Recent Blogs Posts

Sat Drylands:

rehab exercises, 15 min
super pullover, 110 x 1 x 15, 120 x 2 x 15
good mornings, 65 x 1 x 8, 75 x 1x 8, 80 x 1 x 8
explosive leg press, 190 x 3 x 15
leg abductor, 120 x 3 x 8
rear delt fly, 75 x 2 x 8, 80 x 2 x 8
power wheel roll outs, 3 x 15
knee tuck jumps, 10
standing broad jumps, 10
altitude drops, 10


Sun Swim/SCY/Solo:

600 various
8 x 25 shooters w/fins @ :40
50 EZ
15 x 50 fly & back drills @ :20
50 EZ
10 x 50 smooth free w/paddles @ :50
100 EZ

Total: 2250


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ack! My house is a cesspool of viruses. Lil Fort was sick all weekend with a stomach bug, having inherited it from Teen Fort. I just dropped Mr. Fort off for a flight to Phoenix and he is not feeling well. And, now, I am feeling poorly. I just hope I get the mild version! For this reason, I popped into the gym on Sat., my usual day off. Just did a recovery workout today.

Here are some interesting links to research on training specificity that Jimby posted on FB:

http://coachsci.sdsu.edu/csa/vol12/table.htm

Yay! Homeland and Dexter are back and I can recline in style.

I just completed my last YMCA lap swim session, as my membership is done as of today. I'm sure I'll be back to it one day again, but for now, I'll be 100% swimming only with the age group team.

I got the idea for my swim today from [ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=21404"]Chris's post on the HVT Workouts [/ame]listing, though modified as he suggested for swimming vs. kicking

Warmup/Main Set All-in-one

7 x 100 Free @ 1:30 (1:15s)
no extra rest
6 x 100 Free @ 1:25 (1:10s)
rest < :30 to nearest 60/30 on paceclock
5 x 100 Free Pull @ 1:20 (1:08s)
rest < :30
4 x 100 Free Pull @ 1:15 (1:08s)
rest < :30
3 x 100 Free Pull @ 1:10 (1:06s)
rest < :30
2 x 100 Free @ 1:05 (1st one 1:04+, didn't make 2nd one)
rest < :30
1 x 100 Free @ 1:00 (went 1:01)

200 EZ

-----------------
3000 Yards

Ending this month I had my largest yardage output ever, and I swam only once a day, no doubles. Prior to the summer months, I was averaging about 45 miles a month. Here's my last few months showing my summer training into when I joined the swim team:

Jun- 32.46 miles (=57,137 yards, =52,246 meters)
Jul - 29.96 miles (=52,724 yards, =48,211 meters)
Aug - 23.03 miles (=40,532 yards, =37,063 meters)
Sep - 64.36 miles (=113,280 yards, =103,583 meters)

I swam almost triple what I'd done in August, and wasn't really too beaten up by it. I know I'm tired, but I'm still expecting good things to come in my next couple meets anyway.

Since I was coaching I really didn't get a warmup only 300 yards and then a 200 breast. Have not swam it in years and still managed a 3:22.70. I haven't even trained it in almost a year. Just a few laps hear and there.

NOT BAD!

Swam w/ Dave, Dave, Mary and Sally.

SCY

500 Warm up

200 Kick
4 x 100 IM - Odds Drill, Evens Swim
4 x 50 Kick

4 x 50 Kick
200 Fly down/free back - 3:15
200 Free - 3:00
200 Back down/free back - 3:15
200 Free - 3:00
200 Breast down/free back - 3:15
4 x 50 Kick

25 Fly - :30
50 Bk/Br - 1:00
100 Free - 1:30
2 x 25 Fly - :30
50 Bk/Br - 1:00
2 x 100 Free - 1:30
3 x 25 Fly - :30
50 Bk/Br - 1:00
3 x 100 Free - 1:30
4 x 25 Fly - :30
50 Bk/Br - 1:00
4 x 100 Free - 1:30

200 Cool down

(4350 total)

I had a 4 hour drive there and 2 hours into the drive I stopped at a rest stop and could not straighten up. My back was so locked up so I took Ibuprophen and used my tennis balls between my back and the seatback. I did manage to get someone looser.

