Date |
Workout |
Notes |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11-2-05 |
8 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 80% effort-speed,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 30 minutes |
When I turn my head to my left or right to breathe, I want to keep my head up for a long time so I can take in a long deep breath. Thus I for example when breathing to my left sort of momentarily halt the right arm after it comes down from forward glide position to allow myself more time for breathing. This today I concluded is counterproductive because the extra energy derived from a long breath is more than balanced out by the interference in forward momentum caused by the pause in the arm-stroke. I feel that I will go faster if I compensate for the lack of oxygen due to the quick breaths, with less gliding and faster less powerful armstroking so as to make a stroke cycle before a breath go by faster. I feel that when I take the extra long deep breaths I have more energy to put into the strokes however taking such long deep breaths is not a better alternative because of the reduction in momentum produced by the contortions used to allow the extra long deep breaths. I am alternating, one day swim sprints the next day soccer air
dribble sprint drill. This is tiring me out.
Even without introducing the land treadmill jogging work into the
workout schedule equation, I am tired out; seems I need to pay attention
to making sure I take in enough nutrients so as to cover all three
activities. But for now I am satisfied with the swimming sprints and the
soccer drill.
Prior to this workout I did a few swim sprint workouts but then
stopped because they were so tiring that I began to avoid them, because I
was going my fastest on each 50 yd swim sprint. This time I did not
attempt to do the swim sprints at max effort. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11-10-05 |
6 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 80% effort-speed,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 25 minutes |
I could feel it after the workout how much exercise this
is giving my arms how much it is toning them up, but I fear because of my
mistakes and laziness nutritionally the arms are not growing in strength
fast enough. Today I double checked the problem with the interference in
the streamlining due to the attempt to keep the mouth up to breathe for
too long. The problem with the right arm delaying at about 1 o'clock in
fighter pilot lingo due to the attempt to prolong the breath, really does
exist. It is compounded by the fact that the last 15 yards are in
increasingly shallow water, since in shallow water everything is harder on
the body because strokes due not produce as much power. The problem has to
do with the loss of momentum, the stalling, that occurs as a result of
delaying the for example right arm-stroke which would end the breath taken
to the left. As a result of the stalling and the loss of momentum there
develops a need to stroke to one oclock with the right arm and stall at
one oclock with the right arm when breathing to the left. Also due to
the desire to breath to the left, the right arm stalls at one oclock,
because if the arm did not stall the natural consequence would be that the
breath to the left would have to be ended. These same things held true for
breathing to the right while beginning the downstroke with the left arm.
I experimented with switching from breathing every
three arm-strokes to breathing every to arm-strokes, as a way of resolving
the problem of the long breaths interfering with streamlining and the
short breaths not bringing in enough oxygen. I tried this for about the
last 15 yds of the 50. I found that this breathing every two strokes,
which involves breathing to the same side every time, causes the same
right arm stalling at one oclock while breathing to the left problem I was
trying to avoid. This was because breathing so often, and breathing to the
same side every time, caused an imbalance as a result of which there would
result this stall of the arm at one oclock. The arm would stall at the
same place as with the attempts to breath too much when breathing every
three strokes, but for a different reason.
Thus the best solution is to breath every three strokes,
and try get the other stuff to fit into such a breathing pattern, also
maybe breathing every stroke could be tried such would at least not be
imbalanced.
One can keep up good streamlined form that minimizes
loss of momentum while breathing every three strokes, despite oxygen
shortages such breathing every three strokes might create in the final
yards of a 50 yard sprint, by stroking fast to mimimize time between
breaths, and stroking in a way that is fast but does not produce maximum
propulsion and thus is less tiring--i.e., the position of
the fingers, hands and arm during the stroke effects independently of
the speed of the armstroke the amount of energy that is put into the
armstroke--one can streamline the arm's movement through the water. Also
one can increase the amount of energy put into the kick,sort of
resting the arms which are emphasized at the beginning of the 50 yds be
emphasizing the kick at the end of the 50 yds.
