Swift Snowballers (Page 2)

Oh, it was planned.  I had some sketchy moles removed.  You know...all that summertime outdoor swimming was getting to them.

Stitches come out WEDNESDAY!  I have a swim that day but I'll be a good kid and wait until Friday's swim.  I'm tired of being dry!

Hey, ya'll!  This is going to be good for me, since I *hate* swimming.  Really, it's a struggle for me to get in the pool. 

About me..... My name is Pattie and I live in southern Minnesota.  Yes, it's friggin' cold here.  We moved here a year ago from Maryland.  I have 3 horses, 2 barn cats, 1 house cat and a yellow lab.  Some days it's like Wild Kingdom out here on the farm.  We have 28 acres out here in the corn.  Really, I joke about it, but living where you can only see one other house is pretty cool. 

I've done 2 seasons of sprints and am planning on my first Olympic this summer.  Running seems to be my weakest event.  I'm strongest on the swim although I hate to swim.  Really, I love OWS.  I grew up at the beach in NC and love swimming in the ocean.  Full contact OWS- bring it on!  Pool swim with flip turns..... not so much. 

Guess that's all for now.  If we can get the car out tomorrow, we might go to the gym tomorrow and I'll start logging some meters. 

Pattie

Ok I threw down 2K yards tonight.  So I have only 90% of my swim yards remaining.

I am HOPING that I can get a LOT more yards than 20K, but with traveling the last week of Dec, I doubt that I will be swimming LAPS much.  The hotel I am staying in has a pool, and a lazy river.  But I have this sneaking suspetion that there are going to be too many kids in both to do many laps.  I did check and there is a YMCA 30 miles away, but I don't think I want to load up and drive there during this trip.  It is likely not just a 30 minute drive.  But IF I can add some yards while there, I will.

Chris, as far as asking ME for swimming advice..... just remember you give what you pay for.  (I don't charge for advice, but that is because what I can really help you with is not a whole lot.)  I just blogged that I can't understand how I added 4-5 strokes per 50 on my swim golf.  Just aint making any sense to me.  I am hoping that getting 20K yards in will improve my time AND stroke count.

Wow, how very inspiring.  What a great thing to do and congratulations on your recovery.  Thanks for making your logs public, and you are doing really great.

Now for some stuff about me   I am 46yr old wife,mom, and grandmom...I also am a Triathlete and Cancer Survivor. I started doing Tri's about 3 yrs ago. I tend to focus on the longer stuff but not an Ironman, yet. I live in Southeastern Ohio and am orginally from Daytona Beach FL.  I train alone alot but I have a great training partner in my Alaskan Malamute, Freya and my good friend Sonie. I am currently in training for the DeSoto Triple T in May,,,,it will be my second year doing this race.  And I need to swim alot because I swim slowly and need to get out of the water faster. Looking forward to seeing how great we all are going to do this Dec. Well gotta go and eat. Have a nice night.

Chris

Congratulations on your return to health and your continued efforts to help others... WOW!

My back ground.

I received an email from my brother Dec 2005, he had just signed up for a HIM and was beginning to train for it.  I had always wanted to do a tri, since I was a high school runner (in the late 70's early 80's).  I have been biking for many years, mainly tours (the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure).  So riding long distance is no big deal, riding it fast is a little harder.  I was a life gaurd and WSI  for several years after high school.  I have never swam competitively, but I have swam with the local masters swim team a few practices since Sept.  They have helped my stroke, I hope. 

I can't tell just yet because I have been out of the pool too much in the past 2 months.  I can't make the practices often, they insist on starting practice at 5:30 and I normally can't get out of work until about that time.

I will hit 176000 yards the next time I swim (assuming I get 2K that night).  The most help I can offer is swim lots.  From what I can tell, the most common issues tend to be the following.

1. Poor body position - swimming up hill.  People tend to let their hips drop, this is because of either head position (too high in the water) or just poor kicking.
2. Dropping the elbows during the pull - I was doing this a lot.  I would effectively only pull 1/2 the stroke.  Now I am still working on improving that.  The coach saw that and told me it would help a lot.  My problem now is just the muscle memory and training my body into the shape to speed it in the water.
3.  Trying to swim too fast too soon.  Many people want to swim sub 2:00/100's so they swim fast, but can't hold the pace beyond 100-200 yards.  Slow down let your body understand what it needs to do, get the right form THEN work on speed.

I hope that helps, but I am not an expert by any means.

Okay, okay.  Since everyone ELSE is writing about themselves.

