Training Plans

SWIM FOCUS WEEK

Emphasis on technique. Swimming is a discipline where 80% of being a fast swimmer is technique and 20% conditioning.

Monday: (30-45 minutes)

BALANCE is todayʼs focus, and the goal is to have the body plane in the water, resulting in less drag.

DRILL:

20 x 25 yards with 5 sec rest (500 yards) !!Stand with your back to the wall, drop completely below the !!surface, push off in a streamline body position. Maintain a !!pelvic tilt to stabilize core and keep you eyes looking down at !!the bottom, of the pool. I do NOT mean drop our head down. !!Maintain cervical neutral (same place your head would be if you !!were standing). If you are in balance, you should feel the back, !!of your head, your rear end, and heels break the surface !!simultaneously. when you feel yourself slowing, initiate the !!kick and swim the rest of the lap.

MAIN SET:

(1000 yards) !! !!10 x 50 on 5 seconds rest !!Keep the above drill, in mind, not only as you push off the wall !!turning, but feel your core strong, as you are swimming. This !!provides a stable axis, for generating power, in your swim. !!5 x 100 yards on 10 seconds rest !!Steady, sustained effort with a perceived exertion moderately !!hard. Attempt to set a pace you can maintain, for all 100s.

COOL DOWN:

(500 yards)  200 pull  100 kick   200 swim

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Running is somewhere between swimming and cycling, and is somewhat equal, in importance, between form and conditioning. Everyone “thinks,” they know “how,” to run, because, how much more technical could it be than walking??!! (Donʼt get me started). I believe that in the early stages of a running training program, it is important to allow, for musculoskeletal adaptations, that are necessary for the body, to absorb the constant pounding that occurs, in running. Although, good technique, can minimize peak ground reaction forces, running will still result in 4-5x body weight, at foot strike. Therefore, in the preparation and base phases, of training, emphasis should be on high frequency and low to moderate intensities, to facilitate these adaptations.

This week, I would like you to try to run some everyday; with the shortest of the runs being 20-30 minutes, an intermediate day of 45-60 minutes, and maybe a longer run, on New Yearʼs Day, of maybe no more than 12 miles, easy, depending, on how you are feeling. As you know, I am not a huge fan of treadmill running, but max is 1-2x/week. I am sending 5 days, of specific focus. All of your run days should include a 5-10 min warm up and cool down.

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Biking is the opposite, of swimming.  Where successful swimming relies 80% technique, and 20% conditioning, cycling is 80% conditioning and 20% technique.  But, in any sport technique will always serve you well, for efficiency, both in energy conservation, and good mechanics, which will decrease your risk, of injury.

So, one thing that I want you to do this week, is to make sure that your indoor trainer is in good working order.  Unfortunately, in our neck, of the woods we do do a fair amount of training indoors.  Some thoughts on indoor cycling.  Because there is no coasting, turning corners, stop signs, etc, riding on a trainer can be consider twice the amount as outdoor riding.  In other words, one hour insider, can be calculated as 2 hours outside.  The other idea, is that the torque that is absorbed with motion, of the bike when riding outside, is absorbed by your hips and spine, when riding indoors.  So, I strongly suggest you not spend great than 90-120 minutes inside.  So, if you need a longer ride, I do have some ideas.

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