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. 

October's Swimming Rear View Mirror

Just like in running my swimming in October was bittersweet.  I had one SCY Swim Meet and had a personal best in my 800 by three seconds but then tanked in both my butterfly and backstroke events.  My total yardage for the month was 40,025 yard and my total long course meters was 6,900.  Not the most impressive pool time but some very good swims.  If you add the 1,100 yards from the swim meet that still isn't a whole lot.  November yardage will be up a bit as I'll be adding in a Sunday workout.  Finally our Sunday afternoon swims are back.  Some years we have all summer and other years we start the afternoon swims in late September.  This year we are not only starting later but the swims are going to be only 75 minutes instead of 90.  I could start swimming in the mornings at the other pools but I like swimming Sunday afternoons.  Of course we will be having a different coach for the first time in my five years so we will see how much I still enjoy Sunday afternoons.  May have to wake up Saturday mornings and do our only LCM swim workout we still have left.

As for November besides the addiditonal one workout I think it'll be a relatively non-competitive month.  I could do a swim meet but most likely will just wait for Regionals in December.  Which I've yet to decide which events I'll swim.  I have a few weeks before the last minute entry deadline.  Which will be when I'm more inclined to enter.

Friday Night Short Axis / Half Axis of Evil Workout

Ahhh...butterfly.  F'...breaststroke.  That is how one can describe tonight's workout.  Since the pool was closed this morning I headed to the evening workout.  I actually enjoy most Friday night workouts as they are short.  Sixty minutes and you are done.  Of course it's usually all sprints but meh it's only an hour.  Tonight the workout was based on the short axis strokes. 

Warm Up

500 Mixed

Then we did 6x50's Kick.  I did them butterfly and breaststroke as they had to be of the short axis.  (300/800)

Then we did like 4x25's drilling of butterfly and only 2x25's of breaststroke.  (150/950)

Then we went on to a bunch of 25's and 50's

4x25's Fly on 30 (100)

3x50's Free on 45 (150/250)

6x25's Fly on 35 (150/400)

3x50's Free on 45 (150/550)

4x25's Fly on 25 (100/650/1600)

Then we moved on to the breaststroke part of the workout.

4x25's Breaststroke on 30 (100)

2x50's Free on 45 (100/200)

4x25's Breastroke on 35 (100/300)

1x50 Free on 45 (50/350)

2x25's Breaststoke on 25 (50/400/2000)

Then we just warmed down in which i did a 100.  So the last workout of the month was pretty easy.  It was nice to work on some fly.  I gotta admit that only doing a 25 at a time doesn't really do anything for me.  I always feel it's swimming the 50 that you either start to get the stroke in shape or you just fall apart.  But it's a short course pool so I guess 25's it is.  So 2100 yards for the workout.  Not bad.  And that ends another month.  NovemBrrrrrrrrrr! starts on Sunday!

Pumpkin Relay Swim Nite!

Tonight's workout was a fun workout.  Well most of it.  Well maybe just the end.  But fun is fun.  One of the coaches has this annual tradition of having a Pumpkin Relay in the workout.  Basically you swim or kick or some combo of both while holding a pumpkin.  Some think it's stupid and something that is best for kids under 12.  I love it.  I sorta like doing the stupid little fun things every so often.  Plus it's at the end of the workout when almost everyone has gotten out already.  I think when workout stated we had almost 30 swimmers in the pool and as time went on and on people got out.  When it was relay time we were down to 8 swimmers.  My relay won 2 out of the 3 Pumpkin Relays.  YEAH US!

As for the rest of the workout it was uneventful.  On Thursday nights we split between Stroke and Free Workouts.  I started in the Freestyle Lane but we soon grew to five swimmers.  I then looked a the Medium lane of the Freestyle and it too was busy.  So I moved over to the stroke which was less crowded.  But that really didn't work as the Fast Stroke Lane was super uber fast and the Medium Stroke Lane was a bit too slow.  I ended up swimming in the medium lane and got lots and lots of rest.  So I did some butterfly since I could rest.  I should have stayed in the Freestyle lane as one person got out right after warm up.  Mostly I didn't want to swim in the lane cuz' I was being immature and don't like swimming with a particular lane mate.  So Fly it was.

