posted Aug 12, 2011 6:53 AM by Robert Burgholzer
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updated Aug 12, 2011 10:16 AM
]
The question of technique often revolves around schools of thought, whereby the belief in a specific technique as being superior leads to a "one size fits all" approach to stroke development. When one observes elite swimmers, however, astounding variation in some fundamental areas can be seen, and necessarily contradictions of the tenets of one or another school of thought. So much focus in the Adult Onset Swimming community centers around stroke length - but the fact of the matter is that there are a wide variety of stroke lengths AMONG ELITE swimmers. Elite men and women swimmers vary from as few as 12 strokes per length to as many as 24 strokes per length (in a 25 meter pool) - a factor of 2!! What varies very little among the elites however is TIMING.
In Finding Freestyle, we center largely on helping people to develop the timing of their kick and arm strokes -- and we think that is a great place to start, and it is also something that is very apparent in elite swimmers once you know to look for it. But there is a lot more to the timing issue, there are a whole host of other body parts, all of which need to be in synchronization in order for a person to find their most efficient Australian crawl stroke. One of our staple drills is called "Float & Paddle", a type of pulling drills, where the athlete focuses on using the torso motion to drive the stroke (see video "Float & Paddle"). When introducing this drill, we tend to talk in terms of "body driven propulsion", whereby the swimmer visualizes the rotation of the body powering the arms through their cycle. This conforms to the current swimming meme about "body driven propulsion" and "driving with the hips", but really, there is much more to it. Almost as important is the aspect of timing that this drill teaches us. Two areas where this drill can teach us timing are in the "finish phase" of the stroke (image of finish), and in the timing of the breath with the arm stroke and body roll.
| | The Finish
The final, and for some, most powerfule portion of the stroke. If you are doing the Float & Paddle drill properly, the hands will "flick" out of the water as the body rotates. |
We can see from the video that the arms "push phase" or "finish" is exactly synchronized with the rotation of the hips, this is another timing that elite swimmers all seem to possess. Are the hips really "driving" the propulsion? That is a notion that is up for debate among swimming scientists, but it is certainly a case of "swimming WITH the hips" as opposed to "swimming AGAINST" them -- it's good timing.
As for the breath, it is a little more complex, but one thing that we find in beginner swimmers who struggle to breathe is that they turn their head at awkward times, often irrespective of the arms stroke. With the Float & Paddle, you can practice turning your head to the side as your body rotates -- a very simple way to make sure that, you get air, and stay out of the way of the stroking arm. When the body turns to the side, so too does the head.
So if you've never tried F&P, give it a go, and if you have already practiced it, give it a try with the idea of using it as a timing drill. It is a simple drill to give you some of the basic timing to get you comfortable, and get you moving faster.
Finding Freestyle is a 12-week course of instruction that presents an alternative approach to developing the fundamentals of fast swimming. |
posted Jul 8, 2011 9:27 AM by Robert Burgholzer
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updated Jul 8, 2011 11:49 AM
]
Using Fins Properly Fins are one of the most used of training tools, but besides perhaps hand paddles, one of the most mis-used of training tools. For many, fins are a means of achieving greater propulsion, and for us this is true, however, in the land of Finding Freestyle, where awareness is a key pursuit, we see fins as a means of shining a bright spotlight on the coordinated use of the legs and hands. We also see them as a means of gaining new stimulus to help our stroke evolve to one that is faster, and more efficient. What follows is a brief explanation of what we think fins bring to the table, a somewhat different way of looking at the use of fins, and a sample set to help you get the most out of swim fins.
Fins can allow you to swim faster -- much faster. But, to properly and productively swim with fins, you must allows the feet to set the tempo. That is, in order to achieve the fastest swimming speeds with fins, the legs must be fully engaged, executing a fluid, and continuous cadence. In order to achieve this fluidity, you must ask the arms to synchronize with the legs. This is a stark contrast to the way that we typically conceive of arm-leg synchronization, where we try to make the kick mesh with the arm stroke. So, we first focus on a fluid kick, and then the beauty of the fins can be realized.
