Swim Lesson #4 comments

Kelly

Very good to see you and despite not swimming as much as I would like, you are making good progress - you are very coachable! I was most happy with the beginning of a real FLOW in your stroke. You are now controlling your body AND doing it less mechanically...more fluidly. As everything in swimming directly/indirectly affects the body position, small corrections now bring great results! Your head is much lower in the water and your head/spine line is looking fish-like.
Initially, you were entering too early in the front (near your ear), but we made the correction to allow the high elbow position carry further to the front before getting wet - this resulted in several important advances:

- hands going back UP to YOUR balance spot of +/- 5"
- arms reaching more straight into your corners, not crossing into the middle
- hips able to rotate easier around your whole body line

The next aspect we unlocked was a slight hesitation of your hands when they initially touch the surface. You are now reaching THROUGH the surface and out into your balance corners - this did amazing things for your fluidity... I hope it felt good. It allowed you to have a more natural cadence resulting in more speed - no extra effort.... ****Your left side is the most to blame!!

Although the Finis snorkel will take a nose plug to work for you, please pick one up and work some time into your swim withe snorkel - the whole purpose is to take your mind COMPLETELY off of needing to breath and onto the stroke dynamics. This is a powerful effect and is used by athletes through the Olympic level.

The SWIMITTS are REALLY great for you - keep it up. Interestingly, I gave them to a young stud this morning at the Y. This kid is in his 30s and we bother each other, as we are both a bit competitive - he can swim... Swam through college... I could tell he thought they were silly and did not give me much after swimming a few 200s with them on... BUT, when he took them off and swam his final 200, he stopped and told me that he was REALLY FEELING IT. He liked them.. cool. They work. They will continue to stretch you out and deepen your understanding of the catch dynamics. Use them for ANY distance (even long) and then remove them immediately (as we did) and continue swimming THE SAME WAY.... Allow them to work on you!

Last, I want to advance you and keep you challenged and motivated... Please get in the pool without Masters once and a while and have a Kelly Swim Day. Practice the corkscrew. This drill will make you a much better freestyler and keep your muscles loose via protagonism and antagonism. The pivotal point is the moment of transition - keep a tight core and a long reach. Feel the streamline and the body rotation during freestyle and match it when doing upside down freestyle. Enjoy this drill... At least 100 meters per session....

Keep the faith, girl...

Full Disclosure

I originally starting doing TRIs to give myself a goal that would keep me working out consistently. And the more expensive the race, the better, because I hate to lose money, and that would just add to my motivation. But honestly, the most important reason I wanted to do this was to lose weight....to release weight, to stop weighing myself down (as I heard on the biggest loser tonight). I am a health coach. I know what to do to lose weight...much more than I would ever need to know. I need to move more and eat less. I need to eat whole organic foods. I need to avoid diet sodas (since I have reactions to artificial sweeteners). I need to find space and time to meditate and be with myself. And I need to forgive myself for not being perfect.

But it is so much easier to keep eating and bury the pain down under the food. And to tell myself that I am doing the right things, and I just cant lose the weight. And to focus on everything else but my real issues.

I am AFRAID. AFRAID of my power, my brilliance, attention, succeeding, failing, feeling limited, looking amazing, losing my husband, or even worse, leaving him.

I am SAD. Sad that I was not able to breastfeed my son after everything I tried with my diet failed to stop his eczema and his allergies. Sad that I feel like I failed him. Sad that I feel like I failed myself. Sad that I don't put him to bed anymore because it reminds me of what I am not able to do. Sad that I will not be having more children (due to choice not biology). Sad that I felt so beautiful in my big, pregnant body, and so ugly in the same body when I am not pregnant.

All of this came out after my massage today. I asked my therapist who has experience with Reiki and Chakra balancing to get my body ready to release the weight I have been holding onto. And he asked about my breastfeeding due to something he was sensing during the massage. After hearing the story, he told me that I need to accept that I gave my best to my son, and continue to do so. That Kieran loves me no matter what, and I give him everything he needs. That I need to forgive myself, and allow myself to heal. And I cried. And I am still crying. I need to release this, I need to be honest about it, and I need to ask for love and support to get me past this and to a place where I love and accept myself unconditionally no matter if I am 185 pounds or more or less.

And then maybe I won't have injuries throughout the season...because I now believe they were due to energetics more than physical issues...and then I can work to release my fears and the weight...and then subsequently be a better Triathlete. I want to set a good example for my children, I want to be the best and the strongest I can be, and I want to feel peace in my heart.

So here I go.

Hard to focus

When life gets in the way of training, what do you do? I try to refocus, and take my training one day at a time. But lately, that has meant I havent gone to the gym, and Ive been spending more time resting my body than working it. That is good and bad. Obviously, I have needed the rest, especially as I have been sleeping 8-12 hours a night for the last few weeks if I can. It is as if my body is fighting something off and it needs all that extra rest it can get (or could it be my infant son waking me up at least once a night that still leaves me unrested?). But at this point, especially as the 1/2 marathon is looming only 4 weeks away, I need to get my butt back to the gym, get my body moving.

Last night was Masters, and I was on my way there, right after I took a little rest that is, and wouldnt you know it, but I woke up at 7am this morning to realize I missed it. And tonight is Happy Hour, a funky dance/movement class that I intend to go to at 6pm. But I have a massage scheduled for 4:30. Wonder if that will energize me or make me drive home to bed again?

Needless to say, I have been to the doctor, and have a few things going on, but nothing that should affect my energy. Perhaps it is the dread of doing the 1/2 marathon when I was plagued with injury and pain all during my tri season...and I doubt my ability to finish. Or maybe its just that Im a lazy butt that enjoys TV in the evening with my family more than working out? Probably both, but I am committed to at least trying to get back to my training (dont you like that-committed to trying). I know, there is no TRY, only TRI and DO (and DU-but thats another blog)...

Zipping through the forest

Mark took me to a ropes course at Spring Mountain for an early birthday outing yesterday, and we had such a great time. We zip lined through the forest 6 times, taking in the beautiful fall day, and performed ropes challenges (one was extremely tough) that didn't feel like much work but my body is telling me today definitely was. I love working out without consciously doing it! Now if only I could train for a triathlon without knowing it, right?