2 x { 100 swim / 100 kick } (warmup)
6 x 100, 50 drill (headup, right/left arm, fist) / 50 swim
5 x 100, 25 free / 25 non / 25 free / 25 non (fly, back, breast, back, breast)
4 x 100 free on 1:55 (1:39, 1:42, 1:46, 1:44)
4 x { 2 x 50, 25 drill / 25 swim // 200 free } (last one pull for warmdown)
Total: 3100
OMG, massive lung fail today. I even had to take my rescue inhaler a couple times, and I still got a really nasty stitch on two of those 200 frees. I could actually hear myself wheezing when I was breathing.
Though this did clear something up for me. I attempted to do 25 fly in the 25 free / 25 non and I sputtered and died halfway through the lap. The stroke takes so much power and when I'm not properly oxygenated, I can't even remotely get my arms and legs working enough to get my head out of the water to breathe. I've been kind of irritated at my inability to swim 50 fly consecutively with any consistency because I feel like I should be able to do it. However, after my spectacular fail today, I think my theory about endurance (or the lack there of) is probably pretty accurate. I just don't have the endurance built up enough to swim that much fly in a row. Yet. I will get there, dang it.
I am, however, rather pleased with my times on my 100 free. They aren't great, but I was just more than happy I was making the interval and still getting 10-15 seconds rest. I tried to time my 200s, but I had some issues with running into the two swimmers who were using fins for that whole set (their turns were funny, and they came off the wall really slowly, so I had to stutter in my stroke a bit) and I only got a time on my third one, which was 3:33. At that point we were supposed to be descending from 3:30, so I should have been at 3:10, but bleh. I swam two thirds of that 200 with a stitch that felt like someone was stabbing me in the side.
Whine whine, I know. My lungs were not my friend this morning.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
3150 (49550)
200 swim (warmup)
100 backstroke kick (warmup)
2 x { 75 9-kick hesitation / 75 6-kick hesitation / 75 swim }
800 pull, breathe 3/5 by 50s
4 x 50 DPS on 1:15
800 free, build by 200
4 x 50 choice (back) on 1:20
200 pull (warmdown)
100 kick (warmdown)
100 backstroke kick (warmdown)
Total: 3150
Man, it's been a tough week for 5:00AM. Today my backup alarm (5:15) woke me up, and even though I rushed, I still left the house four minutes late, which put me at the pool four minutes late. I missed about 300 yards of warmup, but I did get 300, so it ended up being okay.
After warmup, Laurie got graduated to lane two because we had five people (Laurie, JD, Jim, myself, and Alex was back, finally) in lane one. She left before I got a chance to talk to her, so I don't know how she held up (they had about 800 more yards than us today, though I'm not sure if they finished that core set or not). I haven't seen Tom this week so far. I'm not sure if he's busy, or if he decided he'd had enough, heh. Jim's still sticking it out despite the fact that I can tell it's hard on him, especially the distance sets. It sounds dumb, but I'm proud of him for staying.
Alex lead most of the laps (because he's way the heck faster than me - he apparently used to play water polo in Brazil, and you can totally tell by his physique), and it worked pretty well. He did lap me on that second 800, but my goal on that one was just to finish without stopping, so I didn't mind. And I did finish it, and surprizingly felt really strong in my last 150. I thought I was going to die, so it was defintely a confidence booster to complete the set and to do it without feeling like I was going to expire.
I did squats and lunges yesterday and it hurts like holy hell to walk, stand up, use stairs, etc. Kicking, however, didn't bother me at all today. Win. I felt really good on all my sets today, actually. My backstroke is feeling really good now too, fast and symmetrical and actually less difficult than it used to. I was getting between :57 and 1:02 on those 50s, which isn't bad considering I still don't really do a turn on those. I need to work on that.
As far as DPS, I was getting right around 37-40 strokes per 50, which again, not too shabby. Joel McKenna says he got 38 on a 50 free the other day, and he's been swimming masters for five years (and has two top ten rankings in USMS events), so I don't feel bad about my stroke count. I really think my freestyle stroke is getting to be really efficient. I have a really smooth exchange, and I do a decent job of having high elbows when I do my pull. I think if I can get my kick to be a bit more active consistently, I could start getting a lot faster.
Finally, mostly for my reference: JD was telling me today about this crazy guy named Pavel Tsatsouline and his sort of radical stretching and strentgh techniques. He has a (horribly designed) website which I might attempt to check out later.
100 backstroke kick (warmup)
2 x { 75 9-kick hesitation / 75 6-kick hesitation / 75 swim }
800 pull, breathe 3/5 by 50s
4 x 50 DPS on 1:15
800 free, build by 200
4 x 50 choice (back) on 1:20
200 pull (warmdown)
100 kick (warmdown)
100 backstroke kick (warmdown)
Total: 3150
Man, it's been a tough week for 5:00AM. Today my backup alarm (5:15) woke me up, and even though I rushed, I still left the house four minutes late, which put me at the pool four minutes late. I missed about 300 yards of warmup, but I did get 300, so it ended up being okay.
After warmup, Laurie got graduated to lane two because we had five people (Laurie, JD, Jim, myself, and Alex was back, finally) in lane one. She left before I got a chance to talk to her, so I don't know how she held up (they had about 800 more yards than us today, though I'm not sure if they finished that core set or not). I haven't seen Tom this week so far. I'm not sure if he's busy, or if he decided he'd had enough, heh. Jim's still sticking it out despite the fact that I can tell it's hard on him, especially the distance sets. It sounds dumb, but I'm proud of him for staying.
Alex lead most of the laps (because he's way the heck faster than me - he apparently used to play water polo in Brazil, and you can totally tell by his physique), and it worked pretty well. He did lap me on that second 800, but my goal on that one was just to finish without stopping, so I didn't mind. And I did finish it, and surprizingly felt really strong in my last 150. I thought I was going to die, so it was defintely a confidence booster to complete the set and to do it without feeling like I was going to expire.
I did squats and lunges yesterday and it hurts like holy hell to walk, stand up, use stairs, etc. Kicking, however, didn't bother me at all today. Win. I felt really good on all my sets today, actually. My backstroke is feeling really good now too, fast and symmetrical and actually less difficult than it used to. I was getting between :57 and 1:02 on those 50s, which isn't bad considering I still don't really do a turn on those. I need to work on that.
As far as DPS, I was getting right around 37-40 strokes per 50, which again, not too shabby. Joel McKenna says he got 38 on a 50 free the other day, and he's been swimming masters for five years (and has two top ten rankings in USMS events), so I don't feel bad about my stroke count. I really think my freestyle stroke is getting to be really efficient. I have a really smooth exchange, and I do a decent job of having high elbows when I do my pull. I think if I can get my kick to be a bit more active consistently, I could start getting a lot faster.
Finally, mostly for my reference: JD was telling me today about this crazy guy named Pavel Tsatsouline and his sort of radical stretching and strentgh techniques. He has a (horribly designed) website which I might attempt to check out later.
Monday, January 26, 2009
1000 (46400)
Stroke Clinic
100 free (warmup)
100 pull (warmup)
50 back
25 free / 25 back (the free was because I had to go get one of the guards to tighten the lane line, and the guard office is at the far end of the pool, heh)
2 x 50 back
50 breast
5 x 50 breaststroke kick
2 x 50 breast
2 x 25 fly / 25 backstroke kick
100 pull (warmdown)
Total: 1000
Chris took me and Ann to the diving well to practice diving again. I'm getting better at it, I think. Maybe. It's a bit of a slow process.
Other than that, the only thing I wanted to note here is that I learned the difference between frog kick and whip kick today. And that is the width of your straddle when you straighten your legs. A whip kick can not be more than the width of two fists between your knees apart. If that makes sense. Anything wider than that is a frog kick. Incidentally, frog kick is illegal in competitive breaststroke (resulting in a DQ).
I, of course, was doing a frog kick. Which is why I got to do all those laps of whip kick, to fix it. Chris said I was doing much better after all the laps with the board, so yay. I also think I've managed to fix my backstroke catch between this morning and this afternoon, which is another win. Let's just hope I remember all this by Wednesday, hah.
100 free (warmup)
100 pull (warmup)
50 back
25 free / 25 back (the free was because I had to go get one of the guards to tighten the lane line, and the guard office is at the far end of the pool, heh)
2 x 50 back
50 breast
5 x 50 breaststroke kick
2 x 50 breast
2 x 25 fly / 25 backstroke kick
100 pull (warmdown)
Total: 1000
Chris took me and Ann to the diving well to practice diving again. I'm getting better at it, I think. Maybe. It's a bit of a slow process.
Other than that, the only thing I wanted to note here is that I learned the difference between frog kick and whip kick today. And that is the width of your straddle when you straighten your legs. A whip kick can not be more than the width of two fists between your knees apart. If that makes sense. Anything wider than that is a frog kick. Incidentally, frog kick is illegal in competitive breaststroke (resulting in a DQ).
I, of course, was doing a frog kick. Which is why I got to do all those laps of whip kick, to fix it. Chris said I was doing much better after all the laps with the board, so yay. I also think I've managed to fix my backstroke catch between this morning and this afternoon, which is another win. Let's just hope I remember all this by Wednesday, hah.
