In the Drink with Pink
I'd been bugged for the last three weeks by my distinctly naff open water performance at South Water Sprint Relays. I'd also been bothered by the fact that I'd yet to swim in a wet suit. Okay - I'd tried sighting in the pool, but somehow that's just not the same - I had the technique (I think) but had yet to try it out without a line to check on the bottom while my head was under. So - with a little help from Pink off the RW forums, we had sorted a time to go back to Southwater.
The journey down was uneventful, save for being worried that with lots of clouds around, it was getting distinctly dark by not long after half past five! The clouds cleared though, and although the sun was low when we got there (the goggles helped with this btw), we had time for an hour or so's swimming.
At this point, I pulled out my secret weapon - a towel! Not just any old towel, but the dino constructed towel tent! This consists of two large towels, stitched together in key places, that basically allows you to dry yourself, but also to get changed "inside" (you wear it) without i) being exposed to the elements (wind etc) and ii) exposing yourself to the general public. It was something we'd seen at a kayaking weekend a couple of years ago and thought was a simple but effective trick, and it worked a treat :o). Then - a few shenanigans working out how to store keys safely (Pink has a tri kit pocket and used a safety pin), and we headed to the lake, both a tad nervous I think.
The water wasn't at all bad, and there wasn't much of a cold rush as it seepaed into the wettie. We decided to swim to the end of a nearby jetty (about 50 metres away) to get the hang of sighting in a lake. I have to say that this worked a treat! Okay - I veered off by small amounts, but they were easily corrected. Pink has sighting less often than me - I was sighting every four strokes and breathing unilaterally, which is maybe something I need to work on. One step at a time though. Must admit that although I think my legs were floating up more with the wettie, I didn't notice it at the time much.
Anyway - we swam back, sighting on Pink's rather conveniently pink kit bag! Again - success!! It was time for a bigger challenge. I think we were both worried about the light, so we decided to go for a midway option, and sight on a small jetty on the bit that stuck out into the middle of the lake - probably about 120m away. This started out fine, but was a bit confusing, as in the fading light it didn't stand out as well, and there was another little jetty further down that I confused it with once or twice. Even so - the first half was okay, but then I felt my stroke deteriorate, and with it, I had to do bigger corrections after sighting.
I think this is part of the issue - as soon as my line starts to drift off, while I can correct it, I start to thinkmore about my stroke and consequently don't relax! I also think it may be a bit due to getting tired, or maybe it's breathing on four rather than three. I'm not sure - anyway - it wdidn't feel as good as before, and while I did get there, I felt less in control than on the shorter swim. The swim back was similar - all went well at first, and I think I kept going better, but towards the end I found I was veering a fair bit left between sightings, which when you're sighting every four strokes is rather worrying! This time we sighted off the light at the end of the canteen building - which was probably a sign that we should be thinking of leaving the water! We did one more "rep" to the end of the neaby jetty, which went excellently again, and it was time to get out.
The towel tent worked a treat again, and I headed home. I must have shaved about ten minutes off the journey (it was about 45 mins this time), although I did think I was going to run out of petrol, which was worrying as I didn't know a garage for miles. I reckon Imust have made it on vapours - but I did slow dramatically on a steep uphill - so not sure if the last dregs of the tank tipped away from the inlet or something! Anyway - I refuelled, and headed home feeling like we'd had a very helpful session. The wettie is no problem (really keen to sort one out for myself now), and I think with practice, I can get the sighting better (Pink swims 4, 3, 3 t get the sighting in but still to keep bilateral. Plus I think generally working on a consistent stroke will help.
This has been a slightly low week - mainly bikign with a bit of swimming an dno running so far! I guess the bike is the one I feel I have most to do on. I'm hoping for a run today but don't want to overdo it before our big bike ride tomorrow!
The journey down was uneventful, save for being worried that with lots of clouds around, it was getting distinctly dark by not long after half past five! The clouds cleared though, and although the sun was low when we got there (the goggles helped with this btw), we had time for an hour or so's swimming.
At this point, I pulled out my secret weapon - a towel! Not just any old towel, but the dino constructed towel tent! This consists of two large towels, stitched together in key places, that basically allows you to dry yourself, but also to get changed "inside" (you wear it) without i) being exposed to the elements (wind etc) and ii) exposing yourself to the general public. It was something we'd seen at a kayaking weekend a couple of years ago and thought was a simple but effective trick, and it worked a treat :o). Then - a few shenanigans working out how to store keys safely (Pink has a tri kit pocket and used a safety pin), and we headed to the lake, both a tad nervous I think.
The water wasn't at all bad, and there wasn't much of a cold rush as it seepaed into the wettie. We decided to swim to the end of a nearby jetty (about 50 metres away) to get the hang of sighting in a lake. I have to say that this worked a treat! Okay - I veered off by small amounts, but they were easily corrected. Pink has sighting less often than me - I was sighting every four strokes and breathing unilaterally, which is maybe something I need to work on. One step at a time though. Must admit that although I think my legs were floating up more with the wettie, I didn't notice it at the time much.
Anyway - we swam back, sighting on Pink's rather conveniently pink kit bag! Again - success!! It was time for a bigger challenge. I think we were both worried about the light, so we decided to go for a midway option, and sight on a small jetty on the bit that stuck out into the middle of the lake - probably about 120m away. This started out fine, but was a bit confusing, as in the fading light it didn't stand out as well, and there was another little jetty further down that I confused it with once or twice. Even so - the first half was okay, but then I felt my stroke deteriorate, and with it, I had to do bigger corrections after sighting.
I think this is part of the issue - as soon as my line starts to drift off, while I can correct it, I start to thinkmore about my stroke and consequently don't relax! I also think it may be a bit due to getting tired, or maybe it's breathing on four rather than three. I'm not sure - anyway - it wdidn't feel as good as before, and while I did get there, I felt less in control than on the shorter swim. The swim back was similar - all went well at first, and I think I kept going better, but towards the end I found I was veering a fair bit left between sightings, which when you're sighting every four strokes is rather worrying! This time we sighted off the light at the end of the canteen building - which was probably a sign that we should be thinking of leaving the water! We did one more "rep" to the end of the neaby jetty, which went excellently again, and it was time to get out.
The towel tent worked a treat again, and I headed home. I must have shaved about ten minutes off the journey (it was about 45 mins this time), although I did think I was going to run out of petrol, which was worrying as I didn't know a garage for miles. I reckon Imust have made it on vapours - but I did slow dramatically on a steep uphill - so not sure if the last dregs of the tank tipped away from the inlet or something! Anyway - I refuelled, and headed home feeling like we'd had a very helpful session. The wettie is no problem (really keen to sort one out for myself now), and I think with practice, I can get the sighting better (Pink swims 4, 3, 3 t get the sighting in but still to keep bilateral. Plus I think generally working on a consistent stroke will help.
This has been a slightly low week - mainly bikign with a bit of swimming an dno running so far! I guess the bike is the one I feel I have most to do on. I'm hoping for a run today but don't want to overdo it before our big bike ride tomorrow!
posted by XFR Bear @ 7:41 am
2 Comments:
I remember those towel tents from my yoof. Thought it was a great English tradition - wriggling around inside one on the beach! You can stitch elastic around the 'top' to create a 'neck'.
The sighting will come with practice, don't worry. There's that learning thing that goes from unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, conscious competence through to the nirvana of unconscious competence. You're probably at about the third level.
How much did you weigh :o)
:-P
think when I relax it is almost at the top level, but once I try for the third level it can sink to the second level - i.e I'm aware I'm screwing up!
The sensory deprivation is weird
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