A good warm up then on to swims. I have to admit my 500 free was a comfortable pace and yes I could have gone faster but didn't want to. I just couldn't get excited about this meet today. I can just say I had fun and swam.

I figured that we'd be getting something like this kind of workout today, after how nice John was to us in last night's practice. The one nice part of today however, was that we didn't do any intense fin kick set (maybe he forgot).


Warmup:

1000 Mix-it-up (your choice) I did 150 Free, 50 Back, with the exception of the 3rd 200 did 50 Fly Drill
500 Kick w/ board (25 EZ, 25 Hard)
20 x 50 Free Pull @ :50 not intense, just do them

Bathroom break...and then:


Main Set:

12 x 200 as: 3 Rounds of 4 x 200 @ 5:00 each, 2:00 bonus rest between rounds
I needed to try to keep my HR @ 170 here (kids were @ 180)
OMG and a few other choice words were going through my head at this point

• Round 1 (Stroke) I did Fly, Back, Breast, Fly
• went 2:18, 2:31, 2:48, 2:20 <--not too shabby at the end, and I'm not falling apart like I used to
• Looking forward to my 800 IM SCM in a few weeks

--- 100 EZ

• Round 2 (IM)
• went 2:24, 2:26, 2:30, 2:36
• I really started falling apart on the 3rd one of these, and the 4th one was just garbage

--- 100 EZ - contemplated getting out here, but that not like me

• Round 3 (Free)
• went 2:20, 2:17, 2:14, 2:11
• These all hurt, and the first 2 were just struggling to get going. I got a second wind and kinda pulled through on the last two

300 EZ swim and out

---------------------
5300 Yards


Part of this tiredness today could be all my swimming I've been doing, could be my age in relation to the workouts I'm doing, could be that I was up this morning to start work at 5:00am as well. I did leave work for a 3 hour block to swim, then returned to finish up the machinery I was working on. I still like the results I'm getting in practice, even though today pushed me just about to the failing point, in fact I would say that I did fail on this main set, which is a good thing to not have everything be so easy to do. I'll be ready to get back to it again next week.

I took most of the last week off from swimming. Need the break both mentally and physically. So I swam last night and then again this morning.

Here's what I did last night:

Friday, 9/28/12
SCM

Warm up (700)
200 swim - 200 kick - 200 pull - 100 scull

Main Set: Free (1600)
1 x 400/30sr NS - went 6:25 (3:15-3:10)
2 x 200/3:30 build each - went 3:12, 3:10
4 x 100/1:45 ds set - went 1:35-1:33-1:32-1:31
8 x 50/55 ds 4 - all were around :45

Kick: On back no board
4 x 100/10sr (50 easy - 50 build)
- did these on 2:30 with times 2:15-2:20

Warm down
100 easy back & free

Total: 2800 meters

---------------------------------
Saturday, 9/29/12
SCY

Warmup
300 swim - 150 free/150 back
200 kick - flutter w/board & snorkel
4 x 50 pull/1:00 build -all free
4 x 50/1:00 IM order drills
8 x 25/30 burst + cruise IM order

Main Set - all backstroke
3 x 200/3:30 build each - 3:15-3:10-3:05
3 x 100/1:45 ds to strong - 1:32-1:33-1:30
4 x 50/1:00 25 smooth - 25 fast - 41-42 on all
4 x 25/45 fast - ±18
8 x 12.5/30 fast

Pull/Swim/Scull
12 x 50/1:10
Alternate 50 scull - 50 swim - all free

100 IM easy warm down


Total: 3200 yards

Àfter spending a week with a sick wife and two sick children I finally found some time to make it to the pool.

200 w/bouy
200 EZ kick w/fins
100 IM drill

3 rounds of
400 @ 6:20 500 pace
5 x 100 @ 1:35 gentle descend
4 x 50
-- odds @ 45
-- evens @ 50

100 EZ

3 x 300 @ 5:15
--#1 100 fast 200 EZ
--#2 200 fast 100 EZ
--rest a extra min.
--#3 300 for time

100 w/d

4900 scy

I could really tell that I haven't been in the pool. I have been able to do some dryland so the week hasn't been a complete loss. Hopefully our house will be back to normal next week.

did 3600.

