2010 is drawing to a close. We've all logged many hours of training time and hopefully met our goals for the year. Now is the time to start planning for next year. Many of us are always looking for ways to improve.
So... what are your New Years resolutions for 2011?
I have three:
- Get some video and post it here for critique
- Swim an entire Masters practice breathing only on my bad side
- Do a "pure" non-triathlon open water swim race
Reach the 500-mile milestone on my FLOG. This year I made it to 489.23 miles. Sooo close.
Be more disciplined with my workouts. Less talking, more swimming, especially sprints!
Lose 10 pounds. My resolution would have been to lose 5, but thanks to overeating and underexercising the last few weeks, that's changed.
Swim an OW event.
Swim 365.25 miles during the year (this may be tough considering I probably won't swim much from the end of May until the start of September for work issues...:bouncing:)
Break 5:00 in the 500 Free, 4:30 in 400 IM, 2:05 in 200 Fly (SCY)
Attend one SCM Champs meet somewhere other than the NW. (travel far depending on $$$/family)
1. To become more mindful and practice it on a minute-by-minute basis.
2. Eat more protein and less carbs.
3. Become stronger (physically and mentally).
Often when I catch myself reverting back to old habits and breathing mostly to the right, I switch to left side only, lengthen out my stroke, and tell myself that it's an opportunity to stretch out and rest by using different muscles. Sometimes it even works :D
The two sides may never feel the same, but you could end up being faster breathing to the "other" side. I am.
My goals are a bit more tame than many of yours, but I'm working on it.
1. Swim two mornings per week for 30 minutes (all I can do between pool opening time and getting to work).
2. Swim one evening per week for an hour.
3. Dial in my nutrition, work on dropping pounds.
4. Lift weights twice per week.
I gotta say, getting back in the water this past year is like a drug, my pool is closed right now until 1/8/11 and I'm jonesing like a crack head to get back in the water!
It's not your "bad" side - it's only your "other" side! :chug:
Be aware of how you "speak" to yourself. You can create obstacles that have no need to be in place.
Thanks, Jim. Good advice. The way you choose to perceive things does make a difference. I've made a lot of improvements to my Other side stroke in the past few months, mainly because I've been choosing to breathe there a lot more frequently. I'm starting to feel stronger on that side, more symmetrical, and more evenly fatigued. Also little or no shoulder pain, which is somewhat paradoxical since that's the shoulder that tends to get sore.
Often when I catch myself reverting back to old habits and breathing mostly to the right, I switch to left side only, lengthen out my stroke, and tell myself that it's an opportunity to stretch out and rest by using different muscles. Sometimes it even works :D
Get over my phobia of hurting during sets.
This includes:
1. Swimming race-pace sets at actual race pace.
2. Throwing some more leg into freestyle sets. The ironic part is that I'm actually a pretty strong kicker.
3. Finding some happy middle ground between not breathing into the wall and still being able to SDK 10 yards off each wall.
On the bright side, I've logged 22,000 yards in 5 swims (1.5 - 2 hours per session) while visiting my parents. So at least I won't die when I get back to practice!
