On today's Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast we meet Martin Klein from Frankfurt, a dedicated masters swimmer who competes with fervour and finds his motivation from within. Inspired by Eric Fromm's "To Have or To Be," Martin shares his philosophy on personal growth and intrinsic motivation, emphasising the joy of swimming beyond the medals. This episode sheds light on his solo training routine, the camaraderie of national and European competitions, and the mental clarity swimming brings in an always-connected world.
Learn how Martin is preparing for next years World Masters Championships in Singapore and get a behind-the-scenes look at his recent performance at the European Championship in Belgrade. Martin also opens up about his mental preparation techniques, like visualisation, to stay focused and calm during races. From the technical nuances of backstroke turns to the specific strength workouts that keep him at peak performance, discover the secrets that help Martin maintain his impressive lifetime personal bests.
Join us for an inspiring conversation that showcases the passion and perseverance of a true master swimmer.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Danielle Spurling (00:10):
Hello swimmers and welcome to another
episode of Torpedo Swim Talkpodcast.
I'm your host, Danielle Sprling, and each week we chat to an
inspiring swimmer from aroundthe world about their swimming
journey.
Swimmer from around the worldabout their swimming journey.
I'm joined today by Germanmaster swimmer, martin Klein,
living in Frankfurt, where hetrains by himself.
(00:32):
We find out all about masterswimming in Germany, what
inspires Martin to keep pursuinglifetime PBs, and all about the
recent European MastersChampionships where he medalled.
Let's hear from Martin now.
Hi Martin, welcome to thepodcast.
Martin Klein (00:54):
Yeah, hi, glad to be here.
Danielle Spurling (00:57):
Yeah, we're really happy to have you.
Where are you based in Germany,and what pool do you do most of
your swim training out of?
Martin Klein (01:06):
yeah, I'm living in Frankfurt, the big city here
in Germany, and I'm training inactually in Darmstadt it's 20 I
train four to five times a week,mostly four kilometers, and I
(01:28):
do also athletic workouts twotimes a week and have fun.
The most important part inmaster swimming is enjoying my
way and having fun, because I'mworking as a teacher full time,
(01:48):
so I need some relax time afterthat, you know, and swimming is
the most for me, where I can bemost relaxed.
If I go to water and just I canjust forget everything, have
(02:11):
fun, and that's very importantfor me to have a right balance.
You know, in my life, yes,absolutely.
Danielle Spurling (02:22):
And the master swimming that you do at
your pool?
Do you do that by yourself oryou're with a master's squad or
team?
Martin Klein (02:29):
I'm doing this by myself because my team is in
Berlin, so it's 6,100 kilometersaway from me.
It's a big Berliner TSC.
It's called my team, so it's abig Masters team with very
(02:49):
strong people there, and if Ihave some Nationals, masters
Nationals or last month I wentto the Belgrade it's the coding
European Championships and itwas a big team there with me and
so I could get some goodresults there, because it's
(03:14):
important for me to have a bigteam and in Frankfurt it's not a
good Masters team anymore, butI need this for your motivation,
I understand yeah, for mymotivation, right yeah?
Danielle Spurling (03:31):
how big is master swimming in germany?
So how, how many people aresort of swimming it?
Martin Klein (03:38):
yeah, it's very big part.
If you look in the resultsevery world championships, it's
a big master swimming fromGermany, so it's growing every
year and the nationals everyyear about 1,000 people.
(04:03):
So it's big meeting for Germany, yeah.
Danielle Spurling (04:07):
That is big, yes.
So aside from the nationalsthat you have in Germany each
year, do you have a lot of othercompetition opportunities?
Martin Klein (04:17):
Of course, of course.
Every month, yeah, onecompetition and master streaming
on and take also some smallmeetings where I can uh just
swim with young guys and uh,yeah, um, I try my best and I'm
(04:39):
not bad at all.
You know, if you look at mybest times, my main stroke is
100 backstroke.
So my lifetime best is one, oh,so it's it's one minute.
And now I'm 45 and I'm swimmingstill 102, so uh, it's it's not
(05:03):
.
Or two, so uh, it's it's not.
Danielle Spurling (05:12):
I lost only two seconds uh, about over the
last 24 years, so it's not badat all, I think.
I think that's wonderful.
What?
What do you put that down to?
Because I know that when I wasswimming as an age grouper, I
think my my best time was a 105,and I'm struggling to break 120
now.
How did you stay within twoseconds?
Martin Klein (05:29):
Yeah, that's the most challenging part of the
master swimming.
You know to try looking and youprogress steady.
So you have to look only onyourself and and not looking on
and another people.
That's why I struggling themost.
Just, you know I have strongcompetition and 45 age group, 45
(05:54):
, it's a lot former olympians,you know, like steve to look, uh
, last kalinka, or also fromgermany, um, very strong people
and if you look, and their times.
So I have no chance now.
But the most important part forme is just looking at myself,
(06:18):
how I can improve my swimming,my technique, my workouts and to
have fun.
You know, that's the reason whyI'm swimming, why I keep
swimming, just enjoy the ride,enjoy the way for me, for myself
(06:40):
, you know, and not lookingaround.
You know and not looking around.
And it's also not important tome just winning medals or, you
know, be the best and what I cando with myself, with my
capabilities.
You know and that's all.
Danielle Spurling (07:01):
No, I love that perspective.
I mean I think you've reallysort of encapsulated that.
You know what I think MasterSwimming is about, which is
thinking about your own processand thinking about your own time
.
So you're really competing withyourself and the external
things the medals and those kindof things, you know they're a
bonus on top of it.
