Swim happy

[swim_badger]

Great job Badger! Glad you're getting some work out of using the board and snorkel. It helps to keep your body in better alignment with how you swim (or should be swimming). Just as technique, think about your head and neck placement as you're kicking. You should be looking nearly straight down or maybe at a 20-30% angle just barely ahead. The water should be hitting the top of your head, not your forehead. This should be how your head placement should be while swimming too. It's good practice any time.

another thing you might want to consider working on is sculling. You can google it for videos, but sculling can help you get a good feel for your hands and arms in the water for better pulling. Again, use the snorkel so you don't have to fight breathing. Wear fins or a pull bouy to keep your legs in alignment. Try sculling with your paddles at first to get a feel, then go bare handed to see how it affects. It can be very soothing as well, get into a zen mode.

I swam on a team when I was a kid, so some stuff I/my body does remember - looking down at the line, shoulders against the ears (ie when kicking or diving), staying streamline. We used to do the drills where you held onto the side and kicked! Some of that may have of course changed in 20ish years. 😁 I don't remember ever sculling as part of stroke development, but it looks like pretty much the same concept as using your arms when treading water, or when you're floating on your back just casually propelling, is that right? I will try again Wednesday.

(I have been alternating walking and swimming days - tomorrow is a walk day, and maybe a "climb on the cool playground equipment if there's no one there" day.)

[Skuj]

I'm very happy with my new 50m PR of 37.0sec today, which is half a second faster than before.

[swim_badger]

Steady, albeit slow (but not as slow as anticipated!) progress continues. I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about my kick, as well as trying sculling. I don't think I did it right, but I've watched some more videos and I'll try again tomorrow. I also tried doing what I would describe as a long pull (I am sure there is a technical term), as in pull, glide with the opposite arm straight out, switch, etc. Still holding at 1500m a session, but in fairness I am only doing the one stroke.

Also, I swear no matter when I go, there is a class taking up half the pool. 🤔

[Skuj]

Steady, albeit slow (but not as slow as anticipated!) progress continues. I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about my kick, as well as trying sculling. I don't think I did it right, but I've watched some more videos and I'll try again tomorrow. I also tried doing what I would describe as a long pull (I am sure there is a technical term), as in pull, glide with the opposite arm straight out, switch, etc. Still holding at 1500m a session, but in fairness I am only doing the one stroke.

Also, I swear no matter when I go, there is a class taking up half the pool. 樂

When I tried sculling, I ended up doing a really bad version of breaststroke. I enjoy your updates, swimbadger.

(I'm happy that I squeezed another half second out of my 100m PR tonight, ie 1min21.0sec. It's strange....I have made significant gains in 25m/50m/100m recently, but my 200m/400m PRs are a few weeks old. WTF is going on? )

[swim_badger]

When I tried sculling, I ended up doing a really bad version of breaststroke. I enjoy your updates, swimbadger.

Today I looked rather more like I was doing a strange version of The Robot, or some kind of mime stuck in an invisible underwater box.

[__steve__]

Today I looked rather more like I was doing a strange version of The Robot, or some kind of mime stuck in an invisible underwater box.

Glass shark-cage robot scull drill.
Try videoing it for review


I am going to try this (with a snorkel) tomorrow morning.

[swim_badger]

Glass shark-cage robot scull drill.
Try videoing it for review


I am going to try this (with a snorkel) tomorrow morning.

Picture a Michael Jackson "Thriller" zombie, but after you knocked it into a lake.

[swim_badger]

Glass shark-cage robot scull drill.
Try videoing it for review


I am going to try this (with a snorkel) tomorrow morning.

An extremely accurate rendering of me sculling.

[__steve__]

The sculling example in the diagram describes perfect body position. I never tried anything with a pull buoy though, always use fins.

[swim_badger]

The sculling example in the diagram describes perfect body position. I never tried anything with a pull buoy though, always use fins.

When I tried (today) using fins, my back half sank unless I both seriously engaged my core *and* kicked tiny kicks. With the pull buoy, the core is doing things but the legs are just gripping the buoy and being legs.

Today, I actually timed my warmup (500), expected to be ashamed and/or disgruntled, particularly when a glance at 100m showed 2:30something. I tried a new thing: instead of exhaling while looking straight down, I exhale slightly to the left, so what happens is that as I turn my head back to inhale, the left arm is coming over, and vice versa with the inhalation. (I don't know how to describe it and am not near MS Paint at the moment). I got into a nice rhythm and was pleasantly surprised to arrive at 12:31.84 for 500m. It's similar to the long pull/torpedo pulling I was doing with the snorkel, but, faster arms? Anyway, it was a lot faster than I expected and that makes me happy.

