My training diary 23-1-2019
Warmup
100 Freestyle
Main set:
5 x 100 Freestyle kick + 20 seconds rest
10 x 50 Freestyle with paddles + 20 seconds rest
10 x 50 Backstroke kick (arms folded above your head)
Cool down
100 Backstroke easy
With the weather continuing to stay warm I thought it was a good idea to get in some hard work in. I headed outside to 50 metre pool for my training. Considering I only coach two afternoons a weak and I have Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons off. I thought I would take advantage of the opportunity and get some training in. I walked outside to the 50 metre pool and there were people everywhere. It’s going to be tricky to get a lane to myself.
In the know
Luckily being the head coach I know when training session starts and finish. This gives me an advantage because I know what I can get away with. Most days we have to ask people to hop out of our training lanes at 5 pm.
I thought that if I jumped in I could stay in that lane right up till the last minute. Being 4:40 pm I decided to hop in one of the squad lanes just before they started at 5 pm. The lane was empty and I was lucky to get it all to myself. I slid into the pool and took off for on my warm up. Recently I just purchased a GoPro as well as a cheap knock-off. I thought the might come in handy for when I want to analyze my technique. I got back to the wall I grab my kickboard, turned on the GoPro and took off on my 5 x 100 freestyle kicks.
After the weekend this was my first session back in the pool. During my races I realized how bad my kick was. So I kept at my five 100 freestyle and make sure the last 10 to 15 meters hurt. By this stage, the swim squads were starting to get ready to hop in the pool which was my cue to get out. I hopped over a couple of lines to continue with my session.
Small town
Living in a town of over 40,000 people means more often than not you will see someone you know nearly everywhere you go. This afternoon was no different, as soon as I had moved into the lane I heard a mans voice “G’day Steve”. The guy was about 6’1″ and towered over my 5-foot fat frame. We chatted for about 2 minutes and I ended the conversion with “Well the hard work won’t do itself” as I pushed off the wall with my pull buoy between my legs. If your not a swimmer then you might think it rude. Most swimmers know that you’re there to work so conversations happen over about 30 seconds or when you have time between laps.
The next set was a strength set with paddles. I have a set of Finis agility paddles which I use as oversize paddles. These paddles have no straps and the molded plastic conforms to the shape of your hand. The paddles have a cut out hole for your thumb. my pair are a little bit big for me but great for working harder. Having no straps on the paddle means you have to get your hand to hit the water in just the right way or the paddle will come off. I have to say I really like them too.
As I swam down the lane two or three people came past me the other way. That meant there were possibility 4 people in the lane, which is fine I’m happy to swim with 6 people in the lane provided everyone is courteous to each other and works with each other. I must admit in the past if I have hopped in a full lane and there are people swimming down the middle of the lane or not giving people enough space then I usually do a few laps butterfly to scare them off.
The Hard Way
With the strength set finished I moved on to the kick set. In case you haven’t noticed if there is a hard way to do something then that’s what I will do. I love hard work and doing what others think is too hard. That’s why I train in board shorts, use oversize paddles and do backstroke kick sets with my arms crossed above my head. By crossing my arms above my head I create more resistance and therefore have to kick harder. By the end of this set, my legs were really on fire. But there was one small problem I was causing a bit of havoc within the lane. Even tho I kept as far left as I could and let people go past in between laps. There were still one or two swimmers that refused to pass me until I was at the end of the lap.
With that set out of the way and my legs 
feeling like jelly I decided that I had done enough for the day and did my cool down nice and slow. It’s really important to do a cooldown slowly. Because it can help the muscles in the body get a chance to relax and recover from the workout. By doing a cool down you help the body to remove the lactate from your system and helps your neuromuscular system to recover. For more information on why you should do a cool down then click HERE.
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