Coach told me I need to swim 4kms each and every weekend so I did - 5 actually.
Ave of 26 strokes per length. 1hr 40mins (20mins/km).
3rd km fine (75% done), 4th km ok and pushed on for a 5th km to sign off.
Felt good and focussed on stroke and relaxing. Bi-lateral breathing esp. left hand side coming along well as long as I take a long stroke and follow my arm...
I am def. becoming a swim bore !
22 July 2007
11 July 2007
The training begins here (& hypoxic breathing)
Got my swimming programme so off I trotted with great enthusiasm on a wet n' windy Wellington night to my second home (aka. Freyberg Pool).
This is where the training really begins I thought to myself - milestones, commitment, dedication.
3.7kms - 1hr 25 mins. Least no google leakage this time !
Anyone heard of hypoxic breathing (i.e. no of strokes per breath ?) How does 6/8/10 strokes per breath sound ? I was puffing big time esp. on the 10s but kept my body position and felt more relaxed as a result. Is my coach crazy or does he really know what he's doing ?
Should end up with the lung capacity of Godzilla.
My hair feels like straw and my skin like a lizard. Ah the joys of swimming...
Note to self: make laminate training cards - water, chlorine and paper don't mix !
This is where the training really begins I thought to myself - milestones, commitment, dedication.
3.7kms - 1hr 25 mins. Least no google leakage this time !
Anyone heard of hypoxic breathing (i.e. no of strokes per breath ?) How does 6/8/10 strokes per breath sound ? I was puffing big time esp. on the 10s but kept my body position and felt more relaxed as a result. Is my coach crazy or does he really know what he's doing ?
Should end up with the lung capacity of Godzilla.
My hair feels like straw and my skin like a lizard. Ah the joys of swimming...
Note to self: make laminate training cards - water, chlorine and paper don't mix !
09 July 2007
History of Cook Strait swimmers
http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/RecreationSeaAndSky/OpenWaterSwimming/3/ENZ-Resources/Standard/2/en
Googl'd this link which has an audio of Barrie Devonport being the first man to conquer Cook Strait in 1962. The audio is quite haunting esp. as you hear the motor of the pilot boat in the background.
It has some great links on other marathon swimmers.
Googl'd this link which has an audio of Barrie Devonport being the first man to conquer Cook Strait in 1962. The audio is quite haunting esp. as you hear the motor of the pilot boat in the background.
It has some great links on other marathon swimmers.
17 June 2007
Been sick...back in the water
Got knocked out by a winter bug that zapped all the usual Craner energy for 1.5 weeks...disruptive and annoying. I am officially the world's worst patient and hate not having my energy so glad to be feeling better. Winters aye...
Had a small 2km swim Sat am and felt ok but under-done and not that fit and still congested in the head (cold pool water does that to you).
Will build it back up and focus on reducing stroke (24/length) and breathing (3-5-7-9 !!) as coach instructed.
These things happen...
Also let the whole of work know that I was doing this swim by broadcast email so no chickening out now - that's another pressure point to put to good motivational use.
Had a small 2km swim Sat am and felt ok but under-done and not that fit and still congested in the head (cold pool water does that to you).
Will build it back up and focus on reducing stroke (24/length) and breathing (3-5-7-9 !!) as coach instructed.
These things happen...
Also let the whole of work know that I was doing this swim by broadcast email so no chickening out now - that's another pressure point to put to good motivational use.
01 June 2007
"Hit 100"
Put my day off and birthday to good use and went for a decent swim. Made a promise to myself pre-pool that I would swim 100 lengths.
Managed 110 (with 10 length warm down). Got some added motivation when my swim coach Dougal arrived poolside with a student mid-way !
Had a bit of google-malfunction which broke my rhythm a bit but nothing that can't be sorted.
Just need to keep focussing on my stroke efficiency and retaining the length and reach. Stroke shortened as I got towards the end of my session...
Managed 110 (with 10 length warm down). Got some added motivation when my swim coach Dougal arrived poolside with a student mid-way !
Had a bit of google-malfunction which broke my rhythm a bit but nothing that can't be sorted.
Just need to keep focussing on my stroke efficiency and retaining the length and reach. Stroke shortened as I got towards the end of my session...
29 May 2007
A gentle lunchtime swim
Went to my second home that is Freyberg Pool at lunch (well late and pre-lunch as swimming and lunch don't really work...).
Focussed entirely on length and efficiency of my stroke and relaxing arms and shoulders to avoid fatigue which ends up in short, inefficient strokes. By the end of the session had number of strokes down to a tidy 26 per length with only the slightest push off at the end (honest ! Freyberg is a 33m pool). Length done in 35 secs wich would bring me in at a 17min 30sec kilometre.
Only challenge now is to sustain this for approx. 8 hours in the sea !!
I know there is room for improvement in the efficiency of my stroke.
Focussed entirely on length and efficiency of my stroke and relaxing arms and shoulders to avoid fatigue which ends up in short, inefficient strokes. By the end of the session had number of strokes down to a tidy 26 per length with only the slightest push off at the end (honest ! Freyberg is a 33m pool). Length done in 35 secs wich would bring me in at a 17min 30sec kilometre.
Only challenge now is to sustain this for approx. 8 hours in the sea !!
I know there is room for improvement in the efficiency of my stroke.
28 May 2007
Time for a swim lesson
Philip puts me in touch with Dougal, an infamous Wellingtonian swim coach.
I arrive late (not a good start) in amongst his Clients - mostly kids learning to swim !
By the end of the session Dougal has deconstructed my short, inefficient stroke into a long easy one by asking me to reach for the end of the pool on each and every stroke. Result shaves 10 strokes per length (read: energy efficient !).
I'm gonna need all the energy efficiency I can get !
I arrive late (not a good start) in amongst his Clients - mostly kids learning to swim !
By the end of the session Dougal has deconstructed my short, inefficient stroke into a long easy one by asking me to reach for the end of the pool on each and every stroke. Result shaves 10 strokes per length (read: energy efficient !).
I'm gonna need all the energy efficiency I can get !
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