Date: Sunday, December 11, 2011
Time: 11:15 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Yards/Meters
197 days to Olympic Trials
1400 yards warmup
Short Course Meters:
50 breast: 28.78
100 IM: 57.34
100 breast: 1:03.02
No, the times for the breaststrokes are not typos. I actually swam that slow.
It's amazing how things can shift in less than 24 hours. Yesterday, I was on cloud nine (or pretty close to it) after swimming so well in the meet. Today, things took a nasty turn somewhere, and I've been sitting here for a long time trying to figure out when it happened. Every question and answer I provide leads to the same question each time: But how did I swim so well yesterday?
Did I overtaper? Probably, but how did I swim so fast yesterday? (Tapers don't radically end after one day)
Did I not sleep well last night? Yes, but I didn't sleep that great the night before, either, so how did I swim so fast yesterday?
Was the weather too cold? Maybe, but it was a little chilly near the end of yesterday's session, so how did I swim so fast yesterday?
Did changing my dryland routine adversely affect my strength in the water? It felt like that on breaststroke, but why not the other strokes?
The bottom line is that I have never swum this slow in my breaststrokes in Masters. I have never, ever swum 1:03 in short course meters when shaved and tapered. And the 50 is also my slowest ever. It was extremely difficult to put a smile on my face after both races when people congratulated me on a good swim, saying my stroke looked awesome and other words of adulation. I knew the truth, and I didn't sugar coat it with most people. I didn't have the energy to do so.
After the meet, I spent a long time retracing the steps of the past four months. I have raced the 100 breast three times since qualifying for Trials last July, and all three swims (which includes today) were terrible. Remember the 1:05 I swam at the meet in Mesa last month? That should have been the writing on the wall. Even worse, my broken 100 that I did on Tuesday should have been a big sign. Usually I am within a few tenths of the actual time I swim when I do broken swims during taper. I went a 1:03 in the broken 100, and Coach Mark said it was just because it was near freezing, and I was doing it at 6:45 a.m. Obviously, those were not good reasons.
If I didn't have this major meet looming on the horizon in 197 days, I wouldn't put too much thought into today's swim. I would just move on to the next season. But I have to seriously think about why my breaststroke hasn't been on par when I race. I was doing some very good race pace breaststroke throughout the season, but it did not translate when it mattered. Mentally, my body was ready, as is evident in the 100 IM time. But even during the IM swims (both the 100 and 200) I sensed that my breaststroke wasn't feeling extremely natural. A teammate filmed today's races, and I will reluctantly look at them. I'm too ashamed of the times to post them online, so I hope you'll forgive me.
If this weekend was a bust all around, I could devise a concrete reason why things didn't work out. But it appears that every stroke but breaststroke was good this weekend. That has never happened, which is why the answers aren't coming to me.
My breaststroke stroke didn't feel strong. During the 50 and 100, the strokes felt a little forced. When I am swimming well, I can swim on autopilot. I kind of was able to do that last July when I made the Trials cut, and today, I had to put all of my concentration on each stroke. Coach Mark said my 50 split was 29.9, which is despicable for me. I know, I know. There are many, many people who would love to have a 50 split like that for freestyle, but knowing what I am capable of doing, it makes me upset, frustrated and a little depressed. This taper was supposed to be a gauge on my training progress toward Trials. I have to believe, at least right now in this emotional state, that no progress was made. I think if there were some steps forward made, I took twice as many steps backward. But what were those backward steps, and why did it only affect my breaststroke??!!!!????!!?!?!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!
I am going to take a few days off. Maybe the answers will come in that time. I'll be back in the pool Thursday.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Happy Happy Joy Joy
Date: December 10, 2011
Time: 1:45 p.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
198 days to Olympic Trials
Today was the first day of the Arizona state short course meters championships. As I have mentioned before, this was to be a barometer of how training is going as I head toward the Olympic Trials. Here's how I did:
100 backstroke: 57.20
200 IM: 2:07.29
Two awesome times! The 100 back is the third-fastest time I've swum in Masters. My fastest is 56.85, done in 2003, and my second-fastest is 57.19, done in 2009 (in a rubber suit). I had a great race with teammate Alan Carter, who was ahead through 75 meters. He said afterward that he had a bad final turn, which is unfortunate. I grazed the lane rope on the second 25, but didn't let it deter me. That final 25 was painful, but it was good to get my hand on the wall first (six tenths ahead of Alan). It would have been great to go under 57 seconds, but I won't complain!
