheet is valid you’ll see a pop-up message stating that your sheet is valid.

After that it is just a matter of choosing whether you want to email, print or download the dive sheet as an XML document.

While IST can’t answer all your questions about diving, we can make it easier to get a legal, legible dive sheet. Running an invitational with a diving event? Send the link to the attending coaches and ask them to e-mail you the dive sheet before they arrive. That way you can be sure that the list is legal and valid.

In the July blog I talked about several opportunities for Coach Education including professional organizations, clinics and on-line courses. This month we’re going to highlight some other great resources for continuing education for coaches.

Social Media Communities

If you are on Facebook, you know that there is a lot of information out there, some good, some bad. What you may not know is that there are a few great swimming communities on Facebook that are worth being part of.

Swim Coaches Idea Exchange Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/462281440521890/) – This is a very active group for swim coaches of all types. Lots of discussions on technique, team management, training ideas and much more. It is a private group, so you will need to request to be added.

NISCA High School Swim Coaches Exchange Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/HSSwimCoachesNISCA/) – This is similar to the Swim Coaches Exchange Group, but it focuses more on the unique aspects of coaching high school teams and teenage athletes. It is also a closed group. When you request, you will need to answer the question “What high school do you coach at?”

Swim Coach Equipment Hacks (https://www.facebook.com/groups/803362663113590/) – this group is less active but has some great ideas for do-it-yourself equipment solutions. This is also a private group.

Videos:

There are tons of resources for instructional videos on technique out there, some free some paid for.

YouTube: YouTube is a great source for swimming technique videos. You can pull up videos Michael Phelps butterfly and view it from multiple angles. Watch races from Olympics or PanPacs past. You can also find great dryland instructional videos. Search “Yoga for Swimmers” to find great videos with everything from recovery to improving your butterfly.

GoSwim.tv: This site is a treasure trove of technique videos and blogs. There is a free version and a paid for version.

DVD’s: Looking for something a little more old school? Championship Productions has a library of swimming technique DVD’s and books. They are constantly producing new content with acclaimed coaches. http://www.championshipproductions.com/cgi-bin/champ/swimming-dvds-videos.html

Diving DVD’s: Want to see what great diving looks like? NISCA produces a DVD every year of the top divers on the All America list. Its a great way to see what the top high school divers are doing. http://shop.niscaonline.org/diving-dvds

Books about Swimming:

There are a lot of great books out there for coaching and swimming technique. Here is a list of a few of the most popular.

NISCA Coaches Manual – Available at https://niscaonline.org/Coach-Manual, you must be a NISCA member to download the entire book. The NISCA Coaches Manual covers everything you need to know about administering a high school team, from ordering suits and getting busing to training the athletes.

Sprinting II (Sam Freas) – Available at http://shop.niscaonline.org/publications. From Google: His practical approach explores techniques and methods for starts, turns, finishes, dryland, weights, reaction drills, season planning, pool workouts and more. Decades of success have given him a unique perspective, which he shares through personal insight and experience. Swimmers, coaches, and parents will find Sam’s practical approach and his illustrations, shared through his characteristic storytelling flair and easy writing style, both interesting and beneficial.

Coaching Swimming Successfully (Dick Hannula) – Available at http://shop.niscaonline.org/publications. From Google:  Veteran and beginning coaches will learn how to motivate swimmers, become better communicators, and be prepared for the challenges of competitive meets. Hannula reveals his personal coaching philosophy and helps coaches develop their own code of ethics as they build a winning swimming program in and out of the pool. Detailed advice on how to evaluate swimmers’ performances in practice and in competition, as well as the entire swim program, makes this the complete guide to coaching the sport.

Other Useful Books:

The Culture Code (Daniel Coyle) Available on Amazon :
From Amazon: In The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle demystifies the culture-building process by identifying three key skills that generate cohesion and cooperation, and explains how diverse groups learn to function with a single mind. Coyle offers specific strategies that trigger learning, spark collaboration, build trust, and drive positive change.

