Celestial

Today started off really well. Had a nice workout, just kinda getting back in the swing of things after taking two days off. One of our teammates, Cecilia Williams, was FIRST in the Miromar Lakes OW swim that JRTotten was in this past weekend - way to go Cici!! She's a rising star & we all expect to see her on the Olympic team in four years - at least on a relay.
After practice , the three masters who pay to swim with the kids (me & two others) were told that if we want to swim more than the measly hour that ATAC gets in before the kids go to school, we will need to pay an extra $4 (the usual entry fee). WHICH IS RIDICULOUS!! Apparently someone complained that we were taking up too much lane space. Some people think they need to have an entire 50m lane for themselves & don't want to share, so they complained about the three of us swimming past 6:30am. I am so ticked off in so many ways, I could hardly think straight this morning. For starters, two of the three of us already pay for an annual pass (an additional fee on top of the ATAC fee) For seconders, there are empty lanes in the pool not occupied by ANYONE. And finally, the three of us stay in the same lane, so it's not like any of "them" are going to want to get in our lane anyway! They can't kick me or Jenna out - we already pay the stupid extra fee because sometimes we come at times when ATAC isnt practicing. But the idea of them complaining about us taking up lane space is just so irritating. Today, in my lane during ATAC practice, we had 9 people. The other 4 ATAC lanes had a minimum of 7 people. The other 5 lanes in the pool had 2 a piece. If you base the amount we pay for swimming, our $75 fee, plus the annual pass, multiply that x 9 people, and our lane is worth about $900/month. Compare that to say, 2 people/lane at $4 each, the "adult swim" lanes are worth $160/month. How is it then, that THEY get to kick US out of the pool? They already get to determine the pool temperature, sit on our lane lines and break them, and force us to park farther from the pool (yes, it's true - if you are a member of the swim team, no matter how old, you must park in outer darkness, and leave the closer (non-handicapped) parking for every one else. The Bitch & Moan Club is getting on my last nerve. I wish I could win the Power Ball & come up with 100 million semoleons so I could build a pool specifically for the swim team & keep those complainers out of "my" pool.
Anyway, workout today, which was nice until ruined by the above.

800 back/free
2 x 400 P
200 over under
9 x 100 breast/free on 1:40
100 easy
500 drill w/snorkel & fins
10 x 50 K on 1:00
500 various
Total:4500 LCM

Feel like finding a tennis ball & slamming it into the wall a few times right now.

I am so bloomin' tired from weights! OMGoodness, almost every part of my body hurts - even my chest just below my boobs - trying to stretch out my stroke & work on putting in a 6 beat kick, PLUS I bumped up the weights last week, and it's starting to kick in. Feeling better than yesterday for sure, but I am glad I have two days off to recover.

Swam BESIDE ATAC today

600 back/free
5 x 100 breast/free on 1:45
400 K
3 x 400 P on 6:15 - I did get in around the 5:40, but decided I needed extra rest
200 easy
500 drill free w/fins & snorkel
500 breast/free
600 various

The weather this year is going to drive me crazy. Super cold (for me) on Saturday, and really on the cool side again this morning - add in the wind chill factor & it made for a very brisk run to the locker room!

This weekend I was determined to do myself in as far as my fingers go. Cut my fingers in three places chopping veggies, sliced two fingers up when I found a razor I didn't expect to find in an older gym bag, cut another finger this morning on lap 3 thanks to the lane line, then got majorly whacked by someone's hand paddle (seriously, I had to double check that the end of my finger was still there), and finally, in the locker room, I managed to burn the side of my hand with my flat iron.

Well.

Could not really get going this morning. Warm water & bumping up the weights last week is my excuse. Did manage to hold up for the entire workout, just wasn't motivated to go for another 2000 like I usually do after the kids get out at 6:30.

600 back/free
600 P
300 K
100 easy
3 x 200 stroke/free on 3:30
6 x 100 on 1:30, descending by pairs
4 x 4 cycle speedplay
200 easy
600 various stroke/free
Total: 3700 LCM

Got to get to the pool M-F this week, as they will be frying my face again on Friday afternoon, which puts me out of the pool on Sat & Sun both. Ah well, what we do to avoid cancer. . .

Lovely morning with none of the expected rain! Rained so hard yesterday the guards couldn't put the mats on the pool, so the water was cooler as well. Had a fun set today w/ATAC - so fun I sort of repeated it after the kids got out & went to school.