As for the 200 IM, I was happy to have about two hours rest after the 100 back, not only to recover, but to visualize the IM. I knew the first half would be tough. I would need to be at least a body length behind Alan in order to continue to be competitive in the final 50, but when I touched first after the backstroke, I felt a wave of confidence rush over me. Alan is not a breaststroker, and that made me feel good when he was more than a body length behind after that. But I didn't back down. Knowing that he is an awesome freestyler kept me motivated through that 50, even though the pain was excruciating. I was so happy to see that time on the scoreboard. I haven't gone 2:07 since 2009 in a rubber suit. My best Masters time is 2:06.44, done in 2008 (in a rubber suit). I didn't think I could go 2:06 today, but it was great to have competition in the event. I have been racing the clock in the 200 IM for the past two years, and it's not easy. I can race the clock in a 50 and a 100, but in a 200, my mind wonders why I'm swimming so hard, and my mind usually wins. When I'm in a race, my mind is only thinking about getting to the finish first, and usually I'm racing very accomplished freestylers in the 200 IM (Olympians Josh Davis and Erik Hochstein among them). That makes strategy very important, so I have enough energy to hold them off on freestyle.
I don't have the splits from the races, but things felt like they were swum smart. I did see my 150 split on the 200 IM (1:36.5), and that pushed me harder to go 2:07. It felt like my 100 back was split almost evenly, and that is always the goal.
I'm beyond ecstatic about today's swims. Tomorrow will be a big day: 50 breast, 100 IM, 100 breast. I'll only have about an hour between races, so recovery will be important. First up: a good night's sleep!
Time: 1:45 p.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
198 days to Olympic Trials
Today was the first day of the Arizona state short course meters championships. As I have mentioned before, this was to be a barometer of how training is going as I head toward the Olympic Trials. Here's how I did:
100 backstroke: 57.20
200 IM: 2:07.29
Two awesome times! The 100 back is the third-fastest time I've swum in Masters. My fastest is 56.85, done in 2003, and my second-fastest is 57.19, done in 2009 (in a rubber suit). I had a great race with teammate Alan Carter, who was ahead through 75 meters. He said afterward that he had a bad final turn, which is unfortunate. I grazed the lane rope on the second 25, but didn't let it deter me. That final 25 was painful, but it was good to get my hand on the wall first (six tenths ahead of Alan). It would have been great to go under 57 seconds, but I won't complain!
As for the 200 IM, I was happy to have about two hours rest after the 100 back, not only to recover, but to visualize the IM. I knew the first half would be tough. I would need to be at least a body length behind Alan in order to continue to be competitive in the final 50, but when I touched first after the backstroke, I felt a wave of confidence rush over me. Alan is not a breaststroker, and that made me feel good when he was more than a body length behind after that. But I didn't back down. Knowing that he is an awesome freestyler kept me motivated through that 50, even though the pain was excruciating. I was so happy to see that time on the scoreboard. I haven't gone 2:07 since 2009 in a rubber suit. My best Masters time is 2:06.44, done in 2008 (in a rubber suit). I didn't think I could go 2:06 today, but it was great to have competition in the event. I have been racing the clock in the 200 IM for the past two years, and it's not easy. I can race the clock in a 50 and a 100, but in a 200, my mind wonders why I'm swimming so hard, and my mind usually wins. When I'm in a race, my mind is only thinking about getting to the finish first, and usually I'm racing very accomplished freestylers in the 200 IM (Olympians Josh Davis and Erik Hochstein among them). That makes strategy very important, so I have enough energy to hold them off on freestyle.
I don't have the splits from the races, but things felt like they were swum smart. I did see my 150 split on the 200 IM (1:36.5), and that pushed me harder to go 2:07. It felt like my 100 back was split almost evenly, and that is always the goal.
I'm beyond ecstatic about today's swims. Tomorrow will be a big day: 50 breast, 100 IM, 100 breast. I'll only have about an hour between races, so recovery will be important. First up: a good night's sleep!
