Sunday Gym & Swim Wrap Up

After swimming this morning I took a bit of a nap.  Then it was time to hit the gym for some weight training.  Then it was back to the pool for my friend Amy's weekly swim lesson.  Since the street to the pool was closed off for an Emmy Party the pool was pretty empty.  For a bit Amy swam in one lane while I swam in the other.  It was mostly 25's of drilling and swimming.  I did about a 1000 yards with her then after while she was getting dressed I did another 1000 yards.  So 2,000 yards in addition to the 3,500 yards I did this morning. 

Sunday Morning Lap Swim

This morning I was lucky enough to swim with three of the nicest women in the world.  I made it to this mornings lap swim and jumped in the line with a few of my swim mates.  The intervals of the workout that we did were not hard but each part of the workout was set up to work on various aspects of swimming.

Warm Up 500

Then we did some kicking and some drill work.  We did a total of four 50's for each of the following drills:   swimming but doing a flip turn-like at the black line of each 25 plus working the turn at the wall, then kicking , fist pulling (ouchie) and just swimming

4x125's Free descend on 2 minutes

4x75's Descend I did these backstroke

300 Pull

We also did a few IM kicks but doing correct IM turns.

8x25's odds fast evens easy. I did 2 of the fast 25's butterfly.  All on 35

I don't remmber every part of the workout as it was several hours ago.  But it was a nice swim.  I worked on my turns and various aspects of my stroke.  My swim mates have many years experience swimming and know more about swimming than I will ever know so it was good getting critique.  One thing that was mentioned to me was my turns which every coach has tried to help me with but they way it was explained to me this morning made more sense then what I've heard at various turn clinics and such.  Something to think about during the next few swims.

Friday Night Swim

Damn I feel like a slacker.  The last few weeks I've been cherry picking my workouts to get what I felt were comfortable workouts.  Not easy but not really pushing me.  Tonight the last few weeks of slacking off really showed.  It wasn't that tonights workout was a touch workout it was the usual Friday stroke sprint workout.  What really got to me was the lack of any feeling for swimming tonight.  I had no speed in my backstroke.  I'm normally pretty bad in breaststroke but tonight I was even more so then usual.  And butterfly well it felt like it was my first time swimming the damn stroke.  Next week I really need to mix up my workouts and get an ass kicking workout in. 

Warm Up

600 I mixed it up with pulling, swimming, some backstroke and some kicking.

4x150 Reverse IM 75 kick/50drill/25swim.  (600/1200)

300 Free Pull breathing every 3/5/7 by 50.  This was the only part of the workout I felt sorta good at. In general I just didn't feel "it" tonight.  (300/1500)

Main Set:

4x25's Free on 25 (100)

4x50's Stroke I did backstroke (200/300)

2x100's IM (200/500)

rest a bit

4x25's Free (100/600)

4x50's Stroke I did breaststroke...ugh! (200/800)

3x100's Free on 1:20 (300/1100)

rest a bit

4x25's Stroke I did butterfly (100/1200)

4x50's Free (200/1400)

And then I got out.  I don't remember the intervals. The rest of the set was 4x100's stroke.  If I wasn't in the bathroom when the set was being explained I would have realized that the 4x100's had to be the same stroke as the 4x25's.  The set was really broken into 4 sections and you had to pick a stroke for each part and not repeat the stroke.  I should have started with fly and breast and save the last part for backstroke.  In the past 4x100's fly would have been doable but not anymore.  I'm so out of shape.  Well not out of shape but not at the top of my swimming. 2900 yard workout.

Lap Swim Workout

This morning I met up with a swim mate and hit the 6:30am lap swim.  The workout wasn't the hardest workout ever but it got me back in the water.  I felt a bit slow and sore at first but slowly worked my way to a decent pace.  I don't know why I felt so icky I figured after taking yesterday off my body would be fully recovered.  Later today I'll be hitting the gym and tonight going to run 5 miles with the Nike LA Run Club.

