Sheila Runs

So I started a Masters Swim program at Mt. SAC back on June 17, 2010. Six weeks ago today. Although I seem to do fairly well at self-coaching myself on running, I have  no swimming background and I’m not very good at it and I knew I needed someone with knowledge to watch me, coach me, give me tips. I did do some reading…Total Immersion swimming books, articles on Active.com, TriSwimCoach.com, BeginnerTriathlete.com. And reading was good, and did help, and I did try to use the advice. However, implementing what I read was just not going all that great without a coach.

Now one thing I did notice was that a lot of the reading material encouraged drills. The TriSwimCoach specifically encouraged doing as much drills as you could stand. And other sites also recommended drills for improving stroke technique and efficiency. It makes sense. In running I do speedwork on the track and I would say that is analagous to drills in the pool. I know that speedwork really does help me. I have to assume with all these articles recommending swim drills that that would help me, too.

But I really hate drills. Or at least, when I was trying to figure out swimming on my own, I really, really disliked them and almost never did them. I would maybe do a few laps of drills. Less than 1/4 of my workout for sure. Maybe much less than that. And then freestyle all the way, baby, because that seems to be the most fun to me.

Well, the coach at Masters Swim has me doing lots of drills. And I chose Masters Swim to help me, so I’m going along with everything the coach recommends. He’s supposed to be the one who knows a lot more about swimming than I do. I also post my workouts on the DailyMile.com site, and try to list out all the drills, etc. on my workouts.

So today @bfrien asked me on Twitter:

@sheswimbikerun Do U find that the drills actually help? Fists, kicking, etc Would U rather just work on endurance? Im just not into drills

Well, Bob, I’m sure at least some of the drills are helping. I know that some of the drills have got me lifting my arms up higher out of the water and in the ocean swimming this is really helping so that I don’t drag my arm or hand through the water. And the angle that my hand enters the water has changed, to good effect I think. And I’m pulling better through my stroke. I can increase the turnover/tempo of my stroke when I really think about it (hoping this becomes more automatic, soon). I think I’m developing a better feel for the water, which definitely helps to work with the water and have less resistance.

I’m not sure about all the drills he tells me to do (they vary from day to day). He’s had me do some butterfly and breaststroke drills (if you ever want to see something funny come watch me try to do butterfly). I did ask him specifically about why he was having me do those for triathlon (he KNOWS I’m a triathlete and we focus on that a lot). He said for cross-training and building some of my other muscles. There are other drills I’ve asked about, too. Haven’t asked about the fist swimming, but I think the point of that is to develop a feel for the water on the underside of the forearm to improve the stroke.

Also, I had the opportunity a while back to do a swim workout with Coach Gareth at UCLA. He had us start with drills. First kicking only on the left side, a few laps. Then on the right side, a few laps. Then swimming with only one arm stroking. First left side for a few laps, then on the right. Then we did catch-up drills. Then we switched to doing “nearly” catchup, with focus on getting a rhythm going. This was kinda cool, and for a bit I had this really nice rhythm going and it felt fantastic. I think that getting a rhythm like that down would help a lot with cutting down resistance in the water and helping the speed be better. I want to try and repeat that swim session some time on my own. Haven’t felt that way since, but haven’t really tried to repeat it. But doing the drills…building up to the “nearly catchup” was the key. So the selected drills for that buildup workout really did help.

In summary, I know much of the drill stuff is helping and I’m just trying to put my trust and faith in the coach, which is why I signed up for Masters Swim in the first place. I know he has much more knowledge of swimming than I do.

I’m planning on re-upping at the end of this term. I think it is helping me lots more than when I was just trying to figure out swimming on my own.