WEEK 11

All is well after last week's big swim. No injuries, a tired right shoulder, but nothing to worry about. I received the email critique of my swimming video and have floundered a bit. It's all REALLY GOOD criticism and advice, but it's a lot to process. The basic problem with my swimming is that I swim with my arms, head, and shoulders (sounds reasonable). Howeve real swimming is done from the hips and core. The Stroke doctor came up with 8 points and they all same the same thing in different ways: stop swimming with straight arms, rotate more, engage hips/core abdomen/lower back and use a higher elbow position. It doesn't seem like much on paper, but it constitutes a whole lot of change ...if I can even make the adjustments. Today in the pool a lane mate, Mallory stopped me and made me do some rotating drills. She was so happy with my progress that I stopped swimming the workout and just kept doing the drill. I hope some of the rotation is there tomorrow when I hit the pool again. I am truly lucky to have so much swimming knowledge around me. When I showed my pool mates the critique from the stroke doctor, they all knew exactly what he was on about, and all had ideas on ways for me to improve. I am tired because I am using new muscles, but hopeful too. It is storming here today but the water was warm and inviting.
My friend Karen Rogers swam from the Sea Buoy (12 miles off the San Fransisco Coast back to the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday. She encountered 9' seas and 13 mile an hour winds. I can imagine swimming it, but I can't believe she had a kayak escort the whole way. How did he stay a float? She made it in 4.5 hours and had 'gas in the tank' which is good because she is planning to swim to SF from the Farallon Islands in early July. She is my hero and trail blazer. Maybe I'll get to do the sea buoy next :-)