Strong Enough

Date: Saturday, February 24, 2012
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Yards
122 days to Olympic Trials

300 warmup

9x100 on 1:45, 25 kick/25 swim

12x75 on 1:30
odd: breaststroke -- 25 kick drill/25 double pullouts/25 kick on back
even: freestyle -- 25 kick drill/25 kick to 15 meters/25 kick on back

50 easy

6x25 dolphin kick underwater on :30

100 easy

4x(3x50 on 1:00) with short fins
Rounds 1 and 3: 25 underwater flutter kick/25 free swim, with number three in each round fast
Rounds 2 and 4: 25 back swim/25 dolphin kick on back, with number three in each round fast

100 easy

3x50 on 2:00 breast fast from push
(28.4, 28.6, 29.0)

200 easy

Total: 3,450 yards (80 minutes)

At the gym (4:45 p.m.)

20 minutes elliptical machine

Five minutes shoulder warmup

Ten minutes abdominals

Sitting bench press (12 @ 145, 8 @ 175, 6 @ 190)

Seated row (12 @ 130, 8 @ 160, 6 @ 180)

Ten minutes in hot tub

My legs felt like rubber after getting a very good massage from Tod Miller yesterday. I was very worried that my legs weren't going to handle a kicking workout today, which is one reason why I decided to not do the 6x200 on 3:00 kick that was written for the group. But, Mark Rankin had suggested that I was going to do a 15-minute vertical kicking set while holding a 10-pound weight at some point during the workout. I was afraid I would drown halfway through that, feeling that my legs would not be able to keep me afloat. Luckily, we did not do the vertical kicking, but I might be doing it next Friday.

I was very happy with my breaststroke today. My 50s at the end were promising. On the third 50, I was trying too hard to go faster, when I should have trusted my stroke more and not rushed through the pullouts. But I haven't gone under 29 since mid-January, so I feel better about the way things are going. I think this is the product of lifting heavier weights this week, and getting my muscles smoothed out last night. I'm starting to feel like a sprinter again, and not a moment too soon!

I really need the day off from exercise tomorrow. I need to recharge my batteries with plenty of napping and no thoughts of swimming!