the17thman

Getting My Ass Kicked In The Pool

I knew that swimming on a Tuesday night is an ass kicking workout.  Combine that with 24 Cycle this morning and my first circuit weight training in what seems like forever and you get one sore guy.  About an hour into the workout and by body started to let me know that it was time to get out.  At the very end every time I pushed off the walls my thighs felt super tight.  Not cramping but my legs were letting me know they wanted to go home and watch tv in bed.  My arms and chest weren't doing much better.  So I called it a night after 60 minutes.  I figure I need to ease back into my hard workout days.

Warm Up
600 mixed swimming and pulling

Kick Set
200 on 3:40
2x100's on 1:50
2x75's on 1:25
I was a bit surprised in my kicking.  All those spin (24 cycle) classes are paying off.  (550/1150)

Drill Set:
6x75's on 1:10 Odd's Stroke / Evens Free (450/1600)

Main Stroke Set:
4 Rounds (the stroke was to be the same stroke all four rounds)
25 Stroke on 30
25 Free on 25
75 Stroke on 1:05
25 Free on 25
25 Stroke on 30
Each round the 75 was descending.  I did backstroke. (700/2300)

Main Free Set:
4x75's on 1:05
200 FAST on 2:50
4x75's on 1:05
200 FAST on 2:50
This is were I got out.  The set was actually 4 rounds and I only did 2 rounds.  (1000/3300)

At the end I was doing open turns and just struggling to hang on.  I know I just gotta keep at it and I'll be back in shape soon enough.  Normally I think I would have loved the main free set but tonight my body was telling me to go home.  On my two 200's I think I was faster then what I swam on Monday.  I "think" as was having issued with clock math and remember when I left.  So at least that was an improvement.  Small steps...small steps.

And with that another month ends...

MTD Yardage:  31,450

MTD LCM:  3,000

And at the 1/2 way mark of the year...

JAN Yardage:  64,440

FEB Yardage: 49,950
FEB LCM: 9,800

MAR Yardage: 63,000
MAR LCM:  10,500

APR Yardage: 53,300
APR LCM:  3,700

MAY Yardage:  38,875
MAY LCM:  0

JUN Yardage:  31,450

YTD Yardage:  314,225
YTD LCM 5,000

Rebooting Me & My Workouts

Getting on a roll and sticking with it is my plan for July.  So this morning when I woke up by something around 3am I was afraid that my morning would be messed up.  I was in bed thinking what if I can't fall back asleep.  The more I worried about it the more I was afraid I'd never fall back to sleep.  But I did after resetting my alarm to a different time.  My goal was to be up at 5:30.  Get to the gym around 6 and do weight training then hit the 7am 24 Cycle Class.  Instead I set my alarm for 7:30 and figured I'd skip the 24 Cycle Class.  Luckily my body woke itself up at 6:30.  I grabbed my stuff and hit the gym. 

After putting my stuff in the locker I walked up to the 24 Cycle Class.  I don't know what it is with guys and gals in WeHo but no one does cardio.  The class had 5 people in it and 1 person left 1/2 way.  It was a new instructor for me so I was excited to listen to new music and see how he approached the class.  Overall the class wasn't bad but I still like Tuesday and Thursday night instructors the best. 

After the class I filled up my water bottle and hit the weights.  I haven't done weights since June 11th.  So today was like hitting the reboot button on my workout.  I started at lower weights and slowly moved up to a comfortable stage.  I didn't want to overdue it and then skip another session.  I did my usual circuit weight training program as the gym was empty as it was getting to the work day hour.  Even earlier the gym in never too busy in the morning.  I felt good and I liked it and normally I hate weight training.  I finished up with some ab work.

Next up is swimming tonight.  I decided to flip my workout routine as swimming laps with some of my teammates isn't what I need right now.  Tonights workout is usually a tough one and I need my ass kicked to get myself back in gear.  I don't know who is coaching tonight as the normal coach is away but I figured that the sub coach is one of two other kick ass hard workout giving coaches.  One thing I have noticed is that by not doing much this month my body is a bit smaller than it was.  Add in the fact I had the flu and it's like I am rebooting my entire body. 

Monday Morning Swim

Slowly swim by swim I'm feeling better in the water after being a bit sporadic this past month in swimming.  This mornings workout was mostly freestyle and even though my swim workout times were a bit slower than I'd like they were at least consistent.  

