I Feel Golden Kicky!

This morning I woke up in the dead of the night to hit the gym.  It wasn't much later then 4:10am when I started to get ready to go.  I was attempting to be at the gym for the 5:30 opening.  Debated on hitting the 5:45am Group Ride (spinning or 24cycle at other gyms.)  But since I took my time and read emails instead of leaving I arrived at the gym about the time cycling, I mean Group Ride started.   I decided to just do weights.  But I did jump on the treadmill to warm up or wake up.  But that didn't last.  I so wasn't in the mood to run.  Ran only a 1/2 mile.  What is the point?  I then did my chest / arms routine.  By the time I was done it was almost 7am and I had to shower and eat before my 8am shift.  Since I was thinking of doing spinning in the morning then at noon after my shift I'd do weights I packed extra gym clothes.  While driving in circles in the golf cart for four hours I was thinking I'd try the 12:15 Arms and Abs Class.  But by my relief was late so I missed that.  I could have walked in a little late but decided to come home.  I told myself I'd do a swim workout at the pool.  When I got home I was so happy to see a magical box was delivered!  My All New FINIS Zoomer Gold Short Blade Training Fins!  It was like Chanukah and Christmas all in one day.  Well maybe not that exciting but pretty cool of a day just the same.  I had my lunch and waited to 3pm to head over to the pool with my new FINIS Zoomer Gold!  I printed up a kicking workout the coach had sent me and brought a few other workouts.  Figured I'd mix it up a bit but do kicking. 

Warmed Up 200 free

200 kick with Fins excuse me FINIS Zoomer Gold Short Blade Training Fins!

6x50's on 1:10 with Fins, I mean FINIS Zoomer Gold Short Blade Training Fins!  Fly under water going down, fly on your back coming back.

3x50's Sprint Kick on 1:30 No Fins

6x50's on 1:00with FINS or FINIS Zoomer Gold Short Blade Training Fins! Kick / Drill.  I did 2 free, 2 back and 2 fly.

At this point I was over kicking.  I was faster at kicking but still not a fan of kicking even with my new magical toys. 

I then did 3x100's Pull on 1:30.  And that was it.  It was about a 45 minute swim.  I actually was tired and the sun beating above wasn't helping me stay cool in the water.  So a 1450 yard swim.  Guess it's better then no swim.  For more information on FINIS Zoomer Gold Short Blade Training Fins go to finisinc.com.  I can't wait to swim with my mates and pull out my new toys for the kick set.  I'll finally be able to keep up with everyone!  Now I just realized I need a swim mesh gear bag to lug all my stuff around! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gator Bait and Duck Poo

Last night was one of those tossing and turning nights with very little sleep.  I gave up trying to sleep and sat around before heading out for a run.  I didn't feel like running but I was up so why not?

Once out I wanted to run even less then I did when I was sitting in bed.  I just did an easy loop of 3.25 miles.  Stopped for a moment to pee at one of the mail stops figuring who is out at 5:30am getting mail?  Well I guess a few people do since I had a few eye witnesses to me peeing in a bush.  It was pretty dark outside so they may not have realized I was peeing.  I was then quickly on my way.  When I'm out running this early I am always freaking out about running into a gator.  As mating season approaches I get more and more paranoid about it.  It's dumb but I see shadows in the street and I dot away from them. 

After the run I came home and got ready to go swimming.  I felt even less ambitious about swimming then I did about running but I gotta do it.  When we got to the pool we had some ducks swimming laps.  As I was swimming I could see duck pool floating and on the bottom of the pool. Yuck!

The workout was easy but I just sucked. 

Warm Up

400 Mixed Swim /  200 Kikc (600)

Main Set:

3x200's on 3:30.  I did them backstroke. (600/1200)

8x50's on 1:45 Groups of 2 - Drill/Swim then Sprint.  I did them fly, back, breast and fly.  (400/1600)

And that was it.  I could of stayed in for another 20 minutes and swim but really wasn't feeling it. But at least I got a workout in even if I felt sluggish.  Hopefully tonight I"ll sleep well.

