Speedy 200's Workout

Biked over to the 7pm swim practice.  Once in the pool I did a 400 swim, 300 pull and a 100 kick warm up.  Since it was St. Patty's Day the turnout was pretty light which I like. (800)

Warm Up Set:
3x100's Free 50 Kick / 50 Drill
3x100's Fly 50 Kick / 50 Drill

I skipped a 50 kick to take a pee break.  (550/1350)

50 easy (50/1400)

Right into the main set...

4x100's on 1:20 (I held a 1:10)
200 FAST on 3:00 I did this in a 2:12
3x100's on 1:20 (I held 1:10's)
200 FAST on 3:00 I did this also on 2:12 (same splits as the 1st 200 (1:08/1:04)
2x100's on 1:20 (slipped a bit to 1:13's)
200 FAST on 3:00 I did this on 2:11 (1:07/1:04)
100 on 1:20 (slowed up a bit to 1:14)
200 Fast I did this on 2:13
Main Set was 1800 yards.  And not easy either. 

50 easy and a pee break.  The coach then surprised us with another 200 fast.  I so wasn't in the mood for it.  After a 50 I gave up and got out of the pool.  Hey, It's The Biggest Loser night!  Plus I'll swim at 6am. 

Total yardage tonight 3,250.  But damn that was one hard 3,250.  It should have been at least another 150 yards.  I so should have sucked it up and done that last 200 but I just didn't care when I was swimming it.  Then in the shower I was kicking myself. 

MTD Yardage: 41,250
MTD LCM: 3,200

YTD Yardage: 155,900
YTD LCM 14,000

Aren't We Suppose To Ease Into Morning Mornings?

Damn.  Monday morning swim practice is not suppose to be this rough.  Monday is my technique and recovery swim.  Or least it use to be.  I actually had a good swim this morning making this the 2nd day / swim in a row that I felt some speed.  After a few down in the dumps months I feel better about my swimming. 

Warmed up a 200 swim followed by a 200 which was 50 drill / 50 swim.  Then I did a 100 Kick.  Then we stopped for morning announcements and did another 100 kick.  Full warm up was a 600.

We then went on to do some drill work.  Can't remember it all but after a 50 one arm drill we stopped and did it again as the coach said a majority of the swimmers were doing it wrong .  Whatever it was it was drill and swim.  So I know we did at least 100 of the one arm drill so that was another 100 warm up.  (100/700)

Then we did a 400 Pull. (400/1100)

Then 5x50's on 50 building within each 50.(250/1350)

Then it was my favorite part of the workout a 500 fast for time.  Funny how everyone was moaning about this and I was so happy.  Sure beats swimming 5x100's or 10x50's.  Everyone went off on the same time which makes it fun.  I was the only fast lane swimmer so I had to pace myself I started with a 1:07 for the first 100 and then slowed up before building each 100 after that.  Of course when I'm doing my turn at each 100 I stick my head out to look at my splits.  But to be honest I don't remember them but I did do a 5:36.  So that is not a bad time for a 500 yard free during practice for an old geezer like me.  Holding just above a 1:07 is something I can live with.(500/1850)

50 easy (50/1900)

Now we move onto stroke. 

2x
75 Kick
50 Drill
50 Swim
3x25's kick
I did the first round fly and the second round back.  (500/2400)

200 Broken as follows:
75 on 1:20
50 on 55
50 on 55
25 no interval.  This was race strategy and was choice of stroke but knowing that after the broken 200 we'd have to do the same stroke for a timed 200 of the same stroke.  I did the broken and the full 200 butterfly. (200/2600)

200 Butterfly FAST.  This was from in the water.  My first 100 I went out pretty good trying to keep my turns legal and fast while holding my stroke together.  I was neck in neck with the person swimming free in the lane next to me and the split was 1:10.  Then I lost it as I lost site of my freestyler.  I was feeling tired and my 2nd 100 wasn't as fast as I came in with a 1:15 giving me a 200 fly time of 2:25.  Which for a yard 200 fly at the very end of workout is good for me.  I wanna say the last 6 months or longer I've been lucky to do a 200 fly fast at the 2:30 mark.  (200/2800)

After that I warmed down a 150.  I wanted to do more but the 7:15'ers were hoping in the water.  (150/2950).  So overall between yesterday and today I feel pretty good.  Of course I always have cycles of good and bad swims.  I just need to feed off these good swims to keep me motivated over the next few weeks.  The total yardage for this workout is 2950.  It was more but I don't remember all the warm up.  Doh!

