Commodore's recent No Limits challenge has come with incredible timing. After the break in the last 2 weeks, I need all the training time I can get to get back on schedule for the Olympic Distance Triathlon in July. Even while I was unable to train with the recent curve balls over the last week (Part I, II & III), I had resolved to at least do 50 push-ups and/or 10 chin-ups on days where I just cannot head out for a swim, bike or run. No sure how that adds to my goal, but I guess that means I have already accepted the No Limits challenge before I even read it. :)You'll be proud of me today
Yes, I struggled. Yes, some kid (can't be more than 3 yr old) came by and swapped kick boards with me - I don't blame him, check out my son's kewl kick board on the right. ;) Yes, I got that "what is that idiot doing?" look from most of the people at the pool. Yes, a kindly neighbour came by to suggest that I get a swim coach. But what's important is that I DID IT and I will be doing it again and again until I get my kick right!So did the drills help? I kinda feel like I am more aware of my kicking now and thus I can achieve betta balance in the front crawl. The problem is that I seem to be trading stamina for form - while my form seems to have improved (a little), there is no way I can swim like that for more than 200m or so, whereas with my old lousy stroke, I could do up to 1.8km. Hope the distance will come back again with training since I am supposed to be improving my efficiency here. I guess I just have to get used to the new way of swimming...
16 comments:
Kewl,
Try this. Lie on your back (your face faces the ceiling of the pool), suck up a big gulp of air, hand on your side and kick. If you are kicking correctly, you should be moving forward. If u are moving backward or not moving at all, you r kick is like mine. Not very flexible.
The good thing about the kick is that you won't be using much of it. It is only use it to keep you balance in the water. I figure once u master it, u can become a very good swimmer.
Kewl, as posted on my blog, I just purchased "Total Immersion Swimming." The author has some interesting notes about kicking. In addition to what Cliff said about the kick being secondary, the author addresses some of the causes of no motion, or backward motion.
I experienced that, this morning. While doing back float drills, there were times I actually went backward. There is a section that talks about vertical kick drills, if that might help (I can scan and e-mail).
Keep kicking!
BTW that is one cool kickboard!
Love the kickboard! Except if I used it, I might get some "beached whale" comments... ;-)
Cliff, I do move forward, just very slowly. :) You are absolutely right about the kick being a "balance" thing - my feet were too low and I was dragging them along which is very inefficient hence my slow swim times. Now with the kicking, I balance betta and seem to be swimming faster. I think I need to find the balance between kicking just enough to get my feet/ass up and preserving energy to last 1.5km.
Tom, TI is fantastic - I have a copy of the DVD myself. :) I have also been blessed with a buddy who is a swim guru and it helps to also have a personalised perspective to things. The biggest problem I have is kicking, and I think I just have to do it more to get used to it. My buddy did show me how to do it, and even practised it with me, so I am afraid it is now up to me to practice and "internalise" it. Hey, i just discovered abother -analogy to Christianity - Someone can share scripture with us, but it is up to us to internalise it and own it. KEWL! The vertical kicking drill looks effective, but I need to first look for a pool deep enough...
Hi Wylee/Nancy, thanks for the encouragement. Actually it is one of those cheapo kick boards you can get readily here. Not one of them professional areodynamic types that "serious" swimmers use. A lot of the kids at my pool have the same boards! ;) (and Nancy, I do get those comments - you crack me up!).
Nice job on the drills! I love your drive! How is R1 doing (curve balls part III.) Thanks for the mention on that post. That was sweet! Great 7K run! Hope you are having a better week this week.
Hey Nitrox. From hearing about your swimming, you might want to have a coach or maybe take some swimming lessons. Swimming is really all about technique and it's hard to learn proper technique from a book or without instruction (I think, anyway). I think it's kind of similar to golf in that fashion? Anyway, I think maybe it'd be good at least while you're getting to started to have someone teach you about proper form and stroke and then you can build on those concepts on your own? You want to make sure you're getting started on the right foot, if that makes sense?
I think it's awesome that you're dedicated to improving your swim though. It's definitely the hardest of the three to pick up!
Thanks dgc, R1 is ok now, except he has an allergic reaction to the antibiotics from Curve Balls Part I (the prawns from the Chinese New Year dinners probably didn't help)so he has broken out in a terrible rash. :( Jehovah Rapha, our Lord our healer - will trust the Lord to heal him.
Thanks Chris, being the cheapo that I am, I will try to stick to the drills and then have my swim guru buddy do a 2nd assessment. If there isn't much improvement, I may have to get a coach as suggested. Actually the consideration is more time than $$, I am not sure if I will have time to engage a proper coach. :(
Day two of TI training and I was thinking about the kicking thing while drilling. Yesterday was lots of backward. After reviewing the kicking notes, last night, I focused on the total leg kick, instead of a bicycle kick.
I also did more "sweet spot" and hand lead drills. I was amazed at the difference. Of course, things change when you move from the side to face down. Regardless, I spent an hour going back and forth and was nowhere near as tired as I had been getting.
I think the drills are probably a good idea. I feel goofy going all the way back to "float on your back," but it seems to be helping center my thoughts on form and proper motion. And it's helping.
Thanks for pointing out the missing entry issue. I reconstructed the entry as best I could. It's a difficult task to rewrite something from yesterday.
You and me both, hear ya on the kick...
Tom, thanks for re-posting, went back and read your post - glad you are making progress, and yes, balance is very important.
Jesse, I do have a copy of the TI DVD - it is very good indeed. My swim guru buddy did tell me in no uncertain terms that my number 1 priority is the kicking, so that's what I am focusing on for the next few weeks at least.
Ellie, let's keep at it. It'll come (I hope). :)
Ever try zoomers? Not really sure why or how they helped but they seem to be doing the trick for me. (Actually I think they keep me kicking "up and down" and not spreading them sideways.) I have been struggling with my kick forever, but decided to use them consistently in kick sets (500-700yds) these past few months. I can feel a difference. Just my opinion from someone who still sinks like the Titanic.
Is that your son? How adorable! And yeah, I would have wanted to trade kickboards with you, too! Way cool board! :)
Hi qcmier, thanks for dropping by! Have not tried them, but have heard some good things. Keep at it, we will learn to swim yet! :)
Hi Robin/Susan, yup, that's R2. I have been told he looks like Mum, which probably explains why he is cute. R1 has the misfortune of looking more like me than mum. ;)
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