EZ Swimmin'

Slow easy swimming is the best way to practice technique. Recently, I have been working on hand entry. I’m aiming for a cleaner hand entry so that there will be less bubbles as I pull through the water. The less bubbles the more efficient the stroke.

My right hand entry is the one that I’ve been focusing on. I have an old habit of dropping the pinky side in first. To compensate, I’ve learned that I must make it feel completely opposite and aim for the feeling of dropping my thumb in first. By doing this, I will eventually train myself to enter correctly… which will be somewhere in-between.

Today I started easy with the Stability Snorkel. The use of a center mounted snorkel allows me to focus on technique without having to think about the timing, rhythm and rotation for the breath. This gives me the opportunity to work on hand entry exclusively, looking for the best way to enter with the least amount of bubbles. After I getting into a good rhythm, I remove the snorkel and add an additional skill… breathing.

Yes, breathing is a skill. When done correctly, we maintain good body position and balance, getting the most “bang for the buck”. In a previous post, Early Breath, I describe it in more detail.

I finished todays workout with easy swimming, concentrating on hand entry and the early breath. It seems to look better. All I need to do now is to keep practicing it slowly until it becomes second nature.

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Flyin' Below the Clouds

FINIS Foil Monofins

Hydro Tech T2 Swim Fins

Testing out some fins for underwater dolphin kick.

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Turnin'

The Turn

We aim for fluidity in a turn. The movement should appear as one continuous motion with the end result of changing 180* in direction. Here’s some of the fine points.

• get as close to the wall as possible. aim to have your feet directly on the wall as soon as you flip 180* so that you can push off immediately.

• when flipping over, your feet should go straight over your head.

• as your feet hit the wall, you should be in a squat position with your back flat as if you were lying on the floor and upper body and arms in streamline position.

• as soon as your feet flip over 180* you should push off immediately, like jumping from a squat in streamline. even if you find that you are a little too far away from the wall, just pretend the wall is right there and push off. eventually you will learn to judge this distance and get it right. in the video, I was a little long on the turn and could have been closer to the wall.

• after pushing off, do at least one dolphin kick off the wall before trying to rotate over to your stomach.

• keep a tight core from the squat position through the breakout of the stroke.

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Within the Blue Above

A meditation while swimming backstroke and watching the blue above. Sometimes, on a lucky day, we see hawks and other birds flying overhead. In years past during the spring and early summer, we would often see Cooper’s hawks nesting near the pool, raising their chicks and teaching them the ways of the world.

Our friend Emery would share this love of birds with us as he sat in the lifeguard chair. We enjoyed seeing the various hawks and pointing them out to each other. Emery had an affection for crows. When he was in his youth, he befriended a crow and it would follow him to school and back home, often flying by his classroom window.

When we see the hawks and crows at the pool, we watch in amazement and think of our dear friend Emery.

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36 Views of Alcatraz

the first hour of sunrise as seen from the hills of El Cerrito

We’ve posted this on the morning when Emery would have been apart of the “Indigenous People Sunrise Ceremony” on Alcatraz Island. In the past it was the “Unthanksgiving Day” to commemorate the protest event of 1969 where the Alcatraz-Red Power Movement (ARPM) occupied the Island for 19 months. Emery was part Cherokee, taking part in this ceremony every year. He had many stories of his times spent there and with the elders. To many of us in our local swim community, he was our elder. ✌️

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Taking Stock

We’ve been able to swim regularly for the last few weeks. It’s a blessing with mixed feelings. I do need swimming for health and fitness, but the benefits towards mental health outweigh the physical benefits. Knowing this I try to keep a positive attitude with our new culture of swim reservations and the limited access that it entails. Mostly, we are grateful to be able to swim and to have reconnected with a swim community that we have been absent from for too long.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve managed a few short workout sets, a lot of drills and easy swimming, and a few short swim tests just to see where I’m at. I’m getting a better feel for the water and inching closer to where I once was. I’m not sure how long we’ll be able to sustain this under current circumstances. So, we’re trying to take it one day at a time.

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Today I did some freestyle pulling with fins as a combination of easy swim, scull and a fast 50. I like pulling with fins because it does not provide the buoyancy of a pull buoy. This requires you to engage your core for better balance and rotation. I also kick off the walls, working on streamline and building up the kick. As soon as I breakout and start a stroke, I stop the kick and focus on the pull. Pulling with fins is also a lot of fun and a way to get the feeling of fast swimming! The fast ones were within 1 sec of where I once was… so, not too bad for a few weeks of work.