(07:21):
But to be able to keep yourtime so close, give us a bit of
an insight into what kind ofworkouts you do for your 100
backstroke and 200 backstrokeyeah, before I doing this, I
would would explain myphilosophy.
Martin Klein (07:37):
Uh, so it's called a little bit philosophy for me,
if I don't know, if you knowthe name eric from it's a
philosopher, he, he, he write agood book or the best book I
(08:01):
ever read.
It's called To have or To Be.
The main part of his philosophywas the materialism of the
society, to describe it and howwe focus on materialism.
And how we focus on materialism, you know to to win in sport,
(08:30):
it's just to win medals, to havemedals.
You know to to win first place.
So, and the compare is how tobe.
You know how to develop yourown capabilities, your own
mindset, to grow in yourself.
You know that's the philosophyfor me, to take this to my sport
and to especially to the masterswimming.
(08:54):
So, and it's work, if I have ameeting, I'm not looking on
always, only on my time or on myplace.
You know I'm looking how I wasswimming, how was my technique,
how was my style, how was mymindset in this meeting, and
(09:15):
that's the key part for me todevelop, to grow in my progress,
you know.
So if I make a summary of mymeetings and I'm looking at my,
only on my time.
It could be good or it could bebad, but it's not say anything
(09:38):
what I could do better.
You know, it's only my time.
But what is this?
I had a bad meeting at thebeginning of my season, but it's
, it's, uh, it's okay and I canmove on.
I keep going, going, going andthen I'm start going better
(10:03):
because of the small steps Imade, doing my progress.
You know, doing my work.
So, and if I'm looking of my,my um workout, what I'm doing in
swimming, uh, if I'm endurance,so um, I have um at the
beginning of my session, I havea big, big part, is the body
(10:27):
only meter, meter beat, so it'snot speed.
And then maybe six weeks beforethe main meeting, I'm making
more speed, so less endurance,and it works for me, so I'm not
(10:58):
tired if I'm going to the taper,so it's it's two weeks for the
big meeting, I'm very strong andthen I can use the taper to to
make my progress, to make mystep in the with the time.
Danielle Spurling (11:07):
I understand what you mean.
So do you have, do you have, acoach overseeing what you do, or
do you write your own programs?
Martin Klein (11:13):
unfortunately, no, I have no coach in frankfurt,
the only coach I have in my teamin berlin.
But, um, yeah, that's, that'sthe one, one of the the problems
I have at the moment.
Nobody is looking at me.
Danielle Spurling (11:34):
Yeah, so it's one of the things you want to
look at.
Have you got any access tovideoing yourself so that you
can get someone to have a lookat that?
Martin Klein (11:43):
Yeah, of course I have some access.
I have some friends who takepictures and who take the tapes
for me and so I can look at mytechnique.
That's a very important part.
And also, on the meetings, ifI'm going to the meet, I always
(12:07):
take the tape and I can look atthen how, how I was uh and how
was my technique uh, becausethat's that's that's very
important uh, today to improvein this, this area.
Danielle Spurling (12:21):
Yeah and so when you, when you were swimming
as an age grouper, when youwere a teenager and and
obviously backstroke has changeda lot over that time now we've
got the ledges and we've got thedifferent turns, how did you
sort of adapt to those newthings if you haven't had a
coach, did you?
You have to talk, you have toteach yourself those things
right, right, that's a goodquestion.
Martin Klein (12:41):
I I just uh, my, my uh underwater um delphine, um
was was good, it's good, andwas was uh 20 years ago, as it
uh as well was younger, was notbad at all.
So I could um take this to mymaster swimming.
(13:04):
Maybe the the most challengingpart is right now to keep the
athletics.
You know to stay strong Ifyou're lifting.
You know it's alwayschallenging to keep my level
(13:31):
with the age.
Danielle Spurling (13:32):
It's obviously going to drop off a
little bit as we age, but yes,and obviously you continue
trying to do those same thingsand it just comes off a little
bit, but it sounds like you'redoing all the right things.
So how many times a week areyou doing strength training, did
you say?
Martin Klein (13:48):
I do two times I'm lifting and strength.
So I'm doing also some core.
Core, uh, you know, core for myuh entire body.
It's uh four times a week.
Uh, just 15 minutes, 15 to 20minutes just to to keep my core,
you know uh, strong.
(14:09):
It's very important core forjust for backstroke or for all
swaps.
Danielle Spurling (14:14):
And I mean backstroke, is a very
leg-dominant stroke with thekick.
Are you a strong kicker and doyou do a lot of kicking in your
training?
Martin Klein (14:25):
Not, I'm a strong kicker at the beginning of my
race, but then after the third15 metres I'm not kicking
anymore.
Yeah, that's, that's.
That's very hard to train.
Also, because it's it's.
Yeah, if I have only one houror one hour and TESOL, I am
(14:53):
doing more, you know more of mywhole body swimming than kicking
.
But yeah, I will try to focusnext time more on the legs to
make some improvements in thisarea, area.
Uh, yeah, because it's, it's,it's, yeah, it's important, like
(15:14):
you say, um, it's, um, just on50 meters.
So my, my 50 meters are not sogood compared to to 100 meter.
So I'm swimming just only 29,Just a little better, 28, just
like 28.8 or 9.
(15:37):
So if you compare this to 1 or2, I can improve some speed,
definitely.
Danielle Spurling (15:46):
And so in your 100 backstroke do you take
it out.
Quite what's your strategy?
Do you take it out very fast ordo you build over the 100?
