Swimming, Life, and Other Stuff!

After lots of preparation, a media blitz, and a very cool kick-off at Purdue University Pool with Rob Butcher, former Governor Mitch Daniels, and 3 former non-swimming adults who now swim with I-swim, "Swimming Saves Lives" has blasted-off in Indiana; in fact April has been declared Adult Learn to Swim Month in Indiana!
"Swimming Saves Lives" is a USMS initiative to make the world a safer place by teaching all non-swimming adults how to swim. The plan is to offer free swim lessons to any/all adults who want to learn to swim. By the end of 7-10 lessons our goal is that the adult can swim 50 yards of crawl stroke and understand how to be safe in and around recreational water settings. I guess you could say we are trying to create a culture of water savvy adults who will pass the knowledge on to their children.
I encourage all of you to try to get a SSL program going with your Master's Team. All you really have to do is contact USMS and let them know you're interested. USMS will provide you with great instructional information, banners, and free goodies for your swim students (caps, goggles, and nose plugs).
2 out of 3 of the adults I'm currently working with are learning to swim so they can be safe in the water with their child/grandchild. I am amazed at their motivation, courage, and commitment to learning how to swim as an adult. I have left every session feeling up-lifted and so proud to be a part of such a needed program in our society. Let's all help USMS wipe out drowning and promote swimming as the # 1 recreational and fitness program in the USA!!

I squeezed this solo workout in after summer school and right before the senior swimmers started. I was really hungry but working hard to get as much in as I could in 60 minutes.

**500 Freestyle wu pace
**400 IM moderate
**300 freestyle pull w/paddles
**200 IM hard
**100 IM easy
:20 rest between each
**12 X 100 Freestyle descending each interval of 4(1:50 / 1:45 / 1:40)
**4 X 75 IMRoll @ 1:30
**4 X 50 Free @ :50
**Kick till I had to get out (200)

3,400 scy

I've got 1 week of summer school left and then I'll really have a few weeks of summer break!
I'm starting to get excited about scy nationals in Indy next spring! I'll be going for pr's while on beta blockers. I'm resigning to the fact that life comes in stages and one should be thankful for what they're given and make the best of whatever they get. This is my new mantra!!

While swimming my first length of warm-up tonight and discovered we'd switched from scy to scm. My turns were strange during this workout, especially backstroke since they'd forgotten to move the flags.
Upon completing tonight's 3K swim I noticed I felt 100% better mentally after my swim. Thank God for swimming.

Lately I've been doing "Workouts off the Beaten Path". I like the idea that I just print 'em off and go do 'em. These workouts are short, interesting, and for a different purpose each day.
I've been swimming less yardage but trying to do what I'm doing as well as I can.
I recently took 3 weeks off swimming with a bad cold/sinus crap and tennis elbow. I tried to run 45 minutes per day although it seemed to make the sinuses worse a couple hours afterwards. I think I finally came out of this funk.
I must say living in the city hosting the "Superbowl" is lots of fun. Generally I really don't like pro sports at all, I think America would be much better off if everyone just got off their bums and moved versus sitting on the couch and watching "pro's" play sports. We've been down to Superbowl City a couple times, tried to creep celebs, plus just walk around and have fun with the zipline and other attractions (flash-mob included). I'm planning on biking down tomorrow after swim practice for bloody mary's and hanging out. I'm hopeful I can talk Marty into going with me and I'm hoping my daughter comes home in time. ( we are babysitting Kai tonight and it's her 1st night out since being a mom and she's down partying @ SB village)
Today I had an easy but nice workout with the NASTI'S:
*300 Free warm-up swim
*4 X 50 Drill Free @ 1:00
*4 X 50 Stroke swim @ 1:10
*4 X 50 swim free @ 1:00
*10 X 100 Free @ 2:00 (we were supposed to go all out and got an extra 1 minute rest @ 5)
*8 X 50 Otter Kick @ ? (I did a straight 400 and didn't know interval)
*4 X 25 all out free @ :30 no breathing (I took breaths since I'm a wimp
*easy 400 coool down swim
**52 minutes/2,800 zen workout
Before Kai arrived I managed to have a mini shopping spree @ WHBM and Lululemon, lunch (w/a cosmo at The Kona Grill, and complete a short yoga/meditation session.

