I'm Swimming In The Rain...

This morning after waking up I could hear the pitter patter of rain but since I was already dressed to go swimming I decided to head out.  By the time I left the rain had stopped.  It was just a shower.   Once at the pool I really felt like crawling back to bed.  Once in the pool it just got worse.  But I rallied during the workout and finished it strong.

Warmed up a very slow 250.

Warm Up Set:
4x100's Kick on 1:40
4x50's Drill
4x100's Swim on 1:25.  25 rotating IM stroke / 75 Free

Main Set:
1x200 on 2:30
6x10's 1:15/1:15/1:10 repeat
1x200 on 3:00 (was suppose to be 2:30 but waited for lane mate to catch up)
1x100 IM on 1:30
12x50's on 50 fly/back, back/breast, breast/free
1x100 IM on 1:30

regroup and awaited further instructions

1x200 on 2:30
3x100's on 1:15
1x200 on 2:45 (was suppose to be 2:30 but waited for lane mate to catch up and I wanted to square up the clock)
1x100 IM on 1:30
6x50's on 50 descend 1-3 & 4-6 (I did them all backstroke)
1x100 IM on 1:30

warmdown

I swam with one other swimmer who is about my speed.  Maybe a bit faster in shorter distances.  I let him go first and went 10 seconds behind him but he lost steam during the first round and buy the 5th of 6x100's I had passed him.  I kept going on my intervals and he just followed me for the rest of the workout.  By the 2nd round of the main set I was hurting.  I pulled the first 200 and swam the rest.  I'm glad I stayed in and finished it up.  My legs were jelly but I finished it.

Happy Halloween

Tuesday 4000 LCM Swimming

The Tuesday morning swims at the Culver City Plunge are really enjoyable.  Mainly because it's a Long Course Meter pool and I just swim along not worrying about someone on my feet or doing flip turns.  I just cruise along picking up speed working on my pull. 

Warmed Up
400 Swim
300 Pull
200 Kick

Warm Up Set:
3x100's Free on 1:30/1:30/1:25
2x200's Free on 3:15

Main Set:
300 on 4:15
50 easy on 2 mins
2x300's on 4:20
50 easy on 2 mins
3x300's on 4:10

100 kick
200 warm down

The first 300 on the main set I didn't go out as fast as I should have and had about 7 seconds rest.  The rest of the 300's I was coming in just under 4 minutes.  I should have went out faster in the last one but I took the first 50 out to easy.  Overall it was a good pace workout.  Afterwards in the locker room another swimmer came up to me and asked if I was the guy in red trunks.  When I responded yes he said that I was fast.  It's nice to hear that even though I wasn't feeling that fast today. 

Monday Morning Blahs

Image by ZaCky ॐ via FlickrI had a good night sleep last night so I figured this morning I'd be up and ready for another week of workouts.  But that reality was shattered as soon as my alarm went off at 5am.  After a brisk bike ride to the pool I thought I had mustered enough energy for a good morning workout.  The two days of no swimming really seemed to weigh me down making my body try to remember how to swim. 

I warmed up a 250 before the coach held us up.  Then we did 2x25's drill which were one arm and then swordfish drill.  One arm drill is when you pull with one arm with the other arm by your side breathing to your non-pulling side.  Swordfish drill is when you are on your side but your face is looking down in the water while you kick 12 beats before pulling and switching sides.

500 broken 50 drill / 50 swim.  Drills:  swordfish, one arm, finger tip drag, catch up and fist.

Main Free Set:

2x
300 Pull on 4:15
3x150's on 2:15
the first round the 300 pull was distance per stroke.  counting your strokes going to the deep end then trying to remove 2 strokes on the way back.  The 150's were pace.
the second round the 300 pull was race strategy.  The 150's were descending,

Then we did a 25 to the deep end.

Deep end kicking with 6x50's.  Starting at the flags in the deep end we did deep end kicking or vertical kicking with 6x50 kick on a minute.  So you'd be doing your vertical kicking then on the top you'd switch to swimming do a 50 with the 2nd flip turn back to being under the flags.  This was really a killer set.

Then a 25 to the shallow end.

6x25's  Odds free fast on 50 / Evens choice fast on 30 (i did these butterfly)

I then did a 150 warm down.

It took most of the workout for me to get myself going.  My body was tight and just didn't have any speed.  The 150's pace were all over the place as I just couldn't get into any pattern.  I'm sure that tomorrows swim will be a lot better.  My body just needed to remember how to swim after 2 days off. 

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Oversleeping And Biking As Fast As I Can

Image via WikipediaMy alarm went off at 5am on my iPhone but being in a deep sleep I can only remember it vaguely before hearing a noise outside my window forcing me to realize I had over slept.  I looked at the iPhone and realized it was 5:48 and swim starts at 6:00.  I scrambled to get my suit and clothes on while trying to get a quick energy boost.  I figured that I really have to 6:10 or I'd be really late.  I biked as fast as I could ignoring a few traffic laws to make it.  I was able to get in the pool and swim 100 before the 6:10 deadline. 

