Swimmer Ab-duck-ted!

My last Sunday long swim.  Starting next Sunday I'll be working on Sundays at 9:45am to 5pm on the Fitness Floor for the summer.  I figured the pool water is going to be super hot so I wont' want to swim 2+ hours during the summer.  So I'll just be going in at 7am and swimming on my own before work.  So after fighting the snooze button I headed to the pool at about 7:45am.  Well at least was in the pool at that time. 

200 Swim
200 Kick

15x100's Pulling w/ Paddles as follows
3x2:00
3x1:50
3x1:40
3x1:30
3x1:20
For the most part started off on a 1:20 pace picking it up to a 1:15 towards the end.  (1500/1900)

Easy 100 (100/2000)

By now the swimmers were arriving.  With a pee break and some chit chat I got in 9x50's alternating kicking/swimming with fins.  (450/2450)

Then we regrouped and the coach joked that I've been ab-dcuk-ted since I haven't been swimming.  Ever since I didn't want to swim after the ducks were in my lane I get the brunt of duck jokes and puns.  Funny thing was that on the way to the pool I saw a duck in the driveway at the house next door.  Damn wild animals!

6x100's - 3 Kick / 3 Kick Swim.  Had to take another pee break so missed a 100.  (500/2950)

Main Set:
6x50's on 1:10 I think or was it 50?  I pulled them without paddles breathing by 50 3/4/5/5/4/3
Rest 30 Seconds
300 FAST.  I did a 3:32.  Not bad.  (600/3450)

6x50's Drill/Swim (300/3750)

4x25's (100/3850)

And that was it.  Now comes the part that I don't like.  I skipped swimming on Friday which was a big mistake.  It looks like I may miss my personal goal of swimming 100 Miles before the end of May.
I am .89 miles or 1,572 yards away from it.  Now I know I got 4 days but I am working crazy time this week.  Teaching 14 spinning and 2 boot camp classes.  I'm going to try and at least splash around Monday afternoon and Thursday afternoon.  Even if it's just 1,000 yards or less.  Not just to get to the 100 Miles but just to get in the water.  The following week I will be teaching every morning at 9:30 so it'll be tough to swim before hand.  I may try a quick 30 minute workout on a few of those days.  We'll see but that is all in June. 

Swimming Is Taking A Back Seat, A Way Way Back Seat.

I woke up this morning with only one question "Did Someone Get The License Plate Of That Truck That Hit Me?"  I am sore and beat!  Yesterday I taught four spinning classes all pretty much back2back at 6:45am, 8:15am, 9:30am then a little bit of rest before my noon class.  No wine for me last night.  But still I was beat this morning.  But I had to swim.  I haven't been in the water since Sunday.  So I dragged my tired sorry ass to the pool.  Luckily the coach handed me a taper workout he had for me and I was off swimming.  Swimming very slowly!

Workout
1x500 Loosen.  I did 200 Pull w/o Paddles / 200 Pull w/ Paddles / 100 IM swim
1x300 Pull/Kick/Swim by 25 with fins (800 yard warmup)

2x200's Negative Split on 3:00.  I was super slow on these.  Oh well. (400/1200)
3x100's Descending Free on 1:40.  Once again slow.  I can't remember my times.  Just that they were descending but slow descends.(300/1500)
3x100's IM Good Pace on 2:00.  Once again I was slow.  Was only down to a 1:20 on the last one.  (300/1800)

4x50's Pulling w/Paddles on 55 (200/2000)
2x50's Paddles & Fins on 1:10 (100/2100)

And that was it.  No need to push myself.  I really felt just sluggish till the last 100 IM.  My fly felt pretty good.  In fact I wondered why I didn't feel that good last Sunday at the meet.  My time wasn't great but I felt stronger or at least a connection with my muscles and my body. Now since I took Tuesday off I've fallen off track once again with my Goal The Distance.  Doh!  Which sucks cuz' I'm only off track right now but soon I'll be thrown from the rails when I take almost another two weeks off from swimming due to work. 

At least my 100 Miles goal by the end of the month is doable.  I have to swim tomorrow and Sunday.  After that I won't swim to June 3rd.  I mean I may be able to swim on my own Monday afternoon but I know I wont!  So two workouts that total 5,422 yards or 2,711 yards for each workout. 