The Benefits of Swimming Properly with Fins First off, we can use the fins to swim at "supra-maximal" speeds, that is, at a higher velocity that we are capable of swimming without them. At these foreign speeds, our body gains an insight into how it must alter itself in terms of control, rigidity, and elevation while moving faster. The body can learn from this experience, and ultimately, nudge itself towards greater speeds when swimming sans fins. Also, at these high speeds your hands can gain experience with the subtle shifts in position, pattern and angle that are necessary to assist in the process of propulsion. This too is a valuable peiece of information -- if you are swimming high speed with fins, and feel like your hands are adding nothing to the speed, keep experimenting, trying to feel the water, moving your hands faster or more authoritatively, or do several strokes without breathing in order to focus on head, elbow position and the finish of your stroke and how they alter your ability to propel.
A Quick Set Do the following set with fins, long or short, floppy or rigid no matter. Do the 3-6 statue of liberty drill (basic SoL described in the 1st video below, 3-6 shown in the 2nd video) on the odd ones, focusing on a nice, smooth kick. On the even ones, swim fast, with a propulsive kick, but also with effective arms. Enjoy!! 16 x 25 WITH FINS
:20+ REST PER 25
ODD - 3-6 Statue of
Liberty Drill
EVEN SPRINT ALL OUT
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posted Jun 7, 2011 12:15 PM by Robert Burgholzer
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updated Jun 14, 2011 7:42 AM
]
Coach Dave Luscan was getting in the water with one of his athletes the other morning, and had in mind a short "opener", that is, a workout to get the juices flowing in preparation for the athlete's upcoming "B" race (maybe a B+ he was 2 weeks out of his A race). These types of workouts are useful when you are in the midst of a high volume block, and need a change of pace, or for something to remind you of what real speed in the water is like. No doubt, with 100s fast, this is not a recovery workout! Since the effects of an opener in swimming are as much technical as they are physiological, we like to employ speed-play and some rhythm based drills in the process, not to mention a little bit of head-up swimming to get you in the right frame of mind for an open water swim.
When Dave told me about this workout, I thought it seemed like a load of fun, and that it should be shared. Here is the workout and some comments from the athlete, Jared Levin. See below for Jared's take on the workout and his race a few days later. Enjoy!
WARMUP
1 X 300 alternate 50 swim, 50 6-6 pulsing between 2 beat and normal kick
12 x 25 :10 seconds rest
alternate 1 @ swim easy, 1 @ pull fast, 1 @ head up 2 beat
1 x 600 "Front Door - Back Door" - i.e., 1st and last 150s fast, cruise the middle 300
8 x 50 on the :50, descend 1-8
MAIN SET
4 x 100 on the 4:00, all out,
1 x 50 sprint -- from the blocks if you want.
Cool down 100 easy.
I asked Jared his thoughts on the workout and how he felt afterwards and at the race on Sunday. He had a great day overall, 4th in the 25-29 age group at the Xterra East Championships, and here is what he had to say about the workout: Question: How fast did you swim in the workout 100s and 50s?
Jared: For last Monday's swim workout we did 3x100 on 4:00 and 1x50, My times
were 1:08, 1:06, 1:06, I forgot what I did the 50, we did that from the
blocks 27 maybe?)
Question: How hard were you going?
Jared: The first 100 I didn't really go all out, the
second two I got pretty close. The hardest part was the unfamiliar
feeling of going all out as opposed to going 85% and being ready to swim
again with minimal rest. It was really difficult for me to keep proper
kicking rhythm and go all out at the same time. It was nice to sprint
though, I forgot how much fun it was.
Question: Did you crash and burn towards the end of the set?
Jared: I didn't really crash towards the end, I think I paced myself throughout the workout pretty well (maybe too much?).
Question: How did you feel in the water at the Xterra race this past weekend?
Jared: As
far as after the set there was no soreness or fatigue the day after or
that week after doing that set. I think the it helped me with
confidence as well because if you can hit 1:06 a few times in practice
then cruising at 1:16 for a few hundred yards doesn't seem like that big
of a deal.
Question: How did you like the set?
Jared: I liked the set a lot, I'd like to do more sprinting stuff, even if
its a little bit at the end of practices or something like that. Question: Any general race observations?
