Pansol with OJT's

Overnight swimming at Lovely May, Pansol. It's IT with the OJT's. Swam from 7:30pm to 12:30am with some short rests and meal breaks. Resumed at 5:30 to 6:15am on the Saturday. Water was warm and good. The pool seemed to be too short now and I felt faster coz of the every other cycle breathing. Tutored Tony Rey and Irene (former OJT's) on the Dog Paddle with the "right arm, right leg" cue. The other guy in the pic is Ace. NOW it's me giving the "peace" sign. I realize it's getting harder and harder to recover from these overnighters.

No Work

Combo3: No work today coz of mandatory leaves. But passed thru RnR after showing Unit B to a young couple.

Combo #3

Combo3: - Longer version of Combo2 where you do the full lap (2 lengths) for each freestyle and each of the utility strokes. Whew!

A Spartan Diet?

Combo1:
  • Elem - no longer sink at pushoff but initial stroke splashes water to my face. Need to streamline for smooth pushoff and lower the first arm strokes.
  • Side - Added an additional simulated pull with the left arm just trailing (no stroking). To do this, you need to:
    • Hold breath longer - minimal inhale/ exhale. So you need strong aerobic capacity.
    • Need to stroke more frequently - the right arm will need to compensate.
  • Free - continued with the every other cycle breathing.

Need to replenish shampoo and sunscreen. Coffee and 1 cracker for 6am, noonbreak, 5pm. So meals will be at 6am, 10am, 12nn, 3pm, 5pm and 8pm.

Breath Every Other Cycle

Combo2: Odd numbered length-shallow to deep, Even numbered length-deep to shallow with just enough rest between lengths.

Length1-FreeLength2-Dog
Length3-FreeLength4-Tread
Length5-FreeLength6-Side
Length7-FreeLength8-Elem

Side and Elem - glide looonger, be streamlined and stretch. How about kicking sets?
Discovered in a width free that I could now breath on every other cycle instead of every cycle! Maybe it's the better conditioning or it was 2nd wind. But I definitely practice this more. It felt faster and symmetrical. Breathing often will break streamline and slow me down. So, how do I now count breathing cycles? Here's how you do it after pushing off from wall:
  1. After the long streamline, stroke left
  2. Moving up to surface, stroke right and breath. That's count 1.
  3. Stroke left.
  4. Stroke right but remain underwater (don't breath). That's count 2.
  5. Stroke left.
  6. Stroke right and breath. That's count 3.
The trick is to count only odd-numbers (1,3,5,7) which coincide with your breathing. There is little to count in your head but you do count the cycles per length.

Combo #2

5 laps: Combo1.
  • Elem - I always sink at start. Maybe I should try a stronger pushoff from wall. Use the glide. Glide looooonger. Keep the frogkick symmetrical coz I have the tendency to do scissors kick.
  • Back - Why is it that I sink before the left arm starts stroking?
Next time, use the combo on the 25m length for aerobics and call it Combo2.

Screwdriver

5 laps: Combo1. Elem - Noticed that head would sink if you keep it horizontal all throughout. Used fins today and did the "screwdriver", flutterkicking while rotating body like screw.

8 Cycles !

5 laps: Interspersed with free style lengths: Dog, Tread, Side, Elem for 2 widths. After each free length, walk (active rest) to midpool to do utility strokes. Call this Combo1. Final was brst and back. Focused on CPL and managed 8 CPL for 2 laps. Of course there is still rest.
  • Dog - Recovery of arms can be inward.
  • Side - Excellent! Riding high, full streamline extension really maximizes the glide.
  • Elem - Don't look back often. This is a slow stroke. Dont' exhale much. Inflate lungs.
  • Brst - Watch out for legs coming out of the surface.
I scratched my inner right forearm in one of the turns. Either do a decent open or learn to flip turn.

Utility Strokes and the Table Top

5 laps: Discontinuous. Focused on being slow and decrease CPL. So far managed a few 9's. Was rotating more but the feeling was weird as though fishtailing. Interspersed between laps were the "utility" strokes:
  1. Dog Paddle - Get the fine points for proficiency (to teach?)
  2. Treading - Legs needed for balance and propulsion
  3. Elemback - Discovered you can sight/ navigate without sinking
  4. Sidestroke - Focus on a loooooong glide. Was fast today
  5. Backstroke - Very tiring. Need to practice more. Head wasn't sinking as much. May need to raise legs more as in back streamline. It felt like I was churning water a lot.
I think the back balance table top exercise/ float and movement is a good drill to teach. Try also tuck and extend with this float.

Fin Rubbing

No laps: Wasn't too much motivated (no fans?) So I used the fins to practice free and back for the whole 25m. Just doing back, I immediately felt the strain on quads, so I had to balance with the free. Tomorrow, do the regular 5 laps and then the utility strokes: tread, dog, breast, side and elem (back). Do the back while you're at it. No fins. I felt the rubbing of my right toes with the fin foot pocket and scraped the skin. It was sore and tender. Next time put on some vaseline or petroleum jelly to avoid friction in that area.

9 Cycles !

5 laps: 2 widths side, 3 widths dog, 1 length brst, half len back. Water was turbid and I could hardly see the lane line. Felt a little tired today. Felt a little more buoyant. I was able to attain 9 CYCLES everytime! Focus on long slow strokes and stroke to completion. To streamline, put ears against the bicep of lead arm. Still having gag reflex at breaststroke. Learn to take your mind off it. Think something else.