The Good, The Bad and The Not So Ugly Workouts

Okay so after Wednesday's morning swim I worked for a few hours so I hit the gym for a quick warm up on the treadmill and then leg weights and some ab work.
I was doing a bit of speed work for me.  I mean I'm a slow slow runner so it's a slow fast run.  I gotta work on speed training.  I was going to do this running class thing at the gym till I found out it's like another hundred bucks.  Guess I'll just read up on how to run faster online or buy a book instead.

Thursday was just some weight training without any swimming.  I worked from 8am to 3pm.  One of my longer shifts at my part-time job.  So I decided to hit the gym when it opened at 5:30.  Figured I'd run on the treadmill then do my chest/arm weight training and have enough time to shower and eat my breakfast before work. 
I so thought I had the Nike+ Sportband on but realized about .78 miles into my run that it wasn't on. Doh!  I ran a total of 15 minutes or so.  Onoy got a few recorded.  Oh well!  But when I did sync it up I got a cool little pop up video

That was a first!  Those runs were all baby runs but still I was pretty impressed with the pop up encouragement.  On a side note I'm 18 miles from getting into the Purple Color Zone in Nike+!  I actually was going to run this morning but my bed was so comfy.  Actually after two days of waking up before 4:30am I slept like a log last night.  I was in bed by 8pm and didn't wake up to around 4am.  I woke up for a pee break then went back to bed till 6:10am.  Then I had to drag my ass out of bed and head to swimming.

Warm Up

200 Free / 200 Drill Stroke 25 / Swim Free 25 / 100 Swim / 200 Kick (700)

Main Set:

4x50's on 60 I did them Freestyle

8x100's on 1:35 -

1st 50 fly / 50 back

2nd 50 back / 50 breast

3rd 50 breast / 50 free

4th 100 Free pull

repeat

4x50's on 60 I did them fly, back, free and fly.

I sorta messed up the 100's.  The way posted above was not the way I was supose to do them.  OH well.  It made it more of a challenge.  I only had 5 seconds rest on the ones with a 50 breaststroke.  I forget how it was supose to be swam. (1200/1900)

I then did a 100 warmdown for 2,000 yards.  It was a somewhat easy workout.  Just what I needed.  No gym today!  A mini-recovery day.  I want to run tomorrow but who knows.  I may take the day as a full recovery day.  Then back on Sunday to reset the week.  Swim and Gym! 
On a side note I finally broke down and ordered myself a pair of fins.  I purchased the FINIS Zommers Gold.  I used a discount code so that sorta helped a bit.  Now I'll be able to kick with the big boys and girls!  Well once they arrive I'll be able to!

Another Morning, Another Pool.

Last night I just couldn't sleep.  Maybe cuz' I knew I had to get up at about 4am and was afraid my alarm wouldn't go off.  So I was up and gave up sleeping way before 4am.  Come 4am I was out of bed and starting to grab my swim stuff.  I had to be up to meet someone at 5am to drive down to the Leesburg swimming pool for a 5:30am workout.  Today was to be the 1st of regular Wednesday Morning Masters Swimming.  The cold weather and early morning must have kept everyone else away since we only had 5 of us in the 6 lane pool.  Since it rained yesterday it really cooled off and was in the low 40's this morning.  When we got to the non-heated pool we noticed that the cover wasn't on the pool.  Rut oh!  After dipping my toes in the pool I ran back into the lockerroom to grab my old Blueseventy Nero Comp Suit.  The pool was 75F.  Chilly!  At least I had my suit to give me some warmth.  Not much but some.  Plus it got me swimming really fast this morning.  Best swim times in a very very long time.  The workout…

1x400 loosen.  It was to be a 500 warmup but I took my time and had to put on my suit.

1x200 kick with fins.  I don't own fins so no fins for me.  (200/600)

6x50 on 1:00 with fins - kick/drill ditto.  (300/900)

Main Set:

1x300 on 5:00

4x150 on 2:30 descending

That set wasn't so bad.  In fact I was flying in those 150's.  I was shocked that I was able to keep going and descend.  I do gotta admit the suit helped a great deal off the walls.  I was zooming off the walls for a change.  (900/1800)

6x75 on 1:20 drill, pace, sprint (450/2250)


1x200 easy pull with paddles and pull buoy (200/2450)  I don't have paddles so just a buoy for me.