Once in the water I realized that after my stumble during my run last night my ankle was a bit sore.  During the kick set I really noticed a bit of pain.  Luckily I overslept cuz' if I had woke up and felt pain I would have skipped swimming.  But since I was in a panic to make swim I didn't really think about it.

Warm Up Set:
2x200's Kick
some drilling
and some more swimming
2x25's Swim (was supose to be 4 but we screwed up)
Oh Shit!  I don't remember this warmup.  I know we had some 75's and 50's.  Some of it was drill and some of it was swim.  It was a long warm up set. 

Main Set:
7x100's Free on 2x1:15, 1x1:10 and don't ask me the rest.  I basically just went 10 seconds after my lane mate.
75 easy
5x100's Stroke.  I think 1:25.  I did these backstroke
50 easy
3x100's on 1:10.  I made the first one with time to spare, the second one was touch and go and well the third one was impossible.
25 easy
1x100 Stroke.  I did IM.

Warm Down Set
3x
125 breathing 3/7/3/7/3 on 1:50
75 breathing 3 times / 2 times / 1 time per lap
25 Fast  I did the 25's fast

Today was Friday so it was my turn at the wall lane.  I was hoping for easier intervals but one of the faster swimmers showed up so that was out the window.  I made the intervals for the most part but technique went out the window.  It was just a matter of me making the intervals.  I should be able to do fast swims with good technique but today just wasn't one of those swims. 

3,000 SCY Lap Swim

Another morning brings another swim.  Since I most likely won't be making any workouts over the weekend I'm decided to squeeze one more in during the week.  The good news is that on Saturdays our team is back at RHS from LCM swims in the morning.  So starting next week I'll be waking up on Saturdays and getting two LCM workouts in a every week. 

Warmed Up
300 Swim
300 Kick
400 Pull.  I was sharing a lane at this point so it was more like 4x100's on about a 1:45 interval.  Since I was sharing the lane I worked the interval around the lady who I was swimming with.  It's nice when you have someone who understands intervals and you can work around with. (1100)

16x50's on 50 IM switches.  Fly/Back, Back/Breast, Breast/Free, Free/Butterfly (1900)

3x300's on 4:00 First one pull w/ paddles, Second one pull w/o paddles and Third one swim.  The pulling and swimming around my lane mate made the first two 300's a bit tight with the interval but the swim one I finished with 20 seconds to spare.  (2800)

I warmed down a broken 200.  The last 100 of the warmdown I did underwater no breathing.  I read somewhere once that a good way to tell if you are wamed down is you should be able to do a 25 under water no breathing.  I came to about 20 yards so that was close enough.

I had planned on running 5 miles tonight at the Niketown Run Club LA but since it's going to be 96 F today I might skip it.  Which means 2 weeks of no running!  Doh! 

4050 SCY Lap Swim

Image via WikipediaAfter sleeping in this morning I decided to head over for the lunchtime lap swim at the WeHo Pool.   Since it's a picture perfect sunny day in LA I figured the pool was going to be packed so I didn't even bother to think up a workout.  I already had the last two Tuesday morning workouts in my bag so I figured I'd make it up as I go based on those swims.   Luckily the pool was pretty empty with 1 or 2 people per lane except for the "therapy" lane which had more.

I get in the lane with a cute little old lady who had a Hello Kitty water bottle. I wait to she gets to the wall to let her know I'll be swimming with her and that I'll do my best to stay out of her way.  She was nice and we shared the lane without incident for my first 1000 yards.

Warm Up
300 Swim
300 Pull
300 Kick
100 Swim  (1,000)

I then did 4x50's IM order drill / swim (1,200)

Main Set: 24x100's
6x100's Free on 1:35/1:30/1:25.  Easy interval.  It was the same interval I did yesterday in my LCM workout.
6x100's Pull on 1:30
6x100's Kick on 1:55
6x100's Free 1:45 for the first one then 1:30's for the rest.  I had to swim around my new lane mate.  She wasn't as nice and to be nice let's just say the letter C. (3,600)

4x100's No Interval because of the C.  1st 100 IM, 2nd 100 50 fly / 50 back 3rd 100 75 fly / 25 back and 4th 100 all fly.  I tried to go fast during the last 100 but my time was pretty slow for a 100 fly.  (4,000)

50 warm down.  I was going to goof off a bit and lounge but people started to arrive to swim so I figured I should go.  That and I was feeling the sun and I had forgotten my sunblock, doh!   So not bad 4,050 yards in a short one hour and about 20 minutes.  That included my little chit chats with the various life guards.  They are all really nice at the WeHo Pool.  Well that is it.  Might swim tomorrow am during the lap swim, maybe!

It's Monday So It's Time To Get Back In The Pool

After Saturday's swim meet I took Sunday off from all working out and just sat on the couch watching Dr. Who and CSI.  I've now watched every episode of all three CSI shows that are available on Netflix streaming.  Which is odd since the show is not only badly written but badly acted and on top of that I'm pretty squimesh when it comes to blood and gore.  So many times I had to turn away or put the hand in front of my eyes to avoid some of the blood and gore. 

