the week that was

WORKOUTS 5 (4 swim 1 dryland)
YARDAGE 12,150
I started out this week with an update on my meeting with the BRAF folks and having them set up my foundation. I ended it with a pretty strong week of workouts, improvement in my back and I am starting to add a new dimension to my swim stroke.
Swimming is a form based sport. Terms like kick amplitude, stroke efficiency, hip roll, feeling the water, and 2 and 6 beat kicks. All kid of confusing to most, but think of swimming as a golf swing in the water. Every movement needs a purpose, and when you get tired, like in golf, your stroke breaks down. This is important for me as the longer I can swim strong and smooth, the faster I will go. In an event this long, my stroke will eventually begin to break down. I just want to delay that as long as possible.
I have been swimming for 30 years competitively. For those 30 years, my kick has always been an afterthought. On Friday I swam with a friend of ine Mandy who swam in the Olympics and at LSU. Her stroke is super smooth and her kick is going the whole time. I use a 2 beat kick, which is one kick per stroke. She uses a 6 beat kick, as do most elite swimmers. I decided to go ahead and try this as well. GOOD LORD! This was a rude awakening. I basically added 3 times the kicking to my stroke. Not only is it difficult from a timing aspect, but it also is exhausting. My coach Shelly informed me that I will slow down and be a bit more tired out for a little while, but that it should help me come March 31st. I will train with this kick and then revert back to my easy kick so as not to tire out. I will keep you updated.
I did not mention in any post so far, but I am the proud owner of two herniated discs in my lower back. Most of the time they do not bother me, but with my increase in swimming, they have begun to give me trouble. I have been going to my fried Gloria Wall, witch doctor/physical therapist supreme. I apparently have failed to develop many back muscles and am having to do this now. Should be no probelm.
The balance of work, training and family has so far been okay. We'll see how all this works during the holidays.