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Thursday:

Zippo. We were traveling up to Pittsburgh and didn't leave in time for me to hit the Rivers Club for a workout. House renovations are coming along ... why are they always more expensive than you think?

Friday:

Made it to the Sewickley Y for a swim with Jimby's team.

300 choice
10 x 50 @ 1:15, SDK to 15 meters and build the rest
8 x 50 kick @ 1:15, mix up strokes
50 EZ
8 x (75 @ 1:15 smooth + 25 fast @ :45)
-- I did evens swim, odds kick, the 25s at approx 100 pace
50 EZ
1 x through, each 100 faster even with breaks
-- I did 100 IMs with fins, think I was a :51 on last one
100 @ 2:00
100 @ 2:00, break :5 @ 50
100 @ 2:00, break :5 @ 50 & 75
100 @ 2:00, break :5 @ 25, 50, 75
6 x 50 free w/paddles @ 1:00 smooth

Total: 2800

Jimby and I had a lovely dinner afterward. We checked out Water Rat's new manse (even though he was off skiing). Very fancy!


Saturday:

I squeezed in a dryland session at the River Club.

RC exercises, 10 min
cable crunches, 110 x 3 x 15 each side
wide grip lat pulldowns, 75 x 4 x 8
leg press (on strange machine), 19 x 4 x 8
abdcutor, 120 x 3 x 15
wrist curls, 50 x 4 x 8
overhead squats w/bar, 10
long arm crunches, 2 x 50
plank with flutter kicks on yoga ball, 25 (not so easy)
box jumps, 3 x 10
med ball slams, 2 x 10


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


I had a great week of training last week. This week, not so much, too busy with life. Need to get to the pool later today.

I was wondering how my distance freestyle day was going to go, since I've spent the last couple of days working pretty hard on the other strokes. I felt sore and run-down going in, but I stuck to my plan...

5 x thru
12 x 100 on 1:45
200 breast on 4:00

Cool-down: 200 back

Each 1400-yard "set" lasted exactly 25 minutes and I finished the cool-down with 200 back in less than 5:00 so the whole swim, more than 4 miles, only took 2 hours and 10 minutes. My first time through the 100s didn't feel so great, some in 1:40, some in 1:30, I was all over the place... but at some point toward the end of the second set I relaxed and started zeroing in on a pace 1:35-1:37 per 100, which left me 7-10 seconds rest after each rep. The third and fifth sets felt the best... even when I was dog tired and my lats were screaming in the middle of my fourth set, questioning why I was still swimming, my 100s were coming in at 1:35-1:37.

All in all I'm very happy with this. Instead of doing 6000 yards of free continuously in ever slowing pace (starting at 1:40 and falling off to 1:45 like last week, and this week it probably would have fallen off a lot more, given how sore I felt), I was able to hold an average of 1:36 for 60 x 100 on a 1:45 pace. Same distance and about the same total time in the pool, but a lot more quality swimming than I normally get on a distance day. I like it.

This afternoon we (the family) went into Chicago and enjoyed the holiday lights on Michigan Ave, some exhibits at the Chicago Cultural Center, and then Millennium Park. We thought about ice skating, but that is not my thing and standing in a line for an hour just to get in with temps in the mid-20s didn't seem like the thing to do at the end of a long day, so we packed it up and headed back across the border. Fun family time nonetheless. And, bonus (!), we got home in time to see the fourth quarter of the Alamo Bowl on TV--Texas, our alma mater, in a come from behind win, 31-27, against Oregon State! Hook 'em, Horns!

Today I enjoyed a mid-morning solo swim at the Panama City Beach pool. The sky was full of layers of different types of clouds passing quickly overhead, which lifted by the end of my workout. Here’s what I did:

1000 scy warmup (400s, 200k, 200p, 200 IM d/s by 25)

12 x 25 @ :30, 3 each stroke, IM order, desc. within each 3

200 IM: scattered, smothered, and covered*
1 x 50 fly fast @ :50
1 x 200 IM @ 3:30
2 x 50 back, desc., @ :50
1 x 200 IM @ 3:30
3 x 50 breast, desc., @ :55
1 x 200 IM @ 3:30
4 x 50 free, desc., @ :50
1 x 200 IM @ 3:30
[This set doesn’t lack for 200 IMs, but the one that matters is the broken one comprised of the four fast 50s stroke. Today I went 37-36-41-34, for a 2:28 total.]

