300 w/u 8 x 50 r:15 odds - free drill evens - fly drill 5 x (200 on 2:50, 100 choice fast on 2:00 (I did 50 fly/50 free) 50 kick on 1:10) 100 EZ 5 x 100 fast on 3:00 We did 3 (I went 1:08, 1:08, 1:10) then the coach offered a get out swim I asked if it was a 50 or another 100 he said it'd be a 50 so I stepped up. Then he said he lied it's a 100 break 1:09 and we are all done - The two guys I was swimming with went on each side of me (in other lanes) and I went for broke - 1:06. Very good time for me in practice. 200 ez
go sleep on the sailboat! There is nothing like a pink sunset and a pale moon...ale to recolor your world. I awoke this morn before the possums cross the road and headed back to town for the master workout. Got there at 6:00 and did 300 RC excercises oh great news!!! I only have to do therapy for my shoulder and the Doc said swim away!! My new motto. Pain is never having to say your sorry. 300 wu The coach writes the work out on the board and I am just trying to read it however I know we did a bunch of swim, stroke swim, drill. 100's 50's 25's about 1000 yds of these kicks 25 free, 25 stk, 25 left side 25 right side 2 sets of 2 x 100 on 1:50 2 x 50 on :55 2 x 25 on 30 Mon I did a 25 on 16 secs and 2 on 17 secs, but today I wasn't as strong. 300 latic release so around 2900 Weight machines core 50lbs 20reps x 4 leg lifts 50 x 15 x 4 leg curls 35 x 10 x 4
Updated March 11th, 2009 at 11:06 AM by flippergirl
I have been trying to improve my kick and the only way to do it is to DO IT! For some this might have seemed like an easy workout but for me it is tough. 500 Free every 3rd lap kick 20x25 @ :45 Fly with paddles 500 Fly kick on back streamline with fins (abs started to hurt around 150) 5x200 @ 3:00 Free with paddles and bouy Descend 1-5 went 2:48, 2:45, 2:43, 2:36, 2:29 (goal on last one was to go under 2:30) 5x100 @ 1:40 Free kick with fins Descend went 1:32, 1:24, 1:21, 1:20, 1:14. (legs really hurt on the 1:14) 5x100 @ 1:45 Free EZ since I couldn't feel my legs any more 500 Free every 3rd lap kick Total 4000 yards As you might be able to tell it takes me a long time to really warm up.
This is more of a cry for help than a blog. I'm doing a lot of long pool and OW swimming at the moment. A fair amount of my swims are solo, and I never really know what's going to be swirling through what's left of my grey matter during these sessions. Usually there's nothing at all going on upstairs, but occasionally I'm tormented by a song that's completely annoying. I recently aborted an open water training session much sooner than I should have, and I honestly believe Jefferson Starship was to blame (NOT me!). I'm sure I'm not alone. What are the worst songs you can have stuck in your head during a swim?? Here's a sample of some of the more painful songs I've endured during long OW swims: 1. "We Built this City" by Jefferson Starship; 2. "We're all Alone" by Boz Scaggs; 3. "Lonely No More" by Rob Thomas; 4. "Island Girl" by Elton John; 5. "Dreadlock Holiday" by 10CC; 6. "Lumberjack" by Monty Python; 7. "We all know frogs go pop in the microwave" author unknown, but the party who suggested this song before a swim knows who she is...Kim Weeks....; 8. "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield; 9. "I've done Everything for You" again..Rick Springfield; 10. "Come on Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners; 11. "Jaws Theme" by John Williams. I'll end on that one, but there are many more. Suggestions as to GOOD music to think of while swimming would be appreciated! Chicken signing off... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvCI-gNK_y4"]YouTube - Jaws theme!![/ame]
Updated March 10th, 2009 at 11:44 PM by Chicken of the Sea
It's always difficult to fly back home late then get up early and go to work. It will take the rest of the week for me to get organized and feel like a well-oiled machine again! I had a dental check-up right after school. I slept the whole cleaning, momentarily woke up to greet my dentist, then dozed about 8 minutes while he did his thing w/my teeth. At least the little jag of a nap helped me muster the strength for Tuesday night NASTI workout. Here's the workout: 1) 700 Yard Freestyle swim--- warm-up 2) Super 500 "A" :30 sec. interval per 25 base. Recovery 25's stroke, Swims freestyle. 3) Super 500 "B" :30 sec. interval per 25 base. Recovery 25 Freestyle, Swims IM or Stroke. 