Chains, knees, swimming lessons

I have not ridden in two weeks except for a ½ hour ride last night after installing a new Shimano 7801 chain. I had a cheap Wipperman 10So that was just nasty. It was a plain steel chain and it looked bad, had sticky links, and was noisy. Maybe their more expensive nickel and stainless steel chains work well but if you catch sales the Shimano chains are a bargain. I should do a new chain every year or 5,000 miles but my frugal ways tend to make me try for 10,000 miles. The 5 hour century and the team time trial do not count as rides.

My knees have been hurting a bit. Traditionally this is when I stop running so my Peachtree sprint tri and cross season suffer. I am trying to decide what to do about that. Knees do not bother me as much as a sore left arch. I am not sure but I suspect a good massage/chiropractic visit would be a good idea.

I finally got a swim lesson yesterday at Johnson Park. I do not know what all the fuss was about. There were only 4 people in the water. 9 days to my tri and I am finally getting a lesson. Typical Jim planning. It was interesting. Coach would not let me in the water. New way to learn how to swim. Stay out of the water. OK, he covered some 101 points. The water does not control you, you control the water. That concept works great when you are 70” and the water is 60” deep. I can stand up, breath, spit out water, blow nose, walk to bathroom, adjust goggles. That idea did not work when I was 6 and 40”. Stand up meant I was drowning. Ok, when doing the club tri or maybe even a low water Peachtree that also works as the silty bottom is right there less than drowning depth. Repeat after me, “I control the water; the water does not control me.”
Second concept was just as significant. Coach was saying we practice doing 4 strokes and breath on the fourth stroke. I was trying to stroke easily with my arms and breathe every fourth stroke. L……R……L…R……LbreathR Kind of like a fixed gear where my left/right were in an even metronome like cadence. So I could get half a lung of air if I remembered to exhale before I tried to inhale. If stroked like I had a freewheel, the breath stroke could have a stutter to allow me to try to get a lung or even two lungs of air. I am so used to even cadence that I try it in the pool. Sometimes too fast with the arms. All of this is concept work trying to get me to be comfortable breathing so I can put together a half lap without standing up. Baby strokes. Now my legs were sometimes going 3 times faster than the arms which was kind of funny. Sounded like a trolling motor up front and Honda 150 hp outboard wide open in back. I guess with practice and comfort I can get to a more even stroke and breath thing.

Tonight coach is threatening to follow me over Covington Athletic Club pool which is half the length of Johnson Park.