8x25 on :45 mix your strokes.  Oh…mix.  I only read strokes and did them all fly. (200/2650)

At least after this morning I know I can at least sleep into about 4:15 or so.  Maybe a bit later.  And hopefully next week the water is warmer and we swim a bit longer.

A Milli Vanilli Morning

Last night after watching the weather report I decided to set my alarm for 5am for a possible run before swimming. When the alarm did wake me up I decided I'd pass on running.  I was tired but I kept thinking "do i want to be caught out in a thunderstorm?"  On most of my running routes I'm pretty exposed.  I could hope that I'd get to a mailstation and avoid the storms but then how would I get home?  If it was just a rain storm I wouldn't care but they predicted thunderstorms with possible tornado watches/warnings.  Which seems to just be a given this time of year.  So I decided to sleep in an extra hour and go swimming if the rain held out.  Which it did so I headed to the pool...

Warm Up

300 Swim / 3x100's two of them kick one kick/swim (600)

Main Set:

4x50's on 55 Pace

4x100's on 1:50 being at your 500 pace by the 2nd and then descending from there.  I did okay.  I wanted to be faster but it was what it was. 

4x50's on 55 Pace (600/1200)

Hmm...was that it?  I guess it was.  We started to do more 50's in another set but the sky went dark and the storm was about to it.  So we scrambled out of the pool.  I quickly got home and the sky opened up and the water came thrasing down.  I think I did 5x50's before getting out. (250/1450) 

So no running and only 1,450 yards.  Better that then nothing.  Tomorrow I am expecting a harder workout with a local masters team.  Later today when the storm clears I'll hit the gym.  Running will just have to wait to Friday.

More Running, Itty Bit of Cycling and a Morning Swim. Hello Monday!

After my morning run I was able to get my Nike+ Sportband to sync and upload yesterdays gym warm up run.  As you can see after I was comfortably warmed up I started to increase my speed.  Still a slow poke but getting better.
Like I earlier posted it's amazing what a new song track list can do for a workout.  This morning still listening to the new music I was off for a run.  I actually felt pretty good out running.  Took it out a bit fast then tappered back before doing some sprints home.
My loop was running to the Piedmont Gate and back.  Not that anyone reading this knows what I'm talking about but it's a loop I've done several times.  When I first started to run the loop was a 5 mile loop but when I calibrated my Nike+ it became a 4.5 mile run.  Today for some reason it was a 4.27 mile run.  Whatever.  I need that Nike+ GPS SportWatch or a phone with cool aps.  I miss my broken iPhone.  My pacing was 8:52, 8:53, 10:37, 10:08 and 8:51.  Can you tell which part of my run is downhill and which part is uphill?  Also for the last .75ish mile I was alternating sprinting and slow runs.  I'd run from fast between to street light poles, then easy then fast.  Till I got home. 

Since I had a flat tire I got on a cheapie old bicycle lying around here and headed to the pool.  It's just around the corner less then a mile away.  So no biggie.  Just that it had no light and it was still dark out.  I even drove it in an unlighted tunnel.  Not too smart. 

Warmed Up

mixed 450 then 200 kick (650)

Main Set:

IM's

400 7:00 (i think)

300 5:30 (i think)

200 3:40

3x100's 1:50 (1200/1850)

We were supose to get faster as the sent went on and descend the 3x100's.  I did that but was unimpressed with my times.  I felt good in the water compared to yesterday but just think I could have swam faster.

Did 2x50's warm down and got out.  Had to pee.  Once I get out to pee at the end why bother getting back in.  Also so hungry from running and swimming.  (100/1950)  Not a super hard workout but a good one.  I did the set IM while everyone else did free. 