The Lebanese guy at the Y said he thought I was "very
wise" because I said that we have to deal with the high priority items in
our life without procrastinating because procrastinating about them
stresses us out and tires us out therefore we end up missing workouts at
the Y.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11-11-05 |
6 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 80% effort-speed,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 30 minutes |
Tried the alternative of breathing left and right on two consecutive strokes, and then not breathing for two strokes. Found that such disrupts momentum, however not as much as breathing every other stroke to the same side each time. For me at my present state of development, seems when this, breathing left and right on consecutive strokes and then not breathing for two strokes, is done in the last 12 yards, the payoff in terms of more oxygen coming in outweighs the disruption of the streamlined momentum caused by raising the head to breathe; and there is a payoff in the sense that throughout the 50 yard sprint from beginning to end I feel relaxed and confident because I feel that the 50 yards will not be a torture for me, and I feel confident about stroking energetically, because I know that in the last 12 yds I will be able to resort to the new style of breathing to left and right consecutively. One issue remains, when I breathe to left and right
consecutively, should I inhale to me left, exhale in the water,
and then inhale to my right, or, should I inhale to half capacity to my
left, not exhale, and then inhale to my remaining capacity to my
right?
Ultimately, when sprinting 50 yds competitively, since
that 50 yds will be the only 50 yds I will sprint maybe in the entire day,
I will not be using the breathing left and right consecutively method.
However in order to go at speeds that are max relative to the energy
expended when sprinting 50 yds several times in an hour in a practice
session, I will be able to go faster, be more relaxed, and expend more
energy, knowing I can rely on the consecutive breathing method to get me
through the grueling last 12 yds of the 50 yds.
Another thing I am not sure of is if I should just rest
completely for 4 minutes between sprints or do a slow breast-stroke
between sprints. My confusion parallels the debate re how important a role
anaerobic vs aerobic conditioning should play in various sports, one issue
in the debate being whether aerobic capacity plays an important role
in terms of getting the most out of anaerobic exercises that are
repeated in a given workout session.
Today there was a jovial "oriental" man in the pool I
could not understand exactly what he was saying to me he was offering me a
lane in the pool, I think he said "OK I'll play with you" or something
like that. He was short stocky and pinkish colored but not fat, he
slightly reminded me of Fred Flintstone and how all persons are descended
from Noah. He breaths every other stroke to the right side every time. For
some reason he swims kind of stiffly, maybe he's a beginner. I call these
people "orientals" because I am not sure which of then nations dominated
by "mongoloid" races they come from. I wonder what they would like to be
called.
The pool was so empty I was thinking to myself, am
I and this oriental guy the only sane persons around here? The fact that
an evening is friday evening, does not mean that it is a bad evening for
swimming...20 minutes of swimming can produce a positive mental and
physical hangover-like effect, even on a Friday evening. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11-12-05 |
6 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 80% effort-speed,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 30 minutes |
Attempted to resolve the question of which is better
when breathing to left and right on consecutive strokes, the taking in a
half breath to the left then taking in a half breath to the right, or a
full breath to left, exhale, full breath to right. The half breath method
appears to produce less drag, less loss of streamlined momentum, but the
full breaths method is more energizing. Given a choice at this time I
would say the full breaths method is superior, because of bang for the
buck meaning advantage of the method compared to disadvantages of the
given method. Breathing is different in the water because the water
pressure is different than air pressure. Thus in the water, you can
quickly in what would be on land a half-breath, take in a full-breath's
worth of air. Thus in water to take in a half breath, hold momentarily,
then take in another half breath, does not excel taking in a full breath
excelling and then taking in another full breath.
Could be that in the water during hard anaerobic
exercise, the body makes use of the inhaled air more quickly than it does
on air when at rest. We shall perhaps have to check with the campus sports
physiologists such could be faster than search engines on the
internet.
Although in competition I will never breath more
frequently than once every three strokes, the fact is that in a workout,
when doing several 50 yd sprints one after the other, you get to the point
where you need at a certain point to breath more frequently; I pay
attention to such increased frequency of breathing because when sprinting
the 50 yd dashes in a workout, for at least two
reasons.
