One might ask: “Why make such a point about getting the timing right in Spear?”  The answer, which will be important to her as a teacher, is that there will be certain circumstances in which you would be more particular and others in which you might choose to be less.

In the 100s of workshops I’ve taught I can recall countless instances where some aspect of SpearSwitch — most often Patient Catch — proved elusive for some student. Because the Weekend Workshop follows a formal structure limited by (i) the allotted pool time and (ii) the fact that we can’t hold up a class of 10 to 20 people because 1 or 2 haven’t quite got it, I decide to move on to SwingSwitches. At first I was troubled by progressing to the next drill, when the previous wasn’t quite right. But I often saw that the problem resolved in the next step.

So the question is, if a particular aspect of skill finds resolution in a later step in the progression, why revisit it?

In the case of a teacher trainee, the answer is simple. Students learn movements far faster and more clearly by visual means. Thus the most valuable skill as a teacher of skilled movement is the ability to demonstrate impeccable form.

(It’s also essential that they be able to accurately mimic the incorrect form of a student. I’ve learned that the fastest way I can correct a student’s movement error is to demonstrate a few cycles of what I observed them doing, then, without pausing, smoothly segue into a few cycles what I’d like to see them do.)

The other aspect is: Should she encourage a student to revisit the earlier drill in pursuit of ‘perfection.’ It’s less about pursuing perfection, than it is (i) Encouraging an unquenchable kaizen passion for real Mastery; not every student will choose that path, but we always encourage it. And (ii) Swimming with the highest level of skill is such a complex art, and the path to that level has such individual unpredictability, I have had ‘unexpected epiphanies’ on countless occasions – noticing some sensation I had not noticed before that made such a difference in my whole stroke, that I made it a focal point for hours of practice.

In the case of nailing the timing in SpearSwitch, I’ve found that it helped me get the subtle distinction between holding the water and pulling. When I took that distinction to Swing and Swim, both got better – even after the general form of both had been ‘acceptable’ or even quite good.

SpearSwitch with Patient Catch

From Chapter 5 “Different Strokes: Open Water vs. Pool Technique”

While others at Masters workout focused on pool speed, I used every repeat, no matter how short, as a rehearsal for open water races.  On short repeats, most would swim with aggressive, high-turnover strokes – some taking 21 or more strokes for 25 yards, while I limited myself to 15 SPL, regardless of how brief the swim or how hard the coach urged us to swim.

I probably could have swum those sprints faster by taking more strokes. But since my favored races were long open water swims, rather than pool sprints, I preferred to imprint the optimal way to swim during them. On “sprints,” rather than take more strokes, I focused on getting more out of those I took. I felt this would help program my muscles for the faster parts of open water races-–the start and finish. I was unconcerned that my sprints were slow by pool standards, so long as they developed open water speed.

Beyond the question of stroke count, I’d also begun to refine my sense of technique adjustments that minimized fatigue without sacrificing pace, a years-long process that included an unhurried catch, a higher-elbow-but-lighter-pressure stroke, and a patiently-tuned 2-Beat kick.

My goal was to avoid reliance on fatigue-prone arm and shoulder muscles by drawing ‘free power’ from weight shifts and untiring core muscle. This required the patience to work in a longer time horizon: While my pool-mates were thinking about racing to the next wall, I thought constantly about how I hoped to feel during open-water races months-–or years–in the future.

To swim your best in open water you must make a strategic choice to swim in a way that could slow your pool times, at least on shorter repeats — and, during a period of adjustment, possibly on longer ones as well. However, any swim that lasts over a minute should benefit fairly quickly from the reduced energy cost of Perpetual Motion Freestyle.  But first, you must be willing to defer the immediate gratification of short-term speed for long-term gain.

*  *  *  *

Will myelin improve my  swimming?

At 1:23 of the accompanying video, I play a brief clip from the Outside the Box DVD, showing me swimming in the 2006 World Masters Open Water Championship in San Francisco Bay (clip shot by TI-Japan Head Coach Shinji Takeuchi.) It shows me swimming through a pack of swimmers from waves which started 5 to 10 minutes before mine. The difference between my technique and theirs is striking. I explain their struggles as resulting from “not enough myelin.” This excerpt from the Outside the Box ebook explains the significance of myelin.

From Chapter 10: “Increase Sustainability by Secreting Myelin!”