4) 2 X (5 X 50 Freestyle: 1:00, :55, :50, :45, :45 5) 4 X 50 Freestyle/Breath Control-#1 breath every 3 strokes, #2 every 4 strokes, #3 every 5 strokes, # 4 every 8 strokes (yeah right not me!) 6) 8 X 25 on :30 Controlled breathing (I don't remember what it was since I didn't do it. (I simply tried to sprint with good form) 7) Easy 100 Back for cooldown **2,700 This was a quick and fun workout! I was in the mood for short sets tonight. Jeff M. called this workout; he always gives you things to think about or some kind of purpose for each set. Tomorrow night I'm going to try one of the "Tall Paul" workouts since I'm going solo at LA Fitness. my "homemade workouts" are starting to get on my nerves, they all seem like the same thing over and over! Check out the Fortress Blog tonight. Tons of great strength information. Check out the "Crossfit" discussion and go to the website......lots of information for the mind and the body!
You probably did done yersefs some readin' bout analog boob tubes here'n the hollers and how folks in these here parts cain't get no recepshun now the gubbmint done gone messed with the airwaves and all that? Well, I ain't got no idea how she managed to git 'er done, but one of the loveliest little critters here in the cabbage patch o' AMAM finally done put us'n up to the Google and modern times. Some youns may 'a heared of our little Mermaid, one time MIss Teen PA, but hailin' back then from the central part of the state where inbreedin's not quite so intense. Let me post a couple photos here for your viewin' pleasure, courtesy of one fella out o' New York, who hired some other models who resemble our Mermaid quite a bit, though she is much too shy to appear here in person. Land o' Goshin'! I done raced myself plumb outa my britches! What the hell is that, Harlan? That don't look like no trout I e'er done saw! Now don't you go an tell Daisy Mae why I'm a fishin' this crick all the time, Jr. Unlike most of us in these here parts, who had the advantage of learnin' to swim in any neighborhood Amish mud hole or pig latrine, our little Mermaid is whatcha call an adult-onset swimmer. Hell, me and Billy boy, my coach, done taught her how to do a flip turn not more'n three years ago. At first, we just done it for sport, you know, cause she looked so cute sneezin' and snorflin' and such when her nose holes got all flooded up.But damn if the sweet young thing didn't take to the water like some kind of late-learnin' CremePuff or Fortress-style masters champ type prize-winnin' 4H quality swimmer. I suppose, comin' from the fancy pants East part of our state, York, the home of them peppermint patties and air conditioner units and all, where the girls get raised all sophisticated and lazy and like that, it just makes sense she's not the world's hardest workin' swimmer. I mean she does practice. A little here and there. In spurts and all. But damn that girl could be good iffn' she put her mind to it. But then again, who needs a mind bein' put to it when you got yourself a siren call. Leastways, that's what I'm a thinkin' to my dumb self when I get, like some kind of fireball bolt out of the dadgum blue yonder, word that Mermaid figgered out the Google and took our swimmin' region to whole wide webby world. Check us out! We aint no second best no more to them irradiated billies down in Tennessee, buggin' the TVA about their nucular plants no more! We be the proudest bunch of inbred mountain folks in the union these days, mercy me, thanks to that fancy little Mermaid and her tech-know-logical savvy. Check us out then drop her a kindly word of praise and thanksgiving for bringing the attention of the whole goshdiggitydarn US of ****in' A to our backwater chain o' mud holes at long, long last! Praise be! http://www.alleghenymountainmasters.org/ (Note: after checkin' out the spankin' new Allegheny Mountain Masters official USMS site, you can send Mermaid a kindly word by clicking here: kathfarnan@msn.com I honestly wish you would, cause she worked real hard without no money, and as a selfish person myself, I gotta say the folks who give back gotta be encouraged for their good works, cause the rest of us don't want that well runnin' high and dry.) --Jim Bob, your landlocked seafood lover who's bout to have his house taken over by the Internal Revenuers and will be in necessity of all the kindness of strangers he can squeeze outa 'em his ownsef.