Martin Klein (15:54):
take, it out.
Quite what's your strategy?
Do you take it out very fast ordo you build over the hundred?
I'm in taking always very fastand try to comb, uh, try to um
just everything on the on thelast 25 meters, but it's, it's
always challenging the last 15meters I'm just dying um, you
know every time but uh, yeah,that's um, that's my strategy.
(16:16):
I can.
I can go as slow at the more atthe beginning back, because
it's not like 20 years ago Icould swim.
My best time long course, 200meter backstroke, was two
minutes 12.
I could start with 106 andcould come back with 106.
Danielle Spurling (16:41):
Wow, that's impressive.
Martin Klein (16:43):
Yeah, but at master swimming I can't do this
anymore.
I don't know why, but my besttime was eight years ago in
London on the European MastersStreaming Championships.
I was 2.8, I swam 2.18, I go1.07 at the beginning and then
(17:06):
1.11, so it's four seconds and Ican't close the gap.
I don't know why.
It's just maybe a part ofageing or getting older and,
yeah, I don't know, everybody'sstruggling.
Danielle Spurling (17:27):
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Well, I mean to swim the 200backstroke.
You've got to do a lot of work.
Martin Klein (17:33):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Danielle Spurling (17:35):
And you're probably not doing like.
When you swam back as an agegroup, you probably were
swimming a lot more and you knowyou recover so much quicker as
a younger person.
What do you do for yourrecovery?
How do you what works for you?
Martin Klein (17:52):
Yeah, that's also a very important part of the the
whole process to recover.
Well, so I'm doing some ridewith and doing something else,
(18:16):
you know, so bike and going tojust to the nature and going to
some hijacking, you know, andyeah, that's just to go out and
and and Relax for my mind.
(18:36):
You know that's the most, maybe, just to forget that I have a
work, forget to swim, just relaxin my mind and that's working
well for me just then.
Yeah.
Danielle Spurling (18:56):
We'll be back with Martin after this short
break.
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Now back to martin.
I, yeah, I understand.
That's what I like about goingswimming, because you can't.
You can't be contacted on yourphone and you don't have to
answer it, and you don't have toanswer texts or emails, so it
does give your mind a real breakright, yeah, that's, that's
(20:00):
that's really important today,just to relax you, uh, your mind
, and and and clear your mind,you know yes, yeah, absolutely.
Do you swim any other um eventsother than your backstroke and
anything else that you have asyour favorites?
Martin Klein (20:15):
yeah, yeah, I'm doing also a medley, 100 200
meter medley.
Uh, I'm um one month ago in theeuropean uh championships um in
belgium.
It's a big meeting, uh,european uh, it's uh.
If you're looking at the times,uh, there's uh, you can compare
(20:36):
the times with the worldchampions.
So it's it's, it's, it's reallyuh heavy, yeah, um to get uh.
So I I take I um from 229, soit was not bad, but um, my
priests walk, though, was very,very slow, so I have no idea why
(20:58):
, and I also swam 100 priestwalk.
It was better than my 50 priestwalk in the medley.
I swam one minute 15.
Danielle Spurling (21:13):
Yeah, okay, and tell us a little bit about
that European Championships.
It was in Belgrade.
You said, yeah, was that longcourse or short course?
Martin Klein (21:23):
Yeah, it was long course, of course.
Yeah, it's always long courseand it's a big meeting.
This year was not so big.
Usually it's bigger.
If you remember, I don't know,eight years ago in London there
was so many people waiting toget to the swimming pool.
(21:45):
It was crazy.
It was about, I think, 10,000people yeah, 10,000, it's it's
wasn't, and warm up was justselected in three parts 20
minutes and you have to go out,and the next it was.
(22:07):
But yeah, this year was about,I think, people, so it was more
relaxed and but the times,especially in my age group 45 if
you're looking at best times in100 meter backstroke or 200
(22:28):
meter backstroke it was crazy.
Danielle Spurling (22:32):
How many days does that European championship
go over?
Martin Klein (22:36):
One week, so seven days.
Danielle Spurling (22:39):
And is there qualifying times for that?
Martin Klein (22:41):
No, just very slow times, so almost everybody can
compete.
Danielle Spurling (22:50):
And have you been to a World Masters
Championships before?
Martin Klein (22:54):
Yeah, I've never been there, but my goal next
year is Singapore it's I neverwent to Asia, so I will.
It will be my first trip toAsia and and I hope Singapore is
(23:16):
a nice city.
Singapore is a nice city and,yeah, I'm looking forward and,
yeah, I focus on the 200-meterbackstroke and 100-meter
backstroke now in the nextcouple months and to make some
improvements there and to getsome good results then next year
(23:40):
, I hope.
But then the way to go to theyou know the way it's for me, uh
, the most important part, notto looking can I get a medal or
can I?
Uh, you know, just enjoy my way, yeah and with with your 100
and 200 backstroke.
Danielle Spurling (24:00):
What's your mindset like when you go out
behind the blocks just beforeyou race?
What are you thinking and andhow do you sort of calm your
nerves down?
Martin Klein (24:09):
that's.
That's good question.
Uh, it's called visualvisualization.
You know, uh, if you're doingthis before you meet, maybe one
week it's not one week agoyou're going through your ways
in your mind.
One, it's just one time per day, you know, and that's helped me
(24:34):
a lot to to stay calm and toimprove well at the main meeting
, because I'm going through myways in my mind and so I know
now I can, I know what I can andI know I can swim well, I was
(24:57):
good in training, I have goodworkouts and to be
self-awareness, you know that'sthe most key part.
