Asphalt Junkies CLOSED AND GETTING OUR FIX (Page 178)

I am also acquainted with swimsmooth and the Mr. Smooth app.  In fact, use my own video side by side with Mr. Smooth to find places where I need work.

Tony, this is a great technically detailed discussion of the whys and hows of the high pull you are talking about (rather than the sweeping pull).  The swim smooth site has some info on how to get the feel and some drills to ingrain the correct elbow angle in the pull.

No problem Matt.  We all go through times of more and less involvement (... can you say "Jonathan").  We are definitely looking forward to you killing a half next year if that's your goal.  I personally and really looking forward to the day you crush me in a 70.3 - not that I plan on that being anytime soon!

Ahhhh......Mommy quiet time sounds nice!  I want some for Christmas.

Our power was out again.  Only 7 hours this time.  We had a big wind/rain storm.  It's still dumping rain but it isn't nearly as windy.

I have a head cold.  No major training for me right now.  Lots of crocheting, though!

Warren thanks for posting this. It defintely is a very good explanation of the high pull vs. the sweeping pulling. I had no idea there was that much of a difference in the results of using the high pull. I can see why the sweeping pull would be contributing to my struggles. I'll be working on this tomorrow.

Yes.  I was trying to convey the idea that if you just think 'swim faster' you just run out of air sooner and get in to a big old pacing problem!  So pulling harder and kicking was the bad thing I suggested would be the result of thinking "go faster".

And that's when I broke into the discussion of just getting the arm back to the water faster, not really powering yourself more, just eliminate glide time by getting that arm back ASAP.

A little kick timed with the rotation is a great thing, but not trying to get serious forward propulsion from the kick...that's such an oxygen hog that it's only appropriate for sprints.

BTW Tony, having an asymmetrical stroke isn't horrible.  Your coach might harp on it because it shouldn't be done accidentally due to a bad habit...but there are definitely times when a swimmer is faster breathing to a certain side, and their oxygen demands dictate when they need to breath, such that it makes sense to breath always to 1 side.  In that case, the asymmetrical stroke can help you have enough time to breath in enough while allowing the non-breathing side to be faster.

I noticed Michael Phelps doing this in the Olympics.  Don't remember what event.  He was doing freestyle at the time, so it was either a freestyle event, or an IM.

Oh hey!

Take a look at this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvrBxhGdoJQ

I attempted my first pull-up today.

I hope that was on a loop or I'm seriously impressed!  Incredible progress so soon after surgery.

(I know it wasn't on a loop, btw).

Jeff ok I'm gonna agree with Dina and Warren. You really are a machine and that is impressive. Glad to see you making such great progress following your surgery.

It's also good to know that it's not bad having an asymmetrical stroke and I do understand what you are saying. That makes sense for the one sided breathing. I think mine is too pronounced and I am trying to breath to both sides so speeding up the recovery I think would really help. I also agree I am definitely not trying to swim faster effort wise. I want to swim easy and with less effort. I think eliminating the pauses and working on the catch and pull will help with that.

And also, even if you want to breath to both sides, that doesn't HAVE to be bilateral breathing in the sense of every three breaths.  You can breath toward the same side of the pool, meaning you change stroke side you breath on every length.  Particularly if you have a slower stroke rate, breathing every two strokes makes a lot of sense.

I also think being able to breath at least somewhat comfortably to either side can be a plus in races.  If there are waves coming at you from one side, or overly aggressive people on one side, it can really help to breath on the other side.

Warren I agree with that totally. I have been working on what you suggested as well not always going every third stroke and using a 3-2-3 and I think that helps. I have also been doing an every other stroke breathing pattern as well but would like to try and stick with the bilateral breathing for now just to keep me honest with my rotation to both sides.

From what I have been reading it appears everyone is doing great.  Still some advances being made on the swimming front, and Jeff those pull-ups looked fantastic, I couldn't do those even with someone pushing me up!  My upper body strength is non-existent to say the least, probably something I should work on but I have to choose my time and what I do in that time. 

Been busy for me lately, with work and trying to close out the year and add to that all the kids activities and it seems like it never stops.  I have been coaching Zachary's basketball team and that has been interesting to say the least.  To get 5 5yr olds to all go in one direction but still not be right next to each other is fun.  Going to hate to see the season end on Saturday, may just have to sign-up for the winter session also!

Then the last big item that came up, I have been keeping up with everyone's story about their dogs and how much they have meant to them.  This brought back a lot of memories of the dogs I had and I missed that relationship.  Add to that Zachary coming out of the blue saying that he missed our old dog that left several years ago and I was hooked.  So after a little research and a lot of input and advice from Dina (thank you) and we have now added a new family member.  Went to the local animal shelter and I believe we have found a suitable dog.  He is a terrier something or another and thankfully after 4 days at the house appears to be housebroken .  Hopefully I can figure out how to train him a little more, but that may require obedience classes.  Here he is with Isaac  (also by the research I have done and what I know about half of what he is, he should make for a good running partner.  Less time running by myself, woohoo!

