Triathlon Training: Week 2 - Sunday Swim Class

A few hours after my bike workout I headed to the pool for the monthly Tri Swim Class that I have joined. I am not sure how far distance wise we swam as that is not the point of the class at this point. We really worked on technique today focusing on some of the previous drills and working on some new ones.

Today was another great class. Things that I need to work on

- hand entry into the water. I was extending too much out of the water causing my hand to smack the water. I need to enter earlier and then extend......
-Extend. I don't extend enough on my stroke. They said it best in that I don't take advantage of how big I am. I swim like a shorter person. I am really struggling with this. I just need to get a feel for what it is like and I will be good. I understand the concept, but just cannot apply it.
-Flat. I am flat when I swim. I don't utilize my core and don't rotate properly. I am using my lats and upper body muscles to swim as opposed to my core and whole body. I need to continue to do the drills I have been doing, but need to focus more in my mind.

I think those are the big three keys for the next month. I have made a personal goal to focus solely on these three things and by the next class my stroke count will hopefully decrease from the 17-18 range to more of the 15-16 range. Swimming is hard. I have so much to learn. It is hard to focus on all the aspects at once.

Some new drills I will incorporate into my swim workouts will be the following
- fist drill
-fingertip drag
-vertical kicking(well, only if I can get to a pool that would allow me to not touch the bottom)

The drills I still need to utulize
-6 kick switch
-Shark fin

My calves kept cramping up today during the swim which is a result from riding the bike this morning. We did some swim times where we had 4 x 25 with each one we had to get 2 seconds faster. I started at 21 seconds I think. Then I was at 20. The third 25 I was at 18. I finished the last at 16. This was a good drill. As I become a better swimmer I hope my times will go down.

Needless to say I am tired. A busy weekend and another big week of training for me. My body is adapting to the three sport training, but I am finding myself in bed by 9:00 each night and some nights even earlier.

Time for some football and hanging with the kids.