More Manatee Mayhem - 2017 Edition - Closed (Page 41)

Wooo, hooo, congrats on the comeback!  Sounds like it went well minus the political convo and the effort of getting out of the car.

Oooooooh, Fells Point, I love Fells Point!  You are reminding me that my sister and I are overdue for an Inner Harbor/Fells Point trip.  We used go at least once a year but we've fallen off that pattern and I think it's been 2 years since we've been there.  Must. Plan. Excursion!

Keep up the gradual return to activity and remember to be patient!

Originally posted by Rileyvb91 I ran 4 miles this weekend with my girlfriend, we're going to kick this year! Adjusting my diet last week and relaxing more during my workouts has really helped a ton. I just need to run easy everyday so that running becomes natural I've noticed when I go to the pool I see a lot of older triathletes, pretty obvious from swim caps and tattoos, really don't have good form. I see a lot of people just swim lap after lap. I'm curious where my other manatees put their swim focus on? I personally put swimming drills into all of my intervals to enforce good form, twisting kick and catch up really help me. I also swim back and breast every workout unless I'm doing OWS. I found really practicing good form lead meto some great times last year without putting in too much effort!

I'm so glad to hear you've found some reasons for feeling 'off' and are back on your way to regular training and feeling good.  Amazing how diet and stress can affect us!

As far as your swimming question, when I first started masters our coach had us doing a fair amount of drills to help with form and feeling the water - sculling, catch-up, fist, etc. which helped me improve a fair amount since I was never formally taught swim strokes beyond very basic freestyle and backstroke. (I spent a lot of my childhood in pools, oceans, lakes, etc. and was/am very confident in the water and had decent enough swimming skills, just nothing technical)  

Nowadays we have a new masters coach and he's been emphasizing other aspects of freestyle and we next to never do drills.  He emphasizes stroke rate, breathing, and good body position.  I don't know if I really answered your question or not.  Is there any way for you to take a few lessons with a coach who could help you with any form flaws and teach you drills, etc. to improve them?

Originally posted by Rileyvb91 I ran 4 miles this weekend with my girlfriend, we're going to kick this year! Adjusting my diet last week and relaxing more during my workouts has really helped a ton. I just need to run easy everyday so that running becomes natural I've noticed when I go to the pool I see a lot of older triathletes, pretty obvious from swim caps and tattoos, really don't have good form. I see a lot of people just swim lap after lap. I'm curious where my other manatees put their swim focus on? I personally put swimming drills into all of my intervals to enforce good form, twisting kick and catch up really help me. I also swim back and breast every workout unless I'm doing OWS. I found really practicing good form lead meto some great times last year without putting in too much effort!

Glad you are feeling better!  I don't read your post as asking whether you should get a coach or work on your form, but rather a statement that your focus on good form has helped you get good at swimming. If that's wrong - get a coach 

I swim with a masters' group and we do drills every workout.  My form still needs work! I grew up in the water, but not swimming laps, so I am quite comfortable, just a bit slow!!  But now I am following my own advice and am taking private lessons.  Since i am on run and bike lock down, getting better at swimming has become something I have the time to try to do.  Before, I just accepted my crappy swim times and used my bike and run to make up places in races - probably not the smartest plan.  Hopefully, this down time will help me become a marginally better swimmer, so I have less work to do when I am able to get back to it!  At least that thought is what's helping to keep me from going completely stir crazy

Karen - I hope that you are continuing to improve.  Sorry about the setback that your class trip caused.  :-(

McMatt - Did you get Tapiriik working? I’ve had good luck with Tapiriik but, as with so many things, YMMV.

Riley - I hope that you’re still on the road to wellness and that your energy levels are starting to return to normal.  

TJ - Kevin has Zwift set up.  I think that he had to get a lot of parts (dongles, etc.).  Nothing all that expensive but several parts to get things working.  He also used it as an excuse to get another computer. I’m pretty sure that the thinks that I did not notice that part!

Ann-Marie - Funny that you should mention InstantPot.  I emailed Melanie a think about Hungry Girl starting to offer InstantPot recipes.  I’m very intrigued but I have not yet convinced myself that I need another kitchen appliance. (TJ, I forgot that you have one as well!).  I’m afraid that 6-quarts will be too big for my small household.  

