Putting On The Pressure!

I gotta admit the stakes are high.  I've really put a lot of internal pressure on me for tomorrow.  First of all I know it's for fun.  That is what Master's Swimming is all about.  But, and it's a big but I want to be faster.  At least faster then last year.  And with that I did enter my times that I swam last year.  So before we get to this  morning's taper let's look at my times.

The 1,000 SCY Freestyle.  I've only swum it twice with once at UCLA in 2010 and then last year at this meet in Clearwater.  At UCLA I swam a 11:16.70 in a tech suit.  At Clearwater in a regular old Splish suit I did it in 11:43.34.  I want to be closer to a 11:30 but will be happy with just faster then last year. 

The 200 SCY Backstroke.  Once again I've only swum it twice with once as USMS Nat's in 2009 in a tech suit at my peak in swimming with a 2:09.04.  Then last year once again at Clearwater in a regular old suit and not even close to my peak with a 2:16.62.  I just want lower then a 2:16.

The 200 SCY Butterfly.  Now I've swum that even four times and have gotten slower every single time I swam it.  In Nat's in 07 I did a 2:12.  Then two years later another 2:12 at Nat's.  Those were my peak years after that it went downhill.  My exact times -
2:12.27     
2:12.95       
2:16.62
2:17.65
As with my backstroke I just want to below a 2:16.

For the 400 IM I just want to finish and not be DQ'ed.  That is if I even swim it.  I'm looking at the timeline and I got about 30 minutes between the 200 fly and 400 IM. OY! 

I'm putting extra pressure on myself on this meet for several reasons.  Some of which is how I've been mixing up my dryland routines this past year.  My body is defiantly showing better muscle definition and I do weight more then I have in years but not in fat.  In 2009 and 2010 I was training for 1/2 and full marathons while this past year not so much.  So will the emphasis on weight training make a difference in my swimming?  I'm betting yes but which way I don't know.  Also my swim training is not what it use to.  Yeah, I'm doing the yardage but not swimming at the faster intervals and pacing.  That can't be good.  But I've cleaned up my strokes.    Now how will all this play together?  I will be honest and don't have one single change in my training but several variables in play.  So this weekend will be interesting but not an end all chapter.  Just a way to check in and see what I need to work on for 2013 and more importantly 2014 Gay Games!

This mornings taper swim…
200 Swim
200 Pull
200 Kick
200 Swim - 25 Stroke / 25 Free IM  (800)

5x50's IM Switches fly/back. back/breast, breast/free, free/breast, breast/back (250/1050)

6x50's on 1:05 Easy/Fast.  Did the easy 25's free and cycled stroke butter/back/breast into the fast.  (300/1350)

8x25's.  IM Order.  No interval.  It was feedback time from the coach.  Offering advice and stroke technique critique.  (200/1550)

Swam a 100 easy to warmdown.  (100/1650)

Now I was debating on shaving or not shaving for this meet.  I mean this is the one and only meet for me in SCY Season.  Gonna skip a meet closer by next month.  I don't like that pool and it's outside with trailers for locker rooms.  So while I was swimming today I kept looking at the hair on my arms and legs just floating causing so much drag.  So I started to shave.  I was doing it at the pool when everyone left but being a bit modest (ha!) I stopped.  That and it takes forrrrrrrrrevvvvvvveeeeeer!  I hate shaving.  Gotta finish up later today.  So I'm rested, shaved and ready to go.  Hopefully now I don't over sleep!

A few more things to add pressure on in my life.  At the end of the month I have my 2-Day Group Ride Training.  That's the week before the local meet that I'm not going to.  After the weekend training I have a month to videotape me teaching and send it in for my certification.  That's gonna be nerveracking.  Yeah, I've teached spinning a few times as a sub but this is the real thing now.  Also I'm doing my NASM CPT (Certified Personal Training) over the next 180 days.  Just so much on my plate.  Wonder if this old dog can learn new tricks?