Just believe in yourself andit's just master swimming, you
know it's not going for Olympianor you know it's having fun,
(25:21):
and just remember this everytime.
Danielle Spurling (25:23):
Yeah, and are you a good turner?
Are you good at backstroketurns?
Martin Klein (25:35):
Yeah, maybe I can improve some parts there.
Just to after the turn, I thinkI can make the can start a
little bit quicker to get moreacceleration, you know, to get
(26:05):
more speed after the, after thehitting the, the wall, you know
how many?
Danielle Spurling (26:11):
how many kicks do you do off the wall on
each of your turns underwater?
Martin Klein (26:15):
usually at the beginning, if it's a short
course, metre After the firstwall I'm doing 10 metres.
After the second wall, maybejust nine metres, and then after
the third wall it's maybe fiveor six metres.
(26:35):
It's maybe five or six meters.
Danielle Spurling (26:39):
Yeah, and what do you find in your lifting
or your strength workouts?
What kind of exercises are youdoing?
What specific exercises do youdo there to help your swimming
in the water?
Martin Klein (26:55):
Yeah, it's a good question.
It's a big area, know, and forswimming it's it's difficult or
it's hard to find the rightworkout.
So I'm doing some research andlooking around what it's, what
(27:18):
can I improve, and looking atthe shift.
Maybe this year I would take acoach in this area just to get
some new idea and some new youknow what I can improve and what
(27:42):
.
Just to get yeah, to get newimpact here for my whole
workouts.
Danielle Spurling (27:52):
Yeah, yeah, look, I think it's a really good
idea.
I mean, there is a lot ofinformation on social media, but
a lot of the people that putthat information on are not
experts in the field, so it isalways good to get an expert
opinion from someone who's got aqualification as well.
Martin Klein (28:13):
Yeah, that's very good, very important, because if
you work out you're doing everytime the same thing and it's
not good because you have to dosomething else to improve.
(28:33):
Yeah, and if somebody lookingat you from the outside, you
know that's very important justto change your mindset here, you
know, to change every time, tomake something different, just
(28:56):
to improve in this area.
Danielle Spurling (28:57):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely Now.
Martin, everyone that comes onthe podcast, I like to ask them
the deep dive five, which isfive favourite things about your
swimming?
So just tell me the first thingthat pops into your head what
is your favourite pool thatyou've ever swum in?
Martin Klein (29:13):
My favourite pool was in Monte Carlo Monaco.
Danielle Spurling (29:20):
Is that the one down on the water?
The outdoor one?
Martin Klein (29:24):
Yeah, it was in the yeah.
Danielle Spurling (29:29):
Yeah, I've swum at that one.
It's beautiful, isn't it?
Martin Klein (29:31):
Yeah, beautiful location there.
Danielle Spurling (29:33):
Yes, very nice.
What's your favouritebackstroke drill?
Martin Klein (29:43):
location there.
Very nice.
What's your favorite backstroke?
Drill 200 meter fast, then twotime 100 meter fast, and then
two time 50 meter fast.
So after that I'm done how muchrest?
Danielle Spurling (29:52):
how much rest do you take in between?
Martin Klein (29:54):
that Just after the 200 metre, one minute, after
the 100 metre, just 30 seconds,and after 15 metres, just 15
seconds.
Danielle Spurling (30:17):
It's not much , but then after this, I'm done
for for the day, and so that wasyour favorite set.
What about your favorite drill?
Your favorite backstroke drill?
Martin Klein (30:24):
so like breaking down the stroke so yeah, some
just for the technique.
I'm doing some uh with my fins,I'm doing some special like
this, just with single arm with25 metres and with another
(30:44):
single arm, 25 metres, just tostay here stable and just to get
a feeling for my arms, you know.
Danielle Spurling (30:56):
Yeah, no, that's a good one.
How about your favouritepsych-up song, musical song that
you like to listen to to getyourself fired up?
Martin Klein (31:09):
Oh, that's what is my, maybe from the movie
Wookiee Wookiee Balboaa Eye ofthe Tiger.
Danielle Spurling (31:21):
Oh, Eye of the Tiger.
Yes, that's a good one.
That's a good one.
And how about you?
What was your favouriteswimming moment from the Paris
Olympics that we just had?
Martin Klein (31:33):
Maybe the most was .
I'm a very big fan of the kellymess from canada and she gets
third place in 200 meter backswork and I'm rooting for her,
you know, and I was uh, um,because, uh, the last two years
(31:56):
she had a difficult time to, uh,you know, to, to stay with the
fastest, uh, um, women's there,the this big competition, and
she got third in 200 meter backnow in paris and, and, uh, I was
happy for her yeah she, shelooks like a lovely, a lovely
(32:19):
swimmer yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,I following her on on instagram
and and, um, yeah, the was wasuh very uh, um, um, yeah,
exciting to to uh that she, she,she gets the medal.
Yeah, yeah.
Danielle Spurling (32:39):
Yeah, she seems very nice.
Martin Klein (32:41):
Yes, yeah, yeah.
Danielle Spurling (32:43):
Well, Martin, thank you so much for joining
us on the podcast today.
It's been lovely hearing aboutMaster Swimming in Germany and
your swimming journey yourselfand wishing you lots of success
and good wishes for all yourtraining for Singapore next year
.
Martin Klein (32:59):
Yeah, cool.
Thank you very much to be here.
Danielle Spurling (33:02):
Yeah, it's been lovely, lovely.
Okay, see you later.
Bye.
Martin Klein (33:06):
See you later.
Bye.
