Hi I have had fairly bad case of biceps tendonitis for quite some time now and have not been able to swim. I have been doing kick sets every day for several weeks now, but realized that I wasn't _really_ doing the flutter kick in order to get more propulsion (otherwise I really don't move very much at all).
In any case, after reading these forums I decided to buy some Zoomers fins and started doing all my kicking with them for the past week. Initially I was quite happy with them (except blisters but I think I have solved that problem now). However, I have a concomitant knee problem (I went to an orthopod some time ago for it and he said by the physical exam it might be a medial meniscus issue - pain on the inside of my right knee - but since it was still relatively mild he was hesitant to do an MRI as surgery would not be something that would be considered at this point, which sounds reasonable to me) and I have noticed this week it has gotten worse (I did also stupidly sprint for my bus on Monday which I immediately felt caused some knee upset, and that certainly contributed a lot to it, but I'm still wondering about the Zoomers).
I know initially I did not feel the Zoomers aggravate my knee pain but now I'm not sure (although today I seem to have had more knee pain in general throughout the day so I'm not really sure if working out with them really added anything to it or if its just that my knee pain was still there when I was using them). In any case, I was wondering people's opinions about whether my increasing knee pain this week might be related to the Zoomers or perhaps simply to using them too much too soon? Anyone with knee problems noticed that Zoomers aggravate them? Are any other short fins better for knees or am I just stuck ineffectively kicking with no fins since I can't swim cuz of the shoulder probs?
Oh yeah I'm only doing flutter kick and I'm fairly sure I'm doing it correctly with the Zoomers (my legs are certainly straight and I am not kicking from the knees although I wonder if maybe I am locking them more than I should be perhaps).
Thanks
Misha
Any digital camera will do as long as it has video mode. They all do, get some short 10 sec shots from three above water angles. Download to your picture file then to you tube and post. Underwater shots would help but you need something that is waterproof.
This is a video taken with a cheapy Kodak camera oregonmasters.ning.com/.../show
Any digital camera will do as long as it has video mode. They all do, get some short 10 sec shots from three above water angles. Download to your picture file then to you tube and post. Underwater shots would help but you need something that is waterproof.
This is a video taken with a cheapy Kodak camera oregonmasters.ning.com/.../show
Thanks, I will try to do this on Saturday. We have a pretty nice camera in the lab, as long as no one needs it for the microscope (I still have to ask one person).
Misha
Thanks for all the valuable suggestions guys and the discussions about Zoomers for kicking vs swimming. Certainly overdoing it 0% fins to 100% fins I am sure aggravated my knee but I am also probably going to try a different fin route (I actually ordered some Zura Alphas and will return the Zoomers as I bought them local so I should not be in the hole too much; I didn't mention that the Zoomers did cause me quite a bit of blistering too even with gobs of vasoline on my feet and although I was willing to figure out how to deal with it I guess it's better if I don't have to).
Anyway, I am having a hard time figuring out a way to video tape my stroke without paying the coach $150 for the analysis as well. Should I be checking out pools or is it usually individual coaches that have these cameras? I am in the Houston area if it helps. I would just really like to not spend $150 right now (or at least get the videotapes, see what you guys think, and then if really you think it would be very very helpful then I can try to go for the $150). I really do miss swimming though and if I can fix my stroke that would be nice. That was the nice thing about the kicking with fins... it was actually kind of fun again (as opposed to kicking without fins, which for me is still quite an ordeal even though I am improving... there's just something about feeling like you're _traveling_ when kicking and not crawling at a slow-moderate pace that makes it more fun/exciting).
Thanks
Misha
Alright as promised here are my videos. They are all in slow motion (half speed). Now that I have learned how to edit the videos (to slow them down for example or at normal speed) if anything else would be helpful (slower, different part, etc.) I can upload that. I can see if I can up the quality too (not sure but in the conversion/editing/upload process it seems a little worse quality than the files I started with). Thanks ahead of time for all your suggestions on my stroke and particularly how it might be aggravating my biceps tendonitis! :)
Swimming from front (slow motion)
www.youtube.com/watch
Swimming from side (slow motion)
www.youtube.com/watch
Swimming from 70 degree angle from front (slow motion)
www.youtube.com/watch
Swimming from side then camera following me as I pass (didn't mean to do this but person filming me misunderstood my instructions so I hope it might be helpful too)
www.youtube.com/watch
Thanks a lot!
Misha
Re head on video.
I would like both hands to follow the black lane line on the bottom of the pool. Your left arm really goes out wide and changes your head and legs into a fishtale side to side motion. Your right arm is a little better. The "S" motion is very exagerated and I think if you watch other swimmers you will see that their "S" motion almost looks like an "I" stroke that follows the lane marker line on the bottom of the pool.
Re head on video.
I would like both hands to follow the black lane line on the bottom of the pool. Your left arm really goes out wide and changes your head and legs into a fishtale side to side motion. Your right arm is a little better. The "S" motion is very exagerated and I think if you watch other swimmers you will see that their "S" motion almost looks like an "I" stroke that follows the lane marker line on the bottom of the pool.
Thanks. I was just trying to figure out the elbow drop in the fourth vid and I think it is related to this as well somewhat. Interestingly it is in fact the _left_ arm where I have the biceps tendonitis; the right one is just fine (had supraspinatus tendonitis quite mild when I was only breathing on one side quite some time ago; wasn't serious enough to keep me from swimming though and I fixed this by turning my palms out when I enter water and breathing on both sides).
I found a video that was helpful to look at someone's freestyle where they keep both arms close to the center line and don't drop their elbows:
www.youtube.com/watch
Thanks a lot for your comments! :)
Misha
EDIT/UPDATE: So I tried doing some swimming in the pool with a finis swimmer's snorkel and focus on keeping my hands at the black line in the middle of the pool. I think I was doing a pretty good job but it's hard to change something so ingrained I guess. Also I feel like I was dropping my left elbow sometimes (don't know if I really was or not but I felt that I was). Anyways, any drills you recommend would be great too if you feel they could be helpful. Will keep trying it and will see how my shoulder is feeling tomorrow too
