For Every Action There is an Equal Opposite Reaction

Anybody who has ever has a swimming class will have had that said to them and it is a perfect quote for swimmers. Pulling the water back does propel the swimmer forward that would be the perfect case. However there are a hundred and one variations on the same theme. If the arm swings across on entry passing the centre line then sure as eggs are eggs the legs will swing across the opposite side at the back causing a snake like swim. When the head is held up high in the front in the water then so will the legs drop at the back. 

I’ll stop there on that one but the base rule holds true in all sorts of fields.

At this time of year the events that have been entered seem suddenly closer on the calendar. Our first event is really close suddenly, Sunday week in fact is the Tuff Fitty Frosty and Frostbite swim run in our local pool in Littlehampton. 

Athletes will be taking their training more seriously, pushing harder on the bike, run and gym workouts. Then they come swimming and say “I can’t make it out, my legs are like lead” or “Don’t know what’s wrong this morning it feels like I’m swimming through treacle”. Simply, there goes that old opposite reaction again and it seems to me that it is mostly the swim that suffers, although Steve did have one more unusual excuse note this morning which was that the guy had had a tattoo changed and so was not swimming until it had healed, and in my lane baby Isobel was teething again. I have obviously not been working hard enough because I have been really enjoying my swimming of late and this morning felt like swimming through silk even though I have been doing more work on the bike.

Last night at about 9.30pm somebody knocked our door but Steve told me not to answer it because it could not be anybody that knew us calling round that late because if you get up at 5.20 am your need to be in bed before 10pm. Steve can move from armchair to bed in about thirty seconds and be asleep inside a minute. I usually read for a bit before turning out the light, Steve will tell you that he reads too but having ear buds in your ears and actually listening are two completely different things. 

We are both looking forward to a few nice days so that we can start to get out on the bikes instead of staying home for turbo session, although we are both agreed that in cold or wet weather it is more beneficial to stay indoors and work hard than it is to go out and get cold and soaked through to the skin. We do on the other hand have plenty of friends who think the only cycling worth while is out on the road. Each to his own Eh?

I have just checked our own race plan for the 2017 season and find myself looking forward to this season more than ever this year. There are ten events on the list. Of those we have already entered seven. Of the entered events five are triathlons.

Below are the Lane 1. and Lane 2. Swim schedules for this morning

After the swim, we did a seafront 5km run before a coffee stop on home to the real world for some office work.

Lane 1
distance	Clock	Swim Rest
400	60	6.30
200	30	3.20
100	50	2.00
200	50	3.15
100	10	2.00
200	10	3.10
100	20	2.00
200	20	3.00
100	20	2.00
200	20	3.10
100	30	2.00
200	30	3.15
100	45	2.00
200	45	3.20
100	05	2.00
50	30	1.30
50	60	1.30
50	30	1.30
50	60	1.30
Swim Down	Swim Down	Swim Down
2700 mtrs total

Lane 2	Bx
Distance	Clock	Swim rest
200	60	5.30
100	30	2.40
200	10	5.25
100	35	2.40
200	15	5.20
100	35	2.40
200	15	5.25
100	40	2.40
200	20	5.30
100	50	2.40
Swim Down	Swim Down	Swim Down
Total 1500 mtr