I Fartleked in the pool....

Ok, not really, but my juvenile mind thought that sounded really funny:)  I did have a video swim analysis in the pool though.  I recommend it to anyone that is looking to improve their stroke and is more of a visual learner than than an audible learner.  I was doing some major things incorrectly as well as some little things that I wasn't even aware of.

The group that I did the video swim analysis for me was BPC Performance Systems (www.buildpeakcompete.com) out of Memphis.  The instructor that gave my lesson was Dale Sanford.  Excellent teacher and very easy to talk to.  If you are looking to improve your swim, bike, run or all three, and are in the Memphis area, give them some consideration.  Top notch group!

Back to my swim analysis though.  Two of the bigger things that I need to correct in my swim stroke are the fact that I tend to swim uphill (meaning I drop my legs) and my kick is inconsistent and at times very flawed.  Both of these I was aware of subconsciously, but seeing what I was doing wrong, has allowed me to focus on the best ways to correct them.  In reality, the two are tied to each other.  If I improve my kick, it will help to correct my uphill swimming.  I have always had a poor kick.  I am not consistent in the number of beats per stroke and I have some form issues (especially when I rotate to breath).  To combat this, I have been focusing one swim session each week to fin work.  I am starting to see some improvements, but have some work to do.

Some of the smaller things that I was unaware of that BPC pointed out, were that I rotate a bit to much when I breath (I also had been only breathing unilaterally) and that my thumb is the first part of my arm that enters the water.  What is the big deal with this you might ask?  Well, when my thumb enters the water first, it is causing my shoulders to over rotate which then pushes my underwater stroke off to the side instead of straight back.  The over rotating issue I have further exasperates this issue.  I have been using a second swim session each week focusing on pull drills.  In doing so, I have been able to get about 80% comfortable bilateral breathing.  In doing so, it has really helped with my overall swim body balance. I am not quite there, but I am definitely seeing improvement, and that in of itself is enough for me to justify the swim analysis session and allow me to look forward to better swimming in the future.  Good stuff by BPC Performance Systems!

Rev3 Knoxville is only 5 weeks away.  The weather has finally made a turn allowing outside riding to be possible.  Here we go!  Keep smiling and keep training hard...