Warm Up
Did a 350 mixed pulling, swimming and some drill.
Then I did a 150 before switching lanes from free to stroke.  Then I did another 50 in the fast stroke lane before getting out.  I was about to leave the workout but the coach talked me into swimming in the medium lane.  (550)

Warm Up Stroke Set:
4 Rounds - IM Order (600)
75 Kick
50 Drill
25 Swim
4 Rounds  IM Order (300)
50 Drill 
25 Swim
4 Rounds IM Order (300)
25 Pull
50 Swim
The full set was 1200 yards (1200/1750)

Main Stroke Set:
Two Rounds (Did 1st One Back / 2nd One Fly)
100 Swim
50 Swim
25 Swim
25 Swim 
This set was only 400 yards (400/2150)

Hmm...thinking I'm missing a set in here.  Oh well.

Swim 200 Stroke (I did backstroke)
Swim 100 Stroke (I did butterfly)

Yeah.  I'm missing something.  Hmm... (300/2450)

Then it was RELAY TIME!

First Pumpkin Relay:
Holding the pumpkin with 2 hands.
 
Second Pumpkin Relay:
Holding the pumpkin out of the water.

Third Pumpkin Relay:
Anything goes but must at least touch the pumpkin with one hand.  

And that was that.  Swam one more 25 to get to the shallow end for a total of 2550 yards.  Fun easy workout.  

Brrr. Too Damn F'n Cold

Damn winter is here.  The last 24 hours the temps have plummeted and the wind has kicked up.  Swimming in the pool is like swimming in a forest.  Leaves are floating all over the pool.  As you swim you can feel them slowly go down your body and get caught in your hands while you swim.

Warmed up about a 450.

Then we did a long warm up.

2x25's Kick (50/50)

2x50's Kick (100/150)

2x75's IM Drill (150/300)

oh crap.  the workout was so long I can't remember it.  Some IM and Drill stuff.

2x200's Pull (400/700)

2x75's something ? (150/850)

2x50's Stroke (100/950)

2x25's Butterfly (50/1000)

It was a ladder so I must have missed something with 100's in it.  Oh well.  1450 Yards so far plus whatever I missed. Oh wait I remember 2x100's IM swim.  So we must have done another 2x100's of something.  So that is 1650 yards so far.

Then we did a 50 easy before our main set. Making the workout 1700 yards.

Main Set / 1700 Yards:

3x50's (2 stroke / 1 free) (150)

3x100's (2 stroke / 1 free) (300/450)

3x50's (2 stroke / 1 free) (150/600)

3x200's (2 IM / 1 Free) (I skipped a 100 in an IM to take a pee break) (500/1100)

3x50's (all free) (150/1250)

3x100's (all free) (300/1550)

3x50's warmdown (150/1700)

I was having shoulder issues all workout.  The cold air didn't help.  Felt like everytime we stopped the cold here just froze up my muscles.  Total yardage today 3400 yards.

I decided to hit the evening swim practice thinking that it's going to be cold in the morning and may want to stay in my warm bed.  Plus I didn't do anything today so swimming was it. 

Warm Up

150 Swim

4x75's Kick (300/450)

200 Pull (200/650)

4x25's Sprint (100/750)

Then we did a main set of 3 Rounds of 8x50's.  All the 50's were on 45.  First round was working on push off and stream line.  The second round was building within each 50. The third round was all fast. (1200/1950)

200 Easy (2150)

Then we did 2x200's FAST for time with the second one faster then the first.  I sorta dogged the first one an did a 2:17.  While I worked the second one and did a 2:08. (400/2550)

I think we did a 100 easy.  (2650)

Stroke Set:

100 Kick (i did butterfly) (100/2750)

200 Drill 25 / Swim 25 (i did IM) (200/2950)

400 50 kick / 25 drill / 25 swim (I did butterfly) (400/3350)

Then we did three rounds of 8x25's on 30.  Like the 50's earlier.  (did them all butterfly) (600/3950)

100 FAST for time.  I did butterfly.  Messed up my last turn and only did a 1:10. (100/4050)

I just warmed down a 50 and got out.  So 4100 Yards.  Not bad and lots of fly!  I got a month to get my fly mojo back!

Another Year Goes By And My Mantle Shelf Is Still Empty

After Saturday's swim meet I took the Sunday off from swimming.  In fact except for a run last night I pretty much took the day off.  I figured Saturday was enough.  I also figured I'd wake up this morning refreshed and ready to swim.  Of course I woke up and just hit snooze over and over again.  I finally gave in to the alarm and got ready for swim.  Well not so much ready but getting my stuff together.  As I went down the elevator I kept thinking bike or drive to the pool.  I decided to bike hoping that it would wake me up.  I got to the pool and still half asleep took my time getting into the pool.  Even once in the pool I pretty much just stood around chatting it up with anyone and everyone to avoid swimming.  I ended up warming up only a 100 yards of freestyle.