Danielle Spurling (33:10):
Thanks for listening into today's episode.
I hope you enjoyed hearing allabout Martin's journey and a
little bit about swimming inGermany, and hopefully this has
inspired you to check out somemeets right over Europe and
maybe the next European MastersChampionships.
Thank you also to our newsubscribers, steph and Eric.
(33:31):
Welcome to the Swim Talkersgroup and I hope you enjoy the
inside lane Till next time.
Happy swimming and bye for now.
Hello swimmers and welcome to another
episode of Torpedo Swim Talkpodcast.
I'm your host, Danielle Sprling, and each week we chat to an
inspiring swimmer from aroundthe world about their swimming
journey.
Swimmer from around the worldabout their swimming journey.
I'm joined today by Germanmaster swimmer, martin Klein,
living in Frankfurt, where hetrains by himself.
(00:32):
We find out all about masterswimming in Germany, what
inspires Martin to keep pursuinglifetime PBs, and all about the
recent European MastersChampionships where he medalled.
Let's hear from Martin now.
Hi Martin, welcome to thepodcast.
Martin Klein (00:54):
Yeah, hi, glad to be here.
Danielle Spurling (00:57):
Yeah, we're really happy to have you.
Where are you based in Germany,and what pool do you do most of
your swim training out of?
Martin Klein (01:06):
yeah, I'm living in Frankfurt, the big city here
in Germany, and I'm training inactually in Darmstadt it's 20 I
train four to five times a week,mostly four kilometers, and I
(01:28):
do also athletic workouts twotimes a week and have fun.
The most important part inmaster swimming is enjoying my
way and having fun, because I'mworking as a teacher full time,
(01:48):
so I need some relax time afterthat, you know, and swimming is
the most for me, where I can bemost relaxed.
If I go to water and just I canjust forget everything, have
(02:11):
fun, and that's very importantfor me to have a right balance.
You know, in my life, yes,absolutely.
Danielle Spurling (02:22):
And the master swimming that you do at
your pool?
Do you do that by yourself oryou're with a master's squad or
team?
Martin Klein (02:29):
I'm doing this by myself because my team is in
Berlin, so it's 6,100 kilometersaway from me.
It's a big Berliner TSC.
It's called my team, so it's abig Masters team with very
(02:49):
strong people there, and if Ihave some Nationals, masters
Nationals or last month I wentto the Belgrade it's the coding
European Championships and itwas a big team there with me and
so I could get some goodresults there, because it's
(03:14):
important for me to have a bigteam and in Frankfurt it's not a
good Masters team anymore, butI need this for your motivation,
I understand yeah, for mymotivation, right yeah?
Danielle Spurling (03:31):
how big is master swimming in germany?
So how, how many people aresort of swimming it?
Martin Klein (03:38):
yeah, it's very big part.
If you look in the resultsevery world championships, it's
a big master swimming fromGermany, so it's growing every
year and the nationals everyyear about 1,000 people.
(04:03):
So it's big meeting for Germany, yeah.
Danielle Spurling (04:07):
That is big, yes.
So aside from the nationalsthat you have in Germany each
year, do you have a lot of othercompetition opportunities?
Martin Klein (04:17):
Of course, of course.
Every month, yeah, onecompetition and master streaming
on and take also some smallmeetings where I can uh just
swim with young guys and uh,yeah, um, I try my best and I'm
(04:39):
not bad at all.
You know, if you look at mybest times, my main stroke is
100 backstroke.
So my lifetime best is one, oh,so it's it's one minute.
And now I'm 45 and I'm swimmingstill 102, so uh, it's it's not
(05:03):
.
Or two, so uh, it's it's not.
Danielle Spurling (05:12):
I lost only two seconds uh, about over the
last 24 years, so it's not badat all, I think.
I think that's wonderful.
What?
What do you put that down to?
Because I know that when I wasswimming as an age grouper, I
think my my best time was a 105,and I'm struggling to break 120
now.
How did you stay within twoseconds?
Martin Klein (05:29):
Yeah, that's the most challenging part of the
master swimming.
You know to try looking and youprogress steady.
So you have to look only onyourself and and not looking on
and another people.
That's why I struggling themost.
Just, you know I have strongcompetition and 45 age group, 45
(05:54):
, it's a lot former olympians,you know, like steve to look, uh
, last kalinka, or also fromgermany, um, very strong people
and if you look, and their times.
So I have no chance now.
But the most important part forme is just looking at myself,
(06:18):
how I can improve my swimming,my technique, my workouts and to
have fun.
You know, that's the reason whyI'm swimming, why I keep
swimming, just enjoy the ride,enjoy the way for me, for myself
(06:40):
, you know, and not lookingaround.
You know and not looking around.
And it's also not important tome just winning medals or, you
know, be the best and what I cando with myself, with my
capabilities.
You know and that's all.
Danielle Spurling (07:01):
No, I love that perspective.
I mean I think you've reallysort of encapsulated that.
You know what I think MasterSwimming is about, which is
thinking about your own processand thinking about your own time
.
So you're really competing withyourself and the external
things the medals and those kindof things, you know they're a
bonus on top of it.
(07:21):
But to be able to keep yourtime so close, give us a bit of
an insight into what kind ofworkouts you do for your 100
backstroke and 200 backstrokeyeah, before I doing this, I
would would explain myphilosophy.
Martin Klein (07:37):
Uh, so it's called a little bit philosophy for me,
if I don't know, if you knowthe name eric from it's a
philosopher, he, he, he write agood book or the best book I
(08:01):
ever read.
