Not Again

Just got word that Monday we will be doing our monthly 10x100's set.  Ugh!  Wait, scratch that.  Yes!  I need to be positive about this!  Click on the category Ten 100's Break Through Set for more info on past 10x100's.

Daylight Savings Swim

After work tonight I hoped on the bike and rode to swim.  It's nice riding in daylight for a change.  Well yes when I ride on Sunday it's daylight but whatever.  Warmed up about a 300.  I wasn't really keeping track.  Since the heater at the pool broke last week we had a re-do of the 10x100's set.  Those who read this blog know all about it if you are new click on the category Ten 100's Breakthrough and read about it. 

We did a bunch of 50's and 25's warm up sprints.  But first we did 3x(50 Drill / 50 Swim / 100 kick) before moving on to 2x200's.  First one breath control and the second one just working on technique.

Then it was time for the 10x100's.  Before the workout the coach asked me what I usually do for butterfly for this set to which I responded I usually just do them all free.  Some people split them and don't do them all free.  Some do the first 5 of one stroke or IM and the last five free.  The coach suggested I do the first five butterfly.  OUCH!

10x100's SCY on 3:00

1st 100 Fly 1:05
2nd 100 Fly 1:06
3rd 100 Fly 1:07
4th 100 Fly 1:09
5th 100 Fly 1:10
Oh well there goes the idea of the set to be consistent. 
6th 100 Free 1:07
7th 100 Free 1:06.5
8th 100 Free 1:06.5 (i did one open turn on this one)
9th 100 Free 1:05
10th 100 FLY 1:09

After this set my body was so beaten.  Biking home was hell.  What was worse was getting off the bike and walking.  I'm going to sleep in tomorrow!  I need it!

redux

Since they closed the pool yesterday the evening practice at 7pm never got to do the 10x100's so next Monday everyone gets another chance to attempt it.  I think I may try to make that practice. 

Disaster At 73 Degrees Fahrenheit

After biking to swim practice I found everyone standing around as the lifeguards announced that the pool's heater wasn't working and the pool temp was 73 Degrees Fahrenheit and dropping.  That is pretty cold!  Swimming yesterday the water was a bit brisk but in a good way.  Brisk is not how I would describe swimming at 73 degrees.  Frozen Feat is how I would describe it.  Now I've swam before in cold water and in the past have done really well so I decided to stay and swim.  After our warm up sets it was time to do our ten 100's sprint on 3 minutes.  These are all out sprints so we get lots of recovery time.  The only thing was that I never really did get warmed up and my arms felt like crap.  The muscles in my arms just weren't ready to push me.  As you'll see in a bit my times were off from a second to a few seconds.  I just couldn't get myself in gear. 

Warmed up a 500 mixed.  Then we did a warmup set 3x25 kick / 25 drill / 50 swim.  Then we did 2x200's split between kick/drill and swim.  Then a few sprint 25's to get going.

Then on to the 10x100's.

My times:
1:02
1:01
1:02
1:02
1:05
1:04
1:07
1:04
1:07
1:05

After that I did about a 300 warmdown.  I was debating on staying for the second workout.  I thought I might warm up but to be honest my feet were so cold I just got out.  The bike ride home was just painful.  With the heater on the fritz it'll be interesting to see if we will be swimming the rest of the week or not.  Stay tuned.

Sunday Swim / 5,000 SCY Workout

It's a new month and since I'm trying to streamline things a bit a new category for all my swimming for the month of March.  After doing one category for 2007 I found it hard to find certain posts so I figured I'd break them up.  For 2008 I started with a Jan-Feb category but for the rest of the year will do one for each month.  With that out of the way here is the 1st Post for March:

After chit chatting I got in the water about 6 minutes after workout started and just was able to do a 200 warmup.  No biggie.  Figured in a 90 minute workout (80 minutes actually) I had time to warmup.  So I pretty much blew off the 10 Minute warm up.

The warmup set was a 200 Swim, 4x100's Kick on 1:55 and then a 200 Swim.

Right from the warm up set we jumped into a 4,000 Yard Set.  When the coach gave it to us it sounded easy enough.   After finishing swimming the set it didn't see so easy. 

