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Freestyle Salad

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:43:30 +1000

I recently prepared one of my salad inventions for Channel 9, Today Show as part of my healthy lifestyle reporting segment and I have had many requests for a copy. So I thought I would share this on my Website.

Freestyle salad is all about using what you have in the fridge to achieve the same healthy but delicious result. Feel free to swap some of the ingredients, such as grapefruit segments instead of orange, rocket leaves instead of spinach, so don’t be afraid to experiment. The most important thing is to use fresh, whole foods as nature intended. I hope you enjoy my version.

Freestyle salad Ingredients – mix all the ingredients gently together and toss lightly with the salad dressing.

2 Large handfuls Spinach

Large handful shredded cabbage (purple)

1/2 capsicum sliced

Handful cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup cooked black rice

Sliced witlof

Spring onion diced

1 orange segmented

1 peach diced

Salad Dressing – combine all of the below ingredients into a jar & shake to emulsify

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoons honey

1/2 juice of orange

1/2 juice lemon or lime

Being your best - Goal Setting

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:26:45 +1000

I recently commenced writing a Blog for the Sunday Telegraph and wanted to share this with my fans that might not get access to the newspaper.

Often I’m asked “How do you train to make the Olympics?” and honestly it is a hard question to answer because it actually took years of hard work. The way I managed to keep focused and stay on track was by setting achievable goals that helped me step up towards the major goal.

Some people find getting started is often the hardest part and that can be because they are unsure of their goal or they don’t know how to achieve it. This is why Goal Setting is so important and not just for swimming, but it applies to all things in life. Don’t fall into the trap of becoming overwhelmed and then giving up because you have set a huge goal and that goal seems so unattainable. It is good to aim high but you need to be realistic and break the goal down into achievable units and tackle them one at a time. The old saying “slow and steady wins the race” is exactly how you will make it work.

If I started out after each Olympics thinking about the next Games, I would never get there because that goal is too big to get my head around and also too far away...So I break it down!

First, I look towards the next international race of the year and work backwards... I have to qualify for the Australian Team, achieve certain times at State competitions and along the way I need to work my technique in training, such as improving my weaknesses, with each step having its own goal.

Here are my Top Tips for getting started with a Goal.

• Always write out your Goals so you can see it visually

• Tell your partner/friend or someone close to you that you’re going to start working on this goal. This doesn’t mean that you have to show them your Goal Setting sheet because some points are private but it’s important to have a support system around you that will keep you motivated and on track. Telling other people also makes the goal REAL.

• Set realistic Goals for yourself.

• Your ULTIMATE goal might not be achieved for a few years and that’s totally fine. As long as you have the right steps in place to lead you along this journey to success you WILL get there.

• Reward yourself when you achieve benchmark goals along the way. Note that rewarding yourself shouldn’t always be in the form of food or a nice meal out, it can be but mix them up and buy yourself a massage or those cute shoes you’ve wanted…Everyone needs encouragement and to feel good.

• BE POSITIVE

• Consistency is key...

Junior Excellence swim clinic for Swimming Australia

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:54:46 +1000

I love working with kids and demonstrating swimming technique along with general health and fitness as it is so much fun being around them and I enjoy all their positive energy. In the past month I have done a couple of swimming clinics, one with my coach Bohly and the other with Bohly’s former coach Laurie Lawrence.

Last month Bohly and I headed to Toowoomba to Concordia Primary school for the launch of their refurbished pool complex. It was a great morning and well attended by the school body, members of the public and the media. The kids were fantastic and really excited to see me which gives me such a buzz, I love it.

Also last month I was privileged to attend Laurie Lawrence’s water safety program for kids called “Kids Alive do the Five”. Drowning is the greatest cause of accidental death in children under the age of 5 years and Laurie is passionate about educating people to reduce the risk to pre-school children. The five rules are – fence your pool; shut the gate; teach your kids to swim; supervise kids in the pool and learn how to resuscitate. It was amazing to watch Laurie and the other coaches with these young kids and teach them the basics to help prevent drowning.

Next week I am heading off to Hobart, Tasmania as part of Swimming Australia’s Junior Excellence program. These clinics have been set up to encourage the next generation of Olympic champions to keep on pursuing their goals in swimming. I am involved in a swim clinic, followed by a Q&A and finishing up with photo and signing opportunities. It is an honor and privilege to be involved in the Junior Excellence program as I remember myself being a young swimmer and looking up to the likes of Grant Hackett and Suzie O’Neil and remembering how that encouraged me to swim the best I can.

For further information on Kids Alive do the Five, please visit the website - www.kidsalive.com.au

2012 Facebook competition

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 0:00:00 +1000

I have just launched my latest Facebook competition on “The perfect team” – why do you and your best friend make the perfect team? I wanted to do something in this latest competition to celebrate best friends as one of my best friends is Australian swimmer Bronte Barratt who has been an important part of my life since we were both 13 years old. I have so many great memories with Bronte not only just as swimming and roomie buddies but also as best friends out of the pool.

