Feeling Alright

Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
243 days to Olympic Trials

300 warmup

4x(3x75 on 1:10)
1. 25 swim/25 free head-up/25 swim
2. 25 kick/50 swim
3. 75 choice (done as back/breast/free IM)

20x25 kick on :35
Done as: 5 fast, 1 easy, 4 fast, 1 easy, 3 fast, 1 easy, etc.


4x100 free on 1:45, descend to 90 percent
(1:11, 1:07, 1:03, :59)


16x50 on 1:15
3, 7, 11, 15 breast fast from a dive
(No times for first two, but 11 and 15 were 27.3)


100 easy

Total: 3,000 yards (75 minutes)


I was feeling much better today than yesterday in the water. This might be a little too much information, but at the end of every set, I coughed up some pretty thick green globs of phlegm. I think that means the bug that's been in my system since Sunday is on its way out. About 15 seconds before diving in for the last 50 from a dive, I took a deep breath in and on my exhale started a major coughing fit. Since I was standing on the starting block, I had no choice but to dispense the phlegm onto the pool deck. Luckily, I had my own lane for that set, so I didn't disgust anyone. By mid-afternoon, I was only having one coughing fit every two hours, instead of one every hour!

I don't really know what to think of the 27.3 for the dive 50s. I didn't feel particularly strong, and my left shoulder muscles were tight and unresponsive. But my stroke count was good (six strokes for first 25, eight strokes for second 25) and I wasn't scrambling through my stroke. Actually, I felt like I could have continued with another 50, though I might have fallen off considerably on the last 25, like I did last week. This illness should pass by the end of the week, and hopefully I will not have lost anything in terms of conditioning or speed.

After work I went to see JR Rosania for more torture dryland work. Some of the exercises I did were new, such as standing with my legs apart and essentially shooting an eight-pound ball into the air as if I were making a basketball free throw. The hitch was that I had to bring my legs together in the air and land with feet together. It's a fun exercise, actually, though it reminded me once again why I don't play sports that involve throwing a ball. Again, the exercises were very swimming-specific. I liked the exercise on the ab roller, where I put my feet on the ab roller and brought my knees to my chest, similar to doing a butterfly or breaststroke turn. It's definitely taxing on the abs, quads and hip flexors.

While talking with JR, he reminded me that he also worked with Klete Keller, who was part of that epic 800 free relay at the 2004 Olympics. I know the list of swimmers who have found Olympic or NCAA success while working with JR is very long, and just mentioning people like Gary Hall Jr., Misty Hyman and Klete Keller just scratches the surface. But on the other side of the coin are the swimmers who will not find themselves racing at the Olympics, but are doing the same exercises and finding improvement as well. Evie Lynch, who is 59 years old and a former Masters world record holder, goes to see JR five days a week and has triceps that a teenager would envy.

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Before I sign off today, I want to give a very special thanks to all the people reading this blog in countries outside the United States. In addition to Canada and the UK, I have readers in Finland, Norway, France, Spain and Brazil! I'm so glad you all are finding inspiration in my daily musings! See you tomorrow!