Updated March 10th, 2009 at 10:59 PM by jim thornton
Took my 10 year old to the nearby marked trail. Did .5 mile jog/.5 mile run at easy speed/.5 mile jog/.5 mile easy speed/1 mile cool down. Temps in upper 70s. Felt encouraged by the easy speed as I held about a 7:20 pace on the first easy speed 1/2 mile and a 7:00 pace on the second easy speed 1/2 mile. May try an easy speed mile on Saturday (if weather permits) and see if I am comfortable running 7:30 to 7:45 for one mile. Immediately after the run we headed to the Y. I hit the weight room and did 5 sets of each of the following: Lat pulldowns: 90 x 15 Military press: 30 x 15 Tricep pulldowns: 30 x 15 Alternating hammer curls: 10 x 15 Took 30 seconds rest between sets and 2 minutes rest between each different exercise. Noted importance of rythmic breathing on weights. Became particularly important on the 4th and 5th sets when I started to feel "the burn." Plan to add some core work in soon. I'm blessed with a pretty strong core, but bad about taking it for granted. Don't want to lose what I have but at the same time, I don't like to work it too much as I have noticed I will actually add inches in my waist. Discovered this one month when I got into a routine of doing 400 various types of crunches.
Updated March 11th, 2009 at 02:31 PM by elise526
Missed my once a week Aquasol masters practice yesterday. This morning was 32F at 0530 PDT. The mornings are non-coached for the YMCA swimmers. I put this together for a quick one hour w/o Warm 300 FR 5x50 BK 1:00 4x100 FR 1:30 2x100 Pull 1:30 5x50 BR (focus on the non-existent kick) 4x75 1:10 6x25 w/fins :10-:12 on 1:00 cool 200
Updated March 11th, 2009 at 07:23 AM by EricOrca
...even though I woke up felling like crap with a cold and a headache. I waited til noon and swam during my lunch break. SCY, Solo Warmup 400 swim 300 pull (used p&b) 200 drill no free (did all back as 25 kick on back/25 drill) 100 kick choice (did 50 flutter kick w/ board/50 dolphin on back) swim 6x50 on 1:00 drill/build by 25 (did 1-3 free, 4-6 back) Main Set 2x around: { 300 pull on 4:30 (swam both around 4:05, used buoy only) swim 3x50 free on 50 desc. 1-3 (went 40->35 both times) 200 back on 3:30 (was right at 3:00 both times) swim 4x25 free on 25 lots of legs with long stroke, but make it fast (was around :16-17 on all) 100 easy w/30 sec. rest } Cool down swim 100 easy Total: 3100 yards Weight training at gym tonight. (Note to Fort - If I remember, I'll post everything I did)
Core/Dryland: Wasn't sore from weights yesterday. Of course, I didn't do too many lifts either. Weights seemed to have helped my drylands; feel quite a bit stronger and able to do more. Did my first push ups since college! (Well, I've tried them before, but they always bothered my shoulders, so I stopped.) long arm crunches, 2 x 25 russian twists w/med ball, 2 x 50 iron monkeys, 2 x 15 decline reverse crunches, 2 x 25 back extensions w/25 lb weight, 2 x 25 total ab machine, 130 x 2 x 25 squat presses w/ yoga ball & raising med ball in air, 2 x 25 held the plank for 1:30 push ups, 2 x 15 (and felt easy!) cavic exercise on yoga ball w/3 lb weights, 2 x 25 external rotators for RC, 10 x 2 x 15, each side arm extensions w/3 lb weight (front, V, side), 2 x 15 prone scapular scrunches w/3 lb weights, 2 x 25 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5 mile trial run Went on a trail run. Felt great today with some easy speed, no plods. Didn't feel my hip until the last 1/2 mile or so when I was running on asphalt. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chiro: Saw my chiro today. Grilled him the whole time. 1. Hip issue: My issue is definitely in my left hip, it's not referred pain. He's pretty sure I re-strained it doing lunges. So no lunges for me until it's cleared up completely. Squats with very light weight and running are OK. I'm tighter than usual, probably because I haven't been stretching my hips as much. He encouraged a repeat of the ice bath. I'll try to wrap my brain around that. 2. Weights: He thinks the weights, especially working up to the heavier ones, have definitely helped my shoulders. My whole scapular area is stronger than before. All the strength in the shoulder/back/scapular area helps compensate for the internal instability. Fixing the muscular imbalance by doing more pushing and not all pulling is also a good