Asphalt Junkies CLOSED AND GETTING OUR FIX (Page 157)

Ok so I went to the pool today and I just focused in on exactly what I was doing when trying to breath from the left and to the right. I started with the pull buoy so I did not have to worry about any balance issues and I swam slowly and was totally focused on what I was doing. I discovered that what Matt was saying is exactly the same problem I am having. I never really noticed that I was bobbing in the water but I am! That was a revelation to me! It is less of a problem to the right but a big problem to the left. So my head is definitely coming up even though I may not think it is.

So all I did for a while was just tried to swim slowly and focused on trying to keep my head down and eliminate that bobbing. I was a little more successful with that on the right side as it's not that bad but going to the left it was very difficult if not impossible to do that.

Swimming is sooooooooo hard and fustrating LOL! I know exactly what's wrong and I know exactly what I need to do but trying to do that consistently was nearly impossible! If I took 4 breaths to the left during one 25 meter length I might have gotten one breath in where I did not bounce and bob. I can see this is going to take ALOT of time, patience, persistence and practice to correct. I will be back at the pool tomorrow and I'll give those one arm drills a try.

Warren very, very true. At least I understand what I am doing wrong which is half the battle and I can work to correct it and learn to swim properly. I think I was so oblivious to all the things I was doing wrong this year because I was just happy to be able to swim (not well mind you) in order to complete the races I was registered for. I'm in this for the long haul so I want to address those things and improve however I know it's not going to happen overnight. I also appreciate everyone's help and insights into this. It has been extremely helpful and eye opening to say the least.

Agreed.  I have been wanting to get some video of what I am doing below the surface for some time but now I have a method.  I purchased an iPhone a couple of weeks back and a waterproof case to go with it.  I plan to use it at some point to catch those underwater mistakes but I haven't had time or anyone to help me yet.

The underwater portion of the swim is probably one of the most critical and finer points of swimming and there's no real way of capturing what's happening without video.  I have seen some of my flaws above water in the video I posted last session with Brenda and Allison but I haven't even looked at that for a very long time.  I have tried to work on what I was doing in those frames but I don't know if I've gotten worse or better or simply remained the same.

Ah!  Man, I could not agree more with you.  Swimming is so hard and frustrating.  Remember something though:  This was a breakthrough workout for you.  Can you only imagine if during every workout we found a flaw that we could fix and new how to fix it!?  It would be SO AWESOME.

Bobbing up and down is frustrating.  I have a few pointers for you that may help, maybe not.  But at least try them.

Problem 1:  head coming up when breathing.
Solution:  1.  only turn your head sideways.  Practice this 15 times while sitting at your desk.  Simply turn your head to look to the left and bring it back to center.  Do not look up or down...just straight.  2.  When you breath, follow a path with your eyes as follows:  Look straight down at the bottom of the pool, look to the wall, look at the UNDERSIDE of the water and THEN breathe.

Problem 2:  keeping your arm straight for too long.  If you are bobbing, I'm almost 100% sure you're doing this.
Solution:  Bend your elbow to start the catch earlier as follows:

1.  Stand in front of a tall mirror. 
2.  Reach one arm straight up so your hand is directly above your shoulder. 
3.  Now without moving your arm, break your wrist like you are patting someone really tall on the top of the head. 
4.  Keep that wrist broken...now try to push that person's head straight down.  Keep that hand in the same vertical plane.  You'll notice that the only way you can push straight down on that person's head is by bending your elbow. 
5.  If you don't bend that elbow you'll be pushing that person away from you and down (making an arc), right?  That arc is what is making you bob in the water.  You are pushing down on the water towards the bottom of the pool, making your torso come up, and then you sink at the end of the stroke.
6.  When you swim, practice breaking the wrist and pushing that piece of water you just grabbed right down your body.  Don't push it to the bottom of the pool.   Break the wrist, pull bending the elbow and push the water right towards your feet.

I hope this helps.  Practice this in the mirror and you'll see what you need to do.

Jonathan thanks for the advice. I will try to those things and to be honest I am already doing the one for the breathing. Again I was at the pool today analyzing a little more and my head is definitely coming up out of the the water and I am not keeping it down. I was messing around today with the positioning of my head, keeping it down brings my hips and legs up. What you are suggesting with creating a line of sight might help me become more disciplined. To the right side it's less of a problem to the left side it's a big problem but every now and then I do get it right so I know I can do it.

For that second issue you could be right I haven't really noticed how I am pulling. I feel like I am not extending my right arm long enough when trying to breathe on the left side to keep me in balance and am pulling too early but I think this is something I can focus in on and see if I am doing what you think I might actually be doing.  Now I am curious to know how my arm is positioned and if my wrist is loose. If I can get to the pool tomorrow to check this out I will. I will also try to do what you are suggesting with the mirror drill so to speak.

Today was actually a good session for me. I was definitely more relaxed and was more able to focus in on what I am doing wrong. It is amazing to see what you are doing when you actually focus in on these things. To be honest I never really noticed how badly I was swimming until I started going back to the pool in October zoning in on these things and started to try to understand exactly what I am doing wrong. Now I know that is the easy part, getting it fixed, well that is the challenge LOL!

Tony, it's great to hear your sessions are really coming together.  Definitely enjoy the victories each time you go and feel the improvement. 

