Nobody Special

Well - here we go - another New Year. The few resolutions I have this year are in regards to mostly swimming. Last year I set a GTD goal for 415 miles - I finished at 449.95. This year I'm shooting for 500. Will see how it goes.

Another goal is to try to keep up with this blog a little better. I'm shooting for 3 posts a week - and am hoping I can have some interaction with other swimmers around the country in the process.

I'm hoping I can swim at least 3 Open Water (5k distance or greater) events this year.

No team practice this morning but I swam on my own anyway -here is the workout:

1000 warm up (hypoxic - 5x4 per 100 for500 then 4x3per 100 for 500)

8x100 - kick/stroke/kick/strokex25 - 1:40int

500 fast

8x100 - pullbuoy and paddles - 1:40int

500 fast

8x50 - 50sint

500 descend x 100

500 warm down

3250 yards...

200 warm up

25x50x75x100x150x100x75x50x25

500 kick

200 swim
200 kick
200 pull

6x100 free (1:45 int)

500 warm down

* Just saw my physical therapist today and she basically told me I am out of the woods concerning this spine/neck injury. Coulnd't have gotten better news. No surgery and I'm feeling good as I steadily and slowly continue to increase my yards.

* I missed posting my last couple of work outs though Sunday's was fairly straight forward - four 500s and then 12 100s for 3200 yards.

*Today's workout:

200 warm up

4x400 free

12x100 free (ev fourth back) (1:45 int)

200 warm down

3200 yds total

*Really seems like I'm close to getting back on track. Here is today's workout:

4500 yds

200 warm up

4x500 free (1 m rest)

5x100 kick (2 m int)

10x50 back (1 m int)

5x100 free (2 m int)

10x50 back-to-breast (1:10 int)

6x50 fly-to-easy (1:10 int)

200 warm down

200 warm up

5x200 free (3:30 int)

10x50 back-breast (1:05 int)

4x50 fly-easy (1:10)

500 warm down

* I can't remember exactly what I did on Tuesday - it was the coach's workout. Here is today's work out:

100 warm up

300 free (breath ev 4th)
300 free (breath ev 3rd)
300 free (breath right side odd laps left side even laps)

2x (200kick/200pull)

3x50 free (30 sec rest)
3x50 free (25 sec rest)
3x50 free (20 sec rest)
3x50 free (15 sec rest)
3x50 free (10 sec rest)
3x50 free (5 sec rest)

500 warm down

100 warm up

400 - 300 - 200 - 100 free

10x50 fly kick

5x100 back

5x50 breast
5x50 fly/easy

100 warm down

* Had a killer workout today. I had to wear fins for most of it but this is by far the most intense work-out in the pool for me since this spine injury hit me back in January. Here is the work out:

4200 yds total
100 warm up

4x400 free (1 m)

4x300 free (1 m)

4x200 free (1m)

4x100 free (1m)

100 warm down


*Didn't get to log yesterday's work out. Here it is:

2400 yds

100 warm up

10x100 free

10x50 back-kick

5x100 back

8x25 fly

100 warm down

I read through a good portion of the current issue of "Swimmer" today and was impressed with the fact that 9/10s of the articles were about open water swimming. When I was much younger I competed in a few triathalons and other than those few events I haven't had much experience in open water swimming. To be honest - were it not for the swimming portion of triathalons I wouldn't have done so well. So I think its something I'd like to try now that I'm older - BUT...

I have no idea where to start in getting prepared for one of these things. As a kid, when I was doing triathalons it was easy. I was a distance swimmer and needed no prep whatsoever - all I needed to do was add running and biking to my regular routine. Now - some 25 years later I think I need to figure some stuff.

No thanks to "Swimmer" Magazine though - which had no articles geared toward someone who wants to get started in this. Looks like I'm on my own there....

One other thing - I have spent the last 22 years of my life in a career that involves rescue in the maritime environment. I am a bit perplexed that not much was stressed in the way of safety in open water swimming. This is definately something that should never be done alone and I must say that other than the advertisment for the "swimmer buddy" at the end, the magazine failed in stressing the importance in making yourself visable to boaters. Unfortunately I HAVE recovered dead bodies from the water that were the result of a boater not seeing a swimmer. I realize that in an actual event the safety of swimmers is tantamount but those training for it on their own need to be very careful.