Melanie - Tapiriik takes a long time the first time because it’s gathering a lot of data.  It usually within a few minutes otherwise.

Robin - Congrats (again) on the new training partner!

Mike - Welcome back to training :-D I hope that the car didn’t cause any serious setback.

instapot does have a 5 quart version   I decided to get one, we'll see how often I use it...

I am starting to feel more human. Yesterday and today I tackled the stairs at Chimney Rock State Park. Lots of stairs. 829  one way. The beast went with me. She probably did 100 total stairs (mostly down) or less. I got a good arm workout carrying her.

Sorry you are having a slow time recovering; hope it speeds up for you!

Sara McClarty is from whom I took my swim clinic and with whom I will be getting coaching.  SHe and her partner are really good, the jury is still out on how good their student is !

Originally posted by Rileyvb91 I ran 4 miles this weekend with my girlfriend, we're going to kick this year! Adjusting my diet last week and relaxing more during my workouts has really helped a ton. I just need to run easy everyday so that running becomes natural I've noticed when I go to the pool I see a lot of older triathletes, pretty obvious from swim caps and tattoos, really don't have good form. I see a lot of people just swim lap after lap. I'm curious where my other manatees put their swim focus on? I personally put swimming drills into all of my intervals to enforce good form, twisting kick and catch up really help me. I also swim back and breast every workout unless I'm doing OWS. I found really practicing good form lead meto some great times last year without putting in too much effort!

Careful with taking polls on something like drills for swimming. The thought process here is really more like prescription based. Drills are to work on, or really emphasize a particular part of the stroke that needs it. Also remember that the drill has to be done well too.

They don't necessarily enforce good form, but help to get or advance some aspect of it. What's emphasized in the drill has to be incorporated into the stroke when actually swimming. That's where the enforcement comes in. And it's not always necessary to do a drill to get the idea. Most things do come with just swimming, but while putting an emphasis on one aspect of the swim during that session (more distracts too much). So the entire swim session should have an emphasis on form and swimming well. Don't know if you've caught some of the main forum threads, but things like swim fast can be very good for development. Something that tends to not be appreciated as much as it should is that everything is built on form. There isn't really just going for a swim like there is with running or biking. The entire sessions will have form front and center. It's never really put into the background.

Do consider coaching or lessons at times. I know it's not always affordable to keep up, but do try to keep an eye out for a deal or special. Maybe getting video somehow or other. Look for ways to get an outside perspective. Someone else's, seeing yourself somehow or other. Just trying to feel it completely on your own can be rather deceptive. I did like others with adult onset getting from 2'+/100 down to like 1:40 or so, but then after joining Masters I went all the way down to 1:12-116 or so per 100, leaving on 1:25-1:30. Not sprinting, but averaging that over 3,000-5,000 yd sets. On my own, just before signing up, I had done 20-25,000 yes per week over the summer with the same mindset and hardly moved from the 1:40ish/100. Masters started taking that right down with maybe half the volume. Do know that back in high school (while our teams weren't really that good) I still played in the #1 singles spot for tennis, handily lead everyone in the month long 3 pt competition in basketball, and was up for both team and conference MVP in soccer. Not to mention all kinds of other activities like some kayaking and XC skiing. I still very much needed that outside perspective to get a handle on what was really going on in swimming. The need to push doing it well is just so much greater than maybe anything else I've done.

If you get a chance, stop by and see Janyne, she might appreciate some kind words.

Thanks, Chris.  I'm so very sorry to read the news.

Hi all. Tell me, is it worth buying bike shoes specifically for triathlons or just using my (expensive) regular ones. Bear in mind, speed is not really an issue with me.

My 2 cents - if you are going to be doing a lot of triathlons and planning on riding without socks, tri shoes might be a good idea but aren't mandatory.  I say this because my tri shoes get rather hogged up inside with water, mud, grass, etc from going sockless (which I usually do in Oly distance and under races) which I'd hate to do to my much more expensive road shoes. 

I never have. I have used my road shoes for all my tris. I wear socks and the closure is two velcro straps with one plastic thingamabob (gah, what is it called) like on ski boots ... not a big deal for me in transition. But then i am not shooting for the podium.