Friday, December 9, 2011
High Noon
Date: Friday, December 9, 2011
Time: 11:50 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short CourseYards/Meters
199 days to Olympic Trials
The day before a swim meet I have a ritual of sorts. I always do my usual meet warmup, take a little break and get a timed 25 from a dive. Here's how that went:
Short Course Yards:
400: 200 free/100 back/50 breast/50 free
Reverse 400 IM: 25 scull/25 kick/25 drill/25 swim
4x50 breast kick drill on 1:00
100 easy
6x15 breakouts on :45
150 easy
Ten minute break
Short Course Meters:
25 breast from a dive (13.5)
125 easy
Total: 1550 yards/meters (50 minutes)
I started doing this type of day-before-meet workout in 2009, and it's worked out well for me since then. It's good to do something from the blocks the day before a meet, just to get your mind and body into racing gear. Sometimes, my first race has been not too good, so I decided to avert that by doing some kind of race the day before. I was thinking of doing a 50 today, but I thought it would be best to do only a 25, if it turned out I wasn't feeling good today. Going 13-mid is good, and when I shave and put on a racing suit (I wore a brief today), I should be able to get a 12-second opening 25, which will give me a great start to my 100 breast.
I decided to swim at the noon workout to test out the weather that time of day. The sun felt good on my skin, and it was a comfortable 60 degrees! I'll still need to wear my parka this weekend, but it felt much better than 38 degrees at 6 a.m. If I had the opportunity to do so, I would swim at noon every day in the winter.
Shaving tonight was very good. Only one razor cut! Usually, I'm nursing three or more, because I tend to rush through parts of the shave. This time, I cut myself on my clavicle, a ridge of bone that my razor had difficulty getting around.
While shaving today, I thought a little about the first time I ever shaved. It was at the 1991 Pan American Games. I sat in the shower in Havana, Cuba, trying not to swallow the water coming from the shower head. Before that, I had used Nair, because I thought the important part was just removing hair, not the dead skin. No one told me the Nair way of shaving was wrong until I got to Cuba, and my roommates saw me applying the cream the day before my race. While I'm glad they showed me the light, I wish someone had done that for me earlier! How fast would I have swum before August 1991 if I had known to use a razor?
Oh well. Going to kick back and relax tonight. First race is around 2:45 p.m. tomorrow!
Time: 11:50 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short CourseYards/Meters
199 days to Olympic Trials
The day before a swim meet I have a ritual of sorts. I always do my usual meet warmup, take a little break and get a timed 25 from a dive. Here's how that went:
Short Course Yards:
400: 200 free/100 back/50 breast/50 free
Reverse 400 IM: 25 scull/25 kick/25 drill/25 swim
4x50 breast kick drill on 1:00
100 easy
6x15 breakouts on :45
150 easy
Ten minute break
Short Course Meters:
25 breast from a dive (13.5)
125 easy
Total: 1550 yards/meters (50 minutes)
I started doing this type of day-before-meet workout in 2009, and it's worked out well for me since then. It's good to do something from the blocks the day before a meet, just to get your mind and body into racing gear. Sometimes, my first race has been not too good, so I decided to avert that by doing some kind of race the day before. I was thinking of doing a 50 today, but I thought it would be best to do only a 25, if it turned out I wasn't feeling good today. Going 13-mid is good, and when I shave and put on a racing suit (I wore a brief today), I should be able to get a 12-second opening 25, which will give me a great start to my 100 breast.
I decided to swim at the noon workout to test out the weather that time of day. The sun felt good on my skin, and it was a comfortable 60 degrees! I'll still need to wear my parka this weekend, but it felt much better than 38 degrees at 6 a.m. If I had the opportunity to do so, I would swim at noon every day in the winter.
Shaving tonight was very good. Only one razor cut! Usually, I'm nursing three or more, because I tend to rush through parts of the shave. This time, I cut myself on my clavicle, a ridge of bone that my razor had difficulty getting around.
While shaving today, I thought a little about the first time I ever shaved. It was at the 1991 Pan American Games. I sat in the shower in Havana, Cuba, trying not to swallow the water coming from the shower head. Before that, I had used Nair, because I thought the important part was just removing hair, not the dead skin. No one told me the Nair way of shaving was wrong until I got to Cuba, and my roommates saw me applying the cream the day before my race. While I'm glad they showed me the light, I wish someone had done that for me earlier! How fast would I have swum before August 1991 if I had known to use a razor?