The Talent Code (Daniel Coyle) Available on Amazon
From Amazon:  Drawing on cutting-edge neurology and firsthand research gathered on journeys to nine of the world’s talent hotbeds—from the baseball fields of the Caribbean to a classical-music academy in upstate New York—Coyle identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance in sports, art, music, math, or just about anything.

These are just a few options for other places to find great information. Strive for learning something new each season and keep your skills sharp!

Summertime is a chance for coaches, who are often teachers as well, to rest and recharge. It’s also a great time to brush up on your coaching skills. There are lots of places that you can get information about coaching swimming and diving. Below are just a few.

Professional Organizations

It is critical to be part of a professional organization. It plugs you into a ready-made network of coaches. Professional organizations can also provide education opportunities, resources and even awards for coaches and their athletes. Professional organizations are also a great resume builder, and often have opportunities for you to get involved and improve your leadership and communication skills.

ASCA – American Swimming Coaches Association. From their website: “Professional swimming coaches are the leaders in creating the best sport in the world”. ASCA provides coach certification for USA Swimming.  https://swimmingcoach.org/

NISCA – National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association. From their website: “…professional organization that supports High School coaches of all aquatic sports”. NISCA administers the High School All America Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Academic and Scholar Team programs, as well as presenting professional awards to coaches and providing educational resources.  NISCA membership also includes a $1M liability insurance policy. https://niscaonline.org/

CSCAA –  College Swimming Coaches Association of America. From their website: “…recognizes All-American swimmers, NCAA record breakers and Scholar All-America athletes and teams as well as outstanding coaches and contributors and helps oversee the welfare of collegiate swimming and diving.” http://www.cscaa.org/

ISCA – International Swim Coaches Association. From their website: “… to provide swimming coaches and teachers with exceptional, science-based education and resources while fostering an international network of professional coaches who will define the future of swimming.” https://swimisca.org/

State Interscholastic Swim Coach Organizations – Many states have their own professional organizations for swim or aquatics coaches. A few examples of states that have strong aquatic coaches organizations are:

• Michigan – https://miscaonline.net/
• Texas – https://www.teamunify.com/Home.jsp?team=rectisca
• Wisconsin – https://wisca.net/
• Washington – http://www.wisca.org/

Check in your state to see if there is a coaching association. If there isn’t, contact NISCA about getting one started.

Clinics

Going to a coaching clinic is a great way to pick up new information. It is also a chance to establish a coaching network. Networks are important, whether you use it for picking brains or finding your next job. Connecting with people, especially face to face, is essential for learning and professional growth, and clinics provide multiple opportunities to meet new friends and mentors.

ASCA – ASCA hosts the ASCA World Clinic each year in different locations. The clinic typically begins the Wednesday after Labor Day. This year the ASCA World Clinic is being held in Anaheim CA, September 4-9.  https://swimmingcoach.org/portfolio/2018-asca-world-clinic/ ASCA also hosts various regional clinics throughout the year. https://swimmingcoach.org/clinics/?filter=usa

Central/Eastern States – Central States is held on the 3^rd weekend in May in Oakbrook IL. Eastern States is the first weekend in October in Cherry Hill, NJ. Both clinics feature top coaches and Olympic swimmers, as well as ASCA and USA Swimming certification courses. These clinics include an in-water component for swimmers, in addition to the typical lectures. At least one session with the clinic speakers and swimmers is also open to coaches to watch. https://swimclinic.com/

Eastern States is currently taking Early Bird reservations with reduced pricing. Register today at http://swimclinic.com/eastern-states-swim-clinic-2/ Don’t delay – register NOW!  Don’t forget to make your hotel reservations at the same time — call (888) 233-9527 special clinic rates.

