the17thman

Fryman Canyon Hike

On my no workout Saturday I went for a hike at Fryman Canyon up in the hills.  It's not much of a hike so it's not really working out.  Parking recently went up to $3.00 from $1.00 and everyone seemed to be bitching.  While I was filing out the info on the parking pay envelope my friend went to the car with the receipt and I guess since I was in khaki shorts and a green tee someone mistaken me for a park worker.  The guy started to bitch to me about how the price went up.  Me being myself went into my  standard  M.O. of "don't make eye contact, shrug you shoulders and walk away".  It worked as usual and my friend and I went hiking. 

Fryman Canyon isn't much of a hike so I sorta was chuckling at the various people in full workout gear totting huge bottles of water.  It's the type of hike better off suited for a can of beer and a bag of chips. The views do make it a fun trip.  You can see into the Valley and who knew the Valley could look so good.  At the end the trail spills out on to the street and you get to walk by George Clooney's house.  He wasn't home as I called him during the hike.  Kidding.  That was the extent of my day.  A nice sunny day hike on a relaxing Saturday. 

If You Only Read One Thing Today Read Garrett Weber-Gale's Blog

Well since you are already reading this you 2nd blog post of the day should be Garrett Weber-Gale's post on "Controlling His Excitement" LINK.  

No Yards This Year - Well Not Really

I have made a decision based on my training and I won't be competing in any SCY meets in 2009 including nationals.

I'll uate with my reasoning later and this may all change as I've had a few text msg's and emails talking me off the ledge.  Yesterday in swim practice I just wanted to get ou and quit swimming for good.  That won't happen but I just need to step bac and remind myself why started swimming in the first place.  Which was fitness not competiting.    I will expand later and this may change after a conversation with someone later today.

Okay so now I'm thinking that at the very lest I may swim at the Cal Tech meet since it's more of a fun meet.  Considering I'll have to swim a 50 breaststroke it'll be at least funny to watch me flounder in the water.  Oh and maybe UCLA as then I can eat cookies at Diddy Riese after.  I'm already stepping back from my tapas and gin & tonics from last nights dinner.

On another note I fixed some comment issues that I've been having.  Sorry that some of the comments over the last week never got approved.  I turned off moderating comments again.  I'll just go back to deleting the spam and the freakish comments one by one. 

My 1650 From May of 2007

Since today seems to be about the 1650 here are my splits and time from the 1650 Freestyle at the 2007 USMS Nationals:

31.05      1:04.98 (33.93)
        1:39.60 (34.62)     2:14.37 (34.77)
        2:49.19 (34.82)     3:24.38 (35.19)
        3:58.76 (34.38)     4:33.71 (34.95)
        5:08.96 (35.25)     5:43.45 (34.49)
        6:18.06 (34.61)     6:52.76 (34.70)
        7:27.13 (34.37)     8:01.54 (34.41)
        8:35.43 (33.89)     9:09.28 (33.85)
        9:43.46 (34.18)    10:17.16 (33.70)
       10:51.19 (34.03)    11:24.99 (33.80)
       11:58.80 (33.81)    12:32.81 (34.01)
       13:06.82 (34.01)    13:40.94 (34.12)
       14:15.62 (34.68)    14:49.50 (33.88)
       15:23.23 (33.73)    15:57.01 (33.78)
       16:30.63 (33.62)    17:05.09 (34.46)
       17:39.55 (34.46)    18:12.17 (32.62)    18:42.77 (30.60)

Doing The Pacing Math For The 1650

Earlier today I posted an email I got from a swimmer who is trying to figure out a pace for swimming the 1650.  Here is the background (you can read the full post HERE) -

This swimmer was able to swim the following:

- 1,000 at a 1:30-1:32 pace
- 8x 100 with about :20 rest at about 1:25 pace
- a 600 a little under 1:30 pace

The swimmer wants to know what would be his/her 1650 pace based on those swims and do I think that they could swim 12 x 100 at sub 1:25 with :20 seconds rest.  So the answer to the second question of being able to swim 12x100's on 1:25 pace with 20 seconds rest I say yet.  If you can do 8 of them 4 more isn't that much.  I will admit that I get fatigued in a different fashion than most as for example if you use the three examples given I'd have to guess taht my 1,000 would be at a faster pace then what I'd swim 8x100's.  For whatever reason when I swim once I get into a tempo I just keep at it but when you break it up by 100's I slowly fall apart as my body just can't to get back to a tempo. 

