Hey gang, we leave Tuesday for 18 days to "work" on a couple of back-to-back Alaskan cruises (I teach adult arts & crafts classes aboard ship.). When I was training for Nationals, I was SURE that by the time I finished Nationals, I would want to take those 18 days off from swimming to rest my shoulders and just do dryland work. But, after many bad nights of sleep in a row (heat intolerance issues at Nationals), I did a crash and burn last night (thanks to 2 Tylenol PM), and had an awesome workout at the pool. I had forgotten, after 31 years, how GOOD it felt to do a hard post-taper swim! :bliss:I feel great and started mourning the loss of pool access during my travels, until I remembered the ship's tiny indoor pool! :D I obviously won't be able to "swim", but I CAN do drills... I'm thinking the feet first scull, kicking with my hands up against the wall, egg beater kick, and, ??? For various reasons, I won't be purchasing and bringing a tether or any other eqt. besides my suit and goggles. So, if you can recommend drills based on the size of the pool, I would greatly appreciate it. Below is a photo I shot of the pool last year, while working aboard ship.
Thanks! And, happy travels to any of you who have summer travel plans, as well. :)
P.S. I don't have a laptop (or fancy phone), so I'll be off the forums during my travels- unless I pop into an internet cafe. I'll miss you guys!
No problem. They won't be all that exciting, but they'll at least be something rather than doing stairs and pushups :)
You could also practice flip turns in that pool. Looks long enough for some turn and pushoff SDK work. :)
I discoverd (rather unfortunately...) I can't do flip turns, like I used to do in high school. In between then and now, I developed Meniere's and tinnitus. But, it didn't occur to me when I was practicing flip turns that the reason they kept getting worse and worse the more I did in a given session was because of my inner ear problem! :badday: Getting "sea sick" and having to, uh, leave the pool, was the "Aha!" moment... :blush: Practices are miserable when I do flip turns, so my goal is to perfect the open turn. Fortunately, I'm a breaststroker, so I'll be practicing those turns, instead... :D And, fortunately, I have figured out the best ways to avoid seasickness when the seas are rough aboard ship...:agree:
stuff about small pool
Elaine...hmm forget drill in the pool have the Capt. assign you a watcher...jump over the side and keep up with the ship...simple really...
:bolt:
Feel drills, paddle entry...personally I'd just forget it and relax use the cardio equipment in the gym if you can.
Various sculling:
Laying on belly, Arms out in front (**** outsweep/insweep)
Scruntch scull: knees are up to your breasts while doing fast BR* pulls
Laying on back, sculling underneath
Various Kicking:
1. Vertical Free or Fly or Eggbeater* (10 x 45 seconds w/15 Sec rest) - Try various hand positions during the 45 seconds:
rest = hands sculling, hands at head height then hands straight up in the air
2. Horizontial kicking (already mentioned) with hands against the wall
3. Horizontal "Eggs*" or Bikes (Like eggs but with your knees in tighter)
"kid's contest" Hypoxic training: see how many lengths you can do underwater back and forth doing open turns underwater. Try to increase the amount everyday. Try challenging various people to a contest; if it is an old dude or a kid try to double or triple their attempt.
Probably want to reward yourself with various alcoholic shots!
Have fun!! :2cents:
Great stuff- thanks! Would champagne do???:wine:
For a good free drill, do closed fist swimming. Simply do free but ball up your hands into fists. You won't move as fast and it works on getting the feel of your pull out of the forearms alone rather than the whole hand.
Skulling is good but don't limit it to feet first. Work on each part of the stroke as a skull. it's nice and slow so a short pool seems longer when doing this.
Do wall kicking with hands on the side of the pool like 45seconds kick and 15 sec rest, etc.
Vertical kicking if the pool is deep enough. 15 seconds elbows out of the water, 30 seconds armpits out of the water. 15 seconds rest. Edit intervals to your ability.
In the shallow end do jumps. Lock your hands above or behind your head, crouch down under the water, then blast up out of the water, and immediately get back in the crouched position. Do this repeatedly for an interval time (45 sec and 15 rest?). REALLY works the pushoffs for the wall/start and is useful for a breaststroker too. You should be in chest to stomach-deep water and blast off so you get your knees out of the water or close. This one is surprisingly tiresome.
Another one, Stand in the pool facing a wall. Do a pushup on the side of the pool such that you end up with your legs in the water, and hands on the deck outstretched straight holding you half out of the water. With your hands only, walk hand over hand around the outside of the pool with your feet dangling beneath. Not quite sure what muscle group works on but I always found it hard to do. A canadian olympic coach came to one of our practices back in like 1997 and claims that all members of their olympic team do this twice around the pool every day. I had a hard time making it 25 yards without dropping back into the pool to rest. I still have my doubts whether or not the guy was really an olympic coach since he just showed up one day, but it sure is hard and works the hell out of the arms.
Now that I see the picture... hook your feet over the ladder when you do the closed fist free. You won't be pulling hard enough to make the feet hurt either.
However, I know when people from work have to go "work" on a cruise ship they're not allowed to go above deck! Hopefully that's not the case for you.
Thanks so much for taking the time to offer all these great drills to do! I can't wait to give them a try!
Lucky me, when I "work" on the cruise ships, I am considered a "guest lecturer" and have passenger status. That means, I get a passenger cabin, eat in the dining room, and have the run of the ship. The only thing I can't do is gamble or participate in games with prizes; no biggie for me! :D
No problem. They won't be all that exciting, but they'll at least be something rather than doing stairs and pushups :)
You could also practice flip turns in that pool. Looks long enough for some turn and pushoff SDK work. :)
Various sculling:
Laying on belly, Arms out in front (**** outsweep/insweep)
Scruntch scull: knees are up to your chest while doing fast BR* pulls
Laying on back, sculling underneath
Various Kicking:
1. Vertical Free or Fly or Eggbeater* (10 x 45 seconds w/15 Sec rest) - Try various hand positions during the 45 seconds:
rest = hands sculling, hands at head height then hands straight up in the air
2. Horizontial kicking (already mentioned) with hands against the wall
3. Horizontal "Eggs*" or Bikes (Like eggs but with your knees in tighter)
"kid's contest" Hypoxic training: see how many lengths you can do underwater back and forth doing open turns underwater. Try to increase the amount everyday. Try challenging various people to a contest; if it is an old dude or a kid try to double or triple their attempt.
Probably want to reward yourself with various alcoholic shots!
Have fun!! :2cents:
And, fortunately, I have figured out the best ways to avoid seasickness when the seas are rough aboard ship...:agree:
Can I ask how? We have only gone on one short, "test" cruise since I get motion sick very easily. I was ok except the day at sea when half the boat was green because of a storm. I survived with dramamine but I felt dull and zombie-ish instead of like I was on a party boat. I couldn't even eat breakfast. I wish I could give you some tips for drills in small pools but that is not something I have had personal success with. When the pool is tiny, I head to the cardio and weight equipment instead.