NISCA – Annual Conference is in conjunction with either the Men’s or Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. General meetings and speaker sessions take place around the prelims and finals of the meet. Coaches can also purchase tickets to the NCAA Championship meet. This year the Conference will be in conjunction with the Women’s NCAA’s March 20-23 in Austin TX. https://niscaonline.org/Conference

ISCA – Hall of Fame Coaches Summit is an educational clinic for swim coaches and teachers from any country, organization or group. Speakers of varied backgrounds present applicable information and answer questions. Social events for networking are scheduled throughout the week. This year it is August 28-31 in Clearwater Beach, FL. https://swimisca.org/hall-of-fame-coaches-clinic/

CSCAA – Holds their Convention in early May with speakers on a variety of topics. Also offers the Coach Academy and Women in Coaching Forum. http://www.cscaa.org/convention/

State Clinics

Many state activities associations or coaches associations host clinics in the summer or fall. This is a brief list and not at all comprehensive:

• Michigan – https://miscaonline.net/m-i-s-c-a-clinic/
• Texas – http://tiscaclinic.org/
• Oklahoma  – http://www.oklahomacoaches.org/index.php/clinic-info/agenda/
• Florida – http://www.floridacoaches.org/clinic-dates.html

Online Courses

NFHS – The National Federation of High Schools offers a range of on-line courses, both fundamentals of coaching and sport specific, including swimming and diving. The courses range from free to $50. https://nfhslearn.com/

ISCA – ISCA offers an education program “designed for career development, giving coaches essential tools and knowledge to be more effective. Carefully curated courses have been reviewed by both coaches and scientists for accuracy and applicability”. https://swimisca.org/education/

ASCA – ASCA offers 5 levels of certification. Each is available as a home study or an on-line course. Some levels also require experience or performance components. https://swimmingcoach.org/certification/

Take some time this summer to brush up on skills or get involved with one of the professional organizations that support our sport. You may have skills that they need, and they have resources that you need. Most of all, enjoy your summer!

Now that your season is over it is time to pack up the timing equipment for a little while. Here are some tips and tricks for maintaining and storing your timing equipment that will help improve its useful life.

You can buy the Rid-Ox Contact Protector Spray and Dielectric grease mentioned below at many local electronics stores. They are also available on our web store.

If you had any equipment that wasn’t working at the end of your season, contact us now  by e-mailing support@istime.com or calling 800-835-2611 to get an RMA number and send it in for repair. Once the season starts up again we get very busy with last minute repairs and can’t always guarantee a fast turn around time. Repair your equipment today!

Software/Computer/Printer

You don’t need to keep completed meets on the computer once you are finished with the season. For MEETWARE and TIMEWARE users, go to Utilities/Backup/Backup to back up your system. Save the backup to a USB drive or CD for storage in case you need it again.

Once you have the backup, you can delete the meets from TIMEWARE.

In MEETWARE you can delete the meets and prepare for the new season in one step. Go to Utilites/ New Season and follow the instructions. This will delete all of your meets, move your seniors to an Alumni database, and age each swimmer up a grade. Once you have completed this you’ll be ready to start fresh when you get back to your season.

Before you pack your computer away for the season, it is a good idea to run a Windows update. You’ll want to do another one at the beginning of next season, but it will go quicker if you don’t wait a full year between updates. It is important to keep Windows updated. If you don’t, it will occasionally shut off USB ports or WiFi connections in order to for you to restart, which triggers an update.

Store your computer and printer, along with your software installation disks, power cords and mouse in a cool, dry place. Make sure that you remove any paper from your printer before you store it.

CTI/Deck Cable/Backup Buttons

Before storing these items away for the summer, do some basic cleaning on them. Dip a pipe cleaner into an Electronic Contact Cleaner/Protector  spray like Rid-Ox and wipe out each connection on the deck cable boxes and ends, the connectors on the CTI and the banana plugs on the Backup Buttons. This will help clean off any corrosion that has built up and protect the metal. Be gentle when cleaning the 25 pin connectors on the deck cable and CTI; try not to bend any pins.