The theme was 500's and 250's

250s/250K (wu)
500 sw
250 k
500 sw
250 k
500 s
250 k
500 s
250 k

100 cd

nice endurance set. felt good after lifting last night.

Tonight basically amounted to a fun laid back day in the pool. The coach had the 1st half hour working with "new recruits" who were possibly joining the team, doing swimming tests, etc. and the welcome to the team kind of things with the parents, should they decide to stay. So we had our warmup to be done in the meantime.

Warmup:

800 MI (25 Drill, 25 Build)
400 Kick w/ board
8 x 100 Free Pull @ 1:45 desc. 1-4, 5-8 (didn't go too crazy here)

16 x 25 @ 1:00 Odds V-sit scull, Evens Streamline Back Kick

10 x 75 Kick w/ fins @ 1:15 (25 Hard/25 EZ/25 Hard)

Originally Posted by Coach John

"well, since I'm in a good mood...we'll do some different interesting stuff tonight...but be ready for tomorrow morning."

I didn't like the way he ended that statement, but I'll go with it.

8 x 25 Breaststroke @ 1:00

• Odds Right Hand/Left Foot grab behind back
• Evens Left Hand/Right Foot grab behind back

Down to the other end to play on the blocks

2 x 50s off blocks - "butt dive" entry (figure it out), V-Sit scull (forward, backward, or sideways) to the 25, then SPRINT Free back

4 x 50s off blocks - feet first jumping streamline entry to bottom, explode off bottom to use the speed into a fast flip turn at surface, which puts you in position for a V-sit scull to the 25, then SPRINT Free back

4 x 25s off blocks - backward (yes, backward facing jump) with the feet first streamlined entry to bottom, then explode off at a 45 degree angle SDKing to explode out for backstroke.

500 Free Swim and out

-----------------------
4300ish yards

and wondering what tomorrow may bring. I do have to work in the morning as well fixin' stuff, but will "push pause" at work, go for a swim, return to work and complete the job. Always nice to be able to do that.

I did a couple of easy swims at the Y over the past few days, but the highlight of this week was definitely diving practice last night. Our beginner group is still taking baby steps—working on proper technique when jumping off the board and when entering the water. I did manage to learn two more ways of going headfirst off the 3m board, in addition to the “line-up” (bending over and falling in headfirst) that we did last week. We did an exercise where we sat tucked-up on the end of the board, then tipped over forward, straightening out into a dive position on the way down. And at the very end of practice we did forward “fall-offs.” That involved standing on the end of the board, with hands up overhead in an entry position, then falling forward. If you keep your body very straight on the way down, you magically end up in a perfect vertical position by the time you enter hit water. That went from super-scary to super-fun in a big hurry!

I woke up this morning wishing I could go back to the pool and dive some more. I had to content myself with a short swim at the Y instead. Worse, it will be a long time before I get to go off the boards again—the Queens pool where we practice is closed for 3 weeks for its annual cleaning. That means dryland practices only until late October. Bummer! Still, I’m thrilled I’m doing this at all, and very happy to have found a new activity that brings so much excitement and joy.

After my visit to the physiatrist, I knew that surgery was in my future. The damage to my shoulder was un-modifiable, meaning that the structural instability of my shoulder would be ever-present no matter how strong I could get my surrounding muscles to protect it. I could strengthen my rotator and deltoid until the cows came home, but it is obviously not enough to make up for the damage in my cartilage and tendons.

I suppose I could continue to live with the subluxations periodically interrupting my training plans. But what kind of pool life would that be? I imagine I would just continue a cycle of injury and would only ever be able to train up to 95% given my situation. And even then, how long would those periods of 95% last before I re-injure myself and have to take several months to work my way back up from 10%? I want to be able to give 100%, ALL THE TIME. And based on what I had experienced over the past 4 years, I could pretty much count on my shoulder popping out 2-3 times per year. Maybe this wasn't a big deal for me when I was only fluttering around and swimming once per week. But with the level of swimming I hope to be at for the next few DECADES, its now just unacceptable - I have to think about the long term.

