Week 4

Week 5

This was to meant to be a build week , but then two work outs in the week, one was a one arm set and the other a 1k TT trial held back the volume. Otherwise the simulated race on Saturday was a good result. A PB to date and the door settings was up'd one to #3 no longer #2. 34:18 PB is now 33:55. This is quite a reward to think back to day one how hard this was going to be. Obviously a plateau or a slowing in the improvement from this time forward. Time will tell. I think I will move up one door setting as it has been two weeks since the last increase of the door settings, again this will most likely be a two week build.
I will be really pleased to see another race simulation where the time goes sub 31:xx. Then I know my swimming is ready for a pool swim set comparison.
Today's Saturday effort was followed by a 46mi TT bike ride, then a 7.5 mile run @ marathon pace. tomorrow I'll do a easy 3000m set.

Week 4
Still growing. Initial door settings #4 felt like running up a 5% grade or in this case swimming against a current. Very hard effort and hard on the arms. Though after a couple of days adaption occurred no longer an issue. Usual wo's are still consistent 2000m to measure improvements with a growing stroke per minute-spm. Now spm is 47-49, anything lower seems slow. Though the race like wo on Saturday was super hard pushing  a best 60spm on a door settings#2 to match previous race liek efforts. I was hoping the 60spm might put me near 1:35/100m, but no. Wattage was up though to 68-70w - highest yet, though I found this effort very very hard requiring much mental focus. I was going to stop at 30mins hoping I was going to be near 2000m. As 30mins rolled around I figured I can go to finish the 2000m. Psychologically it was worth the hard effort to see the resultant sub 1:43/100m. Numerous efforts I got near 1:35 but unable to hold this for a second or two and the strength not there. I did find despite having good spm, the length of stroke was really finishing early with no pushing through/finishing the stroke correctly out the back. Perhaps now is the time to look at pushing/finishing the stroke properly and just go up one door setting to #5 and holding this for several weeks. I too will now make week day sessions every other day a push in the effort and next day an easy day as I would with my runs and bikes sessions.
Pleased with the race effort on the Saturday simulating 1.2km swim followed by a 350mins  TT effort @252watts perhaps my best yet since the accident - 3.01w/kg a nice break through. Then 7k run at race HMP ~6:55pace for 37mins. perhaps my best yet off the bike.

Week 3
Door setting #3, by the end of the week another race like workout using door#2 setting. PMC chart showing all the right s signs of improvement. HR is climbing in the wo's so perhaps the aerobic capacity is getting better. Took mid week day off after feeling the effects of working hard. Pleased with the race effort on the Saturday then simulating a 2hr TT group bike ride then a short run of 30mins @ HMP. Over the coming weeks the run on alternate week will grow longer and more like race specific efforts to root out the weekness in my run due to the nerve damage..Next week door #4 settings

Week 2
A strong finish to the week. An hour after finishing this mornings WO arms/shoulders have recovered unlike how my left shoulder felt quite sore during the WO. Taking a leaf from my prerun warm up, sets of lunge stretches. I am doing arm and shoulder stretching to warm them up. Despite this soreness , last week missing two days to some lab testing and a 50% reduction in yesterdays WO, came back today feeling better though the L.shoulder did feel sore mid way in. I  have found a way to help the core with strapping my ankles with a band  in addition reading Sheila Tormena's book to focus on stroke mechanics and the pull.

Take away this week is today finishing with a best time for time/distance /HR effort with slow consistent training. Next week up the door damper to #2 setting keep it consistent and steady for another week then move into some constant velocity (CV) reps.

Summary week 2

Week 1 FTP Test 1800m

A functional test of my endurance to measure future gains. Not using the Garmin 910xt in swim mode as you don't get HR. As mentioned I have no swimming strength and what strength I do have some 2 months ago I did a lactate test since then no quality running or biking that would impact on my aerobic foundation 

    

displays distance

57ave watts ~1:51/100m~  41spm

Troubleshooting Garmin 910xt Swim Data

Credit goes to DC Rainmaker for this info found here.

keep in mind is that the unit measures distance purely on accelerometer data.  That means that it’s measuring what your wrist is doing, and in particular, changes to direction and acceleration.  Thus, you have to keep in mind that any movement you make while the timer is running is being analyzed.