As for the 1650 I'd take you 1,000 divide it by 2 to get your average 500 split.  Which would at a 1:32 pace you'd do a 1,000 in about 15:32.  So take 15:32 and divide it by 2 which would be 7:46.  Then take 7:46 and add it to the 15:32 for your 1500 which would be 23.18.  Then add in another 150.  Or you just use a pace calculator to figure it out.  Using one calculator I found online you 1650 time at a 1:32 pace should be 25:18.  I'm basing this all on looking at other swimmers splits online.  Most poeple's last 650 is the fastest part while the 1st 500 is the second fasted part.  Something about the middle 500 trips most of us up.  Mentally I think we all try to save something up and pull back too much.  Since the swimmer said he/she swam the 1,000 on a very manageable 1:30-1:32 pace then I'd guess a 1:32 for a 1650 is doable.  It won't be very manageable but swimming the 1500/1650 is never "very manageable", at least not for me.

Tom Dolan's 1997 NCAA 1,650 Freestyle Pacing

These are the splits for Tom Dolan's American-Record 1,650 YD Freestyle Swim at the 1997 NCAA Men's Swimming Championships. 

48.96
52.29
52.86
53.15
53.53
53.32
53.21
53.47
53.67
53.70
53.40
53.15
52.57
52.76
52.50
52.64
24.13 for his last 50.

These splits are from the book "Swimming Fastest" which does into this swim in a bit more detail.  The most important thing that the book points out is that his 200 yard of the race was about 8 seconds slower than his best 200 yard swim and his 500 yard was also 8 seconds slower than his best 500 yard swim.  His 1st 500 split was 4:20.79 then his 2nd 500 split was 4:27 and his 3rd 500 split was 4:23. 

source:  "Swimming Fastest" by Ernest Maglischo.

Reader Question: Pacing the 1650

Every so often someone emails me with a swimming question.  Sometimes it's an easy question about finding a local pool or USMS team which I can just send a link away.  Sometimes the questions are all about me and I just reply with a quick answer.  But every so often I get an email like today that calls on me to ask for everyones collective experience.  MInd you I have my own ideas are will post a bit later but for now let's all help C out and find his/her pacing time for the 1650...

I was searching for some pacing information and one of your old posts came up from 2008.  I was wondering if you'd give me your 2 cents on a target pace?
Next month I'm swimming in a race for the first time in 25+ years- the 1650 - I basically haven't swum since then. I'm not trying to get faster, just trying to figure out what is a reasonable pace.
I swam 3x's with some of these results:
- 1,000 at a 1:30-1:32 pace - very manageable
- 8x 100 with about :20 rest at about 1:25 pace - still quite manageable
- a 600 a little under 1:30 pace
- several 50's at about :37 with :20 rest.  all very comfortable, but moderately hard
I'd like to do one workout next week that will tell me what kind of pace I can hit.  Do you think if I can do 12 x 100 at sub 1:25 with :20 seconds rest (without killing myself), then that might be a pace I can hold for 1650?
 I'm 48.
thanks for any advice!
C. 

In a follow up with me C writes back:

One other thing that is probably important is that I do compete at a high level in other sports in races that run about 20-23 minutes, pretty similar distance time-wise. so fitness-wise, I am in shape for this distance.  But I just don't know how to tell what is the magic pace that will not put me above AT in a swimming event, short of doing an all-out 1650 which I don't think is the right strategy.
thanks again!
c

Feel free to comment below and I'll pass it all along to C.  The power of social media and fitness.  Speaking of which soon I'll be linking to an article on PBS.org on the vert topic of people who use social media (ie. blogging) to achieve fitness goals.  I was lucky enough to be approached by PBS to be part of the article.  But for now let's all help C out.  Also since I have notice a lot of traffic in relation to the 1500 and the 1650 I've decided to put it in it's own category and over time including a series over the weekend will be posting more about these two events

Ian Thorpe A Virgin?

With Ian Thorpe's sponsorship deal with Qantas Airlines now expired it has been rumored that Thorpe will sign with Virgin Australia Airlines.  Thrope has been chummy with Virgin founder Richard Branson even hosting a charity relay for Virgin Active at the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Center.  It always amazes me how the Aussie's still follow the adventures of the Thorpedo even after his retirement from swimming.  Makes you wonder how long the US Press will cover Phelps after 2012.  Most likely Phelps will fade away like Rowdy Gaines.  But at least with all the take at this years Olympics about Phelps breaking Mark Spitz gold olympic medal count has given Spitz a new marketin life.  This week Spitz teamed up with the drug lobbying group Pharma to spread the lobby the general public about the need "keep funding pharmaceutical research in these tough economic times."  The big companies like Lily want a piece of the stimulus package.  At least the stimulus package will keep one former Olympic swimmer employed.

Virgin & Thorpe Source
Spitz Source

Another Struggle In The Pool

Another swim month has come to a close.  Good bye February Swimming!  Finishing off my month of swimming struggles I finished my last workout just in that fashion, struggling.  Today's swim I will admit became a struggle when I mentally gave up during the warm up set and just never recovered.  I did finish the workout and had a bit of an achievement at the end of workout.

