Work your Weakness aka "Hey, Mike, STFU!" Challenge (Page 7)

I have both phenomena happen in swimming, I guess.  I'm not sure how much of the last three weeks' gains are from just being back in the water consistently or from  new technique gains.  After I have been swimming consistently, I have not experienced multi-second drops, though that would be freaking AWESOME!  Can you correlate those bigger time drops with a specific change in technique, or is it more of pushing through some kind of mental barrier?

This past week I have been really focusing on finishing the last third of my stroke firmly and that has seemed to help quite a bit.  It also give me two kinds of feedback in the water, 1) I can feel a water vortex roll of my feet from the stroke finish and 2) the water sounds different when I'm moving at that speed.  This will, I think, prove to be helpful in races as I often have no clue how I'm doing out there.  Would be cool to "hear it".

And you've inspired me--I am going to foam roll today :)

Um, this is FACHING AWESOME!

You can't just stop there--I'm dying--give us all the juicy details woman!

I mean, no pressure dearest, I'm sure you have a life outside of BT, but when you get around to it, I'd love to hear more about your race :)

Completed my long run for 14.4 miles.  I noticed that I've actually been running near the pace target for my marathon goal (3:15) during all my foundation runs and long runs.  I average about 7:30/mile for my easy runs, and the pace for a 3:15 is 7:26.  Maybe I'm capable of more.  I guess I'll evaluate that closer to time.

Originally posted by ligersandtions

Originally posted by switch I have both phenomena happen in swimming, I guess.  I'm not sure how much of the last three weeks' gains are from just being back in the water consistently or from  new technique gains.  After I have been swimming consistently, I have not experienced multi-second drops, though that would be freaking AWESOME!  Can you correlate those bigger time drops with a specific change in technique, or is it more of pushing through some kind of mental barrier?

This past week I have been really focusing on finishing the last third of my stroke firmly and that has seemed to help quite a bit.  It also give me two kinds of feedback in the water, 1) I can feel a water vortex roll of my feet from the stroke finish and 2) the water sounds different when I'm moving at that speed.  This will, I think, prove to be helpful in races as I often have no clue how I'm doing out there.  Would be cool to "hear it".

And you've inspired me--I am going to foam roll today

I started swimming with my Master's group in Sept. 2012 as a solid 2:00/100m swimmer. A few weeks in, I "magically" dropped down to 1:50/100m. Really not sure what happened there, but I suspect it was swimming regularly, with faster swimmers, with actual coaches giving helpful pointers. Over a few months, I gradually saw my times get closer to 1:45/100m. I did my first HIM and was pleased with a just barely under 34min split and decided I wanted to put in the effort to cut off a couple minutes by next year. Recently, my "cruise forever" pace has been sitting at 1:40/100m, but I hadn't really been pushed to go much harder. A friend who swims in the lane above me convinced me to come into her lane (I was way faster than everyone in my lane, but a decent amount slower than the people in the lane above me). I jumped in and struggled for a while....coaches were asking me to do sets on 1:35/100m and I was sometimes making them, sometimes not. They started asking me to do some at 1:30/100m and I was failing miserably every time. Suddenly, this past week, I made all my 1:30/100m sets with time to spare. It was like it just clicked. Couple things -- 1. I'm now swimming with people who are WAY faster than me (so I try to keep up as best I can....and really try to not get in their way!), and 2. One of the coaches has been forcing speed work on us (think lots of 50's building to fast and lots of 50's on short intervals). With all of that, I dropped time off basically overnight....it's not that it happened overnight, but all the work I'd put in finally came together at the same time. Swimming with a Master's group is the best thing I've done for my swimming....kind of like using TrainerRoad and eventually buying a power meter and training with power is the best thing I've done for my cycling. Hopefully running consistently will be the best thing I do for my running And on that note, it's time to take the dogs for a run!

Those are some pretty awesome swimming drops.  I hope I can follow in those footsteps (strokes?) this year.  I'm trying ot configure my schedule to start up with masters after the new year. 

Good job with the running, Nicole.  Your accident and follow-up sounds like it would be incredibly frustrating.  Hopefully, you have that behind you now and will be able to run pain free at see those gains.  Your dogs must be happy

When is your marathon again?

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I ran again today gang and I was completely good to go.  No pain. Nada. 

Happy learned how to put....

sweeeeeeet.

Yeah here's a link to my run from today:

http://www.strava.com/activities/90340664

So far I'm holding back until I have VDOT that shows I should be running faster than that.  I've been invited to run a 5k this coming weekend, so I may give it a go. 

The marathon I'm targeting is January 11.  

I love the stick! I don't own one but my friend does and every time I go to her house I use it the whole time. She is starting to think I like the stick better than her...

So did you get those stretches in???

I just finished the last of three races in 8 days. Here is the RACE REPORT

Now, this week is going to be all about miles and strength. I am going to drop one of my quality session is favor of volume. I have two weeks before my next race so this will be a big mile week then next week will be lower volume with more intensity.

Today I did core work and abductor work and I am getting a massage tonight (YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS)

Today's a recovery day, so I'm going to work on another weakness of mine, flip turning.  I will announce it here for accountability:

I will not swim a lap today without flip turning!

Haha. Don't do it or else!

Wait, how are we going to verify this?

I totally missed this before. Completely pain free?!?!?!?! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Must. Be. Appropriate...

OK.

This stick? For 31.99 you could have one too :)

You? Appropriate?

31.99 for which stick?

All joking aside ... I actually really want to build my own (DIY STICK) with some really cool BMX style bike grips and stuff. So I have been holding off on purchasing one. Of course, I am busy, too and it hasn't happened. Although, at one of my races I won a giftcard to the hardware store. I should use it for the PVC. 

"The Stick", the leading source of the question "umm......what is that?", especially when I leave it lying on a couch or bed.

You mean when you "accidentally" leave it on the couch or the bed;)

lol!

Well, you know me!

Now I have to make this thing. You know, to prove myself!

Then I am going to leave it all over the house, especially when we have company.

OMG that race report was just awesome.  Well, the race, too...but the RR was even better!!!

Got my flexibility work in this morning during Bikram...but I totally mailed it in because I had NUTHIN'.  Base run at lunchtime was much more fruitful.

@switch:  the "locked knee" term in BY refers to your standing leg in all of the straight-leg standing poses (half moon, standing bow, tree, etc.)...I have a habit of letting my knee drift forward a little.  It's kind of counter-intuitive because I've always been told not to lock your knee, but that mainly was for doing squats and other gym work.

Not that it's the first time, but we're completely off the rails now.