Steamline Kick on Front

I've done a bunch of these.  I can't even count how many of this drill I've done.  You basically go under and push off the side of the pool, like a torpedo with arms stretched out, tight around the ears, in front in a point.   When the initial momentum subsides, kick until you reach the other side of the pool without taking a breath.  The pool is 25 meters long.   The first outing on Tues I couldn't do it in one breath.  Today I can do it anytime I want.  Adiel, the coach, says my swimming isn't bad but I need to work on getting my wind.  He is right.   So, I am trying to build up a lot of endurance with my lungs and breathing ( or not breathing as the case may be).

The second thing we are working on is my freestyle stroke.  He said I wasn't rotating my body enough at the shoulders when I did my stroke.  So, today I did 20 lengths of the pool (20 x 25 meters) just to practice that movement during my stroke.  It was feeling pretty good by the end of my practice session.   I will work on this tomorrow and Monday.  When I see Adiel again on Tuesday,  we are going to work on my breast stroke, which isn't powerful.     He says I will only need these two with freestyle being my bread-n-butter tool and breast stroke being what I will do to rest in the water and when I need my head up for better visibility, like to see the marker for the turn back to shore during the 1/3 mile water part of the tri.

The pool at our club is 25 meters or short course in swimming lingo.   Long courses are 50 meters, which you see on TV events.   Our pool has a salt water chlorination system.  I first thought it didn't have chlorine but it makes a special kind of chlorine that has little of the molecules that stink and make your eyes burn and dry out your hair & skin.

Adiel, the coach, is from CA and is a big water polo guy and wins lots of life-guard contests (he says he whoops guys a lot younger and stronger because his breast stroke is so awesome).  He is going to give me breast stroke tips.  He doesn't look like your typical swimmer but I like his approach and upbeat personality.

Today at the pool I shared a lane with a lady who looked like a prune, even before she got into the water.  She was a delightful senior, perhaps 85 or 90 years old.  She had quite a freestyle form.   Just goes to show you that swimming is something you can do at any age.

After my good session today and progress on streamlining and my freestyle stoke, I am feeling quite charged up about this whole thing.   I can envision that I can actually do the swimming part where one week ago I couldn't muster up that mental image.  It's all mental you know.
I was going to write a very snarky comment about having wet hair every darn day but, Ann honey,  I thought about you and I am feeling very optimistic and upbeat!

The other stuff:   I signed up for a 5K for Get Your Rear in Gear (it's for colon cancer awareness and getting colonoscopies...cute, huh?) for March 3rd.   I will go back to my interval training next week on the treadmill.   Also,  our biking coach is organizing a spinning class since the biking weather is variable this time of year.