Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Flip Turns...

Until this point, as a triathlete, I never saw the need to actually embark on the journey of learning to flip turn. "Where are the flip turns in open water?" I would ask as other masters swimmers would comment on my open turn habit.
To be quite truthful, I just didn't see the point in learning when I wouldn't use this skill at any time during an actual race (unless it was in a pool, which I don't think I will be doing too many of at this point).
However, at the swim meet I attended earlier this year, I did feel a bit out of place being one of the only people in my lane NOT to flip turn. I was happy to just complete the 1600 meter race and not be the last one done in my heat! Still, I quickly forgot about this feeling as the next master meet practice came and I reached the other side of the pool gasping for air and being glad for that big breath before pushing off the way to return!

Lately though, something has been changing. I guess it started about two months ago when I tried a few just to see what would happen. Truth be told, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined it, granted I was only doing one, then stopping! My breath control was leaps and bounds ahead of where it was the year before, and I thought I might like to try a few laps that way every once in awhile. Enter - burny nose. This is the thing I am not fond of about my experience with flip turns because it seems inevitable that it can happen, and will happen at some point. I think my mind thinks I'm going to breath underwater or something when I get tired and forget to blow out. Who knows, but I don't like it.
Despite burny nose, these last few weeks I have been doing more and more flip turns and it almost seems more natural to do that than to open turn (which I think will give me shoulder problems if I keep it up for years because I do such weird stuff, don't even ask-too weird to describe!).

So, I have an announcement to make, today, I did flip turns for an entire workout. Granted, it was only 1500 yrds, granted I was all by myself in a lane (sometimes my aim is off & I don't go completely strait) and there was no pressure. I have never done this before, so I was a bit pleased about it just to now say that, well, I can if I want to I guess. I did get burny nose once, and I just blew out hard and kept going.
Who knows if I will ever incorporate this into workouts with other actual swimmers, but I do think it helps with breath control even more and you probably don't even notice that "I missed my breath at the wall" feeling after awhile (which I still had today a few times, but once I got on a roll I was NOT stopping!).

In other news, my husband finally sent me the pictures of the Pitt Triathlon. Only a week or so later. We've never been known for promptness! Better late than never I say..
Thumbs down for the flat tubular, but I am thankful I could keep riding & still finish!


The Podium at Pittsburgh was one of the nicest I have been on in awhile, big screen and everything. Check out my fish, made by a local Pittsburgh artist. Very cool!!

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