500 back/free
500 Pull
300 Kick
3 x 200 @ 3:20
3 x 150 @ 2:30
3 x 100 @ 1:40
3 x 50 @ :50
200 easy (kids out here - which meant the digital clock left as well)

3 x 200 IM
4 x 150 P
3 x 100 IM
4 x 50 free
200 cool down
Total: 4900 LCM

Hoping to have a good week swimming w/my new program of the Genie Rub after weights & Shot Blox about 1000-1500 into the workout. It's working well so far & I'm feeling so much stronger & less achy! Thank goodness, I was kind of getting depressed for a week there. . .

Did weights for 45 min before going to practice like I usually do on Tues & Thurs - however, unlike Tues & Thurs, I was swimming with ATAC and not basically solo - usually not a good idea when my arms are achy from weights. But I lasted for 2800 before my arms went into failure, so I consider that a success. Might not have lasted that long if coach hadn't been fussing at the kids & giving us such totally delightful intervals!

600 back/free
200 - 200 - 100 pull (missed the 2nd 100 bcs my suit was so loose around the shoulders I couldn't focus on my swimming & had to go put on another suit!!)
4 x 100 K on 2:30
100 easy
4 x 100 stroke free on 2:00
100 easy
4 x 400 @ 7:00 (used the last one to cool down)
Total: 3200 LCM

I'm thinking it might not be such a good idea to do weights right before a "real" practice. Perhaps I should either a) skip weights on Saturday, b) not swim with ATAC on Saturday & just swim leisurely on my own (booring!) or c) swim twice - once a quality workout with ATAC, then go to the gym - mess around & get shopping and gardening & housework done & then go back later in the afternoon for a leisurely 2000. Leaning towards "C" at the moment - might need to hire a gardener, pool boy, maid and housekeeper though, lol. Getting old may be better than the alternative, but it still sucks.

This morning was awesome! Woke up 2 minutes before the alarm went off - pool water was pleasantly cool, and I wasn't achy - in fact, I actually did workout the way I remember doing it.
500 back/free
500 locomotive pull
300 locomotive kick
5 x 100 something - don't remember
200 stroke/free, drill/swim by 25's
12 x 100 @ 1:40, one minute rest after #11, sprint #12
200 easy
500 P w/snorkel
500 P
6 x 50 kick no fins
2 x 100 easy
Total: 4900


Beautiful morning swims!

I Think I've figured out how to do weights & swim. Swam after weights yesterday - slow & crappy, but I swam. Today just as we started the first kick, I ate 3 shock blox, after the kick, I ate the rest. I was not achy at all today, and although I was slightly slower than usual, I did much closer to my usual pace in workout. Big success in my book!

Had a pleasant surprise this morning - was thinking that I would be doing my post-weights swim stretch by myself - but just as I got to the pool, I noticed I had left my phone in the car overnight, and I had three texts from Jenna asking if I would join her at the pool after this morning! So after my 45 mins of weights (she met me at the gym) we went to the pool. Then when we got there, there were two other people I seldom get to see any more because they swim at lunch. Nice little reunion & swim together.
300 wam-up
3 x 100 @ 1:30
50 easy
3 x 100 @ 1:25
50 easy
3 x 100 @ 1:20 (Pull)
50 easy
3 x 100 @ 1:20 (fins)
50 easy
10 x 50 K @ 1:05
50 easy
8 x 25 fly
150 easy
Ate 3 shock blox before swimming, but didn't notice any energy surge. DID notice how tired my shoulders & trapezius were, so I'm gonna ask my hubbie to "lawn mower" my back tonight, in hopes that it will loosen me up a bit.

Not as good at keeping up with this as I once was. Must say something about my job. Or my fatigue level. Been having trouble actually having the energy to do workouts the way I used to just back in January. What's different? Started weights. You'd think that after 8 weeks I would be used to it by now, but you would be wrong. I just have this pervasive fatigue level. Back in December & January, keeping 12 x 100 @ 1:30 LCM was hard, but do-able, and I did it about every day. Once I remember we even went 24 x 100 @ 1:30! Today I could make three. Rested & went half-way down & back (50 m) then started up again. Had to rest again after three more. Pathetic. All these young bucks tell me that I should be acclimated to weights by now, but I'm wondering if perhaps since I am an old lady in my 50's maybe it takes a bit longer? Hopefully, because otherwise I am spiraling the drain.
Here's workout today:
500 back/free
500 Pull locomotive
5 x 100 stroke/free on 1:40
300 kick
100 over/under
12 x 100 @ 1:30 (tried & died)
6 x 4-cycle speedplay
200 easy
8 x 50 @ 1:00
400 P using breath control
Total: 3950 LCM

And Monday:
500 back/free
500 P
400 K
100 over/under
5 x 300 @ 5:00
8 x 4-cycle speedplay
200 easy
2 x 500 P, second one w/out paddles
Total: 4200 LCM

Tired from weights. Telling myself it will pay off in the long run. Meanwhile. . . .

