One Is the Loneliest Number

Date: Thursday, December 29, 2011
Time: 5.50 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Long Course Meters
179 days to Olympic Trials

400 warmup

1000 free on 15:00 (13:30)

450 back on 7:30 (6:30)

250 breast kick on 7:30

8x100 on 1:50, 25 back/25 breast
(averaged 1:24)

500 meters:
25 scull/25 swim/25 kick

Total: 3,400 meters (70 minutes)

The pool has been pretty empty this week, as most of my teammates are elsewhere for the holidays. I was totally fine with it ... until today. When I saw the 1000 free on the board, I naturally groaned, but I agreed to do it. I had initially planned to do a 450 breast where the 250 breast kick took place, but my body needed a little recovery. The 1000 free wasn't fast, but it was about aerobic pace (1:20 per 100). The backstroke was in the 1:25 pace range, which isn't fast, either, but by then my muscles didn't want to do a distance breaststroke swim.

The last set of 100s were more difficult than they should have been. I was physically drained from the distance swimming, and with no one around to push me or give me confidence that someone was there suffering through the set as well, it was mentally challenging, too. The folks in adjacent lanes were doing 100s on different intervals. If someone had been doing 100s on 1:50, I might have found some solace in that. On the upside, those who were doing freestyle on 1:30 interval were getting about five seconds rest, so at least I was resting more (though one of those freestylers is a triathlete, and she probably doesn't mind the lack of rest).

The workout would have been just fine if I had company. I would have trudged through it with little grumbling. But it took so much mental willpower to keep me from stopping in the middle of those 100s, taking a break and finishing the set. I wanted to do that very badly, but I forced myself to continue. Obviously, that's a major accomplishment, and I'm happy I did it. After the sixth 100, I felt myself pushing through the wall a little bit, but it still took a lot of effort to finish. On the upside again, my heart rate got down to normal very fast after that, so my ability to recover is good.

That's three tough workouts in a row. Usually there is the ability to work in recovery on Thursday, but the intervals didn't really allow it. I wanted to get plenty of rest on the 1000, and wanted to push the 100s more than aerobic pace. Again, I'm glad I did.