W/U:
2X (100Free + 50Back)
Drills: 10X 100 as 50 Drill + 50 FS (aware and easy)
1) Fist Free
2) Fist Breast
3) 3 Fly Kick 1 Breast Pull
4) Right arm pull Left Breathe
5) Left arm pull Right Breathe
6) EVF position sculling
7) Pull-End-Phase sculling
8) EVF position Fist sculling
9) Single arm breast (25m Right, 25m Left)
10) Pull-End-Phase Fist sculling (didn't do)
M/S:
3X100 Modified Individual Medley
(25m Free, 25m Back, 25m Fly, 25m Breast)
3X100 as 50 Back, 50 Free
C/D:
3x100 as 50 Breast, 50 Free
Total: 2.1km
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I figured it's a bad decision for us to do Time Trial today because not everyone is present and almost half of the team went for the Standard Chartered Marathon last weekend.. The form just isn't there before full recovery can occur and thus the result won't be accurate.
And therefore, I did up this last minute program to add some fun to the training. I wanted to do a relay racing swim but looking at the "shag-ness" from all the drills, I decided not to stress the muscles too much especially when holiday is coming soon la.. :)
I know, some of you commented I shouldn't have swam since I was still feeling sick... Thank you. I really appreciate the care and love.. =) but then.. when I see 12 team mates in the water, 6 went for a marathon/half marathon... I know its gonna need so much more effort to put in a good swim after a superb marathon run.. and thus I decided its important for me to do and even do slightly more to set an example to motivate you guys!
Honestly, I felt every bit as bad as all of you who did the run. RPE was quite high because of the fatigue... you're not the only one who is struggling in the team... in Team Sapphire, NOBODY SUFFERS ALONE. :)
Enough of team spirit thingy.. for the swim, there are a few benefits that I need to raise up here for you to appreciate.
1) In a team environment, you'll be "forced" to do what you won't do by your own.. and thus all of you are forced to do your different strokes
2) Doing different strokes strengthen all the core muscles that will be needed to keep your body in a streamlined position in all the different pulls and kick patterns
3) Doing the drills with fists seem to work very well for the men.. I saw that the strokes immediately changed to more glide to gain distance per pull/kick.
4) Butterfly is a mentally and physically difficult stroke to learn, coordinate and execute. And to execute it with grace and relaxed breathing is AN ART that even I am trying to master. So let's work towards that in 2011. :)
---------BACKSTROKE--------------
I understand that most of you can't swim straight with back stroke. It needs practice. I can't put it into words how does practice helps you to swim straight but it is really just a process of getting used to it.
Right now, you have very little confidence swimming backwards and thus you have to keep checking where you are going. Also, the stroke is not very accurate in terms of entry and exit and extension of your arms (straightening).
If you haven't noticed...
... Checking the direction by looking in front will force your buttock to sink - inefficiency no. 1.
... Checking the by turning body down to the floor will cause the body to turn and thus lose momentum and also streamline position maintenance will be affected when you kept "squirming" around to check
... Recovery and Entry with a bent arm and wrist will cause the entry to be at 12-o clock. That causes the pull to be pulling outwards away from the center alignment of our body and thus propel the body laterally (side way)... and end result is a snake swim.
The above will contribute and add up to be a lot of factors that can turn your back stroke into a very very crooked swim... Once again, you need to practice to have confidence and you won't check that much which will lead to easier maintenance of body streamline position.
As for recovery and entry with straight arm, remember you must be Constantly STRETCHING AND REACHING for the sky and back. Keeping it Straight is NOT enough.
---------Butterfly------------
First of all, IT IS A VERY PHYSICALLY TAXING STROKE if you're undertrained. HOWEVER, it is POSSIBLE to practice and master it so that it becomes a RELAXED stroke.
With all honesty, it is just about reducing the tension when you do butterfly and to do that, you have to put down the "concept" in your mind that butterfly is a REALLY TIRING STROKE.
Take it one stroke at a time and remember that there is only 1 point in time where there is a NEED for a power stroke... That is when you arm push and the leg kick at the same time to get your shoulder out to recover the arm.
Once that stage is done, the recovery should be done with a relaxed, TENSION-LESS body + arms + legs.
If I didn't see wrongly from my peripheral vision in my swim, I saw that you guys are very very tensed when you recover and when both arms are in front and gliding. There are holding of breathe which causes a very very quick hike in thoracic pressure (the pressure you felt in your chest) which will then directly causes breathing to be very very panting and breatheless.. and then the whole tension thing becomes a vicious cycle.
For you to better "visualize" what happens during a stroke for me it goes like that:
1) Push off wall in streamline position (arms are at shoulder width)
2) Slight outward pull to do EVF
3) bring elbow (forearm in the vertical position) in towards ribs and then the arms comes closer together
4) Push and Chops outwards from center,
5) At the same time as 4), do a hard fly kick to "kick" the shoulder and arms out of water for recovery
6) Arm recovers over the surface of water (thumbs down, pinky finger point towards side)
7) Arms chop in thumbs first at slightly wider than shoulder width
ALL STEPS ARE DONE IN A RELAXED MANNER EXCEPT STEP 4 & 5.
Theoretically (PROVEN BY ME AND MANY SWIMMERS), when you have a core strong enough to do undulation (the wormy kick) effortlessly, you can then slowly practice and master the stroke with lesser total body tension.
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For the above writeup, I am hoping to read some questions other than from TECK BENG hor....
Before I end the post...
Latest news is that OSIM 2011 is in June. I found that out on a website where they are looking for volunteers for it. I hope that all of us can be there! I find that it is one of the most well organized triathlon in SG and even though it is quite expensive, it is very recommended for those who are racing for the first 3 times of OD.
My Race calendar has modified:
February- Singapore Biathlon (Fun race)
March- Aviva Half IM (A+ Priority)
April- 2XU Compression run (Goodie bag race :P)
May- Tribob Sprint Triathlon (Fun race)
June- OSIM OD Triathlon (A Priority)
August- HP Tri Factor/DESARU Half IM (...-_-... dunno yet la.)
Cheers
KK
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