Tri Tip of the Week (August 7, 2006)
>>
>> I’ve enjoyed moving to a new level in swimming this
>> year, which I believe
>> is due (in part) to a few minor changes to my swim
>> training. First, I
>> have incorporated a new swim device into my drills.
>> The device is called
>> a “TechPaddle”, which assists swimmers with
>> developing what is called a
>> “Early Vertical Forearm” or EVF. EVF allows the
>> swimmer to keep their
>> elbow high in the water when beginning their pull.
>> In doing so, more
>> surface area from the arm is used in the
>> pull…allowing for a more
>> efficient and more powerful stroke. By practicing
>> EVF with and without the
>> TechPaddles, I have become more efficient and more
>> powerful in the water.
>>
>> In addition to devloping my EVF, I have changed my
>> normal practice of
>> doing longer sets (5 x 500, 4 x 1000, or 1 x 5000)in
>> the water. I became
>> accustomed to doing longer sets when preparing for
>> Ironman events. What I
>> learned is that going long has its purpose, but
>> should only be done
>> sparingly. For me, going long usually meant going
>> at a fairly
>> “comfortable” pace, which was usually slower than
>> the tempo I wanted to
>> hold in the actual race. This year, I switched my
>> workouts around a
>> little bit. Instead of going 5 x 500 for my main
>> set (averaging 1:20-1:22
>> per 100), for example, I would do a ladder and hold
>> my tempo or “T” pace
>> throughout the set (1:15-1:17 per 100). The ladder
>> would look something
>> like this: 100-200-300-400-500-400-300-200-100
>> totaling around 2500
>> yards (+ WU and CD).
>>
>> I hope this edition helps you with your perspective
>> on swimming. To learn
>> more about TechPaddles, you can go to
>> www.techpaddle.com

In honor of gourging myself with tasty bird on November 24, I plan on doing something a bit on the side of crazy on the day before Thanksgiving this year. I’m calling it “Trout’s Pre-Turkey Day 10K…..SWIM”. This will be the first continuous swim of this length that I have ever done. Totaling over 6 miles, this will be an adventure in submersion unlike anything I have experienced in my history as a triathlete. I have recruited some of my friends to join me in this self-inflicted pain.

The pool is open for 3 hours in the morning (5 a.m. - 8 a.m.), so we have a cutoff time as well. The plan is to offer a variety of distances to swimmers with a little less experience in the water….or for those who are simply not as foolish as I. We’ll offer a 5k torturefest, an 8k torturefest, and the granddaddy of them all….the 10k torturefest. All of this will be in good fun, and I’ll plan on rewarding each swimmer’s efforts with a small token of recognition for accomplishing the “beast”…..probably a can of “Popeye” spinach or something!

In order to keep everyone together and to hydrate properly throughout the swim, we plan on swimming 20 x 500 swims…..starting a new 500 every 9 minutes. I believe Gatorade and CarboPro will be the choice drinks that morning.

Upon finishing, some of the “crazies” may join me for a 10k run and then maybe breakfast. One thing is for sure though…we will all sleep well that night. It should also be mentioned, that not one of us will feel guilty about going back for “seconds” on Thanksgiving Day!