Nightcrawler's Journey to European Masters Swimming Championships (Slovenia)

24.09.2017 - Morning Session - Marmara Sea (5km)
5km time trial in open water with drag suit (total time 1:09:07.  First 2.5km: 34:55, Second 2.5km: 34:11)

We did an open water training with my students in Istanbul Marmara Sea, the water is cooler than the pool, it was dirty there were jelly fish, they touched my neck, face, arms and chest, it burns terribly. Anyway, i am happy with the time.trial, and what's more the second lap was better than the first, i didnt pushed so hard in the first lap, maintained a steady 1:23 pace/100m with drag suit, there would be a better total time like 1:07 if i wore my speedo race suit.

Our photo after the session:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6g3gjqm81pbvuoo/IMG-20170924-WA0004.jpg?dl=0

25.09.2015 - LCM 3000m
3000m freestyle with paddles time trial (20:31-41:07)

IMO "cott..." is right in distinguishing between "hand drag" drill and "Doggy paddle".  Maglischo described the "Long doggy paddle" , in which the stroking arm travels entirely UW back to the thigh.  Think you have to have an effective leg drive for this to work successfully - trying to recover an arm UW from way back past the hip will otherwise kill forward motion!  (I tried this ages ago and soon decided it wasn't for me as a weak flutter kicker!*).  Thought "Doggy paddle" started recovery of the stroking arm when it was, more or less, beneath the chest - a bit like a normal breast stroke arm recovery.
  
* (From my view-point yonks later -) think one can get around this problem with "Long Doggy Paddle" for poor flutter kickers, by doing the first arm stroke, right through to the thigh, while the other arm does it's stroke, again right through to the thigh - then doing a full breast stroke kick as both arms are recovered UW back to the outstretched position ready for the start of the next stroke cycle.  It ain't pretty  - but it enables one to concentrate just on that all important UW arm action - nice high elbow catches, and a good fling back of the arms to give some "oomph" to the up-sweeps!  It could also be a "test-bed" for trying out a possibly better disposition of the arms - e.g. rear arm finishing it's up-sweep, as the lead arm is dropping down to a catch.

In fact I've been doing a couple of lengths of the US Navy Seals Combat Side Stroke for years now (C.S.S. is more covert rather than "combat" - the idea is to minimize any visible surface disturbance, that in a war situation a sniper might be on the look-out for!  ), to add variety to my swim sessions. But have been thinking about ways to improve things.  Have come to the conclusion that by keeping more prone (i.e. not letting the first arm stroke of the cycle, tilt one onto the side for inhalation while the legs flutter kick and doing a lop-sided breast stroke kick to recover both arms UW - there really is not much difference between this modification and the "Long Doggy Paddle" drill mentioned above!  So my modified C.S.S. is more like FS but with the B.S. kick when both arms complete their strokes to help overcome the "pushing drag" in UW arm recovery - while maintaining the usual FS body roll/inhalation. -

Hi NC, I'm impressed by your 5k ow performance, basically the same pace (or even faster) of the 3k LCM despite the missing turns, the longer distance, the colder water and jelly fishes etc. By the way, if memory serves going sub 1:10 was one of your goals, congratulations!

Salvo

26.09.2017 - Morning Session - LCM 4000m

Set1: 2000m crawl with paddles (27:05, pace:1:21) 

Set2: 1500m crawl hand drag drill (23:13, pace:1:33) 

Set3: 10x50m crawl R:5" - 400 race pace (recoveries included total time: 7:16)

Not: Swam in the outdoor pool as usual, the pool still wasnt sheltered with thw baloon, it was a bit cool, 20C water temperature, 18C weather temperature 6:15 oclock in the morning. I took out useless recovery sets from my workout template and gave the weight on the set1. All in all, i m happy with the result.

Yes Salvo 1:10 was my milestone for the 5k, i am pleased with the time trial, not brilliant but the best in my country in masters classment.

