Looking at the analytics of the traffic to this blog (I'm watching you!) my most popular posts, outside of the lovely pics of Lightnin' McQueen, are when I post about swimming. Maybe y'all (I lived in Texas, I can say "y'all") have some kind of sick fetish about watching me drown (or reading about it), but hey, whatever gets some traffic, right? Luckily, there will always be at least posts a week where I might die at the end. Quite the cliffhanger, eh?
And today is one of those days, so after the alarm went off at 4:50 am (still an ungodly hour) and a bowl fo cereal, I was back at the pool. As per usual, we started with flip turn practice. I'm slowly getting better at this, but it's coming about in a weird way. I'll nail my first few, then once a mistake happens, I can never get it back together again. I did 3-4 really good ones, then went through a progression of: too close to the wall (almost pushed myself into the bottom), too far from the wall (nothing to push off of ... a bit disconcerting), then twisting the flip in any number of directions (while still being wither too close or too far). I won't be putting this to use as part of any main sets for a while still.
Then, more kick drills, or more specifically, side-kick drills. With flippers. I hate my flippers. They're killing my feet. The sizing on them is for sizes 8-9. The next size up as 10-11. I'm a 9.5. Since I had to choose, I applied my usual logic and went smaller, since I like a snug fit. Instead of a snug fit, I have the edge of the fin taking large chunks of flesh off my toes. It isn't too bad during the drills, but it's very noticeable in the shower afterward.
After the kicking, we did a new drill, with 50m of sculling on the back, with a pull buoy between your legs, feet first. I think it was near unanimous that this drill sucked. Nobody's favourite. I'm sure we'll see it plenty. You move SO slowly. It's a strange feeling of being relaxed (you're lying in the water, the pull buoy holds your legs so you just have to float your upper body), and working like a maniac to move anywhere (sculling like a hummingbird on meth). I have a sneaking suspicion I'll feel this tomorrow.
Once that drill was over, we got into some straight swim sets. Longer work, but still nice. In nine weeks, I've gone from doing 50m repeats with 30-90" rest, to 3x200m (30") as one of the last parts of a workout. And after it was all over, the coach commented that things are looking much better. I might make my way up to lane 4 (medium-slow, from lane 5, slow-fast) permanently.
I hope I didn't blush.
Edit: Thinking about it, the sculling thing was midway through the straight sets, not before, but I don't want to re-write the post. You'll have to live with it.
Swim: Flip turn practice.
3x(25m left kick, 25m right kick, 50m free), 10", with flippers
3x(100m 3 kick switch), 10", with flippers
3x200m free, 30", breathe to west wall (I tried alternate every 4th and 2nd)
3x(50m scull on back, feet first, 50m pull), 15"
3x(50m back, 150m free), 15"
Total: 2100m
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