Oh well. Going to kick back and relax tonight. First race is around 2:45 p.m. tomorrow!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)
Date: Thursday, December 8, 2011
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
200 days to Olympic Trials
300 warmup
4x200 free on 3:30
Odd: 25 swim/25 drill
Even: focus on turns
1x50 free at 90% effort (28.3)
4x(4x50 on 1:00)
1. 25 breast/25 free
2. free breathe every 3
3. 12.5 scull, rest swim
4. 12.5 kick, rest swim
1x50 breast at 90% effort (34.7)
200 easy
10x50 free on 1:00, four breaths per 50
2x15 breakouts
150 easy
Total: 2,900 meters (75 minutes)
The terrifying thing about taper -- at least for me -- is wondering if I am doing enough to stay in shape, but not swimming so hard that my body isn't recovering well. Today, my body felt great in the water, and when Mark said those tapering for this weekend's meet were done after 2,200 meters, I knew I needed to do more. But what to do? I definitely wasn't going to do the next set on the whiteboard: 4x400 on 6:00! So, I decided to do some breath control work, which got my heart rate up slightly yet didn't require a lot of exertion.
Two days before the start of a meet is when I start to feel good. If I didn't feel good today, I would have been concerned. I'm feeling more confident mentally about this weekend (though concerns about weather are still sticking around), and usually that translates to my body making the proper adjustments. The psych sheet was released yesterday, and I'll have some tough races on Saturday. I'm seeded first in the 100 back, ahead of four fellow Phoenix Swim Club teammates, all of whom were backstrokers in college. One of them, Lauren Rogers, was a finalist in the 100 back at the 2008 Olympic Trials! It would be great if I -- a breaststroker who has been surprisingly successful at backstroke in Masters -- could beat all four of them. And my training partner Alan Carter is going to put up a good fight in the 200 IM, and I am very much looking forward to that. I haven't been able to race anyone in a short course meters 200 IM in years, and that event is difficult to do when I am racing just the clock. When someone is pushing me, the race is actually very fun, as you try to capitalize on your strong strokes and push your weaker ones. Alan is very weak on breaststroke, but I have a feeling he won't just "roll over" on that stroke. And he's vastly superior in freestyle, which will make the final 50 meters interesting!
The most important thing to do during taper is relax. Unfortunately, that means housework goes by the wayside. My house looks like pigsty more and more each day as my dirty clothes pile up and little things get pushed aside for next week. On Sunday afternoon, I'll have no excuse for putting off cleaning, and I'm sure my husband will have a long honey-do list waiting!
Only 200 days until Olympic Trials! It feels like June 25, 2012, is so far away, but it feels like July 10, 2011, the day I qualified for Trials, was nearly a week ago. Time flies when you're having fun!
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
200 days to Olympic Trials
300 warmup
4x200 free on 3:30
Odd: 25 swim/25 drill
Even: focus on turns
1x50 free at 90% effort (28.3)
4x(4x50 on 1:00)
1. 25 breast/25 free
2. free breathe every 3
3. 12.5 scull, rest swim
4. 12.5 kick, rest swim
1x50 breast at 90% effort (34.7)
200 easy
10x50 free on 1:00, four breaths per 50
2x15 breakouts
150 easy
Total: 2,900 meters (75 minutes)
The terrifying thing about taper -- at least for me -- is wondering if I am doing enough to stay in shape, but not swimming so hard that my body isn't recovering well. Today, my body felt great in the water, and when Mark said those tapering for this weekend's meet were done after 2,200 meters, I knew I needed to do more. But what to do? I definitely wasn't going to do the next set on the whiteboard: 4x400 on 6:00! So, I decided to do some breath control work, which got my heart rate up slightly yet didn't require a lot of exertion.
