SWBKRUN- Miles and Miles ahead!!!! CLOSED (Page 27)

Thanks Trevor!
Again, I don't really know the proper terminology to use, but maybe you can translate for yourself. 

Once my hands were entering the water, I only had a slight elbow bend, which forces me to make more of the "S shape" stroke.  Now, right after my fingers hit the water, there is a slight pull before the elbow bends to a 90 degree angle, which forces my fingertips to basically point to the bottom of the pool.  From there it's all push.  All I can say is WOW!  My workout today was supposed to be my "long, slow and easy" workout.  I usually average around 2min/ 100 when doing this.  According to my watch, I was more around 1:40 - 1:45 with much less effort.  If the IMWC were not on, I would have gone up to 3K, just to see how I felt.  I don't know if this is correct or not, but it seems great.  Here is a link to what I mean with Ian Thorpe.  Watch his right elbow after entry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TbpB-1WjcU&NR=1


Edited by Jeepguy2358 2009-12-19 9:47 PM

Awesome job on the swim.  It sounds like the technique you are describing is what I believe is called as "early catch".  It is great to read about people have that "ah ha" moment and it all comes together.....I am still waiting on that moment.  I have made great strides but it is going to take some more consistent training over time to commit it to muscle-memory.

Congrats again.

Steve

Yay for you!! Congratulations!! Days when it all comes together are the best. And your time improvement sounds huge. Awesome!

I'm so gonna try that tomorrow.

Ok Chris, if you have masetered Early Vertical Forearm you need to jump on a plane and come and visit me.  I started working on that and am CLUELESS.    I went through my swim video with my coach yesterday and I am too busy pushing water down, not back.  I am having a hard time keeping that elbow up and getting the feel.  Like Trevor said, any tips would be helpful.  

Nice job on the swim! Isn't it great when you get a breakthrough like that? I had to re-learn to swim after a 17yr hiatus from swimming and finally got the stroke down late summer of this yr. It's hard to explain, but at the start of the pull do you feel the current in your armpits? That's when I think I figured it out..

Santa came a little early for me, I got a great deal on a slightly used computrainer ($650!) and it's being delivered to me early next week.. I'm pretty excited about it.. If anyone is interested, I'm going to sell my cycleops fluid 2 trainer, I bought it last yr and used it for around 3 months of winter training.It's this model, i don't think they changed it this yr.http://www.rei.com/product/667910?cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-datafeed-_-product-_-667910&mr:trackingCode=2A744FFE-FB85-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NADoes anyone have a good computrainer course to recommend for a great all-around training?

[QUOTE]trying1 - 2009-12-20 7:19 AM Santa came a little early for me, I got a great deal on a slightly used computrainer ($650!) and it's being delivered to me early next week..

Merry Christmas, you are so lucky!  Enjoy it!

I have certainly not mastered anything, but I have certainly improved.  Again, you might have to somehow translate what I am saying, but I'll do my best to describe the feeling I have ~

If you are sitting in a chair, extend your arm shoulder height, then bend your elbow to a 90 degree angle, with your fingers pointing upward.  To make the stroke, point simply drop your hand so your fingers point in front of you.  Do this while keeping your elbow still.  Once the hand is in front of you, it changes from a pull to a push along your side.

So to take this to the pool~ it's extension, pull bending the elbow to the 90 degree postion, drop the hand, but keep the elbow still, then push. 

It is real easy to keep high elbows with this technique and also helps body rotation.  Hope this helps.  Again, this may be totally wrong, but it is working for me.  This morning, I feel just a little tightness in my lats if I give them a little stretch, but little to no fatigue, soreness, etc in my tri's - which is what I was worried about.  Try looking at the video of Ian Thorpe I posted and combine that with what I wrote.  That may explain it a little better.

Stan, it is a good feeling for sure.  I know exactly what you mean about getting your stroke back after some time has passed.  I swam competitively in high school and was pretty decent, but I was all about short distances and breaststroke.

Edited by Jeepguy2358 2009-12-20 7:50 AM

Suzy...you know very well that I am not a swimming guru, however I do understand the concepts and this is one area I don't seem to have a problem with.  One of the best comments I have heard a coach say was to feel as if you are reaching "across a barrel" as the arm enters the water. 