At Xterra I felt pretty good in the water once I settled into a
good rhythm of swimming. The two open water swims I've done this year
(Xterra and the first FF open water swim) I've had a bit of difficulty
finding a good rhythm. I'm pretty accustomed to using the wall and a
dolphin kick to start up my kicking rhythm (if that makes any sense?)
and without that wall push and dolphin kick it takes a while for me to
find my kick. I still think my kick needs serious improvement though,
my pulling times have not been much different than my swim times in
recent practices. Question: Lessons learned?
Jared: ... it was a good race from a fitness test and pacing standpoint. I did
learn that 10 hours of mountain bike work in 6 months leading up to a
championship xterra race is not adequate to place on the overall amateur
podium.
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posted Jun 1, 2011 12:52 PM by Dave Luscan
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updated Jun 2, 2011 5:54 AM
]
An alternate title could be "A description of the FIST method for fitting triathletes to their bikes". Also includes some of my additions to the process, as well as what specifically you can expect from Dave Luscan's bike fit.
The FIST method itself is described and explained ad nauseum here:
Some reviews of my service here:
In short, FIST, short for Fit Institute of Slowtwitch, is the only triathlon, or more precisely the only aerobar specific bike fitting system. I personally fit road bike, mountain bike or comfort bikes as well, but FIST doesn't address these, nor do I use FIST methodology to fit riders to other types of bikes. FIST covers aerobar equiped bikes, and I would add that I specialize in such fits, having done a few hundred as of this writing.
The difference in fitting aerobar equiped bikes is the degree of precision required. Aerobars require more precision because if the position is not a great one, the only solutions are to abandon the position or suffer needlessly. On other styles of bikes, you can alter the position by holding the handlebars in different places or simply changing the bend of your elbows. There is a much greater degree of flexibility in front end placement of road bikes for these reasons.
Any bike fitting should begin with some information gathering. How long have you been riding? How much do you ride? Longest ride? Goal races? Injury history? Competitive drive? That sort of stuff.
The process itself is fairly simply in design and slightly more complex in execution. Three body angles are measured to bring the rider to within accepted norms of successful aerobar riders.
1. Knee angle as an indicator of proper seat height.
2. Shoulder angle as an indicator of proper cockpit distance.
3. Hip angle as an indicator of proper aerobar drop.
To properly attend to these three angles, we may discuss proper saddle, pedal and aerobar selection. Otherwise known as your touch points, these three areas where you contact the bike are of crucial importance to the job at hand
And that's the heart of it. Riders are optimized using these three body angles. As a general rule, this process is repeated three times at three different saddle setbacks. Setback is the fore and aft position of the seat, as measured from the distance the tip of the saddle falls in front of or behind the bottom bracket of the bicycle in the vertical plane.
This optimization process may be repeated once, twice, three or more times. Which brings me to one key distinction between types of aerobar fittings: Pre-purchase or retro-fits.
Pre-purchase fits are exactly what they sound like. Having a bike fit done before you purchase a new triathlon bike. Pre-purchase fits are completed on a fit bike, or position simulator. These devices can essentially mimic the geometry and size of any style and brand of bike. There is tremendous flexibilty here to "get everything right" before you buy. Riders leave a pre purchase fit armed with exact set up numbers for whatever bike they purchase as well as stack and reach numbers which can be matched up to any production triathlon frame. I don't work for a bike shop or sell bikes. I pride myself on providing unbiased information as to what bikes will work best for you.
For more information on why pre-purchase fits are a wise investment see:
Retro-fits are performed on a bike you already own. Retro-fits can be as effective as a pre-purchase fit, but there are sometimes limitations as to what can be achieved. We may know exactly what we would like to see but we can't find anyone who makes a 12 inch stem, for example. We may not repeat the optimization process as many times during a retro-fit for the same type of reasons.
FIST does not delve into this, but I do look at the foot to pedal interface during my fits. We look to correct for proper knee tracking and discuss and address hot spots or numbness of the feet.
FIST does not cover, but I also talk about bar width and angle and pitch of the aerobars.
