That's Enough For Today

This morning I went swimming on my own to the Culver City Lap Swim so I could swim in a LCM pool.  Before swimming I had to bring my my partner to the airport then find an atm to get cash to pay for the lap swim.  So after all that I only had about 50 minutes to swim.  I was going to skip it and just go to the short course yards workout tonight but then I decided I needed the long course swim.

They had two fast lanes so I looked for the one that looked faster and got in.  I started off swimming a 400 then pulling a 300 with paddles and 100 without.  After that I did a mixed 400 swim some free some stroke.  I did a 200 fly broken by 50 drill / 50 kick / 50 drill / 50 swim. I then did a 100 backstroke followed by by 4x100's IM on 1:45.  Then I did 4x50's fly on 60 and then a 100 easy. 

I think that was it.  I lost track of what I was doing.  Actually doing a set in a lap swim is pretty much a pain in the ass.  So at first I was just swimming to swim.  Figure it's a swim and it's a taper week so that was enough.

Monday, Oh Monday

Monday.  I like the Monday morning workout as the turn out is pretty lite therefore the workouts are pretty easy.  Which is perfect a few days before a swim meet.  Take it easy, work on some pacing and that is about it.  It's too late for any major changes in the stroke itself of any technique.  It's just getting the body use to working on a pace.  With that said I got special attention and my own set this morning by the coach.  Another way to look at Monday's workout compared to Sunday's is this, after a tough Sunday afternoon workout you know the weekend is officially over while Monday being easier allows you to ease into the new week.

Warned up a mixed 400 with some butterfly and fly drill.  After that we had a warm up set 4x75 kick / 50 drill / 50 swim.  One round of each stroke with 5 seconds rest in between each round.

After that the rest of the swimmers did a 400 IM broken kick 50 / drill 25 / swim 25.  While I did 4x100's pace on 1:15.  I did them on 1:09.

For the next part two other people joined me for a 400 pace.  The first 3 100's I did them all on 1:07.  The last one was on about a 1:05.  After the 400 yards my legs were like jelly.  I was kicking off the wall and after a few turns it was starting to get to me.  The last 100 I gave up on long underwater streamlines. 

Then after a 50 and a quick pee break all the lanes started the next set.

3x
200 Free on 3:00 (I pulled these to give the legs a rest)
3x75's on 1:15 stroke/free/stroke (round one fly, round two back, round three breast)
125 IM on 2:30 (first round an extra 25 fly, second round an extra 25 backstroke and then we ran out of time so we never got to the extra 25 breast. we stopped after the 3x75's with the breaststroke)

I then warmed down a 200 nice and easy.  The workout was pretty laid back and easy.  I am liking Monday's as more people are swimming both weekend morning workouts and taking Monday as a recovery day.  This allows me to have easier intervals.  Which then allows me to work on what I want.  When I was swimming butterfly I really felt strong and good. I feel like the 200 LCM butterfly will be a snap.  The 1500 freestyle on Friday should be another good swim.  Everything else is just filler.  Well unless I swim on Sunday and do the 800 freestyle but that is up in the air. 

One thing that has turned up to be an issue of late is my left ankle.  During IGLA on my third day of swimming during the 200 I felt some pain.  Actually leading up to IGLA during a few swims I was feeling the pain.  Didn't really know what it was.  After my 200 Fly my ankle was purple and a bit swollen.  After IGLA I felt some very slight pain in my ankle when I ran to the gym.  Thursday when I was running the 5 miles I felt that slight pain again.  Since then swimming fly has made me realize that something is up.  I'm blaming the sneakers.  I'm beginning to think I'm not getting enough ankle support.  I'm flat foot and tend to pronate inwards.  I'm thinking that my sneakers aren't supportive enough putting undo pressure as my ankle turns inward due to over pronating.  Just my guess.  I'm not going to run before the weekend so after a week of staying off the ankle I will see if that works.  After this weekend I might have to consider buying new sneakers yet again.

Sunday Afternoon Swim

Ahhh...summer.  The perfect day for a swim.  Or well at least you would think so.  The last two weeks have been perfect yet at the Sunday afternoon practice almost no one has been showing up.  Which I'm so glad for having only one other person in my lane.  The water was warm today not hot but the kind of water one likes to lounge around in not swim fast laps.  Then with the sun on top of it all it does make it less than ideal for swimming.  That is why turnout has dropped the last two weeks.  Well at least that is my best guess.  

