Catch a wave...Or the swimming thread

[Wahine]

This morning's masters' work out was officially a killer. the main set was 44 50s with every 4th 50 being butterfly... yes I meant 44, that wasn't a typo. I had to wear fins for half of the workout to keep up with the interval and even then I was only getting 5 sec rest after the fly and 10 sec on the freestyle 50s. The total workout was 3000 m with warm-up and cool down.

I'm starving to death and feel like falling asleep at my desk. Ugh.

[Veronica]

I haven't been in the water since my last tri in Sept. I have so much work to do on my running that I don't swim all that often. It's kind of the fun workout. When I go, I just do whatever I feel like.

Today was swim 1,000 yards. I kept track of my splits. The first one is always fastest and was 1:39. The next 8 were all between 1:47 and 1:50. I kicked it up a bit on 10 and did 1:43. Not bad for not having been in the water for four months.

Then I kicked 300, alternating between flutter, breast and dolphin kicks every 25.

Then I pulled 500. I was hoping to do it in under ten minutes but came in at 10:05.

100 warm down and I was done.

I probably won't swim again for another month. I wish I had a masters team locally.

Veronica

[eclectic]

Syndirelah

If I did the math correctly that work out is 4000 meters! how long does that take you? WOW

Wahine 44 50's sounds really intimidating! and every 4th the fly! They would be dragging me off the bottom of the pool.

After my swim today I decided I need to do more fly to help my freestyle. I have gotten lazy on my free and I am not pushing myself enough. I have developed a "good enough for a sprint tri" attitude - not worth the effort it takes to speed up - I can easily, w/o pushing, maintain a 1:50 pace for 1100 continuous yds and still feel great after so I figure "good enough"

Like you Veronica I need to concentrate on my running - I REALLY bite it there.

BUT today I did a couple of 25's of fly and thought "this is good for me"
I timed myself on 25 back and 25 fly. I am waaaay faster on the fly - now if I can just get my endurance up!

One more thing - I asked my coach about mixing up the sets w/ different strokes and correlating drills - it sounds like I am the only one on here who does that on a regular basis.
Her answer was "anything that helps strengthen your core is going to help you on the swim, bike and run; doing all the strokes helps balance out and strengthen all the muscles not just the ones used for that specific stroke. Also it prevents overuse injuries, AND prevents boredom"

I believe her. She is the coach who is training the 16 year old who is now being lauded as the fastest 17 and under female swimmer in the world - she does all the strokes.

[eclectic]

Syndirelah - that is an amazing swim! A lot of yardage in a short period of time

I didn't swim this morning so went down when I got to work to tell my coach that I went home and went to bed and not out for "adult beverages" like I alluded to during Parent teacher conferences last night.

Dagny was still in the water so of course I had to stand and watch her.
She was doing 10 x 100's on 1:15 and holding each 100 under 1:00 - she brought her final one in at :57

If it is any consolation she was breathing hard

[Urlea]

Swam a 1/2mile after Biking 20minutes at the Y today.

I don't have any real strategy to my training at this point. I'm slow & still have real difficulties finding a rhythm to my breathing that I can stick to so I'm not sure drills would do me much good until I get that stuff down.

On the upside I am feeling more confident about covering the distances I will need to, but I also know it may not be pretty. I'm working hard to gain efficiency so that I'm not fried going into the bike.

I should really take out my TE book and read it again.

Can one of you fill me in on what "pull" means?

By the looks of it, it seems as though we have a few ladies that are graceful machines in the water.

Keep up the good work!

[Veronica]

When I say I did a pull set it means I had a pull buoy between my knees and did a set with no kicking, just arms.

Veronica

[eclectic]

Urlea - try practicing the drills - they are what get you more efficient, help w/ proper balance and rotation so the breathing is easier.

My coach has everyone use a swim snorkel when they start out so they get the proper balance, alignment and roll - once that is mastered you take off the snorkel and the breathing comes naturally.

Doing the Popov drill really helps w/ roll, balance and you don't need a snorkel to do it. I found it on Youtube but can't preview it here at work. just google Popov swim drills

I googles total immersion drills and there are some great ones there. In a former post I think it was alpinerabbit who hooked me up w/ the videos

finger tip drag is another simple one to help w/ proper hand entry in the water.