Two days before the start of a meet is when I start to feel good. If I didn't feel good today, I would have been concerned. I'm feeling more confident mentally about this weekend (though concerns about weather are still sticking around), and usually that translates to my body making the proper adjustments. The psych sheet was released yesterday, and I'll have some tough races on Saturday. I'm seeded first in the 100 back, ahead of four fellow Phoenix Swim Club teammates, all of whom were backstrokers in college. One of them, Lauren Rogers, was a finalist in the 100 back at the 2008 Olympic Trials! It would be great if I -- a breaststroker who has been surprisingly successful at backstroke in Masters -- could beat all four of them. And my training partner Alan Carter is going to put up a good fight in the 200 IM, and I am very much looking forward to that. I haven't been able to race anyone in a short course meters 200 IM in years, and that event is difficult to do when I am racing just the clock. When someone is pushing me, the race is actually very fun, as you try to capitalize on your strong strokes and push your weaker ones. Alan is very weak on breaststroke, but I have a feeling he won't just "roll over" on that stroke. And he's vastly superior in freestyle, which will make the final 50 meters interesting!
The most important thing to do during taper is relax. Unfortunately, that means housework goes by the wayside. My house looks like pigsty more and more each day as my dirty clothes pile up and little things get pushed aside for next week. On Sunday afternoon, I'll have no excuse for putting off cleaning, and I'm sure my husband will have a long honey-do list waiting!
Only 200 days until Olympic Trials! It feels like June 25, 2012, is so far away, but it feels like July 10, 2011, the day I qualified for Trials, was nearly a week ago. Time flies when you're having fun!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Cold As Ice
Date: Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Time: 5:50 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Yards/Meters
201 days to Olympic Trials
1600 warmup (in short course yards)
Broken 100 breast from dive (short course meters)
(30.0 for first 50, 20 seconds rest, 33.9 for final 50 = 1:03.9
500 warmdown
This morning, the temperature gauge in my car read 38 degrees when I drove into the parking lot at the pool. Yikes! Obviously, walking from the locker room to the pool when I was dry was tough on my legs (I had a nice parka on), but it was even worse when I finished my warmup and climbed out of the pool. There were little pellets of ice on my deck shoes! That did not make it easy to put those on and walk back to the locker room about 100 yards away to put on a different suit for my broken swim.
We're experiencing a major cold spell in Phoenix. It's not unusual, but it hardly lasts this long. It started getting real cold last Wednesday, and hasn't let up yet. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, I fear the weather for this weekend's meet will make conditions tough. I do plan to dress warmly and be as prepared as possible, but there will be a minute or so when it's just my skin versus Mother Nature in that moment when I am about to step on the blocks.
In preparing for this morning's broken swim, I wore my parka to the lane I was to swim in, and wrapped a beach towel around my legs. I only had my deck shoes to protect me from the cold deck, but not the cold air. My toes were quite cold within seconds.
I had expected to swim much faster today in my broken swim. I suppose when you consider that the swim took place at 6:45 a.m., the air was near freezing and the water near boiling (82 degrees), it wasn't bad. It doesn't concern me too much regarding this weekend, because the breakouts I did during warmup felt awesome.
To make things better, I'm on my way to get a pre-meet massage today from Tod Miller. I don't have any major muscle aches, but it'll be good to get all the tiny knots out, so my body can sail through the water with ease!
Time: 5:50 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Yards/Meters
201 days to Olympic Trials
1600 warmup (in short course yards)
Broken 100 breast from dive (short course meters)
(30.0 for first 50, 20 seconds rest, 33.9 for final 50 = 1:03.9
500 warmdown
This morning, the temperature gauge in my car read 38 degrees when I drove into the parking lot at the pool. Yikes! Obviously, walking from the locker room to the pool when I was dry was tough on my legs (I had a nice parka on), but it was even worse when I finished my warmup and climbed out of the pool. There were little pellets of ice on my deck shoes! That did not make it easy to put those on and walk back to the locker room about 100 yards away to put on a different suit for my broken swim.
We're experiencing a major cold spell in Phoenix. It's not unusual, but it hardly lasts this long. It started getting real cold last Wednesday, and hasn't let up yet. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, I fear the weather for this weekend's meet will make conditions tough. I do plan to dress warmly and be as prepared as possible, but there will be a minute or so when it's just my skin versus Mother Nature in that moment when I am about to step on the blocks.
In preparing for this morning's broken swim, I wore my parka to the lane I was to swim in, and wrapped a beach towel around my legs. I only had my deck shoes to protect me from the cold deck, but not the cold air. My toes were quite cold within seconds.