Warmup was over pretty quick as I was taking my time.  I swam about a 300.  After that we had our warm up set.

50 Kick

100 Kick

150 Kick

200 Kick

50 Drill

100 Drill

150 Drill

200 Drill

50 Swim

100 Swim

150 Swim

200 Swim

I missed a 100 kick to take a pee break.  The rest of the warm up I did a mixture of backstroke and butterfly.

Main Set:

4x100's Free on 1:15

200 Stroke on 3:00 (did this backstroke)

3x100's Free on 1:15

2x150's Stroke on ?? an interval i don't remember (did this backstroke)

2x100's Free on 1:20

3x100's Stroke on 1:25 (I did these IM)

1x100 Free on 1:20

4x75's Stroke on 1:15.  I did 3 of them backstroke and one fly.

Then we warmed down.  For the main set only 2 of us made the whole thing.  I think the intervals should have been more generous.  They could have been as the other fast lane got a break but our lane kept going.  Ugh!  I think if the intervals were a bit easier I would have done more fly which I really wanted to do today.  I guess I'll just have to do more fly tomorrow morning.

SCY Friday Swim

This morning I woke up with good intentions thinking maybe I'll swim on my own but as I gathered my stuff I decided I wasn't motivated to swim LCM on my own.  So instead I hit the morning workout and did a SCY swim instead.  Which is just as good if not better.  Swimming with a coach and a lane mate kept me honest.

Warmed up a 450 mostly pull.

Warm Up Set:
4x75's on 1:15
4x50's on 50
4x25's on 20

Main Set:
100 Swim on 1:20
4x50's Kick on 55
25 fly on 25
3x100's Swim Free on 1:15
50 fly on 50
2x100's Swim Free on 1:15
75 Fly on 1:15
1x100 Swim Free on 1:10
1x100 Swim Free on 1:20
3x50' Kick on 55
25 back on 25
3x100's Swim Free on 1:15
50 Back on 50
2x100's Swim Free on 1:15
75 Back on 1:15
1x100 Free on 1:10
1x100 Free on 1:20
2x50's kick on 55
1x25 Breast
3x100's Free on 1:15
1x50 Breast
2x100's Free on 1:15
1x75 Breast
1x100 Free on 1:10

The first round with the fly I screwed the intervals a bit.  I went to early on the kick and just messed up in general.  Overall it was a good workout at the end I was tired and sore.  Now it's the weekend and I can rest some.

7:15 Swimming

Ever since I got my iPhone version 1.0 I started to use it as an alarm clock as I can only plug so many things into the wall socket near my night stand.  My iPhone charges up while I sleep and usually I check email and surf the web before falling asleep.  Of late though I wake up different times of different days so instead of changing the alarm time I've created various alarms to go off on specified days and times.  Well last night when I was half asleep I turned on the Tuesday and Thursday alarm instead of my M/W/F alarm so I ended up missing the 6am workout.  Well I woke up at 5:55am so in theory I could of made it to the pool by 6:10 and be able to swim but why rush it.  So I got up, read the paper and biked to the 7:15 workout.  The only difference between the workouts is that the 7:15 is a bit more crowded. 

Warmed up about a 300.  Then we did a 100 distance per (DPS)  the coach gave the other lanes a workout.  From that we did 2x400's the first one 25 swim / 75 kick and the second one 50 swim / 50 kick. 

Main Set:
400 Pull DPS on 5:20 (i think that was it)
4x200's rotating a 100 fast.  1st one the 1st 100 fast.  2nd one the middle 100 fast.  3rd one the 2nd 100 fast.  4th one race strategy.  (forgot the interval as I think we went faster than what the coach gave us)
400 Pull on 5:20 (once again I think)  1st 200 breath control breathing every 3/5/any/7 by 50 and 2nd 200 DPS
8x100's on 1:20 descend 1-4 and 5-8

100 easy

16x25's.  4 free / 4 fly / 4 back / 4 breast.  (free on 20 and stroke on 25)

And that was it.  I was a bit stiff and sore from yesterday.  It's odd that flipping my routine by doing swimming than weights seemed to fatigue me more than my weights in the morning and swimming at night.  Must have been the long course workout.  Although between swimming long course yesterday and short course today I think I'm liking the long course.  Which is odd since I've always hated long course.  Guess I just like it because it's different.