One, I want to expend a maximum amount
of energy (beneath the level of excess expenditure of energy) while
sprinting the 50s. Meaning, even if it would be wise to swim at no
greater than 95% of max effort, if the breathing strategy lacks wisdom,
due to the air shortage I could end up habitually sprinting at 85% of max
effort; as a result, my workouts would be less productive than what is
possible.
Two, I want to get the most return in speed
per unit of energy expended that is I want to develop habits of
efficiency, habits of streamlined movement minimizing loss of momentum. If
I dont pay enough attention to how to handle the breathing problem, I
could end up developing habits of inefficiency.
Seemed when I looked around this evening eiher the
lifeguard or the scuba coach was looking at me. Seemed the scuba coach had
been watching me swim, and then at the end of the sprint when I looked
around he would be looking at his scuba student. Seemed the lifeguard was
looking at yesterday too. I could be hearing things due to the way voices
echo in the pool and due to the earplugs I wear, but I thought today the
pleasant looking young white lifeguard guy said "you're a coach" while
looking at me. I guess if you can swim a distance of the type swum in
official competitions fast enough, people will think of you as a "coach".
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11-18-05 |
6 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 85% max effort,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 30 minutes |
A stroke cycle for me is three strokes followed by a breath. Today the maximum number of stroke-cycles in any of the 50 yd sprints was 15, and in none of the sprints was I so winded that i needed to breath more than once every 3 strokes. I experimented with rolling alot from side to side while doing the S-shaped armstroke, and keeping the body stable in terms of horizontal tilt. Seemed that rolling did not decrease the number of stroke cycles required to complete the 50 yds whereas it did decrease the speed at which the stroke-cycles were executed. Past few days I used chewing tobacco instead of nicotine
gum, seemed to be a bad as cigarettes in terms of causing fatigue, but I
was not winded at all today.
Today the lifeguard said to me, or it seemed he said to
me, "you're an indivijool", prnouncing individual the way it is pronounced
in the dialectizer's redneck dialect on the internet. Today the lifeguard
and some white lady who was an administrator sat in these two chairs by
the short side of the pool adjacent to the lane I was swimming in while I
was swimming in it, watching me...seemed strange to me, I figured, even if
I was an excellent swimmer, watching an excellent swimmer practice is
boring, these people do not even say anything when I transform into a
soccer God while doing juggling tricks in the gym, is it because they are
so isolationist or something? When I walked in the pool two black guys
about fifteen years old and a white guy were there, one of the black
guys started giggling like a machine gun then they all cannon-ball dived
into the pool simultaneously.
Figure the reason for missing swimming practices is the
stress caused by the procrastinating high priority tasks, plus the
stress-producing person the tasks must be done for. Also, I avoid practice
if I do not feel like I will have a good day at practice, I should figure
any practice is a good day at least I am working out, and not expect so
much from myself but try to enjoy it, be satisfied with days in which I am
say only 75% as good as I usually am. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12/5/05 |
6 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 85% max effort,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 30 minutes |
Got into swimming the crawl alternating
between the left armstroke starting directly in front of the shoulder
(fos), and the right armstroke starting directly in front of the head
(foh). Both methods seemed to have a charm to them. FOS seems to get
you more sort of gliding or hydroplaning above the water; it seems to
provide a pleasant change of pace by being quicker while using up less
energy even if it provides less power than FOH. Seemed the FOS produced
better streamlining when a breath was taken to the simultaneously with the
exection of the FOS.
Looking at the people at the Y, egotistically
I was thinking, seems like the folks at the Y got depressed from me not
having gone there for a month, and now they have rendered themselves stoic
so as to avoid being depressed if again in the future I were to suddenly
stop going to the YMCA again. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12/6/05 |
6 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 85% max effort,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 30 minutes |
Combined FOS and FOH alternation with testing
out underwater dolphin kick. The mystery in the modern crawl is the top
swimmers vary between going about one and eight dolphin kicks underwater
at the start and after the turn. So I started trying the dolphin kick. I
have always been pathetic at the butterfly so I have figured I have no
potential in the underwater dolphin kick, but I figure if I keep
practicing it I might get good at it. Got better at alternating between
FOS and FOH armstrokes.