MMTD Yardage: 38,000
MTD LCM: 3,200
YTD Yardage: 152,650
YTD LCM 14,000

Sunday Afternoon Fast Swim

After hitting the gym for weight training this morning I pretty knew I'd go swimming today.  But I was hoping for an easy workout.  I don't know why I think that going into the Sunday afternoon workout because they are never easy.  I started off the workout with a bad attitude but had a good streak going for a bit during the workout. Maybe it was swimming off the draft of the swimmer leading the lane but I had a good run during the freestyle part of the workout.  The warmup was the worst part of the workout for me as it always is.  I'll go more into that at the end of this post.

Warmed Up a 400 on my own before we started the more structured warm up.  The structured warm up was divided into two components.  The first half I can't remember as it was almost 6 hours ago.  I know it was free and stroke, drill and swim but how many and the other part is a blur.  I know we had to do at least 6x50's drill as the odds were free and we were give specific drills to do: fist, finger tip drag and one arm.  The evens were stroke and I did them backstroke.  As usual the drill intervals were a bit fast for my liking so in the stroke part as I drilled one arm backstroke I added a little fly kick every so often and instead of rotating my body I stayed flat trying to just muscle my way down the pool.  We did a few 50's kick also two of which at the very least I hit the restroom for.  Once again the interval for the kicking was a bit too fast for my liking. 

The second part of the warm up is a bit more clear to me even if I don't remember the interval.  We did the following 2x's: 25 Free / 100 Free / 75 IM / 25 Stroke.  I remember the intervals were tight but it was the normal bring the heart rate up before the main set warm up set.  So with what I remember actually swimming I'm up to about 500 yards since I don't remember much of the 1st half of warmup.

Main Set:
250 Free on 3:10
3x50's Free descend on 50
200 Free Sprint no interval
50 easy

250 Free on 3:10
3x50's Free descend on 50
150 Free Sprint no interval
50 easy

250 Stroke (i don't remember the intervals for the rest of the set as it was stroke)
3x50's Stroke descend
100 Stroke Sprint no interval
50 easy

250 Stroke
3x50's Stroke Descend
50 Sprint Stroke
50 easy

That was the main set all 2300 yards of it.  In each round of the stroke the stroke had to stay the same so th eround with the 100 sprint I did backstroke and the last round with the 50 I did butterfly.  We got some rest after easy easy 50.  The free rounds were so easy.  Maybe it was the draft but I was cruising.  The 200 free sprint was the fastest 200 I've done in workout in almost a year.  I was shocked!  Of course the 1st round of the stroke I did back and loafed it.  I made the intervals and all but I didn't put as much effort as I did the freestyle rounds.  But I worked that fly and the 250 of it wasn't so bad.  My turns sucked ass but I felt good swimming. 

Since the last part of the workout was under/overs of 6x50's I just did another easy 50 and got out.  I'm not a fan of under/overs.  So the total workout was 4300 yards.  Sundays are a tough workout.  As is the coach which is good although I so would rather swim at a slower pace.  It felt good to be cruising but boy will I be feeling it tomorrow. 