thing. He agrees I am very buff -- more buff than when I started this "weight project" last May. He believes I am now more able to defend myself with Mr. Fort traveling so frequently. Oh joy. 3. Cross Fit: We discussed this briefly. He says it's the "hottest" new thing in fitness. He has many cross fit clients and among them are the cross fit trainers themselves. Found the latter interesting. In his experience, he sees cross fit athletes coming in with shoulder and achilles issues (sometimes also hip/glute issues like mine). He also said something called "Yoga Fit" is becoming extremely popular in our metro area. This discipline combines yoga and heavier weights, and apparently attracts strong guys. 4. Protein: He's worried I might not be getting enough, as I find weights so tiring. He recommends 15-21 grams of protein after heavy lifting. Checked the high protein balance bars I've been eating. They have 15 grams, probably OK for shorter workouts. 5. Suit Competition: I was perusing Triathlete magazine for a few minutes while I was waiting. There was a wetsuit survey. Couldn't believe how much competition there is in the wetsuit market. The tech suit market is ridiculous by comparison. I hope the Speedo monopoly is a thing of the past. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cross Fit: Spent some time perusing the site, www.crossfit.com. There is a huge amount of info there! Myriad articles on many topics. Ahelee also turned me on to the cross fit journal where WODs, among other things, are posted. WODs = workout of the day. Looked over some of them. Yikes. Here's one: 5 x through: 20 pull ups 30 push ups 40 sit ups 50 squats Don't think too many masters swimmers could do this! Well, maybe Chris or Jazz. I'm told that swimmers/tris/runners are generally considered weak at CF. I like these types of exercises/drylands quite a bit, so wouldn't mind trying to work up to it gradually. I think cross fit is something you need to approach with caution and not go crazy right away. (Jazzy, I did notice a WOD that consisted solely on 1 max lift deadlift repeats.) Here's a cross fit swim workout that looked pretty fun to me and I may give it a go sometime: 200 IMs for time, done as: 3 x through: 10 air squats + 50 fly 10 pull outs + 50 back 10 push ups + 50 breast 10 crunches + 50 free (didn't indicate an interval) For Jazz: This is what Cross Fit says about squatting: Why Squat? The squat is essential to your well-being. The squat can both greatly improve your athleticism and keep your hips, back, and knees sound and functioning in your senior years. Not only is the squat not detrimental to the knees it is remarkably rehabilitative of cranky, damaged, or delicate knees. In fact, if you do not squat, your knees are not healthy regardless of how free of pain or discomfort you are. This is equally true of the hips and back. The squat is no more an invention of a coach or trainer than is the hiccup or sneeze. It is a vital, natural, functional, component of your being. The squat, in the bottom position, is nature’s intended sitting posture (chairs are not part of your biological make-up), and the rise from the bottom to the stand is the biomechanically sound method by which we stand-up. There is nothing contrived or artificial about this movement. Most of the world’s inhabitants sit not on chairs but in a squat. Meals, ceremonies, conversation, gatherings, and defecation are all performed bereft of chairs or seats. Only in the industrialized world do we find the need for chairs, couches, benches, and stools. This comes at a loss of functionality that contributes immensely to decrepitude. Frequently, we encounter individuals whose doctor or chiropractor has told them not to squat. In nearly every instance this is pure ignorance on the part of the practitioner. When a doctor that doesn’t like the squat is asked, “by what method should your patient get off of the toilet?” they are at a loss for words. In a similarly misinformed manner we have heard trainers and health care providers suggest that the knee should not be bent past 90 degrees. It’s entertaining to ask proponents of this view to sit on the ground with their legs out in front of them and then to stand without bending the legs more than 90 degrees. It can’t be done without some grotesque bit of contrived movement. The truth is that getting