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I just recently started to work in a few drills and very short swims with fins. This is a great way to ease into the rhythm of the stroke. One of the drills we call “Stone-skipper”. It’s a way to break up the stroke into two parts… the recovery phase and the pull phase with a long gentle glide in-between. It’s great for rhythm and timing. I also did a dolphin kick breaststroke. This also helps with the rhythm and timing of both breaststroke and fly.

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A 50 yard sprint kick with fins is another thing I like to do to gauge where I am at. I was surprise to find that I’m within a second of my best time here as well… very happy with that! 💪🏽

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Core Connection and Body Position

Core connection and body position are essential for balance and easy power. Some of these drills come from the University of Arizona in Fast Lane Freestyle. This video gives excellent instructions and tips on many essential drills with world class swimmers demonstrating technique. The Elevation and Bow Drills are two that I do regularly. They are also the foundation for all the other drills from UA. The idea here is to hold a body position at various points of the stroke to gain better balance, strength and understanding of how to move through these points while swimming. A snorkel is the one essential tool for these drills. It allows us to hold these positions without being interrupted by the breath. Finally, the kick. If you do get to watch Fast Lane Freestyle, you will find that all these drills are kick heavy. The kick is the anchor to our stroke, giving us something to leverage against and provides us forward momentum.

• Elevation Drill- bottom arm relaxed at your our side, top arm with finger tips to elbow in the water, bicep just out of the water, and elbow near the top of your head. In this position the elbow is above forearm, forearm above wrist, wrist above finger tips.

• Bow Drill- bottom arm reaching forward about 10 inches below the surface, top arm with hand held just before the entry point about 10 inches above the water.

• Rotation Drill- a very slow and deliberate freestyle stroke with a body position pause into a quick, snappy rotation.

• Easy Swim- put it together and stretch it out, maintain a quick and snappy rotation.

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Then & Now

A throwback to what I could once do. After 7 months without a pool, I’m grateful for any opportunity to swim these days.

But what will our future have in store for us?  Unfortunately, it feels like swimming is becoming an activity for the privileged.  Due to the current need to book reservations for a 45 minute swim in a lane to yourself, pool reservations become 90% filled within the first 10 minutes of booking.  It’s a “Feeding Frenzy “, competing for lanes with our friends and local community, leaving many out of the water.  To top it off, prices have doubled, some paying up to $12 for the 45 minutes. 

This does not make me feel good.  How can swimming be safely done for all?  

At this point I am learning how to let go of past goals in swimming… taking it one day at a time… maybe a little swim test now and then to see where I’m at… just for kicks… 😉

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A Moving Meditation

Water is my element.  This is where I’m at home, where troubles fade and the day begins anew.  It doesn’t matter who’s around or how many people are in the lane, as soon as I enter the pool it’s just me, the water and that little black line.  Following that black line back and forth becomes a meditation.  Just like any other kind of mindfulness, there are certain things to watch and notice: how my hand is entering the water, the feel of the water pressure against the soles of my feet or against my forearms, the sound of my breath through a snorkel or the different shade of blue that the water happens to be at that moment.  In swimming I am practicing a form of moving meditation. Whether it’s slow and easy or hard and fast, there is always something to observe and to loose oneself to.

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Early Breath

What is an early breath… and why?

Breathing in Freestyle is the one point in the stroke where most swimmers fall out of alignment, no longer balanced with their bodies in that perfect line. It happens a lot and to almost everyone. As I’ve mentioned in Rotation Drills, the snorkel is the best tool for training with, whether it’s hard sets or drills.

But back to breathing. Most swimmers tend to take a long breath that follows their recovery arm from exiting the water to reentering the water. I like to call this “breathing with your hand” because one watches the full recovery stroke while breathing. This way of breathing causes many problems with balance from front to back as well as side to side. When this happens, swimmers compensate in ways that make swimming inefficient.

An early breath is taken much earlier in the stroke than described above. It also allows us to keep a much better “line” with our bodies, giving us more power with less drag. It’s about efficiency. As swimmers, we want to get as far as we can, as fast as we can with the least amount of work.

