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. 

Another Struggle In The Pool

Another swim month has come to a close.  Good bye February Swimming!  Finishing off my month of swimming struggles I finished my last workout just in that fashion, struggling.  Today's swim I will admit became a struggle when I mentally gave up during the warm up set and just never recovered.  I did finish the workout and had a bit of an achievement at the end of workout.

As for the warm up I took my time and swam a 200 before the warm up set.

2x
2x75's Drill I messed up on the first round thinking it was only 1x75 drill.
100 Kick
4x25's.
The set would have been a total 500 yards but for me it was a 400.  Once I messed up I got out and took a pee break.  I almost got lapped as the kick intervals were for me a bit touch and go.  I really think that for these warm up sets I should be in a slower lane only to move up to the fast lane for the main set.  I don't make the intervals, have totally given up on kicking on a fast interval and take pee breaks.  And then on the second round of drill I had to go like mad to get some rest.  Which means the drill part was pointless as I was more concerned with making it then working on the drill.  (400/600)

Then we did another quick warm up set with 50's on 40.  I don't remember what it was. 

Main Set:
5x100's Free on 1:20
75 Free on 1:00
50 Fly
4x25's Fly on 30
3x100's on 1:15
75 Free on 1:00
50 Back
4x25's Back on 30
1x100 Free on 1:10
75 Free on 1:00
50 Breast
4x25's Breast on 35
25 easy
This is the type of set that I can never grasp when swimming.  Starting at various ends of the pool with various distances and intervals.  It wasn't to the 2nd round that I figured out the pattern.  The first round with the 4x25's Fly since we started them on the other end of the pool I automatically started to do Fly thinking it was the last 25 when we were actually moving on to the 3x100's.  After that it was all downhill.  Mentally I gave up and didn't care.  Open turns started to set in.  The 25's were to be sprint but to be honest I took all the fly out easy as I was worried about the intervals later on in the set.  I just got to the point of just swimming to swim and didn't care about technique at all.  Since I wasn't leading I was able to draft along making it a bit easier.  (1600/2400)

We then ended up with a fun warm down set that which marked a personal achievement.  Hey at this point I'll take the small wins!
50
1x25 on 30 no breathing
50
2x25's on 30 no breathing
50
3x25's on 35 no beathing
50
4x25's on 35 no breathing.
I don't remember the intervals for the 50's but this was a pull set.  Now my 1st 25 I didn't fully finish to the wall but for the rest I did and for all of the 25's I was able to do them without breathing.  Which is a huge accomplishment for me.  Oh and I didn't use paddles.  Seriously I normally am lucky if I can do a 25 with one breath never mind none.  (450/2850)  I then did a 100 easy so the total yardage was 2950 + the warm up set that I don't remember. 

MTD Yardage: 49,950
MTD LCM: 9,800
YTD Yardage: 114,650
YTD LCM 9,800

I look forward to my do nothing Saturday!  My body needs the day off to reset itself for next week!  I'll hit the gym and swim on Sunday.  Monday is the 10x100's so that swim is up in the air.  As for this month's yardage count is down from January but when you add in the LCM it's about the same. 

Wednesday - Sprint Stroke Workout

The CalTech Pentathlon is only about a week and a half away so I have a very short time to learn to swim breaststroke.  I find it a testimony to my laziness that I can swim butterfly, backstroke and freestyle with some good speed but flounder when it comes to breaststroke.  The stroke of breaststroke just seems to have all these different elements to it that my body rebells against. 

Starting with the push off I'm screwed right off the bat as I can never get the timing right to surface at the right moment.  In breaststroke you have one underwater pull and you cannot pull again to you break the surface.  For me several things happen that make this almost impossible.  Sometimes I do the pulldown and I'm surfacing before my arms get a chance to recover.  Other times my arms are out front past the recovery and I'm so far underwater still I just have to wait and float to the surface.  Most of the time I can do the one butterfly kick that is allowed but today for example if I rush my walls in a fast turn I forget to take that butterfly kick. 

Once I do break surface my body rebels as my legs don't like kicking at all never mind in an outward sweep.  My right foot always breaks the surface and grabs air.  I don't know why it does that I can only guess that with my right arm being strong than my right I'm off kilter when I swim.  Oh yeah, at the gym I realized my right arm can lift at least 5 more pounds then my left.  At the very end of the kick my legs do not have "the snap" and sort of just flounder about.

