A third go at session 12. Either this is because I think session 12 is so worthwhile that I did it a third time. Or that I forgot to change the session drill sheet in my bag last night.
Either way, the session is very useful, particularly the half goggle “not-breathing” drill.
Bit of a rush to fit the session in, but I got through it, and out through the door.
Must remember to move on to session 13 tomorrow.
Coach has torn his rotator cuff. Or something. He’s convinced it’s a problem with his swimming technique, but it looks pretty good to me. I suspect it might have a wee bit more to do with the extreme body pump he was partaking in on Saturday afternoon….
Still, the TI club carries on regardless. Well, Mrs Dundeechest, Farmer J, and I carried on regardless. Everyone else had been warned off, I presume by Coach. J had almost finished when we got there, so we had a chat about this and that, and he got on with some steady state swimming, whilst I got on with session 12.
Session 12 – Swim and Nod
It’s remarkable that it takes until session 12 before any mind is paid to breathing. All the prior drills lead on to an effective breathing technique, but it’s all subterfuge: rolling like a log, rolling into sweetspot, staying well balanced, they’re all the right exercised to do to allow a good breath to be taken without ruining the hydrodynamic flow I’ve worked so hard to try to maintain. So the session starts with skating, lots of zen switch, and then onto the main event.
The swim and nod exercise is so effective. Gradually increasing the amount of body turn with each successive length, until the “breathing” motion leads to a “half goggle” position without breathing. Then simply repeat with breathing. Simples. It shows how much I over-rotate to breathe – I do it more when I’m tired, of course. I read on Terry’s blog the other day that one idea is make the chin follow the shoulder out of the water to breathe, which is what I’ve been doing. It seems to have lead to me looking too far up, and not across. Swim and nod is working to alleviate that. I am going to try to do a few lengths of alternating nodding up to the half goggle position with one stroke, then half goggle breathing the next. If you know what I mean. Well, I know what I mean.
Kids away for a fortnight from now, so swimming every day, with some running fit in somewhere. Or something.
I should also start cycling to work again from tomorrow. Or Wednesday.
Another trip down the pool this afternoon, this time with Mrs Dundeechest. Didn’t do a particular plan of drills, but *just swam*.
Good points. Set off at a reasonable pace, decent SPL, nice and steady. Felt good for the most part. Occasionally getting the timing right for the breathing stroke – leaving that lead arm out there, getting the head back down, then letter box entry.
Bad points. There were some other good swimmers in there; they were thrashing past me, doing thrashy tumble turns, and being all splashy. I look at them, and can see all the things they’re doing ‘wrong’, or at least doing the things that don’t go with the TI plan. But they are able to keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going. I know I’m swimming better, and better every day, but I am just not yet at the point where I can just get in, swim 64 lengths with tumble turns and get out.
I’m looking forward to getting my snorkel this week – I should then be able to focus on the arms without worrying about the breathing. Then move on to worrying about the breathing.
Taught Mrs Dundeechest some drills, she did really well; I suspect she’s a total natural. More tomorrow, she says.
Focus for the week – breathing, breathing, and more breathing. I’m definitely going to do the half goggle exercise much more, to get that rotation spot on, both sides, and concentrate on leaving the lead arm out there. And need to do some pyramids, of course
Two swims today, both good. Very happy. Water in both ears.
Coach e-mailed to say he couldn’t make it, so a session on my todd. Almost literally on my own – only 2 other people in the pool.
6 lengths to loosen up, then
2 x Superman
4 x Superman with flutter (3, 3, 2, 2 breaths)
4 x skating into sweetspot turns
6 x underswitch (extra 2 because I was stuffing it up on 3 and 4)
8 x zenswitch (2 elbow, 2 mid forearm, 2 wrist, 2 finger trails)
6 x nodding, no breathing
4 x full stroke half goggle breathing focus
Then 2 pyramids (1234321 x 2)
8 lengths to warm down
Thoughts. Definitely swimming better by the end than the beginning (Kaisen positive session!). Strengths: did two pyramids, with far less gap between each part than on Thursday evening; when breathing to he left I really feel myself holding the right arm out in front, and I can get my head back in the water with a straight arm. Weaknessess: still need to concentrate on NOT LOOKING FORWARD, I’m still looking for the wall when swimming full stroke; I’m weaker breathing to the right, I really feel that I’m pushing my left hand down when breathing to the right, to stay afloat.
The new trunks are great – they ride up less, and my thighs feel better supported. I’m sure I look ridiculous, but there was no one else in the pool! And the new anti-fog spray actually worked, for the whole 60 mins.
After the sauna there was literally no-one in the pool, so I did my best Shinji. After the length, looked back to witness the Shinji-like millpond… Not quite, but a lot better than I suspected.
Focus for the week has to be leaving the lead arm out when breathing: I need to get my right sided breathing up to the same as the left.
Overall, very happy with the session.
After a night of birthday celebrations, an early morning trip to the pool to “swim it out”. PW came with, and we had a productive morning. Despite the headache!
PW and I chatted afterwards: we both feel like we’ve had a couple of steps backwards, where PW could happily do 30 or so lengths on the bounce using his own technique, now he’s struggling to do 5 or 6. And he’s really struggling with breathing on the left. I seem to be able to breathe both sides equally incompetently, having picked a “wall” two weeks ago.
Current focus is getting my arm underwater at the level of the leading arm’s elbow, if that makes sense.