Muscle memory is a metaphor for a physiological change in your neuromuscular system. Swimming efficiently requires a specific set of muscles to be turned on (and off) in an exacting and non-instinctive pattern. With each stroke, an electrochemical signal travels from your brain to instruct motor units to contract or relax. Each time the signal crosses that circuit, a bit more myelin, a fatty substance that acts like insulation on electrical wires, is secreted, strengthening the signal received by your muscles. A relatively faint signal is good enough to keep the movement consistent while swimming slowly for short distances in a low-distraction environment. It takes a strong signal, i.e., a lot of myelin, to remain efficient as your fatique increases when you swim a mile or more at higher speeds with waves smacking you or avoiding collisions with other swimmers. . . . in the rough water of San Francisco Bay, the main difference between me and those I’m passing is myelin secretion. Thicker insulation, laid down during thousands of focused, purposeful rehearsal repeats allows me to swim with virtually the same stroke as in the pool or a serene lake. Lacking it, most others swim with a “barely coping” stroke.

The “Energy Sink”

Have you ever seen a fish that wasn’t horizontal while swimming? Fish and aquatic mammals are naturally designed for aquatic (i.e. horizontal) balance. Humans, as terrestrial mammals, are naturally designed for land (i.e. vertical) balance. Most of us recognize that the cost of imbalance in the water is more drag and fatigue, less speed. But the true cost is actually far greater.

Actually, few swimmers think of it as a balance problem. It feels more like a sinking problem which leaves most new swimmers feeling at least highly uncomfortable, and often at risk. Imbalance is the reason nearly every swimmer’s first attempt to cross the pool is a “near death experience.”

Usually, we’re not in real danger. But who can think clearly when it feels like your survival depends on churning furiously until you reach safety. The reason we feel threatened is a simple matter of buoyancy and gravity. Buoyancy pushes our air-carrying lungs up, while gravity pulls our dense lower body down. That has costs far beyond what most people realize.

1. A sagging lower body increases drag considerably.

2. The resulting survival strokes churn up a froth of bubbles—and can easily exhaust you within 30 seconds–but are utterly ineffective for propulsion.

3. However the costs in mental energy may be greatest of all, and have rarely been acknowledged.

Imbalance burns Mental Energy

Though the brain makes up just 2 percent of the body’s weight, it consumes 20 percent of its energy. Normally about 50 percent of the brain’s energy consumption goes to managing balance. But when the brain senses imbalance–and particularly when it thinks you’re sinking–it goes into critical mode and  nearly 100 percent of its energy is consumed with trying to fix that.

Until you fix ‘that sinking feeling,’ you have no chance of becoming comfortable or efficient.  And with that amount of energy waste, it makes no sense at all to try to ‘tough it out.’ Before tackling even the most rudimentary skills, we need to send the brain unambiguous signals that we’ve got control of body position. That frees up the mental energy to focus on skills that require some degree of calm focus.

That’s why all TI learning sequences start by teaching comfort and body control–as is the case with Lesson One of the Self-Coached Workshop.

Relax into Weightlessness

In terms of stroke mechanics, Lesson One exercises  teach you to position head, arms and legs in ways you’ll maintain in every drill (and stroke) that follows. But more importantly–by teaching you to relax into weightlessness–it frees you from the evolutionary legacy of being a land-dwelling species.

Like all terrestial mammals, we’re wired by evolution to keep the head above the surface, in a ’safe’ place. The head-lifting instinct just makes our balance problem worse. And our survival instincts also interpret gravity–at least in water–as a threat to well-being.  Bypassing that instinct and replacing it with an instinct to cooperate with gravity is a difficult, but utterly necessary, step.

Though Lesson 1 drills appear simple, they are essential in replacing an inborn reflex with a calmly considered choice.  They also free up the considerable mental energy required for skill-acquisition. For this reason, we recommend repeating Superman Glide as much as necessary to imprint a sense of support and stability.  We also recommend that you “tune up” for more advanced skills by starting reps with a few moments of Superman Glide, while working on more advanced lessons and skills.

Newer swimmers, anyone who still feels their legs are sinking, or find it difficult to relax the kick will benefit hugely from staying with Lesson One longer. All Lesson One exercises are Tuneups, designed for practice in short intervals–usually 10 yards or less.