[flystorms]

Woo hoo! I love hearing about progress and new discoveries! Nice job, Badger!

[swim_badger]

Woo hoo! I love hearing about progress and new discoveries! Nice job, Badger!

Upon careful review (ie I took a long walk), I have a clearer explanation: it's like when you torque during backstroke, but right-side up (upside down?).

I accompany this explanation with yet another extremely accurate depiction.



Yet I have no idea if this is correct, and I also haven't coordinated it enough yet for it to benefit sprinting short distances. (ie it still takes me at least 23 seconds to go 25m)

[MickYoung]

I accompany this explanation with yet another extremely accurate depiction.



Yet I have no idea if this is correct

Obviously, you will have to post a video. That way you can subject your technique to the discerning eye of the USMS forums.

We can critique your technique, your general physique, your pool, your swimsuit, your haircut, the people around you, your video technique, and your choice of video equipment, too.

Is there anything I left out? I imagine we can judge that, too. I'm sure you will find it gratifying and helpful.

[swim_badger]

Obviously, you will have to post a video. That way you can subject your technique to the discerning eye of the USMS forums.

We can critique your technique, your general physique, your pool, your swimsuit, your haircut, the people around you, your video technique, and your choice of video equipment, too.

Is there anything I left out? I imagine we can judge that, too. I'm sure you will find it gratifying and helpful.

I will choose to interpret this as sarcasm and assure you that 90% of my speed & technique problems are that my body is currently a cargo freighter and not a nuclear submarine, and I'll comment later if I'm ever actually competitive in a meaningful sense.

[Skuj]

I love the recent discourse.

I'm thrilled with my new 800m PR of 12:50 today, down from 12:56 on October 2nd.

I have to confess that many/most of my 800m PR swims have been excruciating. I've seriously considered stopping at 600m more than a couple of times. But today was different!! I felt controlled and strong all the way. I think I have reached a certain fitness level, where these longer efforts no longer beat me. I beat them!!

400m halves today were 6:27/6:23. So why am I seemingly stuck at 6:15 for my 400m PR? I honestly feel that I have 6:08 in me after today.

(I should add that I swam a very slight 200m PR yesterday - 2:56 high, down from 2:57.0, which is frustrating and not really post-worthy. I'm patiently (well, maybe not) waiting for the 2:54 that I know I have in me.)

[mjtyson]

I was happy today when I was joined by a super-fast swimmer. Second time we've shared a lane. Last time I was in-out really quickly. This time our sets synchronized at one point, and when I hit the wall, she looked at me and said "Good morning! Thanks for splitting the lane with me!" What a great way to start a lane-sharing relationship!

Then she started doing a bunch of 100 IMs. I continued my slow-a$$ 1000s. Then I started to think: one of her tattoos looks familiar. Do I know her?

After 150 for me and 200IM for her, I stopped and asked if she was named D___. She was shocked, "Um, yes, that's my name...?" I laughed and said, "Uh, we're FB friends. I'm Mike!"

Turns out I was connected to her by another marathon swimming friend a year and a half ago when I was moving to this area. She advised me on pools and open water in the area. Yet, despite living only a mile or so from each other, we'd not met till this morning!

Definitely sw(a)m happy today!

[Skuj]

Fun story, Mike!

Whoa...3 PR days in a row for me: Thursday is 25m day. I had never been under 17sec. There was a digital clock on the wall. I did the countdown, pushed off at 00, and swam my arse off to the other end. As I touched, I was looking at the clock, and it read 16 very briefly, before turning to 17. 16.8? High accuracy? WHATEVER!!! That's my new PR.

[tsc465]

Yesterday I took the plunge and swam in my first Masters meet. Despite my coach being sick and unable to attend, I handled any nerves I had and swam my 50 free in a time of 1:01 and my 50 back in 1:14. Far from NQT, but ya gotta start somewhere.

[Skuj]

Yesterday I took the plunge and swam in my first Masters meet. Despite my coach being sick and unable to attend, I handled any nerves I had and swam my 50 free in a time of 1:01 and my 50 back in 1:14. Far from NQT, but ya gotta start somewhere.

Congrats! I was a nervous wreck on my first one in April, and now I eagerly look forward to the second one in a couple of weeks.

[Skuj]

I was very happy to experience My Second Swim Meet today.

Unlike the first meet, I was not freaked out, I conducted a good warmup, and I didn't start way too fast.

(Unfortunately, a recent stomach bug and fever left me dead in the water, so to speak, with a 6:23 400m....way off my goal.....but this is the happy thread, hence the small font on this bit.)