the17thman

Eye Of A Blind Tiger. Spirit Of A Road Kill Squirrel!

Oh it's pancake day!  Happy May Day!  The fifth month of the year.  Time to get serious about those long forgotten New Years Resolutions.  Lots of things to get fired up about and start a new.  Or at least I'm going to try and think that way as I've been out of the water so much in the month of April.  It's been 8 days since my last swim but today I was back in the water. 

Warm Up

200 Swim / 100 Pull w/o paddles / 200 Pull w/  paddles.  Slowest warm up ever.  (500) 

4x100's 2 - Kick on 2:15 2 - Swim/Kick/Pull/Build on 2:00 (400/900)

Woah...how can I be so out of shape?  I think I was pretty bad to begin with then April came then the last week hit.  So today it was hurting.  Oy!

Main Set -

4 Rounds (was to be 6 but no way today)

200 on 3 minutes

100 Pace on 1:40

Descending the 200's.  I did a 2:48, 2:43, 2:36 and 2:33.  Yeah you read that right.  Oy, I'm slow.  Back two years ago 2:30 would have been a slow interval for a set for me now it's my time when I'm trying to work it.  (1200/2100)

6x50's on 60 Fly/Back, Back/Breast, Breast/Free (300/2400)

So 2,400 yards in about 52 minutes of water time.  That includes a pee break and chatting time.  I do plan on swimming more in May then in April.  I do have a week that I may have to skip swimming for 6 days but maybe I'll just get in some easy lap swim time to keep wet.  But I've been spinning and weight training so my cross training is great!
I may have to downscale my 300 Mile swim goal for 2012.  I'm now 20 miles behind my goal pace for the year.  My goal for the month of May is to swim another 30,225 yards to get to 100 miles!  I'll be back in the water on Thursday and Friday of this week. 

Oh one more thing.  Adding in a Rearview Mirror Swimming post to this one.  Since I didn't swim much I dont' want to do a post just for April.  So here are my totals by month so far for 2012...
Wowser.  That is like my worst month ever since 2005!

"Not Much Of A Swimmer, Are You?"

"Not Much Of A Swimmer, Are You?"  That is the question that floats in my head these days.  It's April 22nd and I've only swam 8 times this month.  I only swam once last week!  Yeah, I'm spinning and lifting and all that but really what happened to my swimming?

Well with that in mind I decided I had to swim this morning.  I went to bed sorta early for me but ended up tossing and turning.  This morning I hit the snooze button for 45 minutes before getting up.  I went on my computer and pulled a workout from April 16th, 2010.  I modified it a bit and yet I still failed in doing it.

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

Main Set:
200 IM on 3
50 easy on 60
4x25's fly on 30
50 easy on 60
2x100's back on 1:40
50 easy on 60
4x25's fly on 30
50 easy on 60
4x50's back on 60
50 easy on 60
4x50's fky on 1:10
50 easy on 60
8x25's back on 30
50 easy on 60
and then the big FAIL!
I had 8x25's fly planned but on the first one I felt some fatigue/pain so I stopped about 10 meters of the first 25.  Got out and took a pee break.  Tried it again after some rest and got to about 20 meters.  I just gave up and switched to free to make it a 100 warm down.  So this set which was to be 1,800 yards was only 1,650 yards.

1,650+600=2,250 yard swim.  Jeezz, I'm out of swim shape. My goal this week is to swim at least 10,000 yards!  I need to get back in the GTD Game... Well now it's time to eat, rest and hit the gym!

Jumping Back In The Pool

Wahoo...swim time.  Gotta love getting in any swim time at all. 

1x500 Warm Up

1x3000 Kick Mixed w/ fins (300/800)

Set 1 -

2x200's Free on 3

2x200's Back on 3:20

2x200's Fly/Free by 25 on 3:20

Ouchie!  The first two 200's were a struggle.  My body was stiff and sore from weight training (Group Power) yesterday.  We had a new release yesterday and it just killed me.  My lats. triceps and thighs were so sore.  It was a stuggle.  The 200's back were okay.  Nothing earth shattering fast and lots of sloppy strokes.  Now the fly/free felt good.  For the most part the fly felt smooth and natural.  My timing seemed good for the most part.  I'd mess up every so often but regain my stroke.  (1200/2000)

Set 2 -

6x100's IM Reverse on 1:40.  For whatever reason these were tough.  I had no speed and was stuggling.  God I'm outta shape.  Being reverse IM order I was stuggling with the butterfly.  (600/2600)

Now I was running out of time so I only got to do 4x50's Pull w/ Padddles on 50 breathing every 3.  (200/2800)

I could have maybe done the 4 additional ones but time and my body just ran out.  The damn Aqua Fit folks started to take over the deck including turning off the radio.  Now I don't like the music on the radio but get pissy at these folks taking over at 7:45 which is 5 minutes before we are to empty the pool.  One of the aqua chicks was using the courtesy phone to call the staff to take the lane lines out.  

