Did a 4.6km long swim this evening: 300m warm up, 4x1km, with 2 min recovery, 300m cool down.
This would be the longest swim todate. The last long swim was 4km in Feb, and it took a lot out of me. Surprisingly it wasn't as bad today. Guess I swam slower :)
Total swim mileage this week: 13.2km. That is close to the monthly average this year.
I need a massage!
Showing posts with label swim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swim. Show all posts
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
A new milestone to sleep on
Completed a 80-lap swim session today. Took all of 2 hours. And after that, I treated myself to a nice meal and took a nap!
Reminded me of the first time I ran a 10km - on the treadmill in aircon comfort - more than 6 years ago, and I promptly took a nap after that grueling session. More recently, it was the long run that necessitated naps. Not the kind of sleep-deprivation naps associated with early morning rides. But the feel-so-shed-that-I-need-a-nap kind.
Wondering whether a 4km swim is equivalent to a 42km run?
Reminded me of the first time I ran a 10km - on the treadmill in aircon comfort - more than 6 years ago, and I promptly took a nap after that grueling session. More recently, it was the long run that necessitated naps. Not the kind of sleep-deprivation naps associated with early morning rides. But the feel-so-shed-that-I-need-a-nap kind.
Wondering whether a 4km swim is equivalent to a 42km run?
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Open water swim: articles from 220Triathlon
Cold water, lack of visibility, waves, current, no rests at the end of the pool, no lane discipline with arms everywhere, not to mention marine life (jelly fish!) and depth…
I have to admit that open water swimming without visibility is a fear that I had to overcome. So it is always good to read up more and of course to practice OWS.
Here are some tips/advice I found useful.
Introduction to Open Water Swim part 1:
Cold water shock
The process of jumping into cold water makes us tense up, resulting in very shallow breathing, so entering the water gradually is essential. However, once over the initial immersion, many new open-water swimmers then struggle to put their face in cold water. Again, this needs to be done gradually to build confidence. (Some of the larger open-water swim masks can help beginners as more of the face is covered. You may find this aids confidence levels.)
Once in the water we need to allow ourselves some time to overcome the shallow breathing reaction to the cold. So it's a good idea to adopt a warm-up or acclimatisation routine that can be practised in training and also used in the warm time prior to a swim start. Typically, it should involve some easy swimming, working solely on breathing exhalation and rhythm to counter the body's reaction.
Try to swim with a breathing pattern of three, four and even six strokes per breath for around 3-5mins. Then roll over on your back and take some large, controlled breaths. The next part of any warm-up will focus on your stroke. We'd suggest some basic drills, followed by a series of short, increasing-pace swims of 20-30secs, focusing on stroke length and breathing. Finish with around 2-3mins of steady, recovery swimming and stretching.
Goggles
Choose a pair of goggles or swim mask that fits. To ensure a good seal, gently press the goggles/mask to the face without the strap. If you can look down and they stay on through suction alone, then they're likely to remain leak free.
Don't use goggles with small sockets for open water because they'll inhibit your vision. (If only I can find larger goggles with prescription lenses!)
If you find sighting difficult or have a claustrophobic tendency when in open water, try an open-water swim mask. Again, ensure the mask is a good fit because if they leak, you end up with a lot of water in there.
Once you've found a type you're happy with, buy a second, back-up pair and take them with you to your races. Also, consider buying a smoked or tinted pair for swimming in very sunny conditions – but don't use these in dull conditions.
Don't use old goggles – they will fog up.
When in the water, a little spit goes a long way to help keeping the lens from fogging – although most decent types have an anti-fog coating.
Straps under the hat or over? Pro for under: goggles more protected. Con: if you do get knocked, they may be harder to adjust. Personally, I have them over so I can reposition them more easily.
Introduction to Open Water Swim part 2
Sight like a Croc
This should be practised so that the act of sighting is incorporated into your stroke and disrupts you and your momentum as little as possible. The most common error is to confuse sighting with breathing - if you look up and forward and try to take a breath at the same time, your legs are going to sink, which will stop you dead in the water.