We can also discuss equipment concerns including wheels and tires, helmets, clothing, gearing, shifting, and where and how to carry nutrition.
The details:
Fits generally take 1-3 hours, though we will take as much or as little time as we need. Return visits are included and encouraged. Satisfaction is guaranteed or you don't pay.
I have fit countless beginners through age group standouts, IM finishers, Category 1 bike racers, professional bike racers and national champions.
You can expect to be some combination of faster, more powerful and more comfortable, depending on your starting point and competitive drive.
Road bikes are $150 and aerobar equiped bikes are $200.
The June special is 20% off these prices OR bring a friend and receive the 2nd fit at half price.
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posted Apr 14, 2011 4:35 AM by Robert Burgholzer
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updated Apr 14, 2011 5:02 AM
]
This is a short video that details 3 exercises aimed at preventing common swimming overuse injury, and also which may be used for the rehabilitation of mild, swimming-related shoulder pain. As a swim coach for over 25 years, I have used these exercises myself and with my athletes to maintain shoulder health under the pressure of intense swim training. My general formula for using these is to do them 3 times per week, with 2x20 or 2x25 of each exercise on each arm. I am not a physician nor a physical therapist, just a swimming coach who has played around with a lot of things over the years, and these are three simple exercises that have correlated with overall shoulder health. I have used them personally when dealing with shoulder pain (which 30+ years of swimming has delivered at times), and also when trying to strengthen my shoulder after mild injury due to out of the water activities. I hope that these may be helpful for you.
The painting in the background of this video is an early work by Ryan Mcclennan, an artist from the Richmond, VA area. Ryans work can be found at: http://www.ryanmclennan.com/.
Robert Burgholzer has coached swimming for over 25 years and is the author of Finding Freestyle. He co-founded Finding Freestyle's with triathlete and coach David Luscan, where they teach swimming online and in live swimming courses in Richmond VA. |
posted Mar 22, 2011 1:39 AM by Robert Burgholzer
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updated Mar 23, 2011 7:49 AM
]
(This is part 1 in a series of posts that will explore some
examples of the concept of un-scripted workouts.)
A coach or workout plan is like having a budget or a financial advisor. The plan or advisor might be 100% right, but in order to mesh with your human side, there has to be some wiggle room, some "mad money". You need to be able to go and let your hair down, or explore something novel, or simply to not have a plan sometimes. I know, I know, most coaches will say that their athletes don't get in enough work for them to have any wiggle room, they just need to stick to the plan! That might have some merit in a vacuum, but we are talking about the human side of the equation, not only a persons need to goof off, but also, a persons need to explore their own creativity, as well as, dare I say it, the athletes innate sense of what they actually need from time to time. This brings us to an important distinction - this wiggle room doesn't necessarily have to be time off (but it can be), or time spent off-plan (but it probably should be), or time "wasted" - but rather, it can be simply time to chart ones own course, or to do something spontaneous in a workout session. While I fully support the notion of taking a day off if you need it, this will post deal with something less (in the world of endurance sports) controversial than taking a day off -:).
In my day, I have had the chance to work with some great athletes, some great in terms of speed as compared to the other beings that walk this planet, and some just great to be around during a workout -- although those in the first group have been invariably members of the second group in my experience (not every day, mind you - we all have our moments), and those in the second group often inspire those in the first group to greater things. What makes all of these folks great in my opinion is that the workout gets better because they are there, not just more competitive (but that is often the case), but more textured, more spontaneous, in a word, fun. These folks tweak the script, or sometimes improve the whole scene (if you let them) in such a way as to make it better than the original conception.
