the17thman

The LA Marathon on 5,000 calories

How did you spend your holiday weekend?  Ate turkey, watched some football and waited for cyber monday to roll around?  While we were all sitting on the couch runner Jimmy Dean Freeman decided to test run the 2010 LA Marathon Route.  But with a bit of a twist.  JD who has been called a " is a local coach, ultramarathoner and stand-up comedian" decided to make his run a culinary delight.  According to the Official LA Marathon Blog LINK:

The culinary highlights included Burrito King, In n Out Burger, Carney's and Sprinkles Cup Cakes. While burning 3,600 calories, he consumed over 4,800 calories and actually gained half a pound on the day. That could be a new record for marathon energy replacement. Including all of his stops for food, his time was 5:21.

The sad thing is that when I run it I won't be stopping to eat at every fast food joint on the route but still won't be much faster then him.  Maybe In N Out Double Double's are better then Gatorade?

So Hungry! GWG's - AthleticFoodie Sweet Potatoes

Check out GWG's lates Athletic Foodie video post on Sweet Potatoes.  Hmmm...sweet potatoes.  Oh and GWG is pretty sweet to look at also.

source GWG Blog

Mark Foster: Slow Motion Swimming Clips

Mark Foster is an amazing swimmer so this is a great video to watch and study.  Oh and he is very easy on the eyes!

November's Running Rear View Mirror

Close , so close but no cigar.  November's running mileage total became my 2nd highest amount of miles run in one month.  I ran 94.14 miles.  A week ago I was on target to break my monthly record of miles run but an injury sidelined me.  The last week a bit of pain has come to my ankle so I took off some time to recover.  Have the USMS SPMA Regionals next weekend in swimming so felt it was more important to stay off the foot.  No running.  

Some of my running was just back and forth from the gym.  I will be ramping up my runs in December as I will be running a 1/2 Marathon in January.  I'm pretty happy with my running as I keep on putting in good runs for the last three months.  Then come 2010 it's all about training for the LA Marathon.

Is This What FINA Means For Textile Suits?

 

November's Swimming Rear View Mirror

Ahh another month has come to a close.  Most of the month of November has been a challenge for me in the pool.  Mostly I've been "not feeling it" during most workouts.  Slowly getting a bit frustrated workout after workout.  At one point I pretty much had written off competitive swimming.  With the fancy tech suits going away and just not feeling any speed I pretty much told myself that I'd hang up my competitive swimming come the new year.  Hey if I'm never going to do those times again why bother?  I still feel that way but the last week of this month I got my swimming mojo back.  Hopefully I will ride this crest into regionals this weekend.  After this my blueseventy nero comp suit will become a very expensive dust rag. 

In the pool I swam a total of 35,475 yards and 3,500 LCM.  Figure I averaged 2350 yards per workout for the month give or take a few yards.  I only did one LCM workout for the month.  Bad, bad me!  I did less yardage and meters in November then I did in October but that is okay. 

Next up is December and I'll be away for one week around the Holidays so I will not be swimming at all.  Okay, maybe once but more on that adventure later.  I'm guessing I'll be lucky to break 30,000 yards in December but that is okay.  After this weekends swim meet I'll be able to coast for the rest of the month.

Just Another Monday Workout

The one thing about these cold mornings is that I am getting in the water and swimming right on time.  Not as much swim a 50 chit chat and swim another 50.  Our coach gave us an assigned warm up.  Even swimming with only one short chit chat I didn't finish the whole warm up set.  Then again no one did.

600 mixed (I try to do some pulling in every warm up since I never feel that we pull enough.  Mixed it up with some free with and without paddles then finishing up with a 100 IM pull)

50 kick (it was to be a 200 reverse IM kick but I only a 50 in before it was time to regroup and swim along) (50/650)

200 IM Drill (200/850)

400 Free - 50 Drill / 50 Swim (400/1250)

300 Pull - 100 DPS / 200 breathing 3/5/any/7 (300/1550)

3x300's on 4:15
 1st build
 2nd descend by 100
 3rd 100 technique / 200 race strategy (900/2450)

The last one I came in a 3:30.  I forgot what I did for the other two.  We had our choice between an interval of 4:10 or 4:15 and since I like my rest and I was with swimmers who wanted the 4:15 we did the 4:15.  It's only 5 seconds but rest is rest.

