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.

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

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.

Endless pool #1

In my ongoing quest for freestyle coaching I'd been following up on local coaches. A personal recommendation never replied to me, a local group is full with a waiting list, and others are some distance away. I did find a fairly local coach with an endless pool who had a short notice cancellation and does one-off bookings (as well as blocks) so I drove over there is morning.

The pool was larger than I'd expected and nicely pre-heated to a pleasant 30 degrees. After a brief chat I was in and on a warm-up swim. Despite the warnings not to race the flow, I did, and ended up with a scrappy short stroke, head-up and feet banging on the bottom. The coach tried to reassure me that everyone starts off badly!

As is so often the case, my initial problem is a falling leading arm which I'm aware of and can control better at a relaxing pace in the local pool. However, this showed that it occurred when stressed, which is probably the case for many, especially in tougher open water conditions. I then did catch-up drill with a snorkel, which gradually went from tough and claustrophobic to relatively comfortable. Even with the snorkel I was nodding from side to side until I focussed on watching myself in the submerged mirror.

Despite my self-belief I was also stopping the stroke just below my waist and so losing the last bit of power that I could use. With small paddles I then had to repeat the catch-up, with a full length stroke. Without a rush! Every few strokes I was aware of a 'good' stroke where things came together and after a few minutes I was bale to manage with a faster flow rate. The flow is a hard task master, any relaxation in pace and you're pushed back, moreover there isn't the momentary rest, and big breath, that occurs at every end of the pool. 

The last drill was catch-up with fins, again, I was aware of the variable quality of strokes. I was also starting to tire. Although I was setting the pace, fins and paddles increase the physical load and in combination with the relentless flow I found that I had to pause fairly often.

We finished with a swim which felt very hard work, I was tired and in the absence of fins my legs were leaden. In the hour the coach had covered a lot of ground. Some video and commentary will be emailed to me but I'm summarising key points while I remember:

1. Focus on keeping leading arm high and forwards when breathing, don't rush;
2. Look straight, no nodding;
3. Extend the power stroke backwards as far as possible;
4. On recovery focus on reaching forwards to avoid submerging my head, actually keep reaching after each entry!;
5. High elbow is good, but not breaking the water, visualise the catch over a ball and keep the upper arm at that depth;
6. Count strokes and rest with fresh focus if it rises rather than retrospectively looking at data.