100 easy

8 x 50 kick @ 1:00, 1-4 RIMO, 5-8 IMO

500 warmdown + drills + play

*Another reason I love my pool: Driving home from it takes me by not one but two Waffle Houses!

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!!

So it's becoming a habit and I like it. I headed to the pool with my two kids. I swam laps while they bombed me from the diving board. We all had fun!

I decided to do some 500s today.

Warm up

500 free
500 catchup
i felt quite stiff today but loosened up after the catchup.

Main Set

4x500 pull with paddles on 6minutes. I held about 5.25 which felt quite good.
10x50 kick on 50


Warm down

200 easy
4x25s under water with my daughter. She had fun hanging onto my stomach while we went under water. My son continued to bomb us.
On the way home we stopped and had a Starbucks!

Saturday 12/29

AM only LCM

Still no power, condo temp now showing 46 degrees.

300 swim (200 FR/100 I.M.)
400 pull w/ buoy + strapless paddles + snorkel

20x50 @ 1:00
2 drill
1 kick FAST
2 25 build/25 FAST
1 round each stroke I.M order

15x100
3 @ 1:25 AE FR
2 @ 1:40 FAST I.M.

2x
3x400 I.M.
1 @ 5:40
1 @ 5:30
1 @ 5:20
:30 Rest
2x400 @ 5:30 pull (I did opposite fin/opposite paddle)
RD1: AE
RD2: FAST
3x100 @ 2:00 EZ

12x100 @ 1:40 add-on FAST FR swim with the easy parts being AE FL kick w/ fins

200 EZ

Total: 9200

SCY@Catalina Isle Community HOA Pool (1 Length/12.5 yards)
Air temp of 76, pool at 79, 100% water clarity.
Cloudy hazy sky with humidity at 80%
7:45am

Warm Up
200 yds FR
4x25 FR on 20 count rest as 12.5 Fast/12.5 EZ

*Set 1*
4(250 FR Kick, desc by 50 1-5, RI 250 FR Swim, desc by 50 1-5)

*Set 2*
4(125 BR Kick desc by 25 1-5, RI 125 BR Swim desc by 25 1-5)

*Set 3*
4(125 Fly Kick desc by 25 1-5, RI 125 Fly Swim desc by 25 1-5)

*Set 4*
10x75 FR on 1:00 Rest, each 75 as; 3(12.5 Fast, 12.5 Smooth)

Warm Down
100 FR

This morning Jen Bew and I swam the annual 100x50 on :55 for ease of counting. We also did a 500 warm down and hot tub soak.

As I sit writing this up several hours later, my shoulders are starting to get tight and I may need an easy swim tomorrow and Monday. I hope the pool temp stays ok since the heater at the Y broke.

Today's swim was in 79 degree water which was nice just hope it doesn't go down any more.

Total 5500 yards

Swam w/ Dave, Bob, Bob, Allan, Hunter, Andrew and a couple others. Got to the pool and Matt was dragging lane lines around... long course! It's been a long time since I've done a long course workout. The thing about long course is that I don't know if an interval is going to hurt or not ahead of time. Some did today. Others didn't.

LCM

500 Warm up
4 x 100 Flutter kick/catch-up drill
4 x 50 (Odds build, evens 25 fast/25 easy)

2 Rounds of:
* 3 x 200 Free - 3:00 Descend
* 2 x 100 Pull w/o paddles down/kick w/ buoy back - 1:50
* 2 x 50 Stroke - 1:00 (1st round br, 2nd round free)

4 Rounds of:
* 200 - 4:00 50 Stroke/50 Free w/fins (did stroke IM Order by round)
* 200 IM - 4:00 Hard on different 50 each round

200 Pull - 3:00

At this point, Hunter and I were the only ones left. Matt gave us this to keep us busy:

3 x 100 - 1:35
2 x 100 - 1:30
1 x 100 - 1:25 (Didn't make the last one... really tired at this point)

200 Cool down

(5500m Total)

Friday 12/28

PM only LCM

No AM practice due to more freezing rain/sleet and I still have no power/heat. Temperature in my condo is now 48 degrees and falling.