Thirty Minute Swim Workout: Get Wet, Get Warm, Get Out!

Well since I didn't swim on Friday as planned I decided to go for an easy afternoon swim.  So I headed to the pool for a lap swim.  I hate going swimming with lap swimmers.  Luckily it wasn't busy but I get distracted watching them and feel so unmotivated to swim or work hard.  As for my workout I took a short 30 minute workout I did a few weeks ago and adjusted it to break the boredom.

200 Swim

200 Pull

200 Kick

4x50's Swim on 45

So a broken 800 warm up.  The rest of the workout was stretched out.  It was about 85F and the water temp was just about the same.  Ugh!

4x100's Pulling w/padles on 1:30 (400/1200)

rest 30 seconds

3x100's IM on 1:45 (300/1500)

rest 30 seconds

4x50's Back on 55 (200/1700)

And that was it.  An easy 1,700 yards in about 30 minutes.  I felt pretty good in the IM and backstroke.  Thinking this workout modified down a bit might be a good warm up for tomorrows meet.  Although I'm already thinking of what events to scratch!  That is if my entry got in on time.  I mailed it close to the deadline and this is a rather small meet that is very tech-less.  So no online entry or meet info.  I'll just go hoping to swim something.  Even if it's just the warm up in the long course pool!  I haven't been in a long course pool in a year!  This team and pool is about 30 minutes away and I gotta admit I was thinking today I should join in the summer just so I can get long course swim in and swim with a team!  Something to think about.
Every swim brings me closer to 100 Miles!  Only 9,625 yards to go!  With work I can swim Tuesday, Thursday and Friday of this week.  Next week only Sunday!  OY!  So 9625 / 4 = 2406 yards per workout.  Well plus I'll add Sunday warm up and swim meet yards/meters.  It's doable!

Counting Down To 100 Miles!

Trying to be good this week.  Getting up and swimming, working myself hard and at the same time go to bed without any wine and getting a good night sleep.  And even with doing all that I'm feeling pretty damn crappy in the water right now.  But I have two things to motivate me in the water.  One is the fact I spent $40 on a meet entry for Sunday and secondly is that I just gotta swim 14,025 yards to go to 100 MILES for the YTD. 

But even with motivation I had a hard time getting up and ready.  Really sluggish out of bed.  Once at the pool I knew I didn't have much time to chit chat as it's Thursday and we get booted out at 7:50 if not earlier by the aqua-"fit" folks.  How fit can they be when all the day is splash water side to side?

The Workout
1x500 Loosen (200 swim / 150 pull / 25 fly/25free / 25back/25free / 25breast/25free
3x100's on 1:50 (25 Drill/50Kick/25Swim w/fins) (300/800)

Main Set:
2x300's on 4:30 2nd faster.  Did a 4:17 and 4:03.  I was still stiff and warming up.  My lats were killing me.  So stiff. (600/1400)
4x75's on 1:15 Pace.  I was coming in on the 1:00/1:01 (300/1700)
rested a minute
2x200's on 3:00 2nd one faster.  My first one was horrible!  A 2:37 my 2nd one wasn't much better with a 2:28.  (400/2100)
4x50's on 50 Pace (200/2300)
took 10 seconds extra rest
2x100's on 1:30 2nd one faster.  Forgot the first one but finished with a slow 1:12.  (200/2500)

I then played around and warmed down a 200.  I was killing time to just be in the water till 7:50.  I was trying to be nice and wait for the staff to come to take the lane lines out.  I figured I'd help them so they didn't have to get too wet.  That and I was refusing to get out for the aqua-"fit" folks.

So that makes a 60 minute swim for 2,700 yards.  Woot Woot!  
I do feel I'm back on track yardage wise if not speed wise.  So that is something.  I'm closing the deficit in my Go The Distance pace to complete 300 Miles this year.  I've narrowed the deficit down to 10 miles.  And my closer goal of 100 miles is getting so close I can smell it.  Now I got 11,325 yards to go.  Now I only got 5 more times to get a swim workout in before the end of the month.  Ick!  Damn work!  But I'm swimming about a 1,000 LCM on Sunday.  But for now let's say 11,325 SCY - 1,000 SCY = 10,325 then 10,325/5=2,065.  So I gotta swim my next few workouts at least 2,075 yards.  Now that'll drop a bit when I convert LCM to SCY and add in my Sunday warm up plus that extra 50 back at the meet.  Plus another 11,000 yards will bring me back on track to my monthly average yardage.  Still not close to what I use to swim but it's creeping back up. 

