Just Another LCM Swim

Yesterday to celebrate Columbus Day I made spinach pies from scratch.  I made the dough in the bread machine and cooked everything else from fresh ingredients.  I almost never cook from scratch so it was a pretty impressive undertaking for me.  Best of all they actually turned out pretty good and I have one left over for lunch today. 

This morning was another LCM swim at the Culver City Plunge.  It was a pretty brisk ride on the bicycle but it was worth it.  The water was perfect and it's long course.  I use to hate swimming long course but now I want to swim LCM everyday.  Swimming a 50 LCM butterfly is a dream come true as I just my stroke into it's natural groove and just keep going with no pesky walls to slow me down. 

300 Swim
300 Pull
300 Kick

8x50's Drill / Swim IM Order 1:15/1:10  (400/1300)

1x200 IM on 3:45   (200/1500)
3x100's Free on 1:35 (300/1800)
2x200 IM on 3:45  (400/2200)
2x100's Free on 1:40 (200/2400)
1x200 IM on 3:45 (200/2600)
2x200's Free on 3:00 (400/3000)

8x50's 1:15 Sprint odds / Easy evens (400/3400)

100 warm down

On the 3x100's free on 1:35 I messed up the math and did two of them on 1:25.  A few lanes over were two age group swimmers being coached and the sad thing was that I was swimming freestyle while one of the kids swam almost on my pace while swimming breaststroke. 

This workout was a mixture of free and IM as I plan on swimming fly, back and IM this weekend at the meet at UCLA.  Next Tuesday I'll be back to my distance free training.

Monday Windy Swim SCY

Fall has struck LA over the last few days with dropping air temps and big windstorms.  This morning biking to the pool was nearly impossible.  I actually got off the bike and walked up to the pool on San Vicente as the hill conspired with the wind to make it nearly impossible to ride.  The only good thing was that the cool air took away some of the heat from the pool making the water somewhat enjoyable to swim. 

Warmed up a 250 as I was taking my time getting in the pool.  After that we did a kick and drill warm up which I can't remember followed by a 400 pull. 

4x100's pace on 1:20

400 Swim.  I did the 400 in a respectable 4:34.  Not super fast but comfortable.  

100 easy

400 IM 25 kick / 50 swim / 25 kick

3x75s IM on 1:20

125 IM on 2:50 (an extra 25 fly)

3x25's IM on 30

125 IM (an extra 25 free)

warmdown

Sunday Swim

I'm beat!  Tough afternoon at the pool.  It should not have been but I was just not in a fast swim mood or in fast swim mode.  Warmed up about a 250. 

3x
125 Kick
75 Swim
I did one round fly, one back and the last one free.

3x100's Free on 1:15/1:10/no interval

Main Set:
4x100's IM on 1:30
5x200's on 2:30 Well sorta I took 5 seconds extra for 2 of them then the whole lane stopped after the 4th one. 
4x50's Stroke
3x200's on 2:35  This is when I started to feel in the fast swim mode.
4x25's Stroke on 30
1x200 Fast.  Did it on a 2:14.

50 easy

2x
100 Free on 1:20
4x25's Fly on 30

The water was a bit warm again.  Guess this is how it will be for a few months.  Ugh!  My back has been bothering me the last few days out of the pool and today it was bothering me in the pool.  Going to use a heat pad later on it.

3200 SCY Lap Swim

Our little Tuesday group swam this morning for a short course early morning workout.  The swim was designed not to be too demanding just a nice morning swim with some pulling. 

10 Mins Warm Up (300 swim  200 Pull  200 Swim) 700/700

10x50's Free Kick on 60 500/1200

Main Set:
4x100's Pull on 1:40  400/1600
8x50's Swim on 60 400/2000
3x100's Pull on 1:35 300/2300
6x50's Swim on 55  300/2600
2x100's Pull on 1:30  200/2800
4x50's Swim on 50 200/3000
100 Pull on 1:25 100/3100
2x50's Swim on 45  100/3200

100 warm down 100/3300

Next Saturday is the UCLA Masters swim meet LINK so I'll be up an early swimming at that.  Planning to swim the 800 freestyle and a few other events.  Maybe the 100 fly 100 back and 50 fly. 

Friday Morning

It was a mighty chilly morning.  The water temp was once again a bit warm so with a chill in the air it made swimming just that much worse.  It's hard to get motivated when the water is warm.  I always feel almost sick when I'm swimming.  Even with not even a drop of wine last night and a full night sleep I was just not feeling the workout.  I took my time and did not worry about putting in good times.  Just making the intervals was enough for me today.  I got a little frustrated at one point in the workout as I was leading the lane with only one other person in the lane who decided to go 5 seconds  apart.  A third into the main set I insisted the other person lead and I then went 10 seconds apart.  I just don't get that sometimes when you have two people in a lane but the person just is on your feet the whole time.  It's either lead or go 10 seconds apart.  Damn drafters. 

