Image and reality?

[Talvi]

A kind nudge from my friend Stuart resulted in reading through old messages in my inbox. One was from ZT, sent years ago but still very pertinent. Sadly I am far from swimming a sub 2.00/100m kilometre let alone a continuous hour even!

Another one contained a video by Coach Suzanne which I had sent my friend Werner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeHQyqI7zq0 It stars someone called Sam who had a before-style very like to my own current-style! What leapt out from the video for me is that I have completely misunderstood two key coaching phrases.

It is clear from the video that the word "dropped", in the phrase "dropped elbow", is used not in respect of verticality but in respect of the horizontal plane i.e as if the swimmer were in a standing position rather than lying flat in the water. The problem from it is not that it is "berneath" but that it takes the lead.(see 4:34) Coach Suzanne brings this same clarity to the recovery elbow's trajectory, wherein the up-ness of the "high elbow recovery" is replaced with the outward-ness of it.

This post is like a small offering. I'd intended to come back and post only when some progress had come from the various observations I've made here over the years. Reading through my inbox though reminded me (again!) that it's the journey that counts not the destination, and of the value and place of the people of this community in that. So, fwiw a belated thank you, from a grateful prodigal son.