Even after progressing to Lesson Two and beyond, use one or more of these– particularly Superman Glide–as tuneups as you begin a practice session . . . or anytime you feel yourself becoming tense or working too hard. Repeat Superman Glide or Laser Lead Flutter until you feel weightless and relaxed again, then maintain that as you resume practice.

There are few better examples of simple wisdom that can apply to  nearly anything. Like swimming improvement.

Between unremarkable wood block and impressivly lifelike duck lie three distinct stages, each requiring specific tools.

A band saw to cut a piece of lumber into the general shape and size of the duck. It cuts away large chunks of  not-duck quickly, but not finely.

Carving knives to create a recognizable, yet still rough, head, body, wings and tail. These cut away smaller pieces of not-duck but what lands on the floor are still chunks.

And finally,  rasps and sandpaper to detail beak, eyes,  wings and tail.  The not-duck falling to the floor at this stage goes from chips to splinters to powder.

Improving your stroke follows a remarkably similar process of carving away whatever doesn’t display the fluency, relaxation, and general harmony shown by an efficient stroke. Start with big chunks and progress steadily to ever-finer skills. This also means working from large body parts and “gross-motor” skills, to smaller body parts and “fine-motor” skills.

Balance and weightlessness drills like Superman Glide, Laser-Lead Flutter, or Core Balance, take away big chunks – discomfort, breathing distress, tension, sinking legs, unstable body.

Alignment and streamlining drills, like Skating , SpearSwitch, SwingSwitch, shape a human – or terrestrial mammal – body to have the “slippery” qualities of aquatic mammals.

Propulsion-oriented drills, like OverSwitch and Stroke Thoughts to “tune” the Catch and 2-Beat Kick, create a smooth and effective arm-and-leg action.

Using this clip of Perpetual Motion Freestyle as a model, what can you carve away from your stroke that looks different?

I’ve found a new focal point: pain, actually. Today I went to the pool wanting to focus on basics. I hadn’t swum for a week due to a tender shoulder, so there I was with the user guide for Lesson 3 of Easy Freestyle by my side going through the drills.

My shoulder began to annoy me a bit and then I read for the 100th time the phrase ‘hip-drive -not arm pull – should initiate each switch’ and that does it:  The moment I start focusing on this phrase any annoyance on the shoulder disappears.

Right Hip Poised to Initiate SpearSwitch

I kept using pain sensitivity as a reminder and so went swiftly and pain-free through 90 minutes of practice . . . I also managed to improve my SPL from 18 to 17!

My Reply:

Pain is indeed a useful indicator – and one we are more likely to encounter as we age. Rather than an annoyance, it can be a reminder to move more consciously. I virtually never feel shoulder pain – or any other kind – when swimming, but this month I’m spending more hours in yoga class than in the pool.

For perhaps 10 years, spinal x-rays have shown that I was developing arthritic narrowing in my lower spine. It’s a familial condition, but my devotion to swimming and yoga have helped keep me relatively symptom-free.

But my arthritic spine has, in one sense, been a gift, as it forces me to pay close attention to posture. Even slight compression in my lower spine causes tension or spasm. So I do yoga poses, and sit at my desk, with mindfully keeping my navel pulled in and my pelvis tucked.

There are some yoga poses which I used to be able to do with impunity that I now have to do with care – or in modified ways. And some I can no longer do at all. It’s an inconvenience but a small price to pay for the greater tendency for self-awareness it has produced.

I hope someone can help. I feel I have the TI technique down EXCEPT the two beat kick (2BK). For some reason my leg goes to a 90 degree angle at the knee when I kick. I know this is creating drag and want to correct it. I’ve tried everthing. I have even thought about tieing my feet together in a shallow pool. Any suggestions?

I replied:

I’ve spent years on my own 2BK “project.” But even before giving the 2BK much attention, I had spent over a decade focused pretty narrowly on the many ways in which one can reduce drag.

I began a shift toward efforts to improve propulsion around 2000, thinking mainly about my armstroke for a few years. In 2004 I began to focus on my kick.

Since then my efforts have been organized as follows:
1) Make my legs more passive to save energy and reduce turbulence
2) Get them to “draft behind my torso.”
3) Synchronize leg beats with hand-spear.
4) Use less muscle to accomplish #3 – shifting the work from quads to core.
5) Focus again on streamlining the kick – using toe-flick rather than leg-drive.