The timing for an early breath is like this: the breath should be taken at the peak of our rotation on the breathing side. This is just before our recovering hand exits the water. The breath is a quick sip of air so that we can return our head before the recovery hand enters the water. At the same time that we return our head into the water, we should be seeing the beginning of the pull from the hand on our non-breathing side. This will take some time to get used to, but give it a try. Once mastered, you will find that the breath is quick and easy. Your breath will be lower in the water so that one goggle is underwater at all times. Most importantly, you will find that your swimming will be much more effective, getting more bang for the buck!

btw… can you spot my breath? what side am I breathing on?

Go Swim has a video with Scott Tucker. In that video there is a section titled Hide the Breath. You need to have a membership at Go Swim, but this is great footage of an early breath with tips.

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All Hallows’ Eve

Riding to the pool, I look over my shoulder, peering at the setting blue moon.  It’s pitch black out, not a soul around. Everything is quiet. We pass by friends’ homes with dark windows. And then several blocks later, two bright rectangles of light appear, flung out and stretched on the lawn of one house. 

On deck, orange moonlight glows between silhouetted trees. The pool seems to hover in the darkness. I suddenly remember: it’s Halloween. The mood is subdued perhaps because it’s still quite early, so dark I could swear it was the middle of the night. No one says a word. It feels as though we’re all in our own worlds. Bodies appear more vulnerable, shadows against the illuminated pool. Clothes are shed and there’s something almost ceremonial about it. It’s a cold morning, hard to be nearly naked. Shivering, I take a step and jump in, thrilled that the water’s a great temperature. I’m awake instantly, a sharpness takes hold of me when seconds ago I was still drifting elsewhere. The sky very gradually lightens as if it’s opening. Coming up for air, through the sound of splashing water, I catch fragments of the dawn chorus.

Later I remember the Celtic origins of Halloween, the belief that it was a time when boundaries between worlds of the living and the dead thinned, blurred and spirits could pass easily into ours.  In the water, other boundaries for me are blurred between dreaming and waking. 

… L

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The Fifth Stroke

In order to become a contender these days, you’ve got to have an incredible underwater dolphin kick and streamline. I’m not even close to that league but I still try to be the best that I can. Here’s some great videos from The Race Club showing how it’s done with some tips… Butterfly with Roland Schoeman and UDK with Olympic Swimmer Marcus Schlesinger

We would like to thank Barry and Sue for our swims today!

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Above, Below, Beyond

After many years of swimming indoors, it’s been an experience going back to the outdoor pool where we used to swim. The light is dazzling, colors are bright and vivid, the air so fresh, a flood of sensations. It makes me a little dizzy, trying to take everything in all at once. I love seeing blue above, below, all around. Watching white clouds drifting as I’m doing backstroke is like being in a dream. And then there are the birds. One day we witness an aerial battle: a murder of crows dive bombing a Cooper’s hawk. Another morning we arrive, greeted by the familiar high pitched, soft, sweet whistling calls of cedar waxwings. They’re perched high in a tree, all facing the same direction, taking turns darting into a red berry bush to feed. As they fly away they make a pattern of dark little crosses scattering into the blue sky. 

… L

Thank you to Luke, Jeannie and Sue for today:)

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Cedar Waxwings

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Kick like Thunder

It’s all in the kick!

The kick is the foundation to a good stroke. It gives us leverage for the rotation and the power in the pull. These ideas are not new and I certainly did not come up with it. If you look at the many videos from the great world class coaches you will see that they all discuss this. It may not be the same exact words, but these ideas are all in there. If you get a chance, watch Fast Lane Freestyle with University of Arizona swim coaches; Frank Busch, Rick DeMont, August Busch and Greg Rhodenbaugh. This is where Frank Busch talks about a great kick as setting up body position and Rick DeMont talking about the kick is the anchor for leverage in our stroke. As Coach DeMont says, “Kick Like Thunder.”

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Happy World Swim Day

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Rotation Drill

There are many drills designed to help with core connection and rotation in freestyle. In this video I’ve combined many aspects of these drills into one. It’s basically a very slow and deliberate freestyle stroke with a body position pause into a quick, snappy rotation.

If you had to choose only one piece of swimming gear, what would it be? I’ve been asked this question a number of times and my answer is without a doubt the center mounted snorkel. FINIS was the first company to introduce this gear back in 1995 and they are always improving it. The snorkel is the best tool for all of these drills and for doing long hard workouts. Why? Technique! It allows us to keep our heads centered in the optimal position for balance and rotation.