27.09.2017 - Morning Session - 6:30-7:30 - LCM 4000m

100 easy

Set1: 1500m crawl with paddles (20:40, pace:1:23)

100 easy

Set2: 1500m crawl hand drag drill (23:17, pace:1:33)

100 easy

Set3: 10x50m crawl R:5" - 400 race pace (recoveries included total time: 7:23)

200 easy


Not: I left for overtime in the evening at work, arrived at home at 23:30. Hardly woke up at 5:30 in the morning, and swam reluctantly.

28.09.2017 - Morning Session - 6:30-7:30 - LCM 4000m

100 easy

Set1: 1500m crawl with paddles (20:02, pace:1:20)

100 easy

Set2: 1500m crawl hand drag drill (22:28, pace:1:30)

100 easy

Set3: 10x50m crawl R:5" - 400 race pace (recoveries included total time: 7:17)

200 easy


Not: I got bad news yesterday evening, they are demolishing the pool for constructing residence in place of it, holy sh.t, bastrds!!!
For that reason, today I swam in Turkish Swimming Federation's pool (http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/113283793.jpg), I was in psychological depression, they are making everything hard for us!
Anyway, I swim more quietly and relaxed, in set1 I again broke the Turkish 40-44 age group's 1500m free record(20:12-->20:02), in fact I could swim better like 19:30.

I sympathise with you about the loss of pool. We get used to our arrangements and then they pull the rug (turkish carpet) from under us.

The change might have some benefit somehow.

My lovely 50 yard outdoor pool closes for the season in a few weeks. It's getting a bit chilly now though - currently 17 degrees. I've had to cut my distance there to 1500m - any more than that and my fingers are still numb when I get to the office! I will be back to indoor swimming only after October 15th.

29.09.2017 - Morning Session 6:30-7:30 - SCM 4500m

100 easy

Set1: 1500m crawl with paddles (19:56, pace:1:20) 

100 easy

Set2: 1500m crawl with ankle bands (21:47, pace:1:27) 

100 easy

Set3: 500m crawl hand drag drill (7:24, pace:1:29) 

100 easy

Set4: 10x50m crawl R:5" - 400 race pace (recoveries included total time: 7:08)

200 easy

Not: 1500m new 40-44 age group record 20:12--->>19:56

Toys finally make you faster. whats your explanation?

i m only using finis agility mid size hand paddles, there is amost no difference in pace with/without paddles

Some argumentative person might ask why use them then?


You are always telling us not to do things that don't make us faster.

30.09.2017 - 12:00-13:00 - SCM 4000m

Set1: 1500m crawl with paddles (19:55,  pace:1:20) 

Set2: 1500m crawl with ankle bands (21:20, pace:1:25) 

Set3: 500m crawl hand drag drill (7:32, pace:1:30) 

Set4: 10x50m crawl R:5" - 400 race pace (recoveries included total time: 7:08)

Note: 1500m new 40-44 age group record 20:12--->>19:56

---------------

Cottmiler,
There is a saying in Turkish: Do what teacher says, dont do what teacher does

I m using these 2 equipments(peddal, band) for pshychological reasons, i m swimming alone mostly early in the morning and these equipments are both motivating me and varying my training, also empowering my geneticaly weak forearms(maybe another person dont have such weak arms and hands like me, so another system works better for him, but this template is fine for me).

All in all, each set in the session is a challenge with tome trial for me, in every session i m trying to be faster than (at least one the set) the previous session's. Maybe this is the reason of the slight improvement(it is also one of USRPT's rule).

01.10.2017 - 08:30-09:30 - SCM 4000m

Set1: 1500m crawl with paddles (20:14, pace:1:21) 

Set2: 1500m crawl with ankle bands (21:25, pace:1:26) 

Set3: 500m crawl hand drag drill (7:31, pace:1:30) 

Set4: 10x50m crawl easy pace int:55" (avg:40")

Not: I didnt push so hard due to fatigue of the whole week.

