I swam 3250m at the Akdeniz University pool. The water was 31 C. Started at 10:50.
10x 50m gentle, ‘check-in’ warm-up
5x this set:
- 50 fist, 50 full-hand
- 50 fist, 100m full-hand
- 50 fist, 150m full-hand
The objective was to maximize the catch, while holding minimum SPL. Open-turns (to reduce exertion in hot water).
I held 14 SPL on all full-hand stroke lengths, and 16 SPL on all fisted stroke lengths.
Then 20x 25m w/ zoomers. 12M u/w dolphin and 12m slide/glide drill
COMMENTARY
The pool was hot as I expected on a Saturday with all the childrens lessons. I came open-minded to follow what ever came up after my check-in. I just swam as slow and relaxed as I could and let myself be pulled into the main set.
The restrictions of hot water are giving me the opportunity (the excuse) to simply work on lengthening my stroke and turn away from external pressures to ‘go hard’ and get it done. I certain want and need to come to the pool to work on something purposeful, to spend my time on priorities, but I need to come and enjoy the peace than only internal motivations can provide and flow with the feedback that I trust from my body. I am aiming to improve my speed and distance abilities in preparation for my 10km goals this summer, but it is in lower priority to my need to simply be refreshed andn energized by my swim time for the life I live outside the water. My life has enough challenges and external pressures that test my courage and focus and perseverence all the time- my pool time is about practicing techniques that reduce stress, not induce it.
I followed through with my conclusions from last week that I need to work on a consistently full-catch. Fist work is perfect for this.
I kept the fist work short so that I would be able to hold my focus on the full-catch and not feel compelled to just stroke away and get it over with. It is better to do less meters and better quality than more meters and less quality. As they say, “Practice makes permanent, not perfect.” I had to keep focus on every stroke to hold 16 SPL on the fist work. And just as much I had to hold focus without fail to hold 14 SPL on the full-hand work. On #4 set I started to feel my focus grow a little weary- funny that it was my mind that felt tired more than my muscles- and I started to go 14+. But I recognized this as the point at which I would start stretching my endurance-of-focus. And the longer I could go the deeper I would be imprinting this longer SL.
I felt pleased that even a winter spent in a hot-water pool will still be able to produce some valuable training that otherwise I might not have given such good attention to.
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