3200 (45400)
200 swim (warmup)
200 pull (warmup)
100 kick (warmup)
8 x 50, even kick / odd drill (back/free/fly/breast) on 1:00
400 pull
400 negative interval
200 non-free (back)
100 fly kick fast
400 negative interval
250 non-free (back)
200 negative interval
100 fly kick fast
150 pull (warmdown)
200 back (warmdown)
4 x 25 fly recovery on :30 (warmdown)
Total: 3200
General feeling of the day: ARGH.
We had snow last night, which means my drive to the pool this morning was the "taking your life into your own hands" sort. Which means a) not fun, and b) I was late. Shock and awe.
I had the late hockey game last night (9:30), so I wasn't in bed until midnight, and I woke up at 4:00AM for some reason, so when the alarm went off at 5:00 I really, really considered rolling over and going back to bed for another two hours. Plus Jeff (the boyfriend) is off on Mondays now, so he was still up and watching the 2003 World Series (of all things) on TV, and the idea of curling up on the couch with him was pretty appealing too.
But I swam anyway.
Holy cow, though, it was irritating today. That main set up there (starting at the 400 pull and ending at the warmdown) is nothing like what our coach wrote on the whiteboard for several reasons. The most prominent of those is that Laurie can't count/remember directions, and the other gal who was in our lane today was really slow, and kept stopping on random 25s.
Laurie was driving me bonkers. She can't count on good days, but she was really off today. And she ends up leading most of the time because she's the fastest swimmer in our lane. Because of the counting issues, we lost 100 pull, a 200 negative split, and about 150 non-free. We ended right at 7:00 before the warm down, so we wouldn't have finished the set anyway, but it was making me crazy.
Also crazy making are the people who can't/don't want to swim the freestyle sets. It's really, really hard for me to make a 400 negative split when my lanemates are randomly switching to backstroke or breaststroke in the middle of a set. Maybe it's because of the order I learned my strokes in, but freestyle is by far my fastest, so it always confuses me when people would rather swim breaststroke or fly or something. Those strokes kill me, and they are so slow it's not even funny.
Blah blah blah. I didn't plan those 25 fly recovery sets, but when I got done messing with my backstroke, Leigh Ann and Evan were doing them and Leigh Ann invited me to do them too. The way they work is that you start with three strokes fly, then finish the 25 with freestyle. You do four 25s that way, then you do four 25s with four strokes fly, then with five strokes, all the way to seven. I, obviously, only did the three strokes set, partially because it was getting late and I needed to get to work, and partially because I was tired.
Still tired, still sore, but I'm going to stroke clinic anyway because I have to miss it on Wednesday to go to the dentist. Woo. :p
200 pull (warmup)
100 kick (warmup)
8 x 50, even kick / odd drill (back/free/fly/breast) on 1:00
400 pull
400 negative interval
200 non-free (back)
100 fly kick fast
400 negative interval
250 non-free (back)
200 negative interval
100 fly kick fast
150 pull (warmdown)
200 back (warmdown)
4 x 25 fly recovery on :30 (warmdown)
Total: 3200
General feeling of the day: ARGH.
We had snow last night, which means my drive to the pool this morning was the "taking your life into your own hands" sort. Which means a) not fun, and b) I was late. Shock and awe.
I had the late hockey game last night (9:30), so I wasn't in bed until midnight, and I woke up at 4:00AM for some reason, so when the alarm went off at 5:00 I really, really considered rolling over and going back to bed for another two hours. Plus Jeff (the boyfriend) is off on Mondays now, so he was still up and watching the 2003 World Series (of all things) on TV, and the idea of curling up on the couch with him was pretty appealing too.
But I swam anyway.
Holy cow, though, it was irritating today. That main set up there (starting at the 400 pull and ending at the warmdown) is nothing like what our coach wrote on the whiteboard for several reasons. The most prominent of those is that Laurie can't count/remember directions, and the other gal who was in our lane today was really slow, and kept stopping on random 25s.
Laurie was driving me bonkers. She can't count on good days, but she was really off today. And she ends up leading most of the time because she's the fastest swimmer in our lane. Because of the counting issues, we lost 100 pull, a 200 negative split, and about 150 non-free. We ended right at 7:00 before the warm down, so we wouldn't have finished the set anyway, but it was making me crazy.
Also crazy making are the people who can't/don't want to swim the freestyle sets. It's really, really hard for me to make a 400 negative split when my lanemates are randomly switching to backstroke or breaststroke in the middle of a set. Maybe it's because of the order I learned my strokes in, but freestyle is by far my fastest, so it always confuses me when people would rather swim breaststroke or fly or something. Those strokes kill me, and they are so slow it's not even funny.
Blah blah blah. I didn't plan those 25 fly recovery sets, but when I got done messing with my backstroke, Leigh Ann and Evan were doing them and Leigh Ann invited me to do them too. The way they work is that you start with three strokes fly, then finish the 25 with freestyle. You do four 25s that way, then you do four 25s with four strokes fly, then with five strokes, all the way to seven. I, obviously, only did the three strokes set, partially because it was getting late and I needed to get to work, and partially because I was tired.
Still tired, still sore, but I'm going to stroke clinic anyway because I have to miss it on Wednesday to go to the dentist. Woo. :p
Friday, January 23, 2009
2700 (42200)
200 swim (warmup)
100 kick (warmup)
100 drill (warmup)
4 x 50 free on 1:05
50 non (back) on 1:30
4 x 50 free on 1:00
50 non (back) on 1:20
2 x { 175 free on 3:30 / 125 free fast on 2:30 }
2 x { 150 free on 3:00 / 125 free fast on 2:30 }
10 x 50 dolphin kick with fins, evens with board, odds streamline on back on 1:10
25 free sprint (from dive)
25 free
100 pull (warmdown)
Total: 2700
Low yardage again today, but I don't care because I love swimming and I love my coach and I love my teammates and my lanemates and my new swimsuit and and and... Yes. Everything. I'm so, so in love with this sport.
About the only thing I don't love about it (besides having to share the locker room with the high school girls after practice) is getting up at 5:00AM. I had hockey practice last night, and that goes until 11:00, so it was 11:30 before I got home and it took an hour or so to wind myself down (plus I had to eat dinner part two), so I didn't get into bed until 12:30, and didn't fall asleep until after 1:00AM. Nng. I have a feeling I'm going to be really, really tired about three this afternoon.
So, today. I swam a 50 back in :59! Which is totally lame, but it made me happy as hell. My 50 frees are getting to be about :51 when I'm not sprinting, which I'm not sad about either. And then that 25 we had to do from a dive I got, like, :18 on or something. I really think I lose a lot as far as overall time on things because my turns are so awful. I do these lazy sort of open turns because I'm always tired, and I really should at least work on making them stronger, if not forcing myself to do more flip turns.
It was Reubin's fault that we ended up doing the dive start, but it was fun! I'm still terrified to go off the blocks (because Chris told me a story about a guy who broke his neck doing it, so now I'm freaked), but I went off the side of the pool and didn't do too badly. I was talking to Evan after practice and he said he could help teach me to go off the actual bulkhead, since Chris isn't allowed to do that. So yay! I can't wait!
Blah blah blah, in conculsion, swimming, ILU!
100 kick (warmup)
100 drill (warmup)
4 x 50 free on 1:05
50 non (back) on 1:30
4 x 50 free on 1:00
50 non (back) on 1:20
2 x { 175 free on 3:30 / 125 free fast on 2:30 }
2 x { 150 free on 3:00 / 125 free fast on 2:30 }
10 x 50 dolphin kick with fins, evens with board, odds streamline on back on 1:10
25 free sprint (from dive)
25 free
100 pull (warmdown)
Total: 2700
Low yardage again today, but I don't care because I love swimming and I love my coach and I love my teammates and my lanemates and my new swimsuit and and and... Yes. Everything. I'm so, so in love with this sport.
About the only thing I don't love about it (besides having to share the locker room with the high school girls after practice) is getting up at 5:00AM. I had hockey practice last night, and that goes until 11:00, so it was 11:30 before I got home and it took an hour or so to wind myself down (plus I had to eat dinner part two), so I didn't get into bed until 12:30, and didn't fall asleep until after 1:00AM. Nng. I have a feeling I'm going to be really, really tired about three this afternoon.
So, today. I swam a 50 back in :59! Which is totally lame, but it made me happy as hell. My 50 frees are getting to be about :51 when I'm not sprinting, which I'm not sad about either. And then that 25 we had to do from a dive I got, like, :18 on or something. I really think I lose a lot as far as overall time on things because my turns are so awful. I do these lazy sort of open turns because I'm always tired, and I really should at least work on making them stronger, if not forcing myself to do more flip turns.
It was Reubin's fault that we ended up doing the dive start, but it was fun! I'm still terrified to go off the blocks (because Chris told me a story about a guy who broke his neck doing it, so now I'm freaked), but I went off the side of the pool and didn't do too badly. I was talking to Evan after practice and he said he could help teach me to go off the actual bulkhead, since Chris isn't allowed to do that. So yay! I can't wait!