02.10.2017 - off (pool was closed due to cleaning)

03.10.2017 - 06:30-07:30 - SCM 4000m

Set1: 1500m crawl with paddles (20:20, pace:1:22)

Set2: 1500m crawl with ankle bands (22:12, pace:1:29)

Set3: 500m crawl hand drag drill (7:35, pace:1:31)

Set4: 10x50m crawl R:5" - 400 race pace (recoveries included total time: 7:02 - PERSONAL BEST!!!)

Not: On Sunday after the workout I suffered from diarrhea, took medicine(reflor). Today morning I became 76 kilos (was 72kg 2 days ago). I was out of breath during the Set1-2-3 in set4 I recovered and did my best time of the year (10x50m freestyle with 5 seconds rest, i completed the set on 7:02 recoveries included). Today I will drink some detox fluids like green tea and coffee. Being out of breath was due to the side effects of the medicine reflor.

03.10.2017 - 17:30-18:00
20x100m crawl int:1:40 (avg: 1:16)
Notes: I swam my double session with a 40-44 age group team mate who is the masters 1500m free record(20:12) holder.

04.10.2017 - 06:30-07:30 - SCM 4000m

Set1: 1500m crawl with paddles (20:31, pace:1:22)

Set2: 1500m crawl with ankle bands (22:00, pace:1:28)

Set3: 500m crawl hand drag drill (7:41, pace:1:32)

Set4: 10x50m crawl R:5" - 400 race pace (recoveries included total time: 7:08)

Notes: After yesterday's evening session I couldnt recovered well enough, so that today morning I swam with my agerage performance.

05.10.2017 - 06:30-07:30 - SCM 4000m

Set1: 1500m crawl with paddles (19:55, pace:1:19, ***New Turkish 40-44 age group record***) 

Set2: 1500m crawl doggy paddle drill (22:11, pace:1:29) 

Set3: 500m crawl ankle bands drill (7:21, pace:1:28) 

Set4: 10x50m crawl R:5" - 400 race pace (recoveries included total time: 6:58)

Tomorow Aquamasters open water races are starting:
Friday evening: 500m Individual Moonlight Race (at 19:30)
Saturday: 4x500m Relay Race (at 9:30)
Sunday: 6000m Individual Race (team race - at 9:30)

I am race ready!

Aquamasters Arena Open Water Championships, Results:
- 1st in general ranking in 6km race (1:23) also 1st in 40-44 age group
- 2nd in 4*500m relay team race (6:45)
- 3rd in 500m Full Moon Night Swim (6:57)

You can see the photos and videos in my instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaCV92FhD2w/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaAF8PvBs_C/
See #maratonyuzme page on instagram for all footages.

Im happy with the result at the moment but need to work harder to sustain the 1:16 pace, which is my following season's goal.

Nice style Nightcrawler!
Really driving those arms over and forwards. Does it feel that you grab more solid water per stroke than with your old style?

Really good cadence too!

Salvo

SA wrote:Nice style Nightcrawler!  
Really driving those arms over and forwards. Does it feel that you grab more solid water per stroke than with your old style?

Thanks SA,
Exactly as you guessed, i am grabbing more water than ever with this technique, especially in open water where the water is not as stable as it is in the pool.

s.sciame wrote:Really good cadence too!

Salvo

Thanks Salvo.

All in all,
I achieved my target of this season. My swim pals here also are the champions, you all have been motivating me, keeping your patience/positiveness when I get nervous or anxious, and moreover giving suggestions to me, so that there has been also your contribution behind the scenes of this success!  
You can see the photos of the race on my instagram and also on my web site:
http://www.maratonyuzme.com/aquamasters-aciksu-sampiyonasi6-7-8-ekim-2017-hapimag-sea-garden-bodrum/#more-1747

Now soon the new season will begin, i am gonna share my new workout strategy soon...