Warm Up

200 Swim

200 Pull

200 Kick

100 Swim (700)

The warm up and workout set is from a set I gave us some time ago.  Even though I made it up myself I kept forgetting what we were doing.  I know we did more for warm up but it's a blur.  I remember doing 6x50's but I also remember doing some drill work.  Doh! (300/1000)

Main Set:

4 Rounds -

50 Swim Build on 60 (50)

25 Sprnt on 30 (75)

25 Easy on 30 (100)

75 Swim Build on 1:10 (175)

25 Sprint on 30 (200)

25 Easy on 30 (225)

100 Swim Build on 1:40 (325)

50 Sprint on 40 (375)

25 Easy (400/1600/2600)

The first three rounds I did all free.  The fourth round I did the sprints backstroke.  My swim mate left after the third round.  I was about to start a 5 round and was planning a 6th round but stopped after a 50 pull.  As my swim mate left a lap swimmer joined me in my lane.  This swimmer was not a fast lane swimmer.  The first 50 I gave her a 30 second lead and I caught her.  I was about to start a 25 fast when after giving her a head start I caught up to her within three strokes.  I stopped myself at that point and walked back to the wall and got out.  Oh well a little workout is better then no workout.  Maybe I'll do a double on Friday.

Tuesday Trifecta

After my morning run of 14+ miles I hit the gym this afternoon.  Worked on my arms/chest and back.  Then recovered a bit before heading to the 7pm swim workout.  Got to say that by the end of the workout I was beat.

Luckily the swim workout wasn't all that bad. 

Warm Up

400 Swim

4x50's Kick

4x100's (50 Drill / 50 Swim)

So warm up was a 1,000 yards.  Which is the perfect amount of warm up.

Main Set:

4x150's on 2:05 1st one the 1st 50 fast, 2nd one the 2nd 50 fast, 3rd one the 3rd 50 fast and the last one was all fast (600)

15 secs rest

4x50's kick on 60 (200800)

15 secs rest

4x100's on 1:20 (400/1200)

15 secds erst

4x50's kick on 60 (200/1400)

opps...forgot about the 400 pull before th main set making it 2,800 yards.

50 easy of anything but free 2,850

3x150 (50 kick/50 drill/50 swim) did them im order (450/3,300)

Stroke Set:

2x

4x50's on 60

4x25s kick on 35

did the first round back and second round all fly (600/3,900)

hmm...then we did a 100 breaststroke for torture.  then i wamred down a 50 Total yardage was 4,050.  I'm beginning to like swimming at the night workouts more than I do the morning.  It's not the workouts themsevles but the people. A lot of new swimmers who are excited about swimming are showing up at night.  The 6am swimmers pretty much are the same people I've been swimming with for 5 years.  So swimming at night has been a nice change of pace.  I'm sure I'll be back to mornings soon enough.  But for now I'm enjoying the change of pace and the new swimmers.

The Heat Is On. Hopefully The Heater Will Break Down!

Ahhh...Labor Day has passed.  Winter lap swim hours are in effect.  Mornings are getting cooler as well as the nights.  And now the heat is back on at the pool.  This morning I had a hard enough time getting out of bed and into the pool only to go swimming and feel the warm water gushing from the pools vents. 

Instead of my usual 6am swimming I slept in and went to the 7:15am workout instead.  As I slowly walked down the stairs into the wall lane that I'd swim in I noticed how the water was warm for the first time in months.  As I moved into the lane and near the vents/ducts or whatever you call them I felt the warm water gushing into the pool.  Now it's only a matter of time before the pool is 83 F.  Making swimming horribly wrong!  Personally I prefer cold water even more so then other swimmers but as a resident of the city I'd like the city save some money by turning down the heat.  They could save so much money by turning down the heat a little bit and using the pool covers at night.  But they don't they turn up the heat and almost never use the covers.  Allowing city dollars to go up in steam.

As for the workout I was a bit sore and tired from yesterday so I'm glad it was moderatly easy.  Who am I kidding, it was very easy.