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Fins

It was Drill & Toy Day at the pool.  Well at least that was the make up of my workout.  Which for me is good and bad.  The good is Paddles!  Wahoo!  The ugly and bad are FINS!  Drowning!

Warm Up

Mixed 500 (swam 200 / pulled 200 / swam 75 back & 25 free

300 Kick w/fins (300/800)

The Meat of the Workout -

400 Fist closed 1 Finger Pull for 1st lap of each 100 (400/1200)

3x200's on 3:00 w/ Paddles breathing every 3 (600/1800)

6x100's Fins.  Fist closed 1 Finger Pull for 1st lap of each 100 on 1:40 (600/2400)

6x50's  ALL IN!  Paddles and Fins!  Easy/Fast on 1:00 (300/2700)

Now even with the toys it was a bit of a challenge.  Tired from work yesterday and working out.  I flounder during the 1 finger pull drill.  But that just reminds me to use my full arm as a paddle.  As I was swiming the 400 I kept thinking I need that arm thingy for this.  I think the actual technical thing via FINIS is "Forearm Fulcrum Sr. - Achieve an Early Vertical Forearm (EVF) and increase stroke efficiency with the Forearm Fulcrum. An EVF position utilizes the entire forearm during the pull, from the fingertips to the elbow."  It seems to do what the coach is trying to get me to do.  It's the whole The whole "Alexander Popov. .... The arm is shaped as if you were reaching over a barrel."  Which I am doing more of but still gotta work on the intial catch.  One thing I did notice while using the paddles I seem to over extend my arm locking my elbow before my catch.  Was feeling some tennis elbow coming on.  But I don't have these toys so it was paddles and my yellow Zoomers.  Now I'm not a big fan of fins.  Not really a kicker.  Fins are like two lead weights attached to my feet.  So I really had to engage the core while swimming with the fins.  Luckily I've been working on my core on dryland and really started to feel the benefits of my core work.  It's getting easier to tuck into a ball at my turns.  My biggest thing that kills me everytime at the wall is the fact that I don't tuck into a ball.  My legs just come flying around and splash down. 

So all in all it was a back to basics let's break out the toys workout.  Something I need.  As the summer months brings warmer pool temps it'll be something that will move into the forefront.  So I might buy some new swim toys.  Now for my Go The Distance I'm slowly coming back.  Only 14,025 yards to go to 100 MILES!  Looking at my work/class agenda I may only swim 6 more times this month.  Not including a small swim meet this Sunday.  I'm swimming 400 IM, 400 Free, 200 IM and 50 Back.  So let's do some math.  14,025-1000=13,025.  13,025/7 = 1,860 yards.  So the next 7 swims I need to swim at least 1,875 yards!  Easy!  IDIOT!  14,025-1000=13,025.  13,025/6= 2,170.   So the next 6 swims I need to swim at least 2,175 yards.  I'm also chipping away at my YTD deficit.  I was behind 25 miles in pace and now only about 19 miles behind.  Not too bad!

Sunday Mother's Day Workout

I'm so so out of shape!  After yesterday's morning swim I ended up taking 2 naps and going to bed early.  And all with out a drop of alcohol.  I was just beat!  But I really planned to get up early and swim my own workout before joining the gang for the regular short Sunday swim.  But alas the snooze button won the morning.  I slept in till 8am!  A record late non-hangover morning! 

The Swim -

650 Mixed.

4x100's 2 - Kick / 2 Drill/Swim.  Had to take a pee break and missed a 50 (350/1000)

Main Set:

6x125's on 2:30 IM.  Rotating an extra 25 stroke.  1st one 50 fly, 2nd one 50 back and 3rd one 50 breast and repeat (750/1750).  Plenty of rest.

