How sick am I????

[btchance]

btchance- you gotta do Redman. Last year I volunteered at the Redman, and now after lurking here for the last 6 months and following Running Mommy's IM journey (and being totally inspired, impressed, and in awe of her), I'm training for the full Redman in Sept. You should see if you can wrangle some others into doing a relay if you're not ready for the whole deal yourself! Just something to think about...

I think I could be ready this year to do the half, it's just that I'm in medical school in Alabama and absolutely can't get home this year to do it. Next year, however, I've heard that we have a lot of time off, so I might be able to get back. Let's hope so!!! And good luck this year, I definately want to hear how it goes.

[Lise]

Yep, if Denise does Florida, I will go cheer. I need to know some months in advance, so I can request the time off, but I would LOVE to be there.

OK, everybody, let's chant so IronMommy can hear us:

Do Florida! Do Florida! Do Florida!

[Running Mommy]

Oh holy hell Nanci.... If *I* can make the swim cut off ANYONE can!! I am so seriously slow it's scary!! I just plod along in the water... Kinda like my running...
My swim teacher at the Y used to say "you just cruise along and enjoy yourself"... Funny thing is I'm TRYING to swim fast, I'm just NOT!
If you put some time in the pool you could do it. But it's such a personal thing, I'll never fault anyone for deciding it's just not something they want to do. Butttt..... if you have a fire in there anywhere........

[Nanci]

Whatever, Ironman Lady,

Have you ever had some guy in a kayak follow you around, when you _weren't_ having a cramp, saying "You can hold on if you want to?"

I'm like, "Im not dying, I'm just slow!" Like slower than the 80 year old guy who's basically walking, since it's so shallow...

Nanci

[KSH]

If you put some time in the pool you could do it.

To that comment. I guess I am going to get on my "soap box" about this... since I have been hounding my boyfriend on this topic.

Swimming is ALL ABOUT FORM. If you have good form, you will get fast and you will have endurance. There is no reason to swim laps... if you want to get faster and compete... unless you have worked on your form.

Yes, that sounds a little harsh... but let's think about it.

There you are in the pool... thrashing about... trying to make it to the other end.... it's hard, and miserable. But you keep doing it. Lap after lap. Pretty soon you find a way to make it all work, but it's horribly wrong and you get worn out quickly.

Then, you decide to work on your form. Now, you have to spend the time CORRECTING the form you have "made" work. It's easier to start with a clean slate... versus having to erase that horrible form from your "memory".

There is hope though, once you get good form, and HAVE IT. I haven't been in a swim team in 15 years... but my form is still there. It's ingrained into my body.

*Takes a breath*

OK... maybe that was a tangent? Sorry.

*Steps away from the keyboard*

[withm]

Many years ago I went to a swim camp to improve my swimming performance. They have come a long way since then, and you will find an incredible amount of information at their website, Total Immersion.

http://www.totalimmersion.net/

They offer clinics all around the country. They are not cheap, but there texts, videos, and you can even get a lot of instruction and see videos on their website if you have a fast connection. The founder, Terry Laughlin was practically the sole source of information for Fitness Swimmer magazine (sadly no longer being published.) Anyway, you will probably find many tips to become more streamlined in the water and improve your swimming.

No affiliation, and I haven't even tried to swim in about 4 yrs from fear of reinjuring a fragile rotator cuff.

[Running Mommy]

Funny. I was just talking about going to the TI camp tonight with Tony. It's about 400 clams if I remember correctly for a weekend camp. But I would need the camp. I literally will need someone in the pool with me. I have the book and video. But they haven't helped much. I think I need someone there to manually put me in the correct position so I know what it feels like. I have made some improvements, but I know there is so much more I could do.
So I will prolly haul my butt off to camp sometime in the next 6 months.
You are right about form being everything in swimming though, I'll certainly give you that!

[LittleBlackDuck]

Maybe think of it in another way Denise if you still can't make up your mind which IM to do. Which IM would you regret NOT doing? And like some of the other girls have said, don't limit yourself to just those around you. You could go on vacation AND Ironman .

[Lise]

Funny. I was just talking about going to the TI camp tonight with Tony. It's about 400 clams if I remember correctly for a weekend camp. But I would need the camp. I literally will need someone in the pool with me. I have the book and video. But they haven't helped much. I think I need someone there to manually put me in the correct position so I know what it feels like. I have made some improvements, but I know there is so much more I could do.
So I will prolly haul my butt off to camp sometime in the next 6 months.
You are right about form being everything in swimming though, I'll certainly give you that!

I thought about doing that camp last fall. I feel the same way. If someone manually corrects me, I can remember it. I have to "learn" it with my muscles before my mind gets it. Just haven't been willing to spend the money yet.

[Nanci]

What if your shoulder joints are bad from work, and it's really difficult to freestyle? Do you think learning proper form would help? If I raise my arms just to brush my hair, even, it's snap crackle pop.

Nanci

[Running Mommy]

that just reminded me of something in the race. A guy next to me did the entire race on his back. But he wasn't backstroking. His arms were in the water. So I guess he was doing some sort of scuttle thing?? All I know is everytime I looked up to sight, there he was moving along backwards. It was wierd? But if he stayed w/ me I'm sure he made the cut off. By the time I hit the steps I had lost sight of him though.

[Nanci]

I heard only four people didn't make the swim cut off.

It's easy to swim on your back- I could do that forever.

Nanci

[tprevost]

does anyone have a website for these T1 camps?

T~

[Lise]

It's T-I, as in Total Immersion. I read your post as T-1, as in the first transition! I thought...who needs a camp to learn how to do transition?
But for Total Immersion swimming, we have:
http://www.totalimmersion.net/workshops-p1.html

[DirtDiva]

that just reminded me of something in the race. A guy next to me did the entire race on his back. But he wasn't backstroking. His arms were in the water. So I guess he was doing some sort of scuttle thing?? All I know is everytime I looked up to sight, there he was moving along backwards. It was wierd? But if he stayed w/ me I'm sure he made the cut off. By the time I hit the steps I had lost sight of him though.

It was called "survival backstroke" when I was doing lifesaving awards at highschool. I shoulda kept that up - woulda been a much cooler way to make some money during university holidays than working retail was.