Breakthrough

Okay so I was doing my morning swim at LA Fitness after dropping Elena off and boy is that pool nice compared to the Bally pool.  Ugh...oh well convenience trumps everything.  I was just swimming along struggling as usual.  I decided to try kicking a little bit just to see if it would matter.  It's the off-season so why not kick if nothing else but to use those muscles a little bit.  I was kicking and dropped about 2 seconds per hundred.  Not bad I thought but not great.  I don't what caused me to do it but I just started looking a little more forward than down with my eyes.  This lifted my head and shoulders and I started pulling my arms through the water at a more shallow depth.  Hard to explain but I kept kicking hopefully counteracting my more upright face/shoulder position.  I first noticed that since my arms weren't so "deep" in the water, it became easier to pull faster.  Also it seemed that I was gliding on top of the water.  I clicked my watch split and about died.  I went from a 1:59 to 1:51.  Shocking!  I was keeping 1:51, 2s and 3s for the rest of the swim with this new position/technique.  I'm guessing it might be all wrong since my head is up and I'm not pulling as much water per stroke blah blah blah but I'm faster for sure.  These splits are comparable to my fastest consecutive swimming splits in normal trunks.  It might be all wrong but I'm faster so maybe it's not too bad.  It does require a kick to keep that speed.  I'll keep it up and see if I can even get faster.  Stay tuned...

Onto the run...argh!  I had a pain free run yesterday.  I ran 4 miles in 30 minutes.  The sole inserts felt okay.  They need some breaking in but I think they might help my foot.  My foot is totally healed after all this time off as well as my hamstring.  The calf felt fine and it wasn't tight at the end of the run BUT it was tight this morning.  I'm debating on another 30 minute run today or take today off from running.  Hmmm...I'll probably run just because I really do love running.  It just feels so natural to me.  I guess it's really all mental because I had so many good feelings from running through my younger years.  Either way, I'll start going full assault on this injury which means constant stretching and icing throughout the day.

I've made it through another day without a scrumptious egg nog latte.  Although I may fail that test on Saturday when I hit up Target for Elena's birthday gift.  There's a Starbucks right in the mall on the walk to Target.  I'll keep you updated..

Egg Nog: 0  Al: 4