Instead, try looking forward by only slightly raising your head so only your eyes are above the water. This way you can keep exhaling beneath the surface and your body remains flat with your legs up. Then you inhale as you normally would by putting your head back in the water and rolling to the side on the next stroke. Sighting like this is referred to as the crocodile technique as only your eyes peak out above the surface.
Sometimes the initial sight gives you only a rough idea of where you're headed, so practising taking two sights on successive strokes is useful. The second sighting allows you to hone in on the point you're looking for. It's equally important to not lift your head up too far or for too long. You need to keep the swim rhythm to ensure your momentum is maintained. After sighting, make small adjustments to your stroke; otherwise you'll end up zig zagging.
Turning technique
If the turn is very sharp, there are two ways to change direction fast, the first of which is the sweep turn. Use the arm that's closest to the inside of the turn as a pivot by keeping it straight and deep through the underwater phase of the stroke. Then, with the arm that's on the outside, take wide, 'sweeping' strokes to push you round the turn.
Secondly, there's the roll turn, where you roll onto your back mid turn before turning 90º as you roll back onto your front. In effect, it's like doing one stroke of backstroke to cause a complete change of direction.
Introduction to Open Water Swim part 3
Water start: most people will begin by treading water near each other in a vertical position. The trouble with doing this is that when the starter pistol fires and everyone moves into a horizontal position to start swimming, you end up fighting for space with everyone else.
Shore start:
The dolphin technique
1 Running into the water: as the water becomes deeper, prepare to dive forward with both arms.
2 First dolphin dive: launch forward and dive into the water, aiming to go as long as possible.
3 Underwater phase: in waves you should plan to time this so that you dive below the oncoming wave.
4 Placing your hands on the bottom, push up to help plant your feet and prepare for the next dive.
5 Now bend your knees and launch yourself forward for the second dolphin dive.
6 Repeat the sequence until the water is mid-thigh or so, then it's more efficient to swim.
Pacing
For novice swimmers this fast-start pacing plan may not be the best approach - it's actually much better to go steady and to focus on breathing and rhythm. This way you'll finish the swim more strongly by not having swum anaerobically at the start.
After the start you need to swim at a sustainable pace. Most triathletes have real problems with knowing how fast they're swimming, especially when there's no clock or turn after each 25/50m. It's therefore very important to know your limits - using the pace clock or a watch to measure your swim workouts in training will pay dividends when converting to open water.
A great workout if you're racing 1,500m in open water is to swim a 10-12 x 100m with a 10sec rest between each 100m. Note the start and finish times and deduct the rest intervals (10-12 x 10 secs). Aim to swim at an even pace. You'll probably notice that the first five or six are relatively easy but then it becomes increasingly difficult to hold pace. If that's the case you know you're swimming too fast, so you should adjust your pace the next time you do it. When it comes to the race, use your experience from these workouts to ensure you don't set off too fast, only to fade later.
Parting advice: a tight, anxious swimmer is also a slow swimmer. So keep calm, stay relaxed, remain in control and you'll swim better than ever this season.
I have to admit that open water swimming without visibility is a fear that I had to overcome. So it is always good to read up more and of course to practice OWS.
Here are some tips/advice I found useful.
Introduction to Open Water Swim part 1:
Cold water shock
The process of jumping into cold water makes us tense up, resulting in very shallow breathing, so entering the water gradually is essential. However, once over the initial immersion, many new open-water swimmers then struggle to put their face in cold water. Again, this needs to be done gradually to build confidence. (Some of the larger open-water swim masks can help beginners as more of the face is covered. You may find this aids confidence levels.)
Once in the water we need to allow ourselves some time to overcome the shallow breathing reaction to the cold. So it's a good idea to adopt a warm-up or acclimatisation routine that can be practised in training and also used in the warm time prior to a swim start. Typically, it should involve some easy swimming, working solely on breathing exhalation and rhythm to counter the body's reaction.