What Mary Beth Ellis Does for FunI was lucky enough to chat with Mary Beth Ellis recently, after her overall win at Ironman 70.3 Singapore. Mary Beth is a natural, that is, someone who naturally raises the training level of those around her - I remember when she was a mere teenager, she used to drop in at summer workout with some college kids that I was coaching at the time - she would "Eat'em and Smile" as David Lee Roth would say. They loved having her kick their asses of course, so much so that at the end of the summer they had me take a picture of her with them so that they would have it as a memento when she hit the big time (at the time Mary Beth had yet to podium at the U. S. Junior National swimming level). They used to laugh because M.B. would go for a jog when she got bored. Here is a transcript of what we talked about: r.b.: First off Mary Beth, congratulations -- was it a good race or just a good result?m.b.: I guess a good result for where I am at in my training and the
season. My coach said it was just a training race to see where my
fitness is presently and get in a solid training day. In addition for
me it was a good confidence booster to get out there and put setbacks of
last year behind me.
r.b.: In the IMTalk podcast I heard coach Sutton mention the need for un-scripted days during an athletes 10-day training cycle. Are you doing those, and if so, can you give an example of a recent couple that you really liked?
m.b.: I can't divulge any training secrets and have only been
training with the team for a few weeks. But I think the power of
Brett's training is how individualized the training is for each athlete.
Everything is laid out specifically for the athlete based on their
physical and psychological make-up. Some athletes need a day off some
don't and likewise an off season is vital for some and a few weeks to
suffer through for others.
r.b.: What's the coolest workout that you have ever done just for fun?
m.b.: In the off-season, I really enjoy going for long mountain
hikes. I think it builds fitness for the bike and run without the
pounding of running or monotony of riding the bike trainer.
r.b.: On an un-related topic, what type of wetsuit did you wear in Singapore?
m.b.: The race water temp was too warm for wetsuits so I just wore
my 2XU race kit. But for cold races I love the 2XU wetsuit line; there
is a great range of different suits and they are fast.
Mary Beth Ellis is a pro triathlete, and 2010 Ironman 70.3 Singapore overall winner. She lives in Boulder CO, and blogs at www.marybethellisracing.com. |
posted Feb 12, 2011 4:14 AM by Robert Burgholzer
So, last week, I had a stroke. No idea what caused it, I just know that it compromised my balance greatly (that area of my brain had the greatest damage), and temporarily paralyzed my right side. For the first three days, I would wake up in the hospital (several times a day, since all I did was sleep) and have the same conversation with myself, over and over: "What the hell happened to me? You had a stroke. No, wait, that's not right, I must be messing my words up - what is the word that describes what happened? You had a stroke. That is the right word, and that's what happened. Holy shit, I had a stroke."
So, that's where I am starting. My right side is clumsy, but gaining ability every day - at day #1, I had nothing, by day #2 my hand moved some and my leg was gaining feeling back. Day #3 (or so, it is a bit of a blur), my facial muscles made a huge leap, they have swiftly progressed to the point that my family says there is no difference in the way that I look. I am now walking, doing some yoga, and riding the stationary trainer - very, very slowly (I hit 120 watts yesterday, briefly, and was pretty pumped - former 20 minute power > 300W). I am drawing every day to improve my fine motor skills. My family bought 9 acres of land outside of Charlottesville VA a while back, and David and I have dreamed of developing a multisport retreat there in the future. For now, I will use this as an inspiration for daily drawings (see below). I used to illustrate quite a bit, had the idea that I would go to art school at one time. Now, I am just happy to make a straight line. One has to manage expectations, not setting them too low, but just right so that they are perhaps JUST out of reach, but only if I fail to really stretch. Yesterday I composted for the first time (no turning, just dumped the stuff and threw some leaves on top). I made some pizza dough last night, thanks to our awesome mixer and dough hook. Walking in the garden and harvesting salad from the cold-frame is strenuous, but as fulfilling an act that I could ever imagine. I am not ready to go outside in my bike yet, I don't think I can balance it, but that will come in time. The trainer is pretty good. My goal for this coming week is toi get in the water, and begin swimming - I am hoping that David will join me and go through Finding Freestyle from the beginning, figure this is a pretty good test of the system - and maybe we can make some insightful improvements as we adapt to my condition.
My wife is absolutely amazing, who would have thought that at the age of 31 she would have to deal with her husband having a stroke? She has gotten all my paperwork for my day job straight - I will have a few weeks off without driving us to bankruptcy, which is a comfort. I can't really enumerate all of the ways in which she has been amazing through this process -- suffice it to say that being without her would be way worse than any stroke.
