HR Swim Training ...

As I mentioned in another thread, I got Mike Pigg's PC Coach Triathlon Bundle Pack (long enough title?) for Christmas (Human Kinetics for $38). It's based on HR training ... even the swim.

Not sure where I stand on HR Training. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I just want to run free.

Anyway, I wore my HRM in the pool today. It's just a $20 chest/wrist strap model. I wouldn't allow myself to go over 150 (190 MHR) as per the PC Coach's instructions.

I swam 700m (previous long was 500m) in 19:44 and I literally felt as if I could have swam an hour with little effort.

When doing a 500m "as fast as I can", I get a time of about 13:30, which is a 2:42 100m.

I would guess in the above my HR is about 168-170 (if not a little more). At the end of 500m, I'm usually breathing heavy and when I dry off, the sweat is beading up pretty good.

Today, my pace was a 2:49 100m (7 seconds slower), was nowhere close to out of breath (felt very refreshed), and when I dried off, I stayed dry. I was shocked.

I would have kept swimming but I got to the YMCA late, 3:30 and adult swim is over at 4:00 when kids' lessons start.

When it comes to swimming I would say that I do one thing very well .... I truck rotate with ease and efficiency. The rotation results in a long reach which I maximize at 6'3 and long arms, and it make the recovery stroke effortless.

I really focused on relaxing, almost as if I was trying to take a nap while swimming. Relaxed my face, everything.

Today was literally a revelation to me. I have very little doubt that I could swim 1500m continuous and will give it ago, the next swim. (Thursday).

Wearing the HRM, forced me to slow down. I usually "just swim". Today I slowed way down and let the trunk rotation/reach make my distance for me.

One tip I have for those who have problems trunk rotating ... I focus on "pushing my armpit towards the floor of the pool", this results in good rotation AND a good reach forward.

I literally cannot believe how effortless the swim was. Had a not kept track ... based on percieved exertion I would have guessed I swam 150m. I didn't struggle for a breath at any time of the swim (surprising).

I have to give myself some credit for sticking to drill work for a few months. From a technical standpoint, I am a good swimmer. I just need to add from "a distance standpoint" and then from a "speed standpoint", and I'll be there.

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Here's how I keep track, I have a pile of pennies at one end of the pool and a small plastic container. As I touch the wall completing the 50m, I toss a penny in the dish, look at the HRM and start the stroke ... all in one motion ... takes about 2 seconds.

Edited by TripleThreat 2004-01-06 3:04 PM