After the workout this guy in the gym was
whistling, he looked like Anne Dyrud's father Jarl, I thought he was
whistling "the Girl from Ipanema", I asked him what he was whistling, he
said he was whistling some song about some mountain in Brazil called Corca
Ado. He said he was from Czekoslovakia. He said Ipanema was a beach in
Brazil. I was wondering egotistically if his toon had anything to do with
my Brazilian like performance doing my soccer drills in the gym.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12/7/05 |
6 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 85% max effort,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 30 minutes |
Continued alternating between the FOS and the FOH. This alternation seems to produce a good speed/effort ratio. Maybe that is because I am mentally involved in doing the alternation. Then again it can get kind of complex, how you go faster when it is deep water--in the same way what one armstroke does could effect how fast you go with the other armstroke, due to the swirling of the water around the body, effecting the quality of the stroke produced, in the same way that shallow water results in getting less power and speed out of the strokes. Could be that the powerful screw like armstroke you get when you start the S shaped armstroke in front of the head, speeds you up for the duration of two armstrokes so that to do such a stroke twice in a row is unnecessary... |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12/10 |
7 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 85% max effort,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 30 minutes |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12/11 |
6 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 85% max effort,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 30 minutes |
Breathing every 5 strokes on first 3 50s now instead of on every 3; breath every 3 on second leg of 50 in last 3 50s. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12/12 |
Experiments with various ways of moving in first 10 yds
after blast-of from wall |
I have now indulged in about 15 half
hour swimming sessions over the past month after a long lay-ff.
I estimate that I am now able to go at least close to the
world record pace for my 45-49 year age group in the 50 yd short course
freestyle. I estimate that to go at 45-49 age-group world
record pace, I need to be able to swim 25 yards without diving in first in
11.8 seconds, and am actually able to swim 25 yards
without diving in first in 11.6 seconds.
On top of that, I estimate I am at
least close to a world record level in terms of my speeds
and performance in sprinting 20 yds while keeping the soccer
ball off the ground (this under conditions of both tight and
loose ball control, of course not using my hands). Still, seems
when it comes to hiring me David Hobbs you can count on the
employers around here to adhere to their golden rule, "De
Golden Rule--Only hire David Hobbs when dere is mo'e job applicants
dan dere is jobs available".
Today I measured off by counting underwater,
after staring at the clock on the wall of the room with the swimming pool
to get the rhythm, my approx speeds after blasting off the wall, doing the
scissors kick underwater, the dolphin kick underwater, and simply swimming
the freestyle with minimal under-waterism. Underwater compared to
the dolphin kick you naturally rise to the top quicker doing the scissors
kick; I found doing the scissors kick underwater I go 7 yds in 3.25 secs
(2.15 yds per second). Doing the dolphin kick you do not rise to the top
as fast I found I go 9 yards in 4.5 seconds (2.0 yds per second). Simply
swimming miminizing underwater work I go 10 yds in 4.5 seconds (2.22 yds
per second). These numbers are approximate I do not want to psyche myself
out by being too statistically knowledgeable. I counted reaching 10 yds as
when my head reached it I suppose it should be when my hand reaches it.
Thus seems the best approach for me
right now is to swim about 3.5 yds underwater doing scissors kick and then
hit the surface. Seems in practice I should go about 3.5 yds underwater
doing the scissors kick at one end, and about 4.5 yards underwater doing
the dolphin kick at the other end. I thought I heard the lifeguard tell me
to not spend too much time underwater.
If I can swim 10 yards after blasting off the
wall with my legs in 4.5 seconds you could, speaking simply, say
I can go 25 yds in 11.26 seconds.
But the funny (counter-intuitive) thing is
that long course times, WITHOUT the flip turn, are about 0.5 seconds
slower than short course times with the flip turn, meaning if
you count off 0.25 seconds extra for the flip turn, the short course times
are about 0.75 seconds faster than long course times, which means that you
go the second 25 yards or so after you blast off the wall in the short
course, 0.75 seconds faster than you would if you did not blast off the
wall as in the long course. This estimate is based on the idea that since
the flip turn is initiated about 1.5 feet from the wall you skip about 3
feet of swimming when you do the flip turn, and save about 0.5 seconds
that way.
