Thursday Morning Gym Routine

After swimming double workouts yesterday morning I didn't know how I was going to be feeling this morning.  After a quick run to the gym it was time to work out.

I don't lift heavy weights just enough to get stronger in swimming.  Not looking to be a buffed up gym bunny.  Swimming is too much cardio for me to ever look like that anyways.  Well unless I start to dope or something.  I did my regular circuit routine and trying hard to add in more ab work.  I hate ab work but I know I need to do it.  Ugh!  After the gym I ran home.

Later on I'll head over to the Thursday night Niketown run in Beverly Hills.  For the next few weeks they'll be having pace group leaders as they are pushing The Human Race thingy.  Turnout will be busy but that is a good thing.  Going to take it nice and easy tonight and try to work on my form.  Trying to get rid of the bounce in my step.  Something about me and my bounce.  I even bounce when I swim backstroke.  Must be a butterfly thing!  Watch this old clip of me doing backstroke.

Way Back In December of 2006

It took some time but I got a dvd of me swimming the 50 backstroke at the SPMA SCM Regionals back in December of 2006.  Yup that is right 2006.  Hopefully I'll have the 2007 sooner.  But for know here is me swimming the 50 Backstroke back in 2006.

Sleep Needed

After sleeping most of Saturday away it was no wonder even with a tough swim on Sunday that last night I was struck with insomnia.  After falling asleep I woke up about 30 minutes later.  Tossing and turning for another hour I gave up and hit the couch.  Finally falling asleep a tad before 3am.  At 5am the alarm on my phone went off and it was time to get ready for swim.  It's now 11:48 and I need a nap.  I'll sleep well tonight.  But no naps after work as I have a 7pm therapy session.

Warmed up around a 400.

Then a 400 50 drill / 50 swim.  Turnout was so low at 6am that I had my own lane and everyone else just had two per lane except the one slow lane had one person.  That means 10 people showed up.

200 Kick / 400 Pull Breath control by 50 every 3/5/any/7

6x100's on 1:15.  I was all by msyelf here.  The next closest lane was on 1:25.

50 easy

400 for time.  Did this on 4:38.

200 easy

100 fly on 1:45
2x50 fly on 50
100 back on 1:45
4x25 fly on 35

100 warmdown

Not really a tough workout.  Funny thing was that I wasn't too tired.  Of course If I had someone to race against I'm sure I would have been more tired. 

Apoye En El Agua

After a week out of the water well except a few dips in the ocean and hotel pool in Mexico it was time again to actually swim. After a very long day of traveling due to delays and long lines at costumes I got to bed around 1am last night and woke up at 5:10 to get swimming. After swimming I think I may need to take more time off as I felt refreshed and was able to put in a really good workout. 

After a very stretched out warm-up due to a bit of sunburn on my left side my body felt great and I just plowed through the workout. In our main set we did a 400 freestyle in which I was able to sprint and lap my lane mates. Of course to be fair swimming in today’s fast lane were a few people who should be in the medium lane but insist of swimming in the fast lane. So I felt it was my duty to lap them. Lapping them almost twice in a 400. That wasn’t my goal I was trying to keep pace with the faster swimmer in the next lane, which for me is an impressive thing to do so I was happy with that. 

Before I post the actual workout mind you that in masters swimming we are all at very different levels of ability and speed and therefore from time to time have to endure workouts with others one may find annoying. Now these annoyances should be kept to the minimum if others have proper lane etiquette. Meaning if you missed your interval and sit out part of the workout when at the wall please move the fuck out of the way of other swimmers. I’ve ranted about all this before so I won’t continue. Here is some of what I remember from the workout, which isn’t much. I just sort of cobbled together what I remember:

Warm-up:

400 swim free

300 IM kick/drill/swim

50 swim

Warm-up set:

6x50’s kick on 1:10 butter on back for odds choice on even

6x25’s stroke on 30

Main Set

400 free on 5:40

150’s 50 free / 50 stroke / 50 free

2x200’s stroke on 3:15

4x100’s free on 1:20

6x50’s stroke on 50

200 warm down.

Well not to bad for my first workout in a week. I won’t be swimming to next Wednesday due to the New Year and pool closures but I’ll be posting pictures and comments about my trip to Mexico in place of swim workouts. Till then…

Wednesday In The Pool

Another day of warm water at the pool and cold cold temperature outside. 

400 warmup

150 broken 50 kick / 50 drill / 50 swim butterfly.

Main Set:

4x25’s kicking with 5 seconds rest

400 freestyle 50 drill and 50 swim.  Drills:  One Arm, Finger Tip Drag, Catchup and Fist.

