No idea what I'm doing!

Interslice

Very early days, might be of use to someone starting of from a low level, but mostly an excuse to log whatever progress there is.

Backround
Just after 3 months serious rest with a torn core muscle so my spaghetti legs can currently only run 1.5km, cycle 5km and swim 400m. My swimming is as good now as it's ever been thanks to the physio prescribing it, and possibly better since last night. Been going once or twice a week for the last 8 or so. Going to try a keep it going.

29 years old ( for another month :eek:)
6,1 / 12.5 stone (normally 13 stone/80kg)

Played competitive football from ages 8 -20 and a bit of rugby, hurling, athletics and GAA here and there... Gave all that up and spent 8 years living in the west of ireland surfing, windsurfing and rockclimbing at a decent level. I was in college for the last 5 years of that and not really one to go to the gym so my standard of fitness slowly dropped off over the years, not helped by 2/3 bad injuries. Done a small bit of swimming and running before I left but was only going once a month or so at the time and the same with the surfing the last 2 years over there.

Back over in the east now the last year so the main motivation of this is cross training and to improve my general fitness, without any surf nearby I'll just waste away altogether. Went back playing hurling this year and was properly crippled with lactic acid for a few weeks and then got injured so don't want either to happen again(a very long time since I was doing suicide sprints and circuits training in mucky fields!). Have a fear of the gym so decided I'm just going to start and stick with the pool, running and bike. Bit of rock climbing and a few surf trips too. Hopefully an open water swim is on the cards this year and the tryatri/ novice distance is doable next year.

The plan... Not really a numbers/plan person but i'll try to log my progress from here. It's mostly going to be swimming for the next while, with the odd run and spin on the bike.

Monday evening swim(25m pool):
4 x 100m fc
3 x 50m fc
1 x 50m lying on my back no arms
4 x 100m fc
1 x 50m fc sprint

1050m total, in about 40 minutes including breaks. First time sticking to using all 3 stroke breathing rather than the previous mish mash of 2/3/4/5/6 :P.

Good and tired after, felt like an actual training session. Before last night I was taking it easy. The previous session was doing just 8-10 lengths, a break then maybe 4-6, a few 2's then sauna . I was just out of breath rather than tired if that makes sense. Spent more time in the sauna and jacuzzi than pool :P. The more structured approach I used last night is definitely an improvement. Slept well last night .

career move

Hi welcome to the logs. You might want to check out the swimming for Tri beginners thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057321888. Some great ideas for swim sessions in there and excellent advice.

Interslice

career move wrote: »

Hi welcome to the logs. You might want to check out the swimming for Tri beginners thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057321888. Some great ideas for swim sessions in there and excellent advice.

Started a thread the other day and one of the lads suggested that thread too. Had a quick scan through that yesterday evening before I left, it's the reason for my change in approach last night. Couldn't really make a structured plan wihtout knowing where I'm at so it just sort of turned out like it did. I've been looking a youtube stuff the last week or 2, all the little tweaks combined make a difference. Must have a look at those videos.
Is 6 kicks/stroke ideal for triathlon or is that more for shorter competition swimming?

MojoMaker

Definitely for the shorter stuff, you'd be breathless very quickly in triathlon swimming with a 6 beat kick. You're looking for a 2 beat or 3 beat kick to work well in open water over medium to long distances.

Not to be confused with the 6 kick / 1 stroke drill which is favoured by some coaches in the pool, but it's done super slow obviously.

Kurt's thread is a great resource, even if some of it seems quite pedantic it builds progression really well and anyone who has followed it seems to have done pretty well.

Interslice

I was thinking that it was too fast. Been on 6 kick/stroke the whole time. Have to slow the arms right down for the last few 100m sets. I'll try 3 the next night. I've always kicked really fast, never had to swim long distances.

First decent cycle today. 10k on the mtb.

Interslice

Week 1 over . Had a rest on wednesday. Hurling training went well ok thursday, pretty nervous about going back so happy to get though it ok. Went to the pool on friday.

Swam 500m altogther. 2x100fc and 5x50m fc and 1 x 50m on my back legs only.