It's called To have or To Be.
The main part of his philosophywas the materialism of the
society, to describe it and howwe focus on materialism.
And how we focus on materialism, you know to to win in sport,
(08:30):
it's just to win medals, to havemedals.
You know to to win first place.
So, and the compare is how tobe.
You know how to develop yourown capabilities, your own
mindset, to grow in yourself.
You know that's the philosophyfor me, to take this to my sport
and to especially to the masterswimming.
(08:54):
So, and it's work, if I have ameeting, I'm not looking on
always, only on my time or on myplace.
You know I'm looking how I wasswimming, how was my technique,
how was my style, how was mymindset in this meeting, and
(09:15):
that's the key part for me todevelop, to grow in my progress,
you know.
So if I make a summary of mymeetings and I'm looking at my,
only on my time.
It could be good or it could bebad, but it's not say anything
(09:38):
what I could do better.
You know, it's only my time.
But what is this?
I had a bad meeting at thebeginning of my season, but it's
, it's, uh, it's okay and I canmove on.
I keep going, going, going andthen I'm start going better
(10:03):
because of the small steps Imade, doing my progress.
You know, doing my work.
So, and if I'm looking of my,my um workout, what I'm doing in
swimming, uh, if I'm endurance,so um, I have um at the
beginning of my session, I havea big, big part, is the body
(10:27):
only meter, meter beat, so it'snot speed.
And then maybe six weeks beforethe main meeting, I'm making
more speed, so less endurance,and it works for me, so I'm not
(10:58):
tired if I'm going to the taper,so it's it's two weeks for the
big meeting, I'm very strong andthen I can use the taper to to
make my progress, to make mystep in the with the time.
Danielle Spurling (11:07):
I understand what you mean.
So do you have, do you have, acoach overseeing what you do, or
do you write your own programs?
Martin Klein (11:13):
unfortunately, no, I have no coach in frankfurt,
the only coach I have in my teamin berlin.
But, um, yeah, that's, that'sthe one, one of the the problems
I have at the moment.
Nobody is looking at me.
Danielle Spurling (11:34):
Yeah, so it's one of the things you want to
look at.
Have you got any access tovideoing yourself so that you
can get someone to have a lookat that?
Martin Klein (11:43):
Yeah, of course I have some access.
I have some friends who takepictures and who take the tapes
for me and so I can look at mytechnique.
That's a very important part.
And also, on the meetings, ifI'm going to the meet, I always
(12:07):
take the tape and I can look atthen how, how I was uh and how
was my technique uh, becausethat's that's that's very
important uh, today to improvein this, this area.
Danielle Spurling (12:21):
Yeah and so when you, when you were swimming
as an age grouper, when youwere a teenager and and
obviously backstroke has changeda lot over that time now we've
got the ledges and we've got thedifferent turns, how did you
sort of adapt to those newthings if you haven't had a
coach, did you?
You have to talk, you have toteach yourself those things
right, right, that's a goodquestion.
Martin Klein (12:41):
I I just uh, my, my uh underwater um delphine, um
was was good, it's good, andwas was uh 20 years ago, as it
uh as well was younger, was notbad at all.
So I could um take this to mymaster swimming.
(13:04):
Maybe the the most challengingpart is right now to keep the
athletics.
You know to stay strong Ifyou're lifting.
You know it's alwayschallenging to keep my level
(13:31):
with the age.
Danielle Spurling (13:32):
It's obviously going to drop off a
little bit as we age, but yes,and obviously you continue
trying to do those same thingsand it just comes off a little
bit, but it sounds like you'redoing all the right things.
So how many times a week areyou doing strength training, did
you say?
Martin Klein (13:48):
I do two times I'm lifting and strength.
So I'm doing also some core.
Core, uh, you know, core for myuh entire body.
It's uh four times a week.
Uh, just 15 minutes, 15 to 20minutes just to to keep my core,
you know uh, strong.
(14:09):
It's very important core forjust for backstroke or for all
swaps.
Danielle Spurling (14:14):
And I mean backstroke, is a very
leg-dominant stroke with thekick.
Are you a strong kicker and doyou do a lot of kicking in your
training?
Martin Klein (14:25):
Not, I'm a strong kicker at the beginning of my
race, but then after the third15 metres I'm not kicking
anymore.
Yeah, that's, that's.
That's very hard to train.
Also, because it's it's.
Yeah, if I have only one houror one hour and TESOL, I am
(14:53):
doing more, you know more of mywhole body swimming than kicking
.
But yeah, I will try to focusnext time more on the legs to
make some improvements in thisarea, area.
Uh, yeah, because it's, it's,it's, yeah, it's important, like
(15:14):
you say, um, it's, um, just on50 meters.
So my, my 50 meters are not sogood compared to to 100 meter.
So I'm swimming just only 29,Just a little better, 28, just
like 28.8 or 9.
(15:37):
So if you compare this to 1 or2, I can improve some speed,
definitely.
Danielle Spurling (15:46):
And so in your 100 backstroke do you take
it out.
Quite what's your strategy?
Do you take it out very fast ordo you build over the 100?
Martin Klein (15:54):
take, it out.
Quite what's your strategy?
Do you take it out very fast ordo you build over the hundred?
I'm in taking always very fastand try to comb, uh, try to um
just everything on the on thelast 25 meters, but it's, it's
always challenging the last 15meters I'm just dying um, you
know every time but uh, yeah,that's um, that's my strategy.
(16:16):
I can.
I can go as slow at the more atthe beginning back, because
it's not like 20 years ago Icould swim.