4x25’s kicking with 5 seconds rest

400 freestyle pulling

4x25’s kicking with 5 seconds rest

400 breathe controll every 3, 5, any and 7 by 25.

50 easy

Next Set:

5x100’s freestyle on 1:20 holding the same pace.  I did 3 on 1:08 one on 1:07 and finished up on 1:06.  Short course yard pool.

400 freestyle.  It was supose to be for time but I just couldn’t.  Warm water really got to me and I just coasted.

100 easy

25 underwater

Then we did some ab work that I had to stop as I got a cramp.  Then some deep end kicking and finishing up with a 75 warmdown.

Small Victories

I don’t know if we are doing more kicking in workout or the fact that I’m not running but either way my legs have been sore the last two days.  Then my gym trip yesterday leaving my arms a bit sore today workout was an exercise is perseverance.  Which I did.  I made it all the way and made the intervals.  Considering how suckie I’ve been lately in workout it was a big accomplishment for me.  Only one more week to my Mexican Holiday vacation so working out now is just a way to fit into my Prada swim suit! 

Warmup was a struggle as I just swam a 200.  Then the warmup set was some drilling and kicking.  I struggled to make the intervals on the kicking part.  After the warmup my swimming improved or at least I felt stronger and worked through the aches and pains.  I do feel like a wimp as my lane mate swam yesterday morning and night and came to workout today. But then again he is 10 years younger so I don’t feel that much of a wimp. 

1st Main Set:

200 Free on 2:40

6x150’s Free on 2:00/1:55/2:05 repeat.

4x50’s Choice of Stroke on 50.  2 and 4 were fast and I did them backstroke.

after the set we had a 50 easy

4x75’s kick. 

2nd Main Set:

200 on 2:40

6x100’s Freestyle on 1:10/1:15/1:20.  The 1:10’s were pretty much touch and go with about 1 second rest on the 2nd round.  The very last 100 I was struggling to keep my stroke together. 

4x50’s Stroke on 50, same as earlier.

after the set we had a 50 easy

sprint 25’s!  six of them.  we did 3 butterfly and 3 backstroke.

then I warmed down a 100.  Even though I’m sore I’m glad I stuck with the workout and made the intervals.  The water once again was really warm making it even more difficult.  But I finished.  Since it is going to rain this weekend I think I’ll be skipping swimming.  As for the 4th Annual Speedo Run I think the rain will be my excuse not to do it. 

Hump Day Swim Workout

After lifting yesterday I woke up a bit sore. Sore is good as it means I’m pushing myself at the gym.  Of course after next week I’ll be on vacation in Mexico for a week so any gains now will be lost and I’ll be starting over again in Jan but at least I’m not sleeping in and just skipping workouts.  The other downside of yesterdays workout was attempting to swim in today's workout. 

My arms grew heavier and heavier and by the end of the workout my stroke had fallen apart as I was just struggling to finish it.  That was even with me taking in easy.  I went in the slower fast lane today with an interval of 2:50 in a 200 Freestyle, I had 30 - 40 seconds rest.  Too much for a normal workout but I enjoyed it. 

The water was pretty warm today as the city has the problem of the daily lap swimmers who some of which just walk up and down the lanes complain the water is too cold and us complaining it is too hot.  It’s a constant battle for moral supremacy.  As one of the super fast swimmers said this morning “Tell them to just go faster”.  Which is so true.  It’s these swim walkers who ruin most gym pools by requesting the pool to be warm.  Which is not good for us swimmers. 

Warmup was a 400 swim, 200 IM drill and then I did a 100 kick butterfly and back.

Warm Up Set (repeat 3 times):

4x50’s Kick
3x75’s IM no Free
100 Free on 1:20

Next Set (repeat 3 times):

200 Free on 2:50
4x50’s on 60.  I did the first two rounds backstroke and the last round 25 butterfly and 25 backstroke.

Next Set:

4x150’s alternating free / IM.  the freestyle breathing every 3/5/7.

warmed down a 100. 

Like I said I took it easy.  I don’t plan on pushing myself to after my vacation.  The rest of this week and next is just burning off all those cookie and muffin baskets that we keep getting at work.

My crankiness over swimming this morning disappeared once I got home and read the Amazon was shipping my Wii today.  I should get it next week.  Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

Three Workouts, One Post

Call it winter blahs, fatigue or whatever but I got behind posting and been feeling shitty in workouts.  Friday wasn’t so bad but Sundays workout I struggled and then gave up.  Today workout was cut short just in time due to high chlorine level.  I’m blaming it all on the winter.  It’s hard to swim in an outdoor pool when it is 40 degree’s outside and the water is too warm.  Never mind the chlorine levels today.  My throat was scratchy and my nose burned.  Actually hours later I’m itchy, and my nose burns still, oh and I got a tickle in my throat.

