Wednesday Morning Workout - Candy and Iron Edition

Grr...June Gloom and your bloody rain showers. While the rest of the country melts in acrecord breaking heat wave here in LA we are having a bit of a cold snap.  The good news about that is that I've been sleeping with the windows closed and sleeping the whole night.  The homeless man in the alley, drunkards arriving home post clubs and the various sounds of the city were vanquished into the night.  My alarm went off right on time and I hit snooze once but then rolled out of bed before the second snooze alert.  I got on the bike and cycled in the drizzle.  I will admit I was running a bit late due to Cafe World on Facebook.  Damn those games!  But the water pH level was still being played with in the morning so we couldn't get in the water right away.

The workout was a stroke workout and I got to lead the fast lane.  I got in the faster fast lane just to push myself today.  Figured I'd go last but that didn't happen.  Will admit my shoulders were still feeling sore from yesterday's weight training.

Warmed Up a 350.

We did a bunch of short warm up sets.  Don't think if I can remember them all.

We did 3 minutes of ab work in the deep end.  20 seconds side to side and 20 seconds back to front.

2x200's 25 Pull / 25 kick using pull buoy as a kickboard.  (I took a pee break so I missed a 100) (300/650)

Hmm...we did something  free/back then again later fly/breast.  

I know we did 6x50's of something.  (300/950)

I think they fly/breast was 2x200's 25 fly drill / 25 fly swim / 25 breast drill / 25 breast swim and repeat.  Or was it 1x200?  Meh...I can't remember which it was or the other parts so let's say 2x200's.  (400/1350)

Main Set:

6x50's Choice Stroke 50 / Free 45 (I did backstroke) (300)

2x75's on 1:05 Stroke (I did backstroke) (150/450)

100 Stroke on 1:40 (I think) (I did backstroke) (100/550)

6x50's Choice Stroke 50 / Free 45 (I did backstroke) (300/850)

2x75's on 1:05 Stroke (I did backstroke) (150/1000)

200 Stroke no interval (I did backstroke) I came in on 2:33.  I was shooting for under 2:30 but at lap 5 was feeling tired so slowed up then went fast on lap 6 then easier on 7 and faster on 8.  Should have planned it out in my head before I started swimming. (200/1200)

then a 50 easy before doing a broken 200 stroke fast.  Resting after each 50 for 10 seconds.  I finished my 200 fly on 2:54 so minus 30 seconds rest was 2:24.  Not too bad actually.  Pretty shocked about it.  Thought I was going slower with my turns.  (200/1400/2750)

I know we did more then 2,750 yards but that is all I remember.  I felt good if a bit stiff from weight training.  Overall it was a good workout.

Six years ago this morning I woke up at 5am and started an epic journey.  Well not so epic but after 17 years of not swimming I joined my current masters team.  Now when I was a kid in age group I wasn't that fast of a swimmer.  In fact I really didn't like swimming much at all.  But my sister was a pretty good swimmer so my parents dumped me off at swim practice with her.  I shouldn't say dumped because they were trying to instill hard work and competition in me.  As a kid I tried a few sports and a musical instrument but grew board and quit.  My parents weren't about to let that happen again so swimming was what I'd do.  Mind you I sucked at swimming.  In age group swimming Saturdays were the time trails and Sundays were the finals and let's just say I never had to ever swim on a Sunday.  Wahoo!  Then in high school when I was old enough to make up my mind I quit swimming.  Felt so good to lay down the kick board and pick up a pack of Marlboro Lights.

15 years of pack a day smoking went by so fast and I quit smoking in August of 2002.  It would take another year and a half before I would start to workout.  Luckily at the time I was dating a pretty active person who got me to start running.  Mind you a mile of running at the time was tough.  Then around March of 2004 I joined a gym on my own and started to workout (it was an Easter Sunday).  My first few adventures at the gym were comedic at best and sad at the very worse.  I forget the order of events but I attempted a spin class and after about 20 minutes pretty much gave up.  But no one told me that it helps to stop the pedals before you remove your foot from the harness on the bike.  I still have a  scar from when the pedal hit my leg on it's return.  After the class I puked my guts out.  The first few times at the gym I puked my guts out.  Even after just 20 minutes on the elliptical machine I puked my guts out.  So I decided I'd hit the pool.  I knew how to swim so how hard could it be?  Right?  Well after my first workout of swimming 20 laps I puked my guts out.  

After two months of swimming laps I slowly remembered how to swim and was able to swim more laps each time.  I decided swimming on my own was okay but I needed coached swimming.  I remembered as a kid waiting for the "old" swimmers to get out of the pool for our age group swimmers.  I don't exactly remember how I knew to look up masters swimming but I did.  And then I found West Hollywood Aquatics.  I looked at the website and read every past newsletter available online.  I felt comfortable enough that I could swim on a team.  So I printed up all the information and waited for the first of the month to join.  With the 4th of July holiday I started to swim on Wednesday the 7th.  That was 6 years ago today. 

I will admit at first I gave myself a month to try it out.  After the month went by I gave myself to the end of the year.  That all seems just like yesterday.  I don't know how much longer I will be swimming but I'm glad for these past 6 years.  It's been fun and I've met a bunch of great swimmers and coaches.  One thing this goes to show is that you are never too old to start exercising and getting back into shape.

Oh and one more thing the tradition 6 year anniversary gifts are candy and iron.  I prefer Nerds and Dark Milky Ways.  Thanks!