If you notice any pins that are bent, loose, pushed in or missing, contact IST for an RMA to get those repaired. NEVER USE WD-40 or CLR TO CLEAN METAL CONNECTIONS. Those products will damage the metal.

Once your connections are cleaned, further protect the banana plug connections by coating them with a thin layer of Dielectric Grease. Fill each hole on the deck cable, and wipe a thin layer on each prong of the banana plugs to keep them from corroding in storage. Store the CTI and associated cables, Deck Cable and Backup Buttons in a cool, dry place.

SWIMSTART

Use Rid-Ox to clean the connection for both the Microphone and the speaker. Use the Dielectric Grease on the speaker connection. Charge the start fully, then unplug it.  Store it in a cool, dry place with the charging cable attached but not plugged into the wall.

Touchpads

Rinse Touchpads with fresh water and leave them to dry thoroughly. Clean the banana plugs with Rid-Ox and coat with a thin layer of Dielectric Grease. Store the Touchpads on deck on a cart or in a well ventilated box.  Keep them out of the sunlight and away from any sharp objects that might puncture or scrape the surface.

If you have any questions about your equipment or software please don’t hesitate to contact us. We love hearing from you!

Games to Play During Workouts

Swimming workouts can be tough to manage, especially if you have varying levels of ability in the pool at the same time. They can occasionally be boring too, just follow the black line, flip and repeat. Sometimes in the middle of a season the team and coach get bored and cranky. It’s times like this when a “game” workout can help alleviate the boredom for everyone, while still getting some good work in. Here are a few ideas of workout games that you can play with your swimmers of all ages. Safety first on all of these! Make sure no one is diving in the shallow end or landing on teammates as they enter the water. Also, check out the products that IST makes that will make running those practices even easier!

Fish Ladder

A fish ladder is kind of a relay.  Divide the team into 2 or more equal groups of 5 to 10 swimmers. The more swimmers in the group the more exciting the race.

The first person starts off the blocks (or the wall if you don’t have blocks), sprints to the other end of the pool and hops out. The second person takes off as soon as the first person’s feet have cleared the near flags, third person goes as soon as the second person has cleared the near flags, etc. You should have a nearly continuous line of swimmers in the pool. Everyone sprints to the other end of the pool, gets out and back in line. As soon as the last person to leave the start end touches the wall to complete their 25, the first person can go again. If your non-starting end is shallow, the kids should start from in the water or jump in feet first – no diving into shallow water!

They continue in this fashion until everyone in the group has completed 20×25’s. The first relay to get every member to complete 20×25’s and get everyone out of the pool and onto the deck wins. It’s a great way to get the kids to sprint a 500, plus getting out of the pool at each end is a good workout too. Winners can get a prize, or just a high 5.

SWIMCLOCK With Bluetooth

The SWIMCLOCK with Bluetooth allows you to program sets and workouts in your Android or iOS device and run them on IST’s popular 2 and 4-digit pace clocks. If you already own an IST pace clock, you just need the Bluetooth adapter. It plugs right in to your existing clock. You can also purchase a new clock with the Bluetooth built right in. Plug the clock in, turn it on, connect the app and you’re ready to go. You can keep your entire workout library in your back pocket!

For more information or a quote contact IST at 800-835-2611 or info@istime.com.

Playing Card Workout – as posted on Facebook by Coach Tyson Ormonde

Photo Credit: Tyson Ormonde

Requires: Standard deck of playing cards.

There are a couple ways to play this game, and the variations are limited only by your imagination! The simplest version is to have the kids draw a card out of the deck and then swim what is on the card. You can set it up any way that you want. In this example the suite determines what stroke they are going to swim and the number indicates how they will swim it.