I had expected to swim much faster today in my broken swim. I suppose when you consider that the swim took place at 6:45 a.m., the air was near freezing and the water near boiling (82 degrees), it wasn't bad. It doesn't concern me too much regarding this weekend, because the breakouts I did during warmup felt awesome.
To make things better, I'm on my way to get a pre-meet massage today from Tod Miller. I don't have any major muscle aches, but it'll be good to get all the tiny knots out, so my body can sail through the water with ease!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Here Comes the Sun
Date: Tuesday, December 6. 2011
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
202 days to Olympic Trials
900 warmup
4x(3x75 on 1:30)
1. 25 left/25 right/25 swim fly
2. 25 breast head up/50 free swim
3. 25 fly kick/50 back swim
8x15 breakouts
Four rounds:
3x50 on 1:00
100 easy on 2:30
200 easy
Total: 3,200 meters (80 minutes)
Today was one of those days when all I wanted to do was swim easy for about 3,000 meters. I suppose I did that just fine. The main set (which was the last set) was supposed to be descending 50s on the odd rounds, and strong 50s on the even rounds. I didn't descend to a very fast time for those rounds, around 33 for 50 backstroke, which is what I hope to split on my backstroke leg of the 200 IM. It didn't feel too difficult, though with the warmer water, it wasn't as easy as I hoped it would be.
My legs are still feeling tired, but I expect them to feel better tomorrow. Things should generally be better tomorrow physically. I am concerned about the weather on Saturday and Sunday in Phoenix. It's going to be quite chilly, with a high of about 60 degrees. That's a little too cold, but I will take every measure to keep warm through the meet. Most people, I am certain, will be walking around the deck in bare feet and clothing more suitable for a late spring day than a late fall morning. The key to swimming fast does not only lie in how you prepare in the warmup, but how you stay comfortable between warmup and the race. It's always a gamble swimming in meets in Arizona between October and March, but I keep reminding myself that I set my current world record for the 100 SCM breast in the 35-39 age group one week before Christmas in Phoenix! It was a little chilly that day, too. Please help me in praying for warm sunshine this weekend!
Today I found out that my chief "rival" in my age group in Masters, Steve West, swam a 1:01.94 in the 100 breast (short course meters), which is quite fast! Additionally, he broke his own world record in the 200 breast, the event which he'll be swimming next year at the Olympic Trials. I won't be swimming the 200 breast this weekend -- or any other weekend -- but I'll be pushed by Steve's fast 100. He also went 28.63 in the 50 breast, another fast time. Looks like Steve and I will have a virtual race this weekend!
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
202 days to Olympic Trials
900 warmup
4x(3x75 on 1:30)
1. 25 left/25 right/25 swim fly
2. 25 breast head up/50 free swim
3. 25 fly kick/50 back swim
8x15 breakouts
Four rounds:
3x50 on 1:00
100 easy on 2:30
200 easy
Total: 3,200 meters (80 minutes)
Today was one of those days when all I wanted to do was swim easy for about 3,000 meters. I suppose I did that just fine. The main set (which was the last set) was supposed to be descending 50s on the odd rounds, and strong 50s on the even rounds. I didn't descend to a very fast time for those rounds, around 33 for 50 backstroke, which is what I hope to split on my backstroke leg of the 200 IM. It didn't feel too difficult, though with the warmer water, it wasn't as easy as I hoped it would be.
My legs are still feeling tired, but I expect them to feel better tomorrow. Things should generally be better tomorrow physically. I am concerned about the weather on Saturday and Sunday in Phoenix. It's going to be quite chilly, with a high of about 60 degrees. That's a little too cold, but I will take every measure to keep warm through the meet. Most people, I am certain, will be walking around the deck in bare feet and clothing more suitable for a late spring day than a late fall morning. The key to swimming fast does not only lie in how you prepare in the warmup, but how you stay comfortable between warmup and the race. It's always a gamble swimming in meets in Arizona between October and March, but I keep reminding myself that I set my current world record for the 100 SCM breast in the 35-39 age group one week before Christmas in Phoenix! It was a little chilly that day, too. Please help me in praying for warm sunshine this weekend!