MMTD Yardage: 35,050
MTD LCM: 3,200
YTD Yardage: 149,700
YTD LCM 14,000

Okay so now drilling on intervals.  I love drilling  I like to slow up and tweak my stroke as I know only with proper or at least better technique is key to make me go faster.  That is one of the reasons I love those low yardage workouts when the coach has us do drills a 25 or a 50 at a time on no interval. Mind you it would take up too much time to do this every workout but today like several recent workouts the drills were at a bit of a faster pace for my liking.  So instead of doing the backstroke right I added butterfly kick and just drilled to make the interval.  Which goes against why we drill.  So when I was doing my backstroke drill the coach tried to correct me and I snapped at her.  Since I was getting about 5 seconds rest when she went to correct me I just snapped "I know I'm doing it wrong" and I pushed off at the alloted time.  So when I got out at the end of the workout she called me over to ask me if I wanted critique.  I told her yes and explained my frustration with the drill intervals.  So we chatted a bit and she told me when I'm having a hard time making the intervals to let her know.  Which I'll do but the others in the lane won't go for slower intervals.  I was thinking during warm up sets I'll just move down a lane and just hope by the time we are done with drilling we will all start the main set at the same time.  Which is not always the case.  It's getting frustrating when no matter how hard I try I miss most kicking and drill intervals.  Then when we do get to the main set I go from being last to either first or second in the lane.  I guess the whole is great then the sum of it's parts at least for my swimming.  Pull it apart and this fast lane swimmer goes to a medium lane driller and kicker.

One Too Much.

Before my alarm went off I was awake so I decided what the hell and went to the 6am workout.  When we all got to the pool the pH level was off so we had to wait about to 6:10 to get in the water.  Normally I'd be unhappy about the delay but once I got swimming an abbreviated workout was fine with me.

Warmed up about a 200 before we stopped for a structured warm up set.

300 Kick on 4:30.  WTF.  Warm up kicking on a 1:30 base.  I can get to one 100 kick if I'm warmed up on a very good day on the 1:30 but not hold a 1:30 kick base.  Myself and my lane mate who also can't kick got lapped by everyone including the medium lanes.  So we skipped a 100 and just did 2x100's free 50 drill / 50 swim and 2x100 IM drill.  I don't even know if those were on an interval.  I just waited to my lane mate got into the wall and went on the next rounded up 5 or 10 on the clock.  (700/900)

Then we did a few 75's.  Jeez...what was it.  Well we did at least 4 if not more.  And I know with the interval I had less than 2:10 seconds rest.  I got to admit that the combination of being tired and sore from yesterday and starting off with a kick set with an interval that was impossible my mind went to the darkside and gave up for this set and eventually the entire workout.  (300/1200)

Main Set:
200 IM on 3:10
6x100's IM on 1:45 ( or 1:35 it all is a blur - I missed #3 to take a potty break so that was 5x100's on me.  Oh and breaststroke went out the window as no one was doing the fly so my reasoning was they don't do fly I don't do breast.  I did extra backstroke.
200 IM.  This was to be fast but I just couldn't.  Already feeling unmotivated once we started this 200 and people did freestyle during all or some of the fly I was like fuck it and took it easy.  (900/2100)

Then we rested before starting the next part.
100 Free on 1:20
6x50's Free on 45.  1st 50 the first 1/2 sprint, 2nd 50 the middle was sprint and the 3rd fifty the last half was fast.  Repeat
100 Free on 1:20 (500/2600)

Then we rested before finishing up the set.
50 Choice.  Did backstroke
6x25's on 30  Did 3 fly and 3 back.
50 Choice Fast.  I did it butterfly. (250/2850)

I was so beat I didn't bother to warm down.  The 6am fast lanes weren't that difficult and pretty much in any other workout would have been medium lanes so once again I got a break.  And I needed it.  I did work my fly even if it was killing me.  Also in the freestyle I was once again working those turns.  Mind you I didn't tuck in my chin as I still am looking for the wall.  But I am keeping my hands on my side and none of the hand waving dance moves and touching the bottom of the pool.  So at least I'm getting that part of the turn right.  Also I'm doing my best to keep my feet planted to the wall at shoulder length instead of planted together with no space in between.  I'm noticing that I'm getting more omph off the wall but slow down when I start kicking.  Damn legs!

Now I can rest and recovery until Sunday.  Wahoo!  Total yardage this monring was on ly 2,850.  What a difference 10 minutes can make.

MTD Yardage: 30,750
MTD LCM: 3,200
YTD Yardage: 145,400
YTD LCM 14,000

Would You Like Some Butterfly To Go With That Butterfly?

Earlier today I told myself that I'd either go running or hit a spin class.  As the day wore on I decided it was too chilly for a run.  Not that I want to run when it's 90 degrees but it was a bit chilly.  So then I thought I'd go to spin class but since I haven't been in a spin class in some time I decided to skip it.  Instead I went swimming.  I told myself that I'd get out after the first hour.  I can handle 60 minutes.  Plus I'll go easy.  Famous last words.

