Rearview Mirror May 2010 - Swimming & Running

Slacker!  I only ran 3.08 miles in all of May. That is the least amount of running in over a year.  For comparison in April I ran 28.23 miles, March I ran 91.35 miles, February I ran Untitled2 75.14 miles and January I ran 124.97 miles.  It's time for me to get running again!  So that is 322.77 miles for the first 5 months of 2010.

At least my swimming yardage wasn't 3 yards but more like 55,500 yards for the month.  Most of that was alone in lap swimming.  For comparison in April I swam 46,050 yards, March I swam 36,775, February I swam 53,250 and then January I swam 46,750.  For the first five months of 2010 I have swum 191,575 yards. 


One Last Swim For May

I didn't think I was going to swim this morning but I woke up around 4:30 am so I figured since I was up I would work out.  Mind you I woke up most likely from some lower back pain.  So thinking I'd go swim it out wasn't the smartest thing to do this morning.  I've had back issues in the past from my bad posture and sitting at a desk for long periods.  Back before I started to work out and was 40 pounds heavier I woke up every day with lower back pain.  Once I started to work out and doing ab work the pain slowly went away.  Even the smallest bit of ab work seemed to work magic.  The last week the pain has come back.  It could be from a lack of ab workouts, the extra few pounds I packed on (which is good since i was too skinny) or being back at a desk for most of my days.  Either way it's back.  My lower right side is tweaked. 

When I was on deck this morning I tried to rub my lower back thinking that it'll just go away.  I got in the water and started a very slow warm up.  I think I did a 250.  We then did a warm up set that I took my time since I was feeling a bit achy. 

Three Rounds

50 Kick

50 Drill

50 Swim

50 Swordfish with underwater recovery.

I kicked with a kickboard which was a mistake.  The last round I was barely kicking and just floating.  The other fast lane lapped me.  I didn't care.  (600/850)

We then did a 600 Pull.  The first 400 was distance per stroke and the last 200 was breathing 3/5/3/5 by 50.  I sorta felt okay.  Turns felt a bit off on my back but swimming was okay.  Think the pulling with the buoy kept my legs elevated. 
(600/1450)

Then we had 3x300's descend.  The first one hurt.  I started the 2nd one and did 6 laps and gave up.  Normally I think I would have pushed past the tweaked back but I was tired and just couldn't muster the strength.  (450/1900)

I started to ride home but my lower back started to ache.  So I walked up the hill to Fountain and walking was tweaking my back.  I rode home the rest of the way thinking riding would be faster.  I'm just going to lay down today and let my back recover.  The rest of the week I'll just make sure I sit in the chair at work with correct posture.  I figure the lower back pain will vanish in a few days. 


Sunday Afternoon Swim

That hurt!  After this mornings weight training it was time for a round of swimming.  I may not swim tomorrow so I wanted to fit in one more workout for May.  And this was a good one.

Warmed Up about a 400.  Then we did a warm up set

2 Rounds - 100 IM Drill / 75 Free Drill Fist / 50 Kick / 25 Distance Per Stroke.  I forgot the intervals but they were very touch and go.  (500/900)

4x50's Descend free on 50 (200/1100)

Now the coach told me about two things to work on in my freestyle.  The first one was that I was bobbing a bit in my freestyle so to watch my head position.  The second was to relax my recovery arm but keep my elbows up.  So in the freestyle of the main set I tried to keep that in mind.  

Main Set: 2 Rounds -

200 Free on 2:40

2x100's IM on 1:30

2x75's Breast on an interval I don't remember but know I didn't make.  I think 1:15 maybe.

200 Back on another interval I don't remember but know I didn't make.  Which is odd cuz' normally I like the 200 back.  But after the breaststroke I was tired and this morning's weight training left me sore.

8x25's fly on 30.  (1900/3000)

We did a 50 easy before going on to a kick set.

Three Rounds

125 Kick on 2:30

75 Kick on 1:20

or was it a 25 kick on 2:20 and a 75 kick on 1:30.  OH well something like that.  (600/3600)

Then I did a 100 warm down for a total of 3,700 yards.  Tough yards.  I was dying.  I was sore.  But it was worth it!


