Celestial

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!

Taking it easy before the Auburn meet - not exactly a taper, just resting a little bit. I might do a drop taper for the St.Pete meet in 4 weeks, since it will be the last SCY meet of the season.

600 back/free
300-200-100 P
300 K (25 Fast, 25 moderate)
100 easy
2 x 300 on 4:00
2 x 200 on 2:40
2 x 100 on 1:20
200 easy
8 x 25 IM order by 2's on :30 drill/sprint (did NOT have any fast twitch muscles awake this morning, however)
200 easy
500 P, stretching out, moderate effort
100 easy
Total: 4000 SCY

**Entered the Pan Am Championships!! So excited! Will be going Sat thru Wed - sure hope I'm not tapered out for the 400 Free by Wed - will have to get some coaching to make sure this doesn't happen.

So I joined a gym on Monday (Kinetix) and had my first workout on Tuesday, I was rather sore yesterday - and amazingly enough forgot to set my alarm & slept right through swim practice. I haven't done that on accident for I don't know how many years. I have (usually on Saturday mornings) purposely slapped that old alarm clock & went back to sleep, but this was truly an accident & I was so upset with myself - I knew I was going to pay for not getting to the pool. So today I was insane - got up a little bit earlier & went to the gym at 5 - did a complete circuit two times through (FUN!), zipped over to the pool and did a 3000 on my own. Not too shabby considering. Luckily I have some Traumeel which I slathered all over my shoulders to protect my bursa from getting irritated. Rather easy workout:

600 back/free, breast/free
2 x 300 P, first w/snorkles no paddles, 2nd no snorkles WITH paddles
4 x 100 K on 1:45 w/zoomers
100 easy
6 x 50 swim on :45
3 x 100 on 1:25
50 easy on 1:00
3 x 100 P on 1:20
50 easy on 1:00
3 x 100 w/fins on 1:15
200 easy breast/free by 50's

Total: 3000 SCY

Gonna stay kinda easy on the weights since I'm going to Auburn for a meet in about week & a half.

Nice and chilly this morning at 35 degrees (7:30am). Water a warmish 83. As promised, no goal sets. Relays instead, which I politely declined - which 15 year old really wants a 50!+ year old lady on their relay? Talk about a handicap!! Got in -7500yds anyway, kids probably did 8000.

600 back/free
3 x 200 IM twitch on 2:50
8 x 100 Pull on 1:20
200 easy
500-400-300-2x200-4x100 DeMont set on 1:20 base interval
300 easy, stroke/free by 50
8 x 100 Kick on 2:00
200 easy choice
20 x 50; free, choice by 5's; 3 on :50, 2 on 1:00, #4 drill/swim, #5 hard - he stopped us a couple of times and gave us some great stroke technique advice & drill ideas
100 easy
Relays, which I skipped
2 x 300 Pull
300 breast/free cool down
Total 7500SCY

**very tired now. On the bright side, back on pace for the GTD!

Cold again this morning! Thirty degrees outside at 5:30am. Water a toasty 83 tho. Determined to try and get caught back up on my GTD, so even though we got in a bit later (lifeguards were removing the tarps) I stayed until I was at 5000.

600 back/free
3 x 200 P w/20sec rest btwn ea
12 x 50 @ 1:00
100 easy
12 x 100 @ 1:40 (easy interval - got ~ 15+ sec rest)
one min rest
100 AFAP
100 easy
600 K (200 w/board, 100 w/out, repeat)
3 x 300 P
300 breast/free thingy
Total: 5000 LCM

So excited - Terry told us it just a high volume day tomorrow, no goal sets!! Tomorrow it's supposed to by 27 in the AM. Yipes! Guess I'd better bring my Parka!
I actually had this weird dream last night about trying to swim with my Parka on & my hand paddles - I remember complaining to the coach that I didn't know what was the matter with me, but I just couldn't get my arms out of the water today. Dreams are so strange, lol!

Had a great day in the pool today. Interestingly enough, my biorhythms are at only 41%. I'm sure there's a lesson in there somewhere. Coach called a very unusual set for a Wednesday. Don't know quite what he's up to. PLUS he advised us that there would be NO Goal sets on Saturday! Perhaps that was to encourage the three of us old ladies to go ahead & come on out!