Warmed up a 400 on my own.  200 Swim / 100 Kick / 100 Swim

Then we had a warm up set.  I don't remember it all.  It was a 50 kick, followed by something, then another 50 kick then maybe at some point a 200 IM Drill.  We did it twice.  I missed a 100 of the first 200 drill for a pee break.  As I was waiting to jump in I noticed the lane line shifting back and forth as people drilled backstroke.  Let's just say this warm up was a 600 even though it was more.  Now I remember.  Add in 2x100's Free one of them breathing 3/5 by 50 and the other 5/7 by 50.  (900/1300)

Then we did 8x50's.  The first four your worst stroke and the second four your best stroke.  So I did breaststroke and backstroke.  I did backstroke as my butterfly as been pretty crappy lately so backstroke is my new best stroke.  Sorta.  (400/1700)

Main Set:
100 Stroke on 1:35
50 Free on 50
150 IM on 2:20
50 Free on 50
200 Stroke on 3:15
50 Free on 50
150 IM on 2:20
50 Free on 50
100 Stroke on 1:35
50 Free on 50
150 IM on 2:20
50 Free on 50
200 Stroke on 3:15
50 Free on 50
150 IM on 2:20
50 Free on 50
100 Stroke on 1:35
Those intervals might not be right but they are close enough.  I did all the stroke butterfly.  Butterfliers had the option of swimming fly down and free back but I wanted to torture myself and do it all fly.  The person behind me opted for the fly/free and the other two lane mates swim back and breast.  My butterfly had it's moments.  The first 25 was always the best as I was leading and could  swim the whole length without having to go to one arm to avoid swimmers swimming the opposite way.  Then after that it became a battle of getting into a grove then stopping to go one arm and starting it up again.  On the second 200 fly I was also trying to hold on as the person behind me kept on catching up to me on the even laps that he swam freestyle.  Which kept me trying to go faster and work on keeping my stroke together.  Also I think I finally got into  a good stroke pattern which I haven't been able to do since last summer.  I guess swimming 800 yards fly you have no choice but to do it right or die. (1500/3200)

100 easy (100/3300)

Last Set:  Freestyle
2x
25 on 30
50 on 59
75 fast on 60
100 on 1:30
75 on 1:10
50 fast on 50 (750/4050)

Then I warmed down a 100 and practiced a few flips turns.  My turns are getting better I just need to let go and use "the force" as I go into my turn.  Right before I flip I keep my head up which I know I should be tucking in my chin and have faith that the wall will be there.  So I did a few turns tucking in my chin.  I'm not ready to try that while swimming a set.  So afraid I'll kill myself.  But I was the only one left warming down in my lane so I did three flips.  The workout was 4150 yards.  I don't know if I'll be swimming tomorrow morning.  My body is going to be sore in the morning.  Between weights this morning then this workout.  Oy!  I'll set my alarm but I doubt I'll go.  Which means a nighttime sprint workout.  Ugh!

MTD Yardage: 27,900
MTD LCM: 3,200
YTD Yardage: 142,550
YTD LCM 14,000

Why Does It Have To Be So Dark Outside In The Morning?

This morning I was awaken by a text on my phone around 4:45am.  Thinking that I had forgotten to set my alarm last night I reached for my phone thinking it was my daily weather report text which comes in around 5:10am every day.  Reassured that I had at least 15 minutes in my warm bed I rolled over.  I think I dozed off for a bit as before I knew it my alarm was going off.  it was now 5am and I need to get myself into gear for the 6am workout.  But my body said not yet and hit the snooze button.  When the alarm went off again it was swim or sleep time.  I grabbed my phone and turned off the alarm then slowly got ready for swim.  Daylight savings time has made rising so early for practice so much harder as my room is pitch black in the morning when I wake up. 

