Rearview Mirror: Swimming in 2009

These year end numbers are not exact as I may not have logged every workout into my ongoing log totals.  But from what I have logged I have swam a total of 533,344 yards for 2009.  That is using a total of yards and meters and then having the log on the USMS website figure it all out for the Go The Distance login. 

The year itself was an okay year for swimming.  Swam at the USMS SCY Championships and had an okay swim meet.  Had a few personal best times.  Had some okay times.  But I swam and didn't get DQ'ed which is half the battle.  For SCY Season I ranked 10th in the 1650 for Men 35-39 in USMS Swimming.  Not too shabby.

Then I sat out LCM season with no swim meets.  Not that I swam many meets in 2009 in any pool length.  I swam at 4 SCY and 2 SCM meets.  That is more then enough.

When SCM season rolled around I gotta admit my swim meet swimming started off pretty bad and kept on getting worse.  I swam a meet at UCLA and in my 100 back and 100 fly did some of my slowest swims ever.  I alsn my 1500 i did my 2nd fastest time but it was so far behind my best time that I wasn't happy.  My 400 free, 200 fly and 200 back were also not very fast times for me.  On the last day of the meet I finally got into my grove and did a personal best in the 800 free.  Guess 2009 was the year of the 800 free for me. It'll be a few months before any Top 10 times are released but looking up my rankings I have a few but those can and may change as meets are still being loaded into the USMS database. 

Overall it was a good year.  As for 2010 and my goals you can read that post LINK that I typed up on my flight to Florida last week. 

Double Double Monday

Due to the fires the air quality in LA is bad so our coach cut us a break today and gave the easiest workout in the history of my swimming.  Okay so maybe that is a bit of a hyperbole but it was easy.  So since I felt like I needed to be pushed I swam both the 6am and 7:15 am workouts.

Warm Up

350 Swim

4x75's Kick (300/650)

4x100's 50 Drill / 50 Swim (One Arm, Turn on 3, Finger Tip Drag, Fist) (400/1050)

400 Pull (400/1450)

4x200's taking 15 seconds rest in between / rotating a 50 back from the beginning to the end (50back/150free, 50 free/50back/100free, 100 free/50back/50free, 150free/50back) (800/2250)

50 easy (50/2350)

Then we did 4x25's back drills.  1 with a penny on the forehead, 1 left arm, 1 right arm, 1 1/2 right / 1/2 left (100/2450)

4x100's 15 seconds rest / rotating a 25 free from beginning to end (same pattern as the 200's but more back this time) (400/2850)

6x25's odds free / evens stroke (150/3000)

Warm Up Again

350 (odd that both times I only to to the 350 of the 400) (350/3350)

4x75's kick (300/3650)

i took a pee break so this time

3x100's 50 Drill / 50 Swim (One Arm, Turn on 3, Finger Tip Drag, Fist) (300/3950)

450 Pull (it was to be a 400 but we all lost count) (450/4400)

4x200's taking 15 seconds rest in between / rotating a 50 back from the beginning to the end (50back/150free, 50 free/50back/100free, 100 free/50back/50free, 150free/50back) (800/5200)

Then we did 4x25's back drills.  1 with a penny on the forehead, 1 left arm, 1 right arm, 1 1/2 right / 1/2 left (100/5300)

4x100's 15 seconds rest / rotating a 25 free from beginning to end (same pattern as the 200's but more back this time) (400/5700)

10x25's odds free / evens stroke(250/5950)

Then we did 4x25's working on kicking and rotation.  (100/6050)

And that was it.  I haven't done a double in ages.  Even with an easy workout by the second round of 4x100's I was feeling it.  I enjoyed swimming in the sun for a change also as the sun is up and coming down during the 7:15 workout.  I'll have to attempt a few more doubles every so often.

MTD Yardage:  55,375

YTD Yardage:  407,775
YTD LCM 5,000

There Goes The Curve

My mornings of easy intervals are gone with.  Over the last few weeks two of the 7:15 fast swimmers have been showing up at 6am.  With that so goes the interval curve.  In the past since no other fast swimmers showed up on any regular basis to 6am I was able to get more generous intervals.  No more.  What's even worse is the 7pm workouts have been two fast lane on the same interval.  No more one fast lane and one faster lane with different intervals.  I don't know how much I like that.  Although this week my body has risen to the challenge I wonder how long I'll keep it up. 