Patience I realized that I was watching the wattage every day on the bike, with an ambitious plan of increasing 5 minutes per day until I was up to riding 2 hours per day -- this plan is no longer in effect -- right now, what I have to do is to heal my neurological system. Biking is not for fitness -- now it is simply a means to stimulate my motor skill development (I broke a HR of 100 yesterday for a few minutes and it destroyed me). I am facing a few months of the worst aerobic shape of my life, but this is not only a reality, but something that I must embrace. I have been practicing Yoga for over 20 years now, and while even this is crazily strenuous, I can certainly do more of it than other aerobic activity, and I think that it will form a cornerstone of my recovery. This is serious business, as I realize that my body is very busy right now, too busy for me to push it -- it has it's own agenda, and I need to assist it, not interfere with it. If I find something really tiring, it is probably too much. I have one chance at this I think, so I don't want to screw it up. Maybe at the end of the summer I will do the state TT champs, a straight out and back - but my only fixed goals are to be able to ride my bike with my wife to our little local restaurant district.
Awareness Through Movement Over 20 years ago, I was told about a physical therapist named Moshi Feldenkrais, who developed a system called "Awareness Through Movement". I found some of the basic ideas that I was introduced to at the time to be so compelling, that they formed the basis of my investigations in coaching swimming. I even recently wrote a blog post with the title "Awareness Through Movement" - a phrase that I cribbed from Feldenkrais - somewhat unwittingly. However, this was pre-internet (or nascent internet) days. I could not find Feldenkrais's book, so I based all of my investigations on a scant set of facts given to me by my first Yoga teacher, Nancy Mattson. Yesterday, I googled and found a website where I could purchase Feldenkrais's book, and I ordered it -- it is time for me to go to "the source" as they say.
Opportunity I figure, as a person who teaches terrestrial creatures to develop the ability to perform non-terrestrial motions, this is a golden opportunity. I have never been the most talented athlete - physical skills come slowly - but I am generally pretty strong, and I have been gifted with a love of DOING. I enjoy training and playing. This IS a golden opportunity - I will experience first hand what it is like to deal with a compromised motor unit - if I am lucky I will learn things about how the human body acquires new skills. This has actually been my pursuit all along, but now I am being forced to focus on it personally, with an even greater humility and patience given my starting point. I hope to rehab myself to the point that I am more coordinated and capable than I was before. So, away we go. |
posted Feb 10, 2011 7:03 AM by David Luscan
Nothing too verbose here. The video should speak for itself. We really just wanted to give a more in depth view and explanation of the Float and Paddle drill, as it is fundamental to much of our program. The first 45 seconds are audio only with a blank screen.
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posted Dec 31, 2010 5:34 AM by Robert Burgholzer
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updated Dec 31, 2010 6:44 AM
]
The Finding Freestyle Advanced Training Group ended their 2010 aquatic year in Richmond with a tidy little 3 mile workout. I had given the option of a 2+ mile workout, but everyone who showed was eager to tackle the whole thing -- kind of like an all you can eat New Years Eve Buffet, everyone showed up hungry!
The workout involved a long warmup, then a ladder of sorts, where we focused a great deal on the role of the head in Statue of Liberty (SoL - shown in the video to the right), and 1-arm freestyle. When the head leads, the body will follow! For those of you who couldn't make it, or anyone looking for a good workout, here you go. When you get to the 8 x 100 in the middle, choose an interval that you can just make with less than :10 rest, and let it rip (the intervals in the margin of this workout are a suggested range depending on your swimming speed). Once you have pre-fatigued yourself on that, then you swim the 10 x 25 afterwards focusing on leading your stroke with your head to solidify your technique when tired.
This is a New Years gift of a workout, feel free to re-use, recycle and re-gift! If you aren't up for the 3 miler, scroll down to the bottom of the page, there is a second version of this workout that is about 2.25 miles. Have a safe and happy New Year! Enjoy!