Blah blah blah, in conculsion, swimming, ILU!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
1250 (39500)
Stroke Clinic
2 x 100 free pull
2 x 100 back pull
5 x 50 free pull, breathe 5/7 by 25
3 x 50 free
25 fly / 25 drown (free)
4 x 100 free/back by 25
Total: 1250
I told Chris when I got to the pool (which was between five and ten minutes late) that my quads were dead. And she, being the charitable woman she is, told me go to ahead and pull a bunch of my workout at the beginning. Hence the four 100 pull sets at the top. I did the 200 free as my warmup, then did 200 back with Ann and Kimberlee as part of their warmup. Or something. I think we were all slacking today.
Pulling on my back, btw, still sucks. Every time I stroke with my right arm, my face goes underwater. I actually put my nose clip on so that I would stop inhaling pool water. I don't know if it's because I can't find my buoyancy point with the buoy yet (I tried about four different placements with nothing but extra fail) or issues with my stroke or what. Ick.
The next set was obviously breathing control, and Chris sent us on breathing every 3/5 per 25, but it was way too easy considering I was still pulling, so I did the second through fourth set as 5/7, and then did my last 50 breathing every 9 or so (which ends up being between 2-3 breaths per 25).
After that we did a drill where we were supposed to chase each other and attempt to touch each other's feet. If we got our foot touched, we'd have to start the 50 over. Except it turns out none of us were mean enough to force each other to do extra 50s, and, to be honest, I had a serious advantage over my lanemates here. I lead the first 50 and swam my ass off, then spent the next two 50s attempting to not run them over but staying close enough that it forced them to keep swimming fast.
Of course then Chris wandered off and we got bored, so they swam another 50 free and I attempted a 50 fly. But my thighs were still so sore than I only managed 25 fly and then about 1/3 of the second 25 before I switched to freestyle.
The last set was a warmdown type set, four 50s alternating between free and back by 25s. For some reason I didn't lead these ones, so I spent the whole time trying to give my lanemates enough lead time that I didn't run into them. I used these pauses to practice my front and back dolphin kick off the wall, though I wasn't feeling energetic enough to do flipturns at all.
2 x 100 free pull
2 x 100 back pull
5 x 50 free pull, breathe 5/7 by 25
3 x 50 free
25 fly / 25 drown (free)
4 x 100 free/back by 25
Total: 1250
I told Chris when I got to the pool (which was between five and ten minutes late) that my quads were dead. And she, being the charitable woman she is, told me go to ahead and pull a bunch of my workout at the beginning. Hence the four 100 pull sets at the top. I did the 200 free as my warmup, then did 200 back with Ann and Kimberlee as part of their warmup. Or something. I think we were all slacking today.
Pulling on my back, btw, still sucks. Every time I stroke with my right arm, my face goes underwater. I actually put my nose clip on so that I would stop inhaling pool water. I don't know if it's because I can't find my buoyancy point with the buoy yet (I tried about four different placements with nothing but extra fail) or issues with my stroke or what. Ick.
The next set was obviously breathing control, and Chris sent us on breathing every 3/5 per 25, but it was way too easy considering I was still pulling, so I did the second through fourth set as 5/7, and then did my last 50 breathing every 9 or so (which ends up being between 2-3 breaths per 25).
After that we did a drill where we were supposed to chase each other and attempt to touch each other's feet. If we got our foot touched, we'd have to start the 50 over. Except it turns out none of us were mean enough to force each other to do extra 50s, and, to be honest, I had a serious advantage over my lanemates here. I lead the first 50 and swam my ass off, then spent the next two 50s attempting to not run them over but staying close enough that it forced them to keep swimming fast.
Of course then Chris wandered off and we got bored, so they swam another 50 free and I attempted a 50 fly. But my thighs were still so sore than I only managed 25 fly and then about 1/3 of the second 25 before I switched to freestyle.
The last set was a warmdown type set, four 50s alternating between free and back by 25s. For some reason I didn't lead these ones, so I spent the whole time trying to give my lanemates enough lead time that I didn't run into them. I used these pauses to practice my front and back dolphin kick off the wall, though I wasn't feeling energetic enough to do flipturns at all.
2800 (38250)
300 swim (warmup)
6 x 75 (25 side kick right / 25 side kick left / 25 swim) - 5 x 75 free, 1 x 75 fly
3 x 150 (50 9-kick hesitation / 50 6-kick hesitation / 50 swim), last 150 with fins
8 x 75 (25 right arm / 25 left arm / 25 swim) on 1:45 (free/back/fly/free/back/fly/free/back) with fins
100 free, breathe every 5
200 IM/stroke (back)
300 free, breathe every 3
200 IM/stroke (back)
100 free, breathe every 3
100 pull (warmdown)
Total: 2800
I've never been so glad to be done with a swimming set in my life.
Yesterday in my fitness class we did lunges. I don't think I've done a lunge since I was a member of Pulse, and that's been at least three years ago. My quads and my glutes are killing me today. It hurts to walk up stairs. Hell, it hurts to walk period. So kicking this morning? Supreme pain. My dolphin kick was so bad as a result that my butterfly looked more like butterdie. And felt like it, too.
So much kicking, too. The hesitation drills are a ton of kicking, then those one arm sets make your legs compensate a little more and ugh. JD asked me how my legs were feeling before the 300 free and I said it felt like I was being stabbed by a hundred knives. I can't think of a more accurate way to describe the agony.
Speaking of JD, he told me that he was attempting to swim fly for half an hour straight on Monday. I told him my arms hurt just watching him, and he said that's the only reason to do it, for the pain. I can totally buy that. OW.
Oh, I timed one of my 50s of those 200 back sets and it looked like it was about 1:10, which isn't horrible I guess, considering the afore mentioned 100 knives thing my legs were doing and the fact that I have no turn whatsoever on backstroke. Evan timed us on our last 100 free and I got a 1:34 on it, which puts my 50s at about :47 (though I can pretty much guarantee my first 50 was a lot faster than my second). That's really not bad, especially at the end of practice. Improvement at the very least.
Of course I'm still planning to go to stroke clinic today, despite the fact that I'm walking around like someone punched me in both my thighs. I have a meeting at 1:30 today, though, so I might duck out a little early.
6 x 75 (25 side kick right / 25 side kick left / 25 swim) - 5 x 75 free, 1 x 75 fly
3 x 150 (50 9-kick hesitation / 50 6-kick hesitation / 50 swim), last 150 with fins
8 x 75 (25 right arm / 25 left arm / 25 swim) on 1:45 (free/back/fly/free/back/fly/free/back) with fins
100 free, breathe every 5
200 IM/stroke (back)
300 free, breathe every 3
200 IM/stroke (back)
100 free, breathe every 3
100 pull (warmdown)
Total: 2800
I've never been so glad to be done with a swimming set in my life.
Yesterday in my fitness class we did lunges. I don't think I've done a lunge since I was a member of Pulse, and that's been at least three years ago. My quads and my glutes are killing me today. It hurts to walk up stairs. Hell, it hurts to walk period. So kicking this morning? Supreme pain. My dolphin kick was so bad as a result that my butterfly looked more like butterdie. And felt like it, too.
So much kicking, too. The hesitation drills are a ton of kicking, then those one arm sets make your legs compensate a little more and ugh. JD asked me how my legs were feeling before the 300 free and I said it felt like I was being stabbed by a hundred knives. I can't think of a more accurate way to describe the agony.
Speaking of JD, he told me that he was attempting to swim fly for half an hour straight on Monday. I told him my arms hurt just watching him, and he said that's the only reason to do it, for the pain. I can totally buy that. OW.
Oh, I timed one of my 50s of those 200 back sets and it looked like it was about 1:10, which isn't horrible I guess, considering the afore mentioned 100 knives thing my legs were doing and the fact that I have no turn whatsoever on backstroke. Evan timed us on our last 100 free and I got a 1:34 on it, which puts my 50s at about :47 (though I can pretty much guarantee my first 50 was a lot faster than my second). That's really not bad, especially at the end of practice. Improvement at the very least.
Of course I'm still planning to go to stroke clinic today, despite the fact that I'm walking around like someone punched me in both my thighs. I have a meeting at 1:30 today, though, so I might duck out a little early.
Monday, January 19, 2009
1000 (35450)
Stroke Clinic
100 free (warmup)
4 x 25 back kick/25 back
6 x 50 dolphin kick with fins/snorkel
2 x 25 dolphin kick/25 fly with fins
3 x 50 back with fins
6 x 25 back
Total: 1000
At the end I practiced more racing starts, this time just by diving into the well without any real push off. The landing was vastly improved this way, ha. No belly flopping for me. We're supposed to work on this more tomorrow, but I have a meeting at 1:30, so I need to make sure I'm out of the pool right on time.
My backstroke is feeling much better lately. I think I'm finally getting the arms right under the water, and I'm feeling more powerful than I ever have with this stroke. I was racing a girl who was freestyling and we were staying right up at the same speed, so I think that's definitely an improvement. I haven't timed a 50 lately, but I think I will tomorrow, just to see where that is now.