Warm Up

450

3x100's 50 drill / 50 swim (one arm/turn on 3/finger tip drag) (300/750)

Main Free Set:

400 Swim (no interval just take 15 seconds) (400)

4x50's kick no board 1:05 (200/600)

4x100's on 1:25  freestyle (400/1000)

4x50's kick on 55 (200/1200)

4x100's on 1:20 (400/1600)

4x25's kick on 35 (100/1700/2450)

then a 50 easy (2500)

Then it was the stroke portion of the workout

150 (50 kick / 50 drill / 50 swim) choice.  i did backstroke (2650)

2x

4x50's swim stroke on 55

4x25's kick stroke on 35

That was pretty easy.  (600/3250)

Then did a 50 fast for time (3300)

Warm down.  I think I did just a 50.  (3350)

I was tired today.  My arms and legs ached.  After running yesterday morning I rested a bit then hit the gym for weights.  After that I went to the pool.  Mind you I really didn't swim much.  It was my friends weekly swim lesson.  I sit on deck and give her tips and tell her drills and such to do.  After she's done and getting dressed I get in the pool for a bit.  I only did about a 700 yard swim.  I was tired yesterday but just wanted to get a feel for the water. 

Now I can recover for tomorrow.  I plan on getting up early and doing a long run, hit the gym at lunch and finish with the 7pm swim workout. 

Round 2 In The Water

I got the bike and headed to Korean Town a 6.5 mile bike ride.  Did some work then rode the bike back home the 6.5 miles.  I got to hear the sonic boom from the Space Shuttle landing in Southern California.  I got home just in time for a snack before heading to the pool for round two.  I figured I won't swim this weekend and tomorrow is may day off from working out so what is one more hour in the pool?

Warmed Up

300 Swim

100 Kick

Then we did at least 4x100's Pulling.  Alternating free/IM

then 3x50's kick.  I cheated tonight and used zoomers!  I had my own lane so it wasn't like I was messing the lane up or anything.  Plus my legs are beat! Then a 50 easy making it a 900 yard warmup.

Main Set:

200 Free on 2:50 (200)

3x100's IM on 1:45 (300/500)

100 Free on 1:20  (100/600)

3x50's stroke on 50 (it was choice but all 3 had to be the same stroke) (150/750)

rest an extra minute

200 IM on 3:20 (200/950)

3x100's Free on 1:20 (300/1250)

100 Stroke on 1:45 (had to be the same stroke you did for the 3x50's)(100/1350)

3x50's Free on 40 (150/1500/2400)

My arms and legs felt like dead weights.  Since the intervals were easy I just swam just fast enough to make the intervals.  

Then we finished up with 10x25's on 25 (3 fly / 3 back / 2 breast and 1 free) (250/2650)

Since Friday's workout is only an hour that was it.  Just enough to give me a good nite sleep!

Afternoon Lap Swim

After yesterday's adventures in working out I was a bit sore so I slept in a bit skipping the morning swim practices.  So I decided to head to the afternoon lap swim.  It was a pretty good workout and had my own lane for most of it. 

Warm Up

200 Swim

200 Pull (50 Pull w/ paddles / 50 Pull w/ paddles but no bouy letting the legs drift down like an anchor / 50 pull w/paddles and 50 pull without paddles)

400 Kick (200 free with zoomers / 100 free w/o zoomers / 100 fly) (600)

IM Set:

100 IM on 1:45 (easy intervals) (100)

200 IM on 3:00 (300)

125 IM (added a 25 fly) no intervals for the rest of the workout just took 15 secs rest (425)

175 IM (removing the last 25 free) (600)

150 IM (50fly / 50 back / 25 breast / 25 free) (750)

150 IM (removing the 50 free) (900)

175 IM (50 fly / 50 back / 50 breast / 25 free) (1075)

125 IM (50 fly / 50 bac / 25 breast) (1200)

200 IM (1400)

100 IM (1500/2100)

So it was a pryamid set, sorta.  I made it up before I started swimming it as I left the workouts I had planned at home.  Doh!  I had to keep on rememeber what was next as this set was a bit jumbled in my head.  Since I was swimming odd IM's I really didn't know what interval I could make so i just took 15 seconds rest)

100 kick (2200)

This is when I had to share a lane with some jackass.  Lap swims are lap swims and ya just deal.  I was going to start a pull set but after the first 50 I had caught up to the guy.  The guy was a slow swimmer and didn't do flip turns.  I figured he'd notice that I had caught up to him and let me go.  But nope he just turned and went again.  I waited a good distance before going again.  Once again catching up to him at the 50 and he did the same thing.  So I got out on deck and sat out in the sun and chatted a bit to a lane opened. (2300)

Then I did 3x300's (1 pulling with paddles, 1 pulling w/ paddles and 1 swimming) (3500)

Then i did 4x25's warm down.  So 3600 yards.  Not bad for an afternoon swim.

