Hi folks, This is a follow-up post to the 'early morning swim chicken' one I posted previously. I am a notorious no-show for early morning swims, but I am working to fix this. Like one of my key biking partners, Rory, I also tend to lose the mental debate at 5:00 am and end up staying in bed. But that is no way to work towards a sub-13 hour Lake Placid Ironman time, so I am biting the bullet and ... Read more
Don’t Chicken Out Of Those Critical Early Morning Swims
Hi folks, The early morning swim is an interesting journey on a cold winter's day. Your alarm wakes you up around 5:00 am, and then the internal debate begins. Stay in my nice warm bed? YES!!! Go jump in a cold pool? NO!!! But I really want to have done that swim. Note the focus on the past tense - to have done that swim. This is the key to motivating your way out of bed. Don't think about how warm ... Read more
The Hand Catch And Use Of The Pool During Recovery From Running Injuries
Hi folks, I recently received a comment from Pauline, concerning swimming technique and the use of hand paddles, as she is dealing with a running injury. Blogging is all about conversation, and it is encouraging to receive this kind of input, so I thought that I would write briefly about use of the pool during 'running injury rehabilitation.' But first a comment on the hand catch. If you watch Mr. ... Read more
G’day To Shark-Free Swimming With My New Paddles In Australia
Hi folks, Here I am in Australia, enjoying a boiling hot Christmas day. I may be an aging Ironman athlete, but I sure don't want to swim with sharks. This reminds of an article I read years ago, in an old French magazine, called 'Swimming with Sharks.' It contained some great advice for a nascent businessman, such as myself, including, "When bitten, don't bleed." As a swimmer I would prefer to not be ... Read more
FitOldDog Is Off To The Land Of Mr Smooth
Hi folks, When this post is published, I'll be on my way to Australia for the first time. When I think of Australia as an Englishman it brings to mind the deportation of convicts under a cruel and repressive regime, known at the time as the British Empire. Some would say strong rather than cruel, but I've heard too many stories about the hard-nosed approach of the English aristocracy and government to ... Read more
It’s Worth The Trouble To Get To Know Your Psoas Muscles
Hi folks, Another great dance lesson today, in which no dancing was done or music heard. It was all about exploring and activating my core, whilst working to keep other muscle groups quiescent, and thus allowing my core to do what it does best. Rebecca, my dance and Continuum teacher, informed me that the psoas muscles are central to dance. In the past, I got to know my major hip flexors, the psoas ... Read more
Why You Need A Coach If You Are Serious About Your Sport Plus A Swim Tip To Engage Your Lats
Hi folks, There are many reasons to hire a coach, and it becomes increasingly important the more challenging or potentially risky the undertaking. The most important reason to have a coach is to protect you from yourself. Furthermore, a simple observation on your technique, along with appropriate advice, can make all the difference to your performance. Here is a short video clip showing how to engage ... Read more
11 More Free Training Tips On Safe Exercise For Better Health From FitOldDog
Hi folks, Just thought that I would pull out some more training tips for fun. Here they are, with an embedded link to the related blog post: Play at your workouts rather than working at them, because it is more joyful and thus more effective. Translation: take your training seriously but not yourself. Try running straight out of the gym after a heavy weight workout (yes, including your legs), ... Read more
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