100 free (warmup)
4 x 25 back kick/25 back
6 x 50 dolphin kick with fins/snorkel
2 x 25 dolphin kick/25 fly with fins
3 x 50 back with fins
6 x 25 back
Total: 1000
At the end I practiced more racing starts, this time just by diving into the well without any real push off. The landing was vastly improved this way, ha. No belly flopping for me. We're supposed to work on this more tomorrow, but I have a meeting at 1:30, so I need to make sure I'm out of the pool right on time.
My backstroke is feeling much better lately. I think I'm finally getting the arms right under the water, and I'm feeling more powerful than I ever have with this stroke. I was racing a girl who was freestyling and we were staying right up at the same speed, so I think that's definitely an improvement. I haven't timed a 50 lately, but I think I will tomorrow, just to see where that is now.
3300 (34450)
300 swim (warmup)
50 back kick (warmup)
125 fin kick
200 non-free (breast)
125 fin kick
200 free, build each 50
400 free, breathe 3/5 by 50
600 pull, build by 200
400 free/non by 50 (free/back/free/breast x 2)
200 free, fast
12 x 25 free, odds drill, evens breath control (descend 7 - 2 breaths per 25)
200 pull (warmdown)
200 back kick (warmdown)
Total: 3300
I'm tired. Ugh. Monday mornings are always rough, generally because I manage to break my sleeping schedule over the weekend. But I got into the pool on time to do my warmup, so yay?
Not much to say about this workout. I loved that 600 pull so much I wish I could do it every day. Pull buoy, never leave me. The 200 free fast was more like a 200 free flail (I think it ended up being 3:37 or something pathetic like that). I actually stopped at 50 and let JD pass me, because I was going so slow. Ugh. I think my big problem is I never recovered from those breathe every five stroke 50s I was doing, and I just ran out of gas.
The breath control later was better, though the last one was hard on my legs. Stupid greedy leg muscles, wanting more oxygen. It felt like a good way to end the workout, though.
I also managed to punch the lane line about four or five times today (three times in a row at the end of one lap - wtf?), and I've got a nice bruise to show for it already. Go me?
JD, btw, is an insane person. He did all his non-free as fly (I found out later this is because he can't back or breaststroke), did some extra fly when we were doing free drills, and then moved to lane two after practice was over and was doing laps and laps and laps of fly. I was doing my 200 back kick and he did at least that much fly, and was still doing it when I got out of the pool. It made my arms hurt just watching.
Oh, also, my knee held up fine during hockey last night. I wrapped it in an ace bandage below my normal brace and didn't have any issues at all. I actually had one of my better games, even. I felt like I was skating really well and making good passes/defensive plays, etc. We ended up tying, which was good considering we were down 0-2 for quite a while there.
Tonight is volleyball again. I'm wearing my badass brace, so hopefully I can get through that without destroying myself. Here's hoping.
50 back kick (warmup)
125 fin kick
200 non-free (breast)
125 fin kick
200 free, build each 50
400 free, breathe 3/5 by 50
600 pull, build by 200
400 free/non by 50 (free/back/free/breast x 2)
200 free, fast
12 x 25 free, odds drill, evens breath control (descend 7 - 2 breaths per 25)
200 pull (warmdown)
200 back kick (warmdown)
Total: 3300
I'm tired. Ugh. Monday mornings are always rough, generally because I manage to break my sleeping schedule over the weekend. But I got into the pool on time to do my warmup, so yay?
Not much to say about this workout. I loved that 600 pull so much I wish I could do it every day. Pull buoy, never leave me. The 200 free fast was more like a 200 free flail (I think it ended up being 3:37 or something pathetic like that). I actually stopped at 50 and let JD pass me, because I was going so slow. Ugh. I think my big problem is I never recovered from those breathe every five stroke 50s I was doing, and I just ran out of gas.
The breath control later was better, though the last one was hard on my legs. Stupid greedy leg muscles, wanting more oxygen. It felt like a good way to end the workout, though.
I also managed to punch the lane line about four or five times today (three times in a row at the end of one lap - wtf?), and I've got a nice bruise to show for it already. Go me?
JD, btw, is an insane person. He did all his non-free as fly (I found out later this is because he can't back or breaststroke), did some extra fly when we were doing free drills, and then moved to lane two after practice was over and was doing laps and laps and laps of fly. I was doing my 200 back kick and he did at least that much fly, and was still doing it when I got out of the pool. It made my arms hurt just watching.
Oh, also, my knee held up fine during hockey last night. I wrapped it in an ace bandage below my normal brace and didn't have any issues at all. I actually had one of my better games, even. I felt like I was skating really well and making good passes/defensive plays, etc. We ended up tying, which was good considering we were down 0-2 for quite a while there.
Tonight is volleyball again. I'm wearing my badass brace, so hopefully I can get through that without destroying myself. Here's hoping.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
2450 (31150)
300 free
100 kick streamline
200 choice (100 breast, 100 back)
100 kick streamline
4 x 50 kick (with fins)
4 x 50 kick
8 x 50 free (evens drill, odds hesitation)
2 x 300 pull
100 IM
100 free
100 back
25 fly
25 free
Total: 2450
This is a bonus swim that I actually did yesterday afternoon. This workout is a modification of one of the ones our coach gave us for the Christmas break. I really like this one, because it's a technique set, so there's not a ton of distance and there's a lot of different things incorporated into it. Mostly I cut it short, because I only had an hour-ish, and I skipped a set of sprinting (200 free, easy/fast by 50) because my arms were pretty tired.
I felt better after swimming yesterday. My knee is still pissed off, but I have a hockey game tonight so we're going to have to see how it holds up under higher impact. Right now I can't bend it all the way without pain and resistance, but I do wear a brace when I skate and I'll be wearing shin pads, so hopefully that will be enough protection. I'm crossing my fingers, anyway.
Friday, January 16, 2009
2600 (28700)
300 swim (warmup)
300 drill/swim by 50 (warmup)
2 x { 2 x 150 free on 2:50 / 4 x 75 IM (fly / back / breast) on 2:30 }
4 x { 50 drill/swim // 50 drill/build // 50 fast (each 50 on 1:05) }
200 pull (warmdown)
Total: 2600
Evan is in Kansas with some of the age group swimmers for their All Star meet, so we had Bill, the head coach of swimming for FAST, at practice today. I'm not sure if this was his workout or Evan's, but despite the lower yardage, it kicked my butt. Probably because of the 200 yards of fly in there, heh. I'm thankful that lane one only had to do two sets with the IM, because everyone else had to do three. I might have died. My last 25 fly was really sad.
Speaking of the fly, on my second 75 of the first set of IMs I was really dead, and Bill suggested I put on fins for the IM. I wasn't sure what to do about the 25 breast parts, and he said I could do fly kick with the breaststroke. And... It worked surprisingly well. The fins definitely helped my fly, though I've got about a trillion little sores on my feet now from being rubbed by the fins. Ah well. Also, there's no way in hell I made any of those intervals. Maybe on the 150 frees, but I wasn't paying close enough attention to tell. I did make the intervals on the 50s later, at least.
I considered doing a couple more hundreds warmdown, but I'm just really fried this week. I think the ~4000 yards on Wednesday is the likely culprit. I was supposed to have hockey practice last night, but I sat out in favor of resting my knee, considering it's still giving me a decent amount of pain when I bend it deeply. It's probably good I didn't go, not only because my body totally worn out, but when I lifted my foot onto the bench to put my shoe on after pratice this morning I about fell over sideways from the pressure and pain. I've also canceled the drop-in hockey session I was supposed to go to tonight, because I have a game on Sunday and I'd rather not hurt myself again before that.
I hate missing workouts/practices/hockey/etc. I feel like such a wuss not going tonight, and skipping last night, but it is the right decision. Swimming doesn't put stress on the joint, so at least I can still do that, but bleh. I might have to go swim Saturday or Sunday or something to make myself feel better about missing hockey. A nice short workout might be just what I need this weekend.
300 drill/swim by 50 (warmup)
2 x { 2 x 150 free on 2:50 / 4 x 75 IM (fly / back / breast) on 2:30 }
4 x { 50 drill/swim // 50 drill/build // 50 fast (each 50 on 1:05) }
200 pull (warmdown)
Total: 2600
Evan is in Kansas with some of the age group swimmers for their All Star meet, so we had Bill, the head coach of swimming for FAST, at practice today. I'm not sure if this was his workout or Evan's, but despite the lower yardage, it kicked my butt. Probably because of the 200 yards of fly in there, heh. I'm thankful that lane one only had to do two sets with the IM, because everyone else had to do three. I might have died. My last 25 fly was really sad.
Speaking of the fly, on my second 75 of the first set of IMs I was really dead, and Bill suggested I put on fins for the IM. I wasn't sure what to do about the 25 breast parts, and he said I could do fly kick with the breaststroke. And... It worked surprisingly well. The fins definitely helped my fly, though I've got about a trillion little sores on my feet now from being rubbed by the fins. Ah well. Also, there's no way in hell I made any of those intervals. Maybe on the 150 frees, but I wasn't paying close enough attention to tell. I did make the intervals on the 50s later, at least.
