Tractor Pull Meets Breast Stroke

Today was my day to work on breast stroke with coach Adiel.  He says that form is less important with breast stroke than power.  So, he put a harness on me, around the waist, and he held the other end of the harness standing up on the side of the pool.  Are you following this mental picture?   The harness was homemade with stretchy tubes.   I had to swim as hard as I could while he pulled the dry end of the harness.   The idea is to swim against the resistance he makes by pulling the harness.  Needless to say that I was swimming in place as hard as I could. It must have been quite a sight to watch.    Tractor Pull Meets Breast Stroke. I couldn't make this up.    I will be doing this at least once a week with Adiel and will try to get Joe to take a picture because it must be hilarious.

We did another very good drill today.   I swam a normal freestyle lap.  Then for the next lap I had to swim freestyle but keep my head up and out of the water.  If you think that is easy,  I challenge you to try it. It is very exhausting.  Then I swam a normal freestyle lap and then three breast stroke laps.  The idea is to be able to recover after swimming the lap with head out.  Adiel says that during open water swim, I will have times I need to be able to look around to navigate or figure out where I am and what to do next.  I need to be able to have the endurance to swim head out of water but not have it exhaust me.  So, we will do this each time to build up the endurance of that.   I am getting good triathlon tips from him and like my twice a week lesson.

I am also having fun meeting my friend AGH at the pool.  She is a good sport to swim with me.  Boy she has a beautiful stroke herself.

Adiel warned me today that I will be quite sore tomorrow so am having Advil for dessert tonight.
Cheers!