Try to swim with a breathing pattern of three, four and even six strokes per breath for around 3-5mins. Then roll over on your back and take some large, controlled breaths. The next part of any warm-up will focus on your stroke. We'd suggest some basic drills, followed by a series of short, increasing-pace swims of 20-30secs, focusing on stroke length and breathing. Finish with around 2-3mins of steady, recovery swimming and stretching.
Goggles
Choose a pair of goggles or swim mask that fits. To ensure a good seal, gently press the goggles/mask to the face without the strap. If you can look down and they stay on through suction alone, then they're likely to remain leak free.
Don't use goggles with small sockets for open water because they'll inhibit your vision. (If only I can find larger goggles with prescription lenses!)
If you find sighting difficult or have a claustrophobic tendency when in open water, try an open-water swim mask. Again, ensure the mask is a good fit because if they leak, you end up with a lot of water in there.
Once you've found a type you're happy with, buy a second, back-up pair and take them with you to your races. Also, consider buying a smoked or tinted pair for swimming in very sunny conditions – but don't use these in dull conditions.
Don't use old goggles – they will fog up.
When in the water, a little spit goes a long way to help keeping the lens from fogging – although most decent types have an anti-fog coating.
Straps under the hat or over? Pro for under: goggles more protected. Con: if you do get knocked, they may be harder to adjust. Personally, I have them over so I can reposition them more easily.
Introduction to Open Water Swim part 2
Sight like a Croc
This should be practised so that the act of sighting is incorporated into your stroke and disrupts you and your momentum as little as possible. The most common error is to confuse sighting with breathing - if you look up and forward and try to take a breath at the same time, your legs are going to sink, which will stop you dead in the water.
Instead, try looking forward by only slightly raising your head so only your eyes are above the water. This way you can keep exhaling beneath the surface and your body remains flat with your legs up. Then you inhale as you normally would by putting your head back in the water and rolling to the side on the next stroke. Sighting like this is referred to as the crocodile technique as only your eyes peak out above the surface.
Sometimes the initial sight gives you only a rough idea of where you're headed, so practising taking two sights on successive strokes is useful. The second sighting allows you to hone in on the point you're looking for. It's equally important to not lift your head up too far or for too long. You need to keep the swim rhythm to ensure your momentum is maintained. After sighting, make small adjustments to your stroke; otherwise you'll end up zig zagging.
Turning technique
If the turn is very sharp, there are two ways to change direction fast, the first of which is the sweep turn. Use the arm that's closest to the inside of the turn as a pivot by keeping it straight and deep through the underwater phase of the stroke. Then, with the arm that's on the outside, take wide, 'sweeping' strokes to push you round the turn.
Secondly, there's the roll turn, where you roll onto your back mid turn before turning 90º as you roll back onto your front. In effect, it's like doing one stroke of backstroke to cause a complete change of direction.
Introduction to Open Water Swim part 3
Water start: most people will begin by treading water near each other in a vertical position. The trouble with doing this is that when the starter pistol fires and everyone moves into a horizontal position to start swimming, you end up fighting for space with everyone else.
Shore start:
The dolphin technique
1 Running into the water: as the water becomes deeper, prepare to dive forward with both arms.
2 First dolphin dive: launch forward and dive into the water, aiming to go as long as possible.
3 Underwater phase: in waves you should plan to time this so that you dive below the oncoming wave.
4 Placing your hands on the bottom, push up to help plant your feet and prepare for the next dive.
5 Now bend your knees and launch yourself forward for the second dolphin dive.
6 Repeat the sequence until the water is mid-thigh or so, then it's more efficient to swim.
Pacing
For novice swimmers this fast-start pacing plan may not be the best approach - it's actually much better to go steady and to focus on breathing and rhythm. This way you'll finish the swim more strongly by not having swum anaerobically at the start.
After the start you need to swim at a sustainable pace. Most triathletes have real problems with knowing how fast they're swimming, especially when there's no clock or turn after each 25/50m. It's therefore very important to know your limits - using the pace clock or a watch to measure your swim workouts in training will pay dividends when converting to open water.
