And that's the way it's supposed to be. I went to the pool in the morning and as I promised the coach guy I didn't just swim but rather worked on the drills he gave me. I am learning some very interesting stuff. Perhaps you will recall previous assertions I made to the effect that I would never be able to stay horizontal in the water just because of my body composition, primarily bone density and muscle mass related. I now believe that was all bullshit!
Here's how I know. He gave me a side kick drill to do in which I extend my lower arm out front and put the other one tight to my side. Much to my surprise I can do it and remain horizontal. Of course my head is below the water but I can even manage to rotate and take a breath and then keep on going.
Here's the kicker (no pun intended). I can only do it on one side!!!!! Once I switch over to the other side my legs sink like a rock. I find this very intriguing and it confirms for me the theory that it is all about balance in the water....not about buoyancy.
The other drill he gave me was to hang horizontally in the water in the deep end while kicking, and then look down to see what your feet and legs are doing. The freestyle kick is supposed to start at your hips and have little to no bend at the knee, and furthermore the total span of your kick should not be more than shoulder width. If I don't totally focus I start to immediately soccer kick and my feet come about 3 feet apart. Even more strangely, my one leg is much worse than the other. This is so ingrained in my muscle memory that I can't even feel myself doing it. Only when I actually watch can I make it stop. Amazing!!
I look forward to exploring these things more and it sends a message of hope to me that maybe I can indeed get better. I know it is a long road so it may not help me much for August, but I intend on working on it anyway.
After swimming I went to the trails where I started walking after about 2 minutes. I had no idea of how drained I really was until I started out, and I briefly considered just getting back in the truck and heading home. I knew that if I did the loop it was gonna involve a lot of walking. They say that every workout should have a purpose and initially I couldn't come up with a good one for today. But I can rationalize anything and this is what I came up with.
Doing anything that involves exposure to nature is good for one's mental health.
The uneven terrain of the trails helps to strengthen knees and ankles.
The effort required to maintain balance while dodging roots and puddles is very good for your core muscles.
....and lastly....
Getting a little run in helps deal reduce the withdrawal anxiety I feel due to my addiction.
I would say I ended up running about 3/4 of the 6 kms. All is good.
When I got home I spent some more time messing around with my bike including about 15 kms of test riding. It is still not just exactly the way I want it but good enough for the first serious outing tomorrow. i will probably do 50 kms with the main focus being not on speed but rather on comfort. Wish me well!
(swim drills easy, trail run easy, 15 km bike test)
"No man drowns if he perseveres in praying to God, and can swim."---Anon
Love
Peter
Here's how I know. He gave me a side kick drill to do in which I extend my lower arm out front and put the other one tight to my side. Much to my surprise I can do it and remain horizontal. Of course my head is below the water but I can even manage to rotate and take a breath and then keep on going.
Here's the kicker (no pun intended). I can only do it on one side!!!!! Once I switch over to the other side my legs sink like a rock. I find this very intriguing and it confirms for me the theory that it is all about balance in the water....not about buoyancy.
The other drill he gave me was to hang horizontally in the water in the deep end while kicking, and then look down to see what your feet and legs are doing. The freestyle kick is supposed to start at your hips and have little to no bend at the knee, and furthermore the total span of your kick should not be more than shoulder width. If I don't totally focus I start to immediately soccer kick and my feet come about 3 feet apart. Even more strangely, my one leg is much worse than the other. This is so ingrained in my muscle memory that I can't even feel myself doing it. Only when I actually watch can I make it stop. Amazing!!
I look forward to exploring these things more and it sends a message of hope to me that maybe I can indeed get better. I know it is a long road so it may not help me much for August, but I intend on working on it anyway.
After swimming I went to the trails where I started walking after about 2 minutes. I had no idea of how drained I really was until I started out, and I briefly considered just getting back in the truck and heading home. I knew that if I did the loop it was gonna involve a lot of walking. They say that every workout should have a purpose and initially I couldn't come up with a good one for today. But I can rationalize anything and this is what I came up with.
Doing anything that involves exposure to nature is good for one's mental health.
The uneven terrain of the trails helps to strengthen knees and ankles.
The effort required to maintain balance while dodging roots and puddles is very good for your core muscles.
....and lastly....
Getting a little run in helps deal reduce the withdrawal anxiety I feel due to my addiction.
I would say I ended up running about 3/4 of the 6 kms. All is good.
When I got home I spent some more time messing around with my bike including about 15 kms of test riding. It is still not just exactly the way I want it but good enough for the first serious outing tomorrow. i will probably do 50 kms with the main focus being not on speed but rather on comfort. Wish me well!
(swim drills easy, trail run easy, 15 km bike test)
"No man drowns if he perseveres in praying to God, and can swim."---Anon
Love
Peter
great rationalization! I love it!!!
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