As for this morning even with yesterdays weight training and 5 mile run it was pretty easy.  I was actually shocked.  It did take me a bit longer to get going but once we got to the main set I went on auto-pilot.

Warm Up:

400 Swim

300 Pull

50 kick (750)

Warm Up Set:

3 rounds -

100 kick on 2 mins

75 drill on 1:15

50 Swim (blast off - working the wall and 1st few strokes) on 55

25 Swim (build) on 30

1st round free, 2nd round choice (backstroke) and 3rd round fly (750/1500)

Main Set:

16x100's OY -

4x100's Free on 1:15

4x100's IM on 1:30

take an extra minute rest

4x100's Free on 1:15

4x100's IM on 1:30

This set seemed easy for me.  My legs were giving out during the last set of IM's but other then that I didn't have to put that much effort into the set.  Or maybe it just didn't feel like it was as my legs were like dead weights.  (1600/3100)

Then we did a 50 easy. (50/3150)

75 butterfly kick on your back (75/3225)

25 kick underwater no breathing(25/3250)

Then we did a series of sprints and underwater kicking.  About 6x25's (150/3400)

Overall not such a bad workout.  I was tired at the end but I think it's just the whole week of working out catching up to me.  Which it does on most Friday mornings.  I just miss my easier intervals. 

MTD Yardage:  49,325

YTD Yardage:  401,725
YTD LCM 5,000

Doing Math At 6am Practice

After swimming last night it was back in the pool again this morning.  Wednesday mornings workouts in the past have been split between a choice of a "distance" free workout or a stroke workout but with the rotation of coaches that will soon be gone.  So I made it this morning for one last "distance" free workout.  After last nights workout I was a bit afraid I'd fall apart after warm up but it was almost the opposite.  As the set went on I did feel tired but it was easier to push past the fatigue.

Warm Up:

400

Warm Up Set:

25 Kick No Board (25)

50 Drill (50/75)

50 Kick No Board (50/125)

50 Drill (50/175)

75 Kick No Board (75/250)

50 Drill (50/300)

50 Kick w/ board (50/350)

50 Drill (50/400)

25 kick w/ board (25/425/825)

Then we did one more thing with two rounds.  Hmm..can't remember.  It was something followed by 3x50's.  I think.  Ugh!

Main Set:  This was the math portion of the workout.

4 Rounds -

5x50's Free on 45/40/35/40/45

250 on 3 minutes

We were going 10 seconds apart so everyone had to do math as opposed to the normla 5 seconds apart you just follow along.  The three of us swimming in the lane are about the same speed so we decided to go 10 seconds apart.  It worked out pretty well.  The 2nd round the person in front of me went 5 seconds early at one point and I will admit I was getting a bit confused and was ready to just say "fuck it" and get out.  But I continued on.  The third and fourth rounds were the best for me out of the four as even though I was fatigued I was keeping on pace.  (2000/2825)

Warm Down Set:

2 Rounds

75 Free on 1:15

2x25's Sprint on 25 (did round 1 butterfly for the 25's and round 2 I did breaststroke) (250/3075)

It was a bit more than 3075 but I don't remember the warm up set.  OH OH OH!  wait it is coming.  It was two rounds a 200 pull breathing 3/5/3/7 and then 50's.  But was it two or three.  Let's say it was two so add another 600 to the workout making it 3675.  Oh and there was a 50 easy and I warmed down sorta a 50.  Some walking at the end chit chatting it up so let's just say I did 3700 yards this morning.

MTD Yardage:  45,950

YTD Yardage:  398,325
YTD LCM 5,000

Tuesday Night Swim.

What a day.  Ran, did weights then I biked to swim practice and home.  I'm beat.  The pool was crowded which was sorta a shock since we have a new rotation of coaches at the different workouts.  As I've said before we have enough practices and enough coaches all with different type of workouts so you get to pick and choose when and who you get to swim with.  So expect to see a few changes in my swim routine.  Tonight's workout may look like a lot of my Monday and Wednesday morning workouts as that coach now coaches on Tuesday nights among a few other workouts.

