kenj group - Closed (Page 26)

WittyCityGirl - 2009-05-18 3:56 PM Husband and I are biking from Binghamton, NY to Pulaski, NY ~ 130 miles. =) EEEK!

kweezen - 2009-05-27 7:48 AM Can anyone give me some ideas on the tightness and pain I'm getting in my calf muscles including my left achilles tendon.  I'm not doing anything new, in fact I've had to back off my training schedule.  I am stretching as normal.  I had pain start during a swim workout last Thursday and they have been tight and painful since.  Did a 25 mile ride and played golf last Friday and I could barely walk first thing on Saturday.

Any ideas?  More water?  Calcium?  Endurolyte?

snaproll - 2009-05-27 11:28 PM Sorry, I'm no help on the Achilles tendon.  I can only say that my MT, affectionately known as Carlie the Butcher, has been seriously stretching and digging around in my muscles and my calf pain hasn't resurfaced.  Apparently there is some satisfaction she gains by laying me on my stomach and grabbing my shin bone through the calf muscle.  It's great fun and a barrel of laughs for her.

On another note;  I had an interesting (to me anyway) experience at the pool today.  Sorry for the lengthy post....

I swim at an adult activity center where you have to be at least 50 years old to get in the door.  Most folks there are well past that.  Let's just say that in that environment I am very young and very, very fit.  I was finishing up today when a 60-something guy got in the lane next to me.  He was sporting the old-guy belly that everyone there has (including most of the women) but he was obviously a strong guy.  Not lean, but big across the shoulders and through the chest.

He started swimming and I finally got to see a demonstration of what I've been reading about.  Slow, easy strokes - but the guy flew through the water.  It was amazing!!  At one point I started swimming a length as he was finishing a lap and nearing my end.  I wasn't screwing around, trying to swim some 50 yard sprints.  When I finished my length he had made the turn and was waiting for me.  Now, I know there are tons of people who are faster than I am, but I've not run into any of them at the adult activity center.  And he was making no real effort.  This guys was like some kind of Zen swimmer.  It was awesome!!

We visited when he got out of the pool.  Ex-Marine, ex-commercial diver, ex-competitive swimmer, ex-swim coach, current student of the sport.  He says he reads and studies everything he can find on swimming.  For the past four years he's been trying to perfect his stroke.  I asked for some tips and he listed several things I could do to improve.  He had been watching everyone in the pool and explained what each one was doing right or wrong.  He had me nailed too.  "You're putting out way too much energy to be going so slow.  One thing you could do is stop kicking.  Your poor kick form is actually slowing you down on your breathing stroke."  He gave me a couple of kick drills, demonstrated proper form laying on a bench in the locker room, and finished with, "Either learn to kick properly or just don't do it.  It's not helping you."

Other advice:  "You're not crossing your body with your arm when it enters the water, which is good.  But your arm is bent at the elbow as you push it forward.  You're presenting way too much surface area during your stroke."  "Get tall, get thin.  Present absolutely as little surface area to the water as possible.  Don't slap the water, but stretch with every stroke."  "You don't get fast by having a powerful stroke.  You get fast by being streamlined."  "Quit counting laps for a while and focus on your stroke.  Trying to keep track of laps is distracting and it doesn't matter right now anyway."

Anyway, it was so cool to see someone seemingly effortlessly fly through the water.  Very inspiring.  I hope to run into him again at the pool.

Looking for that running Zen guy next.

wakehr - 2009-05-28 1:39 PM Chip, nice post, how fortunate to have this master swimmer take you under his fin for some great tips and guidance. I didn't understand the arm surface area thing, does he mean enter the water closer to your head rather than stretched out further away? He sounds like a great mentor.

wakehr - 2009-06-08 11:03 AM Finally, researchers confirm it. Beer is better !! http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/3467

wakehr - 2009-06-08 11:27 AM This is how I felt this morning...somehow gained 5 lbs over the weekend ! gotta be scale..I hope

snaproll - 2009-06-21 10:19 AM Photos from my first bike tour this summer:

www.pointsix.net/pueblo

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

snaproll - 2009-06-21 10:19 AM Photos from my first bike tour this summer:

www.pointsix.net/pueblo

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

kweezen - 2009-07-17 9:58 PM GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE IN THE MUSSELMAN EVENT.  SWIM IN RHYTHYM, BOP TILL YOU DROP, AND RUN LIKE THE WIND.