Eliminating a scissors — or other leg-splaying habits — falls into #2. The most helpful thing I did to streamline my kicks was improving lateral stability – i.e. controlling rotation. Besides imprinting controlled rotation in Skate and SpearSwitch, I also focused on keeping my elbows as high and wide as possible as I completed extension.

I’ve described my 2BK process and project in detail in Chapter 7 “How to Kick in Open Water” of the Outside the Box ebook.

Streamlined Legs - and Body - in SpearSwitch

Legs Draft Behind Torso in Whole Stroke

Sue wrote back: “My brisk 50 yarders are now like about 46-47ish when they used to be like 43ish. The effort exerted doing the 2BK ones is about ten thousand times (okay I exaggerate) but we’ll say a *lot* less. My two mile swims are now 1:02 vs. 1:01 which seems like a small price to pay. But those 50 yarders are somehow always so disappointing to me.”

Sue’s post makes a revealing statement about what is very likely an almost universal psychology of swimmers. While her 2-mile time – which I think highly respectable – has fallen off by less than 2 percent, her 50 time may have fallen off by 7 to 10%.

Yet the loss of speed in her50 looms so large that she’s thinking about doing something – kicking harder — that would undoubtedly hurt her potential to swim the mile or 2-mile well.  This way of thinking is probably widespread beecause  (1) We  measure our performance by 50 or 100 times far more often than by1-or 2-mile times; and (2) We think of 50 times as reflective of Speed, and times for longer swims as reflective of Endurance.

But Endurance is really Speed — Sustained. And who among us is more interested in swimming fast for a minute or less as opposed to being able to improve our pace for a healthful 30 minutes to an hour or more.

I suggested to Sue that adopting a more expansive way of evaluating her swimming  would be helpful in many ways.

Measuring your swim performance is always good. “What gets measured gets improved“,as the saying goes. But a key question is what to measure. Most people focus exclusively, and disproportionately, on Time. But there are really four key metrics:

Stroke Length or SPL – a measurement of how well you combine streamlining and propulsion

Tempo - as measured by the Tempo Trainer

Effort - Land exercisers use a HR monitor but I’ve found them unreliable in the water and have been well-served with my subjective, but well-honed, internal effort gauge. I like a 5-point scale in which 1 = almost literally effortless and 5 = maximum. I train 85% of the time at 3 or below.

Time - what the pace clock or sports watch tell you.

It has been some 20 years since I only used Time as a measure of my swim performance. I now use at least two at all times. Every week, I’m likely to do sets that include all of the combinations below:

• Time and SPL
• Time and Tempo
• SPL and Tempo

And in fact I always use 3 measures  since I never fail to consider how easy or effortful the swim was.  Indeed if I can do a particular combination of Time and SPL or Tempo and SPL at a 3 effort, on my next repeat, I’m more likely to try to repeat the same combo at a 2.5 effort, rather than try immediately to improve the combo.

Measuring more aspects of swimming, and relating one metric to one or more others will:

Give you more information about your swimming,

Give you more things to focus on improving – and the psychic rewards of doing so; and

Give you a more balanced perspective.

Finally, I emphasized to Sue that I’m not suggesting for a moment that she cannot reclaim those lost 3 or 4 seconds in her brisk 50s. I’m fairly certain that when she begins measuring the things that matter, she could aim to break an hour for her 2-mile. I even suggested she set a goal doing so, possibly at this race I’ll be swimming in August.

For detailed guidance on effective TI Training, see these related resources:

Triathlon Swimming Made Easy Part 4, Chapters 11 to 17

Extraordinary Swimming for Every Body Part 3

The ebook Outside the Box: A Program for Success in Open Water Part 3 Chapters 8 to 12  

This morning was my second EP practice since installing a pool at home. Not having used the EP in over a year, I’m reacquainting myself.  This morning I decided to focus on improving how I hold water with the extended hand while breathing.

A common error associated with freestyle breathing is that the lead hand collapses (in aggravated cases) or strokes prematurely because the rotation to air, plus a tendency to lift the head, loads the lead arm. When either happens, the next stroke (left hand if you breathe right) is less effective: The hand moves back more than you move forward.