Friday we swam and the chlorine was okay but it was warm.  Warmed up a 300.  Then our warm up set was 200 Drill, 3x100’s Kick and 4x50’s Swim.  Then we did 8 x 150’s.  Then we did 6x100’s on 1:20/1:15 and 1:10.  Since we’ve been doing lots of kicking of late it was time for our kicking set of 8x50’s.  Finally we did a set of 8x75’s.  I didn’t take good notes about the workout so I don’t know what parts were free or stroke.  I do remember struggling and not really caring about the workout.  I had a negative attitude from the get go so it wasn’t that great of a workout.  This is the beginning of my swim funk.

Saturday woke up and hit the gym.  Going to the gym is boring. 

Sunday I went to the 3pm workout.  Chlorine seemed high and the water warm a bit warm but not all that bad.  Later at dinner I knew the chlorine was high when I couldn’t taste the wine.  This was also the workout that I just gave up.  The warmup was 10 minutes in which I did a stretched out 400.  We then did a 300 broken by 100, then 4x100’s kick and 6x50’s.  The first set was 4x200’s on 2:40/2:30.  I died.  I gave up and sat one of the 200’s out. 

This morning the chlorine was so high.  Ugh!  But we swam for 45 minutes before the lifeguards ask us to get out.  Warmed up a 300.  Then a warmup set of 6x150’s (50 swim / 100 drill and 50 swim / 100 kick) on 2:30. 

Main set:  100 on 1:20 Freestyle, 300 on 4:10 100 free/100stroke/100free, 4x200’s Freestyle on 2:40/2:40/2:35/2:40, 300 same as above and then a 100 freestyle.  The extra 5 seconds was enough for me not to give up.  Yes it is all mental.  I could of made Sunday’s set if I just hung in there but hell I didn’t want to.  Swim Funk!  The only bad thing was that we never warmed down as we had to get out of the water ASAP.  Oh well.  I guess I’m caught up.  It’s hard to keep oneself motivated day after day especially when it is cold out.  Also since it is cold out turn out in practice gets smaller and smaller so sometimes I have no one to pace with so I just slow up.  Vicious cycle. 

Wednesday Morning, Back In The Pool

On Tuesday I decided to skip the gym and take a recovery day.  I needed it after the weekend.  This morning while swimming it felt like I didn’t take a day off.  My arms were sore!  As I’m working on my NEW & IMPROVED freestyle I think that the new stroke action is why I’m feeling the pain.  I promise to post more about the NEW & IMPROVED freestyle soon.  And yes I’ve yet to post a recap on Sunday.  I’ve been busy at work and then the last two nights I’ve been battling the beginnings of a cold.  Damn it!

But I did brave temps in the 40’s to swim at the outside pool this morning picking to swim the distance free lane.  Although I don’t agree calling today's’ workout a distance free workout but it wasn’t sprints so that is a good thing.  The Mon and Wed morning coach is big on technique and drills so that leaves less time for actual distance.  She already warned me that Monday is going to be another heavy drill day. 

Warmed Up 500 Freestyle

Warmup Set:

200 Kick. 
200 Long Axis Swim
200 Breathe Control by 50 3/5/any/7
200 Race Strategy

200 Kick

400 broken 50 drill / 50 swim

200 kick

3x250’s on 3:45 descend

100 easy

250 for time. I did it in 2:47

warmdown 100

Well that is it for now, till next time...

Recovery Workout

Well before I go all Monday Morning Quarterbacking (i'll do that all week in numerous posts)  I’m going to post this mornings swim practice. 

Warmup was a 400 freestyle.  Then after we did some kicking warmup. 

400 freestyle.  50 drill / 50 swim. 

800 freestyle.  200 long axis.  400 breathe control 3/5/any/7. 200 build.

4x100 Free on 1:25 descend

100 long axis

100 sprint.  I died after the 75.  Three days of competition came back to haunt me.  I did this in 1:03.

Then we went to the stroke part of the workout.  Now yesterday I swam the 50 short course meters backstroke to see how I’d do.  Well I did pretty well and was told by a few people that I should swim backstroke more often.  Especially the 200 Backstroke since I have the endurance.  So today I swam backstroke.

200 Backstroke

then some more backstroke things.  one being a fast 100.

3x25’s kicking going underwater as far as you can working streamlines.

So overall I was feeling good today after swimming all weekend.  I had a world record holder work on my stroke in the warmup pool yesterday so I was working on my NEW freestyle.  Between that and my streamlines I hope to break the dreaded 1:00 in the 100 Free SCM soon!