The power of water and swimming

The recent tsunami in Japan reminds us of just how powerful and dense water really is:

(Full screen by clicking on the triangle in the lower right corner)

To a lesser degree, we’re faced with the same elements and factors in our Ironman swim…anyone that was slower than 1:20 in the swim in Ironman Florida last year, had the added factor of an increase in tidal/wind current to deal with…and therefore an exponentially slower time.

I was reminded of this when getting back into swimming over the past 2 weeks, while enjoying a little beach vacation.

In an earlier post, March 9, I had a goal of a 45 minute open water swim by the end of the my vacation:
www.irondaughterirondad.com/training-recovery-after-being-sick

…which I’m happy to report I was able to accomplish…rather easily…twice 🙂

Couple of good factors…first of all the villa that we were staying at had a short, but very handy pool, so I usually did at least 20 minutes of drills every day…and 2 of the beach areas had a triangular swim area marked off, which was a 12-15 minute swimming loop between the 3 buoys…complete with stiff, choppy current rolling sideways through the course…a fun swim.

…I was _really_ stoked that I could actually swim for that long in those conditions after 3 months without swimming…cool!
http://www.irondaughterirondad.com/from-zero-to-swimming-every-day/

I _really_ enjoy swimming in rough open water conditions…it’s partly for the challenge, but I also think I’m not as focused on perfect form, so much as getting the next breath and moving through the water…and therefore not as painfully aware of stroke deficiencies as I am in the pool

…but reminded again that swimming is first about form, and second about fitness…getting back into the pool when I got back, and extending the drills into laps…on the clock…I can tell where my timing is off, and limbs that are splaying where they shouldn’t, giving the water, with it’s dense fingers,a grip that holds me back

…form, form, form…will be my short-term swimming mantra