The feeling should be like you are reaching to the back side of a round object so that the hand/wrist/forearm start down and the elbow maintains a higher plane.  Once you are in the vertical forearm position then you proceed with the pull to the hip.  This is where I have problems as I tend to get too close to the body (old school way that I  learned 100 years ago )

It is really great to hear when someone has that breakthrough moment.  I have had a couple of those but my limiter is the endurance part....and that only means one thing....MORE TIME IN THE POOL.

Hope this made sense.


Steve

Suzy, here are two other links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P31XJ16C4Ag&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8egC7PbOME&feature=related

This is what I was trying to say  ^^^^^^  Thanks Steve

Don't know if you guys have seen this, but it's hilarious!


http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/5749137/

Big snow...an OBGYN's best friend!

I'm jealous - I would love some snow like that.

Suzy--you and your coach may have already discussed this but you might try visualization swimming "over a barrell".  Imagine that at entry you are placing your hand on top of a big barrell...as you extend your hand into the water thing of it as rolling the barrell forward...as the barrell rolls forward your hand stays "on the barrell" and your elbow rolls up.  If you aheva large exercise ball you can do the same thing...put the ball on your bed and place your hand on the ball...then roll the ball forward...your hand stays on the ball and your arm conforms to the curve of the ball.  That will put you in a pretty good position.

Hopefully, that makes a little sense.

Sorry just read the next page of posts and noticed Steve mentioned the same thing!

Robert

Edited by TriFrog93 2009-12-20 10:50 AM

Two great videos! 

Robert

So Sam let me have some extra money and I need to get a wetsuit.

I have been eying up the Desoto 2 piece wetsuit.  I have tried 3-4 one pieces and they all really seem to pull at my shoulder.

Only problem is I hate to spend 500 bucks on a wetsuit that I might use 3 x a year.  Most of the OWS in this area are not wetsuit legal.  If I were to do a lot more OWS' where I needed it, I wouldn't have a problem spending the money for something I would get a good use out of. 

Also you can get the xterra ones for so much less, but it's not really practical to keep trying out wetsuits that won't work.

I swim ok with a sleeveless but I am such a cold whimp, I prefer the full sleeve.

So any thoughts?  I sent Desoto an e-mail to see if they had any of last years left, and been scouring e-bay/craigs list, ST, BT, etc.

Oh and Andy, thanks for the reminder, just added 1 hr of snow shoveling to my log.

Ran this AM, a new personal best for length: 12.6 miles in 2 hours. Next week end is 2:15 and between 13-15 miles. Working toward the Tobacco Road marathon in March.

Doug

Great run Doug!

I have got the xterra sleeveless, and was thinking about adding some of those wetsuit "armwarmers" if needed for a Cold swim.  Has anyone got any opionions as to whether these would work well or not.  Your arm pits might get cold though.

Congrats! And yowza, looks like you did it on the dreadmill. That takes some serious mental stamina. You're well on your way to March!!

I thought that was the way everybody swims.  Are you guy still learning this stroke?

Hillarious!  Looks like he went straight down the tri talk thread for his material.

Just got thru watching the Kona IM.  I am pumped and really feel the need to get a little run in today, but I am maintaining that I will lay off the ITB till after Christmas at least.  It is a little cool today to get out on the bike, although the sun has shined for the first time in what seems like weeks.  Guess it is off to the pool for a bit this afternoon.

Tony--Snickered over the Sam comment.....and love that you know yourself so well.

Doug--terrific job.  I am sure your coach helping, but your commitment to work is also driving that great result.

Stan--the CT is the bomb.  It is hands down the best equipment investment I made in '09.  The key is doing the right workouts on it to get stronger!

Barry--hang tough with me.  I'm still riding the "no running" train too.  Completely committed to rehab. I get my bone scan done tomorrow so should at least know what the heck is going on later in the day. 

To all who gave me the EVF advice, THANKS!  The exercise ball is an interesting way to mimic the "over the barrel" concept--I see it.  Coach Steve has told me that, showed me that and send me a multitude of videos.  While I see it, I can't yet to do it.  I  will. Like everything swimming related it takes me twice as long to master technique.