I considered doing a couple more hundreds warmdown, but I'm just really fried this week. I think the ~4000 yards on Wednesday is the likely culprit. I was supposed to have hockey practice last night, but I sat out in favor of resting my knee, considering it's still giving me a decent amount of pain when I bend it deeply. It's probably good I didn't go, not only because my body totally worn out, but when I lifted my foot onto the bench to put my shoe on after pratice this morning I about fell over sideways from the pressure and pain. I've also canceled the drop-in hockey session I was supposed to go to tonight, because I have a game on Sunday and I'd rather not hurt myself again before that.
I hate missing workouts/practices/hockey/etc. I feel like such a wuss not going tonight, and skipping last night, but it is the right decision. Swimming doesn't put stress on the joint, so at least I can still do that, but bleh. I might have to go swim Saturday or Sunday or something to make myself feel better about missing hockey. A nice short workout might be just what I need this weekend.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
950 (26100)
Stroke Clinic
100 free
100 pull
50 pull backstroke
50 breast
6 x 25 fly
2 x 25 3-3-3 fly drill
3 x 25 dolphin kick
3 x 25 dolphin kick (back)
100 pull
100 back kick
Total: 950
So this session became mostly self-motivated again, partially because there were a TON of newbies there today (including an Aussi - woo accent). I'm talking something like five new people who have never been there before. I warmed up with the 100 swim / 100 pull and, when Chris was still helping other people, I just kept going.
Chris interrupted my 25 fly sets to check my dolphin kick, but then when she crouched to help me she popped something really bad in her knee. It seemed to get progressively worse to the point where she was getting nauseous and lightheaded from the pain and I had to go get one of the guards to help her back to the office. She doesn't have any history of knee problems, so she has no idea what happened. I hope she didn't tear anything. :(
Needless to say she didn't finish the session, so I just went about messing around some more. I tried this 3-3-3 fly drill I saw on goswim.com and it was really hard. You're supposed to do three strokes one arm fly, then three strokes one arm on the other arm, then three strokes full fly, repeat. I am definitely not doing single arm fly right, probably due to breathing wrong. I think I'll have to try it again later and see if I can figure it out.
I definitely wasn't counting when I was doing all this, or I would have done another fifty to make it an even 1000. Oh well.
100 free
100 pull
50 pull backstroke
50 breast
6 x 25 fly
2 x 25 3-3-3 fly drill
3 x 25 dolphin kick
3 x 25 dolphin kick (back)
100 pull
100 back kick
Total: 950
So this session became mostly self-motivated again, partially because there were a TON of newbies there today (including an Aussi - woo accent). I'm talking something like five new people who have never been there before. I warmed up with the 100 swim / 100 pull and, when Chris was still helping other people, I just kept going.
Chris interrupted my 25 fly sets to check my dolphin kick, but then when she crouched to help me she popped something really bad in her knee. It seemed to get progressively worse to the point where she was getting nauseous and lightheaded from the pain and I had to go get one of the guards to help her back to the office. She doesn't have any history of knee problems, so she has no idea what happened. I hope she didn't tear anything. :(
Needless to say she didn't finish the session, so I just went about messing around some more. I tried this 3-3-3 fly drill I saw on goswim.com and it was really hard. You're supposed to do three strokes one arm fly, then three strokes one arm on the other arm, then three strokes full fly, repeat. I am definitely not doing single arm fly right, probably due to breathing wrong. I think I'll have to try it again later and see if I can figure it out.
I definitely wasn't counting when I was doing all this, or I would have done another fifty to make it an even 1000. Oh well.
3550 (25150)
300 swim (warmup)
150 kick (warmup)
200 drill/swim x 25 (:15 rest)
8 x 50
8 x 100 odd kick, even swim (with fins)
50 easy
3 x (2 x 50 fast, 150 moderate, :30 rest after each)
400 pull (warmdown)
200 back kick (with fins + flipturns, warmdown)
50 back kick easy (warmdown)
Total: 3550
I still can't count, ha. I try really hard to keep track of my yardage while I'm swimming, so that I can do an appropriate amount of warmdown to get me close to 3200-3300 yards. I was having such a hard time doing the math and keeping up with my laps and intervals today, I ended up doing about 250 more warmdown than I'd decided I needed. Oops.
I was late (as usual), so I missed about 150 in the warmup (50 more kick plus 100 drill). I ended up making up the 50 kick on that 250 with fins because of more counting fail (it was supposed to be a 200). The rest I was able to keep up with (and/or lead my lane in) without too much trouble, though I did miss the interval on my last 50 free on :55 by three seconds. Bah.
Coming into practice this morning, I was worried about the state of my left knee. I hyper-extended it pretty badly in a hockey tournament a couple of summers ago, and then managed to re-injure it playing in a volleyball game on Monday night. I was hobbling pretty good then, and had to wear a brace all day yesterday, so I was a little concerned with being able to kick and such in the pool today.
It turned out to not be much of a problem at all. It seems like the joint only complains when it's bearing weight, so as long as I remembered to not push off the wall with it, I didn't have any issues. Of course now that I'm out of the pool I'm limping again. I think this means I should just stay in the water all day. :)
Also, I feel like I should mention how much improved my breathing is, now that I'm back on asthma maintenance medication. I don't suffer from the kind of asthma that you traditionally associate with gasping "attacks", but I do experience difficulty breathing easily with enough frequency that it's something I want to correct. Taking a maintenance medication reduces irritation to my lung tissue and effectively makes my breathing more effortless (which I'm assuming is normal for people who don't have asthma or similar breathing problems). In terms of swimming, it gives me a greater ability to breathe in on each breath, meaning more oxygen in my lungs and less oxygen debt in my limbs, which means less pain and more endurance.
Blah blah blah, what I'm basically saying here is ++Advair. Even if I have to pay $720 a year for it.
150 kick (warmup)
200 drill/swim x 25 (:15 rest)
8 x 50
2 x 50 on 1:10250 kick (with fins)
2 x 50 on 1:05
2 x 50 on 1:00
2 x 50 on :55
8 x 100 odd kick, even swim (with fins)
50 easy
3 x (2 x 50 fast, 150 moderate, :30 rest after each)
400 pull (warmdown)
200 back kick (with fins + flipturns, warmdown)
50 back kick easy (warmdown)
Total: 3550
I still can't count, ha. I try really hard to keep track of my yardage while I'm swimming, so that I can do an appropriate amount of warmdown to get me close to 3200-3300 yards. I was having such a hard time doing the math and keeping up with my laps and intervals today, I ended up doing about 250 more warmdown than I'd decided I needed. Oops.
I was late (as usual), so I missed about 150 in the warmup (50 more kick plus 100 drill). I ended up making up the 50 kick on that 250 with fins because of more counting fail (it was supposed to be a 200). The rest I was able to keep up with (and/or lead my lane in) without too much trouble, though I did miss the interval on my last 50 free on :55 by three seconds. Bah.
Coming into practice this morning, I was worried about the state of my left knee. I hyper-extended it pretty badly in a hockey tournament a couple of summers ago, and then managed to re-injure it playing in a volleyball game on Monday night. I was hobbling pretty good then, and had to wear a brace all day yesterday, so I was a little concerned with being able to kick and such in the pool today.
It turned out to not be much of a problem at all. It seems like the joint only complains when it's bearing weight, so as long as I remembered to not push off the wall with it, I didn't have any issues. Of course now that I'm out of the pool I'm limping again. I think this means I should just stay in the water all day. :)
Also, I feel like I should mention how much improved my breathing is, now that I'm back on asthma maintenance medication. I don't suffer from the kind of asthma that you traditionally associate with gasping "attacks", but I do experience difficulty breathing easily with enough frequency that it's something I want to correct. Taking a maintenance medication reduces irritation to my lung tissue and effectively makes my breathing more effortless (which I'm assuming is normal for people who don't have asthma or similar breathing problems). In terms of swimming, it gives me a greater ability to breathe in on each breath, meaning more oxygen in my lungs and less oxygen debt in my limbs, which means less pain and more endurance.
Blah blah blah, what I'm basically saying here is ++Advair. Even if I have to pay $720 a year for it.
Monday, January 12, 2009
1000 (21600)
Stroke Clinic
150 free
5 x 50 breast
3 x 50 (25 back kick / 25 breast)
3 x 50 back
75 dolphin kick
2 x 50 dolphin kick w/snorkel
25 fly
100 free easy
Total: 1000
I'm not sure I've ever mentioned this here, but stroke clinic is mostly about technique for me. This is, essentially, where I learned breaststroke and butterfly. I love the instructor and the people I swim with, and who couldn't use more help with the technical side of swimming?
Chris (the aforementioned instructor) knows that I swim a masters workout in the morning on both stroke clinic days, so she keeps my yards down and focuses on correcting my strokes. Today we focused on breaststroke, and she made an adjustment on my recovery that caused something to finally click. Breaststroke has always been the hardest stroke for me (even more so than butterfly), and it's nice to finally feel like I'm doing it right. She also spent some time on my backstroke, and that's finally starting to look closer to correct as well.