After the coach was done with the morning talk we went into a kick set.  It was 4 or so minutes of kicking.  She'd blow the whistle every so often and we'd sprint kick till she blew it again.  I think I did a 300 total.  

Then we continued with the normal morning warm up routine.  Three rounds of 50 Drill / 50 Swim taking 10 seconds rest between each round.  The drills were One Arm, Turn on 3 and Fist. (300/700)
 
Then a 400 Pull.  First 200 was breathing every 3/5/any/7 by 50 and second 400 was distance per stroke. (400/1100)

Main Set:
4x100's on 1:20 Building with in each 100
take 15 seconds rest
4x100's on 1:25 Descending each 100
take 15 seconds rest
4x100's on 1:30 Sprint
The first round I took pretty each.  Just making sure I had a few seconds rest.  Knowing I had the extra 15 seconds after the 4th made it easy to just cruise along.  The second round I may have descended I was just trying to get my heart rate up for the last round of sprints.  As for the sprints I did a 1:07 on each one.  Nothing to write home about but at least consistent. (1200/2300)

50 recovery

Then it was time to do some stroke.  Back to our regular warm up thingy.  25 Kick / 50 Drill / 25 Swim (i think).  One round for each stroke minus free.  I took a 50 off in the breaststroke as I was chatting it up with some of the arrivals for the 7:15 workout. (250/2600)

Then our stroke set.  Pretty short and easy.
2 Rounds:
100 IM on1:40
4x25's on 30
taking 15 seconds rest in between the rounds.  The first round I did the 25's backstroke and the second round butterfly. (400/3000)

3000 SCY.  All swam nice an easy.  A nice way to start the week and a recovery workout from the weekend.  

As for another year going by last night was our Annual Anniversary Party / Awards Banquet.  I was all ready to go but had some wardrobe issues and eventually a melt down.  I pretty much was running late and just said fuck it and stayed home.  In some ways I'm glad I stayed home.  I ended up going on a run which felt so great if not tiring and painful.  But great just to be out running, listening to music and just not thinking at all.  At the banquet a whole slew of awards are given out some fun and some really great pat on the backs.  I don't remember all of them but here is a quick run down:  Most Improved Swimmer of the Year, Hardest Worker of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Most Team Spirit, Double Whammy (usually given to someone with a bit of a story of hooking up at a swim meet) and The Golden Paddle Award for the one who cheats the most in workouts.  Now I am down right shocked that I didn't win the Golden Paddle Award.  I spend half of the year in the locker room peeing in order to avoid all kicking.  Most of the times I really have to pee as I just wait for the kick sets to get out.  Some of the times I really just get out to just get out.  I had my speech all ready if I had gone to the banquet.  It's basically my speech from 2004 when i thought I'd win Most Improved Swimmer of the Year.  That was my first year swimming.  I went from not being able to swim butterfly, backstroke or breaststroke and only being able to swim a 250 without stopping for 5 minutes and then slowly moved up to the fast lane.  I really thought that year I'd be a shoe in.  I didn't win.  The irony is that the person who won that year for Most Improved Swimmer was one of the winners of last nights Golden Paddle.  I guess I'll just spend the next year trying to win the Double Whammy!

Cough, Hack and Flip

I'm still coughing/hacking from my cold.  You'd think I'd be over it by now but nope.  Because I was coughing when I was swimming I felt like I wasn't getting enough oxygen and so as I got lazier and lazier as I got to my flip turn I'd raise my head like I would breath butterfly before my flip turn.  Over time the hacking got to be too much and I just gave up.  That and I just was tired.  Before going to practice I was debating in the first place.  I gotta admit that I'm worried about swimming an 800 SCM on Saturday.  Then again I do feel some relief that I can swim it and if I don't do a best time I already have the perfect excuse already at my arsenal. 

Warm Up

400

Then a 50 Swim before going on to

100 Kick / 50 Drill / 50 Swim

100 Kick / 50 Drill / 50 Swim (450/850)

Then we did a series of 400's  Well in theory we would have if I hadn't gotten out.

