New Swim Coach

So during one of my pool swims last week I noticed a sign saying that the Tri-Swim class was starting up again with a new coach. Anne, who was one of the regulars from the class before asked me about it and we both were going to sign up again.

Today was the first day with the new coach Lindsey. She had sent us all an email over the weekend asking us for our swimming history and any issues we had. I of course mentioned the neck pain I was feeling.

So she watched me swim today and after class we chatted about my neck. She said that I was definitely “throwing my head”. Well, now that’s a term I have not heard before. Basically she noticed that my head is completely submerged when I am swimming and that I have to pick my head up and then turn it to breathe. I do this all in one motion which gives the appearance of “throwing my head.”

  

This confirms what I was thinking that my head is tucked too close to my chest. So I have indeed been focusing on the right things the last couple of swims. Letting my head relax more, untuck my chin and rotate my head with my body to breathe. I can do that pretty easily when I am swimming slow, it will be more difficult to train myself to do that when I am swimming fast/hard.

But with someone on the deck watching me it will be easier for her to remind me if I fall back into old habits.

Makes me wonder how I got into that habit in the first place. I wonder if it started with the open water swimming. Over compensating for looking forward to sight by tucking my chin more when I wasn't sighting. It truly started later in the summer. Anyway, now that I know what to look for and do, I will focus on it.