I would strongly suggest hooking up w/ a snorkel - it makes the drills easier http://www.swim2000.com/product.php?pd_id=SNP100P

When we do Pulls - we use Hand paddles sometimes w/ the pull buoy and sometimes w/o
http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/1231.htm

Our coach likes "toys" so we have them all where I swim (also they use them for the high school swim program and classes)

[alpinerabbit]

Drills are key. There simply is no efficient swimming without tech drills until they come out your ears. That will help with the breathing too. Work on balance and roll first. Be loooong.

Please post a video if they'll let you film at the Y.

[eclectic]

Drills are key. There simply is no efficient swimming without tech drills until they come out your ears. That will help with the breathing too. Work on balance and roll first. Be loooong.

Please post a video if they'll let you film at the Y.

Stretch out - pick an apple off a high branch - put it in your basket

So Urlea - are you going to start doing drills now

[Urlea]

Eclectic- Yes, you ladies have me convinced I should. I will admit though I'm really not fond of the idea. Most of the equipment you linked is provided at the Y so that gives me even less of an excuse not to. lol.

Is there a good site I should look at for drills? I'm polish, left-handed and dyslexic so I need detailed instructions.

On the job question: DH works in ND. A huge software company that has a branch in Fargo laid-off 5,000 people in the nation & some of those were co-workers of his. Tough to see, but thankfully a few have been able to find work in their field. With less pay though.

Alpine- I'm going to try to arrange with my sister who has an underwater case for her camera that does decent video & see if I can have her tape me. Hopefully sometime next week. I'll be sure to upload it if that works out.

Thanks for your advice ladies!

After taking my hubby to the Dr. (found out he has Pneumonia. ) I was too late to make it to the Y for the morning lap-swim, but I did make it this evening. Didn't do much, but try to figure out what my form is doing. Overall I wasn't feeling ambitious nor focused. Just one of those days.

Good news is I made it to the pool three times this week, which was my goal!

Tomorrow is my long-run day. Looking forward to running in the fresh snow. Should be beautiful if it's not windy.

[salsabike]

Here's one, Urlea. This is a local swim coach whose clinics I've gone to. She has a bunch of technique/drill videos here--


http://www.marymeyerlifefitness.com/resource/

[jesvetmed]

SALSA: Thanks for posting that. I've just spent 40 minutes watching drills! I won't remember most of them, but I can go back. That's some great stuff.
Jes

[eclectic]

Against my better judgment I swam this morning. I am scheduled to do my first 7 mile run tonight and didn't want to be tired out. But an out of town friend was swimming so I went.
I decided to wear the zoomer fins and save my legs but now my shoulders are tired because of the pulls w/ paddles and the pull buoy - I skipped the parachute drills.

300 wu swim

300 drill

300 pull w/ paddles

100 non free swim

8 x 75 x 25's kick, drill, swim

And because it was so long ago and so early in the AM I have no idea what we did the last set but I know it involved the little parachutes

[crazycanuck]

On Monday I did something similar to Ecclectic.. I did our group swim session & then went for a fourty something km ride after. I meandered & didn't push it but need to rejig a few things if i want to try it again. (i dropped my vehicle & swim friend in the city the mozied off..)

Main thing is food.

So, if i do want to try this again, do you have any suggestions? I was knackered by the end of the day as I had to do some running around after..

I'm not trying to be a superheroine tri chick, I just wanted to do something different!

[eclectic]

On Monday I did something similar to Ecclectic.. I did our group swim session & then went for a fourty something km ride after. I meandered & didn't push it but need to rejig a few things if i want to try it again. (i dropped my vehicle & swim friend in the city the mozied off..)

Main thing is food.

So, if i do want to try this again, do you have any suggestions? I was knackered by the end of the day as I had to do some running around after..

I'm not trying to be a superheroine tri chick, I just wanted to do something different!

C'mon be a super-heroine tri chick!
Did you do the ride right after the swim?
I didn't - I swam in the AM and ran in the PM so I had all day at work to eat and hydrate.

I have no idea how one would do a long session of swimming then a long session of riding - it would be like doing almost a section of a 1/2 IM
I have no idea how they fuel before they start

Ladies? ? ? ?