And that was it.  Basically.  Short workout.  A little less then an hour.  Oh wait!  I skipped something!

Before the 6x125's we did 2x200's - 100 Catch Up / 100 Build.  It was for all those mothers who spend so much time catching up with things around the home and spending years building up their kids.  So another 400 yards for 2,150 Mother's Day Swim!

Now this is behind my personal goal of swimming at least 2,750 yards to keep on my goal pace to swim 100 Miles by the end of this month.  I really wanted to be up and swim an extra few 1,000 yards.  Was hoping to swim at least 4,000 yards this morning.  Oh well!
The good news is that I'm narrowing the gap for my YTD Goal Pace.  I'm no longer falling behind and if I do recall have closed the gap by a couple of miles.  Also I looked at the cal to see when I can and can't swim and think that I so can swim the 16,725 yards by the end of the month. With my slow swimming I gotta have some sort of motivation and yardage is it.  Even if it becomes garbage yardage.  Never thought I'd say that!  I'm even going to swim at a LCM meet next Sunday!  I know my times won't be great but what the hell.  Going to attempt to swim the 400 IM and 400 Free.  That'll be fun to watch.  For comical reasons only!

Yard By Yard I'll Get To 100 Miles!

I'm on a roll!  I swam 4 swim workouts in one week!  Hopefully I can keep it up.  Mind you it wasn't a tough workout or shouldn't have been a tough workout.  But with my lack of swimming any workout these days is a tough workout.

Warm Up

200 Pull Free / 200 Swim with some stroke / 200 Kick (600)

Main Set:

4x100's Pace breathing every 3 on 1:40

400 Faster then pace on 6:00 (400/800)

4x75's on 1:15 (300/1100)

300 on 4:30 9300/1400)

took a quick pee break

4x50's on 50 (200/1600)

200 on 3 (200/1800)

4x25's on 30 (100/1900)

100 FAST (100/2000/2600)

Okay so I wasn't super fast or even fast in this set.  My first 4x100's I was 1:22, 1:21, 1:20 and 1:21.  Ouch, that's slow.  I mean yeah I hate breathing every 3 but still that is molasis slow.  The 400 wasn't much better.  Forgot what I did but was seeing 1:20 splits.  For my 300 I did a 1:20/1:17/1:15 which is a little better but way off for me.  My 200 I did a 2:31!  Ouch, that's slow!  Even my 100 was sad with a 1:12.  I did what the set was intended to do which was to get faster and faster but when you  start wiht a 1:22 for a 100 SCY freestyle you have no where to go but faster!

I then did a 150 warm down.  Just to get to 2,750 yards.  That number was in my head so I can get to 100 Miles for my Go The Distance by the end of May.  I gotta swim 21,625 yards by the end of this month and I figured I'd swim maybe 8 times.  I have to take the last week off of the month from swimming due to work.  Well most of the week.  I might get a Sunday swim in.  So let's say I get 8 swims in well I need to swim 2,703 yards to get to my goal.  So I knew to swim to 2,750. 
I know 100 miles in 5 months is no big deal but considering I'm so behind in my YTD Goal Pace I need to make small goals in order to reach the big one by the end of the year. 

Hey Mind, Shut Up & Just Swim.

After swimming this morning I was so hungry that I ate my breakfast and almost forgot that I went swimming.  My normal routine after working out is head right to my computer to log my workout before I forgot what I had swam.  But I was so hungry I dropped my bag on the floor and started to cook my food.  Now let's hope I remember what I did.  Luckily it was a short workout.

1x500 Loosen.  Well I pulled the whole 500.  My legs were tight this morning.  They usually are by Friday.  With 7 spin classes this week my legs should be. 

