Before work Thursday morning it was time for my first crawl training this week.

Right now it is not one of my favorite sessions since I still am struggling with the breathing but not keep going is not going to help.

Got to the sportscenter where the pool is before 6.30, was a bit windy but survived outside til they opened.

Here is what I did:

Q – Distance 60 min

Warm up and drills:

200m breaststroke

25m one arm change every 25 m
25m one arm change every 25 m
25m crawl
25m one change every 25 m
25m one change every 25 m
25 m crawl
25m one arm change every 25 m
25m one arm change every 25 m
Struggled with my breathing

25m sculling
25 m crawl
25m sculling
25 m crawl
25m sculling
25 m crawl
25m sculling
25 m crawl
25m sculling
25 m crawl
25m sculling
25 m crawl
25m sculling
25 m crawl
25m sculling
25 m crawl
Struggled with my breathing

Main set:

50m crawl
50m crawl
50m crawl
50m crawl
50m crawl
50m crawl
50m crawl
50m crawl
Calmer with my breathing. Got at the end 3/4 of the pool before I had to breaststroke. Could crawl 12 times when I got air on every 3rd crawl til I was very breatless and had to continue with breasstroke

Cool down: 2x50m kick with kickboard

Even if I struggled with my breathing, major improvement was that I was not a sinking stone, my belly was sucked in on auto

Total: 1300m

I have felt that 5 crawl classes would not be enough for me to get all the knowledge how to crawl.

Crawl coaching

Decided that I would also combine with crawl coaching and Friday at lunch I had my first meeting with openwatersimclub.

We had a talk before I got into the water and I said that I had problems with the breathing.

So first I was just going to warm up and I breaststroked. I was told to float a bit after each stroke, felt a bit weird and for me it was not more relaxed.

Then I was going to put my hands in front of my face and put the face under, then just float til I felt that I was sinking then start to ”paddle” with my feet.

Learned that I had to rotate my hips and have my head straight forward and breath on every other crawls. Found out that breath to the left worked best for me.

Tested a dolme, had tried it myself but thought that I would ”paddle” with my feet but they should just be there and then tried crawl.

Using the kickboard was not working for me.

I have to say that this was my calmest training so far. Started to get the hang of the breathing.

In the end I ended up crawling 20m without stress.

So I will take it slower from now on and focus on technique and hips.

Will have my next coaching middle of May