Hokies 1st Timer's Group - FULL (Page 11)

I don't know what was up with my answer to Christi's question about swimming.  Three times I typed in my response and when I got to the end the browser blew up and I lost everything.  I finally gave up and answered in multiple post.  Seems that one got double posted.  Couple more thoughts:

Pullbuoy - they are good for raising your hips - "artificially".  I need to know how to raise my hips via MY SWIM TECHNIQUE without help.  Perhaps as I get further along in my development where I'm trying to increase my pull strength I'll use paddles and then I'll use a pullbuoy.

Fins/Boards - The kick in my stroke is a two beat kick and I really don't use it much for propulsion.  It's primarily there to help with body rotation and keep my lower half closer to the surface (i.e..
 not swimming uphill).  So, I don't worry about my kick to much other than trying to keep my toes pointed and legs together streamlined behind my upper half.  I don't want to add much fatigue to my legs during the swim - I'll need those puppies for the bike and run.  I guess fins would be good for developing ankle flexibility.  But, at the moment I got to many other things to think with my swim technique. 

BTW - When I'm working on my swim technique I try and focus on one thing at time.

Melissa, you're cracking me up!   The nose clip lets me swim without thinking as much about my breathing.  Sometimes when I'm concentrating on something specific, I forget to breathe every third.  I'm not giving the nose clip up, even on race day.

Garmin: Are you using the 305 also?  

I started tracking Fort Lauderdale's weather for the last month,  because I'm going to visit my Aunt before leaving on a cruise the end of March.  I was impressed with all of the 75 degree days in a row that I saw.  Overall, I bet you are outside year round pretty easily.  Can't wait for my first visit to your state.

Christi 

Just sold my house. Closing 2/11. Just bought a condo. Closing 1/28. Moving house furniture to lake place. Lake furniture to new condo. Packing and logistics are nuts. OBTW, just added to my management territory. Swim classes on Wednesday are going well. 400 yards of drills last week. Making a couple runs, but not keeping up on the log. I'll be back in March or late Feb. AND I'm keeping my eye on all of you. Greg

Just to play devil's advocate...according to most of the swim coaches that I've talked to over-rotation in freestyle is a big problem and a lot of competitors use the swimmers snorkel to reduce the reduce rotation and become more efficient in the water.  My coach who has been swimming competitively for 40+ years...and still is able to qualify for the nationals at his current age...is definitely not a proponent of the program that is being discussed in this thread.  I am certainly not an expert, but my son and daughter have grown up swimming on swim teams and I have heard similar things from all of the their coaches as well.  The core stays stable with the rotation coming from the shoulders.

Great to hear from you again Greg and congra's on selling the house.  Keep in touch.

Hey Rob,

Thanks for the input.  I think it's great we get differing points of view - I value it.  Like I said before I posted my response on the swimming question from Christi... "take everything I say with a grain of salt" and the probably the best thing you can do is get a swim coach if you have the resources.

One thing that I found particularly interesting with regard to swimming is that there are lots of differing opinions on technique and drilling.  Brett Sutton who coached the Olympic swim program in Australia and is probably the most preemiment triathlon coach in the world thinks the technique they teach in TI (Total Immersion) is total BS for TRI swimming.  He points out Janet Evans technique (maybe the greatest women long distance swimmer ever)... straight arm recovery, head looking forward and coming out of the water as she takes a breath.  Totally different from what is taught in the TI program.  Is he right and is TI total BS?  I don't know, I suspect TI has helped a lot of AG triathletes become better swimmers.

Regarding over-rotation - I couldn't agree with you more.  About 10 posts above this one I posted a link to TJ Fry detailing over-rotation in a persons stroke (it has videos so you can see what he is talking about).  My point about the snorkel was everybody that I see in the pool with one on has ZERO rotation.