Today I found out that my chief "rival" in my age group in Masters, Steve West, swam a 1:01.94 in the 100 breast (short course meters), which is quite fast! Additionally, he broke his own world record in the 200 breast, the event which he'll be swimming next year at the Olympic Trials. I won't be swimming the 200 breast this weekend -- or any other weekend -- but I'll be pushed by Steve's fast 100. He also went 28.63 in the 50 breast, another fast time. Looks like Steve and I will have a virtual race this weekend!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Baby, It's Cold Outside
Date: December 5, 2011
Time: 5:50 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Yards
4x(3x75 on 1:30)
1. 25 left arm/25 right arm/25 swim
2. 25 head up/50 swim
3. 25 kick/50 swim
8x100 on 1:40
odd: 50 back/50 free
even: 50 free/50 back
6 race turns
Three rounds:
3x100 free on 1:40 descend rounds
50 back easy on 2:00
6x25 breast double pullouts on :30
Total: 2,950 yards
A little less yardage than I expected today. With it being Monday, I expected the workout to consist of something similar to 400s on a short interval. But I did the workout as written, though I decided to swim in the yards part of the pool, in case the set became more difficult than a taper workout needed to be.
Not much effort was expended today. My legs are still sore from all the standing I did in Atlanta, plus the water was pushing 83 degrees. The air was about 48 degrees, and it was the coldest it's been since last February. I'm worried that the weather this weekend will not be amicable for us, and that we'll be feeling the chill as we step up on the blocks to race.
The next few days will most likely be rough for me. There's a point in the middle of the taper when my body is so busy recovering that nothing feels good. Today it was my legs. What will feel horrible tomorrow?
Time: 5:50 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Yards
4x(3x75 on 1:30)
1. 25 left arm/25 right arm/25 swim
2. 25 head up/50 swim
3. 25 kick/50 swim
8x100 on 1:40
odd: 50 back/50 free
even: 50 free/50 back
6 race turns
Three rounds:
3x100 free on 1:40 descend rounds
50 back easy on 2:00
6x25 breast double pullouts on :30
Total: 2,950 yards
A little less yardage than I expected today. With it being Monday, I expected the workout to consist of something similar to 400s on a short interval. But I did the workout as written, though I decided to swim in the yards part of the pool, in case the set became more difficult than a taper workout needed to be.
Not much effort was expended today. My legs are still sore from all the standing I did in Atlanta, plus the water was pushing 83 degrees. The air was about 48 degrees, and it was the coldest it's been since last February. I'm worried that the weather this weekend will not be amicable for us, and that we'll be feeling the chill as we step up on the blocks to race.
The next few days will most likely be rough for me. There's a point in the middle of the taper when my body is so busy recovering that nothing feels good. Today it was my legs. What will feel horrible tomorrow?
Saturday, December 3, 2011
You and Me
Date: Saturday, December 3, 2011
Time: 1:45 p.m.
Location: Atlanta, GA
Short Course Yards
205 days to Olympic Trials
300 warmup
Four rounds (with 20 seconds rest at end of round):
200 IM (25 kick/25 drill) / 100 free (25 left arm/25 right arm/50 breathe every 3) / 50 breast kick drill
8x100 free on 1:30
Odd lengths, breathe left; even lengths, breathe right
4x15 breast breakouts on :45
10x50 :20 rest
25 back/25 free easy
4x15 back breakouts on :45
100 warmdown
Total: 3,300 yards (75 minutes)
I wanted to work on backstroke starts today, but the slower heats of the distance events were starting soon after my workout began, and I did not get the opportunity. I never get the chance to work on backstroke starts, because the gutters at the pool I swim at normally have stainless steel edges, which make backstroke starts impossible. We have to haul out a touchpad if we want to work on backstroke starts, and that is often too much of a pain to deal with. I feel confident my backstroke start will be decent next weekend, but it will need to be excellent. I learned that Noriko Inada, a three-time Japanese Olympian who placed fourth last night at the USA Swimming nationals in the 100 back, is also swimming in the Masters meet in Phoenix next weekend. It will be the first time I will get to race Noriko, and it will be fun. I'm not sure I can stay with her in short course, since she is so phenomenal underwater, and I -- well, let's say I'm not.
