Don't Stop Believing

SWIM: 2750 in 65 mins
BIKE: about 13 miles in 45 mins, easy on the knee.

On Friday CHG replied back to my January email about the most recent swim lesson, and he asked if I was ready for another. I answered that I wasn't sure what to do, that I was frustrated, and couldn't believe that I could swim so much with even accidently improving. I hesistated to send the email, I thought I sounded like a whiny maggot, but I'm glad I did. I need to get this worked out and make a real effort on swimming.

We talked after the swim (a nice long one with lots of short and fast sets) and I walked away with 5 goals. I'm happy to say that he didn't do the platitude-answer that I hate, that "oh you're getting better" or "just keep at it", those answers are so flimsy. Nope, thankfully he just went right into it and detailing what I need to work on. He's been telling me the same things for years, so when the hell am I going to heed the advice?

1. Dryland practice. I do this, but I don't do it for the right reasons. I've been doing it for timing. I need to be doing it to practice the feeling of 'falling' into the arm that is going forward. Instead I've focused on where the arms are when. Change the focus of this drill to feeling the fall as the hips roll over. And keep the head tucked along the arm, looking down, keeping the laser pointed at the wall.

2. Isometic practice for lat muscles. I'm swimming with my triceps and biceps, bending my elbows under me in a bid to 'get my elbows high' and instead of driving myself forward I just lose the grip on the water. Use a shoulder-height object to practice feeling those muscles engage. The hand kinda scoops outward, the arm is going down to the bottom of the pool.

3. Resistance bands. Almost a part 2 of the above. Use stretch cords to build those muscles I'm supposed to be using and learn to engage them.

4. Set a goal for March. I suggested a sub 1:40 100y. I'm at about 1:45 now. He called it the Proximity of ...oof I forgot...of...nuts. I like that he didn't just hand me a goal, he made me think about what I wanted (quality or quantity? etc) and had me set the goal. No... it was Zone of Proximity! Put the goal just out of reach and keep it attainable.

5. Lessons, maybe q2weeks. While I'm swimming think about what I'll show him at each lesson, about what I've been working on. I think more frequent, pre-schedules lessons would be good for me.

6. I thought it was five, more bad math. I just forgot what it was...Nuts.

OH! Got it. 6. Start logging some times. In each practice, pick a set or distance that will be timed and record it. Otherwise I have no idea whether or not I'm improving!

7. More bad math! Add in a swim where I can focus on just swimming, not the peep on my toes. Just do 1700-2300y and keep it very focused on form. Use this practice to get the dryland and strength training integrated.

Geez I'm so mentally disorganized right now. But for once I walked away from Master's with some confidence in my swim future. I told CHG that if he ever gave up on me, that would be the point at which I gave up. No pressure or anything.

In the back ground of all this, Don't Stop Believing is playing. Some barking dogs were playing too, but they don't go as well on the IM Songlist Set I'm putting together :)

Goals for today: buy the cords!

And the bike. Kept the gearing easy to rest the knee and test it. No acute pain, some discomfort on the opposite side it was hurting over the weekend--wtf with that--but much better than last weeks indoor rides. I'm icing and started NSAID's last night. Be Patient!