As for my pull that is just a whole other mess.  My pull is my own little invention that may or may not even be legal.  I don't really know how I should be pulling and just try to rush my arms down before I pause.  After my pull I have an extremely long pause as my arms try to figure out how they are going to get to the recovery position.  Once they do arrive I don't know how to place my hands.  Do I put them hand over hand or do they just lay out in front of my like superman?

It's no one's fault but my own for my lack of understand of the basic mechanics of the stroke.  I just don't swim it as much as I do all my other strokes.  And when I do swim it I do a whole range of moments to delay the actual swimming of the stroke.  I toss in lots of butterfly kick of the wall to avoid swimming.  I don't think I've ever done a one hand touch in the stroke.  Usually I do a one arm free pull and glide into the wall.  From time to time I have swam a 25 breaststroke in a 100 IM at a swim meet.  That is when my lead turns into me being last in the event.  Breaststroke is my recovery stroke.  I figure even when I do my best to attempt the stroke I'm going to fall behind so take it easy and recovery for the free. 

I'm talking about breaststroke as today I put a little focus on it.  Mind you it wasn't a good focus but at least I have about 5 more swims before Cal Tech to figure out how to swim a 50 breaststroke without getting DQ'ed.  Or stay home and play Lego Star Wars on my Wii.

Warmed up a lazy 100.   Too busy being a chatty cathy.   The coach later announced that she'll be giving more structured warm ups in the future.

Drill Time:
100 Kick - 25 on your stomach / 50 with this drill that has an underwater recovery which makes you torque side to side in your stroke / 25 kick on your back
We stopped after this so the coach could so us all how to do the 50 kick-drill correctly.  I still am having a time grasping it.
Then it was a 50 drill one arm and a 50 swim.
Repeating 3x or 3x200's.  (600/700)

4x100's on 1:20.  I didn't put in great times but I did times closer to what I should be doing.  I descended the 100's out of habit still only managing a 1:10 at the end.  It just baffles me that my LCM times may out pace my SCY times at this rate.  (400/1100)

We did something pull.  A 200.  I took my time went second and then for the last 50 went third.  I was counting my strokes per lap and came to the conclusion that depending on whose draft I'm cruising on I have various stroke counts.  So I was playing off the various swimmers drafts. (200/1300)

Then we moved on to the stroke component.

3x100's (50 kick / 25 drill / 25 swim)  I think. This workout is a blur to me.  (300/1600)

3x
3x25's on 30/30/50
100 IM on 2:00
Yeah I was in a slower interval today.  The set was 3x with the 25's being IM order.  Each round a stroke.  For the last and breaststroke round I moved to the back of the lane and did the 25's and the 100 all breaststroke.  I was hoping as in all my other strokes that over time my stroke will fall together and click.  No such luck.  No 200 breaststrokes in my future.  (525/2125)

Then we did 2x25's off the blocks sprint which I did breaststroke and 1x25 free recovery back to the blocks.  I then did a 50 breaststroke pull thinking that if I can't swim it maybe I can muscle my way to get some speed.  That didn't work out so well.  (125/2250)

Wow.  2,250.  Really.  It's not the quantity of the yardage it's the quality.  When it comes to kicking and drilling I have no problem going to the back of the lane and taking my time to get it right.  I know that my technique is lacking and that once I start pulling the stroke apart I have no speed.  Kicking alone I got nothing.  One arm drill, nothing.  But jumble it all together and somehow I can manage some speed. 

MTD Yardage: 47,000
MTD LCM: 9,800
YTD Yardage: 111,700
YTD LCM 9,800

Tuesday Swimming LCM & Cycling Home

Today is Tuesday so that means another LCM Morning Workout at Culver City.  The more I swim LCM the more I fall in love with LCM.  Oddly my times in 100 LCM came to be the same times I was doing in 100 SCY yesterday.  I don't even know how that is possible.  I'm chalking it up to the Culver City being a real pool in which the lines and T are painted with a reason and not just for decoration.  Also knowing the pool better makes it for a better swim.  I ended up swimming 3,300 LCM today.  A few of my mates joined me.  At one point 5 of us shared the lane to varying degree's of success.  Since we know each other we stay out of each other's way. 