Then she checked my fly, and I'm not sure why, but that stroke always seems to work pretty well for me. I didn't do much of it, but I did a bunch of fly kick with my swimmer's snorkel, which was really good practice. I also did a 50 free with it, and Chris said my stroke looked perfect.
Right before the end, I spent some more time on my flipturns, which are still really rough, but improving ever so slowly. I'm still concentrating really hard on not getting water up my nose, which messes up my breathing a little, but it'll get there eventually.
Lastly, today she had me trying a racing start off the diving board into the well. Um. Let's just say I'm doing it wrong. Both times I managed to connect with the water chest first. Ow. We're still working on it, and I've only done it four times total now, so I don't feel like too much of an idiot. Yet. Heh.
150 free
5 x 50 breast
3 x 50 (25 back kick / 25 breast)
3 x 50 back
75 dolphin kick
2 x 50 dolphin kick w/snorkel
25 fly
100 free easy
Total: 1000
I'm not sure I've ever mentioned this here, but stroke clinic is mostly about technique for me. This is, essentially, where I learned breaststroke and butterfly. I love the instructor and the people I swim with, and who couldn't use more help with the technical side of swimming?
Chris (the aforementioned instructor) knows that I swim a masters workout in the morning on both stroke clinic days, so she keeps my yards down and focuses on correcting my strokes. Today we focused on breaststroke, and she made an adjustment on my recovery that caused something to finally click. Breaststroke has always been the hardest stroke for me (even more so than butterfly), and it's nice to finally feel like I'm doing it right. She also spent some time on my backstroke, and that's finally starting to look closer to correct as well.
Then she checked my fly, and I'm not sure why, but that stroke always seems to work pretty well for me. I didn't do much of it, but I did a bunch of fly kick with my swimmer's snorkel, which was really good practice. I also did a 50 free with it, and Chris said my stroke looked perfect.
Right before the end, I spent some more time on my flipturns, which are still really rough, but improving ever so slowly. I'm still concentrating really hard on not getting water up my nose, which messes up my breathing a little, but it'll get there eventually.
Lastly, today she had me trying a racing start off the diving board into the well. Um. Let's just say I'm doing it wrong. Both times I managed to connect with the water chest first. Ow. We're still working on it, and I've only done it four times total now, so I don't feel like too much of an idiot. Yet. Heh.
2900 (20600)
200 swim (warmup)
100 kick (warmup)
8 x 75 (25 kick / 25 drill / 25 swim // odds free, evens non-free) - 50
2 x 200 pull on 4:00
3 x 100 free drill
2 x 200 choice on 3:50 (I did pull again) + 50
1 x 100 back drill
2 x 200 free strong on 3:45
1 x 100 breast drill
2 x 25 fly with fins
200 back kick with fins (warmdown)
50 underwater dolphin kick (warmdown)
Total: 2900
So it snowed last night, sometime between when I finally went to bed at 12:30AM and got up at 5:00AM for practice. Which meant that, even though I did leave a couple minutes earlier than usual, I was at least five minutes late this morning. Blah. No one got in my lane before 5:50, so our warmup set was short, and I felt like I was behind the whole workout.
We had some serious issues with counting in our lane today, too. Laurie messed me up a couple times, which is part of why I cut that last 75 short. I was doing the 75 sets free/back/free/breast/free/back/free/fly, but I only got to do the kicking part of the fly (which is why I added that 2 x 25 fly onto the end). Then I think Laurie did one of the 3 x 100 free drill sets as a 50 (because, once again, I was trying to do 100 of three different drills, 100 catchup, 100 hesitation, 100 fist), and then I managed to do an extra 50 of one of those 2 x 200 pull sets I did (and made poor Tom do an extra one as well, since he was following me).
I never managed to keep up with the yardage today, or else I probably would have swam at least another 100-300 yards at the end, but bleh. I've got stroke clinic today at lunch, and then volleyball tonight, so it's not like I'm not going to get enough exercise. I'm at 11.7 miles as of this morning, so I'll definitely hit 12 by this afternoon, which keeps me on track for my goal this year (12 miles by the 12th of January for 365 miles on the year). We'll see how that keeps up.
100 kick (warmup)
8 x 75 (25 kick / 25 drill / 25 swim // odds free, evens non-free) - 50
2 x 200 pull on 4:00
3 x 100 free drill
2 x 200 choice on 3:50 (I did pull again) + 50
1 x 100 back drill
2 x 200 free strong on 3:45
1 x 100 breast drill
2 x 25 fly with fins
200 back kick with fins (warmdown)
50 underwater dolphin kick (warmdown)
Total: 2900
So it snowed last night, sometime between when I finally went to bed at 12:30AM and got up at 5:00AM for practice. Which meant that, even though I did leave a couple minutes earlier than usual, I was at least five minutes late this morning. Blah. No one got in my lane before 5:50, so our warmup set was short, and I felt like I was behind the whole workout.
We had some serious issues with counting in our lane today, too. Laurie messed me up a couple times, which is part of why I cut that last 75 short. I was doing the 75 sets free/back/free/breast/free/back/free/fly, but I only got to do the kicking part of the fly (which is why I added that 2 x 25 fly onto the end). Then I think Laurie did one of the 3 x 100 free drill sets as a 50 (because, once again, I was trying to do 100 of three different drills, 100 catchup, 100 hesitation, 100 fist), and then I managed to do an extra 50 of one of those 2 x 200 pull sets I did (and made poor Tom do an extra one as well, since he was following me).
I never managed to keep up with the yardage today, or else I probably would have swam at least another 100-300 yards at the end, but bleh. I've got stroke clinic today at lunch, and then volleyball tonight, so it's not like I'm not going to get enough exercise. I'm at 11.7 miles as of this morning, so I'll definitely hit 12 by this afternoon, which keeps me on track for my goal this year (12 miles by the 12th of January for 365 miles on the year). We'll see how that keeps up.
Friday, January 9, 2009
3200 (17700)
200 free (warmup)
150 back kick (warmup)
4 x 50 free hesitation on 1:15
4 x 50 free count on 1:15
4 x 50 free catchup on 1:15
4 x 50 free count on 1:15
600 free
4 x 75 (25 non / 25 free / 25 non - I did two sets breast and two back)
400 free
6 x 50 kick (with fins) on 1:00
2 x 25 free no breathe
2 x 25 free 1 breath
50 free easy (warmdown)
250 pull (warmdown)
50 back kick (warmdown)
Total: 3200
Holy cow, so much mucus. I'm putting my sinuses on notice.
But I did finally get my Advair on Wednesday night. Usual pharmacy > grocery store pharmacy. Of course the Advair is off formulary, so I ended up paying about twice as much as I was expecting (my brand copay is $35 and I have to pay $60 for non-formulary), but it's a heck of a lot better than paying $205 for it, so...
Anyway, I've only been on it about 48 hours at this point, but it's already helping a little. Horray for drugs!
Tom was back again today, as was Jim (he was the one whose name I couldn't recall), and Laurie was there as well, so Dave got bumped to lane two. I was talking to Leigh Ann (who swims in lane two normally) and she said they gave him a serious workout today, hee. Meanwhile, back in lane one, Tom and Jim are both doing a heck of a job considering they've only been doing this a week. We had that 600 set and they both did a pretty good job with it (though they both revert to breaststroke when they get tired - aside: breaststroke, for me, is WAY harder than freestyle; not a break at all). Laurie and I are really at about the same speed, which is perfect for circle swimming. Plus I feel good that I've got someone to keep up with now that won't kill me like Dave was, hehe.
We lost Laurie and Tom at a quarter of seven, so Jim and I finished the set off, and then I stayed and did that 250 pull and 50 kick because I was late for the warmup and missed 50 kick / 200 drill. Plus we swim at the same time as the high school girls team, so getting into the locker room late-ish is the only way I ever get anywhere near a shower.
Blah blah blah, I'm at just over ten miles so far for 2009, which is pretty much right on track for my goal (which is 365 miles for the year). I think it's going to drop off a bit starting next week (since I don't have Saturday practice normally), but my yardage per workout should increase as I improve, so hopefully it'll even out. If nothing else I can always swim extra the last couple months of the year to make my goal. I think I can do it. :)
150 back kick (warmup)
4 x 50 free hesitation on 1:15
4 x 50 free count on 1:15
4 x 50 free catchup on 1:15
4 x 50 free count on 1:15
600 free
4 x 75 (25 non / 25 free / 25 non - I did two sets breast and two back)
400 free
6 x 50 kick (with fins) on 1:00
2 x 25 free no breathe
2 x 25 free 1 breath
50 free easy (warmdown)
250 pull (warmdown)
50 back kick (warmdown)
Total: 3200
Holy cow, so much mucus. I'm putting my sinuses on notice.
But I did finally get my Advair on Wednesday night. Usual pharmacy > grocery store pharmacy. Of course the Advair is off formulary, so I ended up paying about twice as much as I was expecting (my brand copay is $35 and I have to pay $60 for non-formulary), but it's a heck of a lot better than paying $205 for it, so...
Anyway, I've only been on it about 48 hours at this point, but it's already helping a little. Horray for drugs!
