stevebradley's Mentor Group FULL (Page 35)

JESS,

My thoughts and prayers are with you, grandpa and family at this time. I doubt I would handle this sort of family emergency with such clarity as you. My ageing parents and grandparents are halfway across the world and I get quite sick when I think of anything happening to them when I am so far away. Take care, your grandpa sounds like a fighter and survivor and I pray he will make it through this.

Peace.

Jess,

I echo the previous sentiments.....

I am sorry to hear that you and your family are going through a tough time.  I will keep your grandfather in my thoughts.

Hey all,

 Just as a continuation of our barefoot running conversation, the april issue of triathlete has a REALLY good article on minimalist future of running.  apparently there are some great studies ongoing right now comparing the heavy heeled stability shoes that have become so popular with both neutral shoes AND the Vibram Five Fingers.  I will be really interested in those results.  article on page 157.

Hey steve,

i'm going to try to respond to some of your posts from memory, so I apologize if I miss something.

I did take my trusty tennis ball to the pool yesterday.  that didn't even last one whole stroke.  breathing with it was impossible.  i like to think i have a fairly good roll.  maybe i am wrong.  i did keep my head down the whole time, and concentrate on my roll.  i think i did feel better.  i'm not real sure if my times actually got better since i had never done the workout i did yesterday before.  nothing to compare it to.  Hall Sr does say in one of this posts over at slowtwitch to get a snorkel and practice with the tennis ball, so i am not really sure if that is supposed to be used to practice the roll or if it is just a tool to get used to keeping your head down.  for me, i just thought it was impossible to breath with.  a snorkel would obviously alleviate that need, but i'm not rushing out to buy a snorkel for this.

the other "high elbow" concept was too much for me to add in yesterday.  it was a speed workout, and i Just couldn't concentrate on keep my arms moving and focus on the elbows, AND concentrate on looking down AND concentrate on my roll.  today is a long swim so I will try the high elbows today.

as an fyi, i just kicked my noseclip habit about a month ago.  keeping your head down somehow makes it harder to keep water out of the schnoz.  for me at least.

I do feel good about my deferring surgery decision.  i feel completely solid in it.  if you had asked me right after the marathon last month, i would have opted for it immediately.  Triathlon, though is significantly easier on the hips.  During the marathon training I was in agony every long run.  it seems to be really start after 8-11 miles running.  Since I haven't been doing runs over 10 miles since Myrtle the pain has not been nearly as bad.  Biking isn't super comfortable, especially in the aero position, but it's definitely tolerable.  I am considering making some seat adjustments just for the next few months so that the angle of my thigh to my torso isn't as severe.....maybe adjusting my seat up?  not sure, i might experiment. 

the scheduler for my doctor called and i told her i wanted to schedule the surgery as soon after the eagleman as possible.  assuming both hips go well, I could be able to at least finish my sept tri.  i told her the eagleman is june 14.  she said, "how's june 15?".  so that is when the first is scheduled.  i figure the pain meds will help with the post race soreness too

as far as the columbia goes, you have until april 1st to make your decision and still get a refund (less processing fee).  that is definitely enough time to test it a little (maybe a few hilly runs) to see if you are going to be able to do it or not.  If you aren't comfortable by april 1st than bag it.  why risk compromising the larger season?

 today is supposed to be 70 degrees (Fahrenheit Steve).  It will be my first bike OUTSIDE this year....well i did a few miles outside a few weeks ago, but traffic was so bad that we bailed.  i don't count that.  i'm always nervous my first few times outside.  always in fear of the clip-in topple.  that, and i was in a pretty nasty collision last summer and have a little gun shyness since.  .....time to conquer that, eh?

 EVERYONE ENJOY YOUR WEEKENDS!

lisa

stevebradley - 2009-03-07 9:47 AM Off to the pool for those 50 X 5.38 second ball-tuck drills!

this cracked me up.  my issue wasn't that it floated away more that I stopped and said, "hell no.  this isn't going to work."  i hope you find success!.... or that it finds you.  either way.

 Thank you all so so much for your positive thoughts.  I just talked to my mom, and while it's still touch and go, he's off the respirator and talking, though still quite groggy. Apparently he still has a severe staph infection and they're trying to find the right antibiotics to help clear that up (hopefully it's not anti-biotic resistant). My mom really wants me to go to Costa Rica because it'll still be days before we really know how things will play out (and I'll be back Thursday).  I am going to make a game-time decision in the morning, but I activated international roaming on my phone, and for now it looks like I'll be going to Costa Rica, and then flying back to NJ if need be. 

 I bagged the test this morning - I just wasn't prepared or in the right state of mind.  I did, however, go out for my 2 hour ride. It felt great - it's 70 out, so I was able to wear shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt. I found some good hills and hammered up them. I didn't go for the 30 minute run because I'm really tired - didn't get much sleep last night... 

 Anyway, thank you all for the support! I won't be around much for the next few days either way, so enjoy your week  

 i laughed and laughed and laughed at your description of the tennis ball drill.  it's even funnier because i had tried it.  i really do think that that is designed to be used with a snorkel only.  otherwise you really do have to do the most amazing roll to have any chance of breathing.  mr. hall sr definitely must have cameras hidden across our nation's pool's.  so, until you learn to breathe out of your cheek bone, i guess that drill is done.

 also, really glad to hear that you got outside.  my outside ride was also successful....in that i made it, that is.

10 mile run tomorrow in SHORTS....actually a skirt.  it will be wonderful!!!! 

JESS,

have a great time.  if anyone deserves it, it is you!!!

Well I just got back from a 6 hour swim/class session with the UCLA swim coach.  There were 14 of us in the class total.  The video analysis was very telling.  I have some problems with my stroke!  But I suppose that's what I was paying to find out, so now I get to work on improving it (and getting faster).

Some of my problems: I cross over centerline in the front.  In my mind I am reaching out straight but when I rotate to breathe the arm comes with it and I cross over.  My next problem is that as I pull back I pull out to the side and end with a "flick" towards my back.  The water actually splashes onto my back.  Third, becuse of these problems my body is not in a complete straight line and instead has a "wiggle" in it causing me to lose some power (or at least waste energy).  I will post the video when he emails it to me.

 I learned lots of drills; catch ups, zippers, near touch, lots of stuff that you have probaly at least seen before.  What he was emphasizing is the age groupers reluctance to do drills.  He said, and it hit the nail on the head for me, was that we mainly just warm up a few hundred then do main sets...with little to no drilling.  When he coaches his team they do more in drills than most of us do in an entire workout.  His point was that they are very important and should not be neglected.  So I guess it's time to learn to drill! 

sax,

so it sounds like it was very beneficial. i often think of getting that kind of analysis.  I, too, do not drill.  I just using the buoy for the first time yesterday, but that is it.  Definitely something i need to work on. 

Make sure you keep us posted on what drills your doing and  how they are impacting your swim.

 Thanks and Good luck!

sax,

so it sounds like it was very beneficial. i often think of getting that kind of analysis.  I, too, do not drill.  I just using the buoy for the first time yesterday, but that is it.  Definitely something i need to work on. 

Make sure you keep us posted on what drills your doing and  how they are impacting your swim.

 Thanks and Good luck!