Baptism of Fire

Well, water, actually.

I decided that I couldn’t put it off any longer, and went back to the NE31 Triathlon Club last night, for my first real swim session since injuring my shoulder / neck last August.

When we arrived, the car park was rather fuller than usual, but where was the mob of triathletes waiting to get into the changing rooms? Upstairs, attending the club’s AGM - we sidled in at the back just as the chairman closed the meeting. Oops - like so many lectures that I almost didn’t miss as a student.

Anyway, in the pool I’ve demoted myself back down to the Learners’ Lane, as I think the injury was caused by:

• Too great a step up in demands on my thin & weedy body.
• Poor technique. The Learners’ Lane is definitely the place to improve on this. Actually I’ve been working quite hard on it for the last few months . I’m now breathing bilaterally (i.e. on every third stroke), and paying attention to where my arms go during the stroke - closer to my body, and less like an underwater windmill (surely there’s a better phrase for that?).

Anyway, Peter the coach is still just as tough as ever, so last night ended up being 1400m:

• 150m warm-up
• 10 x 50m; 20 seconds rest between each
• 1 x 200 - stroke count on 50m, with +/- 3 stroke variation allowed
• 2 x 100m - stroke count on 50m with +/- 1 variation allowed
• 5 x 50m; 15 seconds rest. This was supposed to be 10 x 50m, but I got cramp in my calf & foot arch - Dang, that’s sore!
• 50m cool-down

The good news is that today I just feel a little stiff in the shoulders - nothing like the pain I’ve had before.

I’ll stay in the Learner’s Lane for a while longer though - at least until the first 400m time trial of the year.

Workout:

• Type: Swim
• Date: 01/28/2008
• Total Time: 00:50:00.00
• Distance: 1,400 m
• Average Pace: 3:35.09/100m

Filed under: Injury, Swim