I Kinda Like This Drill

If there is a "nice" thing to being injured as a triathlete, it's that there's usually at least something you can work on. Hurt your shoulder wrestling with your kid or trying to open that pickle jar? Ok, swim less, bike and run more. Saddle sores the size of Arkansas? Bike less, swim and run more. You get the picture. If you've read the last two posts, you know my running has been compromised of late. I've been biking about the same as before, (with less intensity to be conservative on my leg), but have dragged myself to the water's edge a few more times than usual, including an open water swim with an awesome guy I coach here locally. Dragged is an exaggeration... it's actually been pretty fun, and I see it as an opportunity to work on my aqua skills, or lack thereof.

Word at the rumor mill is that team member Stewart Nixon has a swim drill nugget in the pipeline. He's far more the expert than me (among other reasons there is a "waters" in "Stewart"). However, here's just one drill that I thought I'd share. I've known about the "catch up" drill for a while, and you probably do too, but only recently have I really understood the benefit. I've incorporated it while warming up in the pool lately, and it really seems to help my overall timing. I've noticed I can get sloppy with my pull from time to time and out of synch with my pull and hip rotation. This seems to help. Try it out next time you hop in the deep end.