A quick check of the training log shows nearly 45,000 yards swam in the month of November, with one day left. That is significant for two reasons. First, it's a lot of yardage for this turtle. Second, my hair didn't feel like dry grass, this month. Sometimes, a departure from the "manly" path is beneficial. Leave in conditioner does wonders for chlorine dried hair.
One of the biggest challenges in training is patience. While generally a patient person, the improvements from training often come too slowly for my satisfaction. But if last year's efforts are an indication, the real benefits of November will become obvious over the next several months. If I can just get someone to distract me with something shiny (new gear, not jewelry), I'll forget that I wanted immediate change.
A big focus for the past month has been on my stroke. The Swim Smooth DVD set came in handy, and helped me identify some key drills for improving my form. The most painful, and probably most beneficial, is sculling. I put these drills to use in sets, sculling for one length (25 yards) then swimming back. A couple laps of that was usually enough to have my chest muscles screaming. That is a good sign that I need to do the drills and that they are improving strength in areas key to good form. Though the 30-day focus is coming to an end, I will continue to use the Swim Smooth drills during the winter to fix one or two key weaknesses in my form.
After tomorrow, it's back to a normal training schedule. It's time to start ramping up the run mileage, and get the bike onto the trainer. And take a rest day or two.
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