Warm Up
500 (i broke it up as a 200 swim/200 pull/100 swim)

5 Minutes Kicking.  The coach would blow the whistle and you'd kick fast then she'd blow it again and you went slow.  I think it was 20 secs fast and 40 secs slow.  I did a 300 total.  Some of the slow parts I barely kicked and just floated.  (300/800)

3x100's 50 Drill / 50 Swim Drills: One Arm, Fingertip Drag and Fist (300/1100)

Main Set:
4x200's on 2:45 1st 200 the last 100 was fast, 2nd 200 the first 100 was fast, 3rd 200 the middle 100 was fast and the 4th 200 was fast.  I was coming in at 2:21's for these.  Plenty of rest but the time was pretty slow.
rest 1 minute
8x100's on 1:25 Same pattern as above but by 50.  I was doing 1:11's.  A little off my workout time for a set like this but at least I was consistent.  (1600/2700)

1x75 kick / 50 drill / 25 swim Choice of Stroke / Non Free.  I did this backstroke (200/2900)

3 Rounds:
50 on 60
4x25's on 30
I did all three rounds backstroke.  Since I've been out of the water of late my butterfly is pretty bad.  Something to work on in July.  (450/3350)

I then warmed down a 100.  (100/3450)  Working out in June has been a bit sporadic so my goal for July is to get back on track.   I haven't done weights in ages so that is another thing I need to get back on track.  Spinning (24 Cycle) is something I know I can skip so I want to get back to swimming Tuesday or Thursday nights.  Those workouts can be a bit harder then the morning workouts so I need to hit those up more.  A new month is almost here so new goals.  Swim more and faster then June.

MTD Yardage:  28,150
MTD LCM:  3,000

YTD Yardage:  310,925
YTD LCM 5,000

Afternoon Swimming Fail

I walked to the West Hollywood pool thinking that summer started next week and they'd have a split lap swim with recreational swim.  But when I got to the pool I found out it was only a recreational swim.  Doh!  So I figured I'd hit the gym pool.  I only planned on swimming about 2,000 yards today so the gym pool would be okay.  But since I didn't have my gym lock I had to go home and get it.  When I got to the corner of SMB the bus pulled up so I decided to be lazy and bus the 2 minutes home.  I know, lazy.  So I get home get my lock and walk down to the gym.  It's not that all gym pools suck but most gym pools suck except for LAAC but that is a whole other fish.  I get in and after a 100 I start to change my 2,000 yards down a bit.  The pool is way too hot and very shallow.  The sun just fries you as the rays hit you on your back and reflect off the shallow bottom.  The design of the pool is a bit odd as they had to work with a triangle sized lot.  The swim lanes are staggered so each lane starts about 5 feet from each other.  With no flags you'd think you could use the lane lines to judge the wall when swimming backstroke.  Well the lane lines are old and have about 5 yards without any plastic lane line markers.  It's just string.  Because it's a gym pool swimming is a free for all as people just swim in any lane.  The guy I shared the lane with had a very wide stroke so he must have hit me about a half dozen times.  That was pretty much my final straw and got out after swimming 1,050 yards.  I figure a swim is a swim.  I've skipped swimming so much of late I just needed to get in the water.

My workout:

200 Swim
200 Pull
200 Kick
100 Swim
100 Pull
100 Kick
100 swim

50 Swim

1,050 yards. And i think I have a black and blue mark from that other swimmer.

MTD Yardage:  24,700
MTD LCM:  3,000

YTD Yardage:  307,475
YTD LCM 5,000

 

AQUAview: Moncler Gamme Bleu 2010 Spring/Summer Show

see more photos at hypebeast

Cloudy With A Chance Of Swimming

Earlier today I got a team email announcing that the WeHo pool will be closed Sunday for some issues with chemical balances.  This was to be the last Sunday afternoon practice till the fall so I was looking forward to one last Sunday afternoon swim.  So no more Sundays unless I do a lap swim as I am not in the mood to drive to Van Nuys early on a Sunday morning.  I decided since I might not swim to Monday I'd hit the one hour evening workout tonight.  Once I was in the water it only took a 25 yard swim to realize that something was wrong with the water as it was cloudy.  After practice I was pretty itchy.  Here is the couldy workout:

Warm Up:
200 Swim
200 Pull
200 Kick (600)

3x
100 IM Drill
then something else followed by something else.  damn I hate it when I can't remember. (300/900)

Main Set:
4x100's on 1:30 2 & 4 Fast.  I did these all backstroke (400)
50 Kick on 55
50 Free swim on 45
50 Kick (150/550)
4x75's on 1:10 2 & 4 Fast.  I did these freestyle (300/850)
50 Kick on 55
50 Free swim on 45
50 Kick(150/1000)
4x50's on 50 2 & 4 Fast.  I did these backstroke. (200/1200)
50 Kick on 55
50 Free swim on 45
50 Kick (150/1350)
4x25's on 30 2 & 4 Fast.  I did these butterfly. (100/1450)