I know some people would much rather live with the above scenario rather than undergo surgery. In fact, one of my teammates said to me that he’d rather take 2 years away from the pool instead of having shoulder surgery (he has a different shoulder situation injury, however). Fair enough, but that isn’t me.

So, since I knew that I would be having surgery at some point, the question soon became, “Now or later?” It took me about 2 weeks before I truly made it to the acceptance phase, and then I decided that “now” was the time. Mostly because there never is a good time for this kind of thing anyway. Right now I am healthy and younger(ish). I have health insurance and plenty of sick leave. And I am motivated as hell to do everything I need to do in order to ensure that I can reach and maintain as close to 100% as I can get after this. In addition, if I prolong the surgery I am risking more injury to my shoulder, which would further increase my risk of developing early arthritis and other problems down the road. And, more importantly, the surgery is much more effective if the damage is less severe in the first place.

So, I called and set a date with the surgeon for November 12th. I must say, after I finally scheduled the surgery, it felt like a huge weight was taken off my shoulder (no pun intended, lol). It’s good to know that in time, and if everything goes as smooth as it should, I will no longer have to deal with the ridiculousness of my stupid, unstable shoulder. I am really looking forward to having a shoulder that stays in its socket, lol. Most of all I am looking forward to being able to feel 'normal' in the pool and to be able to push myself to the best of my abilities.

Until the surgery, I plan on getting in the best shape possible. I will continue to keep up my PT routine and keep a schedule of 4 practices a week. Right now, I’m probably back up to about 80% since my last injury back in August. I am able to do full workouts right now even though my shoulder definitely feels it during the last 500 or so yards (ice is my BFF!). In mid-October I plan on swimming at our Zone meet up in Federal Way, which I’m super stoked about since that’s the pool of my glory days. I haven't swam there since 1999! I hope to be back near 90% by then, and I plan on just having some fun. It will be my ‘swan song’ so to speak before I head down the long road to recovery. Two days after the meet I have my pre-op appointment with the surgeon. I know it will be rough and feel hopeless at times, but I also know that it will be completely worth it in the end. I am in it for the long haul!!

Thursday:

30 minutes of rehab ex
30 minutes of stretching/yoga

Didn't feel like hitting the pool. Wrapped up in home renovation projects. Who knew picking out lighting was so time consuming and expensive.


Friday:

Swim/SCY/Solo:

Warm up:

600 various
8 x 25 shooters w/fins @ :40
50 EZ
4 x 50 free @ 1:00, descend to 100 pace
50 EZ
3 x 50 torque drill w/paddles @ 1:15
50 EZ

Main Sets:

8 x 25 burst + cruise @ 1:00
50 EZ

2 x through:
25 AFAP + 75 EZ
50 @ 100 pace, broken for :5 @ :25 + 150 EZ
50 AFAP, broken for :10 @ 25 + 150 EZ
50 AFAP + 200 EZ
100 AFASP, broken @ each 25 for :5 + 300 EZ

Round 1: backstroke SDK/kick from the block, no fins except for 100
Went:
11 high-12 flat (shooter)
29 flat (16 SDK off each wall)
26 high-27 flat (double shooter)
27 high-28 flat (double shooter)
Did the 100 dolphin kick w/board & fins so I could breath, went :52 high (quads on fire)

Round 2: fly w/fins, except 100 was breast
Went:
10 high-11 flat
23 flat
21 high
23 mid
100 breast = :58

Total: 3850

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Pretty tired after that effort, with quite a bit of speed work.

I will likely just take tomorrow off as usual. Lil Fort has a 5K and soccer. Though there seems to be a stomach bug going around.

This was not the day for swimming, apparently. My husband turned off my alarm last night (by accident?) so I slept in and totally missed workout this morning. Went at lunch, and didn't even have time for a 3000.