After 8 long weeks of waiting for genetic test results, a 3 day Holter moniter test, an echo stress test, and an echo cardio-gram test I was finally called in to Dr. Chen's office to get the verdict. I was prepared for anything and had convinced myself that I'd be okay if I had to switch up my workout routine to yoga and a long, slow walk everyday. It wouldn't match my personality, but maybe it would change my personality for the better.
Much to my surprise Dr. Chen told me my genetic test revealed a mutation they had never seen before. The mutation doesn't fit into any of the 14 LQT catagories although if we had to pick the closest match it would be III. Dr. Chen then happily told me that LQT III sufferers never die during exercise, in fact the trigger for sudden death in LQT III is sleep. This is great news for me since it's been at least 18 years since I've had a good night's sleep.
To sum it up he basically thinks I have a benign LQT condition that causes no rhythm disturbance in my actual heart rate. The Holter moniter was totally clear (I took three 45 minute runs with it on) and the echo stress test was stellar, the techs finally just shut it down and made me get off. I've okayed the Medical Center and the genetic testing company to do further testing on my family to figure out what our mutation is.
Anyway my doc cleared me for working out, racing, and even said ow swimming would probably be fine since I've never had an episode.
The only thing that bothers me is that I'm still on a small doseage of beta-blockers. I hate these pills and the way they make me feel. If this were the only problem I could probably deal with it but through the research I've done I feel like beta-blockers are probably the worst thing someone with an already slow heart rate and low blood pressure should be taking. I'm currently trying to figure out how I should approach the Dr. about my feelings on this subject. I am not a medical professional but I have a brain, lots of curiosity, and a ferocious drive to live a lot longer in this body I currently occupy. I just may step outside of my comfort zone and press my Dr. further or possibly make an appointment with Dr. Ackerman at Mayo whom everyone seems to think is the ultimate expert in this area.

Other significant news: My daughter Lindsay had a baby boy on December 2nd, 2011! I'm a grandma and I love it!

I thought I'd check in and update my current status. I decided to quit regular blogging since my long Q interval diagnosis. I get tired of talking about it, but it's always on my mind.
Here's what's happened since my last blogging/thread comments:
1. I have a new Physician which I will see on October 19th. The other Dr. dropped me due to non-compliance with my meds. In my defense I'll say I tried Beta Blockers for 4 weeks. I was blacking out in class and while driving, plus suffering from chronic depression. I couldn't get his office to return my calls or give me the result of my ecko-cardio-gram so I quit and figured they were just going to ignore me till I died. Finally his nurse was able to reach me on my cell phone. I told her what I was doing and she reported to the Doc. A day later she replied by telling me he would not represent me for a peer-review for genetic testing and dropped me for non-compliance. I immediately called IU Medical Center and found another Physician. I have a very good feeling about this guy.
2. I have been swimming regularly. (3-4K per workout but with longer rest intervals). I get a feeling of dread before each and every swim but once I'm in the water I feel remarkable! I hope I can stay motivated forever, racing or not.
3. I started running 2X per week. LQT is not as dangerous to runners as swimmers. Surely if it didn't kill me when I was running sub three hour marathons it won't kill me now while I'm running 7:30 pace and slower.
I started a leg strengthning routine before re-starting running. I am up to 1,500 jumpropes, 50 lunges, 50 or so squats, and a few other hip and glute exercises. I am hoping the stronger legs will help my arthritic knee handle the runs. I'm going 40-45 minutes 2X per week at a fairly easy 7:30 pace. i'm also working on my core 4X per week.
4. I'm going to be a Grandma in January. Every now and then I think I should just quit all this foolishness and be grateful that I'll have a little one to love and share with. I would feel horrible if my exercising killed my faulty heart and I wasn't able to be a part of this soon-to-be child's life.
It really pisses me off that I've exercised religiously my entire life, always maintained a low body weight, have a steller lipid profile and still have a crappy, defective heart.
I know life isn't always fair, I say this to at least one student per day.
I promise my next blog will not be another pity party!
Salutations!

Bob

I had 3 unremarkable yet restorative swims this week-end. All 3 around 3,000 scy. I was too buy to blog them and now forget what I did.
We had a terrible storm last night in central Indiana which caused the temperature to drop significantly. I took a nice 45 minute run after swimming and toast. It felt great, almost fall-like.

Daughter Sarah (newly 20 year old attending college in Florida) was home this week-end to visit before classes start. I spent most the week-end hanging around with her. She took an ekg on Thursday; yes she too has a long Q interval. She handled it like a champion. I told her not to worry till we get more information. She shrugged and said "fine by me." I also heard that my insurance company will pay for 100% of the genetic testing. Right now I'm super glad I didn't switch to the cheaper HSA plan. I flirted with the idea for a couple months but with still having 3 offspring on the plan I stuck with the premium option. Phew!

