Swim Day

The plan for today was to hit the pool for 45 minutes then finish with some strength and core work. One out of three isn't bad? I made the pool but was not feeling up to the last two components of today's program. Experience has taught me that if I am not 100% into lifting then I should avoid it. I aggravated a herniated disc in my neck about a month ago and am just starting to feel decent again and I don't want to risk injuring it again. A couple of weeks of sleepless nights and physical therapy taught me to pick my spots when it comes to lifting.



The swim workout was great today. I got some good feedback on my technique from Missy last week and I spent today focusing on eliminating the problem. Essentially my problem was related to bringing my hand to far down into the water. Imagine a windmill swinging around and that is what my arm looked like. This is inefficient and also presents the risk of injuring the rotator cuff.



I focused on having my hand enter the water at the proper position (just beyond the ear) and angle (thumb side facing down). I then reach as far as possible forward (to gain full extension). Once full extension is reached I pull back at the elbow and then down the side of my body as quickly as possible. The fulcrum of the arm (paddle) should be the elbow and not the shoulder. This greatly reduces the risk of injury while increasing my speed through the water. When utilizing proper technique I can cover 100 yds (4 laps) in about 90 seconds (2.25 mph). Today I covered 1.5 miles (106 laps) during the workout. Not quite Phelpian but I'll take it.



Random side note: I have noticed over the last several months more and more people wearing Ipods in the pool. Now I must confess that I do all of my running and stationary bike work with an Ipod. I can not imagine making do with out one. In case you doubt me try 2 hours on a stationary bike watching only CNN news without volume or closed captioning. As far as I am concerned forcing someone to do so should be considered cruel and unusual punishment.



That being said the thought of listening to an Ipod while swimming does not appeal to me in the least. There is something almost hypnotic about the sound of water passing by my ears. The popping of exhaled bubbles and the muddled sounds of people speaking on the deck of the pool in the background. I find myself so relaxed during my swim that it becomes virtually impossible for me to keep track of the number of laps I have done. There is something primal and basic about the rhythm of breathing on alternating sides every third stroke for 45 minutes to an hour. I can honestly say that it is one of the few times that I am able to truly clear my head.



Tomorrow's workout calls for 90 minutes on the stationary bike and a 40 minute treadmill run. Better make sure the Ipod is charged up.