I did make it to the pool and got in the water almost right at 6am.  It was too cold to be chatting it up on deck.  After my first 100 of the warmup a teammate who forgotten to pack goggles ask me if I had an extra pair.  Which I do as I always have 2 extra pairs and sometimes extra suits.  Just in case.  I hopped out of the very warm water onto the deck and I swear the water on me was freezing as I looked in my bag for the goggles.  I ran back into the pool as soon as I could.  That was the last time I got out of the water for the entire workout.  No pee breaks even during the kick sets.  It was that cold. 

Warm Up
300 Swim
4x75's Kick Odds 50 kicking on your side with an underwater arm recovery / 25 kick no board on stomach.  Evens were 25 kicking no board on stomach / 50 same as the first 50. 
4x75's 50 Drill / 25 Swim.  Drills - One Arm, 3 Strokes / 3 Kicks on side / 3 Strokes, Finger Tip Drag and Fist. (900) 

I like how we are having more structured warmups now.  It gives us more time to swim a longer main set.  Before it seemed like we warmed up for 40 minutes including a 10 minute anything goes warm up.  That anything goes usually meant lots of standing around chatting it up.

300 Pull (200 Breathing 3/5/any/7 and 100 DPS) (300/1200)

100 Swim Distance Per Stroke.  1st 25 Counting Your Strokes (19), 2nd Minus 1 Stroke (17), 3rd Minus 2 (17 again), 4th Back to your original stroke count (21).  I really need to work on my DPS.  When I do these sets I try to avoid the cheating that can include super long underwater or really stretched out strokes with extra kicking almost like doing swordfish. (100/1300)

Main Set:
4x400's Descending As Follows
1st 400 Swim on 5:15.  I did a 4:53.
2nd 400 Split into 2x200's taking 15 seconds rest between each 200.  The 400 interval was 5:30.  I did a 4:53 again.
3rd 400 Split into 4x100's taking 10 seconds rest between each 100.  The 400 interval was 5:45.  I did a 4:46.
4th 400 Swim.  I did a 4:40. 
I felt good during the last 400 but I could have gone a bit faster on the end.  The water was warm and I was just sorta slowing up at the walls and lazily flipping at my turns.  When I get warm in the water the turns are the first thing to go.  I don't feel like extending the energy at the wall I just want to take a quick rest in motion.  (1600/2900)

50 easy. (50/2950)

10x50's on 50.  Working the turns and underwater streamline.  Coming up between the flags and the black line (15 yard mark).  I was so beat from the 4x400's I took them easy.  I worked my turns and underwater recovery.  The coach said that my turns are better but I need to tuck my chin and really kick faster.  Being pretty good in butterfly I really don't do that good of a underwater butterfly kick at my turns.  (500/3450)

50 easy (50/3500)  I swam in the wall lane today and during some of the early part of each 400 I hit the wall at least once after I surfaced.  At the beginning of each 400 the person behind me and I were still 5 seconds apart so when I was surfacing he was going into his turn.  The surge of water pushed me against the wall each time.  Luckily as the 400's went on the distance between us grew so I only had to worry about the surge every so often.  This happens to me all the time in workouts when I swim freestyle.  I think I must be surfacing with no motion so my body gets hit by the surge and is thrown aside.  I think I pause for a second or so.  Or I might just surface way over to my right and as I swim gravitate to the middle of the lane.  I know that when we are swimming a distance free set as the distance between me and the swimmer behind me grows I slowly move to the middle after he passes by me as I'm entering the  wall.  Trying to avoid the various waves of the pool and get use to swimming in the middle for swim meets.  This weekend at CalTech I witness a lot of swimmers, including me, racing while circle swimming instead of swimming down the middle of hte lane.  I can beat that none of us was thinking like Jason Lezak and swimming off the draft of the other swimmer.  We were swimming based on swim practice habits. 

Well that is enough swimming to at least Friday! 

MTD Yardage: 23,750
MTD LCM: 3,200
YTD Yardage: 138,400
YTD LCM 14,000

Left, Right, Chew Gum. Pull, Kick, Pull. Repeat

Tuesday is LCM and I got to admit I love LCM.  Which is odd as I use to fear LCM.  The main set this morning was ten 100's at a descending interval.  If that was short course I would have hated the set and died but swimming it long course it was a breeze.  I started off with a stretched out stroke and slowly worked on my turnover and added in a bit of a kick.  Kicking and swimming at the same time is a foreign concept to me in freestyle.  When I'm swimming short course the walls come up to fast for me to even think about kicking and swimming as I'm just thinking make the interval.  But swimming in a long course pool I have all that extra time before the wall to think about kicking and working my pull.  I should readjust my daily workout routine to swim LCM on Saturday with the team but I sorta like sleeping in and doing nothing on Saturdays. 