For example:

= Fly                              = Back                        = Breast                = Free

2 = 2×25’s                                            9 = 9×50 all free

3=3×100’s                                            10 = 10×25’s

4 = 4×75’s                                            Jack = 1×500 Free (regardless of Suit)

5 = 5×50 kick                                      Queen = 1×400 IM (regardless of Suit)

6 = 6×200’s                                          King = 1×500 swim suit stroke

7 = 7×50’s                                            Ace = 1×100 Backwards any stroke

8= 8×25’s

You can have one person draw for the whole team, or they can draw for their lane and each lane can do a different workout. You can put times on the distances (i.e. 30s per 25) or just let them swim them on their own interval. They get a lot of work done and they enjoy the anticipation of finding out what they chose. The 500 Fly is pretty brutal, but you can always let them draw again!

WORKWARE Workout Software

WORKWARE runs on your computer and allows you to create and store sets and workouts that can be run on your scoreboard, including Colorado and Daktronics numeric scoreboards. You can run a different set or workout on each line of your scoreboard, so everyone can be doing something different. On IST Alphanumeric scoreboards you can display either the time of day or a scrolling message on the scrolling line during the workout. It’s like having an extra assistant coach!

WORKWARE also allows you to download sets and workouts to your phone, so you can create your workouts on the computer and then run them on your IST SWIMCLOCK with Bluetooth!

Contact IST for more details or for a quote at 800-835-2611 or info@istime.com

Deal or No Deal

Photo Credit: Eve Julian, Ottawa Hills High School

This game is based on the game show of the same name.

Materials:

20 – 8.5×11 pieces of paper (card stock or construction paper, so you can’t see through it)

16 post-it notes numbered 1-16, 4 post-it notes labeled “Coaches Set”

Painters Tape

Flat surface for hanging the cards on.

Whiteboard to write on.

Setup:

On 16 of the pieces of paper, write sets ranging from 100 to 1600 yards in 100 yard increments. For example:

1. 4×25 Hard/Easy (100)
2. 1×200 IMO Drill (200)
3. 2×150 Kick-Drill-Swim (300)
4. 1×400 IM (400)

…….

14. 7×200 Desc 1-3, 4-6, 7=All out (1400)
15. 30×50 2 EZ – 1 Hard (1500)
16. 4×400 Mixed IM (1600)

First turn the papers face down and shuffle them so they are out of order. Then put a numbered post-it note on the back of each one. Hang the numbered cards in order on the whiteboard or wall in a 4×4 grid with the tape.

Create 4 more cards with “Coaches Sets” on them. These can be anything that you want them to be, ranging from easy to hard and any distance. Label these with post-it notes that say “Coaches Set” and hang them on the wall next to the grid of numbered papers.

If you have a whiteboard, or another piece of paper, write 100 through 1600 vertically. As the “cases” are opened, you can erase or cross off the distances that have been done. It helps the kids visualize what might be left on the papers.

To Play:

After the warmup, have the first person on the team (you choose who gets to pick) choose a number. The whole team then swims that set, and the coach crosses off the total distance on the list. The coach can pick the next swimmer to choose.

After 4 sets have been chosen and swum, the Coach can offer the team a deal. Have the swimmer choose their number, but don’t show them the set yet.  Take down the first Coaches set card and show it to the kid who is choosing this round. They then get to choose whether the team takes the Coaches set (the deal) or if they go with what is on the card that they chose. Make sure you show them what they didn’t do if they chose to do the Coaches set!

Make your workouts easier and more fun with IST. Take a look at SWIMCLOCK with Bluetooth and WORKWARE today. With help from IST, you’ll have more time to focus on coaching instead of watching the clock.

Looking for more ways to get great coaching ideas? Check out the Central States Swim Clinic May 18-19 in Oak Brook, IL. Registration is open now! Don’t forget to stop by the IST booth and sign up to win a 4-digit pace clock!

What is the IST SWIMCLOCK with Bluetooth?

IST has come out with a brand-new way to control your pace clock. Before, if you wanted to create sets and workouts you did it with a numeric keypad. This worked well, but you couldn’t create very complex sets and you were limited in the amount of sets and workouts that you could store.

