Both Sides Now

I don't claim to be a Joni Mitchell fan, but somehow in an unintended way, the title to her hit 60's song resonates.  So too perhaps with other masters swimmers - namely, those experiencing the frustrations of belatedly learning the art of bidirectional breathing.

But perhaps the answer to such a problem can be found in Sarah Palin's famous exhortation, "Drill, baby, drill!"  (I'm even less of a Sarah Palin fan, by the way.)

I wonder if Sarah would disapprove of my partisan, far left tendencies in the pool - I've been a left side breather for as long as I can remember.  Attempts to breathe to the right have ended in failure in the past.

Bidirectional breathing adherents would weigh in without hesitation.  They'd say that most one-sided breathers - including me - don't roll enough to the nonbreathing side.  If true, that has several negative implications, among them:

1 - Impairs high elbow recovery and elbow bend on non breathing side
2 - Forces a sideways arm swinging motion at reentry
3 - Restricts ability of breathing side lats and pecs to deliver full power
4 - Muscles are unevenly worked, thus becoming lopsided and out of balance

And what do these likely anomalies produce:  A snakelike vs straight path navigated with each stroke, plus a tendency to veer off course over time, they claim.

Here's Mr. Lopsided emerging from the swim leg of a November 2011 indoor triathlon appearance.  Another first place in the masters swim leg plus new PR at 625 meters for 10 minutes, but there's still much room for improvement.

Those arguments against breathing only to one side won me over.  And right now, we're in the triathlon offseason so it's a good time to work on technique.  So last month, after my last triathlon I set to work.  And right from the start, it felt uncomfortable trying to breathe to the right.  When turning right to breathe, I'd push down with my left hand and forearm, causing my left elbow to collapse at the beginning of the catch.  Perhaps that's a reflexive response to some fear that I'd breathe in water instead of air to the right side.   And guess what?  If you don't get body roll to the right, you won't get air unless you push down with your left forearm to help lift your head out of the water - which was what I was doing.  That sets off a very bad chain of events.

Joni Mitchell's song then entered my mind again, with edits:

 . . . it's bidirectional breathing's illusions I recall, I really don't know bidirectional breathing at all . . .

Searching for a way through this impasse, I turned to the other aforementioned "coach" for the answer.

"Just drill, baby, drill."

Two drills soon led the way forward.

Drill number one required me to trot out those training fins again.  Yes, the same ones I've been trying to wean off of the past year.  (The crack cocaine of swimming, one expert swimming friend tells me.)  But this time they served a useful purpose.  I used them in a drill whereby you swim on one side of the body, with the lead arm fully outstretched, palm facing down, and the other arm trailing behind with its hand near your hip.  Both arms remain motionless.  So propulsion comes only from the kick.  And you practice turning your head in concert with the torso to breathe as you kick along.

Another swimming acquaintance - a former Division 1 freestyler at Villanova and current USA Masters Swimming standout suggested I invest in a snorkel - leading to drill number two.  Swim "normally," but the focus should be on developing a consistent form between right and left sides.  A retired head swimming coach from a local high school recently observed my form and immediately saw the inconsistency.  "Let your right arm do what your left one does," he simply suggested.  For me, body rotation and a bent, high elbow recovery to my left (breathing) side is good, so I need to replicate that form on the right.  Using a snorkel allows me to focus on doing just that.

I've worked on bidirectional breathing at least three times each week for the last month, and only now do I feel like I'm starting to turn the corner.  Props to all those coaches, elite swimmers - and yes, even singers and politicians mentioned above - for their help !

Training for High Altitude Hiking - in a Swimming Pool?



Celebrating our 25th anniversary on the continental divide northwest of Banff, Alberta, late July, 2010.

If you've ever taken a drive around the northern Chicago suburbs, one memorable feature (besides the heavy traffic) that stands out is the lack of terrain.

But if you enjoy scenic vistas and play golf, you're not totally out of luck around here.  One suburb features a nine hole golf course crafted atop a "mesa" - actually, a giant solid waste landfill.  Another offers a fun-filled sledding opportunity down a steep grade referred to affectionately among locals as "Mt. Trashmore."

My wife and I enjoy hiking together.  And we wanted that activity to be the centerpiece of our recent 25th anniversary celebration.  But anyplace flat was out of the question.  We wanted hills.  Big hills.  Something requiring us to train beforehand to get the most out of the experience.  So we gathered input from friends and family about mountainous hiking venues.  We finally decided on the Canadian Rockies - specifically, the Banff/Lake Louise area of Alberta.

One of the many stunning views encountered while hiking in the higher elevations of the Canadian Rockies.

My wife enjoys walking.  And she doesn't loaf or shuffle along like I do.  Something between that and power walking.  A power gait with a purpose.  So I was confident that she'd be in fighting trim if she kept up with that in the months preceding our trip.

Biking took center stage for me at the time, but I wanted a second form of endurance training heading into the summer (see prior post).  It wasn't going to be mountain climbing around here.  And I wasn't yet confident in my ability to avoid injury if I took up running just yet.  It turns out that of all places, our local outdoor aquatic center provided a unique answer for me.  Long distance freestyle swimming with training fins, to be specific.   Something that allows upper and lower body to join together to produce direct propulsion.  After a few weeks, I found I could complete four miles - with brief stops at each mile mark - in just over two hours.

