Swim to the Top: Arthur Lydiard Takes to the Water [Paperback]

David Wright (Author), Garth Gilmour (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2002

New Zealand swimming coach David Wright sought the help of running guru Arthur Lydiard to gain better results. He had already used Lydiard's endurance training schedules while living and working in England to establish his wife, Alison, as one of New Zealand's premier middle-distance runners, and wondered how Lydiard's methods could be applied in the swimming pool. For nearly a decade, Wright and Lydiard, collaborating every week, experimented with the conversion of long-distance aerobic endurance training, hill running, bounding and springing, steps running and sprint sharpening from the varied terrains that a runner encounters to the confines of a swimming pool's still, flat water. This volume presents the method they have developed, and is designed for all swimmers, beginners and advanced, who are looking for new ways in swimming training.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Wright was a coach for his wife Alison in the 70s. She was a successful Middle Distance runner and still holds the New Zealand record over 1000m. David Wright is now a swimming coach of several successful New Zealand swimmers and his training methods are starting to be spread all over the world. Garth Gilmour is an experienced journalist and Arthur Lydiard's co-author since 1960. He has written biographies of famous sportsmen such as Olympic Gold medallists Sir Murray Halberg and Peter Snell.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Meyer & Meyer Verlag (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841260835
• ISBN-13: 978-1841260839
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,988,711 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars swim to the top lydiard in the pool, August 28, 2002

By 

nyuus "reeder" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swim to the Top: Arthur Lydiard Takes to the Water (Paperback)

Arthur Lydiard is the man that pioneered jogging and brought success to a generation of athletes from New Zealand. the author David Wright is a renowned swim coach and in this book he shows how Lydiard's philosophy can be applied to swimming
While this book is gerared to coaches both beginners and experienced even solo swimmers training on their own will get alot out of this book.Not full of drills or learn to swim instruction this book will aid in establishing a good mental approach and more importantly will let swimmers have a plan and sense of direction.
Written in an easy reading style most of Wright's stories or examples are about swimmers in New Zealand and not world house hold name swimmers but this doesn't lessen the relevance or meaning behind then.Wright is an old school coach and his views on training and diet are logical and refreshingly succint in this age of high tech jargonism.photographs are not in huge number but break up the text enough to keep interest high.
The book is if anything a text book on coaching and those looking for a learn to swim will be better steered to other books which deal with this topic.
Overall a good interesting read that will benefit any competitive swim coach or athlete.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Swim To The Top, June 25, 2009

By 

Peter Kariher (West Palm Beach FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Swim to the Top: Arthur Lydiard Takes to the Water (Paperback)

Excellent book for the experienced as well as the starter. Swimming becomes more fun and you are more competitive when you have a understanding of how your systems must all works together. Thanks to David Wright for writing this book.