Swim Coaching
Of all three sports swimming is definitely my weakest. I struggle with generating power in my stroke – resulting in a slow trip down a swim lane that took me way too many strokes. I know I could benefit from some instruction but I haven’t been able to find a class that would really fit with my schedule. Instead I head to the pool solo and have spent quite a bit of time lately working on drills.
One of Team Tri Life’s coaches Sarah offered to set up a swim coaching session at the pool in Canmore for folks interested on our team. She’d be keeping the sessions small at four people so that she could really pay attention to everyone there. This morning I loaded up into a vehicle with my teammates Shannon and Kelly and we hit the road to Canmore!
The drive out toward the mountains was pretty stunning. iPhone photos just couldn’t do it justice.
We were swimming at Elevation Place in Canmore, a brand new recreation facility. The pool is gorgeous!
Photo via Experience Canmore with Photo Credit to Luke Raymond with Tourism Canmore Kananaskis
Sarah watched us warm up and right away commented on my head position in the water. I need to focus on not rotating my head so far out of the water to take a breath. She suggested keeping one goggle in the water, one goggle out and make like Popeye to take a breath and not drink in the pool.
It was amazing the difference this tiny little change made! I wasn’t always that great at making a Popeye mouth but I’m sure it will come.
After our warm up Sarah took us through sets were we would have one new thing to focus on, whether it be head position, swimming long and smooth, hand position or catch. She was really patient with us and offered a lot of feedback and encouragement. By the end of the session I found a few things I want to be really mindful of the next few times I swim. Hand position is a big one for me. I need to enter the water a bit wider to keep my hand entry in line with my shoulder. That will really help to add power to my stroke.
Eating Out on Whole30
After our session was over we all went for lunch at the Grizzly Paw in Canmore. This would be my first time eating out on Whole30! I had scoped out the menu ahead of time so I knew I’d be able to find something that would work, but ordering was still a real eye opener for me! It is easy enough to order a salad with oil and vinegar on the side and to leave off the cheese. I really wanted some protein on top of the salad though and the steak was pre-marinated (so watch out for sugar and soy). I figured a homemade elk patty would be straightforward but their burger patties aren’t gluten free (and therefore not Whole30 compliant). Luckily the chicken and salmon I could get added on to my salad were simply grilled with just salt and pepper. Whole30 definitely makes me realize how much I’ve been taking for granted about what is in my food when I go out to eat!
Getting your swim looked at by a coach is a huge step forward. Getting a video done is an “oh geez do I really swim like THAT” experience, but it’s the best thing to correct a stroke problem. The big thing for me is to get my head down in the water and look at the bottom of the pool, not where I’m going.
That picture is stunning!