Turns out, the swim and bike routine built my endurance to a level that allowed me to adapt quickly to a much higher altitude.  And my wife was right there with me, hiking an average six to seven miles each day on steep terrain.  This was one of the most enjoyable vacations we'd ever taken together.  An experience we hope to repeat many times in the future.

"No Impact" Until I Drop Some Weight

Here's a list of aerobic activities in which I engaged in the early and mid weight reduction stages:

1 - Elliptical trainer
2 - Swimming
3 - Biking
4 - Ice skating
5 - Walking/hiking

Notice that running doesn't appear on the list.  From the moment I shied away from running, some thirty pounds ago, my joints thanked me.  All of the above, in addition to some key steps involving diet and stress management, allowed for a sustainable drop in weight.  I did not begin running seriously until dropping into the mid 180s, from a starting point of 209 pounds in early 2009.

. . . to be continued . . .

Seeking a Freestyle Form Makeover

So here I was, two months before my first triathlon, looking to shed the training fins (as mentioned in my prior post) and put in a respectable swim leg.

While working out the prior summer at the local swimming complex, I met a male swimmer around my age who had competed in college.  I was amazed at how fast he swam for long distances despite his deliberate, methodical cadence.  His freestyle catch created hardly a ripple or splash in the water - and his flutter kick did not particularly stand out either.  While chatting, he suggested I point my web browser to the Swim Smooth site when I got the chance.

Upon entering the site, you'll see an animated figure demonstrating the "perfect" freestyle form.  What a long way I was away from that !  And so many things that needed to be corrected - just like trying to simultaneously overhaul several elements of a bad golf swing.  Shortly after joining the local health club I began to make several changes in form as suggested in the web site, focusing on these five:

1 - Incorporate more body roll to both sides
2 - Correct "overgliding" problem in initial catch phase of stroke
3 - Maintain high elbow position in catch, pull and recovery phases
4 - Lower head position to reduce lower body drag
5 - Focus on reducing drag vs producing propulsion in kick technique

The last change was key for me.  A typical distance swimmer relies on the lower body for only 10% of total propulsion.  I've been told that's particularly important in triathlon, so that legs can remain reasonably fresh for bike and run portions.  So adopting a streamlined ankle and foot, combined with a kick featuring a straightened leg with minimal knee bend, meant noticeable improvements in drag and efficiency of effort for me.


The opening swim lap for the final flight in my second indoor triathlon, November 2011.  I can be seen producing my share of splash near the center of this photo, swimming on the far side of the second closest lane.

Those changes, combined with the many drills the web site suggests, allowed me to hit my swim goal of 600 meters in just under 10 minutes in my first triathlon in March, 2011 (an indoor format where distance is measured for each leg, not time).  Later, I was excited to learn that I'd finished first among all masters athletes in the swim phase!  But I have so much more work to do in the pool - especially when it comes to learning how to breathe on both sides.  More on that later.

Bigger Splash Equals Faster Swim?

That's what my swim teammates and I were somehow thinking at the time.  It looked to us that the faster freestylers created more of a splash than others as they swam, particularly in the sprint events.  Funny what kinds of things can make an impression on you, particularly when you are six years old.  That's when I began swimming competitively - the first team sport to which I was exposed in my youth.

So there I was, slapping away like a runaway windmill - flailing wildly at the water in the freestyle events.  I wasn't thinking much about efficient propulsion - and more importantly, what creates drag.  Perhaps that's one reason why I wasn't the one of the faster age group freestylers on my team.  Eventually, I ended up focusing on breaststroke - a very different animal - and that's where I saw the most success, including one league championship in seven outdoor swim seasons during grade school.

But sadly for me, breaststroke is the slowest of the four competitive forms of swimming.  So far as I can tell, a strong breaststroke doesn't do you much good in the world of triathlon - except maybe for a couple seconds mid race if you veer off course and need to regain your bearings.

Up until a couple of years ago, I hadn't taken too many trips to the pool during my adulthood.  That changed in the summer of 2010 when I sought out a no-impact form of aerobic exercise to complement biking - and interestingly, to help build endurance for an upcoming hiking trip (more on that later).  Our community outdoor aquatic complex features an Olympic-sized 50 meter pool with three lanes (designated, slow, medium or fast) cordoned off for lap swimming.  You share lanes, swimming in a "circular" fashion by keeping right at all times.

Well, not too much had changed with my freestyle swimming form in forty plus years.  I struggled in the pool and it got worse the longer distances I swam.  If this was going to be an ongoing activity, something had to change.  I'd seen others using training fins, so I went ahead and bought a pair.  That made a big difference.  I could afford sloppiness and still get in a good workout.  By the end of the summer, I was swimming between two and five miles in each pool session - all with fins.  And I ended up dropping eight pounds over a three month period.