If you figure that 0.50 seconds of that time
reduction produced by blasting off the wall comes in the first 10 yards
after you blast off the wall and another 0.25 in the latter 15 yards prior
to the finish due to momentum, you could say that the blast-off from the
wall takes 0.25 seconds more off the first 10 yards than it does off of
the last 15 yds; and so a speed of 2.22 yds per second in the first 10
yards, or 10/4.5, translates into an expected speed of 10/4.75 or
2.11 yds per second in the last 15. Thus
you could say that a speed of 2.22 yds over the first 10 indicates a speed
of 2.11 yds per second over the last 15. Thus you could say that a speed
of 4.5 seconds for the first 10 yards indicates a speed of 7.1 seconds
over the last 15 yards, for a total of 11.6 seconds.
This is an interesting math problem but
my estimate is about as deep as I can get with it now, it would be
interesting to see what a specialist in math/statistics would come up
with.
Sure is strange that in the internet swimming
world you can find hundreds of folks who will tell you what a "split time"
is ("SPLIT TIME-time reco'ded fum official start t'compleshun of an
initial distance wifin a longer event"), but it is like a needle in a
haystack to find out what the actual split times comparing the first 25
yards to the second 25 yards are in the short course 50 yard freestyle.
This despite the fact that it is such split times, carefully reported,
that you need to determine how much the dive at the beginning is speeding
up the first leg of the short course 50. So I go by the estimate I heard
on the grapevine the last time I investigated the matter, that is, a 1.5
second difference.
What if my estimate was off by a quarter
second, and the speed was 10 yds/4.25 seconds, instead of 10 yds/4.5
seconds? With the faster speed I could expect a time of 4.25 seconds for
the first 10 plus 2.22 yds per second over the last 15 which would be 6.8
seconds over the last 15 yards for a total of 11.2 seconds. If the speed
over the first 10 yards was 4.0 seconds, or 2.5 yards per second, I could
expect a time over the 25 yards of 4.0 + 6.4 seconds or 10.4 seconds.
It would be nice to see and compare split
times for the 25-35 yards and 35-50 yard segments for the short course and
the long course, such would solve the problem better than mathematical
speculation. But if finding the split times for 0-25 and 25-50 is like a
needle in a haystack, what can you expect when it comes to finding the
25-35 and 35-50 split times?
Since the world record regardless of age for
the 50 yards short course freestyle is 18.74, and the first 25 yard
length with the dive is according to the last approximations I heard on
the grapevine swum 1.5 seconds faster than the second 25 yard length
without the dive, accounting for the time taken by the flip turn, you
would have to swim the second leg the leg without the dive, the last 25
yards, in 10 seconds to go at a world record pace.
The 45-49 age group world record for short
course 50 yards freestyle is I estimate 22.1 seconds; to go at that
22.1 second clip, assuming again 1.5 seconds saved by diving at the
beginning, you would have to swim the first 25 yards with the dive
in approx 10.3 seconds seconds and the second 25
yards without the dive in approx 11.8 seconds.
The problem is that they do not allow diving
in at the Waltham Y pool where I swim. Another problem is, that half the
length of the pool is shallow in the pool I swim in.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12/13/05 |
6 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 70% max effort,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 30 minutes |
Nothing remarkable |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12/16/05 |
6 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 70% max effort,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 30 minutes |
Experimented with breathing every 7 strokes. At first was only able to do this for first 25 of 50 yds. Then I tought myself to pace myself, to swim using fast light quick relatively weak strokes, and was able to go an entire 50 breathing every 7 strokes. But the last 3 50s, I could not breathe every 7 strokes in the last 25 yds. Breathing every 7 strokes as opposed to
breathing every 5 strokes or every 3 strokes, has the effect of enabling
the mind to observe and concentrate on the armstrokes more.