A great workout if you're racing 1,500m in open water is to swim a 10-12 x 100m with a 10sec rest between each 100m. Note the start and finish times and deduct the rest intervals (10-12 x 10 secs). Aim to swim at an even pace. You'll probably notice that the first five or six are relatively easy but then it becomes increasingly difficult to hold pace. If that's the case you know you're swimming too fast, so you should adjust your pace the next time you do it. When it comes to the race, use your experience from these workouts to ensure you don't set off too fast, only to fade later.
Parting advice: a tight, anxious swimmer is also a slow swimmer. So keep calm, stay relaxed, remain in control and you'll swim better than ever this season.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
TRI-swim 1 km
The first of four TRI factor series organized by The Orange Room, this swim only event comprised three distances - 3 km, 1 km and 500 m. The venue - good ole Tanjong beach lagoon at Sentosa.
Started off early while it was still raining, but the rain stopped by the time I got to Sentosa. Not many people about at 7:30 am, so got my body marking done quickly and took a few pictures.
Plenty of time to kill, as the 1 km event would only flag off after all the three waves for the 3 km event were completed. Started talking with other early birds - Wong (veteran marathoner and swimmer contemplating cycling), Sam (left KPI and now a personal trainer) and Ong (Ironman!). Later met up with Carrine (who was also at Tangjong in Jan this year), Alvin (first open water swim). Then there was Lawrence (also new to swimming) and KL (enthusiastic beginner aiming for OD) and wife, John (also aiming for OD this year) and wife, Perry and several others. Also caught up with two Indian chaps - uncle and nephew - who were also at the TriBob sprint triathlon. Both were also beginners setting their sights on an OD and full marathon this year.
Oh, yes... this is about the swim. The 1 km route comprises two loops (the 3 km route would be four laps of a longer loop), with a beach run up through a timing mat and water point.
The 3 km participants went off first, and here're the briefing and first wave.
Wong and I deposited our bags and proceeded for a warm up swim. I was planning to warm up at the sheltered end of the lagoon, but Wong went to the open, choppy part. The reason was to get an idea of how the current would affect the swim. We tried both directions, and along the way, I accidentally went into the paths of the 3 km swimmers. Sorry, guys!
Wong gave me some very useful tips on how to ride the waves - to come up with the up wave, and down to pull when the wave goes down.
One interesting observation was that some swimmers would slow at the narrowest stretch of water directly in front of the start/end area. One swimmer, I noticed, was not moving forward, hard as he stroked. After several minutes, he went to breast stroke and only then did he move forward! Wong and I concluded that there could be strong currents around that point and made a note to swim closer to the buoys. And as you might have guessed, I swam right into that spot, and had to treadmill for several minutes! That was not very pleasant. And I had to breaststroke out of that "bermuda triangle".
That was the most exciting part of the swim. The other stretches were not very remarkable, except for the choppy waves around the second turn.
First loop completed in about 13+ minutes. And caught in the bermuda triangle treadmill on the second loop to round up with 29:44 (unofficial time).
After dechipping and getting a BOOST drink, I bumped into Jodan. Have been following his blog for some time, and it is good to meet up with him in person. We chatted some, in particular he gave me some good advice on how to tackle the bike course in Bintan.
So all in all, this was a good swim. In particular, met up with fellow participants and received valuable advice and tips.
Official time: 29:48
First loop: 13:51
Second loop: 15:48
Percentile: 43
Honor roll: DeSoto speedsuit
Started off early while it was still raining, but the rain stopped by the time I got to Sentosa. Not many people about at 7:30 am, so got my body marking done quickly and took a few pictures.
Plenty of time to kill, as the 1 km event would only flag off after all the three waves for the 3 km event were completed. Started talking with other early birds - Wong (veteran marathoner and swimmer contemplating cycling), Sam (left KPI and now a personal trainer) and Ong (Ironman!). Later met up with Carrine (who was also at Tangjong in Jan this year), Alvin (first open water swim). Then there was Lawrence (also new to swimming) and KL (enthusiastic beginner aiming for OD) and wife, John (also aiming for OD this year) and wife, Perry and several others. Also caught up with two Indian chaps - uncle and nephew - who were also at the TriBob sprint triathlon. Both were also beginners setting their sights on an OD and full marathon this year.