400 Pull on 5:40 (400/1250)

400 Pace on 5:30 (400/1650)

50 Easy (50/1700)

400 Pull on 5:45 (400/2100)

2x200's on 3:00 Minutes.  There were face 200's.  I can't remember what I did them on.  I do know they were crappy fast times. (400/2500)

Then I did a 50 easy and then only a 100 before I got out.  It was another 400 but I just felt like it was time to get out.  (150/2650)

I guess with being sick and my lackluster week swimming this week I should be tapered for Saturday.  Luckily the rest of the meet is all fun events.  Well maybe not fun events but only 50's and 100's.  Not my cup of tea so they'll be sorta fun events.

Tuesday Night Swimming

After swimming this morning and hitting the gym this afternoon I hit the pool once again for tonights swim practice. 

Warm Up

400 Pull

Warm Up Set:

3 Rounds

100 Kick

50 Drill (one arm / turn on 3 / fist)

100 Swim (Distance Per Stroke)

I forgot what the intervals were.  (450/850)

Then we did another warm up set.  I forget how many rounds.  I know we did at least two if not more. 

75 Swim Technique

50 Build

75 Fast

Once again I wasn't leading so I wasn't paying much to the intervals.  Since I don't remember how many we did let's low ball it and say we did two rounds ( 400/1250)

Then we did a main set which was all 25's.

Eight rounds of 4x25's on 25.  1st one easy / 2nd one build / 3rd one fast / 4th one sprint.  After the rounds 1-4 we took 10 seconds rest after each rould while 5-8 we took 20 seconds rest.  Mind you the whole workout was made up of easy intervals.  (400/1650)

That was the free part of workout.  Then we did some stroke work.

3 Rounds of

75 Kick / 50 Drill / 25 Swim (1 round of each stroke fly/back/breast) (450/2300)

Then a 25 easy (2325)

Then we did a stroke set.

3 Rounds:

50 easy on 60

25 on 30

25 on 45

100 on 1:45

I did round one backstroke, round two butterfly and started round three butterfly but we ran out of time so we skipped the 100.  (5000/2825)

Then we did 2x25's off the blocks.  Even though it was a bit cool tonight I didn't mind getting out and doing starts.  I need to do starts so I can get my track start down pat.  So the workout was 2875.  That doesnt' sound right.  I must have missed something or my math is off.  Oh well.

The workout was pretty easy as the make up of the lanes pushed us fast but not super fast swimmers into the medium lane intervals.  Two of us were just getting back after being sick so we wanted the easier interval.  The other guy in our lane I felt should have been in the medium lane to begin with so it all worked out. 

LCM IM-ish Workout

When I was making this morning's LCM swim workout I was thinking of Saturday's Swim Meet.  I was thinking what both I and one of my swim mates who joins me every week and what we will be swimming.  I figure anyone else will just swim along so I was able to tailor the workout towards this weekend.  Stroke wise this Saturday's meet is all 50's and 100's SCM.  The only "distance" freestyle is an 800 and a 200 SCM.  So I figured I'd make the workout a little bit of everything but an 800.

Warm UP (broken 1000 LCM):
300 Swim
300 Pull
300 Kick
100 Swim

Warm UP Set:
8x50's IM Order Odds Drill / Evens Swim (400/1400)

Main Set:
200 Free on 2:20
50 Fly on 1:10
100 IM on 2:00
50 Easy on 1:00
200 Free on 2:20
50 Back on 1:10
100 IM on 2:00
50 Easy on 1:00
200 Free on 2:20
50 Fly on 1:10
100 IM on 2:00
50 Easy on 1:00
200 Free on 2:20
50 Breast on 1:10
100 IM on 2:00
50 Easy on 1:00
The main set was only 1600 LCM.  As for the 100's in a LCM we'd just swim 1/2 a lap fly/back and a lap 1/2 breast/free to make it work.  I really should have made them 200 IM's but no need to go crazy. (1600/3000)

After a quick pee break we did 6x50's.  Odds Sprint / Evens Easy Free.  I did all my sprints butterfly. The total workout was only 3300 LCM.  Not the hardest of workouts but I got some butterfly in.  Got to admit my butterfly these days isn't so great.  To think that I will be swimming the 200 butterfly in about a month and a half at SPMA SCM Regionals sorta sounds insane right now.  I'll swim it and finish it but can't imagine I'll have a personal best.  But a lot can change in a month and a few days.