Bronte and I have been great friends since Grade 8, when we were both 13yrs old and over the years we have remained really close. We have been selected on numerous Australian swimming teams and we always choose to room together as we both have similar habits and get on so well. We both train at St Peters Western swimming club with our coach Michael Bohl and it is great having your best friend in the squad to prop you up when you are having a tough day.

Apart from being best friends we are also a great team together, in fact the perfect team. In 2008 at the Beijing Olympics Bronte & I were part of the 4 x 200Freestyle relay team that won the Gold medal for Australia in World record time. That was such a fantastic moment and it was great to share the excitement of our victory with Bronte and the other 2 girls, Kylie Palmer & Linda McKenzie. Bronte and I are now in Manchester along with the rest of the Australian Olympic swimming team in preparation for the 2012 London Olympic Games and we both are hopeful that we will once again have the opportunity to swim together in the Freestyle relay representing Australia.

To find out more and enter for my Best Friends competitions go to: - http://www.facebook.com/ItsStephRice.

2012 Olympic Preparation - My taper for London 2012

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 0:00:00 +1000

My taper for the 2012 London Olympics is very similar to all of my previous tapers for important national & international competition. Bohly and I have been working together as coach and swimmer for 10 years now and over the years we have changed it a little with small adjustments here and there but basically we have it down to a fine art. The object of the taper is to have the swimmer at their absolute peak performance for the first day of competition and during the meet.

Our squad departed Brisbane on 28th June for Europe and for the last 18 days we have been training in Montpelier, France. Bohly started my taper a couple of weeks ago as this Olympic preparation requires a longer taper. Almost every taper I tend to fall sick for a few days because of the change in workload and this taper is no different. I felt really exhausted and tired 2 days into the taper and had to rest up in the hotel while the remainder of the squad travelled to watch the Tour de France which was annoying at the time. No sooner had I started to recover from this when I was struck down with a vomiting bug which meant that my roomie, Bronte had to be moved into another room to protect her from getting sick. It is frustrating when things like this happen because it is out of your control and there is nothing you can do but rest up and get well. It also means that I can’t work at an intense level so once I was over the vomiting we had to lighten up the workload which allowed me to recover.

The level of competition dictates the degree of the taper and the Olympic Games is the pinnacle of competitions. The taper is crucial to your performance and getting this right is of the utmost importance.

2012 Olympic Preparation – Thoughts on London 2012

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:28:40 +1000

I left Brisbane on 28th of June with Bohly & the SPW squad for the first stage of our Olympic preparation. It is important to keep our level of training at a high intensity but during the winter months this can become challenging as we train in an outdoor pool, hence our early departure for Europe.

We have just spent 2 weeks training in Montpelier, France & Barcelona, Spain and the weather has been beautiful with plenty of opportunities to work on a tan. On Tuesday we move into the Olympic Staging camp in Manchester, UK and all of the Australian Olympic swimming team will be here. You can feel the excitement building amongst everyone as we are getting closer and closer to the London Olympics.

A lot of people have been asking me how I feel about this Olympics and what I am hoping to achieve. This preparation has been very different to Beijing 2008 as I was virtually an unknown swimmer, till I broke the 2 Individual Medley world records at the Australian Nations in March ’08. I was young with no injuries, practically inexperienced on the world stage and didn’t know what to expect at the Olympics. This time around it is completely different. I have been nursing an injury, a torn tendon in my right shoulder for the last 7 months. However, I am 4 years older, wiser, tougher and mentally stronger than last time and I know what to expect. I am not going into London with any other expectation than to swim and race to the very best of my ability. I am confident that I have the strength and tenacity to extract the very best from myself and I am really excited about the outcome. I don’t like to put pressure on myself by speaking of precise goals as I prefer to keep this between me & Bohly. My plan is to swim to the very best of my ability and I have prepared to be the best that I can be in London.

I am going into this Olympics knowing that I have ticked every box and done everything I possibly can to perform at my absolute. I am excited and ready to race!

2012 Olympic Preparation – Training camp in USA

Wed, 30 May 2012 18:46:06 +1000

I am in California, USA at the moment on a training camp with Bohly & my SPW Olympians and we are all enjoying the warm weather. We travelled to Hawaii first and spent 5 days there in a training camp. It was hard to focus on the training because our location was right on the beach and everyone in Hawaii was soaking up the sun and in holiday mode.

Next up was Vancouver, Canada for a couple days and then racing over the weekend at the 2012 Mel Zajac Jr International It was great to do some racing and I am happy with my results. I won the 400IM in 4:39.71 & I also won the 200IM in 2:12.51. My SPW team mates, Bronte Barratt, Meagan Nay, Leisel Jones, Yolane Kukla, Kennrick Monk, Ryan Napoleon, Mitch Larkin, Ned McKendry & Park tae hwan all swam brilliantly and there were a significant number of records that were broken. On the last day of the meet Meagan Nay, Leisel Jones, myself and Yolane Kukla swam in the 4 x 100 Medley Relay and we won this event by 14 seconds. Needless to say our coach Bohly was happy with the results.

