Slornow and Wannabefaster's Summer Group-CLOSED (Page 6)

Just for the record, I haven't found any routine that makes swimming any easier. 

This X2!

Steve-I pretty much always try to get my swim in first if I have 2 workouts. Most of my swim workouts are challenging, at least for me, and I have a hard time doing anything with much intensity in the pool if I have already done a tough run or bike. I feel like my legs are dragging the bottom of the pool. I will occasionally do a recovery swim later in the day if I've done a solid bike or run workout.....seems to help my legs feel better. 

Fixed the group name...sorry about that Jason...your new name Wannabeabeastfaster

Mike-I think your taper plan sounds good. Everyone is different but it seems the generally accepted rule is to reduce volume and intensity in the days leading up to the race. How big the taper typically depends on the length of the race. Sprint=short taper. IM=longer taper.  In the week prior to a race my coach keeps some intensity in s/b/r but the sets will be shorter and fewer. Some hard 50/100s mixed into the swim. Strides or short intervals thrown into easy runs and fewer/shorter hard intervals on the bike. I like to keep some intensity in the workouts leading into a race so my body feels ready for the pain  

Question for the swimmers in the group:

What could be causing my swim times to get slower (if that was even humanly possible) over the last year?

BOP swimmer who learned how to swim in 2008. Last year I swam 419499.38 Yds. Current swim totals for 2014 are down a bit from this time last year 154202.97 Yd. My workouts are similar to Randy and Jason's and they are making improvements so it isn't that the work is easy..

Yes, I know that there are technique problems that need to be resolved. Regardless of how hard I try to swim faster it just seems like I'm thrashing around in the pool. I can swim a steady pace and have X time. Then swim faster and hit the wall gasping for breath and only take 1-2 seconds off per 100.

We live in a small town and I swim alone. There is a local "masters" group but the workouts aren't normally worth going to. The closest decent swim coaches are an hour away. Once school gets out for the summer I plan on taking more swim lessons and driving up for masters if that is what it would take. Until then I'm sending tapes of my swimming to my coach for his input. My current run/bike training Is lighter than normal and has been for most of the year. Which rules that out as something that is contributing to the problem. I just want to understand why I'm swimming slower NOW than I was last year with a torn meniscus and then recovering from surgery for the majority of the year.

At this point I would move somewhere for the summer to swim if that is what it takes to get this problem resolved. I really like swimming and want to get better. I just don't understand what is wrong.  

X

Ok, here it is.  A tiny cut and paste with updates given my current situation.  The good news for those who know me, is I have been cleared to get back to some more working out post surgery.  I don't plan to go crazy, just ease into something that gets me back outside!

NAME: SSMinnow/Suzy

STORY:   Watched IM WI in my hometown of Madison WI in 2002. Decided I wanted to do it one day. Only problem is I rarely ran, had a hybrid bike and was deathly afraid of H20, having nearly drowned at 27 years of age. So I started running and did several marathons because it was the easiest thing to do for me.   After BQing three times I decided I needed to get serious about biking and getting over my fear of water if I was ever to do an IM. Worked my way up to a super sprint a couple years later and was hooked.   Since that time, I’ve done IM WI four times-2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. I’m a decent runner and biker, but have been slow to catch on to swimming and still have some fear of OW.   Been doing triathlons since 2008.

FAMILY STATUS: Married for 25 years, no kids, one 3 year old Cockapoo-Cooper

CURRENT TRAINING: How do I answer this one? J I tore my meniscus in March while training for the Boston marathon, had surgery on April 15^th and am slowly crawling my way back to fitness. I was cleared to bike outside, swim normally and start a run rehab program today. Fortunately, I had decided not to do an IM this year and will focus on a couple of short distance races and hopefully be somewhat ready for Nationals in August.

MY FOCUS: The most obvious is rehab with no setbacks, but I still intend to work on my swim which is the weakest part of my game and holds me back from being competitive in my AG.  Drives me nuts.  REALLY.

THIS YEAR'S RACES Very much up in the air given the rehab. I would love to do a sprint race in late June, another in mid July before we head to Alaska for two weeks. I won’t be in great shape for Nationals, but I hope to be able to participate.

 WEIGHTLOSS:   I’m only 4’10” so I really need to watch my weight. Having been sidelined for nearly three months makes me feel I have 3-5lbs to lose.  I don't weigh myself so it's only a guess.

Can't wait to hear some answers to this one.  In '13, I put in so many yards that I smelled more like chlorine than the pool!  I also swam my personal worst IM with only modest pool improvements.  And I had plenty of instruction to improve technique.

I will say that I did join a good Master's group this year and my times were improving, right up until the time I blew out my knee.  Since then I haven't been able to join my group, kick or push off the wall.  Feel like I'll be crawling out of a hole again!  That starts in a few weeks when the next round of Masters begins in an outdoor pool. 

Rene, if you feel like your fitness is the same or better then you are almost certainly doing something different in your technique that is causing more drag.  5s/100 (based on the note on your swim workout today) can easily be caused by a small change in technique.  You ask if it's how you are coming off the wall - something as simple as that could play a big role, a snappy turn (open or flip) with a good streamline off the wall is probably worth 3-5s/100 over a lazy turn with no streamline.  For me, 5s/100 is the difference between wearing jammers and wearing swim shorts (not big baggy board shorts, just regular swim shorts).   All that to say it could be something fairly subtle that is giving you grief.

What has your coach said about the videos you have sent?  Can you share them with us?

Must be the bikini's that I've started wearing this year.

In the last video's my head was too far under the water and there was a lot of side to side body movement. Coach has me focusing on head position right now. I don't remember the head position being this bad in the last video.

There are more detailed notes in my BT blog.

BTW- My swim workout descriptions are similar to Randy and Jason's. The intervals are not the same!

Bryan, I haven't used Trainer Road but a lot of people love it and have had great success with their program. If I didn't have  a coach I would use their program in a heart beat.  

Good morning all. I'm on the road today. Back home this evening for some intervals on the track. Have a good day everyone.

+1 on TrainerRoad.  I've been using it since it was in Beta back in the fall of 2011.

Morning team;

No workout for me this morning, because I spent all my time updating the friends list, trying to figure out how to get this new Garmin 910 configured, and uploading to BT and Strava.   Garmin not on my happy list with this new Garmin Express.  IF YOU HAVE A GARMIN 910 or other wireless upload device --- DO NOT SWITCH to Garmin Express yet.  BT is still coding to support it.  Meanwhile, it only loads to Garmin Connect.   I tried downloading the ANT Agent and Garmin Communicator -- which is the way it 'used' to work, but now BT/Strava can only see my device, but won't load it!   UGH.    So for now, it's upload to Garmin Connect, and then export to BT.  Frustrations.

Meanwhile. Had a great therapeutic massage last night.  Got a LMT here that is a triathlete himself and focuses his practice on endurance athletes.  MAGIC.  Always feel much better after a session on his table, particularly since I'm old and grey, and these old bones rebel much more than they used to.

Planning a swim this evening.  Probably not a long one -- 1000-1500 yards is all.