Tried out the 3 kick/stoke. I was fairly stiff with lactic in my legs and core from training the night before so just taking it easy. I was breathing every 5th stroke throughout to try and concentrate on getting that 3 kicks/stroke going. Done nothing other than rest and walk the dog over the weekend. Going to head to the pool again this evening, a day for it!

Interslice

So I bottled going to the pool on monday so went yesterday instead . This time I left the house with a plan..


It was a modified version of this session, I just chopped it in half based on 200 not being easy for me. Had a good read through that thread and watched the videos on monday night :P 600m total seemed a bit short so I had a feeling I might have to do some of it twice.

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Day 1
200 easy
4*50 k with board (rest at each wall if needed)
4*50 fingertip
4*50 pb
4*50 armpit tap
4*50 sw
200 swim down
15 sec rest after each drill, all done at comfortable pace. More experienced swimmers do two sets (ie after 4*50 sw, start again on 4*50k and continue...)

W2Day1:
100 easy
4x25 k found it better without a float thing, easier to breath
4x25 ft excellent drill
4x25 armpit tap excellent drill, naturally started combining it with the fingertip drag
4x25 sw Done all of the above in 5 stroke breathing to help learn the drills. Went back to 3 for this and the swim down.
100 swim down
(15 second breaks)

Took about 30 minutes and felt fine after that so took a 2 min break and repeated them all again bar the 100 easy.

Total:1100m

I think next time I'll try kurts actual session above minus the pull buoy bit and maybe a break during the warm up and swim down.

Interslice

An hour and a halfs training session tonight. The longer evening on the wet ground was tough enough. Felt tired five minutes in and my striking was getting worse all night but my legs didnt fade too bad.

Kurt_Godel

Hi Interslice,

delighted you are getting some use from the swim thread. You are doing exactly the right thing by shortening the sessions in half (but getting the variety done) if distance is a limiter at the moment (it won't be for long!). Doing them (half)X2 as you are is a great idea to start.

I got a whole load of help learning to swim on this forum, always happy to pass on tips I learned along the way. Best of luck in your swimming career!

Interslice

Thanks for the thread kurt. Massive help, I wouldn't have known where to start otherwise. I'm saving the arms from the pool since last tuesday and I probably won't go again until this time next week. We'd 1.5 hours training again on Friday and a match now this evening, saturday and sunday.

Interslice

Monday again . Played 5 minutes last tuesday, a full match saturday and the second half of yesterdays game. Done alot of walking and stretching in between but feck all else. Just happy to get through them injury free. Trying to eat well and stay of the drink where possible. Alot of 30th birthdays going on these days . One every second weekend it seems.

Weighed myself on a friends scale in january and I was 12.3 stone. 13.2 at the moment so should settle out along with the lactic at 13.5 in 3/4 weeks or so. Some difference between running on soft ground with studs at this weight compared to running the roads on asics gel a stone lighter. Done my first ever 10k run last summer in 48 minutes. Just going to go for it on the same road at some stage this summer. Don't think I'll be as quick/hopefully I finish it :pac:

Interslice

Swam for an hour tonight. Not sure how far. Something like 20-25 lengths(500- 600 m). Wasn't swimming well so went working on the head movement during breathing. From the youtube study, I take too big and long an inhalation with my head too high. As well as using more energy to inhale and exhale lung fulls of air I know I was having to give a little flutter kick or a hard stroke to create this lift so wasting energy and the extra air I was getting. Also sinking after the breath so another flutter to get going again. Really snapping the head to the side and back into position seemed to work. First time trying it tonight but it wasn't so bad. Thought I'd be getting a few more mouthfulls of water than I did but as soon as I made it a snappy movement it was fine. The back is at me a bit after the weekend. Went training last night but think I'll take a break from it a just swim for a bit. Going back to the physio friday, hopefully wont be out too long.

Interslice

Went back to the pool today.

