Endless disappointment

After some months of feeling an increasing confidence in both my freestyle stroke and working in the endless pool, today's session was a disappointment. I arrived on a positive note with documented evidence on improved distance per stroke and pace, helped along by a trouble-free journey to the pool. The session was in a different sequence which didn't seem to be a problem at first as I'm fairly happy to swim with the snorkel now. I noted an absence of head wobbling, which is a positive to take away, although my shoulders felt tired very soon.

Quickly, we moved onto some kick drills with my arms as much in a streamline pattern as they'll allow. I think this is where my problems started as even now, 10 hours or so later, I can feel my shoulders as unduly stressed. With fins off, my legs felt so heavy and ineffectual and I couldn't reconnect with good form in my arms. A few minutes with a pull buoy restored a little improvement in form but even then my legs felt to be a massive anchor. It's always tough to swim without fins after wearing them for a few minutes but today it seemed impossible. 

Altogether, today wasn't a productive session, fortunately I've enough positive experiences in the pool to consider this an 'off day' but must keep a weather-eye for overtraining. I've certainly been there for running, and with a current running injury I must be careful not to go down that route for swimming.

Progress being consolidated

This afternoon's swim session was a little busier than usual, which makes me try a little harder so as not to be a blockage in the lane. In the past, that effort seemed to be pointless arm spinning with little effective impact on pace. Today however it felt, and measured, a bit different.

My 200yd set took 4:16 minutes which must be a PB, I doubted my reading of my watch as I peered into the screen without my glasses. But it is uploaded and crystal clear. I did some catch-up drill sets and focussed on reach to catch transition on some lengths. All whilst trying not to bob my head. With a good time and some 'work' under my belt I tried a 100yd set. I pushed, but not too much, I knew that form had to exceed effort. 

1:56min for 100yds

I was rewarded with a clear sub-2 minute set. Now that's 10% less than 200m, at the same pace I'd have hit 2:07 minutes for 100m. To achieve 2 minutes for 100m, each 25 yards must be completed in 27.4s. That goal pace is looking achievable. As mentioned previously I don't trust my sub-2 minutes achievement in the 18m pool...

More video analysis

The videos of last week's endless pool session arrived this evening. My technique has clearly improved, most importantly stability of my leading arm. However, progress is insanely slow and I can still see all-too-common faults. On the positive side, I am noticing improvements in pace, and probably more important for long term success, I can now 'feel' effective pressure on the water. This 'feel' acts as instant feedback on technique and is one of the few ways a swimmer in the water can critique their own stroke as they swim.

Still obvious elbow lead associated with lack of a vertical forearm

Things I need to think about:

• I'm still bobbing my head side to side, especially as workload increases 
• My right arm is tending to curl towards the surface as I reach, 'putting on the brakes', seems to occur as I roll onto the lead arm. Elbows up!
• Still some elbow lead even though it's higher
• My left arm is now often looking tidier than the right now I've largely resolved the crossover and wide stroke tendency

Perhaps a PB that indicates solid progress?

Yesterday I was back in the endless pool, or 'The Tank' as I've come to call it, where I was able to report that I could feel improvement in pace, stroke count and that so elusive feel. Today my first set, theoretically a warm-up,  illustrated that.

Less than 4:20 minutes for 200yds is a personal best

For some weeks this first set has been around 4:30 which is fine. Today, I didn't push, but tried to focus on the list of points for good technique. It appears to have paid off, and I believe that this is represents a personal best. I'm not counting my nominal sub-2 minutes for 100m in an 18m pool as I believe the push-offs compensated for poor swim pace, and I'm not even sure that I believe the timing.

But back to today. Importantly my average stroke count was 12 strokes per length across the 8 lengths. Reviewing previous data, in November I swam an opening 200yds in 4:50 with 14 strokes per length average. A year ago I had a 200yd set in 4:36 but with 15 strokes per length. I can't expect these gains every week but it is harkening to see such an increase in efficiency.

Shipley and Saltaire strolls

I'm in Shipley this weekend for the Saltaire Recorder Weekend (radical!) where I know I'll be struggling to keep up with others. However, on the footpaths around here I can be confident of being a brisk, confident walker even though I still can't return to running.

The principle paths are, of course, the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and Shipley Glen. The latter has been a popular tourist destination since Victorian days. I didn't manage a ride on the tram as it only runs during Sunday and I was being musical then. Around these very popular paths are routes farther into the Glen and along Baildon Bank. Although there are Rights of Way I found many additional paths so even in this semi-urban environment GPS mapping was useful.

Ruins of Milner Field Manor

Most of the 20km route was unexceptional, a pleasant day in good weather, but I enjoyed looking at some remains of the ill-fated Milner Field Manor. I'd heard that there is a risk of dogs, and perhaps people, falling into the cellars so I was very limited in my exploration and didn't stray from evidently solid ground.

Still progress with freestyle

The evening coaching block finished last week and I'm eager to sign-up for another block should there be one early summer. I've found this to be an excellent support for the intense sessions in the endless pool. The coached sessions allow more drill and equipment use than is usually permitted in a traditional pool environment but keeps the basic structure of 'lengths'. Importantly, both coaches pick up on the same points of my stroke and appear to have similar goals in mind so I'm not split into whose advice I should follow. This hasn't always been the case with swimming teachers in my limited experience.

I can't say that I enjoy the endless pool sessions but I've definitely become accustomed to the water flow, noise, and absence of a pause every 25yards or so. I'm even becoming used to the snorkel. Even so, the situation allows checks on technique and the continuous nature means that the stroke development is hindered by turns. Last session I had more trouble with my legs than previously which I think was due to too much kicking which in turn pushed my legs under the flow, needing more kicking etc. Not a problem with the stroke, more to the mechanics of the pool.

My stroke is clearly becoming more powerful and efficient based on the timing figures from my own pool sessions where I'm not manging 4:30min for 200 yards and 57s for 50 yards. Not great but better, and reproducible. The videos still show:

• Elbows low on catch, especially left
• Left arm wandering outwards on pull
• Drooping of my arms on reach, right a bit more often

The first two are very much involved in not generating ideal backwards force. The endless pool provides instant feedback on every stroke as an effective one pulls you forwards towards the mirror and weakness results in a backwards drift. This is very helpful as it does help to develop the feel of the optimum arm position.

A backwards step for foot pain

This morning I woke up with the typical pain of plantar fasciitis for the first time in many weeks. This feels like a major step back in my healing. Let's backtrack slightly. My foot pain first came to my notice as something other than a one-off niggle in early March, but I believe the onset was in February. After a few runs with background pain, and worse the day after, I stopped running. My walks continued as practice for the Peak Pilgrimage and didn't seem to trouble my foot. I also started to include some slow jogs to the weekly strength and conditioning session. 

Uphill from home was a little uncomfortable, but the session and the return uphill section were fine. By this week the physio suggested that as my 2 x 8 minute jogs were basically comfortable, try 2x 5 minutes on Wednesday as well. Yesterday that seemed to go OK after a very mild discomfort 3 minutes in on the first section.  I was pleased with that and was looking forwards to the rest of the return to running plan I'd been given.

However, this morning has been a painful indicator that the tissue isn't as well healed as we'd thought. I'm back to the plantar pain and tenderness and discomfort through the Achilles tendon and into my calf. Oh dear. Why yesterday should have caused so much irritation is unclear. Second in the week? Different shoes? Different route? Swim in the middle? The advice was to not repeat the run if the pain reappeared so that outcome was partially foreseen. Back to walks and more calf roller time as the muscle tightness seems to be re-establishing itself as a negative influence.