Warmed Up

450 Swim

150 Kick

100 Swim (700)

Then we did 4x25's drills. (100)

4x100's 50 Drill / 50 Swim.  One Arm / Finger Tip Drag / Fist and one other.  Hmm...(400/1200)

Main Free Set:

300 Pull on 3:15 (300)

2x200's Swim on 2:25 (i think) (400/700)

extra 15 secs rest

300 Pull on 3:15 (300/1000)

4x100's Descend on 1:10 (400/1400)

extra 15 secs rest

300 Pull on 3:15 (300/1700)

8x50's on 45 (400/2100/3300)

Hope I didn't miss anything but that seems about right.  I feel like I'm missing something between the 2x200's and the 300.  Hmm...maybe not.  Building from Monday morning I felt strong in my freestyle.  Dare to say the 300's were fantastic.  I just plowed along.  My 4x100's descend I was blasting.  I mean I was second in the lane so I had a bit of a draft.  Which I so knew how to work that first 25 to get the draft for the rest of the 100.

100 easy (3400)

3x150 (50kick/50drill/50swim) IM Order (450/3850)

Then I moved over to the medium lane for the shocker of the century.  Okay so I was reading on some personal fitness blog about coming up with a Bucket List of Athletic Events To Complete.  People commented on doing everything from a 5k all the way up to an IronMan and everything in between.  Well that got me thinking of making a swimming event bucket list.  Events I'd like to at least try once.  One of these events is the 400 IM.  So I slowly moved over to the medium lane to swim the dreaded BREASTSTROKE!

The medium lane had a different warm up stroke set.  So I dove in at the tail end and did a 100 breaststroke (50kick/25drill/25swim) (100/3950).

Then I did the following.  I had a few 25's of instruction so I'm just putting down what I swam but you can see a pattern.

4x25's on 35

100 then some breaststroke tips

2x25's on 35

100 then some breaststroke tips

2x25's on 35

100 (500/4450)

So 500 yards breaststroke.  Wowser.  I don't think I get that much in during a normal month!  I'm not saying you'll see me swimming breaststroke at every workout.  But with generous intervals I will toss some in for measure and practice. 

MTD Yardage:  42,250

YTD Yardage:  394,625
YTD LCM 5,000

Friday Night IM Workout

This morning I woke up and thought about going swimming at 6am.  Then 6am came and went and I told myself that I'd attempt to make the 7:15am workout.  Several Law & Order episodes later I vowed to make the 7pm workout.  And I did.  Wahoo!  Ran out of Law & Order's to watch.  Now as for swimming on a Friday night one really never knows to expect sometimes the lanes are over crowded then you have a night like tonight when it was only 2 or 3 people per lane.  Gotta love that! 

Warm Up

200 Swim

100 IM Drill

100 IM kick (400)

Then we did a short warm up set.  Let's see if I can remember it...

2x50's Kick Choice (100)

2x100's freestyle drill (200/300)

3x50's Kick Choice (150/450)

100 IM Drill (100/550)

4x50's Kick Choice.  (200/650)

Ahh...close enough.  (650/1050) Then a 50 easy making it 1100

Main Set:  Okay so i started it but was starting to get a cramp and it being a Friday night I just said F'It and got out early.

4x50's Free on 40 (200)

2x125's IM (fly/back/breast/breast/free)(250/450)

4x25's fly on 30 (100/550)

take and extra 30 secs rest

4x50's Free on 40

2x125's IM (i fucked up and did them fly/fly/back/breast/free) 

4x25's Breast

take an extra 30 secs rest (1100/2200)  And this is when I got out.  So I did a 2200 yard workout. 

MTD Yardage:  34,500

YTD Yardage:  386,875
YTD LCM 5,000

Wednesday Morning Short Workout Swim

I had to be somewhere early this morning but I figured a short stint in the pool would be good for me.  So I went and swam for about 45 minutes with the team

Warmed up a 450

We had a warm up set of some kicking and pulling.

100 kicking (50 swordfish / 50 on your stomach)

200 Pull

100 Kicking (on back) (300/750)

I think we did something else but that was over 5 hours ago so I can't remember.

Then we did a 1500 Warm Up Set:

3 Sets of 5x100's as follows

    50 Drill / 50 Swim 1:30

    50 Swim / 50 Drill 1:30

    Pull 1:25

    Swim Build 1:20

    Swim Fast 1:15

Then I warmed down a 100 and got out. (100/2850)

Not bad for a partial swim. 

MTD Yardage:  14,100

YTD Yardage:  366,525
YTD LCM 5,000

Monday Nite Swim Swim

Just got back from swimming.  Tough workout. Felt like I was going to puke several times.  The intervals were tough even after we managed to get a slower base interval. 