100 easy
4x25 k
4x25 finger drag
4x25 armpit tap - drawing a line from my hip to armpit felt nice too
4x25 sw
(15 second breaks)

Then I just started swimming as the lane was busy. Done a dozen or so 50m.. an hour and 20 into the session I then swam a 100 and felt alright but little short of breath. Chest felt warm like when you peel of a wetsuit after a surf. Hadn't felt that before swimming. Done another 50 or 2 and had the lane to myself at this stage. Took a 2 minute break and swam the most amount of lenghts I've ever done, a mere 12 but I was surprised it came today and after an hour and 40 in the pool. Strangely wasn't a bit out of breath after it either, only stopped because 2 pros got in and started overtaking me. 1700m total is also a new record! Current goal is to swim 400m and I'll hopefully manage to record a time to try an improve on in future. Felt like I could have floated another 2 lengths a ground out the last 2 so should be doable in the near future..

Much happier with the breathing now. A big change for me today in combo with the 'keep one goggle in the water style breathing' I started last night was figuring out towards the end of the session how to deal with the turns. Always felt worse for air after the turn but have it sussed now I think. I was pushing gently of the wall - breath then on the 1st and 4th stroke to get a rythym back- 3 stroke breathing up the pool and switch to 2 stroke breathing coming into the wall. Swapped the 3 stroke up the middle of the pool for 2 stroke every so often and before I really need the air. Must remember that system .

Interslice

I like this video, I was stretching out my hand just below the water surface before I seen this last week.

Interslice

Monday: 6 x 50m and a man spa.

Interslice

Played the first half of a match last night. Not fit at all yet. Stiff today so dont think ill tog out for tonights game. Stuck in a bit of a rut with the legs tightening up due to being unfit makeing the back sore so i cant train properly...

Interslice

Warmed the bench last night but was happy with doing the warm up and a bit of a stretch. Back feels better than it has in 5 years.. hopefully it stays good. Complete game changer if it gets back to 100%. Took a difene thusday night put ice on it and it seems to have done wonders. Been out walking the dog and stretching every day. Hopefully be able to get out on the bike now this week or the next. I'd like to do a duathlon with a swim and bike this year. Not even sure if they exist!

Interslice

Trained pretty much full on tuesday and swam for an hour last night. Recovery is much better now. Going to start core exercises next week. That weakness is holding me back a bit in the pool. A swim club was there last night so was just trying to keep up with their sets. Swam about 1km. Mostly 50's and a few 100's. Swimming ok but need to get back doing drills.

joey100

Duathlon with a swim and a bike is an aquabike. Fingal tri hold one usually, their race is in Skerries in September this year. Pretty sure it's advertised on the Fingal tri website. Looks like they have changed the course this year for the cycle to go out the coast road, it they have it will be fast. There's a decent enough surface on the majority of that road and a gradual descent back to skerries, be some fast bike splits that day.

Interslice

Cheers Joey, september might be good timing too all going well. Looking at getting a road bike at the moment. Thinking of going for something like this lapierre. Seems good value with a turbo trainer thrown in. http://www.adverts.ie/road-bikes/lapierre-audacio-200-fdj-triple-road-bike-2016/10444914?notification=ec9e87efb393bab1a8ff9416ad65eb1b-1462995022#comment_68746730

joey100

Looks like a decent price alright if it fits. Make sure it fits comfortably before you buy it. saying that if you don't need a turbo a new one of them is 999 euro from cyclesuperstore. Going bike to work scheme if you can would mean a new bike for at least the same price as that second hand one.

Interslice

Trained fully again last night. Some long sprints at the end were tough. Legs were wobbling about. I really know why people harp on about the importance of core strength and running now. Was striking the ball fine last night. Good to know i can swim the night before now and still have strength in my arms the following day. Rest today, match tomorrow and swim again Sunday is the plan.

Interslice

Swam 30 lengths monday. 750m. 25's increasing to 50' then 100 -150- 100 and back to 50's to finish up. Trained hard on tues evening. Hamstrings are feeling it still. Had a pizza and chips after training. Woke up wednesday morning with a bad hangover. Lesson learned! Gave training a miss last night, done some core and upper body stuff instead. Went for a light swim today (friday) after the physio.



