06/17/04 CCB Masters Sighting and Porpoising Practice

Most of the swimmers on our team are doing tris and open-water swims in the next two weeks, so I wanted to let them practice their sighting and their porpoising (for ins and outs on sandy bottoms).For sighting, the big thing to think about is staying LOW. You don't want to lift your head out of the water because this will makes your hips and legs sink, causing drag. Instead, lift only your goggles above the water line and take quick "snapshots" of what's ahead of you. My favorite technique for sighting is to peek forward just as one arm is extending forward into the water. I glance forward, then immediately turn my head slightly to the side so that my cheek goes in the water and then I immediately press in with my sternum to regain my balanced position in the water.Porpoising is simply a fast way to get from shore to deeper water when you have a sandy, sloping bottom. Send your body in an arc over the water and down to the bottom, leading with both hands over your head. When you hands hit the bottom, immediately draw up your legs, plant your feet, and launch yourself into another dolphin dive over the surface -- hands first. WARMUP: 400400 your choice on your own.MAIN SET: 1800Swim two rounds of the following:1 X 25 Freestyle, sighint on every stroke1 X 50 Freestyle, focus on hiding your head1 X 75 Backstroke, focus on Thumb Out/Pinky In1 X 100 Freestyle, starting with two porpoise dives and finishing with two porpoise divesSwim two rounds of the following WITH FINS:1 X 25 Underwater Breast with Dolphin Kick1 X 50 Body-Dolphin Breast1 X 75 Dolphin Kick on Your Back1 X 100, swum as 25 Underwater Breast and 75 Body-Dolphin BreastTake off fins and swim two more rounds of the original Sighting/Porpoise set.WARMDOWN SET: 300The fast lane had time for this set; all other lanes did not have time for this and just did a standard warmdown.With pull buoy. Freestyle lungbuster. Breathe as much as you want on all odd lengths. On even lengths, breathe 3/5/5 by hundred.WARMDOWN: 200200 EZ warmdown.Total Yardage: 2700/2400