Fast forward six months to January of this year.  Shortly after joining a local health club (a giant complex featuring an indoor aquatic center), I saw a club advertisement for an indoor triathlon in March.  I read the fine print and the sad news sunk in - swim fins were not allowed.  If I wanted to enter and hold my own in the swim leg, something - actually, alot of things - in my freestyle form would have to change.  I was ready for the challenge, so at age 54 I registered for my first triathlon ever, albeit an indoor format - with a scant two months to prepare.

 . . . to be continued . . .

Please Keep Up with Me - Woof Woof !!

Here's a hint about taking a training run with a Brittany in the crowded suburbs where dog leashes are at least de rigueur (if not otherwise required by local law):  Unless you're looking for an energetic little tug boat to drag you along, consider jogging with a different breed instead.

First, a little background about Brittany Spaniels, more commonly referred to as Brittanys.  They are small to medium sized hunting dogs known for their endurance and stamina in the field, yet adapt well to the relative tranquility and comforts of home.  They are playful.  They'll fetch - more or less - if trained to do so.  They're devoted companions who shower affection on their owners.  But caveat emptor:  Some Brittanys are escape artists.  Others snack via counter surfing.  And nearly every Brit requires a large dose of recreation and attention every day.  They need to expend alot of energy.  And they love to run.

Our first Brittany provided entertainment and companionship to our family for twelve wonderful years until that sad day arrived a few years back when we needed to put her down.  But because the breed requires so much of its owners, my wife had long resolved that one Brittany was enough - that is, until we experienced the vacuum left in the wake of its departure.  So it didn't take long for us to begin cruising the American Brittany Rescue web site in search of Brittany Number 2.  We rescued our second Brit, a female emotionally reeling from abandonment yet otherwise displaying excellent health, just two months afterwards.




That's Phoebe, our Brit #2, provoking a confrontation with a neighborhood possum.


True to form, our newest furry family member displayed all the typical Brittany traits.  And at only 1 1/2 years old, this one's energy levels knew no bounds.  Good news for her was, at the time I was just entering my fitness rediscovery mode - an exercise nexus for the two of us.  And figuring that I could save time by working out together, we commenced a morning jogging routine.

I use the term "together" loosely.  Phoebe enjoys charging out ahead - or at least as far as my 12' retractable leash plus fully extended arm will permit.  After a few weeks of 3 to 5 mile runs, I began to experience discomfort in the areas surrounding my pelvis.  It became so uncomfortable that I had to give up running altogether for awhile.  At an annual checkup soon afterwards, while discussing my symptoms my doctor suggested non impact exercise instead, with swimming at the top of the list.  We never really arrived at the source of the problem - an issue which resolved itself with rest within a month or so.

Looking back, here's my theory:  The tension produced excessive rotation in my lower torso, causing my legs to fight back - leading perhaps to strained adductors, a muscle group responsible for stability and drawing the legs together.  Perhaps I'll never know for sure, except for one thing:   Yes, Phoebe had finally secured her "forever home" at our address, but when it came to running, she'd be flying solo from now on.

Cross training . . . on frozen pond





My club hockey team while I was in high school, photographed following a practice session.
I'm in the front row, third from left.  Most of the hair has long since departed this world.

Call this Chicagoan a fair weather fan.  There's something special about summer and fall here - as I kept muttering to myself while digging out from under two feet of snow in early February.

Despite what you may have been led to believe in my prior post, we're blessed here in the northern Chicago suburbs with some good (albeit flat) venues for safe bicycle riding.  And I'll take advantage of those opportunities - that is, until the thermometer begins taking chilling dives later in the fall here.  That's one of the few times you'll find me at the head of any pack of triathletes - in this case, those transitioning to the indoors for training.

Our local health club features a wonderful stationary bike studio - complete with video and sound systems plus trainers who ably lead their charges through strenuous, entertaining workout sessions.  I've done several of these workouts and find value in them.  Still, something seems missing - the turns and accompanying tests of balance perhaps, or maybe the winds (we have plenty of that here and not just from the local politicians) and rush of air.

A couple of years ago, while in my early fifties but still in my pre-triathlon days, I began engaging in some off season workouts in of all places, an ice rink.  Thank goodness for my pack rat tendencies, because in my gallery of old sports equipment I found a pair of hockey skates that I hadn't used in at least ten years.  They remained in good condition, and all they needed was sharpening.  So off to the local community indoor rink I went.

I'd played ice hockey in high school and figured that - like learning to ride a bicycle - it wouldn't be too much of a challenge to get my "sea legs" back.   After several sessions at the rink practicing backward and forward crossovers, various methods for stopping, etc. (and enduring an abundance of less than majestic spills plus blisters and bruises along the way), I felt comfortable enough in my skates and ready to tackle some tougher, higher speed workouts on the ice.  I was also fortunate in securing two or three stretches of wide open ice time each week at the local rink - nothing worse than trying to dodge an obstacle course chock full of other skaters on a surface measuring 200 by 85 feet.

Summing it up, I stumbled upon a terrific supplemental off season activity here.  Ice skating works the quadriceps and glutes in particular (two key muscle groups needed in biking), and provides excellent tests of balance and stability in the process.  Some practical advice though for those of you contemplating adding ice skating to your repertoire - you may yearn to skate fast and far - but please learn how to stop first !