n + 1 swim challenge (Page 4)

I'll go find the ST thread. Thanks!

Cracked the ice for the week and got in my "n" workout.  Three days left to get +1 so should make it.

I only use a dolphin kick off the wall if I'm feeling particularly frisky (which isn't often) or if there is an attractive dolphin in the lane next me that I am trying to impress (even less often).  Usually just like to get into my normal stroke as soon as possible.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=5009101

Congratulations on getting your "n" in. 

Well you know if you were in the lane next to me I'd be kicking my tail and wiggling my fins.

Keep up the good work.

Originally posted by switch

Originally posted by axteraa

Originally posted by switch

I'll go find the ST thread. Thanks!

 

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=5009101

 

Thank you   There are so many swim threads over there it's easy for me to get lost.

You swimmers are crazy.  The band?  The weights?  Nooooooo!

Those were a couple of good videos.  I'm going to try to dedicate a practice a week to working on them.  I get really gassed when I do them, and I'm already breathing every two.  Any tips for that part?

Yeah, use the weights.  ;)

I forgot about the weights part, that's a bit extreme in my opinion.  I've never used them and hope I never do!

Part of not getting gassed is learning to do them quickly which of course comes with practice.  It probably also helps to have someone work with you on it.  I was helping a guy with his flip turn a few weeks ago (he wanted to get better at them for the world masters in Montreal - he's 72 years old :) ) and one thing I told him was that he was flipping too close to the wall.  He was very surprised as told me he thought he was too far out.  The other big mistake I see a lot of people make is one that was in the video with arm position.  People use their arms to flip but then keep using them for balance and they end up at their sides rather than in a tight streamline over the head.  If you can get a good tight, quick flip and have your arms already in position when your feet hit the wall then you can get off the wall and up for some O2 much quicker.

This challenge will begin on March 15^th and run through April 15^th, but feel free to stop in to the “Challenges Forum” before that and introduce yourself to the group.

The n + 1 swim challenge:

This is a challenge designed to increase your performance through increased frequency--whatever your current number of swims per week (n) the challenge is to add one more (+ 1) for a total of a month. Though there may be a few of us going for 6 or 7x/week, EVERYONE IS WELCOME*. A “swim” must be a minimum of 1000yds.

• The number of swims you commit to is up to you, I just ask that it’s at least one more than you have been doing J
• As a part of this challenge I’d like you to do some sort of test to determine a baseline—a 400? 1500? Other? You choose. We will retest at the end of the month.
• Post your workout with yardage each session and the purpose of your swim.

*If you are new to BT or have never done a challenge, I really encourage you to try it sometime. Challenges are a great way to meet other BTers, learn a ton, push yourself and have a little accountability.

Well that makes perfect sense.  Do them quicker, get oxygen quicker--incentive! 

As to the how far out to start the turn part--how do you figure that out?  Is that partly based on speed going into the wall, or should you start the turn at the same time regardless of speed?

Originally posted by switchWell that makes perfect sense.  Do them quicker, get oxygen quicker--incentive! 

As to the how far out to start the turn part--how do you figure that out?  Is that partly based on speed going into the wall, or should you start the turn at the same time regardless of speed?

I'm not sure to be honest, probably have to experiment.  You want to find the sweet spot where your feet hit the wall while your legs are in a good position for a powerful push off (ie. knees aren't up to your chest).

And as far as dolphin kicks, I can do them as part of kick sets. I'll get to the other end without killing myself now, but am not really that fast at it. Finding the rhythm, like so much of swimming is. I don't do them off of walls while swimming (or any other kicking), just streamline there. It doesn't make me any faster and uses up energy. I'm actually a bit slower doing it. Well, I do it for backstroke, but not on free. Fly will get 1-2 to initiate the movement. I will do so to reposition if something in the push-off was wrong. Like aimed too deep or came off at a funny angle. In those cases it works better than just floating to the surface. When I push-off in sync with one of the faster people, I seem to hit the surface at the same time and same point as they do, out past the flags.

On the "quicker" part, you want to get through them more quickly, but not use more energy to do so. A good deal of it seems to be balance & momentum use. With a good duck in the first part, the back end will fold and just seem to come right over.

4 swims in 3 days. No swimming today, but picking it up again tomorrow. Had 900 kicking at masters last night after some FTP intervals on the bike. Knew I could get there, but not sure how I made the intervals. Did have to do a few arm pulls each lap to help out, but happy I didn't have to resort to just swimming the whole thing.

1/3 done.  1:05 in the pool, 3400 meters.

200 swim
2 x 200 IM
3 x 200 kick with fins, build by 50s
10 x 100 swim with fins on 1:20, coming in 1:10-1:11
100 ez
10 x 50 swim - 5 on :50, 5 on :45 holding :36s
12 x 25 fast on :30, started out doing 15s but was 16s by the end
300 CD

How often do you swim with fins?  Is this something that you feel would help most triathletes?  Where do you fall on the work the kick don't work the kick argument?

I never dolphin kick.  It's something that I never really learned.  Pure triathlete here when it comes to swimming.  

My set for today

WU: 350

5x50 drill/swim

6x200 (RI:10)

7x100 (RI:5)

CD: 300

2800m

Nothing sexy about today's set.  Just get the base work in, and get out.  The shorter rest intervals made sure you weren't blowing yourself up.  Steady state was the aim for today.

I'd say the purpose of this swim is speed work.  The 100s were fast with a high stroke rate.  The 12 x 25 fast were definitely focused on speed.

I don't swim with fins very often, maybe once every couple of months or so.  I usually do it to work on swimming fast with a fast turnover.  I find it gives me a chance to really focus on my catch with a higher stroke rate - the lats tend to burn pretty good by the end of something like that.  I think it's something valid to try for triathletes once in a while.  If nothing else, you get the feeling of what it feels like to swim fast.

Soooooo, did you get your butt outta bed?

There's a fine line between knowing when to just push through so you don't bag a workout unnecessarily, and listening to your body and taking some rest (even when it's not in your schedule) because you need it.  More often than not, I have been guilty of not doing the latter, and then I can get myself dug into a pretty bleak hole.  It might be worth taking an inventory of what's adding "stress" in your life (work, sleep, relationships, training, possible sickness, etc) and your overall "load". Most of us are pretty good at ticking off the training sessions, but we could do better with the listening to our bodies and rest/recovery part

(Ben, I can see you smiling.)