Daily Log 28 March 2011 - Swim

Do I need a swim cap??  

OK. I know that mondays are supposed to be my rest day of the week. Studies have shown that on average the body needs 36 hours to recover form a major workout. Yesterday I biked and ran till about 11:30 AM so I figured that going for a swim in the evening would just about give me time to recover from the workout.

SWIM

So I when swimming tonight which is what I look forward to every day now. I think I am getting better and my stamina in the pool is certainly improving.

Speedo BioFuse Training Fins

Today I got to play with some new toys in the pool. The first is a new pair of swimming fins, the Speedo BioFuse training fins. I've had them for a couple of weeks now. My swim coach had told me to get a pair of fins so that I can work on my leg kicking. He hasn't actually told me how to use them properly and I haven't had the courage to bring them to the pool with me. I brought them tonight and swam with them for a couple of laps.

Man. Was I in for a a shock. When I started my stroke I seemed to be moving like greased lightning. It made me swim so fast that I must have cut down my time by half. I know we're not allowed to use them in competition and they should only be used for drills and technique refinement but it was such a thrill to move so fast in the water. It gave me the sensation of what it must feel like to swim fast. I'm not sure whether I was doing it right. In fact I am sure I was doing it wrong as the fins kept clashing into each other. I can't wait to learn to use them properly.

Speedo Power Paddles

Earlier in the day I also bought some Speedo Power Paddles as well as some nose clips. You may have realised that I am very loyal to brand so if I buy something from a particular brand, I try to keep it consistent for all products.

Anyway, the power paddles was supposed to help build upper body strength and should only be used sparingly as you could hurt your shoulders from the additional drag and resistance it creates. I tried it out and quickly gave up as it made my swimming so awkward. I see a lot of people using it as a training tool. I can safely say its looks easier than it is. This one will have to wait until my swim coach can teach me how to use them properly.

Back to my nose clips. I suffer from a sinus condition. When I was studying the UK I always suffered from hay fever in the summer. Nowadays when I swim, I would quickly develop sinus and start sneezing and I'd accumulate phlegm. I read somewhere that nose clips are supposed to help as the main cause for the sneezing is the changes in water pressure. Though I am still sneezing, it does help as I would stop the sneezing much quicker now. I used to sneeze for more than a couple of hours after I swim. Now it's mostly gone after half an hour. Am not sure how to handle this when I compete in the triathlon. Can't be cycling and running in that condition. I am also told that antihistamine could help though I am trying to stay away from pharmaceuticals at the moment.

My workouts today are as follows:

Superman glide 2x50m
Freestyle 4x50m
Freestyle with fin 2x50m

Thumb to Thigh 2x50m

Touch and Go (aka Catch-up Stroke) 2x50m

One arm front 2x50m (this is a new one which involves just using one arm whilst the other arm is fully extended in front)

Closed Fist 2x50m

Lazy arm 4x50m (this is a new one which is basically not letting my fingers leave the water during the recovery)

One arm front 2x50m (this is a new one which involves just using one arm whilst the other arm is fully extended in front)

Freestyle 6x50m

Total laps - 28 laps.

Wow. I didn't realise I did that many laps. Time flies when you're really focussed on something.

My POLAR RS 800 data are as follows:

Time 85 minutes

Average heart rate 63% MHR

Calories 835 kcal

Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day. My good buddy, Johan Sopiee, is a great photographer who has kindly agreed to take my pictures for me. I'm gonna get some great images then, I can feel it.

About Reza Ali

Reza Ali Reactivated tells of the journey of Reza Ali as he embarks on transforming himself from a 120kg (35kg overweight) 46 inch waist unhealthy and unfit person to someone who can compete in a triathlon. Don't be afraid to dream. Take action. Correct your mistakes. Learn from failures. Bit by bit, you will get closer to your dream.

If I Can Do It, So Can You.....

Come and support Reza by joining the Reza Ali Reactivated Fan Page on Facebook