I got into tri's in 2004 when I...and I'm not kidding about this...said,

"Hmmm...I could do any of those HIM distances in each of the three sports...can't be that hard to put them all together."  So I signed up for Buffalo Springs Lake HIM as my first tri ever.  I was in the middle of pilot training (see avatar) so I didn't really have time to train.  That season I hadn't run more than 9 miles, bike more than 40, or swam the whole HIM distance continuous and had NEVER swam in open water before.  Heh.  Yeah...I'm an idiot.  But I finished in almost exactly 7 hours!  I can only guess that my fairly extensive background in endurance sports and my military training got me through.

Alas, that was my last pain free half ironman.   About 9 months before that HIM I had started to develop Illiotibial Band problems while marathon training.  It had gone into remission for the half but came right back afterwards while training for another marathon and this time it was back to STAY.  It took another three years of pain, 4 ortho surgeons,  7 physical therapists, 2 chiropractors, an acupuncturist, two bike fittings (one with Andy Pruitt!), and a whole lot of aggravation but finally I had knee surgery three months ago!

I did a lot of swimming over those few years since I really couldn't run all that much. And it turns out I'm pretty darn good at it.  I'm consistently in the top 25% of the swimmers at most tri's and I have even dabbled in long distance swimming.  I've done two 5k OWS's, a 6k OWS, and two 10k OWS's.  Someday I would love to swim the channel and definitely have my eyes on the Swim Around Manhattan.

Swim questions anyone?

Anyway, doing the swim challenge because due to travel and surgery this summer and a bunch of stitches in the last two months I have completely lost my swim base.  Boooo!  I hope the December swim challenge gets me off on the right foot.  I have an IM in a year!

So, watch out pool!  I'm BACK! 

Good morning team,

I am just checking in before I go back to work. I have a 4000yd swim this afternoon after work and then I have to run. I joined a 100run/100 days Challenge on Slowtwitch so I have to run everyday. So far I'm on task..I started on the 2nd of  Dec. Anyway, I have been able to get the links in my log but have not been able to get them here but I'll work on it tonight when I get home. I home everyone is having a good day. you have been great about introducing yours selves and you guys are very impressive. Well, gotta go paint something

Chris

There are 2 drills I have used, the first drill is fairly easy.  The 2nd is MUCH harder.
Drill 1 - while on your stomich hands and arms above your head while kicking.  You basically flip your hand and forearm down to 90 degrees, then back up to the start position.  This teaches you to feel the beginning of the stroke, and should help because you are keeping your elbows high (in place).
Drill 2 - Is effectively doing half the stroke, then pulling your arm OUT of the water reaching back and slapping your hip then reaching back to the start.  The reason this drill is so hard, is because you WANT TO finish the stroke.  This should teach you how to grab the water, and maintain the high elbows.  You should be pulling out of the water about mid chest, going beyond that will put you into the power area of your stroke.

I have also heard that using the finis fulcrim (sp) does a great job of getting the right postion of the arm/forearm.  I don't know because I have not used it.

I hope that helps.

I was in the pool last night again, another 2100 yards down.  That puts me at 4100 for the month, or at about 20.5% done.

Hey guys I'm gonna try this and hope it works..:)

jldicarlo

jdwright56

jgz tarheel

wsm9363

rowdypaint

ChicagoMan65

oceanannie

JJCraig

I hope this works and sorry it took me so long but it has been a crazy week...so far.

Chris

PS.. it seems to work ok..if you want  you can just cut/paste into your log  :)

Hi guys,

Just wanted to post a positive... Thanks so much!!

                                                           to Dee for helping me with the computer stuff.

Chris

You are doing an awesome job head elf! I just LOVE your new avatar!

Cat, thanks alot.  Well gotta go ride the trainer now and then eat and wait for the snow.....Yay, snow!!!

PS..we are at 26,350 yds and 5800 m....and it's only Tues.  Way to go Snowballers!!

Chris

Hi team - you have a new addition to the team: xterratri!

Bad news team...I have to drop out.    So sad.   I ran it by Kat and she's okay with it.

Bottom line, I mentioned I had stitches because of the mole removals?  Yeah, well, there were some "complications" and I'm going to end up with more stitches.  I may personally still try to reach my goal despite having half the month gone, but I don't want to drag you guys down with me.

So, I'm outtie.  If you wish to read about the "complications" I posted about it in Cup of Joe....under BT May Have Saved my Life or something like that title.

Good luck you guys and I will keep you in my goals section so I can keep an eye on y'all!