Warm Up:
300 Swim
300 Pull
300 Kick
100 Swim
I like this long stretched out 1,000 warm up.  I need a long warm up and should be doing one during my team workouts but knowing that we tend to have a long-ish warm up set after makes me loaf our 10 minutes warm up.  As you can see I did a 300 kick even if I hate kicking.  And I got to try a new kickboard!  I bring my own pull buoy and paddles but I don't tug along my kickboard so I usually just grab what's laying around.  Well for some time I've been looking at a few different kickboards from both Speedo and TYR.  Well today in the box of kickboards on deck I found the Speedo "Dual Density Kickboard" LINK.  This was one of the kickboards I was looking at.  Was.  I had thought this kickboard was designed so one could kick on your side with one arm out front and one on your side.  Almost as if you are doing the swordfish drill.  But I couldn't get my arm to feel snug to the kickboard also it seemed that kicking this way was putting undue stress on whichever shoulder arm was holding the kickboard.  As for just kicking with both arms out front I loved it.  I also found that in a 50 using the kickboard  as a shield holding it up right for resistance it worked too easily as it is narrow so it doesn't great much resistance.

10x50's on 60 odds drill / evens swim

400 Swim or Pull (200 breathing every 3 / 200 thinking about technique)

4x100's Descend.  This is why I know I was faster today in LCM then yesterday's SCY.  I did my last one on a 1:14.  Not blazing fast but still.

4x200's taking 15 seconds rest in between each one.  My last one I thought I was going faster than I actually was going as I did a 2:33.  I was aiming for a 2:30 or below.  I don't see that as a big problem.  I chalking it up to a lack of LCM training.

2x100's recovery and warmdown.

That makes 3,300.  As the last two standing swimmers were warming down we ran into a team mate of ours who was just getting in the pool.  As for the pool temperature is was another perfect day at Culver.  A bit chilly when you got in but soon it was a distant memory as you started to swim.  The air was another story.  I filmed about 30 seconds of the steam rising from the pool I'll add that in later

The way I biked home was about a 7.5 mile bike ride.  I did stop at one point and was going to take a bus but I figured I was more than 1/2 way home so I just jotted over to a side street and finished my ride home.

MTD Yardage: 45,250
MTD LCM: 9,800
YTD Yardage: 109,450
YTD LCM 9,800

Gym Swim: 24 Hour Fitness West Hollywood

Normally I don't like gym pools.  Too hot, the line and T in the middle of the lane is for decoration only, no backstroke flags, noodlers, pool temperature and a million other things to hate gym pools!  Since I joined the 24 Hour Fitness in West Hollywood I couldn't wait to try out this pool.  Now I've heard stories from various people about how it's not a great pool and it is set up oddly.  The lanes are staggered as the pool if seen from above would look like a lightening.  As you can see from his area google map shot.

Since the WeHo City Pool is closed still for something or another it was a gym pool swim for me.

The pool has four lanes with a sign that actually clearly marks a FAST lane at one end and something else for the noodlers at the other end.  So in the lane marked fast is someone who is doing something in between swimming and floating.  The two middle lanes have swimmers of questionable ability but it looks more like swimming that the fast lane guy.  So I jump in the lane closet to the fast lane and wait for the swimmer to get to the wall to let him know I'll be swimming with him.  By the first part of my warm up he was gone and I had my own lane. 

As for my swim taking two days off really showed.  That and doing weights and running yesterday.  I did experience a lot of stiffness at first in my back shoulders and neck.  It was an experience I don't recall having in swimming.  I moved on and kept swimming.

300 Swim
500 Pull with and without paddles
200 Kick IM (1,000)

5x100's on 1:45.  I think this pool is either meters or I'm really out of shape.  My first was one I came in on 1:20 and then 1:15's after that.  Ouch! (500/1.500)

10x50's on 55 (500/2,000)

5x100's I did them with 15 seconds rest.  3 free / 1 back / 1 fly (500/2,500)

