With my 1500m freestyle looming and pace numbers running through my already-jumbled mind, I can't help thinking: damned flip turns.
Fact: I used to be, in my lithe-yet-flat-chested years, a competent distance swimmer. I believe my 1650 time was 17:19. Yes, I was young and peppy, but my turns must have been at least good enough not to elicit jeers from my lanemates.
Now fast forward. (If I were a piece of toast, I'd be just getting crispy and slightly browned.) Sure, I swim slower in practice than I used to. That's natural. But the flip turn should be like the dive...ageless. It's like when you gain weight -- your feet stay the same size! And your ears and nose. But I digress.
I'm not sure if it's the turn or the the push-off which is technically my biggest problem. I was convinced it was my push-off, so last year I invested in a 20-lb. kettlebell so that I could secretly do rigorous squat-and-swing workouts at home and surprise my teammates with my super-girl push-offs. Sadly, it hurt my back and is now sitting in the corner getting in the way of my feeble attempts to vacuum.
Having discovered open water swimming recently, I am suddenly and deeply in love. I don't know whether it's the freedom of the wide open, the ease with which I can find a rhythmic pace, or the total and complete absence of walls to contend with that make it such a good fit for me. Perhaps my "head-up" body position, once again ridiculed by some lanemate (s), is tailor-made for sighting.
All I know is this: there are 59 turns in the 1500m free. If I'm losing half a second each time, that's 30 seconds. Coach Ilkka was right all along!
It may be too late for my race this weekend, but I am hereby making a solemn vow to myself and my 10 Blog Followers to stop ignoring my deficiencies. They will be rooted out, one by one, and exterminated!
Well, I'm still not going to kick...
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Honestly, I think your flip turns are better than they have ever been, but there is always room for improvement and your kick is definitely better than it's ever been so if you combine the two of them in perfection at and off the wall--VIOLA--you will be faster! On the road to perfection!
ReplyDeleteMaybe Kim will give the team this for a set and make us switch lanes around to get comparable speed people swimming at the same time - 20 x 50 on :50 (work the turns). If you were between Ben and me you'd be able to gauge it better. How about it Kim?
ReplyDeleteI think you should work on sleeeping later. Exterminate that sleep deficiency. Although you may be going to bed at 8pm for all I know.
ReplyDeleteBillDog, I think that's Pacific time you're seeing. I'm Eastern time. ...Although I have been known to hit the hay at 8!
ReplyDeleteThe first step to a cure is admitting you have a problem.
ReplyDeleteHey, Kim, how about Texas 50's on Monday?
I don't know, sometimes I think it's not the flipturn that's the problem for us girls, but the streamline. Guys have some sort of weird propulsion off the wall (picturing Bolio laughing at me from the next lane, EVERY DAMN TURN). Good luck on Sunday. Any chance there is a live feed of your race? Wish I could be there!
ReplyDeleteI agree with AWK, swimming next to, as opposed to behind someone you want to emulate helps a great deal.
ReplyDelete