600 swim
400 pull w/ buoy + strapless paddles + snorkel
200 kick w/ board

18x100
6 @ 1:30 AE
6 @ 1:25 PINK
4 @ 1:20 RED
2 @ 1:15 BLUE

2x
6x150 @ 2:20 1 FAST/1 AE
4x150 @ 2:15 AE
2x150 @ 2:05 FAST
4x50 @ 1:15 FAST

(Held around 1:51-1:53 on the FAST until the end of round 2 when the wheels fell off the bus. Not even Trip Strauss breathing down my neck on the last few could push me through...actually it probably made it worse!!) (no offense Trip)

16x50 @ 1:00 w/ fins 3 kick FAST/1 swim EZ

200 EZ

Total: 8000

Warmup:

300 Free, 300 Kick w/ board, 300 Free Pull - a traditional warmup for a change!
(900/900)

Kick your brains out: All SDK w/ short fins
2 x 150 @ 2:30 cruised 2:05ish
2 x 150 @ 2:10 semi-cruised 2:00ish
2 x 150 @ 2:00 worked a little more for 1:55ish
2 x 150 @ 1:50!! missed the first one (went 1:52), then turn and burned as coach was right on us to keep going. As I started out I told myself I was going to make the next interval. I came in right on the 1:50, but considering I left about 3-4 seconds late for the sendoff, I actually went about a 1:46-:47. Nice!
(1200/2100)

(from this point on, I turned it down a notch or two on intensity, since I have the meet coming up on Sunday)

Lucky 7s:
I went 2nd
7 x 200 Free Max Rest @ 3:30 (went 2:13-2:15s on these, mainly 2:14s)
2:00 rest
7 x 100 Free Max Rest @ 1:30 (went 1:04s/1:05s, last one 1:02) I passed the other kid during these, so took over the lead.
2:00 rest
7 x 50 Free Max Rest @ :40 (went :31-:32s)
2:00 rest
7 x 25 Free Max Rest @ :20 (went :14-:15s)
175 EZ Swim
(2800/4900)

6 x 50 Sprint Kick w/ board @ 1:30
(300/5200)

Bucket Pulling continuous relay. I ended up going 8 times, 2 time Fly, 6 times Free.

200 EZ

----------------------------
5600 Yards


I have the Animal Masters Meet (400 IM, 200 Fly, 1000 Free) coming up on Sunday down in Canby, Oregon. I'm going to head down and visit my grandparents as well over the weekend in the Portland area, and hit up the Oregon Reign Masters for a New Years Eve morning workout out at Mt. Hood Comm. College, coached by the amazing Dennis Baker. I'm gonna make him kick my butt (in the pool).

Today, I really didn't know what to focus on. Honestly, I felt a little sore after yesterday's 4000... even with the longer rests, the pace was a lot faster than I usually do on my own and using all four strokes is working muscles I didn't know I had. I have a distance day tomorrow (goal: 7200), so I didn't want to overdo it with intervals or go too long, but I wanted to do some quality work and also keep my momentum on learning the different strokes. Here's what I finally did:

Warm-up:
100 fr EZ (1:40)
200 br (3:50)
200 alt. bk/fr (about 3:40)
500 kick w/ board and fins (about 350 dolphin)


10 x 100 alt. pull w/ paddles (mostly 1:50) and free (mostly 1:35)
6 x 100*
200 IM


cool-down:
200 EZ fr


*reps 1-2 were hard 50 bk then 50 br; reps 3-4 were 100 IM; rep 5, 100 bk; rep 6, 100 br. All these 100s were between 1:37 and 1:50. My IM 100s were the fastest, so my fly must not be too terrible, though having a 25 fr at the end doesn't hurt any.

At that point in the workout, I decided it was going to be a 3000-yard day, and if I could survive a 50 fly, then a 200 IM was not out of the question. A 200 EZ fr would be my cool-down. I barely survived that 50 fly, but I did survive it... last couple of strokes barely clearing the waterline with my arms. That was tough, but I noticed :45 on the pace clock when I hit the wall at 50. I finished the 200 in 3:39, which means I lost a lot of ground on the back half of the back 50 and a lot more time on the breast... not able to make up much with my 50 fr at that point--I was spent. On the other hand, 3:39 was an ambitious time for my 200 freestyle when I first started swimming seriously in summer 2011.

My biggest difficulty with fly right now is the fact that I can't seem to get the dolphin kick down... something I'm anxious to work on; but I definitely think I'll try a 100 IM at our next SCY meet in January, just for fun.