Warmed up a 250

Kick Set:
Twice
25 Kick / 25 Swim
50 Kick / 50 Swim
75 Kick / 75 Swim
100 Kick / 75 Swim
Round one I did fly.  Took a pee break during the 100 kick then swam a 100 IM.  Second round I did it IM.

6x75's Swim 1-3 50 Free / 25 Stroke IM order on 1:10 & 4-6 Free on 1:00

Main Set:
200 Free on 2:30
4x150's on 2:10 100 Free / 50 Stroke rotating IM order
200 Free on 2:30
4x100's (forgot interval think it was 1:30) 50 Free / 50 Stroke rotating im order
200 Free on 2:30
4x50's Stroke IM order (forgot interval)

Pulling:
Twice
75 distance per stroke
100 breathing every 3/5/7/9
50 Build
25 Sprint no breathing.

then I warmed down a 50

The main set flew by and workout was done before I even noticed.  Which is a good thing.  Those workouts when you just keep counting down hoping for the workout to be over make for very long workouts.  Well that is it for today.  Swimming is done!

Wednesday Middle Distance Free Workout

Just back from the 6am workout and boy am I beat.  I ended up getting to swim practice a few minutes late as I didn't get my stuff together last night.  Once in the water I got in about a 250 warm up.  After that we started off with a series of drills and kick warm up sets.  First just a 50 distance per stroke.  Then just 2x25's one swordfish drill the other one arm drill.  Followed up with 4x 50Drill/100swim with the drills being swordfish, one arm, finger tip drag and catch up.  Then it was kick time, ugh, 6x50's as follows: 2x one with board, one on back and one without board.

400 Pull descend by 100

4x100's on 1:25 pace for an 800.  I was doing 1:10's

800 swim.  I ended up coming in a 9:25.  My last 100 was pretty sad.  At first I kept 1:10's for the first four 100's but after that a combination of things stood in my way.  From feeling a bit fatigued to just moving around my lane mates. 

100 easy

6x25's sprint on 30

another 100 warm down.

Since we have so many different workouts at different times the make up of each workout changes from swim to swim.  I really didn't have anyone to pace with so I just tried to keep myself motivated.  The last few morning workouts the turnout has been pretty small which I can only blame on the fact that it is so dark right now in the morning.  My next swim will be Friday morning so I have time to recover. Wahoo!

I am updating this post a few hours later as I noticed something after showering but didn't have time to post it right after.  What I noticed is that the warmer the pool water the dryer my skin is after I swim.  Monday when I swam my skin was very dry so after my shower I put on Mission Product Revive Gel LINK.  Then I swam on Tuesday at a different pool and wasn't as dry then today swam back at Monday's pool which was cooler than Monday but not as cool as yesterday and wouldn't you know it dry skin again.  I will admit it wasn't as dry as Monday so I am guessing that the warmer water is more damaging to the skin than colder water.  Just something I noticed.

4000 LCM Lap Swim

I was on my own this morning for the LCM lap swim.  My other mates in my group all bailed on me for one reason or another.  I debated on skipping the workout or swimming at the WeHo short course yards pool but finally decided to take the challenge of a long course workout.  I was able to get a lane by myself for about a 200 before I was joined by another swimmer.  By the time I was done with the warm up set I was sharing the lane with two swimmers.  It wasn't too bad.  I'd catch up to them and pass them without too much drama.  I finished up my 4000 meter workout feeling pretty good if a little beat up. 

400 S / 300 P / 200 S / 2x50's Build.

200 FR 3:40  (200/1200)

4 x 100  1:30 (400/1600) I took an extra 10 seconds on the last one to make room for a lap swimmer.

400 FR  7:20 (400/2000)   

3 x 100 1:30 (300/2300) took an extra 20 seconds on the last one to make room for a lap swimmer

600 FR  11:00 (600/2900) (at one wall stopped right before the wall and changed directions to get out of the way of two lap swimmers hanging by the wall0

2 x 100 1:30 (200/3100) I took an extra 20 seconds once again as I wanted to put space between me and the lap swimmers

800 FR  14:40 (800/3900)

1 x 100 warmdown(100/4000)

The Heat Is On...