IST solved that problem by creating a Bluetooth module that would connect to our pace clock and can be controlled with your smart phone. The module comes either built into a new SWIMCLOCK with Bluetooth pace clock, or as an adapter that you can plug into your exiting pace clock. It allows you to create complex sets and workouts and store them all in your device. You can even create your sets in our WORKWARE software and download them onto your phone.

How Do I Use It?

There are a couple of different ways that you can use your SWIMCLOCK with Bluetooth. The easiest is just the continuous count mode. Just turn the clock on and wait. It will start counting up after a few moments. Alternatively, you can connect your phone app to the clock (see the instruction manual for how to connect) and select the TIMER function on the main screen. If you are using the timer function, you have the ability to start, stop and reset the clock as well as sound the horn on the clock by tapping the HORN button.

EZ Mode

The easiest way to get started programming the clock is to use EZ Mode. Tap on the EZ mode icon on the main menu. Let’s say that you want to do 10×100@1:20. In the REPS box enter “10”. Choose whether you want to count Up (0:00 to 1:20) or down (1:20 to 0:00), in the TO boxes enter the minutes in the lefthand box (“1”) and the seconds in the right hand box (“20”). Tap DONE on the keyboard to hide it. Your screen will look like this:

Click on the START button to start the set. You’ll hear the horn sound, and SR: 1 will appear on the clock for 2 seconds. It will start counting at 3 seconds and will beep again at 1:20, display SR: 2 for 2 seconds and continue counting until all 10 Reps have been completed. Then the clock will stop and go blank.

Creating Sets

Once you are comfortable with EZ Mode, you can create a more complex set. From the main menu tap on Workout Mode, then select SETS.

Sets are organized by category, to make them easier to find. You can make the categories however you want. By distance, by type of set (warmup, aerobic, etc.) or any other way that you want to organize them.

To create a new category, click the menu button (3 vertical dots on Android, box with an up arrow on iOS) and select Add Category. Enter the category name into the box that pops up and tap OK or NEXT to accept it.

Next, select the Category from the set screen, tap the menu button and select Add Set. Type in the set name and tap OK or NEXT to save it.

Now you have your set you can start adding in the intervals. Let’s do a set that looks like this:
2x { 3×100@1:20
{ 4×50@1:00

The Set Rep is 2. You can choose to count up or down by clicking on the UP button. The first Interval Rep (Int.Rep) is 3 and the time is 1:20. Once you have entered those numbers, tap SAVE to save the interval.

To add the second interval (4×50@1:00), tap ADD. The Int. Rep is 4, the time is 1:00. Tap SAVE to save that interval.

You now have your set created.  Run it on the clock right from this screen by tapping on the RUN button, or combine this set with others to create a multi-level set or a full workout.

Creating Workouts

If you want to have multiple sets run back to back, you can create them as above and then combine them into a workout. The workout will run once through from top to bottom. You have the option of pausing between each set (which requires the coach to start the next set) or just have it run from beginning to end.

To create a workout, from the main menu tap WORKOUTS. Tap the Menu button, ADD WORKOUT and give the workout a name. You can name it after the main set, the date or whatever works for you. Tap NEXT or OK to save it.

Now that you have a workout, you can add your sets to it by selecting the category and set, then clicking the ADD SET button. The set will show up in the list at the bottom in the order that you select it. To change the order, tap on a set, the tap the MOVE button that appears. The sets will be numbered, and you just enter the number of the set that you want to insert the set above.

Running Workouts

Once you have the workout created, to run the workout tap on WORKOUTS on the main screen, then Run Workout. Select the workout and tap the START button. If you want to start on a different set in the workout, tap the SET NAME and select the set that you want to start on. It’s that simple!

Creating and running sets and workouts for your pace clock is simple. Once you’ve created a couple you’ll be able to do it really quickly. Plus, since they are always there you can just go back and reuse or modify as necessary.
For more information, or to purchase a SWIMCLOCK with Bluetooth or Bluetooth adapter for your existing clock check out our website: https://www.istime.com/products/digital-pace-clock/