Ending March With One More Swim

It's the last swim of March and Cesar Chavez Day.  Due to the holiday the pool is open limited hours today so we had one practice from 7am to 8:30.  The extra 15 minutes is a lot when it comes to working out.  I don't mind drilling and kicking so much as I know I'll be getting some swimming in.  Although today having one practice the lanes were pretty full.  I had the wall lane and we had 4 people in the lane.  Now this pool has very narrow lanes for some reason so being in the wall lane is a big disadvantage.  The good thing was that none of us were around the same speed so we were spaced out.  I hate when you are swimming and you do a flip turn and it's one person after another makes me feel cramped in.  The bad news was that later when doing butterfly I'd do one stroke then have to do one arm.  Butterfly in the wall lane is hard enough. 

Warmed up about a 500.  Then we did a set of 4x50's kick then a 400 alternating drill / swim by 50 then another set of 4x50's kick.  Oh and we did some 25's drilling I think or was that yesterday.  Damn the workouts are blending together in my mind. 

2x
5x100's Free on 1:20.  The first round I was doing 1:10's by the end of the second round of five I was doing 1:12's.  The water was hot and I felt cramped up against the wall.  For some reason the water seemed choppy.  Guess I'm use to swimming with only one or two other swimmers per lane. 

I think this is when we moved on to a 400 breath control before moving on to stroke.

6x100's on 1:35.  First one and sixth one IM.  The middle four were choice.  I did them some fly and back.  I ended up doing more back just cuz' it seemed pointless swimming one arm butterfly.

I know we did more than that but whatever.  We ended up finishing the workout with a set of 6x25's off the blocks.  I know between Nationals and IGLA coming up real soon we need to work on our starts but why on one of the coldest mornings do we do this?  Plus from what I've seen at meets most of us have our starts somewhat down pat what we need to work on are relay starts.  I've seen enough of my team mates DQ's for leaving too early in relay starts.  Including myself three years ago.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Wowser.  Sunday swims are always difficult for some reason.  Maybe it's that swimming mid day throws the body off or that the alcohol of the previous few nights have left the body for the worse.  Actually I slept pretty well and didn't drink much on Saturday so that isn't it.  Today I'm blaming it on the water temp as once again it was too hot.  I warmed up about a mixed 500.  After that we did a warm up set of drill work.  One arm and swordfish and some kick.  Quick and easy for a change.  After that we jumped into a 400 pull counting out strokes and doing distance per stroke.  I've really been working on that so I was really counting my strokes.  During the whole freestyle part of workout I was working on my catch and my keeping my elbows up.  Every Sunday I concentrate on my swimming more than I do on weekdays.  Having the extra time to think about swimming and being able to watch you tube videos or dvd's helps remind me on what I need to do.

Main Free Set:
3x
300 on 3:45
3x100's on 1:15

Then we did a 400 IM.  50 Drill / 50 Swim

Main Stroke Set:
3x
200
2x100's
First Round Free, Second Round IM, Third Round Choice

Final Stroke Set:
3x
150 Free
4x25's Stroke (one round of each stroke)

Since I just got back I'm too tired to type so I'm ending this post now...

Friday Morning Workout

After great workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday today I hit a rough patch.  I'm going to blame it on a few things first being the run last night.  When I was swimming today my hip relfexer (sp?) on my left side was a bit tender.  I'm also going to blame it on how hot the water was once again.  I figure I have another month to use that excuse.  But it really was a bit warm.  Finally my last crutch of the day is that I felt like I was gasping for air after doing the breath control set of 3x300's.  I'm just not a of breath control swimming.  Maybe it's the pack a day smoker till 5 years ago that makes me love the oxygen so much. 

400 swim
300 pull

During the warm up 300 pull I used my hand paddles.  Working on my catch.  Also I was being a young Luke Skywalker and using the force on my turns.  What, you ask?  I have a real bad habit of looking up and almost stopping before I head into the wall.  The Wednesday morning coach told me not to look up to have faith that with correct timing the wall will be there.  At the end of the black T take one last stroke and flip.  So I have to be like Luke in Star Wars: A New Hope when he's about to destroy the death star and just believe in the force.  For the rest of the workout I believed in not hitting the wall and just went back to my old style.