Ok, we have a machine at the Y that is assisted pull ups and dips. I have to have about 75 lbs on the machine to complete those exercises LOL . In fact, I upset my shoulder trying to get that down to 50 lbs assisted. I got about half way on a dip and couldn't get back up! Impressive.

My cycle with the oral steroid pack was complete on Wednesday. Happy to report that my shoulder feels really good and the back pain has improved even more. This is such a relief in the little daily things like finding a comfortable position to sleep in! I'm running short frequent runs again. That cyst I have been dealing with near my posterior ankle tendon is swelling/building fluid again - disappointing. I'm just saying screw it and moving forward though.

Now, a training question, for convenience I have been doing my short runs after the swim or bike workout so essentially these are brick workouts. Would it be better to break things up a little or do you think it does not matter much? One of my concerns doing my workouts this way is yesterday when I was on the treadmill it showed my HR was in the 160's and I was running at 11:00 min/mile pace. If I slow down much more I'll be walking!

trigal38 - 2012-12-20 10:05 PM Matt they are a good looking pair . I'm so happy you found a match!

I have met all of Matt's family and I can say with all certainty that Issac looks like Sara and Matt has a disturbing resemblance to the newest member of the family.

I use a similar machine when Lis and I work out together.  I use the assist to complete more reps.  I am not sure how many reps you do but it may be a better option to increase the assisted weight to allow more reps.  This may help some problems with your back too.  As Jeff is demonstrating, a very strict form should be used for pull ups.  I see people being herky jerky all the time while doing these.  They'll drop fast, kick their legs around and twist their bodies to make sure they can get a couple of more reps in.  All this does is increase the likelihood of injuring themselves in one form or another.

And YES!  Doing 10, well disciplined pull ups a couple of months post op is very impressive.

I think doing back to back WO's for any reason is helpful to your overall fitness.  It may also help your current foot problems to have ridden your bike immediately prior to your runs.  The ride should allow for a nice strong WU before running as most of the muscles will have been used on the bike.  

Not knowing your normal HR on a given run makes this a little difficult to determine if that is particularly high.  It is common for back to back WO's to increase your HR but the amount of increase shouldn't be substantial provided the environmental conditions or changes of both WO's aren't drastic.  Meaning that you didn't have a cool bike outside where you're already feeling pretty warm and sweaty, then step into an inside run in 75 degrees.  I wouldn't expect to see a change of more than 5-8 BPM under normal circumstances.

Were you using a HR monitor or the HR on the treadmill itself?  The monitors on the machines are inherently inaccurate and I wouldn't use that for any base line at all.  The only caveat would be if you use the same machine all of the time and that is your primary source of HR. 

Yeah, I was doing 10 in a set before I thought I was hot stuff and tried to decrease the weight and upset my shoulder. I think I can try to get back to it with some lights weights again soon. I swam 2100 yesterday and my shoulder feels fine today so that is a good sign.

Just the monitor on the machine so I won't worry about it. I have never done a HR test for running so I don't even know what my Max HR or average HR would be.

Matt. your son will be very happy with his new "best friend".  That is a present he will NEVER forget. 

Jeff, congrats on the pullups.

On a side note and Dirk and Jeff have already said this, if ya'll are going to the gym to weight train, please do not try to do to much weight.  I see people (mostly guys) letting their egos out perform their muscles all the time.  They will do 4 inch bench presses or 2 inch squats or I bet ya'll have seen the people doing standing curls with their elbow locked and getting a back workout...lol.  That is a VERY good way to get injured.  The older I get, the more drop sets I like to do.  Start with a weight you can do 12 reps in good form with, then without resting decrease the weight to where you can do maybe 10 reps, then 8 reps then 6 reps.  your muscles will be pumped and with the light weight, a lot less chance of injury.

Hey I just say the mentor group has opened up.  Please keep a spot for me.

Matt congrats on the newest addition to your family. I hope everyone enjoy's having the new dog and I think it was nice that you got him from the shelter.

With all the talk of having a dog I have been thinking about getting a one for a long time but I just can't get myself to commit to doing it. It's sort of like me wanting to do an ultra marathon one of these days. I want to do one but I am not sure I want to commit to the level of running involved. I know, bad analogy but that is sort of what it's like. The other problem I will have is finding a dog that I am not allergic to. I refuse to get a dog that I can't kept in house and have as part of the family. Plus I think my younger daughter and I have different ideas about what breeds we like so it would not be an easy decision. I'm guessing I'll breakdown and do it one of these days I just can't say when that will be.