Getting water out of your ears (aka, the K.I.S.S. principle)

Posted In: Fitness | Running | Triathlon February 13th, 2012 divider 2 Comments »

A few years ago after a weekend-long swim camp I ran into one of the coaches in the shower after another gruelling session. Guys being guys, we made small talk so it’s less awkward when we shower under the same roof.

This guy had been a great resource all weekend long, providing some great drills and practical tips that I use today. All this while being friendly and authoritative at the same time…

I’ve always had a problem with getting the water out of my ears after long swims so I asked him if he had any tips.

He first gave me this perplexed look and then proceeded to provide his advice. I was waiting for some magical words of wisdom but none really came. His response was something to the effect of “tilt your head to the side and jump on one leg”. Wow!

In case you’re wondering, his answer works but it’s not at all what I was expecting. When you ask an expert, you’re expecting to hear stuff you never heard or you never even imagined. Most gurus that I meet these days will tell you that there are no real secrets in life, but putting hard work with sound principles will usually get you where you want to go.

Sorry for the anti-climactic story but it reminded me to K.I.S.S. it (keep it simple stupid!) when I was overthinking a problem during the week while swimming some laps.

Hope this helps, even if it’s just for a laugh!

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Here’s another great article by my friend and injury prevention guru Blaise Dubois.  This piece is about stretching calves pre- and post-run, a very popular practice with local running groups.

You might change your ways after reading this!