Tom was back again today, as was Jim (he was the one whose name I couldn't recall), and Laurie was there as well, so Dave got bumped to lane two. I was talking to Leigh Ann (who swims in lane two normally) and she said they gave him a serious workout today, hee. Meanwhile, back in lane one, Tom and Jim are both doing a heck of a job considering they've only been doing this a week. We had that 600 set and they both did a pretty good job with it (though they both revert to breaststroke when they get tired - aside: breaststroke, for me, is WAY harder than freestyle; not a break at all). Laurie and I are really at about the same speed, which is perfect for circle swimming. Plus I feel good that I've got someone to keep up with now that won't kill me like Dave was, hehe.
We lost Laurie and Tom at a quarter of seven, so Jim and I finished the set off, and then I stayed and did that 250 pull and 50 kick because I was late for the warmup and missed 50 kick / 200 drill. Plus we swim at the same time as the high school girls team, so getting into the locker room late-ish is the only way I ever get anywhere near a shower.
Blah blah blah, I'm at just over ten miles so far for 2009, which is pretty much right on track for my goal (which is 365 miles for the year). I think it's going to drop off a bit starting next week (since I don't have Saturday practice normally), but my yardage per workout should increase as I improve, so hopefully it'll even out. If nothing else I can always swim extra the last couple months of the year to make my goal. I think I can do it. :)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
1600 (14500)
Stroke Clinic
5 x 50 free (with hand paddles)
1 x 100 back (paddles)
50 free (paddles)
50 back (paddles)
50 breast
500 pull
100 back kick
50 fly kick
100 breast kick
50 free kick
250 free
50 free
Total: 1600
So Chris (the instructor) had a doctors appointment that ran over and she didn't get to clinic until fifteen minutes before it was over, so most of this was just me and my own motivation. I'm not sure why, but I love pulling. I think it's because it takes my legs out of the equation, and I can pull enough oxygen that my arms don't really hurt.
Once Chris showed up, she had to check the other three people who came, so I practiced flip turns for a little bit. I still suck at them, oh well.
After that, Chris took me over to the diving well and started to show me how to do a racing start. She can't teach me off the blocks because of liability reasons (i.e. the pool is only 4.5 feet deep on the lap lanes, and I could easily break my damn neck if I did the dive wrong - only registered swimming coaches can teach starts off the blocks), so we're going to see what we can do just from the side of the pool into the diving well. So far I don't push right, but I didn't have much time to work on it and only got to try it three or four times. Hopefully she'll work more with me on that next week.
5 x 50 free (with hand paddles)
1 x 100 back (paddles)
50 free (paddles)
50 back (paddles)
50 breast
500 pull
100 back kick
50 fly kick
100 breast kick
50 free kick
250 free
50 free
Total: 1600
So Chris (the instructor) had a doctors appointment that ran over and she didn't get to clinic until fifteen minutes before it was over, so most of this was just me and my own motivation. I'm not sure why, but I love pulling. I think it's because it takes my legs out of the equation, and I can pull enough oxygen that my arms don't really hurt.
Once Chris showed up, she had to check the other three people who came, so I practiced flip turns for a little bit. I still suck at them, oh well.
After that, Chris took me over to the diving well and started to show me how to do a racing start. She can't teach me off the blocks because of liability reasons (i.e. the pool is only 4.5 feet deep on the lap lanes, and I could easily break my damn neck if I did the dive wrong - only registered swimming coaches can teach starts off the blocks), so we're going to see what we can do just from the side of the pool into the diving well. So far I don't push right, but I didn't have much time to work on it and only got to try it three or four times. Hopefully she'll work more with me on that next week.
3200 (12900)
100 swim / 50 kick (warmup)
8 x 50 kick (fins) on 1:00
12 x 25 (3 x fly / 3 x back / 3 x breast / 3 x free)
1 x 150 IM or non-free (25 fly / 50 back / 50 breast / 25 free)
2 x 150 free
1 x 100 IM or non (100 back)
3 x 150 free
1 x 100 IM or non (100 back)
4 x 150 free
8 x 50 (fins)
50 back kick (warmdown)
Total: 3200
Today was rough. My sleeping schedule is, in a word, fractured. After two weeks off, stroke clinic started up again on Monday, so I swam the masters practice, then stroke clinic at noon, then at 9:15PM I played in a rec volleyball game (we have five more weeks of that). And while stroke clinic has become almost 100% technique for me (because my coach knows I'm swimming masters, so she's not making me do any distance/endurance stuff now) and volleyball isn't really all that physically taxing, staying up past 10:00PM on Monday night messed me up supremely. I didn't manage to fall asleep until almost 2:00AM, then got up at 7:30 for work. I crashed hugely when I got home last night, passing out at 6:30. But then I woke up about three hours later, mostly due to my full bladder and growling stomach.
And couldn't get back to sleep until 1:00AM.
So 5:00 rolled around and it was really hard to get up. I got to practice about five minutes late, so I had to cut my warmup set short (and then tacked the pulling plus some more onto the end to make up for it).
Also, my asthma is still kicking my ass. I've been trying like hell since January 1 to get something from the new insurance company so I can actually go get my meds, but so far it's not happening. I tried last week and was told we wouldn't know the information until Monday. Then, when I got the info yesterday, I found out that we may or may not even be entered into the system yet. I tried to go get the prescription filled yesterday, but the pharmacy staff at the grocery store was so rude and incompetent that I couldn't tell if the problem was the insurance company or them doing it wrong, but I obviously didn't get my drugs last night.
Today I called my normal retail pharmacy and asked them to transfer the prescription, and gave them my info. I'll call before I go pick it up tonight, but I'm really hoping it goes through. This morning I got a stitch in my side and it would not go away. After that first 2 x 150 free I put fins on and used those for the rest of the set, because I was really starting to hurt.
Anyway, yardage. Progress. We had four people in our lane today (Dave, who I normally share with, and Tom from Monday was back, plus another guy whose name I don't recall) and I was second fastest (even without the fins), so that was fun and interesting. At this point I think Dave and/or Alex (when/if he comes back) is/are going to get moved into lane two, since when Laurie is back on Friday we could have as many as five (or even six!) in lane one. Masters is growing like crazy!
8 x 50 kick (fins) on 1:00
12 x 25 (3 x fly / 3 x back / 3 x breast / 3 x free)
1 x 150 IM or non-free (25 fly / 50 back / 50 breast / 25 free)
2 x 150 free
1 x 100 IM or non (100 back)
3 x 150 free
1 x 100 IM or non (100 back)
4 x 150 free
8 x 50 (fins)
3 x 50 kick (25 fly / 25 free)200 pull (warmdown)
1 x 50 swim (25 fly / 25 free)
3 x 50 kick (25 fly / 25 free)
1 x 50 swim (25 fly / 25 free)
50 back kick (warmdown)
Total: 3200
Today was rough. My sleeping schedule is, in a word, fractured. After two weeks off, stroke clinic started up again on Monday, so I swam the masters practice, then stroke clinic at noon, then at 9:15PM I played in a rec volleyball game (we have five more weeks of that). And while stroke clinic has become almost 100% technique for me (because my coach knows I'm swimming masters, so she's not making me do any distance/endurance stuff now) and volleyball isn't really all that physically taxing, staying up past 10:00PM on Monday night messed me up supremely. I didn't manage to fall asleep until almost 2:00AM, then got up at 7:30 for work. I crashed hugely when I got home last night, passing out at 6:30. But then I woke up about three hours later, mostly due to my full bladder and growling stomach.
And couldn't get back to sleep until 1:00AM.
So 5:00 rolled around and it was really hard to get up. I got to practice about five minutes late, so I had to cut my warmup set short (and then tacked the pulling plus some more onto the end to make up for it).
Also, my asthma is still kicking my ass. I've been trying like hell since January 1 to get something from the new insurance company so I can actually go get my meds, but so far it's not happening. I tried last week and was told we wouldn't know the information until Monday. Then, when I got the info yesterday, I found out that we may or may not even be entered into the system yet. I tried to go get the prescription filled yesterday, but the pharmacy staff at the grocery store was so rude and incompetent that I couldn't tell if the problem was the insurance company or them doing it wrong, but I obviously didn't get my drugs last night.
Today I called my normal retail pharmacy and asked them to transfer the prescription, and gave them my info. I'll call before I go pick it up tonight, but I'm really hoping it goes through. This morning I got a stitch in my side and it would not go away. After that first 2 x 150 free I put fins on and used those for the rest of the set, because I was really starting to hurt.
Anyway, yardage. Progress. We had four people in our lane today (Dave, who I normally share with, and Tom from Monday was back, plus another guy whose name I don't recall) and I was second fastest (even without the fins), so that was fun and interesting. At this point I think Dave and/or Alex (when/if he comes back) is/are going to get moved into lane two, since when Laurie is back on Friday we could have as many as five (or even six!) in lane one. Masters is growing like crazy!
