Endless pool #3

This morning felt to be a step forwards once I'd settled in after the usual frantic 'warm-up. The focus was on increasing my forearm catch, largely through control of my elbow. After some practice I was aware of increased pressure on my palm. With a paddle, it seemed to be pressed into my hand and not needing stabilisation with my thumb. Without paddles I tried to reproduce that feeling of power on the water, sometimes I could see a 'power stroke' that accelerated me towards the mirror briefly.

Trying to press through my hand

It helped to visualise leading with my hand with my elbows up, rather than the reaching over a beach ball. However, the video shows that I'm still leading with my elbow, although my forearm is in an improved position which will at least be generating more power.

I also needed to be reminded to keep my head steady in the centre, rotating my body around it on the reach. It's helpful to look yourself in the eyes in the mirror! A good reach felt more powerful and seems to encourage a longer stroke before recovery. Reaching forwards with a steady head may be helpful in avoiding crossover too.

My left arm drifts across my midline

In this photograph, crossover is obvious, the video shows that initial entry is inline with my shoulder but then my arm slips. Here there isn't much body rotation, when I was able to do a more forward reach with rotation the crossover was often avoided.

 

Return to High Elbow

This isn't a sequel to a Wild West film but working on a better arm stroke. Getting an early catch and neater recovery. On Monday I was coached through some drills which felt at the limit of my arm movement. Eventually I understood the position for sculling.

Today I tried to apply that lesson. Keeping, entry, high elbow pull, hip rotation and neat recovery was a lot to think about especially when including the ever-useful breathing. I put a bit of physical and mental effort in for short sets. In one 67m set I worked quite hard, I was aware of slight tingling in my feet which I put down to too little breathing.

I was happy to nearly break the 2:00min/100m for a double length without a pull buoy. Fair enough, 2 lengths isn't 1000m or even 10km but it's a start.

Some recovery

A week off swimming and only a little exercise altogether seems to have help my elbow. I have been doing wrist pronation and supination exercises everyday although not as often as advised.

On waking this morning my elbow ached less than it has for a month  and so I went for a short swim. I focussed on careful high elbow technique but not to the extreme nor with overt should extension. I tried to keep my forearms relaxed and included bilateral breathing lengths to reduce the asymmetry of the session. The pace was modest but acceptable.

Now the elbow feels pretty good although I'm aware it's not 100%. Let's see how it fares tomorrow  - I must do the wrist exercises later this afternoon.

Lift those elbows

On Sunday and today I've been really trying to move my arms in the way that I thought through on Saturday. I'm getting tired deltoid muscles so that might be a good sign. This morning my elbow felt reasonable too, if it is OK tomorrow that may well show that I'm taking the load off it. Read this to see what it's all about.

Today I thought quite hard about keeping my elbows high. I fear that its giving me a rather boxer-like stroke with short choppy strokes. Currently it feels slightly harder work than my lower elbow style but if it is less irritating to my joints it is wroth a lot. Doing short sets I'm attaining a fair pace and even some rapid lengths (2:03min/100m is great!) but I'm finding longer sets harder to maintain at what is basically a higher strike rate.

High elbow

I seem to be getting the hang of the high elbow approach which @CoachMorg recommended a mere 9 days ago. Once again I set a PB, 4:45min for 200m without the pullbuoy, suggesting that my 5:00 minute 'barrier' is well and truly overcome now.

I'm still working on technique and noted a fade in style and pace over the 6 lengths so then spent another 4 sets doing single lengths with the paddles followed by pairs of lengths without. As usual the current in the pool affected my pace but I was pleased to manage a length at 2:05min/100m (with the flow) as this approaches my previous pace with the pullbuoy. The load on my arms with paddles is moderate and currently one length at a time really does feel to be enough. Naturally even with a slower arm cadence my pace was faster, but not in a sustainable way. At this time I can't image doing a swimrun event with paddles over a 1000m swim.

October 2015 SwimSmooth

This morning I had my third session with Julian in Acton and received mixed feedback. My pacing and rhythm were reported to be good although perhaps the cadence could increase for more speed. The major disappointment was that I thought that I had made good progress on my high elbow & bent arm pull but I hadn't. I wonder if Julian was a little annoyed?

Arm bent but elbow is low, also sinking even with pull buoy

The video showed quite clearly that I was leading with my elbow rather than my hand. Yes, a bend did occur but not in the right direction! We tried a few drills but somehow they all made it worse. In the end it seems as though I might have to accept a straighter arm than is currently fashionable but basically should go with what works. The good thing from the video is that my front quadrant action seems much improved and I am managing to keep my lead arm fairly high.

When I aimed for a straight-ish reach and catch actually it looked better. I did a few lengths after the formal session and thought that I could even feel the bend better if I largely ignored it; we'll see.

The time trial went fairly well. I have taken 20 seconds off my October time which isn't bad going and achieved 400m in 8:40mins. My pacing was poor as each 100m was progressively slower even though I thought I was working harder. Julian was a little disappointed with my inability to get even or negative splits but overall I am satisfied with the total outcome and that my first 100m was 2:03mins/100m. Sub-two minutes is beckoning.

I've now got a 12week plan focussing on a relaxed rhythmic stroke and aiming to get the pacing better under control. No training aids are needed so I've a bit more flexibility on the pool I go to should the need arise.

Incidentally, Julian thought I had lost weight. I was a bit surprised as I've been eating at least as much as usual, and not running much. A quick jump on the bathroom scales shows that he's right! Not good for power gain.