400 Back/free
400 P
200 K
400-300-200-100 P Demont on 1:20 base
100 easy
8 x 50 K on 1:00
100 easy
8 x 100 on 1:20 (held mostly 1:11!!!)
one min rest
100 sprint!
200 easy
8 x 100 breast/free - first 4 50/50, second 4 75/25 on 1:50/2:00
200 easy
Total:4700 SCY

Despite how lousy I've been swimming last week and longer, I decided to go ahead & enter the Auburn Meet. I figure, what the heck, at least I can compare my times this year to last year at the same meet. Planning on the 100, 200, 500 Fr, 100 & 200 Br, 100 & 200 IM. We'll see about that nasty 200 IM - I usually scratch it. (Maybe I should start my psych up talk NOW)

You'll need to pick up the pace to achieve your goal this year:
My goal pace: 47.67 miles required as of today to reach my goal by the end of the event
My actual current pace: 46.99 miles as of today

I knew it was going to happen eventually. Just didn't realize it would happen before the end of January!! Ah well.

400 back/free
400 P
200 K

100 K
200 RIM
300 P
400 S
300 P
200 RIM
100 K

4 x 100 desc on 1:40
100 easy
3 x 500; P no paddles, P w/paddles & then P w/fins
100 easy
Total:4700

ATAC hosted a meet this weekend, so coach was going easy on everyone. Guess we'll hit it pretty hard again on Wednesday.

So I had the "smart idea" that maybe I try to wean myself off Celebrex & start something else for arthritis pain, before I become too tolerant of it, and it doesn't work any more. Woke up in the middle of a dream, I suppose, because I was really resisting the idea of climbing out of my nice warm, snuggy bed! Got to the pool a bit late & missed the first 200 of warm-up. ATAC is hosting a meet this weekend, so coach gave them a very light workout & they were done at 3000 - but then I tried to go extra & my arms just were dead. Ended up with only 3300 LCM - certainly slacking! Won't make the GTD goal at this rate, for sure! And to top off my lovely morning, I noticed two more new RA nodules on my right hand. Oh goodie.

600 back/free
600 P
400K
6 x 100 stroke/free on 1:40
100 easy
12 x 25 drill/speed play x 2/ sprint on :30
200 easy
2 x 150 P
200 breast free
OUT
Blah.

Terry (coach) drives me crazy sometimes. Here we have NO SCHOOL for the kids, so you'd think we could get in a few more laps, right? No, he must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, because after 1500 he yells at the kids about one thing, then afte another 1500 he yells at them for another. I think he should say - Masters, go swim a 200, before he starts his little tirades! Geez. So, only got in 4500 this morning, although the last 10 x 100's were pretty fun.
600 back/free
600 P
300 K
600 breast/free
3 x 200 P
300 K
100 easy
10 x 100 @ 1:40 *best part of the workout, held 1:20's the whole way, 1:15 on the last one (caught & passed Sela at the very very end - woo hoo)
300 easy
Total: 4500

My Go The Distance 2013 goal: 1,000,000 M. Progress towards goal: 5.16%

Congratulations! You are on pace for achieving your goal this year:
My goal pace: 30.64 miles required as of today to reach my goal by the end of the event
My actual current pace: 32.06 miles as of today

I am pleased that I am where I need to be for my goal, and not behind (although the GTD genie says I'm behind every single day, before I post my workout - so I'm just barely keeping up!!)

600 back/free
400-300-200-100 P on 1:30 base interval
100 easy
4 x 100 K on 2:15
100 easy
9 x 100 on 1:30
1 min rest
100 sprint (1:18 -yuk)
200 choice
8 x 150 w/15 sec rest between each, first 4 free/kick/free, last 4 breast/free/breast

Total: 4400 LCM

Found out today that since the kids don't have school on Monday, practice will be 90 minutes instead of 60 - yea! I usually swim the last 30 minutes on my own, so that means I will get a 2 hour workout in on Monday, which should ramp up my yardage a bit. Plus tomorrow, we most likely will do 6000+ before they do goal sets. Oh Darn. I have a tennis match at 10am - guess I'll have to skip the goal sets, lol!

What is happening to January? Seems to be slipping away from me.

It's a good thing I get up at O'dark thirty (4:50am) because I am not aware of it being a dreary day when I get to the pool, thus it has not affected me emotionally. It is going to be a dreary misty/rainy/grey day, and probably bring some of Old Man Winter to town - which is only fair since we've been enjoying high 70's and low 80's for the past two weeks. If I didn't have to leave the house & actually go outside, I might enjoy a couple of cold wintery days - I could get caught up on stuff in the house. Anyway, like I said, it's a good thing I get up before I see the dreariness. The swimming helps me stay more positive, in spite of the weather, too.

Today was not my best workout. Can't believe I'm saying this, but there were just too dang many waves in my lane during the 12 x 100's, and I got a lot to drink on a couple of them, which helped me sorta lose my mojo.

