I had a great swim today. No fast intervals to hit, but steady longish intervals at 1:40 pace and I felt GREAT! I checked my pace every 100yards and I was right on it (except for the last 300 pull, I kind of lost focus during the middle 100 and swam it at around 1:48 but then I refocused and got immediately to 1:40 for the last 100m)!
I felt powerful and really enjoyed it! It was the same feeling as when I was runnig mile repeats at 10kish pace with 1min rest. Not too hard to make me hurt but rather feeling strong and confident. Love it!
The highlight was that I was supposed to do 500yards with pull buoy, paddles and band. I was not sure whether I should try to hit 1:40ish pace, which I knew would never be possible. Michelle asked me whether I am already at the point when I swim faster with paddles. WHAT?!? I am supposed to get to the point when I swim faster with paddles? Is that even possible?!? Ok, it kinda makes sense because paddles increase you arm/hand area and thus more power to pull you through water but paddles also make it harder because you have to have enough arm strength to actually pull through water with larger area. And paddle work is sooo hard for me.
So I chuckled at the thought of going faster with paddles and decided to do my best aka try to keep 2min pace. But I did it, I did that 500 at 1:42 pace! My arms completely fell off in the last 75yards though. I felt great until around 425 yards and then my arms dies:) But I never thought that I would be able to pull with paddles and bands around my ankles as fast as I can go just swimming. And then still have enough strength to do 2 more intervals @ 1:40- not with paddles though.
It seems that I am really getting some arms! Awesome.
I also found a pretty good and efficient way to enter the water with paddles and that made it easier.
If only my running were as great as my swimming:(
I did another run today (5x2min run, 1min walk) and ITB did not feel 100% neither during nor afterwards. It did not hurt, I just felt tension building up. But that was not anything that icing and rolling would not take care off. And then during the swim when I was pushing off the wall I think that I sometimes felt it when I was concentrating on it (when I was concentrating on a swim I was not aware of it so it was probably, HOPEFULLY, only my sensitivity and being little hypochondriac about it at this moment.
I am going to take a day off running tomorrow.
Oceanside 70.3 #14
1 week ago
Your crack me up. Look at the progress you've made though- it's awesome. Soon you'll be pulling faster than you swim. For me, the difference is ~5 sec/100 faster with paddles.
ReplyDeleteI was reading today about how IT band issues are typically caused by lack of core strength... and abductors... so that might need to be your focus for a while?
Interesting. I love swimming with paddles and I am way faster with them. I think they help me have better form, they force me to keep my elbows high. The difference in how I feel in the water when I use paddles is huge. Oh, and if you give me paddles AND pull buoy, it's amazing! But, I typically don't use the buoy...
ReplyDeleteAbout the ITB...I think it may help to look at your shoes. I know you like your Kohls shoes, but if they are stability shoes and you are neutral, they could be the reason for the ITB. If you go to google shopping you can find good shoes that are not that expensive. Just a thought!
Ok, so paddles: What size paddles do you have? Mine are pretty big (I am going to post a picture in my next post) and thus it is hard to pull with them because I do not have strength necessary to move then through water. Actually, now I maybe do have the strength but it was horrible when I first started.
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was normal to be slow with paddles:)
Abduction strength: I have read about it. And abduction work is one of my favorite in the gym. But I think that since I am able to do hip abductions on a machine 3x12 rep with 90 pounds no problem I am strong enough there. There might be some imbalances though:(
Shoes: Of course I thought about shoes! Immediately when the ITB started acting up in 2009 I got real running shoes fitted for me for 150Euros and it did not help. I tried again last year and I actually still run in them, but apparently no real success. So I gave up and went back to my nice Kohl's shoes. I have used Kohl's shoes since I came to the US and had no problem, I also ran in Kohl's shoes last fall when I did not have ITB problem. Therefore I do not think that the problem is shoes.