up off of the floor involves a force on at least one knee that is substantially greater than the squat. Our presumption is that those who counsel against the squat are either just repeating nonsense they’ve heard in the media or at the gym, or in their clinical practice they’ve encountered people who’ve injured themselves squatting incorrectly. It is entirely possible to injure yourself squatting incorrectly, but it is also exceedingly easy to bring the squat to a level of safety matched by walking. In the accompanying article we explain how that is done. On the athletic front, the squat is the quintessential hip extension exercise, and hip extension is the foundation of all good human movement. Powerful, controlled hip extension is necessary and nearly sufficient for elite athleticism. “Necessary” in that without powerful, controlled hip extension you are not functioning anywhere near your potential. “Sufficient” in the sense that everyone we’ve met with the capacity to explosively open the hip could also run, jump, throw, and punch with impressive force. Secondarily, but no less important, the squat is among those exercises eliciting a potent neuroendocrine response. This benefit is ample reason for an exercise’s inclusion in your regimen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Next meet: Albatross Open http://www.pvmasters.org/albatross.htm Unlike Chris, I'm knocking off weights the week before, not one measly day. Will rest some next week. Nothing that will produce homicidal thoughts though.
Updated March 10th, 2009 at 05:52 PM by The Fortress
Tue Mar 10th, 2009 Fina World Rankings are out SCM LCM have a right ear infection right knee hurts a little NEXT MEET: 2009 South Central Zone USMS Championships Friday March 27 - Sun March 29, 2009 17 days away MEET USMS MASTERS NATIONALS May 8 - 10 http://www.usms.org/comp/scnats09/ 60 days away DRY LAND Execises did bands this morning 3 sets of 10 reps using 2 purple bands TODAYS SWIM PRACTICE 6:30 - 8:00 Whitney Coached scy TSC main pool swam with david kahn, beside tyler, larry, todd, meg, doug nate & ned dove in on time warm up 2 x (400, 200, 100 k) 20 x 50 k on 1:00 80% held 34 - 36 50 easy 20 x 50 k on 1:00 odds mod evens faster held 31 - 33 50 easy had to make a meeting
Updated March 11th, 2009 at 11:49 AM by ande
Let me just go back to last weekend for a second. I mentioned in my last post that I tried to run on Saturday morning but felt like crap. I tried again on Sunday and after shuffling through 7 miles, I walked home. I was supposed to do 10, but know that the shuffling wasn't doing anything positive for my marathon taper. My legs were way too cramped up and stretching did nothing. They clearly need more rest. Monday Swim with FXCM at Oak Marr: 500 free 200 back 1 x 500 on 6:40 descend 5 x 100 on 1:25 descend by 100 4 x 50 (25 drill/25 swim) on :55 IM order by 50 1 x 400 IM on 6:40 4 x 100 back on 1:40 2 times through: 1 x 100 on 2:00 1 x 50 on 1:00 Was supposed to be kick, I swam instead. 5 x 50 on :50 free 3500 yards total I think I ruined my whole practice with the first 500 free. I went first in my lane and at this workout there are two fast lanes and the guy in the other lane was just slightly ahead of me the whole time. First 100 was 1:09, yikes, I wasn't going to descend from there! I backed off and descended the rest of the swim and ended up cruising in at 6:02. Exactly what I went in the meet at UMBC a few weeks ago. I'm thrilled that my swimming is coming around and now I know for sure that I was never really out of shape, just that my body was tired from all of the marathon run training. Considering that the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim relay (3-person) is in 6 weeks, I'm happy to know that I have swimming fitness. Once the run marathon is over, I definitely plan to get in some longer swims for the 3 weeks before Tampa since each of us will swim around 8 miles in the race. This morning I got up super early to get some things done (laundry) and went for a 3 mile run. My legs definitely feel better than last weekend. Still not 100%, but I've got 10 more days for them to be completely rested. I decided that this morning's weather was perfect for race day. Cool, crisp and in the 40s. I can deal with anything up to low 50s, but if it goes back into the 70s, I'll just have to learn to deal.