Breathing in freestyle is the moment where most swimmers fall out of alignment, throwing our balance off causing drag and slowing us down. This is why the snorkel is so great for technique.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

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A Blast from the Past

I came across this video that Lauri took of me many years ago  What’s most moving is not the image but the voice in the background… that distinctive voice from the past, the voice of love, the long missed voice and laughter of Emery.  We miss you dearly and think of you all the time.  Yes Emery, we will see you later!  ✌️

💞L&G

ps. I found this video on the morning of Monday October 19th... it just so happens to be Emery's Birthday... Happy Birthday Brother! It was also recorded on Lauri's Birthday in 2011. It's a strange thing when these stars are aligned!

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Into the Blue

We descend a very long flight of stairs. It’s like hiking down into a small canyon, past massive oaks and palms. The earth is parched, dusty. The pool glows from the bottom of this ravine, a blinding bright jewel. I stop half way to take it in. It’s wondrous, like an oasis in the middle of a desert. I jump in, all senses coming alive, water rushing into my ears, the sound rippling around me. We’ve been swimming daily for many years, each day focusing on technique. After seven months away, and now swimming irregularly, it’s very difficult or maybe impossible to maintain both technique and endurance. Today I let go of those expectations and enjoy the sensation of being in the water, the sheer delight of weightlessness, grateful for the fact of this water being here. Every now and then I’ll catch an amusing glimpse of acorns floating, sometimes sunken below.  But it’s the dazzling patterns of light dancing along the bottom of the pool that captivate and mesmerize me most of all, a sight that never loses it’s magic! 

… L

Thank you, Margaret for the lovely afternoon! 💙

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a morning swim... a little test

In the past, the sets below were ones that I would do regularly as pull with fins.  I like pulling with fins for 2 reasons; 1) fins do not provide the buoyancy like pull buoys and require you to engage the core for rotation, 2) it’s fast and fun to kick off the walls with fins while working on the underwater streamline kick, but no kicking after the breakout.  

When I was last in swimming shape, 7 months ago, I would begin with a 32-31 sec 50 then work it down to a 22-21 sec by the last on.  Today was my first attempt at anything resembling a workout, managing only 5 rounds of the second set.  I think I’m about 4-5 sec slower… oh well, got something to work on!

10 Rounds: Total 500 yards

• 50 pull with fins @ 1:00, descend effort by 1 sec/50

10 Rounds: Total 1000 yards

• 50 pull with fins @ 1:00 EZ Distance Per Stroke

• 50 pull with fins @ 1:00 Descend Effort by 1 sec one even 50’s

Thank you so much Luke for the morning swim!

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Slow and Steady

Since our swimming is has not been regular, my main goal is just to enjoy the moment and aim for a feel of the water. The following set is a good way for me to do just that…  with a little hypoxic training.  😉

10 rounds of the following, no rest between 50’s and 25’s, 1500 yards total

• 50 easy pull with fins, easy distance/stroke, goal 9 strokes

• 25 underwater flutter kick

• 50 easy pull with fins, easy distance/stroke, goal 9 strokes

• 25 underwater dolphin kick

Thank you to our friends Moira and Gail for the wonderful gift of a swim for 2!

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The Color of Water

Robin’s Eggshell

Photograph By

Anna Atkins

After so much time away from daily swimming, it’s breathtaking catching my first glimpse of the water. That dazzling blue. Cyan. I get a hit of both calm and excitement. I can’t wait to jump in! During the seven months without a pool I saw this color only twice. One morning on a hike, that familiar, long absent color suddenly appears between leaves and branches: a pool!  Another time, it shows up again in an American Robin’s egg shell. The color is named Robin egg blue, eggshell blue or lost egg blue.  I had no idea until then that I’d feel deprived not only of swimming but also of the sight of this very special blue.

Today I learn that this same shade of blue is called haint blue in the American south, made from crushed indigo and traditionally painted on porch ceilings in slave quarters to ward away haints, or ghosts. The color mimicked the sky, tricking the ghost into passing through, or mimicked the appearance of water, which ghosts could not cross. 

I’ve always loved this color, introduced to cyanotypes through the work of Anna Atkins, who is recognized as the first woman to create a photograph. And as a child, I was surrounded by that blue, watching my father create blueprints of his architectural drawings. 

It’s one thing to see this color and yet how much more thrilling to also be immersed in it. 

Thank you to our friends Phyllis and Lee who generously offered his lane to me this morning!

… L

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