6x50 kick on a minute

3x
300 pull on 4:00
Breathing
3/5/5
3/5/ 5/7
3/5/7 (it was suppose to be all 3/5/7 but being a bad breath control swimming I worked myself up to the 7)

The Freestyle Main Set:
4x
50 on 60
100 on 1:20
200 on 2:20 (i was just barely making the 200's.  luckily we had that 50 recovery.  i just felt crappy after the 300's.  I liked the 300's being pull and I used my hand paddles.  Really working on my catch)

The Stroke Main Set:
4x
25 on 30
75 on 1:10
100 fly on 1:20
The 25 and 75 I did freestyle while working the 100's fly.

At the end of the workout the coach asked me if I was going to the freestyle clinic to which I applied no.  Actually, No I'm only here for the cardio.  To which he asked don't you compete?  To be honest I only compete in a few meets a year and I seem to improve every time.  Maybe I'm just in a slump or something but i really don't care that much about meets right now.  I have one in a few months and I want to improve a bit but I don't want to kill myself.  Yes all of the coaches including the one today mention to me that I have bad swim habits.  But they are my habits and they seem to work.  Some of my bad habits I've come to have because I know if I swim a certain way I feel pain so maybe one arm doesn't do a great recovery.  I'm not going to the Olympics.  Ugh!  Also I think the clinics suck.  If you aren't the super vocal teachers/coaches pal then you don't get that much.  I don't see the value of $20.00 for 2 hours of the same coaches you see already.  Enough venting for now, till next time.

Sorta Distance Free Morning Workout

On Wednesday the coach has us split between "Distance Free" and "Stroke" lanes.  Usually I really don't care what I do so I make my choice on who shows up and how the lanes end up splitting.  Some people I don't enjoy sharing the lane with as much as others so that sometimes plays into my decision.  Today I decided to do the "distance free" workout.  I'm using quotes because the workout was a more of a middle distance workout.

Warmed up about a 300 as I was late.  I biked to swim and not only did I leave a bit later it took me longer waiting for red lights along the way.

300 Free 50 Swordfish / 50 Swim

400 Pull 50 Fingertip / 50 Swim

6x100's on 1:20 Pace.  I did them all at 1:10/1:11

800 Free Pace  I did it on 9:44.  At every 100 I paused and looked at the clock making sure I was below a 1:15 pace.  I ended up lapping my lane mate twice.

50 easy

300 Pull 50 Fist / 50 Swim

6x100's on 1:30 Descend 1-3 and 4-6.  My fastest was a slow 1:04.  Which considering I swam last night and this was at the end of workout it wasn't so bad.

10x25's

Warmed down a 50.

During warmup I was feeling last nights workout but as the workout went on it was as if my muscles were in memory mode from last nights swim and just kept going.  It's funny how doing a night then the next morning workout does that sometimes.  The water itself seemed a bit warmer than last night.  During the 800 it was getting to me.  Even with getting out of the water after the 800 to take a pee break when I got back in the water my body temp was a bit high.  Note we swim outside and the locker room doesn't have a roof so you'd think I'd cool off a bit. 

Tonight I'm going to the laundry mat to do laundry.  Then tomorrow I'll sleep in and then run after work at the Niketown Run Club at the Beverly Hills store for the 5 mile loop.  I so need to run more than once a week. 

That's Gotta Hurt - Tuesday Night Swim

Some days you have okay workouts, some days you have really bad workouts and then every so often you have a workout that you rock.  Tonight I rocked the workout.  The main sets were tough I really pulled myself together and kept going.  I will admit at first during the warm up set I was getting a bit discouraged and after reading the main set I was a bit overwhelmed.  But once I started going I just game alive.