Oh, yes... this is about the swim. The 1 km route comprises two loops (the 3 km route would be four laps of a longer loop), with a beach run up through a timing mat and water point.
The 3 km participants went off first, and here're the briefing and first wave.
Wong and I deposited our bags and proceeded for a warm up swim. I was planning to warm up at the sheltered end of the lagoon, but Wong went to the open, choppy part. The reason was to get an idea of how the current would affect the swim. We tried both directions, and along the way, I accidentally went into the paths of the 3 km swimmers. Sorry, guys!
Wong gave me some very useful tips on how to ride the waves - to come up with the up wave, and down to pull when the wave goes down.
One interesting observation was that some swimmers would slow at the narrowest stretch of water directly in front of the start/end area. One swimmer, I noticed, was not moving forward, hard as he stroked. After several minutes, he went to breast stroke and only then did he move forward! Wong and I concluded that there could be strong currents around that point and made a note to swim closer to the buoys. And as you might have guessed, I swam right into that spot, and had to treadmill for several minutes! That was not very pleasant. And I had to breaststroke out of that "bermuda triangle".
That was the most exciting part of the swim. The other stretches were not very remarkable, except for the choppy waves around the second turn.
First loop completed in about 13+ minutes. And caught in the bermuda triangle treadmill on the second loop to round up with 29:44 (unofficial time).
After dechipping and getting a BOOST drink, I bumped into Jodan. Have been following his blog for some time, and it is good to meet up with him in person. We chatted some, in particular he gave me some good advice on how to tackle the bike course in Bintan.
So all in all, this was a good swim. In particular, met up with fellow participants and received valuable advice and tips.
Official time: 29:48
First loop: 13:51
Second loop: 15:48
Percentile: 43
Honor roll: DeSoto speedsuit
Monday, April 13, 2009
TLog: 100m swim intervals
Today's swim session moves on to 100m laps instead of 50m laps. The mental thought for this swim is: "Think fast"
Here are the 10x100 lap times:
2.05, 2.17, 2.21, 2.24, 2.23, 2.19, 2.19, 2.22, 2.21, 2.20
Ave 100m lap time: 2.17
One interesting observation. For the last two laps, I focussed on smoother strokes instead of high pace. In fact, my stroke pace slowed down and breathing was easier. Surprisingly the lap time went down to about 2.20.
Practiced 200m of sighting again.
Wore my tri-suit for today's session. The compression feel was still there, although after some time in the water, I didn't feel the compression as much. There was a slight gap at the back near the neck ... possibly due to my hunched shoulders, and I felt that water was being trapped in that cup. Couldn't feel my legs and butt as much, as the thighs and back were covered. Ordinarily, I could feel the air on the small of my back when in the horizontal position. Took some getting used to.
Here are the 10x100 lap times:
2.05, 2.17, 2.21, 2.24, 2.23, 2.19, 2.19, 2.22, 2.21, 2.20
Ave 100m lap time: 2.17
One interesting observation. For the last two laps, I focussed on smoother strokes instead of high pace. In fact, my stroke pace slowed down and breathing was easier. Surprisingly the lap time went down to about 2.20.
Practiced 200m of sighting again.
Wore my tri-suit for today's session. The compression feel was still there, although after some time in the water, I didn't feel the compression as much. There was a slight gap at the back near the neck ... possibly due to my hunched shoulders, and I felt that water was being trapped in that cup. Couldn't feel my legs and butt as much, as the thighs and back were covered. Ordinarily, I could feel the air on the small of my back when in the horizontal position. Took some getting used to.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
E-brief TriBob sprint aquathlon
Received the briefing for Sunday's aquathlon through email yesterday. There will be both the mini and sprint swim-run.
What's new is the wave starts, categorized by ability. There's the men competitive group, men fit group and men friendly group. The criteria is swim time, being 15 min, 20 min and more than 20 min. By my last swim today, 15 laps (750m) took me 21 min. So I am firmly in the men friendly wave, for slow swimmers and breast strokers.