I'm going to start working on backstroke. I think I have a fairly sound backstroke, I could definitely step up the kicking but would like some ideas to work on the CATCH. I've been told to "grab a baseball and throw it down to the ground." Is there any other analogies out there for this stroke? Throwing isn't working for me.

I was tired today. I thought it was the Beta Blockers until I realized I've swum 7 days in a row. I guess I was really just tired. I did this solo zen workout at the Monon:

**1200 SKIPS (250 swim/ 250 kick/ 200 IM/ 250 Pull/ 250 swim) all 4:30
**4 X 100 Free @ 1:45 interval
**4 X 75 Free @ 1:30
**4 X 50 Free @ :55
**4 X through IMO:
100 IM @ 2:00
2 X 50 Kick @ 1:00
4 X 25 Stroke @ :40

3,300 scy

I am still experiencing a ton of anxiety before I swim. I'm having a hard time getting myself to the pool.
I've read enough articles and information about this situation that it is always free-floating around my head and scaring me. Once I get there I try to turn off my brain, jump in and just swim. I feel good swimming. It's surely a good thing that I am fearful and not plunging ahead with recklessness. Probably some type of an innate survival instinct.
I know I may sound borderline whiney! I hate to listen to people whine and I usually try not to whine. I just really don't have anyone to talk to about this situation and I need to vent. I guess a person's blog is what they want it to be. If you don't like whining and complaining you probably shouldn't read this blog for a while.

School started yesterday. Can you believe we started August 8th? All of our buildings are air-conditioned so I guess there's really no excuse.
I am so grateful that I have a job in such a supportive community with wonderful families and kids! Times are tough in education; teachers all over of the country are losing their jobs, programs being cut, and great public education is being compromised due to stupid political agendas! I feel blessed and need to remind myself of this from time to time.

Lately I've been swimming easier paces and less distance. I'm in the midst of figuring out a disturbing medical problem that could force me to quit swimming. I'm trying to stay positive and workout till I get the full story but it's scary and difficult.
Once I'm in and begin swimming I feel great! I have no symptoms and feel as good as I ever have. I wish I was a psychic and could read the future; it's the uncertainty that drives me crazy and makes me feel depressed. I have always considered my great health and high energy level one of my best assets; I'm really not sure who I'll be if I lose this part of me.

Today was my last day of summer break, school starts Monday.

I spent an hour and a half on the phone today talking to the people at SADS. (Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome) They gave me tons of great information, answered questions I should have asked the Doctor, and generally made me feel more positive about my situation.
If my insurance company tries to deny the genetic testing they told me they would help get it through.
Anyway, I felt happy doing my solo workout at the Monon.
I liked this workout! I think this could be a good recovery, stretch-out after a meet.

**200 Freestyle 3:30 interval
200 free pull 3:30 interval
2 X 100 IM @ 2:00
4 X 50 drill/swim @ 1:00
8 X 25 Kick @ :45 no fins
*rest :30 seconds
**200 IM @ 4:00 interval
200 Freestyle Pull
2 X 100 alternate Drill/Swim@2:00
4 X 50 Kick @ 1:00 interval
8 X 25 Free @ :30
*Rest :30
**200 alternating drill/swim @ 4:00
200 Pull @ 3:30
2 X 100 Kick w/fins @ 2:00
4 X 50 Free @ :55
8 X 25 IMO Stroke @ :40
*Rest :30
**200 Kick @ 4:00
2 X 100 free @ 1:40 interval
4 X 50 IMO @ 1:00

3,600 scy

Today was my first swim on the beta blocker.(metoprolol) It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. I only took half of my 25 mg. pill but I felt it kick in strongly. I sort of felt like I was on a tranquilizer, laid back and mellow. The echo-cardiogram was strange but okay. I hope I get results and information on the genetic testing tomorrow! I am impatient! I swam about the same speed as usual, my intervals were a little longer on a couple sets.

**400 freestyle swim
**300 mixed kick
**3 X through:
4 X 75 @ 1:20 interval
2 X 150 @ 2:30 interval
1 X 300 Free-rest 1 minute

3,400 scy

We went to Cirque de Soleil "Dralion" tonight! It was splendid!