Warmed up a mixed 600.  Really loafed it.  Then we did a warm up kick set of 5x100's.  I did 4 of them.  Hey, I don't kick.  I took a pee break then loafed the rest of the set.  At this point I was like oh well I'm not here to go fast I'm here for a cardio workout.  Almost sabotaging myself. 

Then we did our last warm up set.  It was a set of 6x100's.  2 on 1:20, 2 on 1:15 and 2 on 1:10.  Really getting our heart rate up.  This is when I woke up out of my funk.

Main Stroke Set:
8x25's on 30 IM order odds drill / even swim
200 IM on 3:00
8x25's on 25 IM order odds drill / even swim
200 IM on 3:00
8x25's on 25 IM order odds drill / even swim
200 IM on 3:00
4x25's on 25 IM
200 IM on 3:00

Then a pull free warm down / up set.  I did a 100 of it.

Main Free Set:
5x100's on 1:20
4x125's on 1:40
3x150's on 2:00
2x175's on 2:20
take an extra minute rest
200 Free all out.  I finished in a 2:12.

The workout was a killer but I just kept going.  I actually liked it.  Even having to do IM.  There was three fast lanes in which two of the lanes did the intervals above.  One other lane did it free set intervals 5 seconds faster.  I was getting 10 seconds rest which was perfect.  No need to kill myself.  I think if I had done the faster interval I would have broken down and died toward the end.  Hell I can't even imagine how I'm going to make it to swim at 6am tomorrow.  Actually sometimes after a workout like this the momentum keeps me going the next morning.  Guess we shall see...

Monday Monday

For some reason sleep has been illusive for me the last few weeks.  Last night was the worst night yet.  After falling asleep at a reasonable time I kept up getting up every hour on the hour.  At 3am I gave up after hearing the paper being delivered.  I got up and read the paper.  After the paper I moved on to the iPhone to read news and then the computer.  Around 5:42 I left for swim.  Considering the lack of sleep I was able to keep myself going during swim.  I figured some time mid afternoon I'll crash. 

Warmed up around a 400.  I had my own lane for the workout as turnout was very low.  After the warm up part we moved on to a warm up set. 

Freestyle:
3x
100 (50 drill / 50 swim) on 1:40 & 4x50 Kick on 60

Stroke:
2x
100 (50 drill / 50 swim) & 2x50's Kick

Main Set:
3x
200 Free on 2:30 (i was coming in at or under 2:20)
100 IM on 1:25
50 Stroke on 50
50 Stroke on 60

400 Pull (200 distance per stroke / 200 descend by 50)

2x50's working on flip turns

warmed down a 50

I'm missing a set in there somewhere.  Oh well.  I remembered the jist of it.  I will admit this workout was better than last Monday.  I didn't even write it down or post anything from last Monday.  All I can say is we did a 30 minute kick set in a 75 minute workout.  After warming up, kicking and a quick warm up set it was 55 minutes into workout before we started the main set.  At that point I got out.  Felt like a wasted workout.  Oh well....running late for work now.

Easter Sunday Swim

Left the Easter Egg Hunt with enough time to get to WeHo to swim.  In fact since it was Easter Sunday traffic was such a breeze that I was really early.  After standing outside for about 3 1/2 hours it was nice to jump in the pool.  But since I ate really close timewise to swim practice I ended up cramping up a bit after the freestyle main set. 

Warm up was a quick 300 before moving on to a warm up free set.  That was 8x50's.  The first 4 on 50 seconds were 25 drill / 25 swim.  The second 4 on 45 seconds all swim. 

Main Freestyle Set:
2x100 on 1:15
200 on 2:30
2x100's on 1:20
2x200 on 2:30
2x100's on 1:25
3x200's 2:20/2:25/no interval but fast.

50 easy

8x50's Like the warm up set but this time stroke.

Stroke Set:
4x
100 Kick on 1:55
50 Stroke on 1:00 (IM order per set)
125 Swim No interval just wait to the next top on the clock (did them butterfly/backstroke/2 butterfly)

50 easy

I was getting cramped up and gave up after doing a 300 easy.  i will admit I didn't push myself too much in this workout.  I just made the intervals and took my swims easy.  I didn't want to lead the lane so I just went on a slower pace behind the person leading.  I just didn't want to lead. 