The men friendly wave starts off after the women's wave. For some strange reason, there's only one women wave. Either they are all pretty good, or there are very few of them. We'll see.
I also don't understand why there's no men veteran group. But it makes no difference, since either way, I'm in the last group! :)
What's new is the wave starts, categorized by ability. There's the men competitive group, men fit group and men friendly group. The criteria is swim time, being 15 min, 20 min and more than 20 min. By my last swim today, 15 laps (750m) took me 21 min. So I am firmly in the men friendly wave, for slow swimmers and breast strokers.
The men friendly wave starts off after the women's wave. For some strange reason, there's only one women wave. Either they are all pretty good, or there are very few of them. We'll see.
I also don't understand why there's no men veteran group. But it makes no difference, since either way, I'm in the last group! :)
Sunday, February 15, 2009
TLog: Bike, swim, run
Fri: 22 km aerobic run
Sat: 25 km bike; 2 km swim
Sun: 10 km controlled pace run
Sat: 25 km bike; 2 km swim
Sun: 10 km controlled pace run
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
TLog: 2000m; 800m non-stop
Never thought I would be able to log in a 40-lap 2,000 m swim session. More importantly, 800m were non-stop.
Sighting practice is coming along, although I did tend to dip when sighting. Timing-wise, each lap is now about 1:20 to 1:25, better by 10 sec or so. Still need to keep the strokes smooth and relaxed.
With three more sessions of non-stop 750m swims, I think I should be ready to take on the TriBob sprint aquathlon on Feb 22. Getting there...
And what of the road test for the new Garmin cadence sensor? No problem whatsoever with the device. Only that my cadence is low about 80 (with an easy gear ratio). Yesterday's session was for an easy bike session, so didn't try to rev it up to 100 rpm. Next time.
Sighting practice is coming along, although I did tend to dip when sighting. Timing-wise, each lap is now about 1:20 to 1:25, better by 10 sec or so. Still need to keep the strokes smooth and relaxed.
With three more sessions of non-stop 750m swims, I think I should be ready to take on the TriBob sprint aquathlon on Feb 22. Getting there...
And what of the road test for the new Garmin cadence sensor? No problem whatsoever with the device. Only that my cadence is low about 80 (with an easy gear ratio). Yesterday's session was for an easy bike session, so didn't try to rev it up to 100 rpm. Next time.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Public swimming pool
I confess that I usually don't frequent public swimming pools. But for the last three swim sessions, I went to Bedok swimming complex for the Olympic size 50m lap pool. Some observations:
Dominated by male swimmers. Perhaps female swimmers prefer private pools, and if they do come, they don't stay very long.
Two ends of the age spectrum: Young swimmers - kids usually, taking swimming lessons and elderly swimmers (including me). Young adults usually on weekends.
There was this elderly lady who swam with only one arm. Her other arm does not do the overwater sweep - possibly due to an injury. Slow but persistent.
There was this elderly man who swam in his boxer shorts. He used a vertical style (threadwater-like) but going sideways. I couldn't figure it out.
There were many seniors who are in remarkable shape. They swam laps after laps without stopping.
There was a lap section for swimmers to swim anticlockwise, in circles. No one followed the rules.
Last but not least. The toilet talk. There were two gentlemen talking, while showering, about last night's stock market movements in NYSE (up, then down and finally up 200+ point) and the budget coming out this afternoon. All in hokkien.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
TLog: Swim sets
Swim sessions are now more intense. Preset on drills. I still do not relish the side swim and legs only drills. The pull with buoy drill is fine. But the main set today was a step forward. Comprising merely 10x50m front crawl, with rest in between, I started to time the laps. Took about 1:27 to 1:30 minutes per 50m lap, and recovery time is under one minute. Overall time for 10 laps, including rest, was 22 min. Overall 1,600m.
Today's session was the second swim session this week. Earlier in the week, I managed to establish a good rthyme towards the end. The same for today's swim. Could feel that the hips were up, which is good. The pull drill with buoy certainly helped.
And BTW, the boys passed their bronze proficiency test today! Really happy for them.