100 warm up

700 (25x50x75x100x200x100x75x50x25) (kick each 50)

6x100 kick/pull

12x75 free (50fast/25slow)

12x50 (free/back/breast)

4x25 fly (fins)

100 warm down

* Back with the team today. Good work-out - did my best to keep a light pace. Here is the workout:

100 warm up

4x200 free (30 sec rest)

4x100 kick (fins) 2 m int

1x100 back
1x100 breast
1x100 catch-up stroke

20x50 free (5, 10, and 15 kick) 1 m int

200 warm down

* Tomorrow I plan on rejoining the team with their morning workouts. In anticipation of that I only swam an easy 1600 yds today. Here is the workout:

100 warm up

4x100 free (w/fins) 2 m int

8x50 kick (w/fins) 1 m int

4x100 back (w/fins) 2 m int

2x100 breast - 2:30 int

100 warm down

100 warm up

200 free
100 free (fins)
200 free
100 free (fins)
200 free
100 free (fins)
200 free
100 free (fins)
200 free
100 free (fins)

10x50 back-kick (fins) 1 m int

10x50 back-to-breast - 1:10 int

10x50 free - 1 m int

100 warms down

* Busy day today - a 3000 yd workout followed by a trip down to Wilmington to spend some time with the boss. Here's the workout:

100 warm up

1x350 free (w/fins)
1x250 free (w/o fins)
1x350 free (w/fins)
1x250 free (w/o fins) - all with 1 m rest btn

10x50 kick (w/fins) 1 m int

8x50 back-to-breast (w/o fins) 1:10 int

8x50 free (w/fins) 50 sec int

100 warm down

* My workouts are still heading in the right direction. More yardage and less time wearing fins. Hopefully I can get back with the team next week.

*Today's workout:

100 warm up

1x300 free (w/fins)
1x200 free (w/o fins)
1x300 free (w/fins)
1x200 free (w/o fins) - 1 m rest btn each

5x100 kick (w/ fins) 2 m int

10x50 (back/free) (w/o fins) 1 m int

6x50 free (hypoxic 1 breath per lap) (w/fins) 1:10 int
8x25 u/w swim (no breaths) (w/fins) 45 s int

100 warm down

* No pain or numbness whatsoever during the swim this morning. Feels like I'm definately on the tail end of this thing - but gotta be careful and not come back too hard too fast.

*This morning's workout:

100 warm up

5x100 free (w/o fins) 2 m int

10x50 back/free (rotating 50s w/fins) 1 m int

8x50 kick (w/fins) 1 m int

1x200 free (w/o fins) 4 m int
1x200 free (w/ fins) 4 m int
1x200 free (w/o fins) 4 m int

6x50 free/hypoxic (1 breath per lap w/fins) 1:15 int

100 warm down

100 warm up

1x100 free (w/o fins) - 2 m int
2x50 free (w/o fins) - 1 m int
1x100 free (w/o fins) - 2 m int
2x50 free (w/o fins) - 1 m int
1x100 free (w/o fins) - 2 m int

10x50 back (w/fins) - 1 m int

1x200 free (w/ fins) - 4 m int
1x200 free (w/o fins) - 4 m int
1x200 free (w/fins) - 4 m int

6x50 free (hypoxic - 1 breath per lap) (w/fins) - 1:15 m int

100 warm down

* Yesterday I went for a 1 mile run in the afternoon and half way through I got caught in one heck of a thunderstorm. It was one of those ones that just come up out of nowhere. I swear there was a lightning strike so close that the flash blinded me for a second. Additionally the wind started blowing like crazy and I was afraid hail was going to start falling. By far one of the most terrifying runs - thank goodness it wasn't a long one...

100 warm up

2x250 free (w/fins) 4 m int

10x50 kick (w/fins) 1 m int

1x100 free - 2 m int*
2x50 free - 1 m int*
1x100 free - 2 m int*
2x50 free - 1 min int*
1x100 free - 2 m int*

6x50 free/hypoxic (1 breath per lap - w/fins) - 1:15 m int

100 warm down

* entire set w/o fins

* C6 to C7 is apparently the part of my spine that is jacked up. Degeneration and nerve damage seems to be what they are going with. Got the MRI results in today and spoke with two different doctors about it. The good news is that it may not be serious - the bad news is that with a lot of weakness, tingling and numbness in my right arm both docs seem to think that it could "potentially be bad."

* For now they just want to monitor it. I'm going to be going in one to two days a week for physical therapy for the next month. I'm to be reevaluated at the end of March.

* My primary doc has me starting naproxen back up - 1000mg a day for the next month. Not sure if I'm going to stick with that - I'll give it a week for now. He has also put me on a pretty aggresive course of steroid for the next week. I'll go with that.

* If tingling, numbness, and weakness persist this month I'm looking at an NCV/EMG test along with a nuero-surgeon consult. I can tell you right now - if I'm not in any pain it will be over my dead body that I go under the knife for this. From what I understand to get to this part of my spine they have to go from the front through my throat. Yea - I don't freakin think so!

* Thankfully both docs - my primary and sports med doc said I can continue swimming. I'm not really sure they understand the type of swimming we do but I wasn't going to divulge anything to them. If they can't figure out that it takes some brutal work outs for me to get this injury in the first place then they are stupid.

* Needless to say I'm continuing with my program of getting back up to speed in the pool.