kaburns1214 Mentor Group 2012 - CLOSED (Page 71)

Swim balance is your body position and form in the water.  If you don't have good balance in the water you're slowing yourself down (it doesn't mean your slow, it just means you're leaving some speed on the table).  Doing the TI drill helps to correct your body position and balance in the water should result in faster times for the same effort.  Doing a couple hundred yards of drill work at the beginning of each swim is a good way to warm up and work on balance and body position.

Be careful.  Its a 5K.  You don't want to mess yourself up for a 5K.  You're prone to injury right now and you don't want to be forced to sit out again.

Up super early for a short recovery ride.  Heading over to Lakewood in an hour for my swim critique and video.  I'll probably get a copy later this week, and I'll be sure to post it here.  House prep and packing for the remainder of the day.

Have a great weekend, friends!

We were in Target last night and they announced there was a tornado watch and everyone (customers and employees) had to gather in the back of the store.  It was kind of crazy.  When we were "released" we got outside and my husbands poor car was surrounded by shopping carts.  It must have gotten pretty windy out there.  No damage that we saw, and we survived the big storm last night too.

I slept in for the first time in... I don't know how long.  Now I'm just trying to psych myself to do a bike/run test I have on the schedule for the day.

Karen - How'd the bike/run test go?

Steve - Where does your cruise go?  Careful with that food...LOL  Ooooh, so yummy.

Heading to the pool to swim long - 3000 m.  The swim video taping and critique went really well!  It's amazing how much I've improved in just one year.  Balance and rotation were perfect.  I seem to drop the left arm too quickly sometimes.  Then on my breathing strokes, I let the lead arm float up to the surface of the water (it's hard to explain...you'll have to see it on the video).  Average strokes per length was 15.  

Bike / Run test went well.  I'm a little sore today though.

Steve - the cruise sounds like fun.  I've only been on one cruise, similar to all the stops you are going to.  Jamaica was my favorite, we went zip-lining.  There is just way too much food on those ships.  I tried to exercise each day, by using the little outdoor track at the front of the ship.  I think it was a 10th of a mile, and for someone who cannot stand repeating the same course while running, it was rough.

Jen - are you going to share your video?  When I went to masters the guy would tape us every two weeks.  Just a short clip and he'd critique us.  It was kind of cool to see changes over the months.  But, since I dropped masters and just swim at the gym I belong to, no more videos.

Glad to hear your tests went well, Karen!  

Yes, I will share my video once I get it.  I think they'll mail it to me this week.  I think I'm going to have it done once a year so I can monitor my progress.  

I had to swim in the 90 degree recreational pool (25 yds.) at Lifetime this morning, because they were holding their spring indoor triathlon.  There were 100s of people there.  Nothing like rubbing a little salt in my wounds.  LOL 

Are you on Carnival?  I was in Galveston yesterday and saw a big Carnival cruise ship.

Last morning in Texas.  Ran early, heading out for a short bike now and then packing up the bike and trying to get a swim in before my flight out leaves at 4 p.m.

My legs are completely shot.  I'm glad this next week is a rest week.

What did you think of the IMTX bike course?

I liked it a lot.  Enough movement to be interesting but not super boring.  I'm working on my write up of all the courses.

Good weekend of training

Friday 1hr Z2 run  - 7.9 mile

Saturday 3:00 Z2 Bike - 56 miles

Sunday 1:30 run Z1-Z2 - 11.4 miles

TODAY REST!!!!

Spent some time on the trainer this morning, and then I'm heading to the pool for a long swim tonight.  I got some forearm fulcrums to help with my hand position in the water.  I used them a bit yesterday.  It's interesting.  I think I'm going to invest in some TYR paddles, too.

Anyone love their paddles?  Suggestions, please!!!

Madge has her first private swim lesson tonight.  She's been in group lessons for a year, so it will be nice for her to get some one-on-one attention in the water.  Conrad has his swim tryout next week.  We found a competitive swim team nearby, and they have different levels.  He'll most likely be placed on the blue team, which is a transition team (from lessons to team atmosphere with a coach on deck).  He doesn't know he is trying out.  If he did, he'd freak.  I just told him he's going to swim some laps, and some people are going to watch him.  It's all about the wording.  

Thanks, Jeff.  Do use the red ones? Or did you go a size up from that?

If you are looking for paddles to work on form, you want small paddles.  Larger paddles are for building strength (and will wear you out too fast to work on form properly).

the yellow ones, see kelly's post regarding why.

I am not a believer that paddles are a good way to work on strength in the pool.

Ah ha - that's why the swim coach last year told me to not use the wrist straps.  I still do, but maybe I should take them off???  It seems like they will rip off if I don't have them.

I got Strokemakers, the red ones, again it was his recommendation on brand and size.  I like them, but now want to try without the wrist strap.

That's funny but I understand.  You can't just tell a kid to "bring it"!!!!

RockTractor - 2012-03-05 9:49 AM

abqtj - 2012-03-04 6:02 AM Cruise leaves galveston and goes to jamaica, grand cayman, and cozumel. Right now the weather looks pretty good but it might be windy in cozumel when we are there.

Steve, For a little fun exercise on land - try the Amazing Race activity in Cozumel. You get to (briefly) see and experience all sorts of things around the port during the course of the day - running between each!! That's sweat on my shirt...

Seriously?  When I went to Cozumel I don't remember that being an option.  I would have been all over that.  How fun!