100 easy (100/2550)

4x125's rotating a fast 50 from the end to the beginning.  Don't remember interval but we sorta fudged it to get more rest.  (500/3050)

4x125's IM rotating and extra 25 stroke from beginning to end.  Once again my lane made our own little interval up. (500/3550)

25 to the deep end

3x25's off the blocks (+2x2's swimming back to the deep end to the blocks) (150/3700)

3700 Yards.  Not bad.  Actually for a Monday morning that was a bit of yardage.  I'm so use to lots of drill work on Monday mornings.  Will admit I was tired at the end.  My arms were slowly becoming jello.  This is my 4th day in a row and my body was crying for some rest.  After the 3x300's I sorta dogged it. 
 
And so another month in the pool comes to a close. With regionals a few days away I'll be skipping the gym and doing a mini-taper.  Nothing to drastic but pulling back a bit.  Running will also be put on hold till next week.  

Swimmer's Gift Guide: The Grab Bag Suit

This is more of a Stocking Stuffer or Secret Santa / Secret Snowflake Gift for that special swimmer as Grab Bag Suits are a very good deal.  Prices range from $18 and up for men and $30 and up for women but still that's cheap.  Between daily wear and tear and well sometimes just leaving them behind at the pool a swimmer can never have too many suits.  And sometimes these Grab Bag Suits aren't so ugly and other times...well they are cheap.  Pretty much every swim store has grab bags but since I stole this image from the good fine folks over a Kastaway check out what they have to offer LINK  Oh and for my friends I am a size 30. 

Sunday Afternoon Swim

It was pretty packed swim for a Sunday afternoon.  Luckily it wasn't that hard of a swim.  Either that or I am swimming better then I have been.

Warm Up"

400 Swim

200 Kick (600)

Then we had a warm up set:

100 Easy Kick on 1:50

25 Fast Kick on 30

100 Easy kick on 1:50

50 Fast Kick (forgot interval)

100 Easy Kick on 1:50

75 Fast Kick

I had to make the whole set fast kick since I'm not that very strong of a kicker a 1;50 is a tight interval for me.  (450/1050)

Warm Up Set:

200 Pull breathing 3/5/3/7

Hmm...we did some drilling and swimming in between the pulling.  I know one round of 50's we did free and another stroke. 

200 Pull breathing 3/5/3/7 (400/1450)  Well plus what ever else we did.

Main Set:

2x50's on 50 Stroke Choice (I did butterfly) Descend (100)

2x100's on 1:25 (75 easy free / 25 fast stroke I did butterfly) (200/300)

3x50's on 50 Stroke Choice (I did backstroke) Descend (150/450)

3x100's on 1:25 (same as earlier but did backstroke) (300/750)

4x50's on 50 Stroke Choice (I did these butterfly) Descend (200/950)

4x100'a on 1:25 (same as above but did them backstroke) (400/1350/2800)

50 easy (2850)

Then I did two rounds of the following (the set called for 4 rounds):

25 free on 30

2x25's fly on 30

50 FAST Free on some interval I forget (300/3100)

So 3100 yards plus the part I can't remember.  My arms are a bit sore but I will survive.  On another note I haven't been running in a few days due to an injury.  I've been dealing with a sore ankle mystery pain for the last few days.  So I'm staying away from running with regionals only a week away.  I'm sorta disapointed that I'm not running as I was so close to having my most miles run in a month.  Oh well.  Next month!

Swimmer's Gift Guide: Swim Bike Run Ornament

The perfect gift for your tree trimming needs. 
 
From swimoutlet.com