Warmed Up

Think I did about a 400.

Warm Up Set - Four Rounds - Reverse IM

50 Kick / 25 Drill

50 Drill / 25 Swim (800/1200)

The we did another warm up set.  50 breath control then 1x25 breakout fast / 1x25 build.  Think we did three rounds of that.  (300/1500)

Main Set:

100 Free Fast on 1:20

100 Recovery IM on 1:40

200 Free Fast on 2:40

100 Recovery IM on 1:40

300 Free Fast on 4:00

100 Recovery IM on 1:40

400 Free Fast then i think we got some extra rest.  At this point most of my lane mates got out.  I think we screwed up some of these intervals.  I was leading and let's face I screw up intervals.  The rest of the main set was reverse of the first part.

100 Stroke/ IM FAST I don't know what interval I let the person behind me tell me when to go.

300 Easy Free Pull

200 Stroke / IM FAST

200 Easy Free Pull

300 Stroke / IM FAST

100 Easy Free Pull (2500 yards / 4000)

Then we warmed down doing the following set.  Two rounds of 75 kick on 1:40 followed by 1x25 no breathing above water on 30 then ix25 underwater no breathing.  (250/4250)

Glad I went swimming but oy!  Going to take days to recover! 

MTD Yardage:  18,350

YTD Yardage:  370,775
YTD LCM 5,000

Wednesday Is Free Day

Ahh...Wednesday.  Over the last few years Wednesday mornings have been about choice between sorta-distance free or stroke.  It's one of the few workouts in which you can work on pace if you are a distant swimmer.  I don't know if this is going to be the case starting next month when our coaches all shift around as we are losing one of our coaches but for now I'm enjoying my Wednesday Free Workouts.

Warmed Up

300 Swim

3x100 (50 drill / 50 Swim) (300/600)

Warm Up Set:

50 Kick on 55 (50)

3x100's Free on 1:15 (300/350)

2x50's Kick on 55 (100/450)

2x100's Free on 1:15 (200/650)

3x50's Kick on 55 (150/800)

1x100 Free on 1:15(100/900/1500)

Main Set:

4x100's on 1:15 Pace (400)

2x200's on 2:30 Pulling (400/800)

400 Pace on 5:00 (400/1200)

50 easy on 2 mins (50/1250)

200 Fast on 2:30 (200/1450)

50 easy on 2 mins (50/1500)

100 Fast on 1:15 (100/1600)

50 easy on 2 mins (50/1650)

50 Fast (50/1700/3200)

Then a 50 easy (50/3250)

150 Stroke (75 kick / 50 drill / 25 swim) (150/3300)

And that was it for me.  The rest of the set was to be 8x25's.  But on my first 25 I went to do streamline backstroke off the wall and my shoulder hurt like a bitch.  So I just stopped and got out.  I was feeling pretty good to about the 100 fast.  The streched out first half of the main set was great but once I started to sprint my shoulder started to ache.  My shoulder is feeling so much better as each day goes by but for now when it comes to swimming Freestyle stretched out is the only thing I can handle.  Stroke is a bitch.  Hopefully when I swim on Friday I'll be able to handle some butterfly and backstroke.

MTD Yardage:  21,650

YTD Yardage:  374,075
YTD LCM 5,000

Tuesday Night Brr.... It's Fall In LA Swim

Where did summer go?  It is downright chilly in Los Angeles tonight.  Today being Tuesday I got the wall lane.  Doh!  With five swimmers it was a pain in the ass.   I hit the wall at least a dozen times. 

Warm up

400 Swim

300 Pull

200 Kick (900)

Warm Up Set:

3x

4x50's Kick on 55

100 Drill on 1:45

1 & 3 rounds were butterfly and round 2 were freestyle (900/1800)

Main Set

50 easy on 50 (50)

150 Fast on 1:55 (150/200)

50 easy on 50 (50/250)

2x150's Fast on 1:55 (300/550)

50 easy on 50 (50/600)

3x150's Fast on 1:55 (450/1050)

50 easy on 50 (50/1100)

4x150's on 1:55 (600/1700/3500)

Then I warmed down a 50 and gave up.  Time for din din! 

MTD Yardage:  25,150

YTD Yardage:  377,575
YTD LCM 5,000