My 1st Love/Hate Relationship of 2013

I should say this is the 1st of many love/hate relationships I will have with my training in 2013! It just happens. I think we all go through some point where we have a love/hate relationship with our training. It will be the run, or the bike soon, but for me right now it's Master's Swim Class!

I have been trying to hit a Master's Class  a week now for about a month. For me, it is usually a good chance to get in a lot of speed work and it actually pushes me knowing that here is a coach on deck giving instructions and timing us. The coach also would give me some tips to help my swim stroke. It was always a great swim workout that I remembered in the past.

However, there is a new Master's class coach.

This new coach is not a bad Master's class coach at all, so I am not complaining about the level of coach or anything, but...

We are doing things in there that I am not sure I want to do. For example, we usually start off the class with some 100's on 2 minutes. I am usually the second to finish in the class and have plenty of time to prepare for the next set. Then we move on to kick sets, which is not my strong point, but I try.  Last class, we then went into a backstroke drill called the L drill, where I almost drowned! Again, let me say, I do not backstroke. I train swimming freestyle because that's what I swim when I  race. I understand that learning different strokes will help me be a better swimmer, but we all know a race is not won in the swim right? In the video below, the L drill is demonstrated at the 1:12 mark or so. The only difference is we did not switch hands, we went the length of the pool with the same hand pointing to the sky and then went back with the other hand pointed up! Two things I learned, 1. I hate this drill and 2. When I did get close to doing it right, I can not swim it in a straight line!

It was hard. I thought I was going to drowned, but I tried my best. It was tiring, so I took a break at one point when the coach came over and said she "noticed I only breathed on my left side". I also breath every stroke, it works for me. Well she said she is going to get me breathing bilaterally!

I DO NOT WANT TO LEARN TO BREATH BILATERALLY!

So our next drill, it was a bilateral breathing drill! DOH!! We were suppose to do a 3 count breath for a  length and a 5 count breath back for 400 yards using the pull buoy and paddles. Remember, I breath to my left every stroke, so I knew it was going to be tough, but I also know that this will be good for the lungs somehow (not exactly sure how?) so I tried. For me to go from breathing every stroke (or every time my right hand goes into the water) to a 3 or 5 stroke slowed me way down. It really made me feel awkward in  the pool and yeah,  I did manage to get some breaths on my non breathing side, but I was also took in a lot of water. I basically was holding my breath until I could get to breath on my left like normal.

I guess what I really want is to go back to the days where we swam 3000 yards fast, furious and freestyle. I heard that the others in the class complained that freestyle was boring and that they wanted to learn other strokes. Which is cool, I mean it is a free class for members.  I love the workout I can get, but I hate the other strokes, so I must decide what to do. I am only swimming twice a week because I am good with my boring unilateral breathing freestyle swimming. I guess my options are to dump the Masters class and do my own drills one day and endurance swims the other or to learn these other strokes.

BOOIIINNNGGGGG!

Thursday morning at the pool, I did something that I have never done before. The minute I saw it, I knew it was something I could not pass up...

It all started with an easy scheduled swim. My plan called for an 1150 yd swim, it was a recovery week, so I wanted to crush this swim. I started out with a plan on doing 150 yds to warm up and then I was going to do a time trial swim of 1000 yards.

But that is not what happened.

I had the pool to myself at first. The water was smooth.  I picked the furthest lane from the lifeguard stand, for no reason in particular, it just felt right. I was rocking my square legged Speedo's, cause I feel faster in them. I stood at the edge of the pool and put on my goggles, contorting my face making sure I had a seal so no water would leak in. Next comes the solid black swim cap. It goes on over the goggles strap to ensure they never fall off.

One foot goes in the water, then I ease down into it and drop down, all the way under.  I start off with my 150 warm up, and I feel strong. I take 1 minute before I start my 1000 time trial. People are starting to file into the pool now.

During the first part of the swim, I change my mind. I want to do 2 500 yds sprints. So I did them. I was happy with my time, and that's when I saw it.

A guy I know at the pool brought out a bungee cord and tied it to the starting blocks. The other end of the cord had a belt on it. I was intrigued. I saw him give the belt to another swimmer and I saw her try to swim the length of the pool. She didn't make it. She made it about 3/4 of the way.

I knew I had to try it.

I went with the yellow band, the one with the most resistance. I placed the belt around my waist and started to swim. The first half of the pool was easy, then I could feel the tension of the bungee cord. I was at most 2/3 of the way. I kept on though, I dug deeper. I tried to focus my swim technique. I felt like I was swimming hard and going nowhere. I was 4 feet from the wall, giving it my all when I succumbed to the tension. BOIINNGGGGG! Before I knew it, I was floating backwards to my starting point. I heard all the "ahhsss" as people stopped to watch if I was going to make it!

It was a really cool thing and a good workout. I can definitely see myself working this in on a weekly basis. I still think if I had started with the bungee cord, then I would have made it all the way, but we will see next time!

This weekend is the Warrior Dash, so expect a report from that race with my bride!

Drills and Repeats

So far, the first week of my training for Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon has gone really well. It felt good to get back on the bike again, I think the last time I rode was Ironman Branson 70.3!  So it has been awhile. Also I have bee hitting the pool more, with a plan!  I am not just swimming to get laps in anymore, I have a purpose, and same with my running. Before I had the mindset of running 5 miles because my plan said I should, now I am running the 5 miles with a goal set, meaning I want to get under a certain time. I have been doing alot of 1/2 mile repeats lately, and I am really liking them. I think they are actually kind of fun, and I expect to be a faster runner after doing these!

In the pool, I found a new drill!  Well, it is not new, but it is something I have never done before. Swimming with a closed fist. Yes, I look very awkward as I try to make my way to the wall and back swimming this way, but on that second lap, when I can swim freestyle, I feel like I am flying through the water! I feel like I am pushing myself through the water like a submarine firing a torpedo! So this is something I will continue to do.

Another thing I have added to my swims are vertical kicks in the deep end. I usually do these on days that require me to use a kickboard. Once down int he deep end of the pool, I hold the kickboard above my head and kick, trying to keep my head above water for one minute! I am using fins during this, but it gets hard. I feel it in my core too!

I understand that one can get to wrapped up in doing drills, but I think a drill or two every other workout really breaks up a long swim, and I think I will see massive results from the closed fist drill. I have also been told to do golf while swimming (swim stroke + time equals score), but I hate golf, so forget that.

So here is the question?  What are your favorite drills in the pool? I hate the fingertip drag drill!  But do you have others drills you do