So the 100 fly was an exercise of sharing a lane with a floater.  As time went on people came and went out of the other lanes.  As usual me being the unfriendly person in the pool with my quirks I have a strategy that keeps me in my own lane.  Sometimes.  I start at the opposite end of the pool then everyone else.  I do it because I like to be closer to the clock and secondly if I'm not stopping at the other end no one can, in theory, ask to share the lane with me.  Now it doesn't always work and today was one of those days.  In the fast lane at this point was the second swimmer/floater while in the lane on the other side of me had 2 individuals.  The very last lane was the lady walking up and down the pool still.  So I'm doing my 100's and in between the back and fly a guy motions to me about splitting the lane.  I yell that I'll take the left side.  I mumble shit and started my 100 fly.  The man was a floater.  Not a swimmer but he just sorta floated down the lane.  I did one arm passing him but on my return to the wall to turn at the 50 mark he was pretty much floating at the wall in the middle of the lane.  I was debating I can either just turn early before the wall or I should teach him a lesson and bash the living daylight out of him for being in my lane.  I stopped, huffed as loud as I could with my hands at my hips.  Mubled fuck and did turned around to finish my 100.  WTF.  You see the floater in the other lane, you see me swimming in a swimming pool and yet you Mr. Floater decided that I'm the lane for you to get into. 

At this point I'm discouraged with my workout.  I keep thinking that it is a meter pool but if it is yards then I'm struggling today.  What is up with my swimming.  So the negative thoughts are snow balling and now I got this.  Oh and with no backstroke flags and the lane lines staggered I could never figure out which lane lane color market was mine for my turns. 

5x100's Pull on 1:30 (500/3000)

So I when I started these 5x100's I told myself it was time to call it a day.  I've had enough.  I'm not feeling it.  I realized that I like swimming with a team so much better than being alone.  It's hard to motivate yourself in the pool.  I did a 50 then I took my stuff and walked to the other end.  Yes, I was a noodler for a bit. 

The pool itself isn't so bad.  No backstroke flags is a biggie but would have been okay if the pool lanes weren't staggered.  I guess in time I'd figure out which lane line to follow but damn it!  The gym itself is an oddly designed gym so this pool design shouldn't be so shocking.  The water temp was pretty good.  I'd say 80 F.  But another odd design element of the pool is that the water jets are at the ends of the lanes.  Everytime you come in for your flipturn you get a rush of warm water.  Because it is tucked away behind the building it was like a ghost town on this cloudy day.  Which I like.  I hate swimming and having people gawking around the pool.  Although I heard on sunny days the deck is filled with sun bathers. 

I give the pool a C+.  I'll swim in again.  Just next time I'll do lots of butterfly and never switch to one arm. 

I'm going to say this pool was yards and add it into this months yardage totals.  Tomorrow is LCM in Culver at 6am!  Wahoo!  Real Pool! 

MTD Yardage: 45,250
MTD LCM: 6,500
YTD Yardage: 109,450
YTD LCM 6,500

Journey To The Core

I keep on reading and hearing people talk about swimming with your core.  Use those little ab muscles to propel you.  Mind you I know in butterfly how important the core is to the stroke and try to do as much kicking butterfly on my back to work the core.  But at the gym I tend to skip working on my core / abs.  I do them for a few trips to the gym but when they are burning I stop and lay off of ab work for a while.  I don't do that with my other muscles but then again I think it's easier to deal with arm pain than core / ab pain. 

With that said today when I got into the pool my abs were so stiff and sore swimming my first 50 in the water was sad and yet hysterical to watch.  I couldn't reach my arms above my head and never mind even trying to do a flip turn.  I swam the slowest 300 in my history of swimming.  Stretching out my core muscles hoping that I'd be okay to swim today.  Of course once we started the warm up set it would be butterfly kick on your back.  Ouchie!

100 IM Drill 25 Fly one arm / 25 back fist / 25 breast with fly kick / 25 free fist
6x75's Kick on 1:30 (50 kick fly on back / 25 choice)  I missed the first two 75's but made the interval with some rest for the last two.  The ab / core muscles were a bit more limber.
100 Free Drill
5x50's Free on 40 (okay so we were suppose to do 6 of them but myself and another lane mate fell behind our lane leader so we dropped one.  it was partially that I was in pain, partially the leader left a few times too early and the fact that the leader did fist for the 100 free drill if it was even any drill at all)  (900/1200)