Breathing every 7 strokes as opposed to every
3 or 5, has the effect of forcing energy efficiency on the body, since so
many strokes have to be done between breaths. This produces a
streamlined armstroke that quickly slices through the water while
producing relatively little propulsion. This type of arm movement could
end up being an element in the ideal overall arm movement designed to
produce max speed for 50 yds.
I have the hunch that the ideal armstroke
might be developed by combining practicing the weak low-propulsion quick
arm movement with practicing the strong high-energy hi-propulsion arm
movement. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12/20/05 |
12 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 70% max effort,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 42 minutes |
Today I swam 1200 yds in 42 minutes, whereas previously I had been swimming at a rate of approx 600 yds in 30 minutes. So that is a sudden 30 percent increase in terms of number of yards per minute. Today I was able to swim the first 4 50 yd crawl sprints breathing every 7 strokes, but after that, on the subsequent 50s, after approx the first 30 strokes I had to go to breathing more than than every 7 strokes. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12/21/05 |
10 50 yd crawl sprints at
approx 70% max effort,
with 50 yds slow breaststroke
in between crawl sprints; basically
no standing on pool bottom for 36 minutes |
Today, swam approx 1000 yds in
36 minutes; meaning, the improvement in terms of yards
per minute is holding up.
Today, I was suddenly able to swim all 10 50 yd
crawl segments, breathing every 7 strokes. Previously I was only
able to swim the first 4 50 yd segments breathing every 7 strokes; after
the first 4 segments, in the subsequent segments after the first approx 30
strokes I would have to switch to breathing more than every 7 strokes.
Such is a dramatic sudden improvement
in terms of number of 50 yd segments swum breathing every 7
strokes.
The sudden improvement in terms of number of 50 yds
crawl segments swum breathing every 7 strokes got me to thinking, that for
sports in general, not just swimming, it might be possible to obtain
dramatic improvements in terms of anaerobic and maybe even aerobic
endurance, by limiting the frequency of breathing while
performing the activity.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
12-21-06
to
03-08-06 |
DID NOT SWIM |
I did not go swimming during this time period.
Contributing factors were: being pressured into socializing with people
who stress me out; the pressure of pleasing an irascible landlord by
replacing old furniture and perpetual cleaning and re-organizing; the
sinking into a nerdiness wherein the obsession is working at the computer,
trying to accomplish something important every single day, which is
a nerdiness that forgets that computer productivity will be improved if
you get in a little exercise. If when working the computer you remember
that Rome was not built in a day, try to get a few hours in, try to be
clever, try to have fun, try to do a good job, try to apply your strong
points as an individual, your talents, to the world of computers, and get
a little exercise in, you will do better than if you were a nerd, who does
nothing but work at the computer, and is depressed if he does not
accomplish something he considers important every day, and neglects to
exercise. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
03/08/06 |
Swam alternate 50 yd breaststroke, 50 yd crawl, |
Just swam without paying attention to anything. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/13/06 |
Swam alternate 50 yd breaststroke, 50 yd crawl, |
same as above |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/14/06 |
Swam alternate 50 yd breaststroke, 50 yd crawl,
900 yds, in 31 minutes |
This time I counted that I did the 50 yds crawl 50 yds breast cycle, 9 times in 31 minutes. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03/15/06 |
Swam alternate 50 yd breaststroke, 50 yd crawl,
900 yds, in 29 minutes |
This time I counted that I did the 50 yds crawl 50 yds breast cycle, 9 times in 29 minutes. I notice that sometimes when I am taking it easy re speed, just trying to enjoy it and swim in way that is naturally efficient, I swim with extra body roll, and deviate from the normal S shaped armstroke, in that in the normal S shaped armstroke the propulsive power begins after the arm is stretched forward with the hand extended and to the outside of the body with the palm of the hand facing outwards and backwards, when I am just taking it easy, I seem to swim well using a method wherein there is extra body roll, and the arm, while continuing the motion it had while it was in the air prior to plunging into the water, sweeps the water backwards and towards the side of the body the other arm is on. Thus, whereas with the classic s shaped stroke, the hand enters the water, and then stretches out and forward before propulsion is produced, with my heresy, the hand, continuing the motion it had prior to plunging into the water, produces propulsion before it is swept outwards and backwards. The heresy can be accomplished in two ways. One, the hand can be karate-chopped into the water at the beginning of the armstroke with the palm of the hand facing up and to the side and the thumb facing outwards; and two the hand can be chopped in the water in orthodox fashion, with the palm facing out and down, and the thumb facing in. I have also while swimming been ruminating on the idea that little
things like flicking the fingers and the wrists and the toes could provide
a significant edge. Seems too little attention is paid to how the wrists
are flicked during the armstroke, and MUCH too little attention is paid to
how the fingers are flicked during the armstroke.