My best time long course, 200meter backstroke, was two
minutes 12.
I could start with 106 andcould come back with 106.
Danielle Spurling (16:41):
Wow, that's impressive.
Martin Klein (16:43):
Yeah, but at master swimming I can't do this
anymore.
I don't know why, but my besttime was eight years ago in
London on the European MastersStreaming Championships.
I was 2.8, I swam 2.18, I go1.07 at the beginning and then
(17:06):
1.11, so it's four seconds and Ican't close the gap.
I don't know why.
It's just maybe a part ofageing or getting older and,
yeah, I don't know, everybody'sstruggling.
Danielle Spurling (17:27):
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Well, I mean to swim the 200backstroke.
You've got to do a lot of work.
Martin Klein (17:33):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Danielle Spurling (17:35):
And you're probably not doing like.
When you swam back as an agegroup, you probably were
swimming a lot more and you knowyou recover so much quicker as
a younger person.
What do you do for yourrecovery?
How do you what works for you?
Martin Klein (17:52):
Yeah, that's also a very important part of the the
whole process to recover.
Well, so I'm doing some ridewith and doing something else,
(18:16):
you know, so bike and going tojust to the nature and going to
some hijacking, you know, andyeah, that's just to go out and
and and Relax for my mind.
(18:36):
You know that's the most, maybe, just to forget that I have a
work, forget to swim, just relaxin my mind and that's working
well for me just then.
Yeah.
Danielle Spurling (18:56):
We'll be back with Martin after this short
break.
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Now back to martin.
I, yeah, I understand.
That's what I like about goingswimming, because you can't.
You can't be contacted on yourphone and you don't have to
answer it, and you don't have toanswer texts or emails, so it
does give your mind a real breakright, yeah, that's, that's
(20:00):
that's really important today,just to relax you, uh, your mind
, and and and clear your mind,you know yes, yeah, absolutely.
Do you swim any other um eventsother than your backstroke and
anything else that you have asyour favorites?
Martin Klein (20:15):
yeah, yeah, I'm doing also a medley, 100 200
meter medley.
Uh, I'm um one month ago in theeuropean uh championships um in
belgium.
It's a big meeting, uh,european uh, it's uh.
If you're looking at the times,uh, there's uh, you can compare
(20:36):
the times with the worldchampions.
So it's it's, it's, it's reallyuh heavy, yeah, um to get uh.
So I I take I um from 229, soit was not bad, but um, my
priests walk, though, was very,very slow, so I have no idea why
(20:58):
, and I also swam 100 priestwalk.
It was better than my 50 priestwalk in the medley.
I swam one minute 15.
Danielle Spurling (21:13):
Yeah, okay, and tell us a little bit about
that European Championships.
It was in Belgrade.
You said, yeah, was that longcourse or short course?
Martin Klein (21:23):
Yeah, it was long course, of course.
Yeah, it's always long courseand it's a big meeting.
This year was not so big.
Usually it's bigger.
If you remember, I don't know,eight years ago in London there
was so many people waiting toget to the swimming pool.
(21:45):
It was crazy.
It was about, I think, 10,000people yeah, 10,000, it's it's
wasn't, and warm up was justselected in three parts 20
minutes and you have to go out,and the next it was.
(22:07):
But yeah, this year was about,I think, people, so it was more
relaxed and but the times,especially in my age group 45 if
you're looking at best times in100 meter backstroke or 200
(22:28):
meter backstroke it was crazy.
Danielle Spurling (22:32):
How many days does that European championship
go over?
Martin Klein (22:36):
One week, so seven days.
Danielle Spurling (22:39):
And is there qualifying times for that?
Martin Klein (22:41):
No, just very slow times, so almost everybody can
compete.
Danielle Spurling (22:50):
And have you been to a World Masters
Championships before?
Martin Klein (22:54):
Yeah, I've never been there, but my goal next
year is Singapore it's I neverwent to Asia, so I will.
It will be my first trip toAsia and and I hope Singapore is
(23:16):
a nice city.
Singapore is a nice city and,yeah, I'm looking forward and,
yeah, I focus on the 200-meterbackstroke and 100-meter
backstroke now in the nextcouple months and to make some
improvements there and to getsome good results then next year
(23:40):
, I hope.
But then the way to go to theyou know the way it's for me, uh
, the most important part, notto looking can I get a medal or
can I?
Uh, you know, just enjoy my way, yeah and with with your 100
and 200 backstroke.
Danielle Spurling (24:00):
What's your mindset like when you go out
behind the blocks just beforeyou race?
What are you thinking and andhow do you sort of calm your
nerves down?
Martin Klein (24:09):
that's.
That's good question.
Uh, it's called visualvisualization.
You know, uh, if you're doingthis before you meet, maybe one
week it's not one week agoyou're going through your ways
in your mind.
One, it's just one time per day, you know, and that's helped me
(24:34):
a lot to to stay calm and toimprove well at the main meeting
, because I'm going through myways in my mind and so I know
now I can, I know what I can andI know I can swim well, I was
(24:57):
good in training, I have goodworkouts and to be
self-awareness, you know that'sthe most key part.
Just believe in yourself andit's just master swimming, you
know it's not going for Olympianor you know it's having fun,
(25:21):
and just remember this everytime.
Danielle Spurling (25:23):
Yeah, and are you a good turner?
Are you good at backstroketurns?
Martin Klein (25:35):
Yeah, maybe I can improve some parts there.
Just to after the turn, I thinkI can make the can start a
little bit quicker to get moreacceleration, you know, to get
(26:05):
more speed after the, after thehitting the, the wall, you know
how many?