Oy! Swimming Long Course

With Regionals LCM only about a week away I decided I needed to swim a few long course workouts.  So instead of running to the gym for weights this morning I jumped on my bike and rode the 4 miles to the Culver City Plunge.  The Culver City Plunge has a lap swim from 6am - 8:30 that is LCM.  So I paid my $3 and got in the pool right at 6am.  I warmed up a mixed 600.  One of my coaches was nice enough to give me a long course workout. 

The only thing about swimming in long course is that I don't swim it enough to get a feeling for it.  I did do one lap swim a few months ago but the pool was crowded and I got out after 40 minutes of just doing laps.  This was my first long course workout in about two years.  I'd have to double check and I might have done one workout a year ago but seriously I was doing at least long course regularly during my training for the Gay Games two years ago.  Needless to say I got fatigued and tired so I did about 75% of the workout the coach gave me.  Okay maybe 60%.  But I made the key intervals!

Warmed up 2x200's mixed.  It was 4x200's broken drilling, kicking and swimming.  I just did two because I wanted to get to the main set. 

Main Set:
500 on 7:15.  Made it with plenty of rest.
300 on 4:30.  Once again made it.
700 on 10:30.  Made it even though I did have to swim around slower swimmers.
200 on 2:50.  Also made this.
Took a quick pee break.  Then talked to the other swimmers in my lane than warmed down a 200.  The workout still had another 1800 left in it.  I could have done it but it was already about 70 minutes into the workout.  Enough is enough.

I plan on swimming two more long course workouts before regionals.  I'll hit the pool again this Thursday and next Tuesday.  Tomorrow I'm going back to the short course pool for the 6am distance freestyle workout.  I'll just move around my recovery days to make sure I'm getting this long course workouts in. Also normally during this time I go to the gym and do weights.  That will happen later today.  Need to let the body recover a bit.

Monday Morning Swim

This morning the alarm on my iPhone when off on time at 5am.  After hitting snooze twice I really wanted to stay in bed as I had a rough sleep last night.  First I had a hard time falling asleep then I tossed and turned all night.  For some reason Sunday has always been a tough night for sleeping for me.  Luckily some guy was yelling to his girlfriend around 5:10 so that drove me out of bed.  First I heard her walk down the alley between out building and the building next door then I head her use the sliding door.  Then I heard the guy yelling "Ursula" over and over. 

I biked to swim nice and slow.  Once at practice it took me a bit to actually start swimming.  It was pretty chilly this morning!  I warmed up about a 300. 

Warm Up Set:
2x
100 Free Kick
50 Free Drill
50 Free Swim

450 Pull.  First 200 breathing every 3/5/any/7 by 50 then the rest just DPS (distance per stroke)

Main Free Set:
3x225's Free on 3:00
3x125's Free on 2:00
3x75's Free on 1:15

Stroke Warm Up:
300 IM 25 kick / 25 dril / 25 swim

Main Stroke Set:
3x125's did these backstroke
3x75's on 1:15 I did these fly

Then I warmed down a 150.  Oy!  I was a bit sore and tired from yesterday.  At least I have today to recover.

And Then The Swim

After weight training and spin class this morning it was time to go swimming.  Warmed up around a 300 mixed free and backstroke. 

Then we did a warm up set:
150 Free on 2:15
100 Drill on 1:30 Free
3x50's Kick on 60 Free
150 Choice on 2:15 did backstroke
100 Drill on 1:30 did backstroke
3x50's Kick on 60 did backstroke
took a quick pee break and did a 50 fly
100 Drill fly
3x50's Kick on 60 did them butterfly

Main Set:
400 Free Pull on 5:10
4x100's Choice on 1:30.  4th one fast.  Did them all backstroke
300 Free Pull (we messed up the interval but it was a 1:15 base)
3x100's Choice on 1:30.  3rd one fast.  Did them all backstroke.
200 Free Pul (we messed up the interval but it was suppose to be on 2:30)
2x100's Choice on 1:30.  2nd one fast.  Did them both butterfly.
100 Free Pull on 1:15
1x100 FAST.  Did this one butterfly.

