Swim Video Analysis / Mooseman Crew / Dreadmill / Yoga

Genine and I are on Coach Q’s schedule for a swim video analysis on March 20^th. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time now. Although I think up until very recently most of the feedback I would have received would have been about body position as that was (maybe still is) my biggest problem. Now I’m hoping there will be more feedback about what I’m doing wrong with my left arm. I still feel that I’m not pulling properly on that side. Well actually, I’m not sure I pull properly on either side. I’m also hoping this video session might be a step towards learning what I need to change so that I’m using my lats more when I swim.

To follow up the video session, Genine and I are signed up for 5 lessons, 1 per week, with Coach Q. Not only am I excited to see if he can bump me up another step like he did last year. I’m very confident that he is going to help Genine move her swim up to the next level. It’s going to be fun.

The other fun news I got yesterday is that our friend Steve is going to join us at Mooseman this year. Genine and I were definitely disappointed when they dropped the relay division. That eliminated 6 or more of our friends from going up and competing. Not to mention any entourage they may have brought along with them as a support group. So weren’t sure what to expect this year in terms of our “party”. So far we have Maija, Amy and Steve racing with us. The Farmhouse is filling up! You know that house prefers to be full.

This morning it was raining. Jim’s going to think I’m a wimp but I have a tough time getting inspired to run by myself in a 35 degree rain. I’ve wanted to start interval training. So I decided to try out the treadmill. I’m not sure I can remember the last time I’ve run on the treadmill. I certainly didn’t have a clue as to what speeds I was going to attempt or how many. I was thinking 6 ¼ mile intervals. I warm up, slowly increasing the pace. It always seems to take a bit to remember how to treadmill run without running off the front of the track. Once I was warmed up I started to increase the speed to find out what my top speed was going to be this morning. It ended up being just shy of a 7-minute mile. I’m not sure I’ve ever run on this thing that fast. Certainly a long way from that first 10-minute mile 5K I celebrated 3 years ago. I managed to do 5 ¼ mile intervals with 1/8^th mile recoveries. Aerobically more was possible, I was just trying to play it smart for a change. Speed work has a way of beating up my adductors and hip flexors and I was feeling the adductors on the 5^th interval. So I cooled down and stretched out.

You know what? That was actually tolerable, not dreadmill like at all. Obviously I don’t want to do much of my running on a treadmill but I think I’m going to be doing that again soon.

Yoga: I’m sure to look at me doing yoga, many people would think “why does he bother? He’s never going to be good at this” I know one of the reasons is that I now know how to stretch myself out much better than in previous years. There are stretches/poses that I’d never have thought of, or know how to do to stretch something out. That right there is worth the price of admission. Not to mention it’s a fun group. Last night Shaun and his wife Brie joined the class, our friend Alexis has already been a regular for awhile now. The joke last night was that they would paint a red box around my yoga mat and put a sign up that read “splash zone, you will get wet”, like they have at those Sea World Shows. It was a full class last night with plenty of splash zone potential. I wasn't too bad this week tho'. I'm guessing because I didn't bike before class, or maybe because Tiffany had the A/C on for longer than she typically would. (probably the A/C).