My blogging here is a bit of a life line out of my own own head to others. It makes me feel connected and devoted to the water while I am on dry land. It reminds me who I am...part fish part human. This morning I am going to the orthopedist and I am dreading it. He is going to move my fins around and ask all sorts of questions. UGH! I don't want to talk about. Oh yes, I had a good workout yesterday morning with the masters and will plow through this lull in human lowness till tomorrow's swim.
Updated March 10th, 2009 at 08:30 AM by flippergirl
Still felt sluggish and all I wanted to do as I drove to the pool was sleep. Once I fell into the water I woke up and that was all she wrote. 5x100 @ :10 Rest Free Pull to Kick 500 Breast kick with fins 5x3x100 Free had fins on but did not really use them until the last set. That's where I knew I would need them. Round # 1 @ 1:40 2 @ 1:35 3 @ 1:30 4 @ 1:25 5 @ 1:20 500 Free every 3rd lap Back 5x100 @ 1:30 Free with paddles and bouy 5x100 @ :05 Rest kick with fins #1, 3, 5 Fly on back streamline, #2,4 back kick with shoulder rotation 6 kicks each side 500 alternate by 100 Free/Back Total 4500 yards
300 w/u 4 x 150 Odds Fr on 2:15 Evens Stroke on 2:30 (600/900) 6 X (50 fast on 1:00, 25 kick fast 1:00, 100 drill r:10, 25 fast on :45) Odds - free Evens - Fly 50 ez (650/1550) 2 x (50 fast with a 6 beat kick; 100 free fast on 1:30, 50 stroke fast on r:20, 25 ez) 50 ez 500/2050 2 x 50 from middle sprint on 1:30 150 ez 2300
I just got home from a 4 day hiatus in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida! I had the pleasure of swimming with the St. Pete Master's in their home, the awesome (and outdoor) North Shore Pool Complex. I swam with the"Fine Wines" on Sat., then bumped up a level (I forget the name of that group) on Sunday. Workout # 1 Sat. 1) 4 X 200 (1st 50-kick, 2nd 50 drill, 100 Swim) on 4;00 2) 10 X 50 Fast Kick on 1:00 3) 4 X 150 (1st 50 EZ stroke, 100 Free hard) on 3:00 4) 10 X 50 Dolphin Kick no board on 1:00 5) 4 X 100 (50 Mod Stroke/50 Free Sprint) 1:00 interval 6) 8 X 50 Choice on :50 7) 200 free cooldown 3,400 SC meters (that was alot of kicking for me!) Workout # 2 Sunday (tougher group) 1) 4 X 200 Free (Kick/Drill/Swim 100) on 3:30 2) 16 X 50 Fast Kick on :50 (I used fins) 3) 4 X 150 (100 Free/50 stroke IM roll sprint) on 3:00 4) 4 X 150 (IM Roll all swim) 3:30 5) 2 X 150 Free (Kick/drill/swim) 3:15 6) 100 Free 2:00 int 7) 100 Free 1:55 int. 8) 100 free 1:50 int. 9) 100 Free 1:45 int. 10) 100 Free 1:40 int. 11) 4 X 150 (IM Roll) 12) 400 swim down 4,400 SC Meters (I hung on as best I could) monday-Tired so I took a 50 minute run on the beach walk. It was pretty, I miss running but I'm glad I can go once a week or so. This was fun little trip! Other activities included: College visit for sarah-17 yr. old, Britney Spears/Pussycat Dolls Concert in Tampa, daily beach time, shopping, lots of snacks and recreational eating.
