Refining and Building Power!!!

I always impress upon swimmers the importance of continuing to fine-tune our strokes. I think this principle holds true for everything in life. In order to keep getting better at anything, whether its selling something, building something, drawing etc. it is essential that our techniques continue to grow and become as close to perfect as possible. Wednesday night I swam with one of my best friends Neil Walker. He coaches a group of Longhorn Aquatics down in south Austin. Ian Crocker was there and was watching my freestyle stroke. I'm always thinking about what I can do better but many times it takes a trained eye to really help you along. Ian made a comment about my right hand as it pulls through the water. He said it is pulling out too wide. I moved it in about three inches towards the center of my body and felt a dramatic difference in the grip I could get on the water. I love getting better and knowing I'm more refined than I ever have been. Keep working to improve your techniques in whatever you do!

Thismorning I had an incredible set. We have a pulley system at Texas that allows us to swim while a rope attached to our waist pulls weight into the air. The point of this is to swim against resistance and gain strength and power. I did a total of ten 50's and increased the weight every two 50's. On numbers seven and eight I used fins. On numbers nine and ten I used paddles and fins. If you want to be a work horse you need to pull some serious weight and that's exactly what I intended to do. I did my first 50 with fins and paddles pulling 60 lbs. Then Michael Klueh who swims for Texas said the most he'd ever heard anyone doing was 72lbs with fins and paddles, it was Neil. When he finished saying this I got super excited and filled with adrenaline. I looked to the sky, put my arms up, and yelled at the top of my lungs....LOAD THAT WEIGHT UP BABBBBYYYYYYY!!!! I had them put 76lbs on. I had to man up and see what I was capable of. I knew this was going to take every muscle fiber I had. I chilled on the wall for a couple minutes and pushed off. Daaannnnngggg this was a log of weight. I thought I was pulling a semi truck or something. I went for about 30 seconds as hard as I possible could. I made it to a little over half way. When I finished my body was burning everywhere. I had a huge smile on my face when I finished. I was so excited. I didn't make it the entire way but this proves to me that I have a lot of power. I have more power than I've ever had before. Maybe I could have made it to the other end with only 72lbs on...who knows? I will get 80lbs the entire way by the end of this season. This summer is going to be awesome:)