Hey Gang,

Hope everybody enjoyed their weekend and outside of viewing the football playoffs were able to get your workouts in.  For those of you that just started an exercise program (or diet, or any new years resolution for that matter), there are 2 date milestones to reach.  The 1st is already past us.  That would be keeping it rolling past the 1st week of the year.  The next is coming up with the ending of the 1st month.  Keep determined and continue rolling.  For those of you where life got in the way.  Forget about the past and start a new streak.  If there is anything I can do to help with your efforts don't hesitate to ask.

Jeff,

So far so good.  Thanks for the help and info.  Keep up the good work.
Christi

not in this group, but shucks I missed it!  I graduated va tech in 2003 and started doing tri stuff last year.  

there's a great article about an old time hokie doing traithlons, he's part of ASTM somewhere, I'll scan the article and post it for you guys.  

I searched it and found this which gives you the general idea:

http://www.astm.org/SNEWS/FEBRUARY_2003/people_feb03.html

We had a basketball game down here at Atlantis in December I went to which was pretty cool, and I keep trying to make it to the FL games vs Miami or the Orange Bowl but never make it.

Anyways, didn't mean to sidetrack your thread too much!

GO HOKIES! 

thanks for asking Jeff, I am not too sure how I am feeling at the moment. I guess mixed emotions, granted that its my first tri and there are so many things that are going through my head, keep healthy, making sure that I ready come race day, making sure that I cover all my bases, making sure that i peak at the right time so there are some nerves, some excitement, some anticipation...how i feel has been heavily influenced by what is tangible and the best indication of that is how i've trained, also the conversations that i've with my friends and family and of course you guys here on the forums (all the inspires mean alot to me, I may not be the most active on the forums but i do read all the inspires and log onto the training log almost daily, so thank you!). The training has gone well so far, progress is steady, I am feeling good and I am healthy, which is about all i can ask for with my tri just around the corner.

I think I am more excited than any of the other emotions that I've named above. So i am feeling good...

J

Guys,

There was one thing that I was wondering how should i taper my training leading prepare myself up to the race, tips/advice from those that have raced before would be much appreciated.

J 

Guys,

There was one thing that I was wondering how should i taper my training leading prepare myself up to the race, tips/advice from those that have raced before would be much appreciated.

J 

That's so exciting James! You're almost there! Sounds like you're pretty well ready for the race. I don't know about tapering for a tri but for a half, I do a cut back week, the week before a race with a short long run, then the week leading up to the race is really short runs.

Group question: is it possible to swim lopsided? I think I'm pulling harder with the right arm and the left is just kinda flappin' around. Maybe just outta sync today...great 1st lap, but couldn't get into a rhythm after that.

The Y pool's getting kinda crowded. We're were almost to 3 in a lane today.  For excitement, there was a mermaid in the pool today. Lady had a flipper that was like a mermaid tail. Kinda looked like she was training for Weeki Wachee, the mermaid attraction north of here.

Thanks Christi.  I saw a great quote earlier today pertaining to getting it done... and it goes...

"until you can do something consistently, it doesn't matter what you do."

I look at your training logs and your getting done on a daily basis.  I realize it can be frustrating. For me in the water often it was like I would take a step forward one week and two steps back the next week.  Keep with it and be patient.

Hey Lee,

Good to see another Hokie on BT.  I actually didn't graduate from VT but I did spend about $50K (which makes me some kind of Hokie) getting my oldest son thru VT.  He graduated in 2005 and his wife graduated in 2006.

The Kansas game a few years back is the last Orange bowl game that we attended.  I'm really glad we didn't make the trip for the Stanford game this year.  VT seems to have a propensity for losing the big bowls games.  Dominant the ACC but a little problem with the BCS games.  Still love watching them though. 

Good luck with the TRI training/racing and yes .... GO HOKIES!!

Hey James,

The 1st race is always very exciting.  I was so nervous my 1st race I could barely sleep the night before.  I think I finally got to sleep around 3:00AM and had to get up at 5:30AM.  So, all the feelings you expressed are normal. 

You mentioned "I'm feeling good and I'm healthy".  That's really important.  Be careful in your training these last couple weeks before race day.  Don't overdo it by turning up the intensity too high or pushing your endurance way beyond what you have already establish.  The worst thing you can do at this point is to show up on race day hurt.  