1) When you’re not actively swimming back and forth, pause the timer. 
2) Separate out your laps/sets using the lap button.
3) Be strong on your wall push-offs.
6) It won’t work if your arms aren’t moving: 
7) Don’t leave the unit running when you go to rest: 

Training sets suggestion

credit:  http://www.fionafordcoaching.com/

Goldilocks set-an example of 'CSS' swim training

Main Set For Lane 2 (for those swimming 1:35 to 1:50 for a fast 100m)
Repeat this set three times through, taking 50 sec rest between each set:
100m + 25 sec rest
200m + 25 sec rest
200m 

Main Set For Lane 3 (for those swimming sub 1:35 for a fast 100m)
Repeat this set three times through, taking 40 sec rest between each set:
100m + 20 sec rest
200m + 20 sec rest
300m

swimming three times a week 

1x Technique orientated session

1x Endurance biased session with longer steady paced swim sets

1x Quality session working on your threshold speed

"Spike Set"

WARMUP: 400m easy freestyle focusing on relaxed breathing technique, followed by 200m steady pull buoy focusing on good rotation through the hips and shoulders.

DRILLS: 4x 50m as Scull #1 (see here) for 15m followed by 35m freestyle. Take 10 sec rest between each 50m and preferably use a pull buoy to isolate the focus on the catch.

MAIN: 

1. 12x or 16x 50m with every 4th 50m as a sprint. On the other 50m intervals all you have to do is swim fast enough to make the turn-around time. The selected turn-around time here should be your half of your 100m threshold pace + 5 seconds. i.e. if you can do 100m intervals in 1:50, half of this would be 55 sec + 5 sec = 60 sec. A swimmer doing 1:30 for their intervals would make their turn-around time 50 sec, etc. You don't need to be overly pedantic about this, just choose a time to start off which you think will give you about 3 to 5 seconds rest between each 50m when swimming at a good pace.

2. 9x or 12x 50m with every 3rd 50m as a sprint. This time add another 5s to your turn-around time from the previous set. This extra rest will be very welcome and will allow you to swim the sprints faster than the previous set.

3. 6x or 8x 50m with every 2nd 50m as a sprint. Again, add another 5s from Set #2.

4 Finally 3x or 4x 50m, sprint every one (!) with another 5s rest added onto Set #3.

Cool down with a few easy drills to bring your heart rate back down

CSS test set- test to find CSS

In reference to http://swimsmooth.com/training

Credit to Swimsmooth.

The CSS test involves two timetrial swims - a 400m and a 200m. Before attempting these swims perform a thorough warmup and a small build set to get you used to swimming fast.

Do the 400m timetrial first, it's less likely to effect the 200m than the other way around. Recover completely between each timetrial with some easy swimming. Perform both timetrials from a push off from the wall, not a dive.

Try and pace the trials as evenly as possible, don't start too fast and slow down. If you're not sure get someone to take your 100m splits - they can be very revealing.

Calculate your Critical Swim Speed (think threshold speed) using the calculator:

warmup:
200m FS
50 reverse FS
25m one arm pulls

400m CSS Test

Power meter 

Training Peaks

 

From Training Peaks the 400. I guess the watch has

200m CSS Test

In this test the watch clearly shows a short 50m

  Now I know my CSS speed / 100m I can use it to set a pace for quality swim sets, targeting CSS speed to develop my lactate threshold and become faster. Challenging sets I might do once a week for the main set in your quality swim.

swim 7:30 or slower for 400m               swim 5:45-7:30                     swim sub 5:45 
6x200m; 20s recovery                               8x200m; 20s recovery             10x200m; 20s recovery

or
3x400m with 45sec                                    4x400m with 40sec                 5x400m with 40sec 

or
4x(200m then 100m) with 10sec        5x(200m then 100m) with 10sec    18x100m with 10sec  

or
12x100m with 10sec                                  15x100m with 10sec                 3x600m with 60sec   

Key point with all these sets is sustained speed with short recoveries.