Tomorrow, I'm considering doing something different, instead of my usual continuous swim or 5-6 x 1200 on 21:00, whatever. Rather than swim 6,000 yards of freestyle continually at a slower pace, I thought about doing 5 sets of 12 x 100 on 1:45, where I swim every fourth rep hard, but then have three more relaxed, but still faster, 100s. I think I should be able to hold the interval for the whole workout (60 x 100, essentially) and I'll do 200 breast or back between sets. With a 1:45 interval each set of 12 will last 21:00. I think that's the plan for now.

I had a pleasant mid-afternoon swim today—mostly solo, but I got to share the first part with Paul, who was the very first masters swimmer I met down here. He remains a favorite seasonal swim buddy, so it was a treat to get to swim with him some today. Here’s what I did:

1000 scy warmup (400s, 200k, 200p, 200 IM d/s by 25)

10 x 50 FR:

• 3 long and relaxed @ :55
• 3 moderate @ :50
• 3 fast @ :45 [held 35s]
• 1 easy

Pace set—goal was to swim FRs < 1:20 pace
100 FR @ 1:30
100 IM easy @ 2:00
200 FR @ 3:00
100 IM easy @ 2:00
300 FR @ 4:00
100 IM easy @ 2:00
400 FR @ 5:20
100 IM easy

Kick set
8 x 50 kick @ 1:00, odds IM order, evens RIMO

300 warmdown plus play

Today was overcast, but last night was gloriously clear. We went out for a beach walk after the full moon was up, and marveled at how bright the beach was. I wasn’t sure if I was seeing bioluminescence in the water, or just the moon’s light reflecting in the breaking waves, but it was beautiful whatever it was.

I got a nice compliment at the grocery store today, from the check-out clerk: “I think that’s the healthiest buggy I’ve seen all week long!” (Grocery carts are called buggies down here.)

Been to 4 practices since I got clearance to kick 9 days ago….so far so good! I’ve been kicking in the ‘executive’ lane, aka the gutter lane. It’s actually very roomy – about 4ft wide when the pool is setup long course (just have to watch out for the ladders) and even wider when in short course. Very executive indeed!

I was only out of the pool for 5 weeks and 4 days but as soon as I hit the water I felt like I was going to cry chlorinated tears of joy lol. Right now I cannot use a kick board and I can only use one arm while I keep my other arm at my side. I started off my first day back with a whole 1000 (my intent was to get to 500, but I just had to keep going cause it felt so awesome!), then I upped it to 2000 and then for the last 2 workouts I’ve gotten in a 2500, which is about all the kicking I can do in a workout right now before I’m bored out of my mind lol (takes me about an hour using short fins most of the time). I do flutter/fly kick on my stomach and back….sometimes with both arms at my side and sometimes with my good arm stretched out, and then breaststroke kick on my back. I’ve been throwing in some side kicking and underwater dolphin dives too. Pretty much I’m just swimming along and doing my own sets and just getting the feel for the water again. Still taking it pretty easy….the few times I attempted to get up to speed it quickly became cramp city! Gotta ease back into it. But I’m just thrilled to be back in the water again!

Coach also suggested that I try out a training snorkel, which I’ve never used before. So I ordered the FINIS one and will be testing that out soon…..looks like it will really help me hone in on body alignment and using my core. So yay, new toy! I’m all for getting back to basics as well as trying out new things while I’m in kicking purgatory!

I think in another 6 weeks I will move on up and get clearance to do some breaststroke…..never in my life have I been so excited to do some breaststroke! Seriously, it’s my worst stroke and I despise it, but I shall be forced to improve lol. Really looking forward to all kinds of progress in 2013!

PS - No PT progress to report this week as my PT was out sick. Won’t see her til Monday. But I gotta say that I have seen some huge improvements in my everyday functional activities. I can now easily wash my hair, reach up and get things from high shelves, and even carefully reach out to close my car door! Still no external abduction or extension movements, but its interesting how non-essential those movements are for everyday functionality....

My joints ached before I got into the pool. I have taken this week and next week off work and decided to paint the living room and our bedroom. Both rooms are double height rooms and it required scaffolding. My arms ache frommpaintingnand my legs ache from continually climbing the scaffolding. The workout helped but did not completely get the stiffness out of the joints.

Warm up
400 free
6x 50 catchup
6x100 kick on 1.20 with flippers

Main set
3x(100 free descend, 3x50 fast, 200negative split)
1.03 on 100, 30 on 50s and 2.05 on 200

100 easy

Set2
10x50 with parachute on 45. these hurt pretty bad but I made all of them with about 5 seconds rest on each.