ADVANCED TRAINING – 12/31/2010
EXTENDED REMIX (The long-form, ~3 Miles)
WARMUP
1 X 500 CHOICE
1 X 200 25 F&P/25 PULL
12 X 25 ODD – SWIM W/2 HEAD UP
BREATHS ANYWHERE DURING THE LENGTH
EVEN – 1-6 SoL, (Make sure that
your head “leads” the pull)
MAIN SET
1 X 400 PULL BREATHING 2/5 :20 REST
10 X 25 3-6 SoL (head leads) on
:30/:45
1 X 600 3 X [ 50 SWIM :30 REST
100 6-6 PULSE (1-BEAT/SWIM)
50 SWIM
10 X 25 1-arm FREE (head leads) on
:30/:45
8 X 100 ON TIGHT INTERVAL – JUST
MAKE IT on 1:25/2:25
10 X 25 SWIM – head leads on
:30/:45
1 X 600/350 KICK, FINS OPTIONAL :30
REST
10 X 25 SWIM (w/FINS if you have
them) on :30/:45
1 X 400 25 EASY / 25 SWIM w/1-BEAT
FAST :20 REST
REST 2:00
4 X 25 SPRINT on :30/:45
WARMDOWN
1 X
100
The Short Form (About 2.25 Miles) ADVANCED TRAINING –
12/31/2010
WARMUP
1 X 300 CHOICE
1 X 200 25 F&P/25 PULL
8 X 25 ODD – SWIM W/2 HEAD UP
BREATHS ANYWHERE DURING THE LENGTH
EVEN – 1-6 SoL, (Make sure that
your head “leads” the pull)
MAIN SET
1 X 300 PULL BREATHING 2/5 :20 REST
10 X 25 3-6 SoL (head leads) on
:30/:45
1 X 400 2 X [ 50 SWIM :30 REST
100 6-6 PULSE (1-BEAT/SWIM)
50 SWIM
10 X 25 1-arm FREE (head leads) on
:30/:45
5 X 100 ON TIGHT INTERVAL – JUST
MAKE IT on 1:25/2:25
10 X 25 SWIM – head leads on
:30/:45
1 X 400/250 KICK, FINS OPTIONAL :30
REST
10 X 25 SWIM (w/FINS if you have
them) on :30/:45
1 X 300 25 EASY / 25 SWIM w/1-BEAT
FAST :20 REST
REST 2:00
4 X 25 SPRINT on :30/:45
WARMDOWN 1 X 100
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posted Dec 19, 2010 7:59 AM by Robert Burgholzer
[
updated Dec 22, 2010 2:58 PM by David Luscan
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I see, hear about, and talk to so many people who have spent time diligently working on their stroke, implementing all of the corrections to the stroke flaws that they have been diagnosed with -- but to no avail. Folks stagnate in their swimming development so often, and often at levels of performance that I deem to be unfortunately far from their potential. How can these "corrections", which seem so obviously needed when looking at the underwater video analysis, the above water elbow position, and the high number of strokes per length -- how can they NOT WORK?!?!? I have MY explanations: paralysis by analysis, correcting something that is NOT a flaw (misdiagnosis), poor execution of a good concept, and the grand-daddy of them all - treating a SYMPTOM not a cause (you can use all of the Cortaid that you want, if you're wearing undies made of poison ivy that itch will not go away). But fundamentally, my experience has taught me that people are phenomenal engines of positive change when they are allowed to be free of the "answers" and taught to ask the right "questions".
