The objective of the clinic was to learn how to learn how to correctly do some basic swimming drills to incorporate into our training program as well as some time to discuss how to create a tailored training program. This is the second clinic I have attended with swimming coach Tina Foeri.

One of the main fundamental drills covered in the swimming clinic were:

Swimming Balance

This is a difficult drill is not as easy as it may seem.

I can’t believe the progress I have made in the last few months. It is nice to see some of my hard work pay off.

My biggest challenge was the swim as it can be for many triathlon novices. I have had months to prepare in the pool and multiple sessions in open water swims and swim clinics. None of which adequately prepared me for the intensity and crowded swim of a triathlon start.

One mistake that could have been avoided was a cold start. Before the start I should have got in that water and did some swimming! Since I was not warmed up, nervous and anxious at the start I really did not get into a rhythm until more than half the swim distance was completed.

The biggest mistake I made with my swim was where I was in the start. I was way to far inside and to close to the front. I would have been much better off to the outside and behind the fast swimmers. This basically made what should have been a easy swim much more difficult. Pick a sport you are comfortable and project your line. I also recommend talking to the people around you to find out their swim pace as well. This will help you pick your entry into the swim.

Another error I made in the swim was standing up to early for my exit. I think this happened for two reasons: I was totally gassed, and the second reason was taking bad queues. I think I was just over anxious to get out of the water because the swimming conditions were not the best. I should have continued in my swim until I felt bottom with my hands then got up into my exit.

There were many lessons learned in my first triathlon and this exercise of post race analysis will help me correct some of these mistakes. My goal is to improve and become a better athlete and to be able to race in progressively longer distances. To summarize here are a few points for potential improvement in my next race:

• Good warm-up
• Better starting point
• Shorter exit point

We have some amazing athletes at the YMCA, many of them are experienced triathletes with years of training and race experience. I know this has been a great advantage for me as several of them have invested time with me helping me along the way. There is so much that I have learned but it also forces me to perform at a higher level.

Intensity seems to be more difficult when I workout alone. I need to develop the technique and discipline required to maintain that level of intensity when it is appropriate. In order for me to develop more speed and endurance intensity is the key.

Tomorrow I will participate in a sunrise open water swim at Point Pleasant and hope to get in a bike ride also. Focus on intensity.

These types of open water swims have been a great experience builder. Swimming in such a large group had many of the characteristics of being in a race. While my workout partners are awesome you still might get a foot in your face or get a body crossing your path. I with every swim I am getting better and continue to learn.

Swimming in the ocean presents challenges I did not experience in the river. Getting out past the waves while not a challenge will add to the excitement at the start. The rolling of the ocean made it more difficult to sight but I did feel like it was slightly easier to get into a natural rhythm because of the oceans rolls. It actually was calming experience for me. Fighting the strong current was a whole separate challenge.

Today I also got a little chaffing across my back in the shoulder blade. This will be a easy fix for my short swim in my first race next week but I would certainly rather that happen now then on race day.

All in all it made for a great morning and a great start to the holiday weekend. I only wish I could have joined them for the bike! Next time!

Happy 4th of July!

We talked about two problems. First my pull through was poor because I was not fully maximizing each stroke. The other issue was I was crossing over causing me to wobble in my glide. I my own evaluation I felt like I had very little glide. The fist drill really builds awareness on how to use the full arm to power the pull but also how to engage the water earlier in a stroke helping both the glide and pull.

Tri-newbies online has a excellent article and analogy about this drill. The article compared the swimming stroke to a canoe paddle. This totally made sense to me having compelted the drills earlier today. Take a read of this article and view the short video below. I think it is worth the time if you are unfamiliar with these swimming drills.

Let me know any other tips or resources.

Swimming Video: Fist Drill

I was very happy to attend a group event over the weekend where we had a wonderful swimming coach. While I have been around water my whole life and always considered myself a decent swimmer by most standards I realized just how much I have to learn.

Even though I have come a long way in my ability to complete laps I had no knowledge of fundamentals. My head was high in the water and my legs were low. I was totally unaware of what the right position is in the water nor did I understand what an efficient stoke is. Not to say that now I do but I have a higher level of awareness and now have one more tool to improve myself.

Since I really am a beginner a swimming lesson and some basic drills went a long way. The most important thing I learned was balance in the water. It was amazing what a few tweaks in basic positioning can do for your performance. Once I became aware of my buoyancy and pushed my chest into the water my head went down and my legs magically came up. This was a big improvement for me.

There is nothing like a little success to further motivate me and I am looking forward to practicing these new techniques in my swimming training.

While this is and will always be a  family weekend I really was looking forward to my workouts. I enjoy challenging myself to get to the next level and my progress has kept my going. I will also admit that this past week was not a great diet week but for the most part was pretty good considering the abundance of goodies to eat and drink.

I spent Saturday morning in the pool with the opportunity to work out with a group of swimmers well above my level. I set my pace and trailed in the drills but exceeded my own expectations. Working out with veterans is so beneficial to a novice like myself. I was fortunate to get some good coaching and a really challenging workout.  This Saturday I am attending my first swimming clinic. I feel like I have started to build a good foundation and am looking forward to learning from a pro.

Sunday I planned to do a brick. A brick workout simply means that you complete one workout after another. I mapped out a 21 mile course using GMaps. This was really the first time I used a map to plot a bike course. It was a bit awkward and did not go 100% as planned but that did not matter. I was outside and on my bike, what could be bad! I wound up extending my distance by a few miles but that was OK because I felt good. I then met my club for our regular run. It was a great day and we all did well. I approximate that I did about 25 miles on my bike and a 7 mile run. This is my longest brick to date.

Memorial Day I got up early a did my 6.4 miles and made a personal best for the loop. This was surprising considering the extra effort I put out yesterday. I felt strong and paid close attention to my pace and form. It was a gorgeous Monday morning and the sun was shining. My time was 55:46 about 30 second faster than my previous time.

All in all it was a great weekend. I not only had a great time with the family but also accomplished my training goals.

I really tried to focus on keeping my head down and in the water and rotating during my breathing. Just attempting to relax and improve my form. I know that swimming in open water will be a totally different story but I am up for the task.

Right now I need to keep my effort level up and look forward to having our coaches help with some of the basics. 10 and a half weeks to my first event, ever.