50 easy (1500)

After that we did 3 sets of blast offs.  Which was you jumped vertically 5x in a streamlined position then swim into the wall fast, flip turn and then easy for the rest of the 50.  (150/1650)

MTD Yardage:  23,650
MTD LCM:  3,000

YTD Yardage:  306,425
YTD LCM 5,000

AQUAview: Alain Bernard For ARENA

Making of Campagne 2009
by tvarena

Noon Time 24 Cycle Class - 24 Hour Fitness WeHo

After this mornings swim I decided to head to the 24 Cycle Class at lunchtime.  I figured if I put it off to the 7pm class I'd find an excuse not to go.  It wasn't a bad class but it wasn't my favorite class.  I prefer the Tuesday and Thursday 6pm instructors but a class is a class.

NERO RZR. Pool Goggles

Over the years I've tried and swam with different brands and colors of goggles.  For a while I was wearing Swedes and have talked about them LINK.  The good thing about them is that they are cheap and the bad thing about them is that they are cheap.  They normally come with a rubber band that is pretty flimsy and falls apart faster then others goggle straps.  And for that you can by the bungee strap swedes.  But over time the bungee straps will sometimes degrade in elasticity.  So recently I've been trying on other goggles.  The other week I tried a couple of pairs of the TYR Racetech goggles which Men's Journal called the "Best Overall Goggle" LINK.  This week now that I'm back in the water I'm trying the Blueseventy Nero RZR Pool Goggles.  I wore them this morning and so far so good.  They are comfy and have a snug fit.  I'll wear them a few more times and write more about them.  Someone who has already worn them have posted a quick review on the bluseventy blog LINK.  I figured when it is all said and done I'm going to have a goggle for every use.  A meet goggle, a day light practice goggle and a nighttime early morning goggle.  Why so many?  Well first off the practice goggles tend to scratch up as I give up using the case they come with after a few swims and secondly when it is dark out and I'm trying to read the workout on the board I don't like colored, tinted or mirrrored goggles. 

(Disclaimer:  The good folks at blueseventy provided me with the goggles to test out and review.  Check them out at bluesevnty.com)

Out Of The Rut & Into The Pool

We all get in our own little ruts from time to time.  Over the last few weeks I sort of fell into the sleep in and skip swimming rut.  First the pool was closed for a week so instead of waking up and swimming laps at the gym pool or the Culver Plunge I just slept in.  I'd tell myself that I'd go swimming later.  Later would then become tomorrow and tomorrows started to count up.  One after another.  Then I had a bout with the flu and that took me out of the water.  I tried one lap swim then took a day off after that.  Then I swam Friday night.  That workout killed me.  It wasn't that the workout was tough it was mostly that coming back from being sick I wasn't tough enough for the workout.  Saturday came and I did get in the pool.  Although I only maybe swam a 200 at the most while my friend Amy did some laps.  Sunday morning came and went as did Sunday afternoon.  Amy wanted to do some laps so we did head over to the pool but the pool closed early due to a lack of lifeguards on duty.  Monday morning came and went with the promise that I'd swim in the evening.  Seven o'clock would roll up and I'd make another promise for tomorrow.  It was easy to get in the rut.  But that is over.  I'm back!  Well I'm back in the water.

This mornings workout was a "distance free" workout in name only as it was mostly sprints and pacing.  The intervals were easy enough that it was a doable workout for someone just getting back in the water.  Here is the workout:

Warm Up:
200 Swim
200 Pull
4x75's Kick
3x100's 50 Drill / 50 Swim (1,000 yard warm up)

Main Set:
400 Pull (1st 200 Breath control by 50 every 3/5/any/7 then the 2nd 200 was just dps) on 5:20 (400)
8x100's Pace on 1:20 (800/1200)
200 Pull on 2:35 (200/1400)
8x50's Sprint on 55 (400/1800)
200 Pull on 2:35 (200/2000)
8x25's on 30 (200/2200)
400 Pull (1st 200 DPS / 2nd 200 b.c. as above) (400/2600/3600)

100 Easy some other stroke then freestyle (100/3700)

400 IM 25 kick / 25 swim (400/4100)

50 warm down (50/4150)

Then we were suppose to do a 200 for time but we were running behind so the coach said a 50 for time instead.  I decided that I was in no shape to do anything for time.  So to save face from anyone watching me flounder in the pool I got out.  I figure by Sunday I should be up to my own pacing and swimming.  During the 8x100's pace i was coming in on consistent times although I was only swimming fast for a 50 and then drafting for the 2nd half. 

MTD Yardage:  22,200
MTD LCM:  3,000

YTD Yardage:  304,775
YTD LCM 5,000