In short, I have been working with an athlete who had started out at the 2:20-2:30 per 100 yards level a year ago (for a 300 time trial), and who had moved down to a 2:04 per 100 yards level by virtue of her kick alone. With this improvement, she had managed to complete the swim leg at IM Louisville well within the cut time and go on to have a fantastic race. Her pull however, had virtually no effect, despite her implementing (or perhaps emulating) every "correction" that had been given to her by other well-intentioned coaches over the last 2 years. If she wants to make the next jump in performance (down to the 1:40-1:50 per 100 level), the arms have got to come around. In 10 minutes towards the end of our workout yesterday she went from a pace of between :31-:32 seconds per 25 to a pace of :25 seconds per 25. I didn't give her any fixes. I didn't identify any new flaws. Other than helping her turn her brain off, and thus stripping away her reliance on her previous battery of corrections, I did nothing. She found the next level by simplifying her objectives, and I just swept in at the end with a stopwatch and helped to quantify, and validate her experience when she excitedly reported that she really "felt like she was puling some water". The story goes like this:
I had the pleasure of seeing an athlete yesterday at day #1 of our Advanced Training session yesterday, someone who had finally mastered some of the basics of kick rhythm, to the tune of dropping nearly a minute in her 300 yard time trial, and going from missing the cutoff time in the swim at her 2nd half Ironman distance race, to making the cut easily at her full Ironman attempt. However, her progress in the pool had stagnated, despite her adopting all of the "fixes" that some other coaches had identified for her. Fixes that for the most part, while not in my experience addressing the root cause, were at least "symptomatically" accurate. After some observation (about 45 minutes into the workout), I say "It looks to me as if your pull is, for lack of a better term, very 'premeditated' ". "Well it absolutely is!", she replied. "I have been focusing incredibly hard, every single stroke, on the things that [my other coaches] have been stressing with me". And she was, her stroke demonstrated very clearly, the following oft used concepts, criticisms, and instructions:
- Reaching "over a barrel" - her arms were distinctly adopting an early vertical forearm
- Pull down the centerline, don't cross-over, and stop pulling so deep - her hands were traveling right along the center line, close to the body with a 90 degree arm bend maintained throughout the sweep
- Get a longer stroke by finishing past your hip - her stroke had a nice "snappy" finish, achieving full extension, with the hand accelerating out of the water.
The only problem? There was virtually NO propulsion resulting!
Now, this is a person who makes her living with her mind. She is quite capable of juggling 5 mental balls simultaneously, and she probably feels in her element when doing so. But unfortunately, this isn't the best way to develop the body-brain harmony that is needed to swim fast. And perhaps more importantly, I doubt that this is why she has decided to tackle Ironman distance racing. I suspect that it is more the pursuit of the visceral experience that motivates folks like her, folks whose days are spent immersed in a river of information, ideas, deadlines and objectives. Endurance sports are the ultimate way to reunite the brain with the body, and for a change, to let the body do the talking.
So how did this transpire? Well, the last set of yesterdays workout called for 10 x 25, odd 25s done with the 3-6 Statue of Liberty drill, even kicking on their back. Since I really wanted to give her the opportunity to "strip things down", I advised her to do the float and paddle drill instead of SoL. Since this is a person who has been through our 12 week basic technique course, she is well versed in the F&P drill, and was able to take it to another level. I suggested that she execute the F&P in such a way as to only focus on "flinging her arms" with each movement of the body.
My hope was that she would really let go of any control over the trajectory of the hands and arms, completely giving it up to the motion of the body. Then I let her go on about her business. Almost immediately, however, I began to notice that her 25s of F&P were coming in at a pace that were as fast or faster than what she was producing in an earlier set of 50s swim (:30-:31 for the F&P versus a pace of 1:04-1:08 on some 50s earlier in the workout). Now this was great in and of itself, and not and uncommon occurrence for swimmers at her level who are just experimenting with these drills. I was going to leave it be, with a note jotted in my workout log to follow up on this next week at practice. Then right at the end of the set, I noticed her swimming instead of kicking the even 25s, looking a good deal improved. Then a dialog began:
"Did you see that?", she urgently asked me.
"What's that?", I said. "I mean, I saw your Float and Paddle, it looked really nice."
"No, just then! Was that right?!?!", she asked.
"Well, I don't know, what do you think?".
She pressed on, "I really felt like I was pulling some water! But was it right?!?!"
I grabbed my watch, and said, "Why don't we find out?". So, she swam a 25 free, in :25.7. Her fastest 25 of the day (and probably her career), by over 5 seconds. Again she asked me if what she was doing was "correct", and I told her that I trusted her body-brain better than I trusted what I thought, and I wasn't trying to be coy -- it's really how I feel, and what I think is best. And we both trust the watch.
It doesn't always happen this suddenly, and in truth, she has been walking down this path for over a year, with great leaps forward and periods of stagnation. All the physical experiences that she has availed herself of over the recent months have led up to, and formed a basis for this recent step. Perhaps even the time spent mechanically endeavoring to adopt stroke fixes and thus having a really stark example to contrast against when she had that first realization that she was really "pulling some water". |
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