100 easy

Finale
3x100 free from the blocks. 1 and 3 with flippers, 2 without. Went 52,58,51.

One of the guys I train with has been out following an operation about a month ago to fix a herniated septum. Chris jumped in during the main set and it was great to have someone to train with again. A few weeks and Chris should be back pushing me pretty hard.

I think I will try to go for a swim with my daughter tomorrow; should be fun. I took her to practice today and she is getting really good? It's nice to see her leading all the boys, who hate it when a girl is faster than them. I need to continue to remind myself she is still only 9. She does not need any extra daddy pressure!

LCM@FGCU Aquatic Center
Air temp of 75, pool at 82, 97% water clarity.
Sunny with humidity at 68%

Warm up
600 FR/BK by 50
400 K, 100 each IMO
3x100 FR on 2:00 (desc 1-3), 100 EZ BK

• Did 1:18, 1:17, 1:17

200 FR as 25 Strong, 25 EZ

*Set 1*
5(3x100 FR on 2:00 desc 1-3, 100 EZ BK)

1. 1:15, 1:14, 1:14
2. 1:15, 1:13, 1:13
3. 1:14, 1:13, 1:13
4. 1:13, 1:12, 1:12
5. 1:13, 1:11, 1:11

*Set 2*
3x200 Back on :30 rest as 50 smooth/50 strong
3x200 FR P w/paddles, buoy, tube on :30 rest as 50 smooth/50 strong

*Set 3*
1x1000 FR Swim w/fins, paddles
Steady state swim

Warm down:
100 EZ FR

Comments:
Before arriving to the pool I had already done an early morning dryland session of one partial strength & core round, that included standing bent elbow lat pull downs at a new stack setting of 75 lbs. It felt great at the time, but later in the pool I realized again why I do most of my heavier dryland in the evening. In addition my age 9 daughter and I went to a local park where we did a 3x 1.3 mile loop around a part of the lake, where I walked at a 4.2 mile pace and she was on a razor scooter.

Warm up - At first I felt great, other than that the water felt warm. The round of 3x100 was supposed to be the start of Set 1, where my goal was to start at 1:15 and descend as best possible. Typical of me, not to warm up with enough pace work and just jump in pace set that requires both physical and mental focus. I felt so crappy, and just struggled to do 1:18 to 1:17, so I was thinking today is certainly not going to be "at my best".

Set 1 - After those first three really ugly 100s, I stopped for a bit, swim several lengths steady in the stroke form I wanted to the 100s in, decided to start over and step up my effort. They all hurt, and no strategic pacing, managing my kick, making the first 50 smooth/second 50 really strong made any difference. What is so contrary, is that after the first round of enduring several struggling finishes, I started to go a little faster even though the effort and struggle was not any easier throughout the entire set. On the last one I hoped to do a 1:10, but it was not there today.

Set 2 - I like to swim long smooth backstroke for recovery, and the sun in the eyes is distracting, but I swim by the lane line to keep straight and still keep my head down in the water looking straight up. So far I have not found any prescription goggles that are as dark as some of the regular goggles.

Set 3 - Even though I was still a bit wiped out from Set 1, I really wanted to try swimming LCM with fins/paddles. Well Celestial was right, it is hard. But I really like it, the way my FR stroke rotates and how fast the pool bottom goes by.

When I got out of the pool, by my arms ached a bit and I was trembling slightly. But after the shower, gulping down my homemade protein shake, some food, and stretched a bit, I felt pretty good. I will need to have at least one full day of rest this weekend, no swimming or drylands.

FAST FRIDAY Dec 28th, 2012
In 4 days I will be a FINA 50!

Lately I've been preparing for the
400 Kick for Time
went 5:32 & 5:24, pretty sure I can go much faster might do it tomorrow, Sun or Mon

Just renewed my 2013 USMS membership
http://www.usms.org/reg/
http://www.usms.org/reg/content/benefits

Don't have a team? Consider registering with: Longhorn Masters / TXLA
especially if you ever swam for Longhorn, UT or are coming to the
2013 South Central SCY Zone Championships in Austin April 5, 6 & 7


Chris coached
6:30 - 8:00 dove around 6:35
SCY UT Swim Center main pool north end (no blocks)
Swam with Chris Kemp
beside David, Larry, & Keith