Easy and short solo @ Monon:

**Super 1,000 Swim
**16 X 50 alternating Kick, pull, Swim @ 1:00
**4 X 200 Free @ 3:30 interval
**Super 500 Swim

3,100

A few years ago my pcp diagnosed me with a long Q interval during a routine ekg at my yearly checkup. I didn't think much about it at the time and my Dr. didn't seem too shook up about it either.
Occasionally I would think about this irregularity, especially before open water swim races and wonder if I should really be doing things like this. I finally decided to set an appointment up with an electrophysicisis and get some advice. The EP told me I most likely have had this my whole life. I will hopefully be getting a genetic test soon if my insurance covers it. I have been extremely active my entire life and never had a symptom. The current standard of care is to take Beta Blockers and quit racing. He said it would be okay to continue working out. He told me I would probably hate the Beta Blockers but try them anyway. He said many of his active patients opted to quit the beta blockers and just continued on with their activity but his job was to advise me to do what he said.
I wish I knew someone else with this situation so I could talk to them. I definitely want to continue swimming but obviously I value my life and don't want to do anything stupid. It's going to take a few days for me to wrap my head around this situation. Tomorrow I'm getting an Echocardiogram to "just make sure everything is fine" in the heart. The Dr. says he totally expects it is but he doesn't want to turn me loose without being sure.
By the way, I felt perfectly wonderful during my swim tonight. I would really be freaking if I hadn't taken one.

Today was solo at the Monon Center.

**500 Freestyle Swim
**100 Kick/100 Pull/100 Drill/100 kick/100 pull
**10 X 50 Drill/Swim free @ 1:00
**4 X 125 IM (50 IMO Roll) @ 2:30
**20 X 100-in sets of 4--descend -5 each set of 4 (2:00 / 1:55 / 1:50 / 1:45 / 1:40

4,000 scy

The pool was packed this afternoon! Is swimming rapidly gaining popularity among fitness buffs?
Throughout the course of my workout I had 4 different lane mates. Three of them were totally fine to swim with, the 4th however was a man attempting to do breastroke. This guy rotated his pelvis and did more of a wide scissor kick that crossed over in my lane. I was nearly kicked by him every length. He seemed to be annoyed by my 100's on an interval. When I passed by him he would switch to crawl and try to ward me off. Oh well, he was the fool who jumped in my lane and started swimming!!

I ended up swimming at the MOnon Center with a couple good swimming buddies. I'm not sure if there was a written workout or not, I got there late and started where the other two were and added 1K at the end.

**3 X (2 x 50 @ 1:00 and 100 @ 2:00 Kick)
**3 X (2 X 50 @ :50--100 @ 2:00--2 X 50 @ :55--100 @ 1:45--2 X 50 @ 1:00) 1st Free, 2nd Pull, 3rd IMO with the 100's IM
**8 X 75 Free @ 1:10 interval
**4 X 75 Kick @ 1:30 no fins
**500 Freestyle Swim
**50-100-150-200 Free w/ :10 rest inbetween fairly hard

4,000 scy

We are building custom shutters for the house today. I found the shutters I wanted on a house in another neighborhood not so far from here. I guess the builder assembled them per the home-owners design so we can't really go anywhere to purchase them. I will be sure to post a pic of our handicraft when the project is complete. I hope they look good, it's lots of work!
Tomorrow I plan to drive up to Chi-town and visit my son. Hopefully I'll get up early enough to get a little jog in before I go!!

I left the nest early to head down to the Lululemon store opening! I wasn't disappointed and spent more $$$$ than I care to mention!
Today was an easy, stretchy swim. I may drive down to Louisville in the morning for a LCM meet. The meet was scheduled to be at Lakeside, the outside quarry pool. Due to the heatwave we're having here the water is over 90 degrees so they've moved the meet to the Ralph Wright University of Louisville Natatorium. I love that pool! I'd really like to do a 1500 in there. If I'd known they were doing this I would have taken it a little easier this week. Right now I'm thinking if I wake up and feel motivated I just may drive down for 1 day of the meet. Time will tell.

**600 Warm-up Swi
**200 Pull / 200 Kick / 200 Swim / 200 IM
**10 X 50 rotating freestyle drill @ 1:00
**200 freestyle moderate
**75 / 50 / 25 of each stroke w/ :10 rest between
**4 X 75 Free @ 1:20 interval
**100 Butterfly stretchy

3,100

I jumped in the home pool and cleaned the side-walls while enjoying a Two-Hearted Ale!
1 week of summer vacay remaining!

