60 Minutes Of Swimming

The one good thing about Friday night practice is that it is only 60 minutes.  The bad thing about Friday night practice is that it's only 60 minutes.  It's a sprinters workout and I knew that going in but still I just didn't enjoy it.  I tired to keep positive then as time went on fatigue and a nagging headache got the best of me. 

I rarely attend the Friday night workout and heard that it is not well attended so I figured I'd swim it and get another swim out of the way for the week.  I sorta wished I had stayed home and did a lap swim tomorrow instead. 

Warm Up was a 200 Swim, 100 Kick, 100 IM Drill, then I took a pee break and swam a 150.

After that we did a series of drilling.  A few 25's, then 50's then we started from the middle of the pool and did these 50's working on turns and pushoffs doing tumbling in the middle of the lane.  That is when the headache started.

After that we did the main set:

4x25's fly on 25
3x50's free on 40
2x100's IM on 1:25
4x25's back on 25
3x50's free on 45
2x100's IM on 1:25
4x25's on 30 breaststroke....I did them backstroke.  I was already dying with the headache never mind doing my least favorite stroke
3x50's free on 45
did the first 50 on the first 100 IM, get out to pee then did the last 50 of the last 100 IM.

We broke for a moment.  Ugh!

4x25's free
3x50's on 50  one fly, one back, one back
2x100's free

And that was that.  As the workout went on the headache just drove me nuts and wearing the googles made it unbearable.  I was happy when it was over.  I stuck it out and did it and now it's over.  At least till Sunday!

Freestyle "Distance"

Another day and another swim this time I took in a "distance" free workout.  Warmed up about a 450 by pulling freestyle without paddles.  Then while the coach gave the other lanes the first set we did a 50 dps.

FUCK!  I so can't remember the workout.  We did a bunch of 600's.  Ugh.  I think this was it.  All on about a 1:15 base.

600 Swim
6x100's 50 Drill / 50 Swim
2x200's Kick
600 Swim
2x300's Pull
600 Swim
3x100's Swim on 1:20

PMA: Positive Mental Attitude In The Pool

I don't know when the first time I heard about PMA or Positive Mental Attitude but I do know I haven't heard the term in years.  Then it came to me again today.  Wikipedia defines PMA as (LINK):

Positive mental attitude

, or PMA, is a psychological term which describes a mental phenomenon in which the central idea is that one can increase achievement through optimistic thought processes. PMA implies that one has a vision of good natured change in one's mind; it employs a state of mind that continues to seek, find and execute ways to win, or find a desirable outcome, regardless of the circumstances. It rejects negativity, defeatism and hopelessness. Part of the process of achieving PMA employs motivating "self talk" and deliberate goal-directed thinking.

But why now?  Why come back from the deep recess of my mind to my main thought of the day?  Well not exactly sure but the last two swim practices have not been joyful for me.  Kicking, drilling, deep end ab work and short sprints gave me a case of bad attitude.  Last Thursday and this past Sunday swims were not up to par for me.  So I told myself tonight to snap out of it and get with the program.  I told myself that I would work the kick and drill sets and like it. 

The coach was a bit late so being the only board member at the workout I stayed on deck and got in a few minutes into warm up.  The pool's rule is that someone must remain on deck besides the lifeguard.  WhaIever.  Warmup was our normal 400 swim, 300 pull, 200 kick and 100 swim.  I did a mixed 400 swim, 100 pull and a 200 kick. 

Then we had a kick set.  Oy!

4x150's kick on 3:10 as follows by 50:
freestyle kick (no board) on stomach
freestyle kick (no board) on side
freestyle kick (no board) on back (doesn't that make it backstroke kick?)
a whole 150 breaststroke (i think just regular)
freestyle kick (no board) on stomach
freestyle kick (no board) on side
freestyle kick (no board) on back
fly kick (no board) on stomach
fly kick (no board) on side
fly kick (no board) on back

This was the most kicking I've done in a very long time.

8x50's on 50 (2 of each stroke) alternating drill / swim

I led the drill set.  Which is not a regular thing for me as I dog drill sets.

Main Set:
4x
2x75's easy on 1:5
2x125's on 3:00 (does that sound right?  all i know was i got about 20 seconds rest)
First round the 125's I did backstroke, 2nd round butterfly, 3rd round backstroke and the 4th round IM with an extra 25 free)
The 1st 125 was fast about 80% and the 2nd 125 was fast about 100%. 

When I did the fly my legs were dying.  I ran a little bit earlier in the day and well I worked a kick set.  Hell I'm no Michael Phelps.  For me it's I kick hard during kick sets or actually kick later when I need to during the swim sets.  But PMA! 

3x200 Pull breathing every 3/5/3/7 by 50 on 3:00

I did 2 of them.  I started the 3rd one but I was getting leg cramps just pushing off the walls.  Damn kicking!

I know if I kicked hard all the time eventually my legs would be able to stand it.  But damn it!  PMA, PMA.  Oy! 

Sunday Afternoon: Too Damn Hot To Swim

Oy!  Went to swim at the 3:15pm this afternoon and it was too hot to swim.  I thought I was going to toss my cookies.  I started to do open turns in hopes that would help a bit.

10 minutes warm up.  Did around a 400 goofing around.