In recent years I’ve improved that aspect of technique a great deal, with most of that improvement coming from EP practice. In recent weeks, I’ve been aware of a slight “slipping” sensation in my right hand when breathing left so I thought it was time to refocus on it.

I started with a very low current speed, stroking as slowly and gently as possible. On each stroke I paused my hand for a moment at full extension. I could see my hand in the bottom mirror so I checked that it was (i) still for a moment, (ii) on a Wide Track and (iii) hanging relaxed with fingers separated and palm back.

I took 10 right breaths (20 strokes), 10 bilateral breaths (30 strokes) then 10 left breaths. I used this breathing sequence to pinpoint my right hand. Because of bad habits acquired and ingrained during millions of “pre-TI” strokes from 1965-1988, when I was mainly a left-side breather, my right hand has been more stubborn about learning patience. It’s much better than it used to be, but still not as good as my left hand during a right side breath – because that was still a relatively  blank slate when I began TI practice 21 years ago.

When breathing right, it’s easy to imprint a patient right hand. Breathing bilaterally I get 5 strokes in every 6 in which I can hold that patience fairly easily. When I breathe left, I really have to focus to avoid right-hand slippage.

After each sequence of 30 breaths, I turned up the current slightly, and returned my focus to keeping that “moment of stillness”  before stroking.  I continued that for about 20 minutes.

In my final 10 minutes, with the current flowing a bit faster (yet still probably in a leisurely 27 min for 1.5k range) I alternated 20 bilateral breaths with 20 left-side breaths, taking a break of 5 cleansing breaths after each sequence of 20 breaths/100 strokes.

My focal point here was to feel (1) a slightly-exaggerated overlap between my hands while breathing; and (2) a sense of lightness and absence of pressure in my extended hand as I breathed.

I’m not sure my right hand was improved after 30 minutes of practice. I am sure I was more sensitized to it and that way lies improvement.

These three screen shots,  from Lesson 6 of the Easy Freestyle DVD show a patient right hand–relaxed and on-track with palm back–just before my face emerges to breathe. 2nd image shows same moment, from the surface. 3rd image shows a split-second later. I’m just about to return my face to the water, left hand about to enter, and right arm still extended.

Related blog on breathing skills: Free Air: How to Breathe Easier

TI Breathing Skills DVD

Related thread on TI Forum.

Suzanne Streamlines in Skate Position (Lesson Two of Easy Freestyle)

Suzanne posted a report on the TI Discussion Forum of how she improved her PR for 500 Free by 25 seconds over just a few weeks.  Her experience, and insights she gained from it,  could be invaluable to any swimmer or triathlete who has shared the frustration Suzanne described of “just staring at the pace clock wondering how you could get faster.”  Read what Suzanne learned here.

Suzanne’s measured and analytical approach to swimming faster is nothing like the nearly universal instinct to just try harder. It also highlights several foundations of TI thinking about swim training.

• Aim for improvement (not “getting the yards in”) in every practice.
• Achieve improvement by targeting a specific flaw or weakness and develop a strategy to fix it.
• Focus on process [what sensations tell me I’m stroking effectively] — not outcomes [what does the pace clock say].
• Design your sets to provide meaningful and measurable feedback.

What Suzanne’s experience illustrates is:

1) The nervous system can adapt with striking rapidity – in contrast to the glacial pace of aerobic system adaptation.
2) A neural focus makes every aspect of training tangible and concrete  – again in contrast to the fuzziness and abstraction of aerobic-training focus and adaptation.
3) The human brain responds incredibly well to this kind of stimulus. And it clearly works as a way to swim faster.

My Version of Suzanne’s 500 Set

Inspired by Suzanne’s example, I decided to start yesterday’s practice with a similar set:

Swim 5 x 500 (on interval of 8:00 to 8:30) with increasing tempo.
#1 Tempo:1.30  Time: 7:36
#2 Tempo:1.30  Time: 7:26
#3 Tempo:1.20  Time: 7:10
#4 Tempo:1.10  Time: 6:56
#5 Tempo:1.00  Time: 6:45

Notes:

On #1, at a tempo of 1.3 sec/stroke, I held 14 SPL quite easily, with a few lengths at 13 SPL. This ease led me to swim another at the same tempo, feeling I could reduce my SPL – increase my efficiency — with another at 1.30. This would give me a better foundation from which to increase tempo later in the set.