500 back/free
500 P
400 K
100 easy
12 x 100 @ 1:30 (OMG my arms were pushed to "failure" on these, literally)
8 x 4 cycle speed play
200 easy
500 P no paddles
100 easy
Total: 3500 LCM

So all of you out there who read this blog, if you have any great ideas on what I'm supposed to be telling myself when my arms are so tired I can barely lift them. Someone told me to focus on my lats - stretching it out, someone else told me to just rest a 50 or 100 - I'm afraid if I focus on my lats that I will slow down and certainly not make the interval. But if I rest, and skip a 100 (or 50 in SC) I can go a little bit longer. I'm sure in 2 weeks I'll feel better. . . .

Yesterday was my in-laws 58th anniversary. Wow. Dad Lind is getting really old, and its sad to see a former astronaut, who was so virile and active, go into a decline. Mom Lind is old too, but doing better than Dad. Hoping they make it to their 60th. It's very interesting to compare them to my own parents, who are about 5 years younger - my parents are so very very active - they embraced the triathlete lifestyle about 20-25 years ago, and until 2 years ago were actually finishing Iron Man's (even in Hawaii). They are both lean, mean, fighting machines! Dad only takes one prescribed medication, and that is Lipitor. Mom takes two - but they are tiny doses. Sure hope I inherit all that good stuff!

Yesterday we did quite a bit more than he had us doing last week. Anya is becoming quite the regular - and she is definitely leading the lane.

500 back/free
5 x 100 stroke/free on 1:40
500 Pull
100 "over & under"
400 K, 25 hard/25 moderate
100 "over & under" again
9 x 100 on 1:30, desc 1-3 progressive
200 easy
3 x 500, first one pull w/snorkel but no paddles,
second one pull w/paddles but no snorkel,
third one w/zoomers "steady state" & working the turns
300 breast/free cooldown
Total: 5000 LCM

Today I went to the gym for 45 minutes - discovered a new way to use the Pec Fly - if you sit on it backwards & adjust the bars, you can seriously work your rear deltoids, which kinda feels like something we might use on the butterfly. So fun! (I love weights!!) Then over to the pool - got there seriously late, at 6:20, & got in a little 2300 as follows:

800 warmup - mixing in breast & backstroke
8 x 75 on 1:15; 25 kick, 50 free
6 x 100 pull on 1:20
300 breast/free cooldown
Total: 2300 SCY

Now to troll the web & see if there are any decent meets coming up (and I'm not talking championships, I already entered those).

OMG my triceps are sore!! Water was hot hot hot, and I got a lovely chemical burn from my dermatologist yesterday (PTD - blue light therapy for actinic keratosis) so my face is on FIRE! Won't swim this weekend because now I have to avoid the sun for 72 hours, and the pool won't open until 7:30 on Saturday. Oh well, guess I'll go do extra weights & spinning class.

400-400-200
100 easy
3 x 400 steady state
4 x 100 K @ 2:30
100 easy
8 x 4-cycle speed play @ :30
100 easy
700 various stroke/free
Total: 3500 LCM

Had a great time at the St. Pete meet - so fun being part of a team!! Was on 4 relays with Team Blu Frog & had so much fun meeting new people! Had a girl on my team with my name, too! How fun is that?! There were 3 Celeste's at the meet - another oddity! I did fairly well on my IM's and had super fun doing the 50 free & 50 breast - definitely gonna enter those again - maybe even a 50 back and/or fly!!

This week I've been getting back into it - started back at weights after a week off - starting to bump up the amt I lift as well. Skipped practice on Wed - so flippin tired of waking up and finding out it's 29 outside. Fortunately, the kids had spring break last week while I was tapering, so while I get back into it, the kids yardage & intensity is being gently increased as well. Next week we'll probably be back in full swing.