We then travelled onto Santa Clara California in readiness for the annual International Santa Clara swim meet. Bohly has taken a group of us to this meet in the past and I enjoy coming here and I’m looking forward to meeting up with some of my American swimming mates. The competition at Santa Clara is of a high standard as the American’s are preparing for their Olympic selection and use this meet as part of their preparation.

I will let you know how go at the meet as we start racing on Thursday 31st May and finish Sunday 3rd June. I will be competing in both the medleys and the 100m Fly. Wish me luck xx

You can check out the live results on - https://www.teamunify.com

2012 Olympic Preparation – Pre-Race meal

Sun, 13 May 2012 23:02:21 +1000

I enjoy eating a clean and healthy diet and try to eat organic whenever possible. My diet consists of a lot of salad and vegetables with good sources of protein including fish, chicken and tofu, diary and low GI carbohydrates such as rice, porridge and starchy vegetables, I prefer sweet potatoes.

Prior to a big race event I find my stomach becomes unsettled with the nervous energy that I experience and it is important that I don’t aggravate this by eating foods that are too rich or contain creamy sauces. I tend to keep my diet very plain, simple and consistent, consuming clean healthy food which is easy to digest.

The day before the race I will have porridge with fresh fruit, preferably berries and some yogurt at breakfast. My mid morning snack is generally a couple of savory SunRice cakes with avocado, tomatoes and spinach. Lunch would be tuna, rice and salad that is quick and easy to prepare. Afternoon tea consists of banana with sweet SunRice cakes and a coffee. Dinner is lots of green vegetables, sweet potatoes and steamed chicken.

The morning of the race I generally eat porridge as I find this doesn’t upset my digestion. The types of snacks I take to the meet would be raw nuts, seeds and dried fruit, banana, sweet SunRice cakes and plenty of fluids to replace electrolytes and water.

Along with my pre packed snacks I also pack in shakes and gels to aid recovery. It is important to include a good source of carbohydrates which is quickly absorbed before a race. I prefer the Endura gels which I consume right after my pre-race warm up, generally 30 – 45 minutes before I race. After the race I usually consume a banana or energy drinks, depending on what I feel like. Post race protein recovery shake which I consume after each session at the end of the day. Recovery food is an important part of racing especially if you are racing over a few days.

2012 Olympic Preparation – London Calling

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:55:40 +1000

I am so relieved that I swam as well as I did last week at the Olympic Trials in Adelaide and the times I posted have given me a great boost of confidence. As you are all aware the last 4 months has been very challenging due to the torn tendon in my Right shoulder and it has been a very careful balancing act as far as swimming training has gone. There have been times during a training session when my shoulder has been painful and I have had to get out of the water and grab my runners and head off on the treadmill for a run or do an extra cardio session at the gym with my trainer. The cross training has helped me to maintain a high level of fitness but I am looking forward to being able to set up a good solid block of training from now until the Olympics.

I will be defending both my titles in the 400m & 200m Individual Medley and I hope to gain a spot on the Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay. These are the same swims that I was so successful with in Beijing and I’m really excited and grateful to get this opportunity again.

My team mates from St Peters Western swim club (SPW) were also very successful and I am so proud of them all and of our fabulous coach, Michael Bohl who has done an outstanding job in helping us all to gain selection. Our club makes up 10 of the 44 team members for the Olympic swimming team which is an outstanding achievement and I think it is a record. The SPW squad going to the London Olympics are Bronte Barratt, Meagan Nay, Leisel Jones, Yolane Kukla, Ryan Napolean, Kennrick Monk, Ned McKendry, Mitch Larkin & Nick D’Arcy and of course me:) We are all looking forward to supporting each other through this next preparation and helping each other to get the best from ourselves. It will be great to have Team Bohl working together towards London. Bring it on.

2012 Olympic Preparation – Dryland Training

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:22:13 +1000

Swimming training is only one aspect of the fitness work that I do. I like to cross train with some running, bike riding and yoga along with weight training and dryland training. It is important, not just to me but to all swimmers to achieve overall body strength and stability through a strong core as swimming relies on your core strength. Most people think that swimming is about your arms and legs’ working independently whereas a good swimmer knows it is about your core connecting your arms and legs.

Dryland training is a tool that increases your core strength and activates your core prior to swim training. Our squad spends 20- 30 minutes, 2 mornings a week and 30 minutes 2 afternoons a week, prior to our swim session, specifically working on our core strength. The types of exercises we do besides skipping, shoulder and scapula control and abdominal exercises are all body weight resistance exercises such as pushups and lunges, which create lean muscle, not muscle mass. You can view a series of film clips I recently did for my sponsor SunRice, in particular the one on Dryland Training. Keep an eye out on the SunRice Facebook Page. SunRice - Steph's Swim Squad | Facebook

Muscle mass, strength and definition are created through weight training, which I will cover in coming weeks.