I'm not talking about the Glenn Fry song from my tween years but the actual heat of the pool is slowly going up.  I don't know how warm the pool was today but it is inching up to the uncomfortable winter temps.  In what can only described as the battle of swimmers vs aqua fit noodler's is on.  The USMS discussion forums are filled with stories of this epic battle that goes on in almost every pool in America.  But enough about that for today I have about 5 months to bitch about the pool temps.  Workout started off a bit slow for me as I was busy chit chatting on deck with the coach and fellow swimmers.  I did a 300 swim.  Today being a Monday the workout started with a focus on technique and drill with 2x25's.  The first 25 was swordfish and the second 25 was one arm drill.  After that we did a kick centric warm up set of 2x75 kick with board / 25 catch up with the board in front of us / 25 swim.  Finshing up the warm up drill portion of the workout we did a 400 alternating 50 drill / 50 swim.

50 build

10x100's Free.  1-4 on 1:10 (only made the first one and got slower on each one after that) 2-8 on 1:15 (much better!)  9-10 on 2 minutes all out.  I finished up with a 1:03 which isn't that fast but I just didn't feel strong or fast. 

50 easy non-free

Then we went on to the stroke portion of the workout.  We did a kick and drill set which was a 50 kick / 25 drill / 25 swim.  We were to do two rounds I did one round fly and then just the 50 kick. 

3x25's on 30 fly
1x25 on 45 fly
100 fly (i did this on a 1:14 which is on the slow side for me)

6x25's on 30.  1-3 free 4-6 fly. 

After that it was warmdown.   I'll blame my lack of speed on the warm water.  The only problem with using the pool temp as an excuse is that it will only get warmer in the next few weeks.  Something I don't look forward to.

Saturday Morning Lap Swim

I decided to get up and swim at the 7am lap swim.  Normally Saturday is my recovery day but since our team has no Sunday afternoon swim tomorrow I figured I needed to do some swimming today.  Headed over to the pool on bike and kept hoping for the rain to hold back for a bit. 

Warmed up
400 Swim
300 Pull
200 Kick
100 Swim

4x100's 50 Drill / 50 Swim taking 10 seconds rest
8x25's on 30 1-4 IM order 5-8 Reverse IM order

Took a quick pee break then did a 50 pull / 50 kick. Then one of my team mates joined me.  Since he was a bit slower than me I did the set IM while he did it freestyle.

2x25's on 30 Fly/Back
3x50's on 60 IM Order
4x75's on 1:20 (i think) IM no free
5x100's IM on 1:45

swam a 50 and took another pee break.  too much water before swimming this morn.  my lane mate got out so I started to swim on my own.  Due to powers beyond my control, i.e. stupid lap swimmers, I ended my workout earlier than I wanted.

2x25's Free on 25
3x50's Free on 40
4x75's Free on 1:00
1x100 Free. 

Only 1x100 free as I realized it was time to get out.  On my last 75 free I was doing a flip turn when my feet his something.  A lap swimmer decided that a good time to get in the water would be just when another swimmer, being me, was doing a flip turn.  Luckily I only hit her legs but still how stupid can someone be.  She got in and did a 50 before moving over a lane.  At least she did that.  When i was finishing up my frist 100 someone else got in the lane.  She pushed off when I came into the wall and I realized by the speed she was going I could either swim around her or just give up.  I decided to give up.  After I showered and got dress I saw her swimming and then I knew I made the right choice.  She was one of those lap swimmers who swim while trying not to get an water on her head. 

It was also a good time to get out due to the rain.  As I left the WeHo pool it was the rain was just a mist but as I got closer to home it became a sprinkle.  So I barely missed the rain.  Now I can cook myself a hearty breakfast and watch some bad movies all day.

Friday Night Swim

I'm beat!  Started off with about a 250 warm up as I was being chatty with a few folks on deck and in the pool.  We then went to the deep end to do some deep end verticle kicking and ab work.  I know some people don't think that we should be doing this in workout but I'm indifferent.  We then did a 25 and 2x50's freestyle with a six beat kick.  We then did 8x25's on 30.  Odds were short axis stroke of choice which would be butterfly for me while the evens were long axis stroke of choice which would be backstroke for me.

Main Set:
4x75's on 1:20 25 stroke / 50 free.  I did breaststroke for my choice to get it out of the way.
2x100's on 1:25 free
4x75's on 1:20 50 stroke / 25 free.  I did the backstroke for my choice of stroke.
2x100's on 1:20 free
4x75's on 1:20 all stroke.  I did these butterfly.  For some reason I felt like crap swimming fly tonight.  My back was stiff. 
2x100's on 1:20 free.

Then I warmed down a 200 pull without paddles.  Actually I've noticed I started to use the paddles less and less.  It depends on who I swim with as some people love the paddles.  Some of the coaches think that those swimmers use them as a crutch and some do.  But using paddles do help with stroke technique.

Well that is it.  Time for some dinner.