9 August 2007
Open Water Swim - Lake Leland Take 2
Posted by Brad Hefta-Gaub under: Fitness; Ironman; Swim; exercise; open water swim; swim; tri; triathlon.
Same course as last time… but since I knew the distance I think I was a little more focused on the swim, and therefore swam a little faster. Felt very comfortable. I felt like I had a pretty good rhythm going.
With respect to swimming straight… I did really well. I think even better than a couple days ago. This time my dad took my Forerunner along in the canoe, so I’ll check his path once I can dowload it onto my other computer. His path won’t be my path, per se… but if his path is relatively straight, then I’d say my path would have been straight too.
So what did I do to stay straight? Well, I tried to think more about when did I look up and notice I was not on line? I still can’t put my finger on it, but I think that I tend to veer toward the right. Now why? I think I tend to veer right more frequently when I don’t glide as long on my left side. I think this means that I may be gliding on the right side with a bit of an arched back making me curve right. But I am not sure of that.
I also noticed that I have a much harder time sighting with my right arm extended. I mean, I seem to be more comfortable sighting with my left arm extended, bringing my right arm up, and instead of rolling onto my left side as normal lifting my head up slightly with my head horizontal in line with the horizon as I bring my right arm over. When I try this same approach on the opposite side I can’t seem to pull it off.
Anyway, nothing I can do about it this season, but I figure if I document this now then I can remember to stay in my comfort zone in my IM swim, and consider working on this for next season.
I really had a good time on the swim today… I felt like I was really enjoying myself. Which is a very rare experience. Maybe I need to do more open water swimming in nice calm lakes like Lake Leland. I’m sure Dad would gladdly spot me, or maybe my buddy Dave (who likes to Kayak)… Lake Washington is much rougher water… and although I need to get exeprience in rough water too… I think getting some more volume under my belt in calm open water would really help me build a love for swimming as opposed to a dread of it.
Workout:
- Type: Swim
- Date: 08/09/2007
- Time: 17:10:55
- Total Time: 00:52:00.00
- Distance: 2,494.48 m
- Average Pace: 2:04.97/100m
4 Comments so far...
ZappoMan Fitness Blog » Blog Archive » Lake Leland to Blyn and Back Says:
[...] About el ZappoMan « Open Water Swim - Lake Leland Take 2 09 08 2007 [...]
msteechur Says:
I find when I don’t breathe on both sides, I tend to pull harder with the arm opposite my breathing side. If I can get into a five strokes/one breath rhythm I’m MUCH straighter. But my tendency is 4/1, so next swim I’m going to concentrate on either 5/1 or 3/1 alternating with 4/1. Of course then with 5/1 I find I don’t site as often.
I’m just plain pathetic in the swim…
Brad Hefta-Gaub Says:
My normal breathing rhythm is 1 breath per 3 strokes. I always breath bilaterally. I have tried to stretch out to 5 breaths… but I seem to get hypoxic at that level. I am sure part of it is that I am pretty leisurely in my strokes… if I sped them up, I’d probably swim faster and still keep a good distance per stroke.
When I am swimming in open water, and I need to sight… I find that I do something like — 3 strokes breath right, 3 strokes breath left, 3 strokes breath/sight on the right… The problem with this, is that I am now uneven… I am not quite comfortable sighting off the left, and so I get this sort of:
3 strokes - breath right
3 strokes - breath left
3 strokes - breath/sight right
3 strokes - breath left
3 strokes - breath/sight right
1 stroke - breath/sight left
1 stroke - breath/sight right
3 strokes - breath left
3 strokes - breath right
1 stroke - breath/sight left
1 stroke - breath/sight right
You get the idea… it’s not at all even…
In the pool… not problem.. But in open water with sighting… it gets mess up.
riddenwords Says:
In open water I prefer the breast stroke. I can site all day long. I get a good glide too. Especially with the inner tube…