No swimming today! My shoulders and motivation needed a break from the water!
The day started with a Hatha Yoga for athletes class. 12 years or so ago I took vinyassa flow at least 2X per week. I love the yoga but my ADHD persona has a rough time staying focused for 1 hour and 45 minutes of yoga-antics. Anyway a Nasti friend's wife built a beautiful yoga studio in her basement and sent out an open invitation to all Nasti's for a free session; I took her up on it! It ended up being a lovely, 60 minute basic hatha class. It felt great to get back into some of the postures and re-visit the world of yoga. I am planning to take a Saturday afternoon class at Joan's studio directly after practice. I hope it works out!
After the yoga I did my normal dry-land routine I put together this summer: 3:00 minutes fast and continous jumprope, 4 minute Plank routine (1 per side+2 prone), 1 minute wall sitting, 2 minutes bicycle crunches, 26 pass the back weight, 15 push-ups, 25 lunges, and 2-4 minutes of stretch cord rows)
I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!! Indianapolis is getting a Lululemon Store and it opens tomorrow!!! I travel to Chicago at least 2X a year to purchase cool PE Teacher clothes from their stores! Now I can travel less than 8 miles and buy them whenever I want! Yeah Indy!

Today was a solo swim at the Monon Center. I made this one up as I went along.

**400 Freestyle wu
**200 Kick / 200 IM / 200 Pull / 200 Drills--on 4:00 interval
**200 Free @ 4:00 interval
4 X 50 Free @ :45
**200 Freestyle @ 3:45 interval
4 X 50 @ :50 interval
**200 Freestyle @ 3:30 interval
4 X 50 Free @ :55 interval
**200 Freestyle @ 3:15 interval
4 X 50 @ 1:00 interval
**200 Free easy
**8 X 50 flutter kick @ 1:00 w/short fins
**easy 200 Pull
**200 IM

3,800

Yikes! I am very sore from yesterday's TRX! I thought I was too old to get sore! I'm happy there's enough muscle mass in here to hurt!

I worked out at the Healthplex. TRX was 1st on the menu. I left the gym sweaty and tired!
The Healthplex pool is sooooo dark and green. You can't see the bottom in the deep area due to the murk; not the most inviting pool in the planet but a good water temp!
**500 Free Swim
**5 X 200 @ 3:45 interval--Pull/Kick/IM/Drill/Swim
**16 X 100 @ 1:50 interval and done in groups of 4 IMO Pacman
**4 X 75 @ 1:30 (25 stroke/50 Free)
3,400 Scm

Off to dinner and shopping with oldest daughter!

The World's in Shanghai are off to a rocking start! I tried to mimic Pelligrini's beautiful freestyle today while swimming solo at the Monon.
**500 Freestyle warm-up swim
**5 X 100 Free @ 1:50 interval
**500 Freestyle pull w/buoy and paddles
**5 X 100 Freestyle @ 1:45
**500 Freestyle Pull w/buoy
**5 X 100 Freestyle @ 1:40
**Easy 200 Freestyle
**4 X 50 @ :55
**Easy Freestyle Pull
**4 X 50 @ :50
3,800 scy

I planned to do some stroke in there but ended up sharing the lane with a guy who took more than his half. It's just easier to hug the lane and swim freestyle versus smacking him while doing stroke so I took the path of the least resistance.
Another annoying patron came in about half-way through my workout and totally turned the pace clock to face lane 8. I tried to motion over to him and communicate that I was using it for my sets too. I finally gave up. This particular fellow seems to only understand japanese so again I just let it go and used my wrist stopwatch.
Right now I'm trying to figure out the logistics of driving up to Cleveland this week-end to do the Lake Erie ow 2 mile race. I'm even considering swimming the meet on Sat. and ow on Sunday. A double duty would make the trip worthwhile. I'll have to speak to my new spouse about this and see if he wants to go. It would be a long trip alone. I'm also wondering what Erie's temperature would be in July.

Friday Solo @ Carmel Aquatic Center in scy:
**500 Freestyle swim
**10 X 50 Free Drill/Swim (1-arm / fist / finger drag / catch-up)
**Broken 1650 (11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1) rest :20 through 7 and :10 for the rest.
**10 X 50 Kick @ 1:00
**100 IM easy and out.
Carmel is getting drained and cleaned so this was my last swim there till August 8th. I hate losing a pool!
[B][U]Saturday [U][B]w/buddies at the Monon Center:
**200 Swim / 200 Kick / 200 Pull / 200 Swim
**300 Swim / 300 Kick / 300 Pull
**4 X 200 Pull @ 3;30
**3 X 150 Free Pull @ 2:15
**2 X 100 free @ 1:40
**1 X 50 Pull
**10 X 50 Kick @ 1:00 mixed
**8 X 25 iMO @ :40
** 4 X 100 IM

4,300 scy

I just returned home from the new Tom Hanks movie; It was a "slice of life" tale of an 'out of work" man who ends up with more than just a new job and education!