Probably time to start easing into the pool

William Jenks

Hey boys and girls...

It might be time to start looking at the calendar and thinking about swimming again if you've not been.  Most of us find that it takes a month or so to get back to where we feel about normal.  In the last few weeks of the OS, you can do some fairly easy (or drill) swimming on Mondays and Fridays without putting yourself in any serious hole...and then swim a bit more heavily during your transition week.  Or at least quite frequently during your transition week...so that if you're doing a race a couple months later (like those of us doing June races like KS) still have several weeks of swimming where we are not just remembering what it's like to be wet without all the salt and chamois butter.  :-)

John Withrow

Say it ain't so...

Dino Sarti

8,000 meters for me this week.... Racing first HIM of the season next weekend.

MattAaronson

I'm heading on a family vacation next week for a while and plan to do what I did to get back in to swimming last year. No "easing in". Essentially on the vacation, swim every day for 30-45 minutes. No workout, just swimming. Open water or pool. Whatever. The point is to get the muscles firing and hammered and ready so they don't need to "ease in" before hitting the HIM plan workouts. Then take 2 days off after I get back then jump in for a 1000yd TT. Then the workouts begin....

cgres123

I have been easing into this for about a month now with a concentration on body roll and what we learn from the clinic up in northern New Jersey.

William Jenks

Actually, Matt, I think that's a good easing strategy. :-)


I made a personal choice not to completely give up swimming at all this winter, so I've been trying to keep a general feel for the water and enough fitness that I'm not far behind. Not sure if it's age-related or what, but I've founded it harder to "come back" from too far in the hole the last few times I've stopped completely.

So for me, this is the "start stepping it up a little" time. I've had a very good week this week, and a great swim workout today. Times weren't that impressive, but I'm working on a stroke change that I hope will help in the long run.... 600 warmup, 4 x 250 pull descending, 10 x 100 fast with 5-10 sec rest, 500 swim with a parachute, 500 pull with the same damn parachute, 10 x 100 very hard 100s with ~45 sec rest. (I usually try to swim a little longer one day/week)

Brenda Ross

YMCA Swimming pool Tucson Arizona, Feb 2010. If I could swim in this kind of weather I would be happy.

I`ve been in, doing drills and swimming once a week with a local Tri club. I think it time to add on some swimming after the drills. Thanks for the push.

Kathleen Spillane

You are absolutely right. I have been at it. In jan OS did 2 90 min coached wko a week. Cut down in Feb as it was too much as my body needed time to adjust to the OS intensity. Back at it now one 90 min coached wko a week with another short wko with drills. I worked so hard to make improvements in technique this winter that I wanted the coach to keep me on track. In addition swimming really helps release tightness in my back.

Anu Rao

I had started to ease into the pool, but darn dog took off in an attempt to chase bunnies, ending up with me tweaking my shoulders holding on to the leash. Good thing she is cute. Hopefully back to swim next week.

kimmydct

Nooooooooooooo

I'm proscrastinating a few more weeks. ~

However, once I do start as part of the SC plan, I'm going to do 2 sessions instead of 3 but make one a bit longer. I have 1/2 days on Fri. starting in April so that works better for my schedule. Can't do 7 days/week.

MattAaronson

Ok, I have officially re-engaged the pool! After zero swimming since 70.3 Vegas on September 9 2012 it is time to get wet again!

I was on vacation in Hawaii for the past week and managed to do 3 swims, all in an oddly-shaped resort pool that I ballparked at 47 yards (allowing for not swimming a totally straight line from one end to the other). Here is the report on my first 3 swims:

1. Saturday 4/30. I went out and swam 16 laps nonstop, ~1500 yards. The charts tell the tail…a quick falloff in pace then a more continuous gradual falloff in pace as my form and efficiency deteriorated and strokes per length increased. Within 5 minutes of exiting the pool I could feel all the muscles that I pulled and strained after not swimming for so long! http://connect.garmin.com/activity/291329672

2. Tuesday 4/9. 20 laps nonstop, ~1880 yd. Again the pace fell off quickly but then stabilized for the most part. Strokes per length increased steadily and efficiency and form went to hell. I'm wasn't too concerned…my strategy in these vacation swims is to get the muscles worked-out really well and resume structured workouts when back to a normal schedule. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/292370921

3. Wed 4/10. Another 20 laps nonstop, ~1880 yd. MUCH more consistent (and faster!) compated to the day before, which I found odd. I really focused on keeping my form together for the whole swim – it's amazing how much you need to concentrate on it to keep it together. So I was working to be really smooth, finish my strokes, lengthen my strokes, etc. There was a slight increase in strokes/length towards the end but in general I held it all together pretty well. It was a good swim and I felt much less fatigued than the day before. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/292887176

So I'm now up and at 'em with the swimming!

MattAaronson

Today I made it to the pool for the first "real swim" of the season (resort pools don't count!). In EN tradition I did a "swim what you brung" 1000yd TT. Essentially this consisted of jumping into the pool after an OS of zero swimming, doing a 200 yd warmup then just letting it rip going all-out for the 1000yd TT. Of course as you can see above, I did a few swims on vacation before doing the TT, but no real "workouts". Today's TT was my 4th swim of the year, all of them in the past 6 days.

Last year I did this exact same workout on April 9 (after 7 vacation swims, mostly OW) and recorded a time of 17:08 (t-pace 1:43/100yd).

This year my time was 17:02 (t-pace 1:42/100yd). I hit the lap button every 5 laps and the splits were pretty consistent:
1. 4:06 (1.38/100)
2. 4:20 (1:44/100)
3. 4:19 (1:43/100)
4. 4:17 (1:42/100)

Last year I was able to get my time down to 15:53 (1:35/100) within a month – May 11 – and tests on June 15 and August 10 were both at 1:33/100.

So hopefully this year I will be able to regain my fitness just as quickly!!

I finished the workout with 4x200 to make it an even 2000yd, although I miscounted the last 200 and added an extra lap.

Overall 2,050 yd in 42:06, avg 1:42/100 excl rest intervals. Avg efficiency 40, 11 strokes/length. 25 yd pool.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/293719017

kimmydct

Alright, alright.... I'll get in the damn pool! I did an indoor tri in feb. so I'm using that as my TT. Pace pretty much where I left it last year. I have a swim lesson on thurs. so I'll see how I like her and decide ifni continue with an occassional lesson. I'm also hoping my recent ART treatments will help my left shoulder do something when swimming instead of just coming along for the ride....

Brenda Ross

Did my swim test today. Kinda happy with it. because I was able to swim 1000 meters continuously without stopping, which is going to be a big boost for me when I start next week in the HIM plan. I do not feel the need to post my time, but I can say that if it is right I am coming into my HIM plan where I left off last year at the end of the year. Now, its enjoy the rest of the transition week and then get to work. Again, my goal for the swim is to get out of the water without feeling like I was dragged behind a boat, so that I can crush everyone on the bike and run with my exemplry EN fitness and Ninja execution skills.