Today's session was the second swim session this week. Earlier in the week, I managed to establish a good rthyme towards the end. The same for today's swim. Could feel that the hips were up, which is good. The pull drill with buoy certainly helped.
And BTW, the boys passed their bronze proficiency test today! Really happy for them.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
TLog: open water swim and sighting
Jan 11, 2009
Trizen organized an open water swim session at the Tanjong beach, Sentosa this afternoon. It has been a long time since I tasted salt water (20 years when diving in Phuket?), so I was a little uptight about this. But it is a necessary step if my tri plans for this year were to be realized.
The verdict: it wasn't as hard as I thought it to be. No doubt we were in the sheltered lagoon, and the waves were ... what waves? But the lack of visibility was not as bad as I thought it would be. As long as I focus on the stroke and breathing, it is not really different from swimming in the pool. What did catch me by surprise was the giddy feeling when rocked about by the gentle waves. Perhaps it was aggravated by the side swimming style, but coach told me that it was normal and we would get used to it.
The other thing we learnt was sighting, and we were taught two variations. Not used to this, so would need more work.
Really nice to sit down and chat with the other folks. Many have ironman race experience to share. Although the entire session took about 90 minutes, I felt that I could have gone on swimming for another 30 min or so.
Looking forward to the next open water swim.
Trizen organized an open water swim session at the Tanjong beach, Sentosa this afternoon. It has been a long time since I tasted salt water (20 years when diving in Phuket?), so I was a little uptight about this. But it is a necessary step if my tri plans for this year were to be realized.
The verdict: it wasn't as hard as I thought it to be. No doubt we were in the sheltered lagoon, and the waves were ... what waves? But the lack of visibility was not as bad as I thought it would be. As long as I focus on the stroke and breathing, it is not really different from swimming in the pool. What did catch me by surprise was the giddy feeling when rocked about by the gentle waves. Perhaps it was aggravated by the side swimming style, but coach told me that it was normal and we would get used to it.
The other thing we learnt was sighting, and we were taught two variations. Not used to this, so would need more work.
Really nice to sit down and chat with the other folks. Many have ironman race experience to share. Although the entire session took about 90 minutes, I felt that I could have gone on swimming for another 30 min or so.
Looking forward to the next open water swim.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
TLog: swim and mileage update
As 2008 draws to a close, it is only fitting that my last post is an update on my nemesis - freestyle swim.
Did 22 laps today (1.1 km), and felt that some progress had been made in the past month. Able to breathe every three strokes, paddle continuously for 4 laps and took 23 to 24 strokes per 25m. Still has a problem of sinking if I am not careful, but I can now feel if I am not in the correct position. The gym workouts help with the last flip motion with the arms and hands.
Will have to work on increasing my distance and continuous swim.
In terms of mileage, I covered slightly more than last year's - 2400 km. Over 900 km on the bike and 19 km in the pool.
Did 22 laps today (1.1 km), and felt that some progress had been made in the past month. Able to breathe every three strokes, paddle continuously for 4 laps and took 23 to 24 strokes per 25m. Still has a problem of sinking if I am not careful, but I can now feel if I am not in the correct position. The gym workouts help with the last flip motion with the arms and hands.
Will have to work on increasing my distance and continuous swim.
In terms of mileage, I covered slightly more than last year's - 2400 km. Over 900 km on the bike and 19 km in the pool.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Cut off times for IM China and Malaysia
Here's some information for future (like 2 to 3 years out!) reference:
Swim: 2 hour 20 minutes
Bike: 10 hours 30 minutes
Finish: 17 hours after the actual start of the race.
IMC also has a 70.3 event with the following cut off times:
Swim: 1 hour 10 minutes (10:10am); Bike: 6 hours (3pm); 8 hours (5pm)
Singapore Aviva 70.3 has a longer overall time limit, but tighter bike time limit:
Swim – 1.9kms - Cut off is 1:10 after your wave start in the swim.
Bike – 90.1kms - Cut off is 5:30 after your original wave start.
Run - 21.1kms - Cut off at the finish is 8:30 after your original wave start.
