Thursday's Workout:
OYO Swim
Swim 1000m easy focus on form. Keep pace consistent and effort level easy.
Run 2 miles out of the pool at Long Run Pace.
Notice that the title has no mention of the run... It's not "OYO Swim/Run"and it's the same swim as completing the crossing of Lucky's Lake and back! Some recovery! I headed to the pool after breakfast on Thursday morning to meet with T who had called to let me know he was already there. We warmed up with a few laps after which I commented that T made swimming "look so easy", he replied "Dude, you make it look so hard!". That set the stage for the remainder of our workout. I soon discovered that T was a member of one of the best public school swim teams in the state of Florida, (he's from the Florida Keys) and had the benefit of 2 olympic coaches on staff... I had known him for a year and never knew this. While I swam T alternated laps with me and watched me in the water, occasionally giving me pointers along the way. While it was not a continuous 1000m swim, I did pick up a few pointers.
I worked a little more on breathing to the left side, which again helps me regulate my breathing, taking more time in general before breaths and slowing down. We also worked on keeping my elbows high and as Coach Ryan always says, "using [your] whole arm as a paddle". T ALSO came to the conclusion that I just DO NOT float...We ran a barrage of tests/exercises to determine my best "floating position" based on the theory that once I had established that, I should have an easier time gliding through the water and slowing down to rest. With each exercise the result was the same... my legs just SINK, like jointed anchors. "No wonder more black people don't swim..." T remarked jokingly, "You have this big ass and legs and they just sink!" What he noticed happening was one of two things... I either had to kick my legs continuously to keep them up in the water, making me tire quickly or worse:cramp; or, if I didn't kick my legs enough they would pull my whole body below the water line while I swam. The result of which is me arching my neck up and THEN to the side whenever I come up for a breath because simply turning to the side won't suffice. This in turn forces my legs to sink even more and the cycle then continues. Now we've identified a problem.. how do I fix it? Oy Vay.
I worked a little more on breathing to the left side, which again helps me regulate my breathing, taking more time in general before breaths and slowing down. We also worked on keeping my elbows high and as Coach Ryan always says, "using [your] whole arm as a paddle". T ALSO came to the conclusion that I just DO NOT float...We ran a barrage of tests/exercises to determine my best "floating position" based on the theory that once I had established that, I should have an easier time gliding through the water and slowing down to rest. With each exercise the result was the same... my legs just SINK, like jointed anchors. "No wonder more black people don't swim..." T remarked jokingly, "You have this big ass and legs and they just sink!" What he noticed happening was one of two things... I either had to kick my legs continuously to keep them up in the water, making me tire quickly or worse:cramp; or, if I didn't kick my legs enough they would pull my whole body below the water line while I swam. The result of which is me arching my neck up and THEN to the side whenever I come up for a breath because simply turning to the side won't suffice. This in turn forces my legs to sink even more and the cycle then continues. Now we've identified a problem.. how do I fix it? Oy Vay.
I practiced the breast stroke a bit as a way to allow myself to stop and rest if I get tired in the water... my legs still sink then however and so it's more like a way to regulate my breathing than anything... problem is, I have to kick like hell to get my legs back up when I'm ready to start moving forward again. I need leg floaties!
after we finished our workout, T drove me to my place and I went inside, refueled and prepared to relax when it dawned on m that I had forgotten my 2 mile run... So back outside I went, tired as I was to do my two laps around the complex... my legs were a bit tired but that just made it easier to stay closer to my 10 minute mile pace (9 minutes).
No comments:
Post a Comment