Oh well.  My next time in the pool won't be to at least Friday.  Working at 5am the next two mornings.  Grrr!  Today isn't so bad 11am and then I teach spinning at 5:45pm.  Tomorrow 5am and then teach at noon.  Thursday is 5am and then teach at 5:45pm.  I get a 3 hour break before teaching but it's not much.  Long days.  Hopefully I can wake up to swim on Friday.
I really gotta pick up my swimming.

Saturday Loaf'er Workout

Boy am I hit or miss when it comes to swimming lately.  Just have to squeze in any time to get in the water.  I'd normally skip swimming on Saturday but with work and all I've been out of the water too much this week.  The workout via instagram
Warm Up 1x500 Loosen.  Did a 200 Swim/ 100 Pull w/o paddles / 200 Pull w/ Paddles

4x50's Kick with fins Fly/Back or Free with 15 seconds rest (200/700)

Set I -

4x100's Descend For Pace on 1:40.  I did a 22, 21, 20 and 08.  Yeah I was shocked that I really managed a 1 second descend for three 100's in a row.  It was a fluke! (400/1100)

400 Fast on 6:00.  Shit.  Forgot my pace and time.  I had about 40 seconds rest if memory serves me wll which it doesn't but let's say a 5:20 so around a 1:20 pace. (400/800/1500)

3x100's Descend From #4 on 1:40.  I did a 14, 12 and a 8.  Not great but okay. (300/1100/1800)

300 FAST on 4:30.  Shit.  I need to write these done as I do them.  Grrr...I was around a 3:40ish.  I know that but can't remember exactly.  (300/1400/2100)

Rest a bit...pee break.

Set II -

4x50's Descend on 50 (200/2200)

1x200 FAST on 3:00 (200/300/2400)

2x50's on 50 2nd one faster (100/400/2800)

1x100 FAST.  (100/500/2900)

Set two was swum with paddles.  I was in the low 2:20's for my 200.  I must have gotten my 200 split in my 300 cuz' in my head I told myself I had already done a 2:25 and needed to beat that.  As for my 100 it was a 1:06.  Not great but I was fatigued.  It's so much easier to loaf it and let fatigue determine my pace when I'm all alone.  Everyone left before me.  Don't get me wrong I worked the second set hard but I think if I had someone with me I would have pushed harder.  I really need that competitiion to come out in me.  Having someone 5 seconds behind me chomping on my feet makes me faster.

Did a 50 warm down and got out   So 2,950 yards in 50 minutes.  Yeah, I know I need to warm down more.  I tell my spinning class the importance of warming down but yet in swimming I just wanna get out.  Do as I say...
I so gotta stop thinking or worrying about my goal for Go The Distance.  It'll balance out over time.  Work will settle down then get crazy and I'll adapt my swimming to it.   I'm not that far off from past months of past years.  High 30's - low 40's is about average for me.  Just gotta not have those morning sleep in days or go after I work in the morning.  These are the few times I wish the gym had a pool.  But then I think gym pool and think YUCK, NO THANK YOU!

2,000 Yard Quick IM Workout

So so outta shape or not?  I don't know if I'm outta shape or just not challenged.  Sets that should be a bit easy are harder then they should be.  Knowing I have plenty of rest I don't think I'm pushing or challenging myself.  I got a lot to ramble on about but no time.  Gotta get to work.  The workout -

1x400 Loosen

3x100's 1:50 Kick/Drill w/ fins (300/700)

Main Set:

1x300 on 5 - Reverse IM / IM / Reverse IM oh wait I did that wrong I did IM / Reverse / IM (300)

2x200's on 3:20 Fly/Free by 25 (400/700/1400)

6x100's on 1:50 2 Rounds - Fly/Back, Back/Breast, Breast/Free by 50 (600/1300/2000)

2,000 Yard Workout.  Now it's work and teaching spinning today.