Also, Singapore practices the wave start instead of mass start (IMC).
Swim: 2 hour 20 minutes
Bike: 10 hours 30 minutes
Finish: 17 hours after the actual start of the race.
IMC also has a 70.3 event with the following cut off times:
Swim: 1 hour 10 minutes (10:10am); Bike: 6 hours (3pm); 8 hours (5pm)
Singapore Aviva 70.3 has a longer overall time limit, but tighter bike time limit:
Swim – 1.9kms - Cut off is 1:10 after your wave start in the swim.
Bike – 90.1kms - Cut off is 5:30 after your original wave start.
Run - 21.1kms - Cut off at the finish is 8:30 after your original wave start.
Also, Singapore practices the wave start instead of mass start (IMC).
Thursday, October 9, 2008
TLog: 15 km tempo, bike, swim and gym workout
Oct 8: Had to do this on the stationary bike due to rain. 20 km easy spin HR~110
Oct 9: Morning swim (as forecast was for rain in the afternoon/evening). 6 laps front, 4 laps left and 4 laps right side. Discovered that my chocolate side is my left. (I like chocolate). Swimming on the left side was easier. Could even do the sweet spot drill as recommended in the TI video. However, I couldn't do the same on the right side (vanilla side). In fact, I suspect I have a slight negative buoyancy, especially on the right. Kept going below the water surface, and had to consciously keep close to surface. Hhhmmm... wonder what I could do to rectify this fault?
Evening gym workout. Getting better at air cycling. Other exercises were ok. Found a substitute for the leg adductor and abductor exercises using the cable machine, thanks to the gym instructors!
Oct 10: 15 km tempo run. Same as two weeks ago. No problem except coming back. Struggled with the slopes at 13 and 14 km. The same stretch going out towards Changi Village was good as I gathered good speed going down. But the return leg was the "killer" and my pace suffered. Managed about 7:00 instead of 6:30 on that upslope stretch. A prolonged cooldown about 3 km. Weather was sunny and hot. But bearable.
Here's the HR for record:
Tempo run on Sept 28 for comparison:
Km/Oct 10/Sept 28
1/8.03/7.26
2/7.52/7.30
3/6.00/5.58
4/6.31/6.36
5/7.08/6.36
6/6.24/6.28
7/6,22/6.37
8/6.45/6.40
9/8.14/7.08
10/6.28/6.26
11/6.35/6.06
12/6.25/7.02
13/6.57/6.22
14/7.02/6.34
15/9.11/6.22
16/11.20/10.40
Oct 9: Morning swim (as forecast was for rain in the afternoon/evening). 6 laps front, 4 laps left and 4 laps right side. Discovered that my chocolate side is my left. (I like chocolate). Swimming on the left side was easier. Could even do the sweet spot drill as recommended in the TI video. However, I couldn't do the same on the right side (vanilla side). In fact, I suspect I have a slight negative buoyancy, especially on the right. Kept going below the water surface, and had to consciously keep close to surface. Hhhmmm... wonder what I could do to rectify this fault?
Evening gym workout. Getting better at air cycling. Other exercises were ok. Found a substitute for the leg adductor and abductor exercises using the cable machine, thanks to the gym instructors!
Oct 10: 15 km tempo run. Same as two weeks ago. No problem except coming back. Struggled with the slopes at 13 and 14 km. The same stretch going out towards Changi Village was good as I gathered good speed going down. But the return leg was the "killer" and my pace suffered. Managed about 7:00 instead of 6:30 on that upslope stretch. A prolonged cooldown about 3 km. Weather was sunny and hot. But bearable.
Here's the HR for record:
Tempo run on Sept 28 for comparison:
Km/Oct 10/Sept 28
1/8.03/7.26
2/7.52/7.30
3/6.00/5.58
4/6.31/6.36
5/7.08/6.36
6/6.24/6.28
7/6,22/6.37
8/6.45/6.40
9/8.14/7.08
10/6.28/6.26
11/6.35/6.06
12/6.25/7.02
13/6.57/6.22
14/7.02/6.34
15/9.11/6.22
16/11.20/10.40
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