Main Set:
150 Free on 2:00
8x100's as follows
 - 100 free on 1:20
 -  50 free / 25 breast / 25 free on 1:25
 -  25 free / 25 back / 25 breast / 25 free on 1:30
 - 100 IM on 1:35
 - 100 free on 1:20
 -  50 free / 25 breast / 25 free on 1:25
 -  25 free / 25 back / 25 breast / 25 free on 1:30
 - 100 IM on 1:35 + an extra 15 seconds. 
150 Free on 2:00
4x100's as follows
 - 100 free on 1:20
 -  50 free / 25 breast / 25 free on 1:25
 -  25 free / 25 back / 25 breast / 25 free on 1:30
 - 100 IM on 1:35
Yeah those intervals were slow.  I was swimming with the medium-fast folks.  I was so okay with that today.  My times were off as I was feeling the core / ab pain all during today's workout.  After a 50 easy we started a warm down set (1550/2750)

4x50's Pulling Breath Control on 50 (200/2950)  And I finished it all up with another 50 warm down.  Total yardage of pain today 3,000.  I was going to workout on Saturday and take Sunday as a recovery day but after today I think I'll flip that around.  One thing I know is that I need to continue my ab / core work so that I don't feel like this ever again.  I can't just do it sporadically and expect to feel no pain.

MTD Yardage: 42,200
MTD LCM: 6,500
YTD Yardage: 106,400
YTD LCM 6,500

As for my MTD Yardage I'm behind last months and I'm okay with that.  When I factor in the MTD LCM's it's a wash.  I have at least one more LCM swim this month.  And I'm going to plan it to be at least 3,500 so I can break the 10,000 mark.

The 400: Hurt So Good

Last night I didn't warm down and boy did I feel it today.  Really felt it.  Even before I even entered the water I could feel it in my arms and legs.  Since I knew I needed to workout last nights lactic acid build up I for the first time was the first one in the water at 5:55am.  I warmed up a broken 700 starting off by swimming 100, kicking 100, swimming another 100, kicking yet another 100, pulling a 100, swimming a 100 and finishing up kicking a 100.

Today being Wednesday we broke into "distance free" and stroke lanes.  Us freestylers had to do a 50 distance per stroke while the coach set the stroke people off.  I did 18 strokes for the first 25 and 17 for the second.  Yeah my DPS is pretty bad.  Even worse when I'm sore from the previous swim. (50/750)

Warm Up Set:
4x50's Kick on 60 (well the coach said 10 seconds rest but i was leading so I just did them on a minute)
2x100's 50 Drill / 50 Swim  (300/1150)

400 Pulling.  First 200 breathing every 3/5/any/7 by 50 and the second 200 dps.  I used paddles for the first 300.  Didn't feel that muscle twinge that I got last night.  Maybe I was just sore in general.  Also I had a milk based protein shake before working out and with the water being so warm today I so thought I was going to hurl when I was doing my turns.  (500/1550)

Main Set:
4x100's on 1:25 Pace.  I was coming in on 1:14/15.
400.  I did this right on 4:59.  I so was trying to stay on the 1:15 pace.
400.  I came in 4 seconds faster.  I could have done better but at the 350 I was about to lap the last person in my lane but I told them to keep going.  I knew I was on a faster pace then the first 400 so I didn't care that much about the rest of the swim.  I thought I'd be pushing her to go faster which didn't happen.  Although I was only 4 seconds fasters my two lane mates fell apart.  These were to be descending 400's. 
4x100's Descend on 1:30.  I added 5 seconds to the interval just to have the clock squared up so I wouldn't have to do too much math this morning.  I dogged these and only came down to a 1:06 which I told the coach before would be my fastest one.  (1600/3150)

4x25's in the water sorta sprinting (100/3250)

Then we did a series of 25's.  4 off the blocks and 4 in the water.  So another 200 of swimming.  (200/3450)

We then did two rounds of deep end kicking and then I did about a 200 warmdown.  I was going to do more but I was beat.  (200/3650).  No swimming tomorrow but I'll push myself on Friday.  I havn't hit the Friday morning swim in some time and it usually is one of the hardest workouts of the week.  So I need to start going again.

MTD Yardage: 39,200
MTD LCM: 6,500
YTD Yardage: 103,400
YTD LCM 6,500

I broke the 100,000 yards mark!  So I'll be hitting a million by December!  And today's video is me biking to the pool.  Umm...yeah so I was a bit reckless and rode on the sidewalk at the end.  Oh well.  Enjoy West Hollywood on a cold dark morning...