This week I'm going to get in at least 2 more runs.  I work a short shift today then will hit the gym after and do leg work.  Tomorrow morning I hope to run around 3 miles before I swim then later in the day arms and chest.  Wednesday I need to be up so early to head over to another masters team for a 5:30 swim practice.  This will be my normal Wednesday when possible.  It's a 90 minute workout.  Hope I'm ready for it!  Thursday I gotta work at 8am for another short shift so I'll hit the gym when it opens at 5:30.  I prefer waking up then going later in the day.  Friday I'll be back at the pool with hopefully a run before hand.  Saturday is recovery day.  Then back to Sunday in the pool and weights.  That is my plan for the week.  We'll see.

Reboot Sunday

Ahhh...Sunday!  The day to reboot the week and my workouts.  After taking Saturday as a full recovery day I never know how my body will respond to a Sunday workout.  Some days my body is full of pep and ready to go full spead ahead.  Other days my body feels like it hasn't swam in years and just floats along the pool from one end to the other.  Those are my slug days and today was a slug day.  The workout -

1x400 loosen.  I was feeling so slugish I almost gave up during warm up.

4x100 kick on 2:15 (400/800)

Main Set

5x50 on :50 for pace (250/1050) I took some extra rest to square up the clock for the 500.

1x500 on 7:00 even split (500/1550)  I did it under 6:40.  I was feeling blah! 

2x250 on 3:30 - 2nd faster (500/2050) I forgot what I did them but remember a 7 second descend.

5x100 on 1:30 descending (500/2550) Just bad!  I was hitting 1:15's and stuck there.  So slow!

5x50 on 1:00 fast (250/2800)  Nothing in gas tank to get going.

1x300 easy pull breathe every 3 (300/3100)

Swim with us.

Well I was early so I did 40x25's 5 kick fly / 5 kick free / 5 swim fly / 5 swim back on 30 then 5 kick breast / 5 kick back on 40 / 5 swim breat / 5 swim free on 30 (1000/4100)

Then did a 100 drill (100/4200)  The gang was in the pool and warmed up.  So we did the normal 200 kick (200/4400)

Main Set:

6 Rounds

100 - Swim/Kick/Pull/Build on 2:00

50 Pull Free on 60

2x25's SPRINT on 45 (1200/5600)

1st two rounds free the rest choice.  I did the choice back, fly, back, fly.  Oh and a correction due to a pee break so -50 yards to 1150 yards or 5550 total yards.  Odd.  When I was showering I thought I had added up to 5950.  Hmmm...how did I miss a 400?  Oh well 5,550 yards it is.

 

Foo Foo Foolin'

I got up and ran this morning but not before falling for the 1st April Fools Prank of the day.  I'm sure they'll be more as it's still early!  In my email box came the introduction of the greatest new nutritional product...GU DermaCharge Topical Gel DermaCharge is Gu Energy's first product in the small but growing market for Transdermal Topical Electrolyte and Energy Infusion Gels. One recent laboratory athlete noted "It's the next greatest thing since the original Energy Gel - getting your electrolytes and calories through osmosis is great - I don't have to worry about digestion or drinking - I just apply it and hit the gas!"  Yes, you too can look like this... Mmmm...rub on six pack!  Okay, so it's not real.  But Gu Energy is having a great sample try "Free Samples of the ALL NEW and COMPLETELY REAL GU Brew Electrolyte Tablets and a chance to win a box of 10 tubes."

 With that April Fool's Joke out of the way I was off and running...
It was a craptastic run.  After about a mile I just wasn't feeling it.  I was tired and unmotivated.  Was so ready to give up and walk home.  Then I slowly started to feel better and picked up the pace.  It was only 4 miles-ish since I had to get home and get ready for swim at 7am.  I think my Nike+ Sportband calibration is off again. I've done this run several times before and this is the lowest that it has ever registered with the device mile wise.  Whatever.  It's April now and the new Nike+ GPS Tom Tom Watch comes out sometime this month.  I need to save lots of my pennies for that so I doubt I'll be getting it soon.  But it's on my shopping wish list.  Come on lottery! 