As for today I was a bit late so we warmed up a 300 swim and a 300 pull. (600)

8x100's 10 seconds rest 50 Drill / 50 Swim.  I did 2 of each of the following: finger tip drag, 3 count (3 strokes, kick 3, switch to other side for 3 strokes), fist and one arm. (900/1400)

Main Set:
10x100's Free style
    4 on 1:45
    3x on 1:35
    2x on 1:25
    1 on 1:20.
For this set I was keeping it under the 1:25 for all of them except the last one I did a 1:14.  Not great but not bad after 9x100's LCM.  The first 7 I kept on pace then tried to go a bit faster for the last 3 as the interval got tighter. (10002400)

100 easy (100/2500)

3x200's on 3:00.  I wanted to do them on a faster interval but that wasn't happening.  I pulled the first one with paddles, the second one pulling without paddles and just swam the last one. (600/3100)

Warmed down a100 for a total of 3,200 LCM's for the workout.  The goal was for me to put in 4,000 meters but I was late so I chopped off a 300 kick and 100 swim in the warmup and a 200 pulling breath control.  Then the workout ended at 3,500 so I was going to add in a little stroke set at the end on my own.  But I had enough.  Plus I had my bike to ride home.  I will admit I took the bus to the pool because I was being lazy.  But I told myself to ride home.  I'm not training for any bike ride but I'm trying to bike the ride home as it is a gradual up hill ride so I figured good for the legs.  And I'm really trying to get my legs stronger for the day when I figure out the magic formula of kicking and swimming at the same time.  Mind you I can't chew gum and walk at the same time so kicking while swimming will be a challenge.

MTD Yardage: 20,250
MTD LCM: 3,200
YTD Yardage: 134,900
YTD LCM 14,000

Monday Morning Swim Action - No Recovery Just Pain

This morning after a bit of a struggle I was able to pull myself out of bed and head to the pool for 6am workout.  Now that I'm done with the workout I am glad I went.  Since one of the 7:15 fast swimmers came at 6 I was pushed the whole workout.  I needed that! 

Warm Up
300 Free
100 Kick.  Well I started to do the kick portion of the warmup but the coach stopped us so we could all do the warm up together so I ended up with an extra 100 kick.
4x100's Kick. 100 free kick no board / 50 free - 50 stroke / 50 stroke - 50 free /100 stroke
4x100's 50 drill / 50 swim.  One Arm, 3 Free / 3 Back, Finger tip drag and Fist.  I've actually have to stop and work on my finger tip drag.  As it is the easiest and fastest drill I've gotten lazy in it.  I shorten my stroke and just thrash around.  So today I worked on extending my stroke with finger tip drag. (1200)

300 Pull.  First 200 breathing every 3/5/any/7.  Last 100 DPA (300/1500)

Free Set:
Shit.  I hate when I can't remember the workout.
1x100 on 1:15
1x50 recovery kick with underwater pull on 50 (50/150)
2x100's on 1:15 (200/350)
1x50 recovery kick with underwater pull on 50 (50/400)
4x100's on 1:15 (400/800)
1x50 recovery free (50/850)
2x100's on 1:10 (300/1050)
1x50 recovery free (50/1100)
1x100 Fast (100/1200)
That sorta sounds right.  (1200/2700).  I was leading and being pushed by the other fast swimmer.  Otherwise I would have dogged these.  Between the meet and weight training I was really pushing myself today.  It was a good pain to be in.