Final Set:
75 on 1:15 50 fly / 25 back
25 Sprint on 30.  Did this fly
75 on 1:15 50 back / 25 breast
25 Sprint on 30.  Did this back.
75 on 1:15.  well i did it 50 back / 25 free
25 Sprint on 30.  Did this fly
75 on 1:15 50 Free / 25 fly
25 Sprint.  Did this fly.

And that is it.  Now it's time to watch movies on the couch.

Some Nights It's Not Worth It.

Some nights and some mornings I get to practice and I just want to get out and go home during the warm up.  Tonight was one of those nights as the lanes were very crowded.  Warm up is a bitch when you have 6 people doing 6 different things.  I spend most of my time on the wall just trying to breath and not let this get to me.  I pretty much goofed off most of the workout to the last 25 minutes as people started to get out.  So may warm up was just me swimming laps mixing freestyle and backstroke.  Didn't count at all just swam.

After about 15 minutes of a warm up we had a warm up set of 8x75's.  The first four were 50 drill and 25 swim and the second four were 25 drill and 50 swim.  I mixed some strokes even doing one breaststroke. 

Main Set:
4x150's Free on 2:00
rest 30 seconds
4x150's IM (forgot interval)
rest 30 seconds
4x150's Stroke (forgot interval) did one fly and the rest backstroke.  It wasn't till the 3rd 150 backstroke that I started to feel okay about swimming.

50 easy

2x300's Pull breathing 3/5/3/7/3/5.  Damn, why didn't we do this earlier, oh cuz' the lanes were too crowded.  I love 300's so this was my favorite part of the workout.

2x25's and that was it.  It's so difficult swimming in a 25 yard pool with 5 or more people in it.  That is why the workout was short distance.  I will admit that I have issues when we get to 5 people in the lane.  I have to either lead or go last.  Beign 3rd or 4th just drives me crazy.  I feel like when I'm entering the wall at the turn it's so crowded and wavy.  It's just too much for me.  So I went last for the majority of the workout and just slacked it.  At least this morning I hit the gym and did weights.  So I'm not that much of a slacker.

Bastille Day Swim

For some reason the city of West Hollywood had a Bastille Day Festival at the park leaving the area around the pool a huge mess of traffic.  Which for those who drive to practice led to frustration over lack of parking and giving up.  That meant a nice Sunday afternoon workout with only 3 - 4 people per lane.  Wahoo!  I love th fact that I am biking to practice.  No more stressing about parking! 

Being July in Los Angeles it's warm but not that bad yet.  The pool seems refreshing for about the first 50 but after that it's clear that the water needs to be cooler.  Although it wasn't as bad as last week. 

Warmed up about a 500.

Warm Up Set:
150 Drill 1:40
200 Kick 2:50
150 Drill  1:40
200 Kick 2:50
6x75's Swim on 1:15

I was tired and ready to go home after the warm up.  Not a good sign.  My swimming has been very hit or miss of late.  Don't know if it's mind over matter or if it's something else. 

Main Set:
100 Free on 1:20 then 100 Free Fast no interval just go on the next top of the clock (i.e. 60)
2x150's Stroke, forgot interval, then 100 Fast (I did the 100 IM) no interval just go on the next top of the clock (i.e. 60)
3x100's IM on 1:30 then 1x100 no interval just go on the next top of the clock (i.e. 60
4x150's Free (forgot interval) than 1x100 Fast.

Next Set:
Pull
200
150
100
50
On a 1:20 base for each sprinting the last 50.  I used paddles but took them off for the 50 sprint.

6x25's.  1,3,5 underwater, 2 butterfly swim, 4 backstroke swim, 6 breaststroke swim all on 30.

The workout wasn't bad but I just didn't feel it.  When we were doing the 4x150's free it took me to about the 3rd one to get into my freestyle mode.  I will admit by the time we did the pull set of 200/150/100/50 is when I felt good about my swimming.