Tuesday Night Swim

I so could get use to swimming every other day.  Oh wait that use to be my routine.  Of course my swim meet times were a lot slower but hey it's cold and it's been rainy out here in LA.  Who want's to swim in the rain?  On a side note as I was typing that last sentence the song "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" from High Society.  Which has to be one of my all time favorite movies.  Back to swimming...

So tonight I decided to bike to swim practice but somehow forgot how cold it was.  I left wearing only shorts and a tee shirt.  Brr..  The good or bad thing is that since it is winter the WeHo Pool is so hot I like the cold weather to cool off.  Tonight in swim you could see the steam rise off of my fellow team mates.  It was too much. 

I started my swim off with a mixed 600.  It was basically swim a 50 stop and fiddle around and then swim another 50.  I was slightly getting annoyed during warm up and a lane mate and I chatted it up about our pet peeves and bad habits of our fellow swimmers. I'll be the first to say that I'm high maintenance in the pool.  After that we did a warm up set:

3x
100 Kick
75 Drill
50 Swim (blast off - meaning you work the streamline and the first few strokes)
25 Swim
Round one was free, round two was back and round three was breast.  I skipped the 100 breast kick so my yardage for this set was 650.

Main Set:
3x
200 Free on 2:50.  This is a stretched up recovery 200 freestyle.  I just love it when people sprint these.  Really.  The third round I was leading the lane and I was going at a decent clip as the guy in the next lane was doing what looked to me an all out sprint. 
2x75's Stroke on 1:20.  These are fast.  We were told to work our stroke.
100 Free "Active Recovery" on 1:20.  My body can comprehend recovery and a 1:20 interval but that is just me.
4x50's on 50 Stroke.  Fast again.
I did all my stroke backstroke.  I started the first round 3rd in the lane, move up to 2nd for the middle round and was 1st the final round.  The other people are sprinter and don't pace themselves that well.  Which I knew in advanced and planned for.  I didn't want to start off leading and be pushed out of the gate.  (1950/3200)

We then did 6x100's Pull.  2 on 1:25 / 2 on 1:20 / 2 on 1:15.  I decided not to use paddles till the 2nd to last 100 but after a 50 I took them off.  Between all that backstroke and weights today I was having some shoulder pain.  I pretty much pulled back a bit hoping not to cause myself too much agony. (600/3800)

We finished up with 8x25's on 30.  Odds easy free Evens fast fly.  I went second as I was feeling that twitching pain in my shoulder.  Plus that last lane mate standing with me has a damn good butterfly.  (200/4000)

MTD Yardage: 35,550
MTD LCM: 6,500
YTD Yardage: 99,750 (oh i'm going to hit the 100,000 yards mark!)
YTD LCM 6,500

And that was it.  I plan on swimming tomorrow.  6am.  Bright and early!  Wahoo!  I was going to do a rant here about tonight but I'm too tired.  I need to eat.  Plus I took a minute to play with my new Flip Cam so without further ado introducing Joel's Video Blog-Cast #1:

I promise to get better at this!  Really.

The Calm Before Yet Another Rain Storm

Ahh...Sunday.   I had originally planned on hitting the gym first thing this morning but after over sleeping I was able to rationalize my way out of going.  I kept telling myself that since I was going to swim at 3pm I didn't have enough recovery time between weight training and swimming.  So I skipped going to the gym.  I did however make it to swim.  And after a pretty slow warm up I was able to get back on the seahorse and actually have a decent swim for a change. 

Warmed up a 350.

Warm Up Set:

2x
100 Drill
4x50's Kick
You know the workout isn't looking good when you miss the warm up intervals.  I skipped one of the 50's on the 100 drill and one 50 kick.  So instead of a 600 warm up set I did a  500 (500/850)

8x
75 IM
25 Free
Okay so our lane added some extra rest but it is a warm up set.  As for swimming the breaststroke it was more me walking on the bottom of the pool for 15 yards then two dives as if I was diving for coins and then two breaststroke strokes.  During this set I could see the main set on the white board and was debating on calling it a day.  (800/1650)

