The view from reporter Paul Tenorio's bedroom window at bedtime (left) and when he wakes up. (Photos by Paul Tenorio/The Washington Post)
Washington Post reporter Paul Tenorio will train with a swim club over the next few months and chronicle his journey as he attempts to transform from regular guy/sports reporter to competitive swimmer — everything from his waistline to his best times
As you can see from the pictures to the right, my sleep schedule is sort of weird.
Going to bed when it’s light out and waking up when it’s dark as night seems a bit backward, eh? But that’s part of this whole journey for me, changing my schedule around and dedicating myself the way any normal Curl-Burke swimmer does.
Today was a new type of experience for me in the pool. The focus was much more on technique than anything else, and I loved it. I am really starting to learn exactly how I can fix what I’m doing wrong, and through that become a faster and more efficient swimmer.
I worked mainly with Curl-Burke Coach Matt Murray, specifically on my breathing and my flip turns — working on breathing to both my right and left instead of just to my left.
I am learning that even though I feel more comfortable breathing to my left, I actually have a more efficient stroke when I breathe to my right. And that my approach to the flip is improving, but I still have a ways to go when I come off the wall. (Darn my tendency to take a large gasp for air coming off the wall and out of my streamline.)
I started with my simplest warm-up yet, a 100 broken into 25s of 12.5 right stroke only-12.5 left stroke only, regular swim, kick, regular swim. Then I moved immediately into working on my turn with Matt.
My problems in the flip turn, at different times, have been my arm control, the speed of my flip, and my tendency to not be efficient enough coming off the wall. I worked on all those things with help from Matt, focusing on turning closer to the wall and getting my hands out in a streamline immediately as to not fight the water on my way back away from the wall.
After several flips — I’d say upwards of 10-15 — Matt moved on to focusing on my stroke. We did several 50- and 25-yard stints where I would focus on my breathing, going three strokes between breaths so that I was forced to breathe to both sides. Some of these came with fins on so that I could focus on my stroke for longer, instead of tiring out. The four 25-yard swims were mixed with “resting” periods of bobbing.
What is bobbing, you ask?
To focus on my breathing and make sure I was exhaling fully before inhaling, I would duck underwater and fully exhale before coming out and taking a breath 10 times before turning and heading out on the next 25.
Finally, I finished by focusing on my head, making sure I was looking down at the bottom of the pool by swimming 75s, one lap looking up, one looking down at the black stripe and one lap looking at my toes. I learned that while it feels way more efficient in the second and third laps, it’s also way harder to breathe. Matt promised he had some tricks of the trade he would share with me soon.
Jeff and Matt also noticed, though, that when I looked further down, I naturally fell into the straight-arm freestyle that Michael Phelps recently ditched. It’ll be interesting to see how this all comes into play with my stroke as I continue to hone in on doing it perfectly.
My practice ended with some … torture.
I headed to the deep end for vertical kicking. Staying straight up in the water, hands on my shoulders, I would kick to stay afloat — 30 seconds, 1 minute, 1:30, 2 minutes, 2:30, 3 minutes and then back down. Mixed in as “rest” were 50-yard freestyles.
Thankfully, Jeff saved me after I started back down, stopping me after my 2:30 and 50 free. As much work as it was, it felt good to do it. I can feel myself getting in better shape, working out my legs and I am starting to see the results in my every day life. This project is becoming one of the best things ever to happen to me.
All-in-all, another great workout and I continue to look forward to what’s ahead. Mainly, my second time swimming for time on Thursday.
The first time I gave it a go was last Monday, when I followed my first workout by jumping in the pool with no stretching or warm-up seven hours after the soreness set in and tried to swim again. My times were horrible. I want to drop 10 seconds on Thursday. Realistic? Maybe not. But in my head that’s the goal I’m setting.
My first time: 100-meters, 1:26.95; 50-meters, 38.67.
Yard conversions: 100, 1:17.91; 50, 34.65
My goals for Thursday: 100 free, 1:07.91; 50 free, 29.00
I’ll have much more on my goal-setting in tomorrow’s blog, so stay tuned. Also, for all those commenting and wanting workout summaries, I will certainly try to accomodate…beginning later this week.
Tags: Michael Phelps
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As a parent of swimmers (kids now grown up), your photos reminded me of what my windows looked like when I went to bed and waking up to drive my kids to swim practice at “O Dark 30″.
One memory I have of driving to early morning practice is shoveling snow at 4:30 in the morning to get out of the driveway. That time the snow plow cleared the street several hours before and formed a snow pile in front of the drive way. My son and I tried to break apart the snow, or more accurately, frozen ice. After about 10 minutes of loud banging at the snow bank and not making very much of a dent in the pile, I told my son let’s just skip practice that morning and go back to bed.
As you go into the wall on your flip turn…put your chin right against your chest as you flip…it’ll help you get your feet over the top and keep you squared to the wall.
You said; “I am starting to see the results in my every day life.” How ’bout an example.
Hang in there!
Enjoy the column. Thank you.
Between your column and Dara Torres’ book wonder what it would take for a 40+ former summer league swimmer to get into Masters and not be a total flop.
To improve your times, please have the Post spring for an X-Glide suit. It would be interesting to have a first hand account of putting on the suit and how it improves your times.