I have noted how in the breastroke, in between frog kicks it is
illegal to put in a little dolphin kick. Strange because one of the best
ways to swim is the breaststroke with the dolphin kick in between the frog
kicks. But the rules of the sport are to be abided by so I began
experimenting with simply flicking the toes downwards between frog
kicks and I thought I could detect this adding extra impetus, though such
might be a delusion. Maybe simply flicking the foot from the ankle between
frog kicks would add extra impetus but the way I remember it, flicking the
toes added the extra impetus this time.
So the speed after the layoff is faster than right before the layoff.
10 100 yd cycles in 36 minutes before, 9 100 yd cycles in 29 minutes now.
I attribute this to me taking it easy on the crawl sprints this time, as a
result of which the breast stroke segments are faster. To pace yourself in
a race is a well known concept. Then again I am always getting smarter
with things like nutrition, or maybe the landlord should get a medal for
the fact that he has made me into a better man and a better swimmer, by
pressuring me into throwing out the old furniture, bringing in new
furniture, de-clutterizing, cleaning and organizing. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
4/12/06
900-945 pm
waltham ymca |
swam alternating 50 yds crawl 50 yds breaststroke for
1300 yds in 40 minutes
3.1 mins/100 yds
|
Seems like family returning to the town I live in from
abroad, on March 16, threw me off my swim and soccer practice schedule.
I noticed today that I enjoy swimming more when I have
beforehand decided to swim a certain distance, as opposed to for a certain
amount of time. When I know I will be done after a distance, I swim
better, I have something to think about, which is getting this thing done
quick so I can get the hell out of the pool,
I can get mentally absorbed in trying to get the thing
done quickly, absorbed in how many of the laps have gone by, because to
tell you the truth there are things I find more interesting than swimming,
though I admit the post-swimming times are better because of the swimming.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
4/21/06
waltham
ymca pool
915-945 pm |
swam alternating 50 yds crawl 50 yds breaststroke for
800 yds in 21 minutes
2.6 min/100 yds
|
I went swimming about three times between this practice and the previous one. The old boxer style heavy swim trunks got lost. I replaced them with racing swimsuit I had in reserve. The time for the distance decreased from 3.1 minutes per 100 yds to 2.6 per 100 yards I do not know if this was because of the swimsuit or generally getting better. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
4/23/06
Waltham Y
710-730 |
usual 50s alternating 700 yds 17 minutes
2.4 min/100yds
|
Wearing the racing swimsuit for the first time in a long time, I did the flip turn on the crawl and the racing type breaststroke turns. Alot of the flip turns were flubbed. I lost an earplug, my swimming cap came off and had to be found, water came into the goggles the goggles had to be readjusted, the racing swimsuit was loose and some kind of air bubble was forming in the buttock area of the swimsuit (it was the cheapest racing swimsuit Ive been able to find in a long time at $13). I discounted 2 minutes for delays caused by these problems. Great we can put a man on the moon, but our racing swimsuits are apparently often such that some of air bubble that creates resistance occurs in the buttocks area. A flubbed flip turn is more tiring and slower than
simply pushing off with your legs without flipping. Flubbed flip turns are
comical. Sometimes the flubber such as myself shoots off to the side or
downwards after the flip. Sometimes the flubber flips so close to the wall
that he ends up so close to the wall that he cannot effectively push off
it with his legs. Sometimes the flubber flips so far from the wall that he
cant reach the wall with his feet to push off of it. I had all these
problems today, as I usually do for some time when I have not done flip
turns for a while. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
4/26/06
920-945 PM
Waltham Y Pool |
1000 yds in 26.5 minutes,
alternating 50 breast, 50 crawl.