Seriously thinking about doing whatever it takes to get to a meet a month - relays and racing every month makes racing so much easier - you just seem to automatically GO! Anyways, today's workout: went to Kinetix - about 40 mins, then to the pool for a solo workout:
500 back/free
2 x 250 P w/snorkel
300 breast/free
10 x 50 kick @ 1:05 no zoomers
5 x 100 P @ 1:30 held under 1:15's
300 breast/free

Still in Taper Mode

600 back/free

2 x 300 P w/snorkel

400 K

50 easy

4 x 150 free/stroke/free

6 x 100 free descend 1-3 progressive ~ 1:40 interval (hard to tell since the clock was so far away)

8 x 50 @ ~ 1:00 IM order x 2

50 easy

500 Pull long & strong

300 breast/free by 50's

Total: 4000 LCM

** why oh why do you have to feel so crummy during taper week? I want to feel speedy!

Finally getting back to posting in my blog. Don't know why I haven't been on here for so long, I'm usually on here DAILY - well, I guess I have been trolling, just didn't realize until now that I hadn't been contributing. Started my taper this weekend for the meet this weekend - this is my Nationals, as I won't be in Indianapolis. Then on Monday I get back after it to start training for the Pan Am Meet in June. Why do you always feel so crummy (i.e. slow) at the beginning of your taper, when you were swimming so fine last week?

600 back/free
3 x 200 P w/20 sec rest
4 x 100 K @ 2:10
100 easy
20 x 50 down stroke, back free ~ ::55
50 easy
3 x 200 P w/20 sec rest
50 easy

200 breast/free
Total: 3600

**No clock on the pool deck today - kids have Spring Break, so no illuminated digital clock - we were squinting at the tiny little analog clock ~60 meters away.

***New girl came today - we'll call her Amy - cute little 26 yo thing from Connecticut with a deep voice who is seriously out of my league - as she should be. She's just slumming in Tallahassee until she leaves to go to Vet School in the fall, don't know how much we'll see of her, but she is sure strong & steady - even gave Jenna & Chuck a run for their money.

Cold wet wind in a wet Speedo can be brutal. If I lived in Chicago, don't think I'd be complaining, but I live in Florida, so. . . .

500 back/free
500 P
300 K
100 over/under
4 x 200 @ 3:30 (nice interval, made for good quality repeats) descend
4 x 100 @ 1:45, descend
4 x 50 @ 1:00, descend
200 easy
4 x 150 swim/kick/swim @ 2:30
2 x 150 IM no fly
100 easy

Happily the pool was LCM this morning. So I get to swim LC from here until August, yea! Jenna wasn't there this morning, just me & Sela & "the kids" - they are sorta resting - the youngest ones have JO's this weekend, the older ones Sectionals next weekend. I'm still battling that stupid crick in my neck, but after I get warmed up I'm able to alternate breathe, so I guess I'm ok.

Felt good about the quality of my main set today - just kinda wish we had another set afterwards - the rest I had to do on my own with only the pace clock for company. Not my favorite. Hoping to see some improvement in my strength from weights soon. Was advised this AM that it's time to add some weight to my weights & to do fewer reps. Somehow I thought we were supposed to do moderate weights but lots of reps, and now I find out the opposite is true. I think I'm going to continue at my current weight(s) and just increase the reps until after the St.Pete meet. THEN I'll start bumping it up. Trying to make sure I don't get injured - I might not be doing it right, but lifting some weights is better than the NO weights I was lifting in January.

COLD weather lately! Had to swim under the bubble at Meyers again today due to the temperatures - but it was nice & kinda reminiscent - people were there from Premier, people I don't usually see from Meyers, and then us (ATAC) barging into their lane space, lol! Nice to have actual light at 5:30 in the morning, too. Terry had us do a lot of short stuff, mostly because of the cramped lane space, I'm guessing. It was a nice workout until the first 500P, and then Jenna & Chuck took off & left me & Sela behind, geez, they go fast! I would love to be able to keep their pace. I think they were doing about a 6:00 500, in Practice! I just want to be able to do that in the meet, at this point. I wonder if, possibly, I KNEW Jenna was going to go at that pace, if I could talk myself into keeping up with her for a bit longer. . . .

