Video Taping Zee Swim-ski

So last night, my triathlon coach Cheryl video taped me swimming. I've been wanting to have this done for a very, very long time because I fully know that I'm a very, very terrible swimmer. I'm not even sure you can call what I do swimming really. I just some how manage to move forward in the water at a painfully slow, but steady place. Just because you can swim a mile, doesn't mean you're an expert swimmer by any means.

Last year was my very first season of doing triathlons and, being a complete, utter novice to swimming, I struggled to keep my motivation as I was consistently one of the last people to get out of the water at each race. I tried swimming with the ASU swim, masters, advice from friends...but nothing seemed to make me a better swimmer. It's quite demoralizing you know, training week after week and not seeing any improvements, not to mention developing minor signs of imminent shoulder injuries...not fun! The key to success is consistentcy...and well, I became good at consistently skipping my swim workouts cuz "my tummy hurts" or "I don't feel so good" or "I can't find parking" and a whole sleugh of other excuses.

This year, I decided to come back with a different approach to swimming. Just get in the water. You know you don't wanna. But Just do it doggone it. And oh yeah, get someone to video tape you! Preferably a coach! Well, Cheryl is an amazing coach and a sweet coach who'll just as sweetly make you kick your own butt to Timbuktu and back during her workout sessions. Unfortunately, I can't make it to her swim sessions at 7:30am (It's this thing called work that gets in the way) but she does make an appearance from time to time at the ElDorado pool which I consider to be my new aquatic home after graduating from ASU.

So yesterday, I had her film my swim (that rhymes!) and uhh, it turns out that I swim like my head is dragging a parachute called my body behind it. No joke. My arms flail way outwards like wind mills plowing through water when they should really be closer to my head. This is very bad for your shoulders! No wonder my shoulders were constantly fatigued last year! My kick is equally as bad since I kick with my legs widely spread out, scissoring through the water and dragging me down with them.

With swimming, aerodynamics are the key to success and I really need to keep my Legs and hands much closer to my body so I can slice through the water instead of painstakingly dragging through it. After watching myself swim, Cheryl helped me make some instantaneously adjustment to my stroke and kick it looks much better, though my pesky left arm still flails outwards a bit.

I'm supposed to get the video from her via email sometime this week so I'll post it for everyone's amusement as soon as I get it.