What I learend at my "first" swim coaching session ..... (Page 2)

I'm curious, are you maintaining about the same speed at 12-13 stroke count with fewer breaths, and are you doing that over a good distance?  I find that I hit a an oxygen deficit if I try to maintain low stroke count, same speed and less breathing on anything over a couple hundred yards.  Before long, something starts to give.

yaqui - 2007-11-28 4:42 PM Things are going to start getting confusing for people. There's a couple of schools of thought around swimming. TI works well for getting people with no formal swim training comfortable, and at times quite proficient in the water. However, a lot of experienced/competitive swimmers have very different views on proper swim technique. After spending a year doing the TI thing, I went to a clinic put on by Wendy Ingraham and Chris Hauth. They spent the next two days "de-programming" me. After swimming 200 yards, their comments/questions were? "why are you putting your hand in the water next to your head?" I thought I was supposed to. "That's insane! Stretch your arm out" "Why are you pausing after each stroke?" I'm gliding. "No, you're pausing....arms should always be pulling water" "Why are you swimming with your hand up near your body?" I'm pulling down my center line. "No, you aren't pulling crap. Get your hand and arm down in the friggin water." "What are you doing with your hips?" I'm initiating my body roll. "Initiate your body roll with your shoulders! Your power comes from your lats, not your friggin hips." They did tell me I had good balance, though.

No kidding.  When I was swimming competitively as a real little guy and winning the 50 fly at state,  everyone told me that I had an unfair advantage because of the jet propulsion that I generated from my bowels.  Maybe I should put together a book -- like 'Total Propulsion' or something.  

For the record, she is not a TI person, just that some of the things she is recommending for me are along the same lines as the TI stuff (which in many cases are typical to all sorts of swim technique coaching).

I'm just excited to finally get some looks at my form.  I'll be bringing the wife's digital camcorder to the next session so she can video me and I can look at it myself (at the coach's suggestion).

My long range goal is to get down to the 1:10:00 range for the LP swim as that will at least keep me within sight of the top of the AG.  That's 10 minutes off of my FL time.  I'm dreading having to fight my way through everyone on the hills of the bike.  In smaller races where it is a climbing course it is downright scary and dangerous when you are 1-1/2 to 2 times faster of a climber than the average person in the field.  I want to avoid that as much as possible with 2,000+ other people!

yaqui - 2007-11-28 6:42 PM Things are going to start getting confusing for people. There's a couple of schools of thought around swimming. TI works well for getting people with no formal swim training comfortable, and at times quite proficient in the water. However, a lot of experienced/competitive swimmers have very different views on proper swim technique. After spending a year doing the TI thing, I went to a clinic put on by Wendy Ingraham and Chris Hauth. They spent the next two days "de-programming" me. After swimming 200 yards, their comments/questions were? "why are you putting your hand in the water next to your head?" I thought I was supposed to. "That's insane! Stretch your arm out" "Why are you pausing after each stroke?" I'm gliding. "No, you're pausing....arms should always be pulling water" "Why are you swimming with your hand up near your body?" I'm pulling down my center line. "No, you aren't pulling crap. Get your hand and arm down in the friggin water." "What are you doing with your hips?" I'm initiating my body roll. "Initiate your body roll with your shoulders! Your power comes from your lats, not your friggin hips." They did tell me I had good balance, though.

I agree completely. TI has some good, basic concepts in it that are common to all good swimming techniques. But I've found something that I like a little better. Keep in mind, though, that I am self-coached, and for all I know, my swimming stroke sucks hard.

Interesting point about focusing on pulling. That was my issue with TI. IMO, TI does a great job in teaching someone to be long in the water, but doesn't really focus on a powerful pull. That's great if you're tall, lean, and basically built like a streamlined sailing vessel. I'm built like a friggin' tugboat. I need to pull my a$$ through the water hard.

Rick - Thanks for posting. I also think that you're going to be super fast in the water once you get the technique down. And you'll do it all without any weight training!

I have to echo the well worth the time and investment with a swim coach - had my second session today - got to use fins (they rock wow you can go fast) and paddles - just by moving my arm position and the position my hand enters the water my stroke count went from 27 to 19 (I am 5'-5" in the first session - amazing!  I breathe every third (alternating sides) but until she put me through some drills was not fully blowing out....so much to think about! VERY different that when I swam on the team in high school (30 years ago.....)

 but sure glad I have been working my lats and core (couldn't resist)

cat 

Thanks, good stuff.

You did a great job writing it. I can "see" what you are saying.