200 warmup
4 x 100 drill/swim @ 1:30
6 x 100 Pull on 1:30
8 x 50 Kick on 1:00
100 easy
20 x 50 @ :50, descend in groups of 5
100 easy
4 x 4 cycle speed play @ :30
200 easy
500 P hard
5 x 100 IM @ 1:40, hard
500 steady/moderate pace
300 breast/free
Total: 4800 SCY

Hoping to get to swim tomorrow, at least for a short while - have a 7:30am dentist appt & was planning on weights at 5, then swim at 6. Might not get to dry my hair, lol.

Saturday's workout, after weights, was a killer. I was so tired when I left Kinetix my arms were shaking!
600 back/free
2 x 300 P w/snorkel
4 x 75 - kick, drill, swim by 25's on the 1:15
4 x 50 descend on :50
4 x 25 no breathers on :40
100 easy
800 negative split - stop for 10 sec at 400 to get time
2 x 50 easy
400 negative split - stop for 10 sec at 200 to get time
2 x 50 easy
200 negative split yada yada yada
2 x 50 easy
100 Sprint - which I wussed out on - I did a 50 sprint & was happy with that.
150 easy
Total: 3800 SCY

Not my best day, still struggling from my little cold - just feeling a little tired & for some reason, whenever I have a cold, I seem to have a greater tendency to get water up my nose, go figure!! So three of the 100's on the 12 x 100 @ 1:20 this happened to me - very nasty feeling, messed up my mojo. Didn't worry about the GTD genie at all. I'm behind anyway, I know I'll catch up soon as I'm swimming daily again in the summer. Kinda sore/tired from weights too.

600 back/free by 50's
600 P speedplay by 50's
300 K speedplay by 25's
50 easy
12 x 100 @ 1:20, 70, 80, 90%, then descend 1-3
100 easy
10 x 50 free K on 1:00, descend 1-3 hold 4 & 5
200 easy
3 x 100 P HARD on 1:20ish
3 x 200 breast/free
100 easy

Total: 4350

Love it when my decisions pan out! It's been a rough week or so - got a stomach virus last weekend which put me under for a couple of days, then this weekend I came down with a really drippy nose & felt just horrible, so I didn't swim on Saturday & then on Monday it was raining cats & dogs and polliwogs, plus all the thunder & lightning, so I didn't get to swim again! It was slated to be raining & having lightning & thunder again this morning, but I thought, for sure, I won't get to swim if I stay in bed! So I got up like usual, went to Kinetix & did weights & then over to Meyers to loosen up - just 2500, but keeps me from injury.

900 - 100 free, 50 other

7 x 100 P on 1:30 moderate

50 easy

10 x 50 K no fins on 1:05

50 easy

3 x 100 IM w/zoomers on 1:45 easy

100 choice

Total: 2600 SCY

Went to Auburn for a meet this past weekend - Saturday was ok - I swam about what I expected to. Went to Red Lobster for a nice dinner & then back to hotel - where I promptly realized I had come down with a GI bug. Tried to swim the 500 on Sunday - felt sorta ok - but added 20 seconds to my time - so I'm guessing I wasn't feeling so great. Have been nauseous ever since Saturday night with mild fever. So I'll chalk this one up to "oh well". Didn't swim today - didn't go to work either. It was 27 this morning, and I had a fever & felt nauseous; I felt entitled to sleep in. Poor choice. I've been bored silly all day long. Perhaps skipping the pool was wise, but skipping work - geez, the day has just been dragging. Was able to keep down some cheese and crackers this afternoon, so I'm presuming my hale & hearty self is on the mend, and I'll be back to normal tomorrow. Weights at 5:30, then to Meyers for a quick 2000. ATAC goes to Sr Champs this weekend, so I have to practice on my own on Saturday, so I think I'll wait until lunch time & get in some "rays".

Not a bad day - only one in my lane, most likely due to the 31 degree weather. And so foggy outside!!! Felt pretty good today in the water.

500 Back/Free

300-200-100 P

300 K

100 over/under

12 x 100 @ 1:30; one min rest after #11; then sprint (1:15)

300 stroke/free by 50's

4 x 50 @ 1:00 P no paddles

2 x 50 Breast 25 hard/25 mod

4 x 50 @ 1:00 P w/paddles

2 x 50 Breast 25 hard/25 mod

4 x 50 @ 1:00; fast/slow; slow/fast; build; sprint

200 stroke/free cooldown

Total: 4000LCM

*** Auburn Meet tomorrow & Sunday!