On #2 I held 13 SPL on about 10 lengths (the odd ones, interestingly) and 14 SPL on the rest. Saving 7 strokes overall (7 x 1.3 sec) converted into swimming 10 seconds faster.
On #3 I held a consistent 14 SPL @1.20. I added about 10 strokes overall (from 270 to 280), but the faster tempo converted into swimming 16 seconds faster.
On #4, I held a consistent 15 SPL (after first 3 laps at 14) @1.10. I took more strokes to complete 500 yards yet swam 14 seconds faster because of my increased tempo.
On #5, I started with 3 lengths at 16 SPL, then swam 3 to 4 at 17 SPL, before returning to 16 SPL (by timing my turns better) for the final 300 yards. I dropped my time by another 11 seconds.

This set gave me some ideas about how to further improve my training pace for 500s.
1) Since I kept my SPL relatively consistent as I increased tempo from 1.30 to 1.20, I’ll train in the range where it take more focus to stay efficient — 1.20 and below.

2) In the range between 1.20 and 1.10, I’ll try to hold 14 SPL more consistently as tempo increases. I’ll work in small increments – i.e. 1.19, 1.18, 1.17. I expect as I increase tempo, the first time I try a new combination (e.g. 1.16 and 14 SPL) I’ll probably add a stroke here and there, but as my nervous system adapts, I’ll get better at holding 14SPL.
2) In the range from 1.10 to 1.00 I’ll probably shorten my repeats to find a repeat distance at which I can maintain 15 SPL with a semi-brisk tempo. Will it be 100 yd repeats – or 250 yd repeats? Empirical experience will tell and I’ll simply adjust to that happens. If I can gradually lengthen the repeats at which I can maintain 15 SPL @ 1.00, eventually I’m confident I can hold that combination for straight 500s.

When I do, my 500 repeat times will be 6:15 to 6:20.

• Distance of repeats and/or the set;
• Strokes Per Length [SPL];
• Time for the repeats; and/or
• Stroke Tempo (in strokes per second) from the Tempo Trainer.

In addition to the objective numbers above, I also include a subjective rating, for effort level or “mojo.” I’ll describe how I use subjective ratings in another post. Here I’ll focus on how and why I use hard data.

Last week I traveled to Pittsburgh Thurs thru Sat to conduct a clinic for the Allegheny Mountain LMSC. While traveling I try to swim as regularly as possible though sometimes I can only squeeze in 30 minutes or less, as was true two of the three days I’ll recount here. As you’ll see, even 20 minutes can constitute a great practice when you aim for measurable improvement.

Thursday May 6 1000 yards at Bucknell University

While driving from New Paltz to State College PA, I stopped in Lewisburg for a swim and lunch with Jeannie Zappe a newly certified TI Coach. We had only 20 minutes to swim. I suggested 20 x 50 on a minute, trying to gradually increase pace, while maintaining a constant SPL.
On the first 50, swimming with consummate ease, I took 25 strokes (12 down, 13 back) and 46 seconds. My goal would be to continue taking 25 strokes per 50 for as long as possible while gradually swimming faster. This is a common set for me; I always try to let the seconds “melt away” (swim faster without trying) initially. When I succeed, it’s because my nervous system gets progressively more “tuned” to the task.
Over the first 10 x 50, I improved gradually from :46 to :42 with no perceptible increase in effort.  My primary focus was to feel a longer, more slippery bodyline. (Lesson 3 of Easy Freestyle). When the effortless improvements no longer came, I increased effort in highly specific ways:

• More sense of hold with my hand and forearm.
• More snap in my 2BK “toe flick” – yet keeping it streamlined within the “shadow” of my upper legs.

Over 6 x 50, I improved to 39 seconds. During my final 4 x 50 I allowed myself 1 more stroke on each length for 27 total and improved to 38 seconds, trying to feel a bit more ease at that higher count and faster speed. I felt great at the end.

What happened? To maintain the same SPL for an extended series of repeats, I have to travel a constant distance on each stroke. To improve pace, I have to propel myself over that distance faster. That means the frequency of my strokes also increases – though I never consciously tried to stroke faster. So Stroke Length was constant. Stroke Rate increased . . . because Velocity increased. This is different – and easier – than trying to stroke faster . . . which is the most common way to try to swim faster.

