Mad Manatees 2015.4 CLOSED (or Poptart/pet pic ticket) (Page 33)

Originally posted by brigby1

Originally posted by IndoIronYanti

Originally posted by brigby1

Originally posted by rrrunner

Originally posted by marysia83 Happy Monday! I think I am this [ ] close to figure out my swimming issues (or rather: front crawl issues). Those damn legs. I am trying to do my best to keep them as close to the border of water and air, but they keep going down. I don't bend my knees, I kick from hips, I have my feet like ballerina, I do the "coin" trick, I don't know what else... I tried to swim with that fancy foam between my knees and it was extremely helpful. I could just go on and on.... Once I had to use my own awesome legs - I was praying to be back to the wall... Has anyone experienced this whole leg drag and was able to figure it out? Please tell me it is fixable...! Congrats to all the weekend racers How do you feel today? Mary

I hear ya' Mary. My kick was (is) my biggest issue. I started working with a coach at one point who made me do kick sets with a paddle board and no fins. That'll make you work on the effectiveness of the kick.  Mine was a combination of not working enough from the hip and not kicking hard enough. He told me to act like I was kicking a bug off my foot. I don't know that kicking like that all the time is sustainable for me but my kick did improve... until I gave up swimming altogether

I know Yanti had saved one of the dumbest looking videos another had posted on this (chickens & wacky props), but it does work. The sinking is more balance and core use to fix. Feels really weird & awkward at first but need to learn how to use the core correctly to accomplish this. Legs are to drive rotation and can be used for propulsion at times. Shouldn't be so much for lift.

I had it bookmarked on my old computer but not this new one! Had to use some serious Google Fu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW5nE5FBPsQ

Really, really good ... for anyone.

That's it!

I can't watch the video at work but to put my two cents in for they are worth just that. I do think of the Total Immersion thing where they have that saying 'pressing your bouy' which is basically to push down your torso in the water a bit.  I didn't use TI but i did watch some videos and there seems to be some truth to that!

Hey everyone! Last week was a busy week with not too much training. I was wiped. Apparently the spa made me relax too much and i had two night (which happened to be my swim nights) where i was asleep before 8:30. 

Anyway, this is a new week. A couple of exciting non-training things:

1. Potty training my nearly 2.5 year old daughter. It's going well! Better than Labour day weekend when we first tried! 

2. I get my new teeth this week! My bridge work will be complete as of Thursday - i had to go in yesterday because they missed an impression of my bite - so one more day of getting my mouth frozen so they can do stuff ...  

And in training stuff - i am just trying to keep at it. Made plans with my running buddy so i have to get out for a run tonight. That seems to be the magic trick! 

Okay, my big thing with swimming is flip turns. I really want to do them but chicken out. My coach at my new swim group doesn't care but I still want to get the hang of them. Any tips for getting over the fear? I get freaked out by being so close to the wall ... 

I'm glad that grandma is doing OK, if not improving.  Sorry to hear about Aunt B. 

How dare you post that without a link to the recipe!  For shame!

How comfortable are you with the act of flipping over? Perhaps look at that first, away from the wall. Can you easily get around farther than you need for a flip turn?  Tucking in really tight with the legs? Still need your arms windmilling out  to the side? When you have the hang of some of these, you can work your way in closer to the wall. It might be a few sessions before that though. Something that works well to have decent speed and repeatability is to flip pretty soon after pushing off the wall, out in the open. Then walk the few steps back.

Hoping better days are ahead for Grandma and Aunt B and that job prospects open up soon for your husband.  Your blondie recipe sounds very delicious, but as Janyne said, how dare you not give us the recipe?! 

x2 - especially on the recipe! 

At Masters our coach taught flip turns to us by having us swim at a fairly easy pace, then do a forward roll (flip) in the middle of the pool.  We were in the shallow end, so after each flip we'd rest a moment, then resume swimming, then do another little flip.  After we got the hang of efficient flips mid-water, he had us practice as we approached the wall.  

In general (and it will vary person to person and also depending on your speed), when you get to the 'T' of the line at the bottom of the lane, that is where you want to start your flip.  It does take practice to get the distance and timing right, but next thing you know it will be second nature.  I'd recommend a nice, big breath before you do the flip so you have plenty of air to blow out your nose so you don't get water up your nose because water up the nose really sucks.

I found getting a decent chin tuck and remembering to tuck my legs in tight as Ben mentioned really help.  Good luck!