100 easy (100/2800)

Stroke
2x(75 kick/50 drill / 25 swim)(300/3100)

Stroke Set:
2x100's on 1:45 (200)
50 easy on 60 (50/250)
3x50's on 60 (150/400)
50 easy on 60 (50/450)
4x25's on 30 (100/550)
I did all the stroke today butterfly as we had to do the same stroke for the whole stroke portion.  I was feeling tired but good.  My fly today felt more in synch then it did yesterday.  (550/3650)

Then I did a 100 warmdown.  This would have been a tough workout even if yesterday was just a relaxing day.  I feel pretty good that I was able to hold my own even with my gym going and swim meet from yesterday. 

At the meet yesterday there was this one guy who must have sandbagged his times as he was in the very fist heat of every event.  Well not only was he fast but he had a 6-pack that you only see on airbrushed magazine covers.  So last night at the gym I really pushed my ab workout.  That guy was my inspiration.  So today in butterfly I was feeling my abs burning.  Which is a good thing.   Whenever I am at the gym and want to give up on my ab routine I just got to remember that guy on the blocks and that'll push me! 

MTD Yardage: 20,250
MTD LCM: 0
YTD Yardage: 134,900
YTD LCM 9,800

Friday Night Pentathlon Workout

If I never swim an IM again I'll be happy.  Tonight's workout was all about Sunday's CalTech Pentathlon meet.  The workout started with an assigned warm up but I did my own thing swimming a 200 freestyle then pulling a 300 freestyle. Then we went to the deep end for 6 minutes of deep end kicking.  I think it was 6 minutes.  More or less it was a killer.  20 seconds hands out of water, 20 seconds elbows out of water and 20 seconds  streamlined position.  Butterfly kick, Breaststroke kick and Freestyle kick.  Two rounds. 

Then we did 4x100's IM Drill.  I tried to get out of one by taking a pee break but the coach stopped everyone to give a drill tutorial.  Doh!  I did manage to miss a 25 of one of the 100's. (375/875)

Main Set:
4x50's Free
100 IM
4x50's Breast
100 IM
4x50's Back
100 IM
4x50's Fly
100 IM
I don't know the intervals.  I was having a hard time of it tonight.  Damn sprints!  (1200/2075)

50 easy (2125)  Friday workout is only an hour! Wahoo!

3x25's on 30.  Okay the coach said 6 and they were to be sprints.  I used 3 of then as a warm down.  (75/2250)  I like the Friday coach but I don't like how he has this thing for making us start in the deep end.  I like to stand during my rest.  I hate having to hold on  to the wall which means I end up putting pressure on one arm and shoulder.  With all this sprinting and IM I actually missed the Friday Morning Kick-My-Ass workout. 

MTD Yardage: 16,500
MTD LCM: 0
YTD Yardage: 131,150
YTD LCM 9,800

First Came The Piano, Then Came The Orchestra

Let the recovery begin.  This morning I got up and made it to the 6am swim practice but I don't know if it was a good thing or not.  If the piano dropped on me last night when swimming this morning the whole orchestra came crashing down.  Pulling which is normally my favorite part of the workout became utterly painful. 

Warmed up a 300 followed by

4x100's Drill 50 / Swim 50 take 5 seconds rest.  Then some kicking.  I so can't remember.  Swimming back to back workouts make them all blur together.  (400/700)

Main Set:
300 Pull
2x400's Swim on 5:45. 
200 Pull (it was a 300 but I ran to the restroom)
4x200's on 2:55
I think that was it.  Intervals were slow but boy did I enjoy them.  If the intervals were the normal pace I might have just given up.  Although at times I would feel strong for a 50 here and there then the orchestra came and knocked me back a bit.  I was coming in on 2:25 for the 200's.  Which isn't great but considering the workouts this week I'm okay with it.  I still feel like I've yet to recover from the 10x100's on Monday.  (2,100/2,800)

300 IM 25 Kick / 25 Drill / 25 Swim.  I used this as my warmdown.  Making this workout 3,100 yards.  Hmm...I must be missing a few sets.  I needed a day to start my recovery.  The rain is back in LA for the next few days so I most likely won't be running outside.  And running on the treadmill is something I hate.  I agree with Wendy that the treadmill should be called the dread-mill.  I'll let my body recovery with only weights planned for tomorrow. 

MTD Yardage: 14,250
MTD LCM: 0
YTD Yardage: 128,900
YTD LCM 9,800