3/9 (Mon.) 8 x 50's :55 8 x 50's IM order 1:00 50 drill/50 swim 100 kick 100 swim 1000 yards Tuesday 3/10 200 swim 200 kick 3 x 100's 2:00 Drill/Swim (#1 fly, #2 free, #3 breast) 100 cd 800 yards
Updated March 10th, 2009 at 10:29 PM by kellys
Thanks to the amazing Kristina Ulveling, AKA, CremePuff, who just alerted us FaceBookers that FINA has posted its 2008 Top 10 Masters Tabulations, I discovered that: A) Kristina did extremely well here, including some No. 1 in the World performances Kristina Ulveling, multiple world champion, resting in between "heats" B) Leslie also did extremely well, though not quite as well as the Puffster, but still really good The magnificent Leslie; if you squint and hope enough, you can almost convince yourself that is you reflected in her designer sunglasses. Almost! C) Soy Jimby also managed to make the Top 10 in the World in 4 separate events, including for the first time in recent memory, one involving non-freestyle. This sort of thing does not happen to me every day, so I am taking the liberty of posting my name in the actual tabulations for your perusal and admiration: Your vloggist places 6th in the World in the marquee event, the 100 meter freestyle He continues ascending the world hierarchy, making it to 5th in the World in the 200 free...then, alas, plateaus with a second 5th in the World in the 400 free... And finally, I managed to squeak in--10th place on the Planet known as Earth to you Earthlings--in the 400 IM. For what it's worth, this race was the first time in 3 or 4 years--and I am including practice here, not just meets--that I swam a continuous 100 butterfly... After a month of soy ingestion, Jim's resemblance to Ghandi-playing actor, Ben Kingsley, becomes impossible to ignore. Jim, too, tries to use a combination of non violent protest to beat his competitors in the pool. How soon will his soy ingestion finally get him the swimming world recognition as Outstanding Shim* Swimmer in the 55-59 age group, not including Laura Vall? Only time will tell. But here is a Thornton Brothers film that continues to make my case as one of the world's outstanding old Shims: (* Tom Patterson, AKA, tjrpatt, has very kindly explained to me in a previous comment that "Shim" is now the politically correct noun for us She-Males. I am so new to the community that I don't even know when I am accidentally insulting us! Sorry, guyals!) [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGnKTFhNErM"]YouTube - Soymare on Elm Street[/ame]
As I figured, after yesterday's bike ride, my legs were dead. This time I was o.k. with that fact. Went out for a 4 mile recovery run. Sunny with temps at 80 degrees. I chuckled to myself when a man passing me going the other way on the trail said, "Isn't it too hot to be running?" He was walking. I responded, "It probably is." He was, of course, right. I giggled, realizing that it is understandable why normal people think exercise nuts like myself are OCD. Anyway, went as slow as a snail, taking 41 minutes to run 4 miles. Still, I was o.k. with this, especially since I had no pains while running. I actually felt a sense of accomplishment in getting the task done with dead legs. Hit the pool and did a recovery swim. Talked a bunch during my warm-up and went really slow during the workout. My average HR was 119 for the whole workout. Here is the workout: 600 warm-up: 400 Reverse I.M. - one-arm drill on fly; 2 x 100 build free on :30 rest. Main set: 4 x 300 easy free (swim perfect stroke) on :30 rest Easy 200 kick with fins to loosen up legs (This felt great!) Total: 2000 yards Thoughts: I am debating doing some kind of race in the next three weeks. I may do something insane like swim the 1000 at the St. Pat's Day meet in Atlanta, or I may do a 5k running race. I'm learning that it is better to compete in something more often than once every few months. Especially as I get older, I'm learning that your body has to be used to reving the engine to get the most out of a meet/race. Until my running legs come back, I am going to swim 3 times a week, but I think only one of those times can be hard. The other two times will have to focus on perfect stroke and drills. Same with the biking. I hope to put in 3 bike rides a week, with 2 of them being easy. I really would like to be going harder at everything, but as I have learned the hard way, when you are getting started on triathlon training and balancing three different sports, you really have to be careful not to overdo it on the intensity. Once you build a base, you can go to 2 intense/demanding workouts a week in each discipline. Hoping this week to add some "easy speed" to my running. Running at speeds of 9 or 10 minute miles is getting a little old. I may try doing an easy warm-up of a 2 miles and then see if I am comfortable running under 8:00 for one mile (I'd warm down at least a mile after doing this one.) If I'm going to do a 5k in 3 weeks, I would like to be able to run it maintaining an 8 minute pace. If I'm not there yet, then will try one in April.