1x200 Kick w/fins

1x400 w/fins Swim/Kick/Pull/Swim by 24 (400/1100)

Main Set:

6x150's on 2:20 Push middle 50 and descend the 150's.  Easy enough, right?  It actually was.  I did struggle a bit at the beginning.  But I was doubting myself during the 400.  And not just doubting my ability to swim fast and hard in a workout.  I started to doubt if my body can keep up with teaching spinning and teaching other classes which I'm going to be certified for this summer.  Then I started to think that maybe swimming just isn't that important anymore.  Then back to thinking that swimming is but I need to go back to a nice office sit down job.  Luckily I pushed out all this b.s. talk out of my mind got allowed Nicki Minaj  in with "Whip It".  That kept me going.  I was a 2:01, 1:57, 1:54, 1:51, 1:47 and a 1:43.  Not earth shattering times but not horrible.  (900/2000)

I was going to swim some 50 switcharoo's getting some stroke work in but I was beat.  At least this week I'm up to 3 swims.  I plan on swimming Saturday and Sunday.  I say plan but who knows.  I really would like to swim 4 times a week even if it's only for 30 minutes. 
Now I'm way off track from my Go The Distance goal pace.  But I got time to catch up.  It looks like I'm going to miss my own little goal of reaching 100 Miles by the end of this month.  I was looking at my month and if everything goes perfect I can only swim about 8 more times this month.  That would mean I'd have to swim at least 2,750 yards each of those workouts.  At least two of them fall on days when I can only swim about 30-40 minutes.  Maybe, just maybe I can squeeze in a few extra swims in.

Quick 30 Morning Mixed Bag

Wahoo!  2 Days In A Row!  I'm on a swim roll!  But today was a super short workout.  Going to be a long day at work/gym.  Yesterday I took Group Power at 12 then came home and relaxed a bit before going back to teach Group Ride (spinning) at 5:45pm.  Today I'm teaching 3 spinning classes and working the Fitness Floor for a shift.  So not much time to post or even swim.  It's workout like a madman day including a quick 30 minute swim.

Warm Up

200 Swim / 200 Pull / 100 Kick (was 200 but I shortened it.  thinking 3 classes and my legs) / 200 Swim (700)

1x400 Catch Up Free (used paddles for about 250 of it to save my legs a bit) (400/1100) rest 30 seconds

1x300 IM  (300/1400) rest 30 seconds

1x200 Backstroke (200/1600) rest 30 seconds.  I was cruising at this point which I haven't felt like doing in backstroke of late.  It's slowly becoming a weak stroke for me.

1x100 Freestyle fast (100/1700)  I only did a 1:09.  But it's a one off and I was dying.  The water is warm again.  And stupid me thinking I was just quickly swimming didn't bring water or sport drink.  I was so feeling icky. 

So 1,700 yards in about 30 minutes.  Not bad.

Let's Try This Swimming Thing Again.

Aquafit is not a real thing.  Spellcheck won't even acknowledge it as a thing.  Sorry but Santa, the Easter Bunny and Aquafit aren't real things.  Before I go off on a rant let's talk about me and swimming.  Remember me and swimming?  I use to swim.  I use to be a swimmer.  Now I'm just a guy who happens to make it to a pool about once or twice a week.  I keep telling myself I gotta get back on track.  I think I'm on my 1,364th reboot.  Today was number 1,365 with this workout

1x500 Loosen.  I did a 200 free, then a reverse 100 IM, 50 free, reverse 100 IM and a 50 free.

3x 100 Pull / 50 Kick / 100 Swim w/fins.  Since it was a 250 I wore the fins the whole time.  Which is odd for the pull part.  I was like a kid who couldn't decide which toys he wanted to play with so took them all.  (750/1250)

Main Set:
3 Rounds -
100 Free on 1:40 Breathing every 3
100 Back on 1:50
100 IM on 1:50
50 Fly on 60

Meh.  I haven't been in a pool since last Thursday.  I was super slow and stiff.  My times were so bad and I struggled with my strokes.  It wasn't pretty but I did it.  (1050/2300)

I then did 4x50's Pull to warm down a bit (200/2500)

So 2,500 yards in about 50+ minutes.  I was going to do a few more 50's but the 8am Aquafit folks started to take over the pool at 7:30.  First on deck in mass then slowly taking over the radio by 7:40.  Mind you the music for Aquafit is better then the local oldies radian they normally play but it's like come on folks it's our swim time.  I wouldn't mind be pushed out for something real like swimming but Aquafit?  Come one how hard is it to splash the water to music? You can really see how little I'm swimming by looking at my USMS Go The Distance standings.  I'm almost 20 miles behind my year to date goal.  I really need to get swimming!