Heart of Rock and Roll

Date: Thursday, May 24, 2012
Time: 5:50 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
32 days to Olympic Trials

4x250 on 4:30
150 swim/50 kick/50 pull

6x100 free on 1:45, 12 breaths per 100

10x125 on 1:45 (avg. 1:29)

300 easy (25 kick on back/25 free fingertip drag drill)

10 minutes starts

Total: About 3,300 meters (70 minutes)

I wasn't going to do the set of 125s. I didn't have an alternative to the set, though, so I did it anyway. It wasn't an extremely difficult VO2max set, as I didn't start to break down until number eight. Usually, I'm toast halfway through sets like these, but I was able to hold my stroke and not feel like I was sinking until I pushed off for the eighth repeat. What made it worse was a female teammate in the lane next to me had been descending the set, so she was starting to catch me, even though I resolved to keep my average, even when Mark Rankin provoked us by telling her, "Don't let the old guy beat you." She did by a lot. I went 1:30 on number 10, and she went about 1:25.

My heart rate was high at the end of that set, about 180. I took another heart rate 30 seconds later and it was about 145. Another 30 seconds later, my heart rate was 126. It appears I'm doing well in getting my heart rate down. I remember when it wasn't easy to do so, before I was on my blood pressure medication. I remember having a 180 heart rate, and 30 seconds later, it was 170.

When I was working on my starts, I tried to think about keeping my legs together and not have them just float behind me on the entry, but that is not easy to do. I am thinking about so many other things that I still forget to focus on my legs. If I don't focus on throwing my head and my arms, I might not have a powerful leap or a good entry. If I don't keep my head at a good angle on the entry, I'll be too deep. And then I have to think about the pulldown, and by then, it's a little too late to worry about my leg position. Lots to improve, and plenty of time to do it!