Updated March 9th, 2009 at 09:00 PM by elise526
Two quick workouts today thanks to the fact that our county elementary schools always close early on Monday. Hate that. Weights: standing lat press, 130 x 2 x 10 narrow grip seated row, 120 x 2 x 10 bench press, 80 x 2 x 12 tricep press, 75 x 2 x 15 (I'm sure the weight was wrong on this cable machine) incline crunches, 2 x 25 dead bug on bosu, 2 x 25 quick stretch Swim, SCY, Solo: 750 variety warm up 4 x 25 build free 10 x (25 AFAP w/fins + 25 easy) @ 2:00 200 C/D Since I had so little time to swim today, I remembered Rich Abrahams posting that "sometimes it's fine to just step up and do 10 x 25 all out." Ideally, to optimize the speed element, I think these would be done on 3:00 with more recovery swimming in between. I've seen Jonathan Miller recommend that as well. Total: 1550 5 minutes hot tub for hip ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Further thought on weights: I re-read the article Hulk posted earlier from www.sumptuous.com on not bulking up. I noticed that there is quite a few caveats in this. Apart from genetic capacity to build muscle (which, like She Puff, I seem to have), to prevent hypertrophy, you've got to watch the calorie intake and keep the volume of sets low. Based on this and my recent fatigue level, I think Q is right that I should do fewer sets in the gym each time. Unclear whether you should always do the same exercise or mix it up ... Also, I think running would help prevent bulk. As to the fatigue, however, I've decided I have some low grade bug. I've been slightly nauseous and overly fatigued for about 4 days now. So I don't think it's the training, especially as I cut back last week and took an extra rest day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Comic Note: On a lighter note, when I complained about my hip issue to Fort Son last night, he said "take an ice bath." He has done this during cross country season. Decided to give it a try. Holy crap!!!!! That is difficult. I couldn't stay in it for 10 minutes at all. I did 2 x 5 min. and was bright red! Still, my hip felt markedly better later in the evening and today. Have a chiro appt. tomorrow. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FINA Rankings: I saw Ian Smith posted the link for 2008 Top Ten FINA Rankings. [ame="http://forums.usms.org/showthread.php?t=13464"]2009 FINA Rankings - U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums[/ame] I did better than 2007, except in the 50 free. I was really pleased as I only did mini-tapers for my SCM swims and was really sick before LC Zones and swam very few events. This year, I'm going to try to taper more for SCM. Times in general seemed much faster this year, although I haven't looked at them very closely yet. Anyway, here's how I did: SCM TTs: #2 50 back #6 100 back #3/9 50 fly (my disallowed 29.99/official 30.76) #10 100 fly #6 100 IM #10 50 free (First time I've ever made FINA TTs in the 100 IM and 100 fly. LCM TTs: #3 50 back #4 100 back #6 50 fly Congrats to all forumites making the list and to fellow bloggers Chris, Ande, Patrick, Jimby and Kirk!
Updated March 9th, 2009 at 06:25 PM by The Fortress
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