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2500m Wibble

Ok so I have a few weeks training but last night 2500m seemed a very very very long way!

I went to the sister pool of the one I go to and it was slightly bigger (wider not longer) but as it was a general public free for all swim it was busy and hard to do decent lengths. There was a splash pool attached (literally as in the water splashed over into the main pool!) where the under 8's (+ adult minder) could go too. So lots of bodies and noise.

Friday afternoon I had felt slightly coldy (hubby has manflu and Gnome has been ill) and I almost cancelled my swim but I decided I was thinking of excuses so off I went!

As I need to improve my front crawl that was my goal for the session. Not necessarily lots of lengths but lots of drills. In total I only did 1Km but I was shattered by the end.

Spans had given me some drills last year and it was those I was practicing. I hate getting water in my eyes and ears and can't breath out of my nose (!) under water so I wear hat, goggles and a nose clip when doing front crawl! Breast stroke is OK as I can do the "head up" stroke!! but I still wear hat and googles!! I know I'm useless!!

So 100m warm up then 100m of breathing drills. Holding a float out in front of me, one hand at the top one at the bottom so elbow is down. This is the side you practice breathing. I changed sides each end.

This I followed with 100m of arms + breathing so again using the float but instead of holding the float with elbow down, that arm did the action.

Next was 100m of "proper" front crawl with no float. This is when I spend so much time thinking about breathing I forget to kick!! With the float I kick fine, take it away and I can't get it right!! Breathing to the right is also MUCH stronger than the left. I also twist more when breathing left.

I had a bottle of SIS and had a slurp after each 100m to keep hydrated and energy levels up as I was flagging what with it being a Friday (long week!) and gone 6 (so no food for a while) - well that was my excuse anyway!

After this I repeated the whole series again. Finishing off with an extra 100m of float work before a slow 100m cool down.

The whole session was about 1hr - I am guessing the float work slowed me down a lot as I did 1250m before breakfast in 40mins the other week. By the end I was very tired and was wondering what I had let myself in for!!

Anyway I now have pool membership so I will aim to go 2-3 times a week whilst my heel is playing up (yes it is still there!) plus once with Gnome (which also means I need to get us both a second cossie!). Once the swimathon is over and heel is behaving I will still aim to go once or twice a week for me, perhaps as a pre-work easy 30mins and do a double session. Sounds good in theory at least!!

Comments

WildWill said…
Great stuff pix --- keep at it

swimming is one of the best exercises for improving body composition
XFR Bear said…
Pix - as Will says - keep working on it. My breathing started off one sided, and then bilateral but one side was really lame.

It's only by keeping practising that you improve - twisting mucks up your body line.

I found sticking a pull buoy between my legs and drilling bilateral breathing with that helped as well.

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