Friday Swim

I don't know why but I wasn't feeling it.  I did the workout even when I wasn't making the intervals.  I just did a flip turn and kept going.  I should have made the intervals but I just felt sore and fatigued and gave up.

Warmed Up a 300

Warm Up Set

150 Dril

4x75's Kick

150 Drill

3x50's Kick

150 Dril

2x25's Kick

Main Set:

100 on 1:10

4x50's Fly on 50

100 Fast Fly

3x100's on 1:10

4x50's Back on 50

100 Fast Back

4x100's on 1:10/1:10/1:20/1:10/1:10

4x50's Back (everyone else did breast but I don't do breast)

100 Fast (did a 75 of it breast and gave up and swam a 25 free)

3x100's on 1:10

4x50's Free on 40

1x100 Fast

Then we did a 200 pull breathe control 3/5/3/7

3x50's over unders

Tuesday's Morning Run and Night Swim

Warm Up
400 Swim
300 Pull
200 Kick
50 Swim

6x75's Kick.  2 Free / 4 Fly / 2 Free

Main Set:
500 on a 1:20 base
1x100 on 1:15
400 on a 1:20 base
2x100 on 1:15
300 on a 1:20 base
3x100 on 1:15
200 on a :20 base
4x100 on 1:15
1x100 on a 1:20 base
5x00's on 1:20

6x75's on 1-3 back on 1:15 4-6 fly on 1:20

Sunday Swim

It's another windy and cold day here in Los Angeles so being on deck was not a fun thing.  The water has way too hot so it was a good combo for swimming.  You'd swim, get overheated, stop at the shallow, stand up and cool off.  Repeat a few hundred times during workout.  Biking on the way to swim was just as fun as I was biking into the wind.  Of course that meant biking home was a breeze, I know bad pun.

Warmed up on my own about a 350.  Really was taking my time and after getting in the water had to take a pee break.  Then we did a warm up set of 8x75's on 1:20  broken 25 Drill / 50 Kick.  I mixed it up with fly, back and freestyle.  After that we did 4x50's swim.

Main Set:
7x200's as follows
1st - 150 Free / 50 Stroke (did it fly)
2nd - 100 Free / 100 Stroke (did it 25 fly/25 back)
3rd 50 Free / 150 Stroke (did 75 fly / 25 back / 50 fly)
4-7 - IM
4x50's
1x50 easy
200 FAST (did this fly) on about a 2:32ish  Can't remember now.  The first 100 I took it out easy around a 1:20 then realized I felt good and blasted the 2nd 100.  I'm not posting intervals cuz' I messed them up.  At first I was leading the lane with one other person who was doing it all free.  After the 3rd 100 I had to take some extra rest as I was really hot.  That is when my lane mate got out as he was not feeling into it and the heat was bothering him. 

Next Set:
7x100's as follows
1st - 75 Free / 25 Fly
2nd - 50 Free / 50 Fly
3rd - 25 Free / 50 Fly
4th - 75 Back / 25 Fly
5th - 50 Back / 50 Fly
6th - 25 Back / 75 Fly
7th - All Fly
4x25's
50 easy
100 FAST Fly.  I did this on a 1:06.  Having my own lane I did the 100's a tad differently than the coach had mentioned.  I wanted to work on my fly so that is why you see how I kept adding fly.  Four - Seven were suppose to be descend so I kept adding fly so in theory I did the set correctly just a tad different than the other lanes.  Some did them IM and others did it all freestyle.  I think I did them all on 1:40.  I don't know as I was by myself who cares.  After that we did a warm down set.

The water was so warm that it was a struggle.  I can never understand why they keep that outdoor pool so warm.  Poor WeHo taxpayers!  Of course those little old ladies who come for the AquaAerobics love it.  Time to rest and get ready for tomorrow morning's swim.  Hopefully no one tosses any more beer bottles over the fence like that Sunday night.