Take It Easy

Date: Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
209 days to Olympic Trials

800 warmup

6x125 back on 2:15 descend 1-3, 4-6
(1:43, 1:41, 1:33, 1:42, 1:38, 1:30)

500 fly: 25 kick/25 left, right, full stroke/25 three strokes fly, 3 cycles free/25 swim

4x(3x50) on 1:00
1-2: easy
3: 25 breast/25 free fast (31.3, 30.9, 31.3, 31.3)

Easy 50

300 breast: 25 kick with board/25 pull with board between legs

easy 50

50 breast from dive: 30.3

Four fly-back IM turns

Easy 100

Total: 3,300 meters (80 minutes)

Today was the second-to-last day before taper begins, and I wasn't feeling much like sprinting. I wanted to take it a little easier today and work on stroke technique more than speed, and as such, I wasn't as fast as I should have been on the 125s backstroke or the 50s back/breast. I hadn't prepared my body or my mind for all-out swimming, though I was pleasantly surprised with my times on the 50s. My second 50 in the 100 IM is about 30.8, so to be close to it without swimming my hardest was a good sign.

Since last Wednesday, I have been working on a different approach to starting my breaststroke pullout. After watching me in workout that Wednesday, Coley Stickels suggested that I not pull so wide on the beginning of the pullout. It should be similar to a butterfly pull: start shoulder width apart and pull down. It feels like I am losing less of my speed at that part. On today's fast 50 breast from a dive, I was concentrating so hard on that pullout that I spaced out on my breakout and pulled a lot of air. That prevented me from breaking 30 on that swim, which to me would have been a big shock, since I was feeling much like a sprinter today. And don't go spreading rumors. I have very few days where I don't feel like a sprinter!