8 x 75 warmup on 1:15 (50 free, 25 other)
10 x 50; 2 hard on :40, one easy on 1:00, last one Sprint
200 P @ 80%, on 2:40
50 easy on 1:00
2 x 75 IM no free on 1:15
100 easy
50 fast
200 IM hard, on 3:00
50 kick on 1:00
2 x 75 free on 1:00
100 (50 k, 50 s)
4 x 150; swim/kick/swim by 50's building to sprint on 2:30
100 easy cool down
Total: 2800

Plus, on the down side, every time I do something really hard - like the Sprints - I'm thinking - why do I want to go to meets again? I kinda like just going at a nice, leisurly pace. Don't know what's gotten into me - guess I need to have someone to race to keep me positive & remembering the fun of the race - not something I got at lunch today.

Well, I have been super busy but the only things that are probably of any interest are my workouts and Quest for Key Lime Pie

First things first:

Highlight sets from workouts this week:
Yesterday, SCM
12 x 50 on 1:20
odd IM fast
even easy free
1:04, 2, 59, 2, 2, 59
HOORAY! I got under a minute!
I must say, I am completely enamoured with 75's IM. You really punch them harder than the no-man's land of a full 100IM. Plus, I really work the breast!

Tues, SCM
500 continuous
100 easy/100IM sprint/100 easy/100 IMsprint/100 easy
This was super hard. I think my IM;s were about 1:20 to 1:22.

And now, what you have all been waiting for - my key lime pie update. I finally bought it! I have been eating a piece per day and it's 1/2 gone. The best are the merangue and the graham cracker crust. The key lime is just sort of the creamy sour punch middle that keep the merangue and crust from bumping into each other. I will happily eat the rest, but I can already tell I will be over it when I am done. Then onto something else. Maybe coconut cream pie or something.

When's my next meet? Oct 14 - local A meet and I have entered the 50 free and 100 fly. After that will be a meet in mid Nov but there are several choices for USA and USMS and travel/no travel. Right now I don't feel like committing my entire day to a meet, so I am leaning towards doing a local A meet and getting in/out in 3 hours roundtrip.

Swam w/ Ray, Dave, Dave, Leah, Keith and Wendy. It was Ray's 50th birthday so we had a special workout for him.

600 Warm up

50 x 50 - :50 Broken into 2 x 25 x 50 with a 100 Easy in between them
I did:
* 8 rounds of IM Order + 50 Kick
* 2 x 50 Fly, 2 x 50 back, 2 x 50 breast, 2 x 50 free, 2 x 50 kick
100 Easy
Dave did 42 (?) of these fly.

1000 Swim /w accessories - didn't even time this. I just swapped out paddles, fins, kick boards and whatever else was laying around on the pool deck every 100 yards.

6 x 100 - 1:30 Descend (1:20, 1:18, 1:14, 1:12, 1:10, 1:08) Really burned out on the last 50 of the last 100.

200 Easy

(5100 Total)

Meet tomorrow. Not sure how I am going to feel but then again I am there for our anual meeting more than the meet.

I have to say I LOVE THE MONOFIN! My kick is better with it, I engage my abs more and when I swim fly my stroke is closer to the surface of the water. It is tiring to do though. Christmas present?!?!?!

500 Free
500 Free kick w/zoomers
500 Free w/paddles & zoomers
10x50 shooters then fly to end w/monofin
200 EZ

Total 2200 meters

I originally wasn't going to be able to make it to swimming tonight, as my mother-in-law was out helping my sister-in-law at the farmer's market in town. She came home a lot earlier than I originally thought, so I was able to make it over to the pool just in time.
Problem is that I wasn't exactly 'prepared' for practice, as I'd spent the past 2+ hours working outside on yardwork, cleaning up stuff, killing bad stuff, etc...basically my forearms were a bit sore. Wah Wah...suck it up James, 'cause it's GO TIME!