600 back/free
300-200-100 P
12 x 50 @ :45
100 easy
12 x 100 @ 1:20
100 easy
8 x 25; drill, 4-cycle, 4-cycle, sprint; repeat
200 choice
6 x 100 K on 1:40
4 x 300 breast/free
Total: 5400 SCY

So, I'm on target for my GTD goal, fortunately. Heaven help me if I get sick or have some trip that messes with my yardage. I might never catch up if I let myself get behind this year.

Got in a good long swim this morning, 5200 LCM. Which should become my usual, if I want to get in a million meters in a year. Feeling emotionally "blah" this weekend, and carrying over into today. Felt really odd on my kick, like I was a swaybacked horse or something - had to put my board away & just kick on my back for the last 200 of the 400K - and didn't bother "kicking" again today.

Here's what we did:

600 back/free
500 locomotive Pull
400 kick, speed play by 25's
100 easy
400 - 400 - 300 - 200 - 100 Demont (did poorly from the 300 on)
4 x 4-cycle speedplays
200 "cool down"
3 x 200 P w/snorkel (yuk)
8 x 150 - 6 w/fins & paddles - steady state, 2 breast/free/breast
100 cool down

5200 LCM


I actually had two whole laps during the steady state - I think coming into the wall on #2 or #4, and then another one later when I tried to duplicate it, when I really had my technique going so well I was actually swimming fast effortlessly. Wish I could repeat it at will - I "remembered" the feeling, from my youth. How oh HOW can I get that back?!! It was amazing.

It's going to be tough to make my GTD goal this year - no slacking will be permitted, as I apparently need to either do 5200 M three times a week, or 4200 M four times a week. Still, 1,000,000 M? A lofty goal, but hopefully I will be healthy all year & be able to say I did it!

Felt stronger in practice this morning.

600 back/free
2 x 300 P w/20sec rest
300 K
15 x 100 on 1:30, 70-80-90% by groups of 5 - mostly held 1:26 on first 5, then 1:24's on middle 5, then the last five I was just dragging & frequently only getting 2-3 seconds rest. But I did finish, and w/out cheating even one 100.
2 min rest
100 sprint (1:15)
200 easy
20 x 50 on :55; 4 free, 4 stroke repeat, desc 1-4
300 breast/ free
Total: 4600 LCM

Didn't get to the Pool on Sat OR Sun - my RA was acting up & my joints were super swollen & painful. I just laid around & read my book, for the most part. Couldn't even roll out pie crust for Quiche last night, it was so humiliating. Feeling a bit better this morning, but I was glad that most of today was just "long & strong" because I felt very slow. Had a major collision in the pool on the first pull set - someone had on a brand new snorkle and wasn't watching where they were going - cut my face around the left goggle & it really smarted for quite a while there. She had just gotten in my lane & had agreed that I should lead & we would circle - so why she was on my side of the lane in the middle of the pool, I have no idea. Actually, I have no idea why I didn't see her coming!

600 back/free
300 - 200 - 100P
400 K
9 x 100 back/free
800 steady state
6 x 100 on 2:00 (fly/back x 3; breast/free x 3)
6 x 100 on 1:30/5 P
300 breast/free cool-down
Total: 4800 LCM

Was supposed to get there early to swim with Jenna & Marci until 6:30 - the alarm was ignored for 20 minutes, and I ended up being about 8 minutes late (arriving) 15 min late getting in. We stayed way over in lane one, where they usually have the slower/older people swimming. We really disrupted some people's morning today! The "leisure" swimmers, as I call them, kept giving us these looks, like, what are you doing in my lane? But no one asked us to move. One Triathlete guy did join us right as we began the main set, and tried to draft off us, but after about 1800, he got out. If I wasn't dragging so bad myself, I would've laughed, but even now, almost 4 hours after getting out of the pool, my arms are just so darn tired, it isn't even funny. I'm truly grateful that this isn't Saturday, and I don't have practice again at 3pm. It's really starting to wear on me, all this distance. I keep telling myself, that I'm building up some endurance, which will do me good down the road, especially on my next 500 (race - in a meet), but right now, I'm just on autopilot. Here's what we did today:

300 choice
500 "locomotive"
200 breast kick
4 x 150 P no paddles, speedplay by 50 on 2:30
4 x 100 stroke/free by 50 on 1:40
500 K "locomotive"
10 x 50 on :50 (70-80-90%)
100 easy/bathroom break
Three times thru:
400 P on 6:20
300 stroke (breast) (don't remember interval)
2 x 100 "quality" kick on 2:00
2 x 50 fly on 1:00
100 easy
1:00 rest
300 easy cooldown
Total: 6700