As for the warm up I took my time and swam a 200 before the warm up set.

2x
2x75's Drill I messed up on the first round thinking it was only 1x75 drill.
100 Kick
4x25's.
The set would have been a total 500 yards but for me it was a 400.  Once I messed up I got out and took a pee break.  I almost got lapped as the kick intervals were for me a bit touch and go.  I really think that for these warm up sets I should be in a slower lane only to move up to the fast lane for the main set.  I don't make the intervals, have totally given up on kicking on a fast interval and take pee breaks.  And then on the second round of drill I had to go like mad to get some rest.  Which means the drill part was pointless as I was more concerned with making it then working on the drill.  (400/600)

Then we did another quick warm up set with 50's on 40.  I don't remember what it was. 

Main Set:
5x100's Free on 1:20
75 Free on 1:00
50 Fly
4x25's Fly on 30
3x100's on 1:15
75 Free on 1:00
50 Back
4x25's Back on 30
1x100 Free on 1:10
75 Free on 1:00
50 Breast
4x25's Breast on 35
25 easy
This is the type of set that I can never grasp when swimming.  Starting at various ends of the pool with various distances and intervals.  It wasn't to the 2nd round that I figured out the pattern.  The first round with the 4x25's Fly since we started them on the other end of the pool I automatically started to do Fly thinking it was the last 25 when we were actually moving on to the 3x100's.  After that it was all downhill.  Mentally I gave up and didn't care.  Open turns started to set in.  The 25's were to be sprint but to be honest I took all the fly out easy as I was worried about the intervals later on in the set.  I just got to the point of just swimming to swim and didn't care about technique at all.  Since I wasn't leading I was able to draft along making it a bit easier.  (1600/2400)

We then ended up with a fun warm down set that which marked a personal achievement.  Hey at this point I'll take the small wins!
50
1x25 on 30 no breathing
50
2x25's on 30 no breathing
50
3x25's on 35 no beathing
50
4x25's on 35 no breathing.
I don't remember the intervals for the 50's but this was a pull set.  Now my 1st 25 I didn't fully finish to the wall but for the rest I did and for all of the 25's I was able to do them without breathing.  Which is a huge accomplishment for me.  Oh and I didn't use paddles.  Seriously I normally am lucky if I can do a 25 with one breath never mind none.  (450/2850)  I then did a 100 easy so the total yardage was 2950 + the warm up set that I don't remember. 

MTD Yardage: 49,950
MTD LCM: 9,800
YTD Yardage: 114,650
YTD LCM 9,800

I look forward to my do nothing Saturday!  My body needs the day off to reset itself for next week!  I'll hit the gym and swim on Sunday.  Monday is the 10x100's so that swim is up in the air.  As for this month's yardage count is down from January but when you add in the LCM it's about the same. 

My 1st Run

Well of course tonight wasn't my first run, it just felt like it.  At yet another test of how out of shape I am I ran 5 miles with the Niketown Run Club.  The last time I ran with the club was 4 months ago tonight.  It was the last Thursday in October.  Once I stopped running with the group I stopped running all together.  That was till last week.  I ran the short distance to the gym only to realize that I need to be running again.  So then this past Sunday with my new sneakers I ran 2.2 miles.  The run wasn't so bad so I figured I can run 5 miles.  I mean 5 miles is nothing.  Famous last words.

First I decided to bike which was a nice easy ride.  And quick too.  I rode in the bike lane down Santa Monica Blvd to Rodeo Drive to the store.  It was so quick I had time to kill so I walked around the store and did some window shopping.  Then the run started at about 6:30.  I started off pretty slow as I saw a few faces that I sorta remembered how they pace compared to me.  I scoped out a few folks to try to keep up with.  I decided before I even started that I wouldn't be timing my run at all.  I'd take it nice and easy and be comfortable.  Maybe I should have taken it out a bit easier.  Trying to keep up with people I usually run with wasn't such a good idea.  I was hurting about 1/2 way into the run.  But I was able to put it behind me and keep running.  it wasn't till the last mile that I settled in with a group.  One of the runners was a lady that I remember running close to the last time i ran.  So I figured I was doing go.  I chatted it up with a new runner who was training for his 1st marathon.  Running a marathon isn't something I plan to do anytime soon or far off either.  Swimming the 1500 is one thing but to run a marathon, well all I can say is "No, Thank You".  In our running and chatting he mentioned the "Couch-to-5K Running Plan" as we both were complaining how we are not really runners.  I googled it and found lots of stuff on it.  I'm going to read more about it later and see if I can tweak it a bit to come up with a running program for me.  Since daylight will be getting longer soon I'll be able to run at night again soon. 

I have set my alarm to wake up for 6am swim practice but I have a feeling I'll be hurting come the morning and sleep in past swim.  I can just then swim at the 1 hour evening workout.