Warmup:

3 x 200 Free Desc. @ 4:00
Went 2:26, 2:20, 2:11 helluva warmup

20 x 25 Kick w/ fins @ :45
Odds - Core Kick, Evens - SDK underwater no breath
Much easier for me now to do this

200 Breast/200 Free stretchout

At this point, we're told by John that the final Thursday of each month is our TEST SET DAY. Yippie... (kill me now)

Test Set #1


10 x 100 Free @ 1:30 Best Avg. & Heartrate

• Avg - 1:02.5 w/ 26 HR over 10 seconds
• Best - 1:01
• Not Best - 1:04?
• Got hard to keep going around #7

200 Breast/200 Free EZ

Test Set #2


10 x 100 Flutter Kick w/ board NO FINS (YES!!!) @ 2:00 Best Avg. & HR

• Avg - 1:41 w/ 22 HR over 10 seconds
• Best - 1:38
• Not Best - 1:42
• Not too bad, I was the #4 fastest kicker in the group (just proves that the lack of my fin kicking ability doesn't mean much)
• Found out that John's going to repeat this one weekly, with an award going out to the monthly, quarterly, and season-long winner.

200 Back/200 Breast EZ

1000 Free Pull

-----------------
5300 Yards

John said to stretch out and relax the last 1000...then said "James and Jared, I don't want you guys going 12:00 on this now..." I said OK.
was 5:58 @ 500, finished 12:02 for the 1000.
I told John, 12:02. He just smiled and shook his head. I know my pace and can hold it. I did the entire 1000 with 12 strokes per length with the occasional 13 that popped in now and then.

The assistant coach (who is also a YMCA manager at the pool I swam at) told me after practice today that I'm looking a lot better in the water. That I'm "swimming with confidence". That made me feel good. Two more weeks and I'll get to test it out in our LMSC masters meet.

Thu Sep 27th, 2012

Over slept, got a text from Ed saying IH 35 south north bound had a terrible wreck at slaughter and all north bound traffic was stopped, so I drove the long way into Austin.

dove in around 7:40 for the last 20 min of practice


Whitney coached
SCY UT Swim Center Main pool

Warm up
missed it

Main Set

assigned 30 x 100 on 2:00
done 2 fast 1 easy
Did: 2 rounds

Came back at lunch
dove in around 12:08
next to Mary & Tracy, Ned & Robert

warm up
went around 500


MAIN SET

27 x 100 on 2:00
2 fast 1 easy
from a push held mostly 59's, a few 58's 2 60's, then went 57 on last fast
TOUGH SET


Next Meet:

Sat Dec 1, 2012 - Sun Dec 2nd

2012 South Central SCM Reg Championships
DAYS TILL


2013 South Central SCY Zone Championships
Return to UT in early April, 2013
The 1st time since 1999!
Tentative dates: Fri Apr 5 - Sun Apr 7
it wont be
April 19 - 21 UT Swim Center Events Schedule say there's the TXLA Long Course Kick Off
26, 27, 28 is too close to nats so it's likely to be 5, 6, 7 or 12, 13, 14

Wed Sep 26th, 2012

Lifted Tue Sep 25th

Whitney coached
SCY UT Swim Center Main pool

Warm up
went around 700


Main Set


100 IM strong went 1:06
:30 sec rest

100 aerobic
1 min rest

200 IM strong went 2:18
:30 sec

200 FR aerobic
1 min rest

300 Im strong
30 sec rest

300 FR aerobic
60 sec rest

400 IM strong
30 sec rest

400 FR aerobic

20 x 50 on 45
1 & 2 K
3 FR with 3 breaths
4 25 FAST 25 easy

20 x 50 on 50
odds IM
evens: 25 FL 25BK or 25 BK 25 BR or 25 Br 25 FR

then I doubled at noon
rested more before each IM by doing 1/2 and swimming easy
100 IM 62
100 IM 2:12
300 IM cruised it 3:36
400 IM 4:40



Next Meet:

Sat Dec 1, 2012 - Sun Dec 2nd

2012 South Central SCM Reg Championships
DAYS TILL


2013 South Central SCY Zone Championships
Return to UT in early April, 2013
The 1st time since 1999!
Tentative dates: Fri Apr 5 - Sun Apr 7
it wont be
April 19 - 21 UT Swim Center Events Schedule say there's the TXLA Long Course Kick Off
26, 27, 28 is too close to nats so it's likely to be 5, 6, 7 or 12, 13, 14