Hi Tan,

I lived in the Netherlands so I know what you're going through! Great country for cycling as it is flat, full of magnificent bike paths and everybody rides fietsen!

In my experience for best results in hockey cycling is better than running. The reason I orginally started cycling training for hockey was purely for endurance training - to get enough miles up on your legs. To do this in a pool meant hours and hours and hours. Besides being wet and wrinkled it is just hard to get to a pool with enough spare lane space etc and where I came from the pools used to shut during winter.

Where you are based you might also try ice-skating (great for developing power) and of course resistance (weight) training.

When you do get into a pool to play hockey or train with your fins on just use that valuable pool time concentrating on your technique and going flat out everywhere that you swim. Don't go slow anywhere and make sure every time that you take off it is a full burst of speed.

Like Duck's other post about training with correct technique, this will ensure that your body is conditioned to taking off and going at full speed when it is in the water with fins on. The endurance portion can and will be taken care of by the out of water stuff.

Also Liam's point about stretching is important. Very important for maximum power and in water agility, although I'm sure it also has other uses!?!