david.margrave

My last experiment with running (two years ago) had me wind up with an overuse injury after a 10k race on pavement.. I got physical therapy at the UW, right next to the pool I used to swim at.

Since I no longer work in Seattle and can't get across the bridge during rush hour, I've switched from UW to the lake washington masters Redmond group.

Starting running for the summer with three miles through downtown Seattle yesterday. I intended to start running gradually (1 mile first day, rest a few days, then 2 miles, rest, etc), but I was running with a group from work and wanted to stick it out. My legs are sore but thankfully shins and knees feel just fine. We go again next monday.

Also my group is again not going to have workouts this summer, so I'll be scraping by at other pools, hopefully more than the once-a-week swim I did last summer. Our final two Spring 2011 workouts are tomorrow and friday.

No word yet for this summer on the organized coached saturday workouts at Seattle's sole 50m outdoor pool.

Husky masters has no practice for two weeks so I'm at Bellevue aquatic center. I am probably entering the 400 IM in April (which I have only swam once in my life, in 1986) so I'm working on that.

monday

400 swim
400 pull with paddles
200 kick
100 easy
4x100 IM
100 easy
400 IM
100 easy
----
2100

wednesday

200 swim
200 kick
200 pull with paddles
200 IM swim/kick by 25
2x400 IM
100 easy
4x50 fly with various breathing patterns
100 easy
-----
2000

I swam on my own at Bellevue aquatic center. It's pretty bare-bones. Its depth ranges from 3 to about 5 back to 3 1/2 feet, has rope-and-float style lane lines, it's on the warm side. I'm not sure how often I'm going to be able to force myself to swim there. But it's either that or get up at 5:00 or 5:30 AM. On the plus side, I got my own lane.

500 swim
200 kick w/ fins - very tiring
300 pull with paddles

100 easy
4x150 IM rotating order by 50 on 2:30
8x75 rotating IM order by 25 on 1:30

5x100 free on 1:30
5x50 fast on 2:00
100 easy

2,850

I've finally started doing deadlifts, or one type of deadlift.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...gDeadlift.html

They seem to have helped with underwater dolphin kicking. With my kicking, there's only room to improve!

Since the UW swimming program is being discontinued with the masters team almost certainly sharing the same fate, I'm looking around for the next place to work out. Two of my options are nearby country clubs with masters groups, but they work out in the morning. I never have been much of a morning person and I'm not sure I'm intersted in waking up at 5:30 or even 5:00 AM to go swimming. Another option would be to train during the lap swimming time at the nearby city pool. The challenge there is being able to push myself when not swimming as part of a group.

I'm taking a week off after the 4/10-11/09 PNA champs meet.

http://www.swimpna.org/pdf/results/2...mpsresults.pdf

I'm thinking about the next training cycle. I'm probably going to stick with a recent change I made of moving some resistance exercises such as pull-ups and dips to swim days instead of non-swim days, which is when I do most of the other weightlifting.

I have one of Tudor Bompa's books and played a little bit with periodization last season. I'm not ambitious enough to keep detailed records and need something simpler. This year I'll try alternating 1 month of heavier lifting and fewer reps, and 1 month of lighter lifting and more reps and more sets. I'll try to schedule it so the heavy lifting period ends 2 weeks before this season's big meet (PNA champs in April) when I'll begin my taper.

Yesterday was my first coached workout since before LCM nationals. I'm too sore today to follow my usual routine of lifting weights alternate days from swimming.