Monday, January 5, 2009
1000 (9700)
Stroke Clinic
200 free (warmup)
50 back / 50 free / 50 back
50 back
2 x 25 breast / 25 back
175 fly
175 free
25 fly / 25 backstroke kick
25 back / 25 back kick
25 breast / 25 back kick
Total: 1000
200 free (warmup)
50 back / 50 free / 50 back
50 back
2 x 25 breast / 25 back
175 fly
175 free
25 fly / 25 backstroke kick
25 back / 25 back kick
25 breast / 25 back kick
Total: 1000
2500 (8700)
300 swim / 100 kick / 100 drill (warmup)
4 x 50 on 1:05 / 1:00 / 1:05 / 1:00
200 pull (100 breathe 3/5 // 50 breathe 3 // 50 breathe 5)
600
4 x 50 kick / swim
100 sprint, 10 seconds rest by 25
4 x 50 kick / swim
200 V sprint (25 ez/fast // 25 fast/ez // 25 build // 25 sprint x 2)
100 ez (warmdown)
Total: 2500
High intensity day, so lower yardage. Plus one of the gals I do stroke clinic with came for the first time today, plus another new gentleman named Tom, so I think Evan was keeping our distance down a little bit to ease them into it as well.
I did mostly free today, though I did all my kick sets on my back, and did one set of 75 / 75 in that 600 set as back stroke. I don't know why, but backstroke kicks my ass as far as breathing. I'm not sure if it's because I breathe TOO hard because I can breathe whenever I want or what, but damn.
4 x 50 on 1:05 / 1:00 / 1:05 / 1:00
200 pull (100 breathe 3/5 // 50 breathe 3 // 50 breathe 5)
600
25 ez / 25 fast200 sprint, 20 seconds rest by 50
50 ez / 50 fast
75 ez / 75 fast
75 ez / 75 fast
50 ez / 50 fast
25 ez / 25 fast
4 x 50 kick / swim
100 sprint, 10 seconds rest by 25
4 x 50 kick / swim
200 V sprint (25 ez/fast // 25 fast/ez // 25 build // 25 sprint x 2)
100 ez (warmdown)
Total: 2500
High intensity day, so lower yardage. Plus one of the gals I do stroke clinic with came for the first time today, plus another new gentleman named Tom, so I think Evan was keeping our distance down a little bit to ease them into it as well.
I did mostly free today, though I did all my kick sets on my back, and did one set of 75 / 75 in that 600 set as back stroke. I don't know why, but backstroke kicks my ass as far as breathing. I'm not sure if it's because I breathe TOO hard because I can breathe whenever I want or what, but damn.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
2900 (6200)
4 x 200 (200 swim / 200 kick / 200 drill / 200 swim)
8 x 25 (2 x (25 half easy / half fast // 25 x half fast / half easy // 25 build // 25 sprint))
8 x 125 on 2:20 (-50)
3 x 250 fin kick (3 x 75 kick / 25 underwater fly kick)
4 x 50 fast (last 50 relay)
Total: 2900
So originally the last bit was supposed to be 6 x 50 fast and then 6 x 25 sprint, but our coach was in the pool with us and he kept changing it. First it he decided we should do 4 x50 and 8 x 25, then he changed the last of the four 50s to a relay. Which, in a word, sucked. I had to lead off in my lane (mostly because I don't know how to go off the blocks yet), and even at the top of a workout I'm not even remotely fast. I was swimming my ass off but was still probably 15 yards behind Walter in the other lane. My teammates tried to catch us up, but it never happened (even when Carl tried to give us a bump and went in 25 yards early, heh).
I was dead after that 50. I managed to get myself back on the deck, but I definitely couldn't stand up. I'm sure no one was upset with me (because, obviously, it's just practice), but I was definitely a little embarrassed. I'm better than I used to be, and I've only been doing this a month, but I honestly can't wait until I can start keeping up with everyone. I think it won't be too far off, because I was actually keeping up with Alex (one of my usual lanemates) today until the turns because he can do flipturns and I don't do them on laps yet because they tire me out too much. But, I'm improving. I can't really ask for more than than, can I?
After practice, the team went out for breakfast and it was a lot of fun. My teammates are all great people, and I got to learn a little bit more about some of them.
I'm still really glad I joined masters swimming, even if i've had some discouraging moments lately. That's life, I suppose, and what kind of person would I be if I didn't dust myself off and keep on trying? I love swimming, I'm working hard at it, and I refuse to give up, darn it.
8 x 25 (2 x (25 half easy / half fast // 25 x half fast / half easy // 25 build // 25 sprint))
8 x 125 on 2:20 (-50)
3 x 250 fin kick (3 x 75 kick / 25 underwater fly kick)
4 x 50 fast (last 50 relay)
Total: 2900
So originally the last bit was supposed to be 6 x 50 fast and then 6 x 25 sprint, but our coach was in the pool with us and he kept changing it. First it he decided we should do 4 x50 and 8 x 25, then he changed the last of the four 50s to a relay. Which, in a word, sucked. I had to lead off in my lane (mostly because I don't know how to go off the blocks yet), and even at the top of a workout I'm not even remotely fast. I was swimming my ass off but was still probably 15 yards behind Walter in the other lane. My teammates tried to catch us up, but it never happened (even when Carl tried to give us a bump and went in 25 yards early, heh).
I was dead after that 50. I managed to get myself back on the deck, but I definitely couldn't stand up. I'm sure no one was upset with me (because, obviously, it's just practice), but I was definitely a little embarrassed. I'm better than I used to be, and I've only been doing this a month, but I honestly can't wait until I can start keeping up with everyone. I think it won't be too far off, because I was actually keeping up with Alex (one of my usual lanemates) today until the turns because he can do flipturns and I don't do them on laps yet because they tire me out too much. But, I'm improving. I can't really ask for more than than, can I?
After practice, the team went out for breakfast and it was a lot of fun. My teammates are all great people, and I got to learn a little bit more about some of them.
I'm still really glad I joined masters swimming, even if i've had some discouraging moments lately. That's life, I suppose, and what kind of person would I be if I didn't dust myself off and keep on trying? I love swimming, I'm working hard at it, and I refuse to give up, darn it.
Friday, January 2, 2009
3300 (3300)
200 free / 100 back (warmup)
3 x 100 free (25 kick / 25 right arm / 25 left arm / 25 swim) - 50
3 x 300 free with fins (300 6 kicks / 300 9 kicks / 300 swim)
4 x 50 choice build (free / back / breast / free)
400 free
3 x 100 drill/choice (by 50s)
2 x 100 drill/choice (by 50s)
4 x 50 (25 fist / 25 fly)
100 drill (pull)
25 fly
25 back (warmdown)
Total: 3300
Things are a little sketchy as far as me remembering what I did, but I think this is right.
Anyway, today really sucked. I'm not sure if it's because New Years totally broke my sleeping schedule or the fact that my asthma is being a real pain in the rear lately, but I was actually literally hating some of the drills today. I ended up putting fins on starting at the 300 free and keeping them on until that 100 pull set, because it tends to appease my lungs if I lower the amount of oxygen I need for my leg muscles.
All that said, after feeling really encouraged on Wednesday, I was definitely feeling the opposite today, at least until (oddly) the 25 drill / 25 fly set. I can't explain why, but I love butterfly. It's hard and I'm not that great at it and it absolutely kills me, but I totally enjoy doing it. That's why I did that last 25 fly (without fins). I just wanted to do more.
Anyway, assuming nothing goes sideways, I should be able to get my new insurance information today so I can go to the pharmacy and get my drugs. I can not wait to get back on the Advair. It gets so tiring just trying to get deep breaths right now, even when I'm not swimming. I'm ready for relief.
3 x 100 free (25 kick / 25 right arm / 25 left arm / 25 swim) - 50
3 x 300 free with fins (300 6 kicks / 300 9 kicks / 300 swim)
4 x 50 choice build (free / back / breast / free)
400 free
3 x 100 drill/choice (by 50s)
50 back (hesitation)300 free
50 back
50 free (catchup)
50 free
50 breast (double kick)
50 breast
2 x 100 drill/choice (by 50s)
2 x 50 back (hesitation) / 2 x 50 back200 back
4 x 50 (25 fist / 25 fly)
100 drill (pull)
25 fly
25 back (warmdown)
Total: 3300
Things are a little sketchy as far as me remembering what I did, but I think this is right.
Anyway, today really sucked. I'm not sure if it's because New Years totally broke my sleeping schedule or the fact that my asthma is being a real pain in the rear lately, but I was actually literally hating some of the drills today. I ended up putting fins on starting at the 300 free and keeping them on until that 100 pull set, because it tends to appease my lungs if I lower the amount of oxygen I need for my leg muscles.
All that said, after feeling really encouraged on Wednesday, I was definitely feeling the opposite today, at least until (oddly) the 25 drill / 25 fly set. I can't explain why, but I love butterfly. It's hard and I'm not that great at it and it absolutely kills me, but I totally enjoy doing it. That's why I did that last 25 fly (without fins). I just wanted to do more.
Anyway, assuming nothing goes sideways, I should be able to get my new insurance information today so I can go to the pharmacy and get my drugs. I can not wait to get back on the Advair. It gets so tiring just trying to get deep breaths right now, even when I'm not swimming. I'm ready for relief.
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