Waiting to exhale

Deadline day today, so it was an enforced rest day. I just could not get over to the pool. This worries me because: a) I need all the pool time I can get, and 2) I'm still not really swimming yet.

Two things giving me a little more confidence. I miscalculated how much time I have; there's enough time for about 12 sessions in the pool, not nine, before training starts in earnest. And I think I know what my problem is: I'm not exhaling under water.

I'm holding my breath. So when I try to take a breath, I have to exhale first, then inhale. That doesn't give me time to get an adequate breath. So I've devised my own little drill I'm going to spend my next session at the pool standing in the shallow end and exhaling underwater. The entire time. Twenty minutes, half an hour, whatever. The other swimmers will look at me like I have three heads, but hopefully, that should prepare me for the *real* drills in Fitness Swimming by Emmett Hines.

I mention the book not only because I've got an affiliate link to Amazon on the page ... over to your left a little ... under the triathlon logo ... that's right, now click and make me some money ... Where was I? Oh, right. It's also a very approachable book, quite funny and terrifically encouraging. It outlines drill from beginning static balance drills through stroke integration drills with easy-to-follow instructions. And it puts together a training program, going through various levels of difficulty from beginner through I'm-ready-for-a-meet.

The book is designed for swimming only, not a triathlon, with a session every second day. That'll be fine until I get to the triathlon training program; in fact, it'll be necessary. Once the tri training starts, though, I can follow the tri training schedule with the swim training workouts, extending each program level from three weeks to four. I doubt I'll get past the first level, anyway, but that should get me to 400 metres.

AND BTW ... Brian Jackson in the office has also registered for the triathlon, and he is, in his own words, "stoked." Brian's about 20 years younger than me, and in better cardio health, but he owns a mountain bike, so I can make up a few minutes on him there. It's motivating to have someone else to keep up to.