Hand entry half way to extension. Hands pass at this point, on breathing stroke not do much. Pulling to hard and early maybe to create lift.. generally need to work on timing relaxing hand and wrist.

no crossover through stroke not just entry. Hip rotation was there today and reduced the hand passing underneath my stomach. Moveing hip out of the way of hand. Not sure i was/could do that before.

Still over holding breath now and then

Just wanted to write those down somewhere. Hopefully good technique and general health and fitness will come good together.

Interslice

Saturday

200m warm up
1 minute rest

4x50 kick - practiced breathing out and a sort of breaststoke to breath
4x50 fingerdrag
4x50 pull buoy - acquired a retro one
4x50 armpit
15-20 second breaks

5 minute rest -
50m underwater
250m swim down

1300m total

Liked the feeling of pressure on the hand and the funny bone today. Had surgery on the right shoulder years ago. It used to dislocate regularly in the exact position of the catch. Gaining more strength and flexibility and confidence with my arm in this position now.

Interslice

Got in and swam 350m this afternoon. My 2 longest ever continuos swims yesterday and today. I think it took me almost 15 minutes just going by the clock on the wall. Did i see people on here doing 400 in 10 mins... spent the remainder of the session flutin about with the pull buoy and trying to figure out what i think is the lack of a glide, catch and breathing to long on the first stroke. Its over lapping with the last sroke i think.

Also picked up a push bike today. Looking forward to doing a bit of exploring on it. I think it was better value than the one above. Seems a nice fit anyway. Came with clippy pedals so not sure wheter to get a pair of shoes or the strap/cage type of pedals.

mossym

there is a 400m time trial thread here somewhere the fast guys are under 6mins for 400, average around 7.

don't let that put you off though, from where you are the improvements will come fast with some work and you'll be well under 10 in no time if you put in the work. it's getting from there faster becomes difficult then..:)

Interslice

Decided feck it, done a small bit of research and ordered a pair of road bike shoes, a pump and 2 spare inner tubes to get out on this bicycle. Luckily I done a small bit more research before checking out after something looked amiss with the whole set up and ordered cleats too . As per the thread title.. If I need to any walking about it will likely be a short distance away and I can just take the mountain bike. Trained tuesday night and felt light on my feet again after the rest. Have a match now tonight. Feel fit enough now to add in a few spins on the bike here and there. That gear should arrive tuesday.

Interslice

Hamstring was tight after the match thursday so didnt do anything at the weekend bar get pissed in the sunshine.. Box of bike bits arrived today . Set up the bike as best I could and got out for a 12k test run. The front derailer needed a bit of fiddling after but that was about it. Went to the pool afterwards. Got to the pool fairly late and it was busy. This pool is narrow and shallow and can get fairly choppy. Good practice for the sea. Swam 200 , 200 , 300. Feel comfortable enough swimming 200 - 250 now. Messed about in between those 3 swims. Swam 2 stroke breathing off the left side only for the first time. Handier than I thought it would be although I did take one bad mouthful as someone flew past in the next lane. Breathing out under water is improving now.

Interslice

Thursday: light 1hr hurling training with game next day in mind
Friday: Warmed up for game but didn't play
Saturday: 800m jog / stretch and 2x 6km cycles.
Tuesday: Swam 2x25m, 1x50m pull buoy and a 100m. Faster pace than previous sessions. Trained fully for 1.5 hrs.

Interslice

Wednesday: 31km cycle. Very handy pace, 35mins/10km. Pushed it on a bit up hills and on a few long straights. Bike set up is coming together. Need a higher saddle. Forward a bit more over the centre of the crank too I reckon.

Interslice

Trained thursday and played a half game on saturday week before last.

Hamstring fecked so half way through through a 2 week break since. Annoying as I'm starting to feel fit and strong again but timing isn't too bad as there is no matches until next month.

Went for a bit of a swim at the 40 foot on friday. First time there so just wanted to get a feel for the spot. Swam from the beach out around the rocks a few times. Wind was F3-4 NW, blowing down from clontarf direction. Mirky and choppy enough. Found the 1-2ft swell a little disorientating at times. Not used to the location or sitting so low in the water. Thinking of getting out in the sea once a month or so from now on in different locations and conditions.