Friday May 7 4200 yards at JCC in Pittsburgh

TI Coach Suzanne Atkinson brought me to the JCC where she’s a member. We swam for about 90 minutes. For warmup, I swam 400 easy, alternating 25s of FR, BK and BR. I held 13 SPL for FR, 16 for BK and 8 for BR. I can take fewer strokes on back and breast if I focus in an exacting way, but preferred to stay relaxed.

Main Set: 6 rounds of 4 x 50 + 2 x 100 + 1 x 200 with Tempo Trainer. Increase tempo by .02 sec on each round, progressing from 1.10 sec/stroke on 1^st round to 1.00 sec/stroke on 6^th round. I rested 10 beeps between 50s, 15 beeps between 100s, 20 beeps before the 200 and gave myself a minute between rounds to reset the TT.

My SPL on the 4 x 50 @ 1.10 was 14+15. My goal was to progress through all distances and rounds to the final 200 @ 1.00 with as little change in SPL as I could manage. I was able to keep my SPL at 16 or lower for Rounds 1 through 4. In round 5 (1.02 sec/stroke) I had perhaps 3 lengths (of 24 total) at 17 SPL. In round 6 (1.00 sec/stroke) I took 17 SPL on about 6 lengths.

Suzanne and I finished with 12 (for me, 16 for her) 25s of Butterfly. I’ll describe this set in a separate post.

What happened? The goal of this set is to swim constant pace within each round — as repeat distance goes from 50 to 200 – and to improve pace with each successive round. If Tempo and SPL stay constant, so must pace. If Tempo increases and SPL stays the same (or increases very modestly) then pace improves. If SPL increases too much as Tempo increases, then pace will stay the same, or possibly even get slower.

I only checked the pace clock after the 200s. My 200 time improved an average of 2 seconds in each round. That means a tempo increase of .02 sec for one stroke created an improvement of 2 seconds (100 times as much) for 200 yards. This is a decent “trade” of tempo for speed so I ingrained good efficiency habits during this set.

Saturday May 8 2200 yards at Duquesne University

Duquesne Coach Dave Sheets opened the pool so Suzanne and I could swim prior to our clinic. He also joined us for the swim (and was impressively fast; in fact his backstroke repeats were as fast as or faster than my crawl.)

We had only 30 minutes so I planned a set similar to Friday’s, but with a varying pace  emphasis with each round, in place of Saturday’s constant pace emphasis.

Main Set: (1 x 200 + 8 x 25) – (1 x 200 + 4 x 50) – (1 x 200 + 2 x 100) – (1 x 200 + 4 x 50) – (1 x 200 + 8 x 25) The 200s were to be swum at “Cruise” pace and the 25s, 50s and 100s at “Brisk” pace. I aimed to hold ALL repeats @ 14 SPL.

I didn’t time the 200s, focusing instead on a Stroke Thought of Superslow Recovery without sacrificing balance or stability. I swam the 25s in an average of 17 sec, the 50s in 37 sec and the 100s in 1:14-1:15.

What happened? SPL remained constant, but – as on Thursday’s 50-yd repeats – pace varied. I swam significantly faster on the 25s, 50s and 100s, than on the 200s. In this case, I did put a good deal more effort into them. But SAME SPL combined with FASTER Pace also means higher Stroke Rate. This time I accomplished faster pace by shortening repeat distance and adding a bit of effort.

Summary: In all 3 practices I created nervous system adaptation by varying the task, while keeping at least one variable constant.

• On Thurs, repeat distance and SPL stayed constant, SR (and consequently pace) increased.
• On Fri, I tried to keep SPL constant, and succeeded in minimizing change as repeat distance and tempo increased.
• On Sat, I kept SPL constant while repeat distance varied. Pace and SR changed as repeat distance got shorter.

When I describe my practices, I’m often asked how I can remember so many details to record them in my log later. Part of the reason is years of “data collection and recording” have trained my brain for this kind of memory capacity (which is highly specialized; outside the pool I’m know for being absent-minded and forgetful). But recall is also made easier by the fact that I have a context or framework for the numbers I track. I use my first repeat or two to set a baseline or benchmark then decide, based on experience, what sort of improvement goal I’ll pursue. Since thousands of hours of practice have improved my ability to execute what I intend, I usually need only to take note of where I’ve diverged from the plan.