After that we did some deep end kicking.  Oy!  The heat and the movement made me so close to tossing my cookies. 

Then we did some 25's working on push off the walls.

4x50's Stroke on 60
3x100's  Stroke on 1:50
2x150's IM on 2:40
1x200 IM on 3:30
4x50's Free on 50
3x100's  Free on 1:30
2x150's  Free on 1:40
1x200  Free

Thursday Night Swim

I was going to run tonight but decided to swim instead.  I never swim on Thursday night but since I don't have practice on Friday and will be out of town on Saturday I decided I should swim tonight.  Which means running will have to wait.

Warmed up about a 500.

Warm up set:
4x
50 broken 25 fly drill / 25 fly kick
50 broken 25 Back drill / 25 back kick
50 broken 25 breast drill / 25 breast kick

I think that was the set.  Might be a bit wrong but whatever.

Main Set:
3x
100 IM Drill
50 kick
100 pull
50 kick
200 IM

Okay I hated the set.  Drilling and kicking...UGH!  I just couldn't get myself to put any effort in the first two rounds.  The last round I worked the 200 IM but even then it wasn't that great.  This was day 4 in a row of swimming and my body just didn't want to swim IM.

50 easy

100 Easy on 1:30
200 Pull on 2:45
300 Swim on 3:45 FAST

We were to do the set twice but everyone got out after the first round.  I did the 300 blazing fast.  I felt great and could have down a 2nd round.  But after doing my 100 easy after the 300 everyone was gone.  So I said fuck it.

4x
50 easy on 55
25 sprint on 20

I did the sprints butterfly and kept hitting 15 seconds.  I just can't sprint butterfly.  200 is easy but a 25 just baffles me.

I don't leave for my trip to around noon so maybe just maybe I'll get up and do a short run.  I doubt it but hey you never know.

Distance Free Pace Workout

Ahhh Wednesday morning swimming, my favorite day of the week.  In my great plan in swimming I try to work on stroke on Tuesday night hoping that Wednesday morning I'll be able to get in a distance free workout.  Today was one of those magical Wednesday swims.  I got to do some decent distance working on my pace. 

Warm Up
300 Swim

Warm Up Set:
6x75's Kick.  Alternating Free / Stroke

Main Set:
All on a 1:15 base
800 Swim on 10:00.
3x100's on 1:30.  1 easy, then 2 pace.  I did a 1:10 on the last two 100's.
take an extra minute rest
2x400 Swim 5:00.  Had about 10 seconds rest.
2x200's Pull on 3:15
take an extra minute rest
Broken 1000 as follows 4x250's on 3:20.  I picked up my pace on each one.  I made sure to negative split each 250 with the last one coming in under 3 minutes.

I think that was it.  Oy!  I just swam it and can't remember it all.  Too much math in my head keeping track of pace and splits.  After every 100 I pushed off with a descent streamline than looked up at the clock to see my time. 

As time went on I got a bit tired and sore.  Between the 1,000 of butterfly last night and weight training my body was beginning to feel some pain.  But I won't be swimming Friday or Saturday and most likely not tomorrow either.  During my last 250 I kept telling myself to keep going as this was my last swim for a few more days.  I kept lapping my lane mates and to make the intervals they cut short the distances they swam.  Which I really don't care except that when it got to the 2x200's pull I was taking them really easy and the person behind me was on my feet.  Sorta frustrating.  Sorta fun that I came close to lapping him in the very last 250 at the end. 

Tuesday Night Swim: 1,000 SCY Butterfly

Another month means a new category, Swim Training 2008: July. 

Tonights workout started easy enough with a mixed bag warmup.  I say mixed bag in that it with most warmups everyone jumps in a different points and end up doing various things.  Someone is kicking, while someone is pulling while that other guy is doing fly.  Which makes for lots of fun!  I started doing the warmup given with a 200 swim followed by a 100 IM drill.  But then as the lane fell into chaos I went on to a 100 kick followed by around a 200 pull.  So chaos might not be the right word, maybe free for all.

Warm Up Set:
4x
50 drill
50 swim
75 swim (broken as follows 50 build / take 5 secs rest / 25 fast)
125 swim (broken as follows 100 build / take 3 secs rest / 25 fast)
Round 1 and 3 Free / Round 2 and 4 Choice.  I did backstroke.

Kick Set:
Goofed off and took a pee break.  I kicked but don't ask me what we were doing.  I just worked on my butterfly kick streamline off the wall then flipped on my back to the wall.

Main Set:
4x100's on 1:35
50 easy free on 50
3x100's on 1:35
2x50's easy free on 50
2x100's on 1:35
3x50's easy free on 50
1x100

So basically 10x100's.  I did them all butterfly.  Oy!  When I first heard the set I missed hearing the first round of 4 when I volunteered to do them fly.  It didn't take long for me to regret my choice.  Although at the end the last few 100's were stronger than the first few.  As people got out and the water became less choppy it just seemed easier. 

Finishing up with 3x200 pulling on 2:45.  This is when I felt the pain.  The fly, the weight training from today all boiled up and my arms and chest felt it.  Tomorrow I'll be feeling it even more.  Good workout.  I'd prefer more rest on that main set but I made it.