Back from a very long weekend in Vegas.  We had so much fun over the 48 hours we were there.  I'll write up details of the race soon but it generally went well.  I was much slower than expected but I was also much stronger in the last miles.  In the marathon I did six weeks ago I tanked bad in the last 5 miles so wanted to slow it down and stay comfortable enough to actually run through all 26.  Accomplished that but was surprised by how much I had to gradually slow to do that.

Sorry to hear about your crash Ben.  That sounded very painful.  Hope you heal up quickly. 

I'm glad that you had fun! :-D

Hi, everybody.  Proof of life post.  I miss you all!!

I'm doing okay.  I can run and ride my trainer but still can't swim or even be in the water.  I went to a hot springs this weekend and ended up with a nasty headache and nausea.  Luckily it's the off season so I can just run and ride then try swimming again later.

I've joined a tri club sponsored by a local tri store, Endurance House.  The price was really reasonable--$420 which includes a tri kit, 15% discount at the store, monthly clinics, a training plan, and weekly group workouts.  There are about 80 members and based on all the FB posts, they're really active and a lot of fun.  The coach's philosophy is that tris are what you make them and there's room for everybody in the group, from serious competitors to people just doing it for fun.  The team ranges from multi-IMers, KQers and AGers to total newbies.  The coach is USAT-certified and does individual tri and running coaching as well.  Hopefully being part of a group like this will help me not feel so isolated when I'm doing my training.

As for work, I'm still on leave.  I can read for about 30 minutes and I'm working on increasing my computer time.  I'm going to try working a few hours next week, but I'm not optimistic.  Scrolling really bothers me and my job is 90% on the computer.  I'll just have to see how things go.  In the meantime, I'm doing the dog's PT, running during the day, volunteering, and keeping the house clean. 

Thanks to everybody who sends me inspires.  I really appreciate knowing that I'm still a Manatee even though I can't read or post much here.  You all are the best!!

(((Hugs)))

She's alive!  She's alive!

I'm glad that you are continuing to see improvement.  I'm sorry that it's been slow going.

Prayers for Gma and Aunt B. I'm glad there are lots of family members to help.

The blondies do sound yummy.  Once a week we get a cooler of fresh fruits/veggies from a local co-op. The box varies from week to week and throughout the year because it is "local" produce (local includes surrounding states) and I enjoy the challenge of using the stuff that shows up. This week it includes cranberries and beets. There were beets in there last week so I pickled them. I think this week I'll make a beet cake, but I'm really having fun coming up with ideas for the cranberries... yum

I'm so happy to see you back on here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I hope exclamation points don't make you dizzy   Welcome back my friend.

Sorry things have been such slow going, but glad you are seeing improvement!

True, true, now that I'm thinking about it.  Thanks for clarifying.

Thanks even more for posting the recipe!

x2. It is interesting to see what pacing works to keep you going through all 26 miles. I did MCM in 2007 and i was coming off an injury so i was super conservative to start. I ended up running really well that way and didn't start to feel really tired until mile 24 or so but by then I was almost done and it was easy to keep up to the end (except the hill for the finish, i did not appreciate that). My other marathons I definitely felt like i hit that fatigue point much sooner. 

Thanks for all the advice on flip turns. I think in the end i just need to HTFU and start with doing them in the warm up. 

There are times when my adult-onset swimming causes me issues - and this is one of them. It's just a stupid mental block. 

For just a little more on them, that last part is in with how to initiate the flip well. I think hesitation by the walls tends to come from fear of clanking feet on the edge or other ways of banging the wall. Bo probably put it best in a way to add on to the chin tuck in that one should try to stick their head up their own arse.  Once that has started well, it's more of a folding than flipping process. 

Masters had us try the full flip out in the middle once too. I couldn't quite get around enough to just put feet straight down even tough I could flip turn fine. So a bit unsure on how advanced of a training technique it is?

Race report from 2 weeks ago is finally up!

I think it was mainly to emphasize/teach the tucking/turning motion and having enough 'oomph' to get around.  Once we tried it against the wall it was a bit of a confidence boost knowing the flipping part was good.  Best technique to learn them?  IDK, but it worked for me and the others in our group, all but one older lady.

This morning at masters I was thinking about the manatees who get a bit dizzy from the flip and flip turns.  Not saying this will work for everyone or even work at all, but I think I close my eyes just after initiating the flip, then open them once I'm mostly through.  I also tried keeping them open the whole time which really messed me up.  YMMV.