Danielle Spurling (26:11):
how many kicks do you do off the wall on
each of your turns underwater?
Martin Klein (26:15):
usually at the beginning, if it's a short
course, metre After the firstwall I'm doing 10 metres.
After the second wall, maybejust nine metres, and then after
the third wall it's maybe fiveor six metres.
(26:35):
It's maybe five or six meters.
Danielle Spurling (26:39):
Yeah, and what do you find in your lifting
or your strength workouts?
What kind of exercises are youdoing?
What specific exercises do youdo there to help your swimming
in the water?
Martin Klein (26:55):
Yeah, it's a good question.
It's a big area, know, and forswimming it's it's difficult or
it's hard to find the rightworkout.
So I'm doing some research andlooking around what it's, what
(27:18):
can I improve, and looking atthe shift.
Maybe this year I would take acoach in this area just to get
some new idea and some new youknow what I can improve and what
(27:42):
.
Just to get yeah, to get newimpact here for my whole
workouts.
Danielle Spurling (27:52):
Yeah, yeah, look, I think it's a really good
idea.
I mean, there is a lot ofinformation on social media, but
a lot of the people that putthat information on are not
experts in the field, so it isalways good to get an expert
opinion from someone who's got aqualification as well.
Martin Klein (28:13):
Yeah, that's very good, very important, because if
you work out you're doing everytime the same thing and it's
not good because you have to dosomething else to improve.
(28:33):
Yeah, and if somebody lookingat you from the outside, you
know that's very important justto change your mindset here, you
know, to change every time, tomake something different, just
(28:56):
to improve in this area.
Danielle Spurling (28:57):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely Now.
Martin, everyone that comes onthe podcast, I like to ask them
the deep dive five, which isfive favourite things about your
swimming?
So just tell me the first thingthat pops into your head what
is your favourite pool thatyou've ever swum in?
Martin Klein (29:13):
My favourite pool was in Monte Carlo Monaco.
Danielle Spurling (29:20):
Is that the one down on the water?
The outdoor one?
Martin Klein (29:24):
Yeah, it was in the yeah.
Danielle Spurling (29:29):
Yeah, I've swum at that one.
It's beautiful, isn't it?
Martin Klein (29:31):
Yeah, beautiful location there.
Danielle Spurling (29:33):
Yes, very nice.
What's your favouritebackstroke drill?
Martin Klein (29:43):
location there.
Very nice.
What's your favorite backstroke?
Drill 200 meter fast, then twotime 100 meter fast, and then
two time 50 meter fast.
So after that I'm done how muchrest?
Danielle Spurling (29:52):
how much rest do you take in between?
Martin Klein (29:54):
that Just after the 200 metre, one minute, after
the 100 metre, just 30 seconds,and after 15 metres, just 15
seconds.
Danielle Spurling (30:17):
It's not much , but then after this, I'm done
for for the day, and so that wasyour favorite set.
What about your favorite drill?
Your favorite backstroke drill?
Martin Klein (30:24):
so like breaking down the stroke so yeah, some
just for the technique.
I'm doing some uh with my fins,I'm doing some special like
this, just with single arm with25 metres and with another
(30:44):
single arm, 25 metres, just tostay here stable and just to get
a feeling for my arms, you know.
Danielle Spurling (30:56):
Yeah, no, that's a good one.
How about your favouritepsych-up song, musical song that
you like to listen to to getyourself fired up?
Martin Klein (31:09):
Oh, that's what is my, maybe from the movie
Wookiee Wookiee Balboaa Eye ofthe Tiger.
Danielle Spurling (31:21):
Oh, Eye of the Tiger.
Yes, that's a good one.
That's a good one.
And how about you?
What was your favouriteswimming moment from the Paris
Olympics that we just had?
Martin Klein (31:33):
Maybe the most was .
I'm a very big fan of the kellymess from canada and she gets
third place in 200 meter backswork and I'm rooting for her,
you know, and I was uh, um,because, uh, the last two years
(31:56):
she had a difficult time to, uh,you know, to, to stay with the
fastest, uh, um, women's there,the this big competition, and
she got third in 200 meter backnow in paris and, and, uh, I was
happy for her yeah she, shelooks like a lovely, a lovely
(32:19):
swimmer yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,I following her on on instagram
and and, um, yeah, the was wasuh very uh, um, um, yeah,
exciting to to uh that she, she,she gets the medal.
Yeah, yeah.
Danielle Spurling (32:39):
Yeah, she seems very nice.
Martin Klein (32:41):
Yes, yeah, yeah.
Danielle Spurling (32:43):
Well, Martin, thank you so much for joining
us on the podcast today.
It's been lovely hearing aboutMaster Swimming in Germany and
your swimming journey yourselfand wishing you lots of success
and good wishes for all yourtraining for Singapore next year
.
Martin Klein (32:59):
Yeah, cool.
Thank you very much to be here.
Danielle Spurling (33:02):
Yeah, it's been lovely, lovely.
Okay, see you later.
Bye.
Martin Klein (33:06):
See you later.
Bye.
Danielle Spurling (33:10):
Thanks for listening into today's episode.
I hope you enjoyed hearing allabout Martin's journey and a
little bit about swimming inGermany, and hopefully this has
inspired you to check out somemeets right over Europe and
maybe the next European MastersChampionships.
Thank you also to our newsubscribers, steph and Eric.
(33:31):
Welcome to the Swim Talkersgroup and I hope you enjoy the
inside lane Till next time.
Happy swimming and bye for now.
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