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Training Plan

Well its all coming together, dropped another 1lb at weigh in on Friday - I need to book my first cycling lesson tomorrow when the lady (through work) who organises them is back off leave, neighbour is lending me her bike and helmet until I can buy one through the cyclescheme at work (next window to buy opens in September), gonna book a couple of lessons initially and see how I get on, I live virtually on a park that has a 1 mile concrete circular circuit so easy enough to practice round there until I am confident enough to get out on the roads.



Have downloaded a 6 month total novice training plan that concentrates for the first 6-8 weeks on indoor biking/strength work then starts to incorporate swimming and running so started that last week. Will do this twice a week.



Twice a week I will swim as well, last week I timed the first 400m as 18mins, yesterday was down to 14 mins but I know I need to go sub 10 mins before the race, loads of time for that.



But what I want to know does anyone have any suggestions on how I should structure my two swimming sessions each week - I'm thinking just swimming up and down for an hour might not be the best use of my time. My gym sessions feel pretty structured right now but my swimming doesn't - Ive heard something about drills,but don't really know what these are.



Any help/training plans etc very gratefully received!!



Thanks guys

Comments

  • durhamvamdurhamvam Posts: 246
    Hi there,



    It might be worth booking some swim lessons or seeing if your local tri club do pool sessions you can join - I go to mine even though I can't keep up with the bike/run sessions. They should have a coach who will help you work on drills and technique and who can make suggestions of what to do with your other sessions during the week. The drills will focus on the areas of your stroke that you need to work on - like length, recovery, rotation and also general fitness - intervals that sort of thing



    You could have a look at:



    http://www.swimplan.com/



    I seem to remember that you can customise the sessions according to level, pool size and equipment.



    I hope that helps

  • Thats great thanks. I had enquired at my local pool about the lessons, they are due to end shortly and won't resume until September but might be worth getting a few in before the summer holidays. Will have a look at that link.
  • I printed off a training plan from swimplan.com and had a first stab at it last night, it was a total of 1100m, the plan said i should have done it in 45-60 mins and I did it in 45 mins, will repeat this one on Sunday then move onto another one as I was at the quicker end of the plan. It was hard but I enjoyed it and felt like I had worked hard when I got out of the pool. Just waiting for the dates for my cycling lessons to come through now.



    Will do a gym workout tomorrow, static bike and light weights.
  • durhamvamdurhamvam Posts: 246
    Hey! That's great, I'm pleased it's working out for you. Sounds like you're sorted with the swimming anyway! Did you do drills or intervals?



    Good luck!

  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    Hey Millie



    I dont use any sort of plan that you can download!

    I have taylored one to fit me.

    With swimming you are right there isnt much in just plodding up and down for an hour.

    I will do 2 swims a week as you do but one is drills and one is hard.

    The drills are



    swim a lenght as hard as possible then slowly swim back. The next length is at a 70% intenseity and then slowly back then a hard max output lenth.

    15 second rest and repeat for half an hour. You will know you have been seimming when you wake up the next morning. You do need to set this to your needs but drills work well for me as they do in running.



    The second session ios just a good hard 30-40 minute swim all front crawl. No breaks!





    One last thing. Leave the stop watch at home for a month and let yourself worry about the swim and not time. Technique is 90% of swimming and power seems to make up the other 10%



    As said above lessons are great for technique. I have read so much about technique that I havetaught myself but wish I could of had some lessons1



    Goo luck!
  • durhamvamdurhamvam Posts: 246
    Hi Millie,



    I've been thinking and Baz is right you do need to tailor your swimming to work on your weaknesses. Perhaps you can get a one off private lesson with one of the coaches from the local pool who can analyse your technique or failing that do you have a willing (or bribable) partner, friend or child who can have a look for you - maybe they can video you (though OKing that with the pool first is probably a good idea!).



    Then you will know if you have a good glide phase, are dropping your hips/raising your head, crossing your arms, kicking from your knees or whatever (some of these things keep cropping up despite my best efforts/lessons - I think it's a cunning plan to keep my coach in business [;)]).



    When you know the good bits/problem areas you will know what to concentrate on.



    As for what I do - I swim three times a week one long steady swim, one lot of intervals and maybe some drills (catch-up, single arm, shark fin, kicking etc) depending what we did in the club swim and one coached swim with the local tri club.



    Does that help?

  • durhamvam wrote:


    Hey! That's great, I'm pleased it's working out for you. Sounds like you're sorted with the swimming anyway! Did you do drills or intervals?



    Good luck!







    I dont think it was drills but I don't really know what they are!!! [&:]



    My plan tuesday was:



    4 x 50m warm up with 15 sec rest every 50m



    1 x 25 n streamline freestyle 15 sec rest

    1 x 25 m freestyle 15 sec rest

    1 x 25 m one arm freestyle (left, then right, then both repeat) 15 sec rest

    1 x 25 freestyle 15 sec rest



    12 x 50 m freestyle steady pace 10 sec rest every 50 m



    2 x 50 cool day



    45 mins to complete

    total distance 1100m

  • Plan for tonight in gym is:



    40 mins static bike, random hill programme



    3 x 12 bicep curls

    3 x 12 lat pull down machine

    3 x 12 tricep dips

    3 x 12 french curls

    3 x 15 ab crunches



    10 min stretch.
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    What is a french curl? anyone know? [8|]
  • MGMG Posts: 470
    I think its a croissant.........