Warm up
20 minutes choice stop at 6:50
I swam easy 50's on 40 & 45

Main Set

ASSIGNED: 20 x 100 on 2:00
1) swim fast
2) pull fast
3) kick fast
4) easy
DID:
several of the fast 100's, but not killer hard since I was concentrating on the 100 K, then I started doing 50's instead of 100's on 1 & 2 to rest up some for the 1 k which I went 1:09 to 1:13 or 14, most were 12's

Assigned: 12 50's on 1:15
1) swim fast
2) pull fast
3) kick fast
4) easy
again took it easy on the swim & pull to kick fast
went 35, 34, & 31 on #11


Next Meet:

2013 South Central SCY Zone Championships
Fri Apr 5 - Sun Apr 7
UT Austin, TX

So happy to report that despite overtraining (considering the fact that I usually swim 4500 3-4 x week) my arms are still attached. I am beginning to develop a twitch in my left eye whenever I hear the word butterfly lately, though.....

So today was supposedly "only 6000" - only? Here's what we did - grateful to be swimming with the PRE-seniors and not the Seniors for these two weeks (since I have to get out & go to work 1/2 hour before the Seniors' practice is done):

600 back/free
2 x 300 P
4 x 100 K
4 x 100 IM on 1:40
100 easy
8 x 100 P on 1:30
100 easy
6 x 150, 100 free, 50 choice on 2:30
12 x 50 K on 1:10
100 easy
16 x 50 S on 1:00, 4 free, 4 stroke repeat
100 easy
12 x 25, one drill, two 4-cycle, one sprint
200 easy
Total: 6100 LCM

BTW: Air Temp: 29, Water Temp: 79. Chilly no matter how you look at it.

Looking forward to tomorrow - morning practice 6-8:30, and then I will (hopefully) return at 3pm for another 2 hours. If it is warm, we'll play tennis in between, as well. This way, I can eat as many cookies as I want!!

Hello everyone! Hope you all are having a good holiday season!

My "training" has been to simply stay in relatively decent condition; no sense getting in really good shape before going to Breckenridge for a week and off-routine again. I've been doing strokes, drills, and some designated workouts and some on my own. Have not resumed drylands/weights yet except for my yoga/stretching. Again, no sense getting in great shape only to take a week off! We are going to Breck tomorrow.


MY NEW STUFF!!!

I got a parachute and softball/whiffle balls for xmas! The parachute is great! It says it is "flipturn compatable" for soft items, like the 'chute, clothing, etc, but that you should NOT flip turn with a hard drag object, like a bucket. You can indeed flipturn, but it is quite distracting. I like it better for fast 25's anyway. I like 25's period!

The whiffle balls are awesome. They are like "anti-paddles" and essentially are a drill to work your core/legs since you can't balance, breathe, or get very much pull anyway. When you take the off, you feel incrdedibly balanced and your hands feel like giant spatulas! I got a package of 6; I am thinking to put them all in my bag and on certain days, suggest my small lane of 3 all use them! (since we have 2 hands, 6 balls, you get it....)

Here is yesterday's workout:

400 warm up (skipped the last 100; no reason, just skipped it 'cause I was tired)

2 rounds of:
3 x 50's each of
fly/back/breast
done as kick/drill/swim

300
2 x 200
3 x 100
====>no, I did every other 50 with my whiffle balls

10 x 50's
3, 5, 7, 9, 10 fast
===>no, I did these the same way as 25's and walk back each time.

The End
++++++++++++++++++++++++++

That was a good workout for me. Just the kind of stuff I like! And enought skipping bits to feel proud that I did much less than everyone else. That said, I was arguably doing "more" with my whiffle balls!

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

On to Breck tomorrow! I am going to start the 50 mile club thing. You mark your yardage and they put your name up on a board when you hit 50 miles. It's really dumb for us because of course we can easily do 50 miles every 2 months, even at my yardage rate. But you can only count yards swum at the Breck Recreation Center, so it's going to take me a few years. You can swim any stroke and use any equipment, just no motorized stuff. You can take as much time as you want, but i'd rather just get as much yardage in as I can. DID I REALLY JUST SAY THAT????!!!! HO HO HO!!! I'll probably wear big fins, paddles, and my snorkel and just swim away.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Felt fairly good today. Used my foam roller last night to mend some muscle issues and it worked good. Need to do it again tonight since I really hit it hard today.

1000 free
500 free kick w/zoomers
1500 free w/paddles & bouy went 24:19
200 free w/snorkle
100 breast kick
100 free kick
100 free EZ

Total 3000 meters