There was a lot of this -- streamlining -- in today's practice. Only I actually had my hands together like I was supposed to. Here I don't. Bad form kids, bad form. (Photo by Jeff King/Curl-Burke)
Follow Paul Tenorio on Twitter
A new week and a new start. After the disappointment of last Friday I just wanted to get into the pool and get things rolling again. I was the first one out on deck this morning — that was both a part of the fresh start and also keeping in mind Jeff’s words last week to the people that got out to practice right at 4:30, myself included: We should’ve been on deck sooner. He didn’t need to tell me twice.
Today’s workout involved some more breath control, and so I rocked the fins a good amount in order to actually survive some of what we did. And it felt good. I felt like I was able to do some good things and I tried for the most part to focus on some technical aspects. As I look back on the workout, I feel like my primary focus is going to be on my breathing and its impact on my stroke. If I continue to breathe mostly to my left side, I have a tendency to start crossing my stroke over my body.
In other words, imagine that there is a line that splits right through the middle of your body. If you’re doing a proper stroke, your arms should never cross that line. Mine tend to do that a bit more. What does Jeff call that again? Oh yes, “The Claw.” Which makes me think of either ‘Liar, Liar,’ or ‘Toy Story.’
As I sit here right now, I’m having trouble recalling exactly how practice broke down. The warm-up was something like 10 50s on a minute. Maybe 15? Then I think we went to the breath control with a focus coming into and out of the wall.
Why are walls important? Well, as Jeff pointed out to us all today, they consume such a huge portion of the race. Imagine you’re swimming a 200 freestyle. From the flags in and back out, that’s about eight yards. With seven walls in a 200, that’s 56 yards or nearly 30 percent of your race just in the walls alone. So getting in and out of there quickly is important.
First, we started off on the third black line, which is probably about 8 to 10 yards out, and you’d swim with no breath and then flip and streamline to the third black line. You’d swim the next three lines breathing as much as you liked, and then when you hit the other side you again went no breath for three lines. Then a flip and back out on a streamline for three lines. We did … I think 10 of those? Maybe eight. I forget.
Then we did sets of 100s. You’d go two black lines streamline, no breaths on the first 25, three black lines off the second wall, four black lines off the third wall and back to two on the final one. It wasn’t easy. Luckily I had fins on and so I was able to actually do it, otherwise I don’t think I would have made it.
We also did sets of 100s where you’d go kicking on your right to the flags, no breath flip, kicking on your left 25 no breath flip, then kicking on your stomach and then 25 fast. I did four of those with fins and one without.
And finally it was 20 25s, freestyle up and back/breast/fly back again focusing on your dolphin kick coming off the wall.
At the end of practice, Jeff threw a curveball at me. He told me to finish up my 15th and 16th 25s and then get ready to swim a 50 free for time from a push start. I wasn’t expecting it and it was at the end of practice, which always makes me nervous, but I got ready. I had never done a push start and I wasn’t sure how much slower my time would be.
When I hit the wall at the end of the 50, I didn’t get my time right, but was told by Coach Matt Murray that it was 32.3 from the feet. I’m not going to lie, I was disappointed, and here’s why: I didn’t swim my best. I felt it as soon as I came in. I could’ve gone faster. And frankly, after putting up a best time in the meter pool, I think anything over 30 seconds just isn’t going to cut it.
I didn’t feel great in the swim. I thought I got out okay on the first 25, but I felt as though I could have pushed harder the final 10 yards or so of that lap. My turn wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great and as soon as I came out of it I felt myself fall into the trap of shortening the stroke. I reminded myself to lengthen things out and dig, but I think the damage had been done as far as losing that momentum. And finally, I probably should’ve hit that last half stroke into the wall which could’ve perhaps gotten me down to a better time.
I’m not really upset about it, I just know I could’ve done better. I couldn’t really see Jeff’s reaction when he saw the time. He said, “Oh, wow.” But I think he was just being nice. The fact is, I want to do better the next time I swim it, and I’m hoping I do that sometime this week.
July 20: Weight- 193, Waistline- 36, BMI- 27.6, Body Fat Percentage- 17.7
July 27: Weight- 189, Waistline- 36, BMI- 27.1, Body Fat Percentage- 16.6
Aug. 03: Weight- 185, Waistline- 36, BMI- 26.5, Body Fat Percentage- 15.6
Aug. 10: Weight- 184, Waistline- 36, BMI- 26.4, Body Fat Percentage- N/A
Aug. 17: Weight- 186, Waistline- 35, BMI- 26.7, Body Fat Percentage- 14.5
Aug. 24: Weight- 185, Waistline- 35, BMI- 26.5, Body Fat Percentage- N/A
Aug. 31: Weight- 184, Waistline- 34, BMI- 26.4, Body Fat Percentage- N/A
Sept. 8: Weight- 184, Waistline- 34, BMI- 26.4, Body Fat Percentage- N/A
Sept. 15: Weight- 181, Waistline- 34, BMI- 26.0, Body Fat Percentage- 13.1
Sept. 21: Weight- 181, Waistline- 34, BMI- 26.0, Body Fat Percentage- N/A
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.
stats corner