Thursday Night Freestyle Workout and Gym Round Up

Before my 10 Mile Sea to Home Run this morning I did go to the 24 Cycle class last night at 7pm.  I figured since I haven't been to a 24 Cycle (aka spin) Class in ages I was over due.  It wasn't bad and it was at least a workout.

At lunch time today I hit the gym for weights.  Did my usual routine nothing really to report except that I went.

Then tonight I jumped on my bike and headed toward swim.  I was so glad I did.  I will be attending Thursday night swims for now on.  Thursday night is the new Wednesday morning in that as the coach shifted days so did the splitting of the workouts between "distance" free and stroke.  So now instead of Wednesday mornings we do that Thursday nights.  Wahoo!  I was afraid I was never going to do an all free workout again.  And since I swim the 1500SCM / 1650 SCY I was pretty pissed.

Warm Up:

400 (i pulled most of it giving my legs some rest)

200 Kick

3x100's Free (50 Drill / 50 Swim - Drills were 1-Arm, Turn-On-3 and Fist)

Then a 600 Pull.  (200 breath control by 50 3/5/any/7 and then 400 pulling distance per stroke) (1500 warm up)

oh yea we did 4x25's drilling breaststroke for some reason so make that 1600.

Main Set:

I was the only fast lane swimmer who wanted to do free so I shared the lane with the faster medium lane swimmer who happens to be on the top of my list of nice guys.  And making him an even nicer guy he got out early so I had the whole lane to myself.  Swimmers Heaven!  Well that would be swimming in a LCM pool and having your own lane but 25 SCY is okay.  But since he was in my lane at the beginning I got some easy intervals.  In between the free parts were more of the breaststroke drill work.  Somehow once I was on my own those breaststroke 50's managed to slip away from the workout.

5x200's Free on 2:45 (i know lots of rest) (1000)

1x50 breaststroke with butterfly kick (i think it was to be 4 maybe...meh it's breaststroke and who swims that stroke?) (50/1050)

5x150's on 2:05 (still easy intervals) It was broken 50 easy / 100 fast.  I really turned it on for the 100's. (750/1800)

2x50's breaststroke, well sorta.  I would do 15 yards underwater butterfly kick with one breaststroke pull. (100/1900)

5x100's on 1:20 (still on moderatly easy intervals but i was hurting from the gym and running) (500/2400)

then I think we did 2x50;s breaststroke of some drill that I fudged. (100/2500)

4x50's Free on 55 (really easy interval as I decided I wanted to swim with others so I went on the medium lane sendoffs) (200/2700/4300)

So 4300 yards.  Not bad.  I really did work myself into the ground during the workout.  Since I had my own lane I was working the pushoffs and really going as fast as I could.  As fast as I could after a full day of working out.  Now I can rest.  Just going to tomorrow night's workout which is all sprints and only an hour.  It'll be a breeze. 

Easy Lap Swim

After swimming last night I slept in and skipped the 6am swim workout.  So instead I headed over to the pool for the afternoon lap swim.  I met up with a guy I chatted up with on Twitter and we did a sorta workout.  The guy hasn't swam in a while so he was a bit rusty.  But it was nice to take it slow.  Plus I worked on some of my technique since I wasn't been rushed with someone right behind me.

Warm Up

200 Swim

200 Pull

200 Kick

Then I did a mized 100 swim.

Then after that it's all a blur. 

8x50's Free. 

Then 4x50's sorta mixed IM.  25 fly / 25 back & 25 breast / 25 Free

Then switched it up to a series of 8x25's. 

8x25's Kick reverse IM

I know I did 8x25's fly and 8x25's back. 

Like I said it wasn't much of a workout but just an excuse to splash around a bit. It was nice to swim with the sun out as opposed to swimming at 6am or 7pm.  I need to swim in the afternoon more often.  I may go again tomorrow.  May I say.