Obsession With Swimming

If you watch a world class swimmer in slow motion video, can that help you to improve?  My theory is maybe.......just noticing the guy's rhythm and body position in the water, how his arms and legs move, etc.  Maybe I could stop consciously thinking and unconsciously incorporate his technique without the thousands of hours of practice he's been through.   Not likely?  Well, at least it's entertaining. Below is slow motion underwater video of Australian swimmer, Ian Thorpe:

Team Costumes

Dressing up in costume definitely contributed to the fun of our last coached practice.  Below I'm including photos of some of the costumed participants:

Iron Man and Woman (competing in half ironman)

1980's escapees

Social Butterflies

Costumed Practice

Last  Saturday our TNT triathlon team held the "Ride and Tie" event (otherwise known as practice in costume).  The term "Ride and Tie" comes from races in the days of the old West when teams of two would compete with each other (one member on foot, the other on horseback, trading off with each other along the way).  Katie D'Silva was my partner (she's doing the Olympic distance Mighty Mermaid).  Instead of a horse, we had Katie's mountain bike to trade off).  Because I'm doing the sprint distance, our team did 2 loops around the perimeter of the park.  Each time a team would complete a lap, they were required to run up a steep hill (holding hands) and to perform one or more "strange and/or humiliating tasks" and then run back down to start the next lap.

Costumes varied from Iron Man/Woman to Hawaiian tourists, social butterflies, a cereal killer, etc.  Katie and I were supposed to be crazy artists but I think we both looked like strangely dressed tourists of some kind (bike clothing + scarves and jewelry/lei/broom skirt).

It was a lot of fun, especially with all of the costumes!  Below are some photos:

 

   Katie & I coming in 2nd place for Sprint group

          

  Me in action on Katie's mountain bike

Team in Training triathlon team (Silicon Valley/Monterey)

The Training Continues

Wow, am I spending a lot of time and focus on training and, in particular, on swimming!  Yesterday, we had a TNT practice with cycling and swimming.  The cycling wasn't too bad..no hills to speak of, no falls, fairly short.  Swimming, on the other hand, was focused on building aerobic capacity and form.  I made a bit of a breakthrough when I realized I needed to really exaggerate the rolling from side to side.  That made it much easier to breath, reach with high elbow and I was noticeably faster.  Re: aerobic capacity, I felt like my lungs were bursting, but I kept going!  At least I'm losing weight and firming up.  Feels very good, overall.  I think I will now be swimming 4 to 5 days/week.

Came home from practice yesterday by about 1PM.  Did some errands on the way home.  Stopped at Whole Foods as I was starving.  Very bad move!  Never grocery shop when you're famished!!  Spent way too much and not that wisely either!

I'm usually dehydrated, so I take it as a good sign that I'm way more aware of my thirst level and that I need to drink more often.  So, I think I'm staying more hydrated!

It is blazing hot here!  Has been for about a week!  Thank goodness, we practice very early in the morning or in the evening.  I'm enjoying summer and being on the Team although I'm finding I way overcommitted myself!  Most time is going into training followed by lying around comatose or napping!

Swimming Technique - Freestyle

I am obsessed with building my freestyle technique/comfort as you may have noted from my blog.
Below is a video example of "perfection" or very close to from the www.swimsmooth.com website.

Swimming, Gardening, Carmen the dog

Wow, I feel like I am living in the pool (i.e. chlorinated water) these days.  The good news is that I've found a great private swim instructor (Kelly McPhail - the SwimPro) and I'm moving forward.  Holy Cow, there's a lot to coordinate with the front crawl stroke!  In today's lesson, I was able to move across the full pool (deep end and all) while taking good breaths and trying to get high elbows to push forward into stroke!  More practice to get this down.  Next lesson Thursday evening.

Among the many things I do, gardening is one hobby I absolutely love.  So, have been nurturing new seedlings in back yard raised beds through heat spells.  Flowers are blooming and I'm working on unfinished areas as well as taking out ivy in the back corner of our yard.

We adopted Carmen, the golden retriever, from Homeward Bound rescue two years ago in October.  Henry and I don't have children, so she is like our substitute child.  She is 11 years old and oh so wonderful!  Almost always so mellow.  She lets me hug and kiss her as much as I want to.  She is just a bundle of love.  We treasure her.  Below are several photos of her:

Training, Art, Poetry

Well, haven't posted in a few days.  So busy I can hardly tell which end is up!

Swim training is not doing the trick on its own to get me comfortable in water again.  A long time ago, I took a several classes with Melon Dash (Conquer Fear of Water) and I felt amazingly fearless of water.   I even did open water snorkeling with her and with Henry on our honeymoon.  It's a matter of confidence.  Give me a pair of fins and I can go anywhere (I know I can tread a very long time with fins).  I even used to swim 5 days/week in a deep water pool.  However, lack of practice for years has apparently taken its toll.  So, today I'm starting special lessons!  Counting on that to do the trick!

The literary magazine is going into its final stages!  Wow!  So much work!!  I sent in a last minute art submission.  See below:

Its titled "Do You Really See Me?*" based on Edward Weston's 1932 photograph of Harold Kreuzberg, from "The Form of the Nude," by Edward Weston.

Based on an email last night, it looks like one of my poems will make it into the DeAnza College literary magazine.  I'm posting it below:

Excavation*

From the dark side of the moon,

I watched ice crystals fall,

like paratroopers into a war zone.

Their arcs drew borders in blood

across a vast span of blizzard.

“God wills it” they called

with each strike of the sword,

cutting away

the softness  of gentle powder,

leaving behind clear blue ice.

I searched

for the safety of Mother Mountain,

the towering spirit of pines,

the rising wings of free form flight.

But the snow had turned red,

melted under the righteous heat

of the sun.

The Sahara stretched to infinity.

Where are the fields of green

.I trusted in,

the spring of still waters?

The call whispered from a great distance,

the dark side of the moon.

It said, “Turn the light on,

within

and look again.”

* all rights reserved by artist, Marlene G. McNew