200 Free on 2:35
150 Free on 2:15
150 (100 Free / 50 Stroke) on 2:15
150 (50 Free / 100 Stroke) on 2:15
150 Stroke on 2:15
50 Easy on 60
100 FAST choice (no interval)
50 Easy (no Interval)

We did this 4 times.  One round of each stroke (butter, back, breast, free).  The 100 Fast choice I did IM.  The fly round was sorta easy, the back round super easy, the breast round impossible and the free was once again easy. 

Tomorrow swim includes 10x100's all out sprints.  It's our monthly benchmark set.  On Friday we got an email from our swim rep regarding this set, here is what was said:

A reminder that this coming Monday (March 3) will be our monthly ‘Breakthrough Set’, consisting of 10 x 100s @ 3 minutes, all at race pace.

In a race/meet environment, our bodies produce higher levels of lactic acid, higher heart rates and inevitable fatigue. ‘Breakthrough Sets’ call for high-intensity repetitive swimming on a specific work-to-rest ratio, giving our bodies enough rest to recover partially, but not completely, between each of the 100s.  Breakthrough Sets, when pushed to our personal maximum speeds, improve our ability to perform consistently for an extended time at high speeds, despite this increased level of lactic acid. 

These sets are designed to be difficult and should be painful (in a good way). With that, if you plan on attending one of Monday’s ‘Breakthrough Sets’ workouts, please mentally prepare for a challenging and valuable practice.

I gotta admit I really don't look forward to this workout.  Like kicking I really don't see much benefit to it.  Give me a 1,000 for time and I'll be happy but broken up and I hate it. 

The 1st 10x100's of 08'

As I limped down the three stairs at home still feeling all that time on the bike I figured since it was raining swimming today would be easy.  What normally happens on a rainy morning is that not many people show up so normally I can talk the coach into easier intervals.  But not today.  Today being the first full Monday of the month means we do 10x100's all out for time. 

I warmed up a very easy 400 free then another 300 IM broken with kick/drill/swim by 25 for each stroke.

Then we had a free warmup set of 4x175 with 10 seconds rest.  75 Kick / 50 Drill / 50 Swim.  My kicking was really more of a small movement. 

6x50's on 60.  Building or Sprinting or something.  I missed the instructions while taking a pee break. 

10x100's Free all out on 3:00.  When compared to past months my times were a tad slower.  But considering I've felt off the last few workouts since coming back from the Holiday's I'm okay with that.  At one time I really liked the 10x100's.  In theory we use it as a indicator to see how well we are doing in our training.  Once again in theory each month we should be getting stronger and faster.  The last two times we did this set including today I just didn't care.  I'm thining of switching over and doing them butterfly next month.  It would be interesting to see how I'd do.   

10x100 SCY Freestyle:
1st 1:00.05.  Okay so I'm racing the guy next to me.
2nd 1:00.00.  How does he out touch me every single time?
3rd 1:00.05.  I'm bored.  Seven more to go?
4th 1:01.00.  Too a pee break after this one.  Was still out of breath after the rest period.
5th 1:10.00.  I dogged it.  I just gave up.  I don't care.  I was about to give up and get out of the water but I was like no.  Just do it and get it over with.
6th 1:02.00.  Okay feeling a little better
7th 1:02.00.  I so want this to be over.  My arms are killing me and my legs are just not helping at all.  But at least no cramps, yet.
8th 1:03.05.  On the 3rd flip turn my legs slip on the wall and as I push off my left knee is killing me. 
9th 1:02.05.  I just can't let the other guy be a full body length ahead of me just keep fighting.  While resting both my legs are shaking from being tired.  Only one more.
10th 1:02.05.  Just swim.  Thrash around to get movement.  The last 25 I'm just spinning my arms like windmills and trying to pull myself along.

I have nothing left as we warm down a 100.  My legs are now just two lead weights and my upper body can't pull anymore.  We do 2x50's working on our push offs.  The first 25 was a sprint but I just swam it to get to the wall.  After that I warmed down a 75. 

At least I don't have to do this for another month.  I think I may be sick on Monday, Feb 4th. 

10x100's For November

Swimming this morning started off slow.  Maybe it was the vodka tonics last night or I just didn't feel it.  The water is still too warm at the pool making swimming not fun at all.  Either way my 10x100 set was not a good set.   About half way I started to get a pain in my side.  Even before the 10x100 set I was dogging it in the warm up sets.  I know I'm complaining too much. 

