Barqhead's Group - FULL (Page 4)

Merry Christmas everyone!!

And a Happy New Year!!

I got the 305 for Christmas and I hate it!!!  Just Kidding.  I say say that only because on my first run using it showed me I spent 85% of my time running in Zone 4!  It is a little frustrating, but still neat to see all the info it gives you.  It is strange because I don't feel like I'm running hard, but facts don't lie.  I spent two hours yesterday looking through the Owner's Manual.  I can't believe everything it can do.  I need to get the bike cadence sensor and I will be all set.  I'm looking forward to working with it. 

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and has a safe and Happy New Year.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays.  Sounds like a few folks got some fun tri-related gifts.  I woke up feeling under the weather on Christmas Eve but still managed to enjoy the time I got to spend with the family.  

We're heading to The Keys tomorrow to spend time with The Dude's parents.  I'm looking forward to some sunshine and warm weather!  Not sure what the internet situation will be while we're gone so Happy New Year a few days early.

Pam,

Except for not having a road bike and therefore not been putting in a lot of miles on my hybrid (therefore not working much on any biking technique at all ... but I think most of biking is just putting in some miles ... so...)

... it is my swim that has the worst technique and is probably what I need the most training in.  But, like you say and I've heard in the past, that the swim segment is the least important and that putting out too much energy for a little bit of extra gain or speed is not worth how much energy you have to use up when compared to how much (or how little) time you gain in the overall triathlon race.

But nonetheless, my swimming is to a point that I think my distance or endurance is okay but it is lack of form and technique that is causing me to be slow and my hand and shoulders to start to go numb .... I also need to find a comfortable pair of goggles that won't leak water and don't have to be tightened down so much that they start cutting into my face.

It's funny you bring up swimming today because I actually did a swim workout today for the first time in weeks.

I swam 2x100 warmups ... and then swam a straight 1300 yards (26 laps).  I could have gone longer but had to stop because the pain of the goggles cutting into my face to hurting to the point that I had to stop.

I tried to adjust them or move them around a little to relieve some pressure but when I did water leaked in ... then I had to stop to drain them out ... I'm unable to push on through because of a little water because I wear contact lenses and so I had to stop and drain them.

At that point, around lap 26, I just went ahead and threw in the towel for the day.  I had already gone over what I planned -had planned about 1/2 a mile and went about 3/4 a mile so I just called it quits at that point.

My goal is to swim a mile, first in the pool, and then in open water ... to prepare myself for an Oly distance that I want to run in April or May.  I figure if I can swim a mile then the 0.7 a mile for an Oly should not be a problem.

For an Oly distance swim, just how important is it that I swim fast?  Again, right now my goal is to just Complete an Oly ... don't want to be DFL but I don't think that will happen anyhow ... I'm not concerned with placing right now ... but maybe just holding my own in my category - a Clyde ... or even Master Clyde if this Oly race has that category.

So, should I just keep up with my swimming as is ... or really start working some drills and work on speed.  I usually just do either 2 or 3 sets of 100 yd warmups ... then go for a long swim ...  sometimes during my 100 yd warmups I work on different stroke counts ... breathing every 4 or 3 or 2 .... I would like to be able to breath every 3 stroke ... I think that woul dbe the most versatile ... and even if I have to stare into the sun or face waves on one side ... at leat every other breath would be away from that ...

.... but I find that I tire a little too soon breathing every 3rd stroke ... and I've read some debates here about if 3-stroke or 2-stroke is best for tri's .... is building up to use 3-stroking worth the effort or should I just stay with 2-stroke?

Again, thanks to everyone for any input, adivce, or opinions ....

See ya!!

I certainly don't want to step on anyone's toes by offering this so if I am, please let me know. 

I feel I can offer some pretty good suggestions.  I will say that I am out with the technical terminolgy, but can give some insight.  I come from a swimming background.  I swam through high school and taught swimming through college and even dated a few competitive swimmers along the way.  Needless to say, I have been around a pool most of my life. 

To this point, I have scaled back my swim training.  Knowing that I can swim 3K without stopping, I feel pretty confident and plan to focus more on my biking and running.  Swimming will probably be a 1, maybe two days per week training area for me.  Once I really get deep into my training, I will put a little more focus back on it for speed, but for now, it will take the back burner. 

Okay, thanks!

I've just printed out these drills and will take them to the pool with me.

I already seem so things I must be doing wrong.  I'm not sure if my rear is dragging through the water or not ... I feel like I;m dragging and I don't really have any kind of kick.

Every time I try to add a kick it seems to throw me off of my arms strokes and I feel like I just start having my lower half sink into the water even more.  But, the few pictures that have been taken of me while swimming all seem to show that my whole body is pretty much on top of the water ... so I'm not really dragging or bottom half sinking in .... but it sure feels that way ... 

I believe that I'm stretching out far enough - at least I think I do, I do try and extend my arm as far as possible before plunging it into the water in front of me ... but the first drill should help re-inforce that ....

.. it is the 2nd and 3rd drill that I'm way off.

As I'm pulling my arm through the water, my hands are no where close to my body ... and I seem to do different strokes with my right arm vs. left arm.  With my right arm I start pulling it underneath my body till it gets around my belly button ... then I push it outwards away from my body ... as though I'm trying to fling water over into the next lane ... then I do this little "sculling" motion with my hand/arm and push my hand down toward my knee ...

With my left arm I seem to just pull it downwards and back .... not as much pushing it out to the side ... but  just pull it straight underneath me the whole stroke .. until the very end then I kinda pull out to the side away from my knee as I prepare to pull it out of the water.

When I pull my arm up (I guess that is called recovery) my hands are way out from my sides ... and I'm pulling them back inwards at an angle as I get ready to plunge them back into the water in front of me .... like I'm drawing the outline shape of a "spade" on a deck of playing cards.

Finally, on my recovery and getting ready for my catch ... my arms and hands are so high in the air that there is no way I could drag my fingertips through the water ...

... so I have a lot to work on already.

I'll try to post a couple of pics of my swimming form in a little bit ...

Thanks for the tips and drills!

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Hey Nicole,

I had the same issue until I started the bilateral breathing.  I have never had any issues only breathing to my right side until recently.  I worked on my bilateral breathing and have not had any issues since.  For me, it definitely tires me out sooner.  I assume I again have to build up to a longer distance.  I have also tried breathing two strokes on my right, then the third on my left, continuing this pattern.  It seems to help some too.

I will begin with a swim coach January 5th, that's another reason I have just relaxed about my swimming.  No need in developing a bunch of bad habits when she is going t completely overhaul my stroke anyway.  But I have still been swimming a couple times a week because it seems to help tremendously with my cardio, without all the stress on my body.  Because I do upper body strength training on Monday, I swim on Tuesday to kinda work out some of the soreness.  Maybe a bad game plan but it seems to help with the lactic acid buildup. 

barqhead - 2008-12-27 1:04 PM

msfugitivehunter - 2008-12-27 11:35 AM Well, for me, I have spent a little extr time in the pool.  I have no background in swimming, other than being a Marine.  Therefore, I had no technical background and struggled to figure out how to breath...lol.  Now, that I have almost figured it out, I am shifting my primary focus to the bike, since it is the longest portion of the race.

And Todd, if I remember correctly, you have worked with or are working with a swim coach. So that sounds like a smart plan to focus on that bike fitness