After my run I came home, drank some water and headed to swimming.  Today's swim was just that, a swim.  Nothing too hard.  Well the math alone was hard enough.  The coach had to be somewhere so he gave us the workout and left.  Problem being was that all of us swimming have issues with remembering intervals and sets.  So needless to say we kept screwing up and getting extra rest.

Warm Up

200 Swim / 150 Pull / 150 Kick (500)

Main Set:

10x150's

1-5 Free as follows 50 Drill / 25 Kick / 25 Swim / 25 Swim Non-Free on 2:25 then 25 Sprint Free on 40.  Yeah we kept messing up.  That is when we could actually see the clock.  After these 5 we stopped and I went to get another clock for the other end.

1-5 Stroke same as above but stroke and 25 free instead of the non-free.  We did these on 2:45 and 45. Sort of.  I did these butterfly.  (1500/2000)

6x75's Pulling breathing 3/4/5 by 25 on 1:15 (450/2450)

So a 4 mile run and 2,450 yard swim.  Nothing great but a work out just the same.  Tomorrow is recovery day so no running, swimming, cycling, spinning, weight training or anything besides tv watching! 

Dreaming of Zoomers Gold

Since I didn't run this morning you'd think kicking would have been a piece of cake this morning.  But nope.  I was sluggish in kicking and pretty much the whole workout.  No speed day!  Oh well at least I was swimming.

Warm Up

200 Swim / 200 Pull / 50 Drill / 150 Kick (600)

600 Stretched out by the 3rd lap of each 100 was fast! (600/1200)

6x100's on 1:50 1st one the 1st 50 fast, 2nd one the 2nd 50 fast and the 3rd one all fast.  Repeat.  The second round faster. (600/1800)

12x50's Switches on 1:10 Fly/Back, Back/Breast, Breast/Free (600/2400)

Total yardage this month is 62,125.  I think that will be it for the month for swimming.  I'm working a shift tomorrow morning then one in the afternoon so I doubt I'll swim.  But by working I'll be that much closer to buying new swim fins! 

Shitty Shitty Run Day

Woke up and have struggling to get motivated finally got out the door for a short run before swimming.  Felt like crap during the run.  An High Pressure Storm System was above us so the air was tropical and humid.  Grrr...after a mile I was drenched.  I hate humidity.  Before I got to my first mile I did see some lightening and thought of turning home.  But decided to just continue on.  I was going to run a loop that was only about 3 miles so if it got bad out I'd be okay.  Besides the humidity I just didn't feel that good while running.  Not good to the very end when I felt pretty good.  Guess I needed to shake off the morning blahs and aches.  But since I had to get my swim stuff together and headed to the pool I just did the loop and called it a day.
I'm going to keep track of the weather this week and try to get in some running in the morning.  If it's just light rain I'll go running.  But it seems all week thunderstorms and showers are predicted as a High and Low front duke it out above.

The Swim

Warm Up

250 Swim / 150 Kick (400)

3x100's on 1:50 Swim/Kick/Pull/Build Swim. (300/700)

During warm up is when I can't wait to have some pennies saved so I can buy some fins.  I'm sick of stuggling while everyone is blowing me away in the kicking.  The new FINIS Zoomer Gold are now for sale but at $31.99 they are going to take a lot of saved pennies.  I might have to go swimming in one of those toss a penny fountains this week!

Main Set:

4x225's on 3:40.  Descend.  The other swimmers did 200's/  (1000/1700)  I did descend them but can't remember my times and splits.  Since the clock was on the other side of the pool I was working with my 200 times.  So the odds one I'd look at the 200 and on the evens I'd look at the clock at the first 25 and got my time off of that.  Oh yeah and I was pulling these.  Which reminded me that I need to save even more pennies to buy hand paddles!

We then did 3 Rounds of 4x50's on 50.  Descending each round.  The first two I did them breathing every 3 strokes.  I was hoping to go faster then my last round which I did but struggled and failed to meet my goal pace. (600/2300) 

Instead of warming down I chit chatted and got out.  Total workout today was 2,300 yards.