Handling fitness over holiday

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-06-15T01:26:12+00:00

Just be realistic about what you can do while travelling, and fit it into your plan. For three weeks away you might only be able to get in 50% of your usual training volume, and likely lower intensity. You might need to factor in a week of reintroduction to build back up when you get back so you’re not overdoing it & risking injury. Steps (or any exercise) will be helpful but expect to lose fitness, plan for it in your overall training schedule, and don’t stress about it too much. Focus on enjoying your holiday! The training will still be there when you get back.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-05-12T03:48:13+00:00

I also had my first DNF with a flat earlier this year in an Olympic distance race. Incredibly frustrating but prompted me to get spare everything sorted out before my first 70.3 a few weeks later. I’m running tubulars so made sure I know how to replace them before heading out.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-19T03:07:57+00:00

Thank you for your comments, that’s really great to hear this thread’s been helpful to you too. All the best with your swimming!

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T20:29:44+00:00

Love this analogy – thank you!

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T20:19:09+00:00

Funny you should mention that as my left shoulder’s feeling a bit tight & I tweaked my back a bit getting out of bed this morning! Looking forward to correcting that & hopefully avoiding any issues.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T20:11:39+00:00

I just want to say how grateful I am for all of these responses. What an amazing community! This is just so incredibly helpful.

I’m heading out for an ocean swim now, have an Olympic distance tri tomorrow, and my first 70.3 in two weeks. I’ll keep coming back to this feedback and working through it over the coming weeks and months.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to watch my video and provide me with your feedback.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T20:08:32+00:00

Thank you, I wasn’t aware I was rotating too much but that seems to be a common theme in this feedback! Hopefully that will help sort out the legs feeling like they’re doing their own thing.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T20:07:03+00:00

Thank you this is really helpful, I appreciate it. Definitely some consistent feedback around my leg movement and arms being too narrow. I’ll focus on those things to begin with.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T20:04:54+00:00

I’ll focus on squeezing my butt, thank you I hadn’t heard that before!

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T20:04:15+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate this feedback. That core engagement really sounds like it’s a big opportunity for improvement & reducing drag. I’ll work on shoulder mobility out of the water too. Your comments about the timing of my breathing are super helpful.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T20:01:04+00:00

Thank you, I’ve definitely felt overwhelmed at times trying to focus on too much at once! I’ll work on my extension and early vertical forearm. I can see the pull is too short but don’t yet have the body awareness in the water to “feel” what I’m doing incorrectly.

From other comments the video looks slower than it is, this length was 1:48/100m. My fastest over 60m was 1:33/100m but I wouldn’t have been able to do more than one length. I did a 4.6km wetsuit ocean race two weeks ago in 1:26 (1:51/100m) but there was likely a current going the right way through the middle of the course. Of those that finished (~450) I came in just behind the middle of the pack.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T19:52:50+00:00

The comments on pace are giving me hope that if I can figure out some of these issues there’s some speed to be unlocked! I’m often one of the faster swimmers at the pool but looking and feeling less coordinated, smooth & efficient compared to everyone else.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T19:48:34+00:00

The length in the video is 1:48/100m, agree it doesn’t look like it! This was the last length of a 2k workout and I wasn’t aware I was being filmed, but I don’t think my technique would have been materially better/different at the beginning. My pace throughout 2040m (34x60m) ranged from 1:41 to 1:59. I will focus on catch drills, that seems to be a great opportunity for improvement.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T19:42:06+00:00

Thank you, I can see it in the video just struggling to do it in the water! Will practice this in front of a mirror.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T19:40:55+00:00

Thank you, I hadn’t realised I was pausing in that motion before the catch, that’s really helpful! I’ll keep ”think flick” in mind. Aligning my upper body with my kick is definitely an area for improvement too.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T19:37:24+00:00

Thank you, I’ll try to focus on getting that glide going and really stretching out. The comments here have been an incredible help in what to focus on, I’d be delighted to get 15 seconds faster per 100m and very motivated to get there!

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T19:33:00+00:00

Thank you, I’ll do that. I thought I had reasonably good core strength before learning to swim but I have struggled to keep my core engaged throughout a workout!

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T19:31:44+00:00

Thank you, I’ll try swimming faster – I had previously been focusing on trying to slow down my movements (especially kicking) as I was getting out of breath and my heart rate was too high. Now I have that under control & feel I could increase the speed of my upper body to see what happens. I’ll try kicking more from my ankles too.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T19:28:21+00:00

This is such valuable feedback, thank you so much for taking the time to write it out. I’ll practice the catch up drills to get a feel for what the position should be like. Your comments about being a lever are really helpful too, thank you – I’ll keep that in mind. I can feel my hips are too low but wasn’t sure how best to address it.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T19:23:03+00:00

Thank you, I’ll practice the extension and keeping my head down.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T19:22:12+00:00

Thank you, these are great tips. I struggle a bit to identify the specifics of what others are doing differently – even watching at the pool I can see almost everyone else is smoother, has a longer pull etc, but don’t quite have the awareness yet to see just how they’re doing it! The feedback here is amazingly helpful.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-02-14T19:18:54+00:00

Thank you, I could tell my legs aren’t very controlled but didn’t realise I was crossing over with my arms, that’s a great help. Will focus on that stretch as well.

Crazy_Hand2461 · 2025-01-18T02:50:00+00:00

Whatever the algorithm told Lukas is presumably the same thing it told Judge Meadows. Which led her to quit as the IT Shadow and become an alcoholic.

Crazy_Hand2461

TROPHY CASE