Of Swimming Bondage

I did not set out last week to do a monster week of training, but just got on a roll and kept with it, motivated as much by swimming in different pools as by the training itself. After yesterday's Hackett 200 set (where I started at 0:32+/0:33s on round 1 SCM and ended up at 0:31+ by round 4), I figured I'd have a go at my 3 x 300 test set. Maybe this was evidence of the power of negative thinking, but I struggled in the warmup to get down to a 1:10 on my 100 free and I got very worried about my ability to have a solid set. I told myself I'd swim it as long as I stayed under 3:35 on the 300s ...

Warmup sets (1,700 set):

• 1 x 400: IM kick-drill
• 4 x 100: on 1:30, gentle descend swim w/snorkel (1:20, 1:17, 1:15, 1:10)
• 16 x 25: on 0:35, w/monofin, SDK on belly, in sets of 4 as #1 moderate 2 breaths, #2 moderate 0 breaths, #3 moderate 1 breath, #4 AFAP 0 breaths
• 6 x 50: on 1:00, #1 & #6 easy free on 1:00, #2 to #5 build IM (0:35, 0:36, 0:41, 0:32)
• 3 x 50: on whatever, dive and go fast free through the turn, then easy
• 1 x 50: float w/snorkel

3 x 300 Test Set (800 set b/c I skipped the 3rd one / 2,500 total)

3 x 300: free on 4:30, fast pace aiming to even split as much as possible
Aim to determine your 100 aerobic workout pace

• 08-07-09: 3:36, 3:34+, 3:33
• 09-01-09: 3:27, 3:25+, 3:26
• 11-16-09: 3:47, 3:49, 3:51
• 12-08-09: 3:31, 3:32, 3:30
• 01-10-10: 3:32, 3:30, 3:31
• 01-21-10: 3:28+, 3:26+, 3:23 (w/B70 leggings)
• 03-02-10: 3:28, 3:29, 3:27 (w/TYR leggings)
• 04-09-10: 3:34, 3:28, 3:27 (w/endurance jammers)
• 08-16-10: 3:34+, 3:37, 3:38 (w/endurance jammers)
• 05-06-11: 3:32, 3:29, 3:31 (ancient paper jammers)
• 06-03-11: 3:27+, 3:26+, 3:26 (ancient paper jammers)
• 07-04-11: 3:30, 3:36, 3:42 (ancient paper jammers)
• 09-07-11: 3:41, 3:37, 3:37
• 10-07-11: 3:42, 3:39, 3:36
• 11-10-11: 3:30, 3:26+, 3:27 (Yingfa jammers)
• 11-29-11: 3:30, 3:34, 3:37 (Yingfa jammers)
• 01-02-12: 3:46, 3:44, 3:41+ (Yingfa jammers)
• 01-31-12: 3:39, 3:36, 3:35 (Yingfa jammers)
• 02-27-12: 3:34, 3:30+, 3:27+ (Nike lycra brief)
• 03-26-12: 3:28, 3:25, 3:24 (ancient paper jammers) best non-tech suit performance
• 05-19-12: 3:32, 3:34, 3:35 (ancient paper jammers)
• 06-19-12: 3:30, 3:28, 3:25+ (Nike lycra brief)
• 07-12-12: 3:44, 3:42, 3:30 (Yingfa jammers)
• 08-19-12: 3:32, 3:31, 3:33 (Nike lycra brief)
• 09-14-12: 3:31+, 3:31, 3:29 (Nike lycra brief)
• 03-25-13: 4:05, 4:00+, 3:57 (Nike lycra brief)
• 04-12-13: 3:48, 3:45, 3:42 (ancient paper jammers)
• 05-10-13: 3:42+, 3:39, 3:40 (ancient paper jammers)
• 08-11-13: 3:50, 3:45, 3:40 (ancient paper jammers)
• 08-31-13: 3:39, 3:37, 3:34+ (ancient paper jammers)
• 10-05-13: 3:38+, 3:33+, 3:32(ancient paper jammers)
• 11-09-13: 3:28, 3:31, 3:29 (ancient paper jammers)
• 03-29-14: 3:39, 3:35, 3:33 (Yingfa jammers plus silicon cap)
• 05-06-14: 3:37, 3:39, 3:38
• 06-03-14: 3:30, 3:28+, 3:28 (Speedo endurance jammers)
• 07-10-14: 3:27, 3:25, 3:26+ (Finis Hydrospeed jammer)
• 08-19-14: 3:37, 3:34, 3:33 (Finis Hydrospeed jammer)
• 05-03-15: 3:40, 3:34, 3:30 (Finis Hydrospeed jammer)
• 07-06-15: 3:32, 3:36 ... skipped (Finis Hydrospeed jammer)

​
4 x 50: active recovery w/snorkel on 0:45, 0:50, 0:55

TOTAL: 2,500 SCM

Commentary:

• Actually, looking back at my performances in July, this was actually not that bad. I guess I should've muscled through and done the 3rd one, but I was spent and figured I had nothing to prove to myself.
• I think I'll make yoga my primary workout tomorrow, do a brief cool-down swim after that and then take Wednesday off.
• I did get my entries in for the upcoming Heatstroker Meet on the July 18th/19th weekend and went with:
  
  • Saturday - 200 breast, 100 free
  • Sunday - 50 free, 200 free, 400 IM
  
  
• The 400 IM will be a pure bonus event, but I'll only swim it if there are at least 2 heats, since it comes right after the 200 free. It'll be interesting to see what I can do in each of these events. Since my long course racing history is limited, I have an outside shot at getting a best time somewhere in that mix.