Main Set:
200 Free on 2:40
4x100's Free on 1:15
1x200 IM on 2:50
6x50's on 40
6x25's Stroke on 25 (I did these all backstroke)
We had three lanes on these intervals but at various parts we all sorta lost track of intervals and counts and eventually each lane finished at different times.  I messed up after the first 50 as I couldn't remember when I left.  We took some time to regroup before starting the 2nd round of this set.
200 Free on 2:40
4x100's Free on 1:15
1x200 IM on 2:60
6x50's on 40
6x25's Free on 20
I gotta admit I was feeling pretty good in the freestyle today.  For the first time in about two weeks I was able to keep the stroke together.  Don't know if the birthday manicure/pedicure just made me faster or just the day off yesterday from working out.  After swimming the buffing of my manicure has dulled a bit.  Damn chlorine!  The lady who did my pedicure commented on how soft the skin on my feet are.  Which I must say is all due to Mission Product Foot Synergy Gel.  (2500/4,150)

We then did 6x50's breath control and that was it.  (300/4,450)

It  was nice being in the water today once I got past the warmup.  It's a mind over matter thing but the mind doesn't always win.  Today is was crying defeat at around the first 25 of my swim. 

MTD Yardage: 31,550
MTD LCM: 6,500
YTD Yardage: 95,750
YTD LCM 6,500

Swimming tomorrow is up in the air as due to the President's Day Holiday we only have morning practice and that is threatened by the rain.   Either way I swear I'm going to the spin class tomorrow night.  I need to get more cross training cardio in.

Call It The Winter Blues

This past week something has gotten a hold of me when it comes to swimming as it's become a chore.  After swimming last night I woke up this morning and just didn't want to go swimming.  First I thought I'd sleep one more hour and hit the 7:15am.  That hour came and went and I decided to skip it.  Then around 5pm this evening I laid down watching television and ended up napping for an hour.  I know some people like to nap and can take a quick "disco nap" and spring back to life.  Me on the other hand is the opposite.  I take a nap and be warned you better stand back as I'm cranky and in general in a pissy mood.  With that said I decided to swim at the 7pm workout.  I figured it was only an hour so I could just loaf my way up and down the pool for an hour. 

I warmed up about a 350 before we started our warm up set.

4x150 Drill IM's
1st one 75 Free Drill which was swordfish
25 back drill which was one arm
25 breast drill which was 2 kicks per one stroke
25 butterfly drill which was 2 left arm strokes, 2 right arm strokes, 2 full strokes
2nd one was 25 free / 75 back / 25 breast / 25 fly
3rd one was 25 free / 25 back / 75 breast / 25 fly
4th one was 25 free / 25 back / 25 breast / 75 fly
as you can see we had a pattern going.  I forgot what the interval was but it was a pretty tight interval for drill work.  Tonight's coach tried to correct my drill work to which I snapped back something to the effect "do you want us to do them on the interval or do the drill right?"  I'll admit it wasn't right for me to snap like that I was still groggy from my nap.  But it does hold some truth as in general in most workouts we all seem to rush rush rush during the drill work.  Which makes doing the drill work pointless.  Plus being someone who is the most coordinated person doing drill work does get me off rhythm.  In butterfly doing one arm just tosses me stroke off that I develop a totally different stroke.  When we do the 2/2/2 drill it's like stop, go, stop, go, stop, go instead of a fluid fly.  Luckily the drill work was kept to just this part of workout.  (600/950)

Main Set:
4x100's IM on 1:40 (400)
4x75's IM no free on 1:20 (300)
4x50's fly / back on 60 (200)
4x25's fly on 30 (100)
The main set was pretty short and I swam in the slower fast lane by my own choice.  I just didn't care at this point.  At least it was another night of swimming and cardio work.  (1000/1,950)

After that I did a 50 warm down and got out.  A few brave folks stayed in and did some deep end kicking and I think some sprints.  Total workout was 2,000 yards.  Not a whole lot but considering how I'm swimming it was something.  As for the weekend I haven't decided my schedule yet.  Was thinking of resting tomorrow on my birthday and rest up for my afternoon mani/pedi before dinner and a movie with a friend.  Sunday I should wake up early, hit the gym and then swim in the afternoon. 

MTD Yardage: 27,100
MTD LCM: 6,500
YTD Yardage: 91,300
YTD LCM 6,500