Vasa Swim Ergo Trainer Blog -An Introduction, A Newbie,

A Starters Guide to the Vasa Ergo Swim Trainer

I'm starting this blog to document this toy and just see where it will take me in my swimming without touching the fluid stuff. And why?

This past summer not once did I swim in a pool to train, unless it was a race my toes would touch the water. Compared to the the season before where I did have the luxury of training during the day, my thoughts are given the time spent in the pool and travel/set up time to swim compared to no training, my times are only minutes slower. Therefore for the time/cost factor I was better off without traing in the pool and spent the time in the run and bike. Being in mind the longest race was olympic distance and most of the races are swim 700m, bike 15k, run 6k. Even though I won the sprint series for a third time, had I spent the time in swimming



 While under suspended driving for too many speeding tickets, back in January 2014 I was riding home from a triathlon race only to be side swiped by a car towing a trailer. The driver did not make room while I rode the bike lane boundary line to pass a parked car in the bike lane ahead of me, consequently the mudguard leading steel edge punctured the right upper calf requiring about 15 stitches. The upshot of this I lacked the nerve function to lift the foot. So with this in mind and the wanting like everybody else to squeeze in the time to train. Vasa was the only cost effective option. I did consider a lap pool ....too expensive....an above ground pool....but not long enough and the cost of running it. I did think of a rowing machine and then modify it to work like a vasa but given the lack of local resources. So I trolleed the internet for months and months and months. For six months on forums, ebay, craigslist, gumtree et al. Then one day on CL during the northern winter Bingo! An ergo in Florida and  $600 USD. Despite other attempts on CL no one wanted to go to the extra effort to ship to my San Diego forwarding address. This dear woman prepared to ship and wanted it gone asap. I knew my last bike shipment two years ago cost me $400 so figure this into the cost, plus her time and boxing costs I would be $2000 ahead when compared to a new one.
So it cost me
$600 to buy it,
$150 to box it
$400 for shipping
$125 for customs.

Three months later, the toy arrives at the start of the Australian winter just a the time when the rains started. Having moved my treadmill and computrainer into the tractor shed, the cold mornings and out of sight -out of mind attitude I had given up on any training. Now moving the tools back to the garage recently carpeted from one of my rental properties. Three tools sit side by side. I now have the what many dream of having in their own pain cave. My commercial treadmill new was $5000, i purchased at a gym auction for $1200 ideal for the rehab training I need when I underwent minicus surgery. The computrainer bought on CL when living in San Diego paid $500, and now the swim trainer.

I don't have the luxury of a pool close to home, but I do have the luxury of hills for riding, but then the roads for running are more suitable to being a mountain goat. And I hate the cold. The area is 4-5C colder than the city of Adelaide

ready to unpack

well it was worth the cost after all no damage

All in one car bay!

a tight squeeze

Initial observation in the assembly was straight forward putting the pieces together. Obviously gave it 10-15 test and sure the resistance is there and confirms others reporting the narrower window for training due to the increased resistance. Spent my evening idle time to look at vasatrainer.com , forums blogs, and YouTube videos for clues on strength training and ultimately training programs.

What I have found though is when it comes to the initial resistance the ergo is not set up like the trainer where you can using the angle of the beam with gravity to build initial muscle strengthening. I am thinking to set up the ergo with the pull up bar/cable pulley system up front, then modify the rear stanchion to make it adjustable where I can make it shorter.

So now I will log the workouts as best as I can using my Garmin 910xt watch with the on-board power meter.