Only two more days left of Christmas training (thank goodness). Today was supposedly a "lighter" day
600 back/free
500 P
4 x 100 stroke/free by 100's
300 K
6 x 100 stroke/free by 50 on 1:45
100 easy
24 x 100 on 1:40; heart rate set by 8's, last two as close to maximal as possible
200 easy
16 x 50 K on 1:10
4 x 50 on 1:00 choice for cool down
Total: 6100 LCM

On the 24 x 100 I was in the pre-seniors lane, but we were doing the same interval as the slowest 2 senior lanes, and only going 15 x 100's - so I moved over after about 7 or 8. At #8, I was feeling like I got my second wind, and I'm thinking (foolishly), ah, yes, I really AM a distance swimmer! Then around #15, my goggles started to leak a bit, so I stopped for just a second to get the water out (and preserve my contacts) & it was a big mistake. Lost my mojo - instead of being "all down hill from there" - it was all UP hill from there. I was dragging so bad, I think I was pulling in around the 1:31/32 on the last five. I was so glad when that set was over!! So happy I only have 3 more workouts to this Christmas training, and then I can go back to 3-4 x week and only 4500-5000/workout. Grandma is tired, and needs a nap now, thank you.

Nice day - air temp of 66, water temp of 81. Hard workout - my arms were literally numb after the Demont set. Boy oh Boy - can hardly wait until Saturday (doubles again)

600 back/free
600 P
3 x 100 K
600 fly/free/breast/free
3 x 100 S
3 x 200 on 3:05
3 x 100 IM

Demont set as follows:
800
600
2 x 400
2 x 200
4 x 100

100 easy
4 x 100 K
100 easy
Total: 6900 LCM

600 back/free
800 P speed/play by 100s
4 x 200 reverse IM
8 x 100 P on 1:30
200 cool down

Total: 3200 LCM

Had to get out early & go to work - workout was 7:30-10, and I had to be at work at 9. . . .

Only four more days of mega distance left! Kids have to be back at school Jan 7th, so practice goes back to 5:30 to whenever. I wonder if there is some sort of check-off challenge or distance something I can do during January to keep up my mojo?

OK, so I did doubles for the first time in ages - and it had to be LCM both times! Lucky me. On the other hand, I am noticing that I seem to be going significantly faster w/less effort - and no, I'm not drafting off the kids. (Not that I'm not trying - I'm just too slow to catch up & ride their feet!! -- doesn't hurt that we have to leave 10 sec behind each other)

Morning Practice (6-8am)

500 back/free
500 P locomotive style
2 x 250 - 50 stroke/50 free w/30 sec between
2 x 250 K fly/free by 50's on 4:30
5 x 100 P on 1:30
500 stroke (breast)/free by 50's
100 easy
18 x 100 on 1:30, descending in groups of 6 (these were brutal - Scott F did them all on 1:15 - animal)
200 easy
800 steady state w/fins & paddles only - starting to actually enjoy this
200 choice easy
Total: 6100 LCM

Afternoon Practice (3-5pm)

600 back/free
4 x 150 P no paddles
8 x 100 IM on 1:45
4 x 300 - swim, stroke/free by 50's repeat on 4:30
100 easy
4 x 200 K on 4:30
100 easy
10 x 100 goal set, descend in groups of 2 w/50 easy after each 2; first 6 on 1:40, last 4 on 2:00; first 2 w/in 10-12 sec of best, next two w/in 8-10 sec of best; next two w/in 6-8 sec of best, next two w/in 4-6 sec of best; last two w/in 2-4 sec of best; I did mostly 1:15-1:18 for the first 6, then I put on my zoomers (ah the advantages of being the only 50-year old on the team!!) - best one: 1:08 - ta da! Probably would've been a 1:20 w/out them, I was BUSHED by then!!)
500 P mod pace
400 cool down
Total: 6600 LCM

I really enjoyed swimming during the daylight hours for a change - the sky was beautiful, the air temp perfect. Only bad thing was they got the pool temp back up to 83-84 again. I thought I might just barf after that nasty set of 18 x 100's this morning.

ALSO - got to play tennis for the first time since about Dec 8th - it was nice to be "back in the swing of things" as they say - only played an hour or so, but I was pretty much myself - considering mostly we just rallied the ball back & forth - the courts were pretty wet - we spent 5-10 min trying to dry them off when we first got there this morning, and I just didn't want to get involved in the whole "game" thing - since I was playing by husband & he doesn't take losing very graciously!!