Is It Just Me Or Is It You? Thursday Night Swim

So after hitting the gym this morning it was time to hit the water and swim the 7pm workout.  As we are all getting in doing our 10 minutes of warm up which tonight was in theory to be a 700 I kept a watchful eye of who was getting in which lane.  It seems some of the fast swimmers haven't been showing up to the 7pm workouts while the medium lanes are fast becoming over crowded this week.  So while I'm warming up I am sizing up the lanes to see who I can get to move over to my lane.  As I swam my 500 warm up during this period I had my own lane.  Albeit it was the wall lane that no one wants but still.  Right now in the WeHo pool some of the lane lines are broken so bad that the empty space is becoming more and more of the lane line.  The worst one happens to be by the far wall making swimming in the lane like swimming in open water.

By the time we all stop for the coach to give us the main set I'm still by myself and the lane next to me as Swimmer A and Swimmer B in it (I won't use names.)  I look over and see Swimmer C and D in the Medium lanes and ask one of them to move over.  Swimmer C moved to my lane evening the two fast lanes to two swimmers per lane.  Now I did this because I can't stand Swimmer B.  I've swam with him maybe two times so far and both times just wanted to kill him.  At times I think it is me but really this is the type of guy who rode on the short bus to school.  But he's Canadian so that might have something to do with it. 

We start with a kick set:
75 Kick
50 Kick
2x25's Kick
75 Kick
2x50's Kick
25 Kick
2x75's Kick
50 Kick
25 Kick
Since I'm with Swimmer C we added a few seconds to the given intervals every so often.  The 25's interval given was 25 and we did them on 30.  Actually the last round of 2x75's/50 and 30 we did them on a 30 base.  So 1:30, 1:00 and 30.  (600/1100)

IM Warm Up Set:
300 IM on 4:00 (50 Drill / 25 Swim)
200 IM on 3:00 (25 Drill / 25 Swim)
100 IM Swim
(600/1700)

Then we get our main stroke set which was the end of my happy swim.  First of all if on Tuesday we did the BEST Set Ever in the History of Swimming tonight's set was the WORST Set Ever in the History of Swimming.  It's classic confuse me in the pool type of set with different intervals and different things all going on at once.

Here it is:
25 Stroke on 45
25 Stroke on 40
25 Stroke on 35
25 Stroke on 30 (mind you these intervals might be wrong)
50 Stroke on 1:00
50 Stroke on 55
50 Stroke on 50 (i think i messed up all these intervals so bad me)
75 Stroke on something
75 Stroke on something minus so many other seconds)
100 Stroke on...oh who cares.
Then we had to repeat this set.  I did the first round butterfly and the second round backstroke.  I was a bit confused as I kept looking at the wrong column on the board for the intervals.  We need a bigger board.  During this set Swimmer B, C and I moved to the non-wall lane while Swimmer A had the wall lane to himself on the faster interval.  The second round I kept on the interval getting a bit too much rest.  The first round who knows what I was really doing.  (1000/2800)

For that set basically we did the Medium lane intervals.  And this is why I don't understand or can stand swimmer B.  He had a hard time with these intervals.  Umm...these are the Medium lane intervals.  If we had done the fast lane intervals he would do what he does when he swims in the fast lane.  Swim freestyle and sit lots of it out for the stroke sets.  I think he does hold his own in freestyle if we are doing the slower fast lane intervals.  Why do people want to swim in the fast lane so bad for?  If you can't make the interval why bother.  Hell, I am always asking to swim in the Medium lane but the coaches won't let me. 

400 Pulling.  First 200 Breathing by 50 every 3/5/3/7 and the 3rd and 4th 100 descend within each 100.  (400/3200)

Free Set:
4x50's on 40
3x100's on 1:20
2x150's on 2:00
1x200
I started to lead but after the first 25 I cramped up.  So I just rested about 20 seconds and was on my way.  After the 4th 50's Swimmer B had no idea what was next so he stopped.  I told him and explained I had a leg cramp that he should leave in case it comes back.  I left 20 seconds after him.  After the 3rd 100 Swimmer B once again had no idea what was next so he stopped.  I left 20 seconds after him.  After the...do I need to even say it.  Damn...even after the 150 of the 200 he stopped.  I was spitting nails.  I was being a bit prissy and it was very clear I was getting pissed off.  Part of it was the fact that I was going 20 seconds behind him but narrowing it down to 5 seconds in the 100's.  Really, Swimmer B are you really in the right lane?  (1000/3300)

After that I only did a 50.  I was cramping and my frustration level was at a boiling point.  I thought it was best that I get out of the pool.  I've said it before to the coach and others that I can't swim with Swimmer B and I just really need to be proactive about it at the beginning of practice.  Even if it hurts his feelings he so shouldn't be in my lane.  Some may say that I should have sucked it out and swam with Swimmer A with faster intervals but no I shouldn't have to suffer due to a Medium Lane swimmer having some Macho Bullshit Complex wanting to swim in the Fast Lane. 

Now that I've vented I feel better.  At least till next time. 

Total yardage tonight 3350 making my 2009 total yardage of 19,600.  I plan on swimming the 1 hour 7pm workout tomorrow.  My arms are still sore from weight training.  Figure an hour of sprint work is better than an hour of kick ass Friday morning swimming.

Comments

[the17thman]

I was waiting for your comments! I don't blame all of Canada for one bad swimmer. The Canadian remark was stuck in my head as the first time I swam with the bloke I complained to the coach on deck whose response was "He's from Canada visiting". No offense to all of Canada.

[Wendy]

Hey ... it's about that Canadian remark! ;-)