    .........only three??? I'd eat at least 5.........



  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    a french curl - that's just filthy!
  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    And three crunchies too!



    I like this workout.... [8|]
  • MGMG Posts: 470
    Not sure what hes dipping his triceps into but if its barbeque sauce I might take up this workout........
  • Boys behave yourselves!!! [;)]



    French curl is when you (and my explain skills are pretty pants) bend a weight behind your head to work the triceps! AND actually its 3 x 15 crunchies making that 45 - I did say I was 3 stone overweight - now you see why!!
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    Well, a cep is a type of french mushroom, so it must be a sort of mushroom sauce, with three different types of mushroom, to dip the french curls into (I assumed that was a posh name for crinkle cut chips).
  • durhamvam wrote:


    Hi Millie,



    I've been thinking and Baz is right you do need to tailor your swimming to work on your weaknesses. Perhaps you can get a one off private lesson with one of the coaches from the local pool who can analyse your technique or failing that do you have a willing (or bribable) partner, friend or child who can have a look for you - maybe they can video you (though OKing that with the pool first is probably a good idea!).



    Then you will know if you have a good glide phase, are dropping your hips/raising your head, crossing your arms, kicking from your knees or whatever (some of these things keep cropping up despite my best efforts/lessons - I think it's a cunning plan to keep my coach in business [;)]).



    When you know the good bits/problem areas you will know what to concentrate on.



    As for what I do - I swim three times a week one long steady swim, one lot of intervals and maybe some drills (catch-up, single arm, shark fin, kicking etc) depending what we did in the club swim and one coached swim with the local tri club.



    Does that help?





    Thanks really helpful thanks, I had noticed Tuesday that I drop my hips and kick from the knee - I only realised this because I ruptured my cartliage doing my last powerwalking marathon a month ago and when I kick from the knee or drop my hips I get a bit of a pain in the back of my knees - so I know I need to work on this - I know also I am useless at putting my head underwater (I blame my asthma!!! [;)]) - can't get any lessons at my pool until September (fully booked) but now definintely going to book a block of lessons ASAP in September and just work through the training programme from swimplan.com until September.



    Have been given the name of my cycling tutor who will be contacting me shortly to set up my first cycling lesson.
  • durhamvamdurhamvam Posts: 246
    I can really symapthise about the asthma, head under water thing. My first total immersion style lesson (this was how I learned to front crawl in NZ last year) I completely panicked and had to just about be pulled out of the pool! Got it cracked now though, thanks to lots of really good, patient, sympathetic coaching - (thanks Brett and Haydn, I miss you guys if you're reading!).



    Why don't you get a float then you can practise kicking without getting too swamped with water? If you push your head down and work on using the rotation of the stroke to breathe rather than lifting your head (sort of keeping your ear glued to the shoulder of the arm on the side you're not breathing - and be careful not to drop this hand until the other one enters the water but keep it stretched out towards the wall of the pool) this will help keep your hips up. If you lift your head to breathe you will have to kick much harder not to sink.



    The shark fin drill will increase the rotation..........

  • Whats a shark fin drill?
  • Oh and down another pound this week, very happy.

  • durhamvamdurhamvam Posts: 246
    Well done on the continued weight loss - I wish I had your self control. Spent today at a course thing for work and ate too much pastry/biscuits/cake [&:]



    Shark fin drill: At the end of your pull when one arm should be stretched right out in front of you reaching for the wall and the other hand has finished by pushing the water back and is now at your hip (it's probably worth actually touching your thigh to make sure). When you begin your recovery bring your hand up along the side of your body as though aiming to put your thumb into your arm pit this will bring your elbow up (hence the shark fin) then continue the stroke as normal extending the arm so that the had enters the water in front of the elbow of the leading arm. Bringing your elbow high will increase your body rotation which should be at the maximum at the end of the pull



    Does that make sense? Perhaps there is a book with pictures which might be easier to understand!



    Have a good weekend, I'm off to the Lake District to walk Hellvelyn........ probably in the rain

  • Makes perfect sense, thank you, will give it a go tomorrow. I did some drills with the kickboard yesterday has really helped me get my kick right. Hope you enjoy your walk, I saw a programme about climbing Hellvelyn, looks great!!
  • durhamvamdurhamvam Posts: 246
    HI,



    Hope the training is going well! This website has a good description of most of the drills I do - might be worth a look?



    http://swimming.about.com/cs/techniquetips/a/Freestyl_Drills.htm



    Weekend was a bit of a washout thanks - wet, snow above about 700 m, cold, wet, windy, did I mention wet? so no Hellvelyn but lower level walks for us, oh well next time, hey ho that's the Lakes for you. Anyone who did the Coniston Tri in that has my full respect!

  • Training in the snow and rain will be my biggest challenge, when I was training for the marathon I refused to leave the house if it was raining, I'm a bit of a princess I'm afraid when it comes to adverse weather conditions!!
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