Friday Morning Freestyle Workout - Meh

Looking back at this morning's workout it seems to me that I should have enjoyed it more.  It was freestyle with some distance in it. I did enjoy the mind numbing 400 and 300 freestyles.  I did however forget a key component of the set till just now.  Before that the warm up was a 400 or so for me.  Wasn't really counting and spent time on deck shivering in the cold while delaying getting into the water. 

then we did a warm up set:

3 Rounds - 25 Distance Per Stroke / 75 Drill / 100 Swim (rounds 1 & 3 were freestyle and 2 was choice which I did backstroke) (600/1000)

Main Set:

400 Pull on 5:45

100 Free on 1:20

300 Pull on 4:15 (which i screwed up so we did it on a 4:40)

2x100's Free on 1:20

200 Pull on 2:50

3x100's Free on 1:20

100 Pull on 1:25

4x100's Free on 1:20

I forgot that the last 100 in each group of 100's was to be fast or was it all descend within each set of 100's?  Something like that.  I swam in the slower fast lane.  I figured I'm just rebuilding so no need to kill myself yet.  Well that and it was a choice of swimming in a lane of 3 people or 5 people including myself.  So 3 won out!  The faster lane did the pulling on a 1:20 base and the 100's on 1:15.  Also in the pulling I tried to split it evenly between 1/2 pulling with paddles and 1/2 without.  So for the 400 it was 200 with then 200 without.  Don't want to get too attached to paddles but I do think they help me with hand entry and catch.  If I get tired and sloppy having paddles isn't helping much.  But if I start off with them then finish the pull without them I cn feel a difference and adjust my arms a bit.  Trying to use them as training tools and not a crutch.  Also when I use paddles I can torque my hips more to get a rotation instead of my flat swimming.  (2000/3000)

Then we had a kick set.  While the coach was giving the set I took a quick pee break.  I was about to start kicking when I noticed someone took the kick board.  Grrr.  One of my biggest pet peeves (and boy do i have many) is when people don't come to the lane with equipment and just take whatever is around.  It's the reason why I went and purchased my own pull buoy.  That way with my name plastered all over it people won't use it.  So when I come to the wall to start pulling my pull equipment is there.  I don't bring a kick board but have been considering one.  I do have a favorite one that is available at the pool.  I like the shape and I like that it's purple.  There's is enough of the purple ones for a few of us to use one.  So when we started the kick set and someone took the kick board I started to kick without.  After 2x50's I gave up.  Fuck it!  It was 60 minutes of swimming which is enough anyways.  Until I learn how to kick and swim at the same time kicking is pretty pointless anyways. 

So another workout this time being 3100 yards.  I'm slowly feeling more comfortable with faster intervals.  I wasn't keeping track of my 100's times so I really don't know if I am swimming better then Tuesday.  Tuesday night I couldn't descend at all and was ascending.  Would have been interesting to see how I was holding up this morning.  Next time I'll try to keep an eye out on my swimming.  This morning I was struggling trying to remember what the interval was and what was next. 


That Was Craptastic!

I didn't hit the gym for weight training this morning so I figured I'd swim tonight.  I'm out of shape and sync with my swimming right now.  I will admit that I'm swimming at the slowest I've swam in years.  What little technique I had is pretty much gone.  So I'm rebuilding and retraining.  My theory is that I will retrain myself the right technique way and in time the speed will come.  I'm not planning on swimming at a meet any time soon so speed is so not on my agenda.  So with that said here is tonight's workout with some of my thoughts on it.

Warm Up

500

I mixed it up with some swim, pull and drill.  Wasn't much of anything to write about.

Warm Up Drill:

2 Rounds

25 Kick

50 Swordfish with underwater recovery

25 kick

50 drill

100 swim

The first round the drill was finger tip drag and the second round the drill was fist.  I went 2nd to last in my lane and was lapped in both rounds.  Mainly cuz' I suck at kicking but more cuz' I was trying to do the swordfish and drilling correctly.  Swordfish with underwater recovery is super slow and hard for me.  I feel like I'm swimming backwards.  So I struggle with it but it's okay.  I've resolved not to care about others in my lane when I'm drilling so if I get lapped whatever.  As long as I'm doing the drill as best as I can.  I think that is the point of drilling anyways.

Then we did 3x200's Pull descending.  Well the coach said descending but with my swimming I am just ascending.  I think I did a 2:14, 2:17 and a 2:21.  The lanes were set up tonight to have two fast lanes with one being on a faster interval.  For this set the intervals were one lane of 1:40 and another of 1:50.  The coach wanted me to be in the lane that did a 1:40 but I said no and swam in the 1:50 lane.  I was getting plenty of rest but just don't have the endurance to keep a good pace and descend.

Then we did a series of 100's.  The coach once again asked me to move to the faster lane.  After me whining I did move over.  I mean I really was whining.  Everyone's eyes were rolling over my whining.  But whatever, once again I'd rather swim a set correctly than in the faster lane just to swim in the faster lane.  So many times in the past I've said this about my swimming "I'm not fast, I just have endurance.  So when the other swimmers get tired I finally pull ahead."  But right now I don't have endurance.  No speed, no technique and no endurance.  So instead of descending the set I ascended. 