That's a great comment about the elbow Jonathan.  I was reading a book summary recently which analyzed the technique of a gazillion of the all time elite swimmers.  The claim was that there were tremendous variations in kicking, hand entry, breathing, rotation, but there was one thing they ALL had in common.  The high elbow pull.

The first video I ever took of myself showed I had this problem in a big way and I still struggle with it unless I really focus.  The guy who sort of coached me had me thinking about the feeling/movement of pulling yourself out of the pool.  It helped me to feel the movement of having a bent elbow while pulling.

Tracy thanks for sharing the article about your friends. It's very sad to read and really I'm at a loss for words after reading it.

Well said Tracy.  I think we all seem to take many things for granted, nearly all of the time.  The "never going to happen to me" attitude is so much who we are despite knowing that "it" can happen to any one of us on any given day.

Here is a link to help some of you understand the unique brotherhood I have been a part of.  Firefighting tradition  I am sure Tracy can understand a little bit about the bond firefighters can share and those who have been in the military too can understand but I wonder if others know the bonds of brotherhood that can be experienced with those you've never known.

Edit:

I plan to attend the firefighters funeral tomorrow and it will likely draw FF's from all over the country.  This is part of the history of firefighting and law enforcement line of duty deaths; A nation reaching out in show of support for all who have been a part of this community.

Dirk thanks for sharing the article and that really puts perspective on the brotherhood of firefighters. I couldn't agree more with what you and Tracy have said. It's unfortunate that it take these kind of things to make us realize how precious life is. It's so true we all tend to take life and our loved ones for granted but we really should appreciate every minute we get with them and try and live it to the fullest and be thankful for what we have and who we have.

Jonathan I am very sorry to hear what happened and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Thanks for the links Dirk and Tracy.  I can't imagine the heartbreak for that community and especially for that man.  Dirk, you're so right about the fine line we walk and we have a amazing ability to put aside the possibilities.  And losing a child is something I can't even think about.  I've had far too many close friends lose teenagers to crazy accidents, not always car related.

Dirk, thanks for the efforts as a FF as well; I am always grateful to those who run in while we run out, and also those who stand watch so we can sleep well and deal with our first world problems.

Speaking of first world problems, I hit the pool yesterday with my swimming buddy, and I have a persistent problem I'd like to throw out there.  When I swim in the pool, this often happens to me.  If I push off the wall with any force, I get a very tight cramp in my calf, to the point of pain, and afterward I can't really point my toes for a while so the next few lengths are ruined.  In fact, my calf is still in a bit of pain this morning.  Does anyone else every experience this or have ideas about what to do about it?  I've never had it happen open water swimming or a race, including the HIM swims.

Warren I think this has come up before here. I know when I started swimming I used to get legs cramps towards the end of my sessions. Sometimes it was after I kicked off the wall and sometimes it happened while I was in the middle of a length. I thought it might be related to hydration so I try to make sure I am hydrated before I go to the pool and I bring a water bottle with me now and drink between sets. I have not had any issues since I started doing this. One thing that was also mentioned here was conditioning, I think I am in much better shape now then I was when I started swimming at the end of last year so maybe that has helped make a difference.

I guess it's much more specific for me, and only when I push sort of hard off the wall.

My conditioning is good and was even better last year when I experienced the same problem.  I don't drink while I swim, so I can try that next week when I go.  It's really annoying and the calf completely binds up.

I have experienced the same thing and I still do from time to time.  What I have determined the cause is that I am pointing my toes a little hard immediately after the push off.  I can usually feel the cramp beginning and I can back off pretty quick and relax and everything seems to work out alright.  I also seem to have more problems as I get deeper into the WO.  At the beginning I almost never have any problems unless I have had a long run or maybe a ride (which almost never happens) within an hour of swimming.

I would simply try to relax your feet immediately after the push off and see what happens.  You could do this by allowing a little more time before the first stroke off the wall.  I am able to keep my mind engaged in relaxing if I take a breath as I come off the wall as I am just starting to stroke with one or the other arm.

I completed a 10 mile long run this morning on the trails here in Fort Wayne.  I didn't know they had such an elaborate system so close to home.  I can easily stretch a one loop long run into 12 miles and spend very little time on the same paths.  That's the kind of running I love.  I hate doing loops!! 

The down side to this trail is that there is NO elevation changes to speak of.  I would much rather see some kind of change.  Today's 10 miler had a total elevation change of 141 feet according to Garmin.  I guess no change is to be expected since I was running in a marsh/swamp area.  I mean water does tend to kind of stay level ya know.  Either way it was a good run and one that proved pretty beneficial to my foot.  The softer surface made things more comfortable for me and I had almost no problems at all. 

After the run Lis and I met up for a 2.5 mile walk on the paved portion of the trail and that seemed to cause me some pain.  I chose to walk in gravel or on the grass when it was available, and not wet, and that seemed to make things much better.  I enjoyed the walk with Lis and we were able to get those couple of miles in at a fairly quick pace.  She's targeting my favorite race, Galloping Gobbler 4 miler, at a 15:00 pace.  It will be challenging for her because it's kind of hilly, but she should be close.  I hope to run it in about 25:30, which would be about 25 seconds faster than last year.

Tracy good luck with the 8 mile race tomorrow, I hope the weather is not that bad for you during the run.

I was planning to do a 8.5 to 9 mile run tomorrow morning. It's my birthday tomorrow and we are going out to dinnner to celebrate and I really want eat and not worry about the calories so I hope I can burn a bunch on that morning run  Other than that I plan on being pretty lazy this weekend.