Chaderbox and aquagirl's group ! CLOSED (Page 16)

Tonight was the last night of my swim class & I was the only one who showed up.   It was great one on one instruction.  She was trying to figure out why my elbow was not high during the breaststroke when she realized I was entering the water with my pinky down not my thumb. 

The change was amazing.  I just wish we had caught that 7 weeks ago. 

Allen

Gosh...if your kidnappers would like to some get me next.....

Its great when you get a breaktgrough like that.......well done!

How does it feel to swim thumb down? 

Its great when you get a breaktgrough like that.......well done!

How does it feel to swim thumb down? 

I'm starting lessons next Monday, so I'll let you know what my instructor tells me about thumb-first swimming. 

I've got my first race next Sunday -- 10K "Run from Winter".  I just crossed the 5.6 mile barrier on Monday (whilst on vacation in sunny Miami Beach).  I've already mapped 6 miles for the weekend -- at least then I can say that I'd gone the distance once before race-day.  I'm also plannning on getting out on the bike now that the weather's broken -- this will only be my second road ride ever.

Just a question for anyone out there.  I took a spinning class on Wednesday night and really felt that I was struggling -- everyone else in the class looked fine, almost as if they actually having fun.  Is there technique to this, or is it simply a matter of putting in the time?  Is spinning different than riding?  If not, then I'm really worried about the bike portion of my upcoming races.

Anyway, hitting the pool this afternoon.

I'm not the coach here so I'll leave it to them for an official response, but as a person that has taken many spin classes I'll say it does get easier.  I found myself struggling at the beginning. It got better the more classes I attended.  Now I am one of those people you were referring to that actually has fun in class.  Just keep at it.

Have fun with the 10K, that can be a fun distance.  Long enough to not feel like a sprint, but not so long that you feel like you're out there forever.

As for the spinning class question, the best answer I can give you about if spin class is like road cycling is...it depends.  If the instructor has you donig a lot of jumps (stand for 3, sit for 3, stand for 3, sit for 3, etc) and a lot of standing and sprinting, then it's more of an aerobics class on a bike, and less like actual cycling.

That being said, spin class even when the instructor works to make it like actual cycling, isn't a great match for it.  The wheel on the spin bikes generally weighs ~40lbs (18.2Kg) so you will have more momentum to keep your cadence up than you would on an actual bike.  Unless, of course, you're riding a fixie down a steep hill. 

However, what spin class can be good for, is getting you used to keeping your cadence up, pushing yourself more than you may on your own bike on a solo ride, and getting in some nasty strength work by keeping the resistance up and simulating hill climbing.

The general rule for the benefit to bike riding is as follows

road riding > trainer > spin > stationary bike at the gym > nothing

I hope that helps.

And good luck on your Run from Winter Race.

Thanks for the advice and words of encouragement.  I'll look forward to someday enjoying a class.

Thanks for the perspective -- very helpful!!

You're quite welcome, it's what we're here for.

Ok, I've recently (since mid-January) been doing a lot more core work, including one reformer pilates class per week, and also adding in some basic tai chi.  As I've been getting better at both, I've found that I feel more comfortable in all three of my tri events.  I feel more connected in the water, and that when starting my pull, I have more body strength to pull against to get more power.  I feel like I can breathe better on the bike, as I've learned how to breathe more effectively and efficiently, and when I run, I feel like I'm more balanced and don't find myself losing my upright body and starting to slouch.

I'm not saying that everyone will have a noticable impact like I did, but I would recommend that you don't take core work for granted, and it can be a huge help.

.....and now where is she??

Being held hostage in Florida....with VERY crappy internet access. 

Home  Sunday..............

OK carry on!  

Take the bikini girl out of the mentor group, and it goes quiet....

I see how you people are.

You should post your own bikini pic Chad!

Trust me, you couldn't handle it.

I haven't said much because I've just been sort of cruising through a really easy, pretty kick back training plan.  My first race I am registered for isn't until July, although I really wanted to do some 5/10ks.  I am seeing a physical therapist for the stress fracture/possible tendinitis this week.  I then hope to move on with my life.  Also, my family is now passing around yet another virus, blech.  I have been reading regularly, the conversation about thumb up or down was interesting. 

Keep up the good work everyone!

I'm not a "thumb up" guy with swimming, (at least in a crawl stroke) as much as I am a "the hand should go in relatively flat" kind of person.  For me, this keeps the shoulder in a good leveraging position, the upper arm able to stay "up", the elbow able to stay high, and the forearm able to get vertical quicker.  For me, anything that detracts from those things are to be avoided, as they decrease efficiency, and propulsion. 

A thing to remember with swimming, is that you're trying to be BOTH more and less hydrodynamic at the same time.  You want your "body" to slide through the water, but you need your fingers, hands, forearms to be able to catch more water so you can pull yourself through the water.  Having your forearms slip through the water isn't helpful because you're not grabbing as much water, thus being less efficient with each stroke.

There really isn't a drawback assuming you schedule it far enough in advance of your race.  You don't want to go 100% at race pace without time to recover.

The thing that will usually work best, is to go to the gym with your bike, get your swim in, then do as fast as a change as you can, and get your bike off your car and get your ride in.  Then follow that up with your run.  You can always practice your transitions (and you should) at home.