Fresh Oil, Loose Stone

I don't know about you but I have a FEVER...... PHELPS PHEVER!!!!!!

Here is a terrific article on Michael Phelps in case you were needing anything more Phelps this week. As long as there are Olympics.... there will be pictures of this relay. I wish I had my house wallpapered in this picture! Did you see him and Lochte fighting over me in the pool last night? I mean they hit the wall, looked at the camera and Phelps said "That was for you Mary!!!"

Fresh Oil.... Loose Stone

Those are four words on the list of "things I never want to read" while out on a training ride. Other two good ones are "Pool Closed for Week."

UGH.

I am very fortunate that I live close to 2 of the Great Lakes so chances of me missing a swim in the summer are pretty slim. But there are days when I can't get there, and there are days when adaptations need to be made.

To swim bike and run faster you need to swim, bike and run. Sure there are things we can do to cross train and help make us a more rounded athlete. We can water run, we can do swimming dry land exercises. These won't replace the sport itself but I believe they can help when injured, or when in a pinch.

When you have a running injury I do believe that pool running can make the transition back to the road much easier than no running at all. Many people use it in place of a run to give their legs some recovery each week.

When I am in a bind and my pool is closed and for whatever reason I can't make it to the lake, I dry land train. It brings me back to the college days when this was the stuff we'd do on the deck every single day. I have great flashbacks.

The greatest dry land exercise we had to do were Badgers, and I can't do them at home unless my husband surprises me with a fastlane pool and a starting block.

To perform a badger you need to hang off a starting block. Calves on the top, shins parallel to the ceiling. A nice teammate can hold your legs for you. Unroll your body so your head is in the water. Cross your arms. Then curl up so your nose hits your knees. Then release your head back underwater.

Oh yeah, at least 200 of them. And no it's not waterborading.

If you don't have that stuff at home there are many other ways you can get something in if it's swim or nothing. I have the luxury of owning a Vasa trainer. A woman on my Masters team was selling hers and I got it for a STEAL! Best thing I own!

On the Vasa there's thousands of things you can do but nothing replaces the good old pull through. More boring than a dreadmill....... more painful than 4000 meters timed. But completely awesome.

You can also use stretch cords. Sure you can buy them for $30-40 online, but if you go to your local Target you can get them for $7. Visit a medical supply store and grab surgical tubing for even less. Even better visit the hospital and steal it. :-)

If you have an extra pair of paddles tie them to it. If not just hold but make sure you are not flexing your wrist. It won't matter except if you always use tubing that way when you are 60 you will regret it. So straight wrist.

Click here for a great dry land swim program designed by Gordo.

Click here for a some great Vasa tips from Gordo.

Click here for a great stretch cord workout from Gordo.

(why so much Gordo? He took the time to put it together, share it, explains it great and he's good to look at. The only thing better would be a demonstration by Phelps. Or Lochte. Or hey, I am also a major Aaron Piersol fan...... MISTER COOL!!!)

Dry land swim programs again are not substitutes for swimming. Dry land programs can certainly enhance but shouldn't replace swims. I use them in a pinch, in the fall and winter this is part of my functional strength routine.

So when you are faced with a day when the pool is closed, it is thundering and circumstance prevents you from breaking the surface, don't despair. There are easy things you can do for very cheap to keep those swimming muscles firing!!!!