Three Rounds of 3x100's on 1:15.  Taking 15 seconds rest in between each round.  Descending with in each set of 3.  Also descending from each of the fastest one.  So the third one of each set had to be faster then the previous.  How did I do?  Craptastical!

1.  1:07

2.  1:09

3.  1:11

4.  1:07

5.  1:07

6   1:07

7.  1:07

8.  1:09

9.  1:12

I was splashing like hell with windmill like arms just to move.  So not pretty.  But I was trying to descend.  But that didn't happen at all.

Then we did some 25's which I did like 10 of and I got out.  It was another sucky swim.  I regret swimming at all tonight.  Felt I was there more for just cardio cuz' I didn't work on any technique besides the warm up.  Oh well, tomorrow is another day.  Now to eat and watch some The Biggest Loser!


Morning Workout - That Hurt

Getting back into swimming at 6am was a bit more difficult than I had thought.  My alarm went off and I slowly moved out of bed after 10 minutes of snoozing.  Mostly I can blame staying up to watch Lost for my sluggishness. 

Warm Up

400 Swim

50 Drill / 50 Kick

300 Pull first 200 breathing every 3/5/3/5 by 50 / last 100 distance per stroke. (800)

I think that was all we did for a warm up.  It's all a blur with yesterday afternoons workout. 

Main Set:

4x100's on 1:25 descend.  I did a 1:14. 1:13, 1:11 and 1:10.  Not blazing fast but knowing we had...

right into 2x100's on 3 minutes race strategy.  I think I did a 1:28 and a 1:27.  Hmm...maybe that is wrong.  Meh...

Then after a bit over a minute we did a 400 for time.  I felt okay during it.  By the last 50 I had caught up to the other person in my lane slowing me up a bit so I did a 4:38.  I think. (1200/2000)

Then we did a 100 easy recovery. (100/2100)

Then we went onto the stroke portion of the workout.

150 IM Kick / 100 IM drill (no free).  (300/2400)

And that was it for me.  Between weights and swimming yesterday my body was beat.  During the kicking my legs were hurting.  I had nothing.  So I called it quits.  2400 yards was enough for today.  One thing I've realized is that I've gotten sloppy with my stroke.  Hopefully I'll get back to my swim of things shortly.  And if not I don't have any meets coming up so I have plenty of time to work on technique and build up endurance again. 


Sunday Afternoon Swim

I decided to go swimming this afternoon so it was back on my cycle.  The wind really picked up making the ride a bit of a workout.  I was fighting the wind the whole time.  While swimming you really could feel the wind on your recovery.  It felt like I was swimming up hill. 

Warm Up

400

Then we did

2x50's Kick

4x25's Kick

Finishing up the warm up set with 50 Drill / 50 Swim / 200 Pull for two rounds.  (1200 total for warm up)

Main Set:

Two Rounds of 4x150's on 2:00 minutes

1st distance per stroke

2nd last 50 fast

3rd last 100 fast

4th all fast

take 15 seconds and repeat so it's two rounds of 4.  (2000/3200)

I felt okay for this set.  Lifting weights this morning made my arms feel like jello.  The first round I did pretty good and descended the 150's.  The second round I was good for three and my third was the fastest one of them all.  The last one I was ahead of the guy in the lane next to me but feel behind the guy pulling with paddles two lanes over.  I didn't even know he was swimming the set with us till the second 150 of the second round.  So maybe he got some extra rest.  Anyways once I saw him I tried to stay with or ahead of him but at the end I was like "whatever, he has paddles.  don't kill yourself."  So I pulled back a bit at the last 50.

Then we did did some 25's

10x25's build on 25 then sprint on 35.  felt like crap to the last few sprints (250/3450)

Then stroke time...first a stroke warm up 100 kick / 50 drill / 50 swim (200/3650)

Stroke Set

4x25's on 30 Stroke

50 easy free on 50

3x25's on 30 Stroke

50 easy free on 50

2x25's on 30 Stroke

50 easy free on 50

1x25 stroke

All the stroke was fast and I did it butterfly. (400/4050)

since we had more time we did the set reversed sorta...

3x25's fast free on 25

50 stroke on 60

2x25's fast free on 25

50 stroke on 60

1x25 fast free

meh...i sorta did the free fast but did the stroke butterfly.  (250/4300)

So the workout was 4,300.  The intervals weren't killer but fast enough.  I don't think I could have done faster intervals today so it was perfect.  Tomorrow is another swim day! 