A great piece of advise I got is:  "If you have done the work then the main thing is to turn up on race day and push play.  Do what you have practiced in training.  If your preparations have not been ideal, or if you are new to the distance, then give yourself ample room to speed up in the second half of the race, as well as, each leg." 

And remember James... Have Fun!!!

James,

Sometimes we can put too much emphasis on the taper.  Here is how it is layed out in the HIM plan that I'm on:

3 weeks prior to race week:  highest volume week and my longest S/B/R session
2 weeks prior to race week:  volume 10% less than previous week
1 week prior to race week:    volume 10% less than previous week
race week:  volume 40% less than previous week (no intensity and everything short in length)
day before race day: off (or I'll probably do a walk)

Hi Melissa,

I interprate what your saying as... the pull portion of my stroke on the right is different than the pull on the left side.   If that is what you are saying.. then the answer is certainly that can happen.  You probably also have a side that you prefer to breathe from as well.  My guess is you probably prefer to breathe on your right side.  I could be wrong!!

I have the same issues.  I'm right handed and I prefer to breathe on my right. Sometimes particularly when I fatigued I won't finished the pull on the left side as strong as the right.  Swimming bi-laterially helped me reduce this imbalance.

Sometimes when I get fatigued I'll also start drifting.  Very easy to notice and compensate for when your in a pool with a black line going down the middle of the lane.  Not as easy to detect in an open water swim.  When I do that I know that I'm crossing over my center line as my arm enters the water just prior to the pull.

Y Crowded - that's why I swim at Bath & Racquet.  I had the pool to myself on Saturday...  Don't tell anybody!!








Edited by junthank 2011-01-24 9:28 PM

Edited by junthank 2011-01-24 9:28 PM

James,

I noticed that the training programs on this site are geared towards a race day.  When you enter the race day, it will show the workout and then taper towards goal.  Perhaps you could find a plan that is similar to what you are doing and check out the last few weeks to get an idea of what to do. HTH

Melissa,
I am amazed at how smoothly and consistently some people move through their swim.  So while I'm resting at one end or the other, I watch those swimmers to see how they move through the water.  I look for what makes them appear smooth (body and head position), how they breathe, how much kick I can see, and what their arms look like when they are out of the water.  It's really interesting to see the different things people do, and I wonder if they know what I know about their stroke.  I have noticed that almost everyone's stroke differs from right to left. Can you get someone to video tape you swimming a couple of laps, so that you can see what you can't see?  After writing this out, I'm thinking I'd like to see what I'm doing myself.  Just a thought.  And BTW, I too had a weird day in the pool.  It just felt wrong. 
Christi

Definitely possible to have an uneven swimming stroke.  I try to always train with bi-lateral breathing (both sides every 3rd stroke), however if it's a race that I need to swim fast I only breath to my left side.  The bi-lateral breathing helps to even my stroke out.  Using a swimmers snorkel (center of the head style) can allow you to focus on balancing your stroke out (because it can remove the over rotation that can be caused by only breathing on one side of the body).

Good pickup Rob.  Folks, like Rob when I race I breath on one side as well.  I recommend that you do the same when you race.  However, if you have practiced bilateral breathing during your workouts you will be able to go to either side.  That will come in handy in an OWS where the swell is bad on one side or the sun is shining in your eyes on one side.  For siting I will occasionally switch sides just to get my bearings and make sure I'm headed in the right direction.

Video taping - excellent idea Christi.  I had a Sprint race that was actually in a pool and my wife took a little video of me during the swim.  I picked out flaws in my stroke that I never thought I had.  The first time I looked at it I said OMG I have an awful stroke.  A month later I look at the video and wasn't nearly as hard on myself.

It's amazing what you can learn.

Nice little blog entitled "Too Fast, Too Soon".  Good advice.  Short read: 

http://www.trainstravels.co.uk/2011/01/24/too-fast-too-soon/