2.65 minutes per 100 yds |
I thought that the time would be faster than in the
entry above for April 23. Then again, on April 23, I stopped at least
a couple of times to adjust something or look for something, and counted
this as 2 minutes.
Today after 950 yds the lifeguard wanted me out, I
stopped and asked him if I could do the remaining 50, he said yes, I
counted the break as one 15 sec break, not much compared to 2 minutes.
These breaks can give you a change to rest and re
energize, and you can overcompensate for the time that they take out, ie
you break 1 minute count it as a 2 min break, going by the clock wall or
you dont remember the totals quite right of the different breaks.
Also last time was 700 yds 2.43 mins per 100 yds, this
is a longer distance, 1000 yds, 2.65 minutes per 100 yds. If I swam the
first 700 this time at 2.43 per minute, I would have swum the last 300
this time in 3.17 minutes per 100 yds. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
4/28/06
910-945
waltham Y Pool |
1300 yds usual alternation,
33:40
2.59 minutes per 100 yds |
This shows the 3 swimming sessions since April 12
decreased my time for this distance from 3.1 to 2.6 minutes. I carefully
extrapolated what a world record pace would be for this kind of
alternating 50s breast and crawl for my age group, the world record pace
over 1500 meters would be 1.2 minutes per 100 yards. Thus I see getting to
the world record pace as four stages, one, 3.1 to 2.6 minutes per 100,
two, 2.6 to 2.1, three 2.1 to 1.6, four 1.6 to 1.2. So I am a quarter of
the way there, from just three workouts. At this rate nine more workouts
would drop me to the world record pace, though I realize such will not
happen. Anyway I would be satisfied to get down to 1.6 minutes per 100, I
do not consider myself a distance type, I just want to get the
conditioning I need to keep up the pace for the last 25 yards of the 50.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
5/22-06-
5/24/06 |
2000 yds
alternate 50 breast 50 crawl |
Until about 5/15/06 there was not much swimming, nothing
serious, maybe a couple of times a week.
Starting about May 15 I got back into it.
May 22 2000 yds 50 crawl 50 breast alternating, 64
minutes
May 23 2000 yds 50 crawl 50 breast alternating, 75
minutes May 24 2000 yds 50 crawl 50 breast alternating, 61
minutes
Got to the point where I could swim more than a half an
hour without getting so bored I quit. Found that swimming seems relaxing
not boring when you do it after something stressful and exciting like
sprinting 20 yds while juggling the soccer ball in the air for an
hour.
Been trying to do the crawl flip turn ending up on my
back facing straight upwards with the feet touching the wall. Seems most
of the top swimmers are like that these days. Seems awkward to me. My
habit has been to end up facing off to my right at a 45 degree angle
approx, when my feet are on the wall before blast off in the crawl flip
turn. Maybe if I get used to the facing straight up way I will appreciate
its superiority as of now I do not.
May 23, definitely felt the impact of not paying
attention to feeding myself. Not enough food inside can be good with some
activities, but it can be bad with others. I cured the problem with a six
piece bucket from KFC, came back the next day to swim it in 61 minutes.
May 22 did the swimming after an hour of the soccer
sprint/juggle drill.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
5/26/06
855-940
Waltham Y Pool |
1600 yds
alternating 50 breast 50 crawl
45 minutes
2.81 minutes
per 100 yds |
Previously it was 3.2 min/1-- yds on 2k yds,
then 3.05/100 on 2k yds, now 2.81 per 100 on 1600 yds. At this rate
in about 3 more workouts I should be down to 2 min/100 yds for the approx
mile distance.
The crawl flip is getting a little less
awkward, with the new style of ending the flip facing up instead of
sideways at 45 degree angle. Yet I seriously wonder if it well ever be as
good as the 45 degree thing. To streamline the blastoff I start with my
hand together over my head like a Burmese temple dancer, this streamlines
it alot with the 45 degree method, yet when facing straight up does not
seem as streamlined.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||