Friday Night Back In The Pool

I figured since Friday night's workout is only 60 minutes I'd swim tonight.  Will admit it was a bit much after swimming last night and doing weights this morning.  But need to get off my fat ass and swim!

Warmed Up about a 400.

Warm Up Set:

4 Rounds One of Each Stroke / Reverse IM

2x75's Kick 15 secs. rest

50 Drill 10 secs. rest

2x25's 10 secs. rest (1,000/1,400)

Then the main set, I think this is all of it...

4x50's Free on 45

2x100's IM on 1:40

5x40's Free on 45

2x100's Stroke on :150

4x50's Fly/Back on 50

100 IM on 1:40

4x50's Breast on 60 (1300/2,700)

I guess that is the workout.  I'm beat but in a good way.  With all the fast swimmers in Atlanta I had my own lane.  It's nice!  But won't last. 


Pinky Is Back!

Tonight was my first team/structured workout in a month.  And boy did it hurt.  I wanted to ease back into swimming and start in the medium lane.  But the medium lanes were packed so I jumped in the fast lane.  The workout was pretty tough even if I had been swimming so the fact that I did the whole thing and finished is amazing.  I will admit at the end I had to give myself a pep talk to finish.  So wanted to get out early.

Warm Up started off pretty damn slow for me.  A 50 at a time.  Then about a 100 pull and a 100 kick.  I say I did about a 400 for warm up in total.

Warm Up Set

4x50's Kick on 60

2x100's IM Drill on 1:45

2x200's Pull on 2:45 (i think)

2x100's IM Drill on 1:45

4x50's Kick on 6

So 1,200 yards for a warm up set. Gotta admit it hurt more then I liked.  (1200/1600)

Main Set:

4x100's IM on 1:30 (400)

4x75's IM (no free) on 1:15 (300)

4x50's fly/back on 50 (200)

4x25's fly on 30 (100)

Let's face it I was struggling.  That was a lot of fly!  It was a good set even if I was struggling.  I made all the intervals and swam the set correctly.  Other people were swimming free instead of fly or breast but I really was ready to push myself tonight no matter what.  (1000/2600)

Finishing up with the following all freestyle:

50 easy on 60

75 Fast on 60

50 easy on 60

2x75 Fast on 60

50 easy on 60

3x75 Fast on 60

50 easy on 60

4x75 Fast on 60

By the 3x75's I didn't know if I was going to make it or finish the set.  I was hurting.  I really had to focus on swimming just to swim at a snails pace. (950 I think /3550)  Overall it felt good to be swimming hard and not being my lazy lone swimmer.  I've learned that swimming is about compromising.  I could swim a lap swim and have my own lane but not be pushed or I could swim with a team and deal with people swimming freestyle instead of breaststroke and be nipping at my heels.  


I Misplaced My Motivation

It's a cloudy chilly morning but after hitting snooze a few dozen times I get my act together and headed towards the pool.  When I got to the pool I could see the lifeguards pouring chemicals into the pool.  That is never a good sign.  They did give us the all clear to swim so I decided to brave it and hit the water.  Once in the water I wasn't that motivated to swim.  I started off with a super easy 200 free swim that was really 4x50's of me just swimming and stopping trying to find my mojo.  The pool was pretty empty so I didn't have to worry to get out of anyones way swimming in my lane.  I had my own lane for most of my swim.  I'm getting spoiled with my own middle lane!  I then did a 300 Pull followed by a 200 Kick.  So 700 warm up.  I then did 12x25's on 30 Alternate Drill / Swim to round up the warm up to a 1,000.

Still not motivated I did 16x25's on 30 this time breathing 3/5/7/9 by 25.  (400/1400)

Then still feeling sluggish I did 12x25's kick to the deep using the pull buoy in my arms as a floater and then pulling fast back.  (300/1700)

5x100's Free on 1:20 Swim (500/2200)

Then I did an easy 100 (100/2300)

Then 16x25's 4 of Each Stroke alternating drill / swim.  (400/2700)

Then I did 4x100's 1 of each stroke IM order on 1:30 for the fly/back and 2:00 for the breast. (400/3100)

Hmm...I think earlier I did a 150 of something.  Doh!  Anyways I finished off with 6x25's kick.  So adding those two items in for another 300 for a 3,400 yard swim.  That seems about right since I was really taking my time and spending a lot of time just standing around trying to wake up and motivated.  At least I got some swim time in and not just stayed in bed watching tv all morning.