After my day off it was time to get back into the water.  I tried my best to use what I learned from my swims on Saturday and put them to practice this morning.  But my body had other designs on the workout.  Today was the day for the built up lactic acid to be pushed out of me. 

Warmed up a mix 450.

Then we did a 5 minute kick set.  Five continious minutes of freestyle kick with 10 seconds burst in between 20 seconds recovery by the coaches whistle.  Just a note for future reference 6:10am is too early in the morning to be listening to someone blow a whistle. 

Drill 50 Swim 100 first round the drill was one arm the second round finger tip drag.  10 seconds rest between each round.

400 Pull

50 easy

400 Pace.  I was doing 1:14's with a 1:09 for the last 100.

3x25's / 2x50's.  The 50's were all out sprints.

50 easy.

3x50's on 50/50/1:05 Fly/Back, Back/Breast, Breast/Free
100 IM on 1:30
3x50's on 50/50/1:05 Fly/Back, Back/Breast, Breast/Free
100 IM on 1:40
3x50's on 50/50/1:05 Fly/Back, Back/Back, Back/Free
100 did this fly and came in around a 1:07

warmdown.

I might have skipped something in the beginning but that was close.  During the 400 pace it was a real long haul for me.  Really didn't feel like I had anything.  But it was a nice recovery workout.  Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be ready for faster pace swims.

Friday Morning Semi-Taper Swim

Lately the 6am swim has been made up of mostly medium lane swimmers and very few fast lane swimmers.  Which is a good thing as I've been getting some extra rest.   Today was a perfect example of that and I liked having a bit extra rest the day before a swim meet.  Mind you this isn't a big meet or anything so no tapering is called for but I did give myself a mini semi taper.  I skipped running last night so my legs would be nice and relaxed.  Then this morning as you will see I took the easy intervals.

Warmed up a 250 on my own.  Warm up set 100 kick / 4x75's kick / 50 swim.  Then we did a 100 drill / 4x75's drill / 50 swim.  I missed a 75 kick to use the restroom.

Then we did the last part of warm up twice with a 75, a 50 and 3x25's. 

Main Set:
12x100's as follows
3x1:30 / 1x1:25
2x1:30 / 2x1:25
1x1:30/ 3x1:25
I pulled the first four.  After that I swam them keeping a nice easy pace around a 1:12.  Afterwards I asked the coach what would have been my intervals and she said they would have been 1:15/1:10 OUCH!  Glad I was a slacker today.

Stroke Set:
12x75's as follows
1-4 I did 50 fly / 25 back
4-8 I did 50 back / 25 breast
9 I did fly/back/breast
10 I did back/breast/free
11 I did breast/free/fly
12 I did all fly and did it on 51 seconds.
We did this set on 1:25 I think.  There was a bit of confusion at first so I think we started off on a 1:20.

Tomorrow will be an easy day as I'll be swimming the 800 free and then a few 100 stroke events.  Using the meet as just a workout and to see how my training is going.  I never seem to do any personal bests at this pool so I am not stressing out or putting too much stock into this meet.  Just a day to get up and swim and collect a few ribbons.

IM SCY Morning Workout

On the way to swim practice I had a bit of misfortune as my iPhone came out of it's sportband and went crashing down on the street.  Luckily it didn't face the fate of my bike light by being crushed by a car but the iPhone glass is pretty cracked up.  Note to self:  never buy anything by Incase again.

Once at the pool it took me some time to ease into the pool starting with a very slow 250 warm up.  We then did a 50 kick / 50 swim / 50 drill / 50 swim three times one of each stroke minus the free. 

Stroke Set:
Broken 200 IM on 3:15 as follows 75/50/50/25 taking 5 seconds rest at each break
200 IM on 3:15
Broken 200 Free n 3:00 same as abve
200 Free on 3:00

Main Stroke Set:
3x75's on 1:20/1:20/1:30 50 fly / 25 back
125 on 2:00 IM w/ 25 extra fly
3x75's on 1:20/1:20/1:30  50 back / 25 breast
125 on 2:00 IM w/ 25 extra back
3x75's on 1:20/1:20/1:30 50 breast / 25 free
125 on 2:00 IM w/ 25 extra breast

50 easy

8x50's n 55 1-4 fly / 5-8 free as follows 1st 25 sprint, middle 25 sprint, last 25 sprint, full 50 easy.

warmdown just a 50.  i pretty much lingered in the water as the water temp was warm and the air was cold.  I hate warm pools but once you are in it's hard to get out.  It's like lounging at a hotel pool.  During today's workout I actually tried to work on my weakest link the breaststroke.  Since I'm doing my first 100 IM this Saturday since the summer of 2005 I figured some breaststroke work is needed.

Besides my iPhone going all smashy smashy my swede googles strap broke while puting them on.  Today is not my day.  Time to reboot and start all over.