Not Like a Dolphin, But Like a Whale

Wednesday morning:  Technique can be a very elusive and sometimes frustrating part of training and performance for athletes.  It can take years of practice, repetition, and concentration to change technique and correct bad habits, especially in sports such as rowing, swimming, boxing, and tennis.  Some sports such as cycling and running depend less on technique and/or technique can be easier to correct.

Technique can frustrate rowers to no end, especially if rowers are strong on the erg, but cannot quite “get it” on the water.  At camp, it took the whole summer of the coach yelling at me, “Hang onto the drive.  Stop breaking your arms early!  Swing first!  What are you doing?!” before I showed the tiniest sign of improvement. 

Today, Marcia showed us just how bad our freestyle technique is, with a PVC pipe (another Marcia-invention).  The swimmer holds the pipe, cut to eight inches, in front with both hands at the ends and proceeds to swim, momentarily grabbing the stick before continuing the stroke.  The main set today was:

1. 4x100yd free, with stick and fins, alternating pieces right arm only and left arm only
2. 50yd back flutter kick with stick out of the water
3. Repeat #1 and #2
4. 2x100yd free, with stick and NO fins, alternating pieces right arm only and left arm only
5. 1x100yd free, with stick, no alternating
6. 1x100yd free, no stick

The stick is a reminder for your arm to enter at the distance and pull straight down, along your body.  My bad habit is pulling across my body and it becomes more obvious when I swim with the stick.  Marcia just shook her head and said, "You need to permanently swim with a stick!"

Thursday morning:  The lake looked flat and calm, perfect for rowing.  Too bad I was swimming and dying instead!  The main set today was:

1. 4x100yd free on 1:45 interval (1:30 interval if you are fast)
2. 2x25yd butterfly
3. 3x100yd free
4. 4x25yd butterfly
5. 2x100yd free
6. 6x25yd butterfly
7. 1x100yd free
8. 8x25yd butterfly

This type of workout reminds me that in life, you cannot have everything--there is always a trade-off.  The 100yd free sets got shorter as the 25yd fly sets got bigger--similar to descending and building.

Ever tried to swim butterfly?  Looks so powerful and easy on TV, right?  Big arms and smooth dolphin kick.  Butterfly is probably the hardest strokes because it requires strength, endurance, coordination, and technique.  I did all those 25yd of butterfly, but instead of swimming like a dolphin, I swam like a whale--SPLASH, splash, GASP (i.e. swallow water), splash!  Towards the end of the set, the pool got quiet and no one talked.  We were all digging in, bracing ourselves for the last set, 8x25yd butterfly.  We swam fly, fly, fly, until we died, died, died.  Fly and die has new meaning now.