My first 100 I did a 1:01.  Actually my first four.  The fifth one was on 1:02.  That is when I thought my side was going to burst.  I was breathing so heavy.  The sixth one I started off fast but at the turn at the 50 yard mark I had to just slow up.  I wimped out and did that 100 on 1:09.  Then I did a 1:01/1:02/1:01 and a 1:02.  The only thing that kept me going was that in the next lane was my swim  buddy John.  We are very close in times so I just raced him every time.  At the end of practice he remarked that this was his best 10x100 set ever. 

Competition is a good thing!  The funny thing about swimming today even with my breathing issues leading to the pain in my side I didn't feel like I was really pushing myself.  I think if the water wasn't so hot and steam wasn't creating a layer above the pool my breathing would have been normal and I would have done better.  Just a theory.  I'll have to wait to next month to put it to the test.  Although that means that this set will be the day after Regionals. 

October 2007 10x100's

Drumroll...

0:58
0:58
1:00
1:02
1:04
1:03
1:03
1:02.5
1:03
1:02

I so died.  My arms gave out.  The last 100 I was just thrashing at the water.  Hit the wall with my hand as I swimming and then crashed my hand into the lane line.  I didn't break my finger or hand but it is sore today.  Ouch. 

TEN ONE HUNDREDS

Before I post today's Ten One Hundreds Set I'm taking a moment to review last years times.  I've obtained a copy of my times written down by the coach and will compare those to what I had posted myself.

JAN 2006 10x100's:
COACH: 1:03/1:03/1:02/1:01/1:01/1:01/1:01/1:01/1:01/1:02
MY POST:  1:04 / 1:03 / 1:03 / 1:02 / 1:01 / 1:01 / 1:01 / 1:01 / 1:01 / 1:02

okay so jan was pretty close.  the coach had me average 1:01.6

FEB 2006 10X100's:
Oh I only did three of them and got out.  Opps.

MARCH 2006 10X100's:
COACH: 1:00/.59/.59/1:00/1:02/1:02/1:02/1:02/1:03/1:02.5
MY POST: same.  I must have copied them down from the coach

APRIL 2006 10X100'S:
COACH:  1:03.5/1:04/1:04/1:03.5/1:02/1:01.5/1:01.9/1:03.7/1:03.2/1:03 average 1:03.03
MY POST:  1:03/1:04/1:04/1:03.5/1:02/1:01.5/1:01.9/1:03.2/1:03

I could do the math an average it all out but I'm too lazy.  I hover around the 1:03ish.  Of course if I'm behind someone faster I can catch the draft and go faster.  When I lead it's all me.

Ten More

Since the beginning of January the 1st Monday of every month at swim practice we’ve been doing a set of timed ten 100’s.  The theory was to chart our progress.  Today was the last ten 100’s for a few months as next month is Nationals and IGLA.  Turnout was pretty low in the fast lanes today since some of my lane mates swam at a meet in Mission Viejo.  For the warmup I had my own lane and eventually someone moved over.  With that said the ten 100’s set interval moved a bit slower to 2:45 this month.  Past months we did this on 2:30.  Yes that means lots and lots of rest.  The point being is that these are all out sprints.  Each 100!

My 100 Yard’s times:

1:03
1:04
1:04
1:03.5
1:02
1:01.5
1:01.9
1:03.2
1:03

These times are very close to the past months so at least I know I’m slower in workouts then in meets.  As it should be.  Towards the end I was getting so sore and my breathing really fell apart.  It took me awhile to get going as I started off slower than I finished up but that had a lot to do with the fact I had no one to pace off.  Also by leading I had no one to drift off either.  Big difference.

Before the actual set we had a warmup of a 400 then three 100’s that were 25 kick / 25 drill /50 Swim.  After that we did a few build 50’s.  After the ten 100’s we did a 400 IM broken up by 50 kick, 25 drill and 25 swim.  At that point I was just beat and sore.  Could hardly even move my arms.

Yesterday I slept in and missed water polo so I headed to the afternoon swim.  I can’t remember the workout too well but it was painful and fast.  Oh well that is it for now.