Today the goal was to swim easy, with a few short bursts to remind my body what it's preparing to do next weekend. The breakouts felt good, but not strong. My legs are feeling quite heavy, and I'm sure being on my feet, working 12-hour days and not getting much sleep in my crummy hotel room is causing that, and I am not worried about my taper. When I get back, I will have plenty of time to get my legs rested. My upper body is starting to come around, and that is an amazing feeling.
I got to do the set of 8x100 free with Mike Unger, the assistant executive director of USA Swimming and Masters world record holder. We both needed the company. We agreed that we would not have finished the set if we had done it separately. While not an extremely boring set, it was one where you have time to try to talk yourself out of it, if you choose. I'm glad I didn't. Thanks, Mike!
Time: 1:45 p.m.
Location: Atlanta, GA
Short Course Yards
205 days to Olympic Trials
300 warmup
Four rounds (with 20 seconds rest at end of round):
200 IM (25 kick/25 drill) / 100 free (25 left arm/25 right arm/50 breathe every 3) / 50 breast kick drill
8x100 free on 1:30
Odd lengths, breathe left; even lengths, breathe right
4x15 breast breakouts on :45
10x50 :20 rest
25 back/25 free easy
4x15 back breakouts on :45
100 warmdown
Total: 3,300 yards (75 minutes)
I wanted to work on backstroke starts today, but the slower heats of the distance events were starting soon after my workout began, and I did not get the opportunity. I never get the chance to work on backstroke starts, because the gutters at the pool I swim at normally have stainless steel edges, which make backstroke starts impossible. We have to haul out a touchpad if we want to work on backstroke starts, and that is often too much of a pain to deal with. I feel confident my backstroke start will be decent next weekend, but it will need to be excellent. I learned that Noriko Inada, a three-time Japanese Olympian who placed fourth last night at the USA Swimming nationals in the 100 back, is also swimming in the Masters meet in Phoenix next weekend. It will be the first time I will get to race Noriko, and it will be fun. I'm not sure I can stay with her in short course, since she is so phenomenal underwater, and I -- well, let's say I'm not.
Today the goal was to swim easy, with a few short bursts to remind my body what it's preparing to do next weekend. The breakouts felt good, but not strong. My legs are feeling quite heavy, and I'm sure being on my feet, working 12-hour days and not getting much sleep in my crummy hotel room is causing that, and I am not worried about my taper. When I get back, I will have plenty of time to get my legs rested. My upper body is starting to come around, and that is an amazing feeling.
I got to do the set of 8x100 free with Mike Unger, the assistant executive director of USA Swimming and Masters world record holder. We both needed the company. We agreed that we would not have finished the set if we had done it separately. While not an extremely boring set, it was one where you have time to try to talk yourself out of it, if you choose. I'm glad I didn't. Thanks, Mike!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Teacher, Teacher
Date: December 2, 2011
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Location: Atlanta, GA
Long Course Meters
206 days to Olympic Trials
300 warmup
6x100 :20 rest
25 scull/25 dolphin kick on back/25 breast with double pullouts/25 free breathe every 3
8x50 on 1:05
odd: 25 fly/25 back
even: 25 breast/25 free
4x150 :30 rest
50 breast kick drill/50 free/50 breast distance per stroke
4x15 breakouts on 1:00
Three rounds:
50 breast underwater swim on 1:15
50 breast fast on :45
3x50 easy on 1:30
(Times on fast 50s: 34.3, 34.7, 34.8)
200 warmdown
Total: 3,100 meters
Today's workout was approved by Coley Stickels, who is here with several members of the Phoenix Swim Club, including Michael Nelson, who is newly qualified for Olympic Trials in the 100 breast! He went 1:04.22 in prelims today, which means he is now seeded faster than me for Trials. I have no plans to shave and taper for a long course meet before Trials, so he'll be in a later heat in Omaha than I will. I know Coley will like that. He wants to be able to watch both of us equally in the race.
The point of the main set was to work on my endurance in the final 50 of the race. I was still a little out of breath from the underwater swimming when I pushed off for the fast 50, so I did feel the fatigue in the final 15 meters. Not only was I under 35 seconds on all three of them (which doesn't usually happen) but I took 21 strokes on all the fast swims! I'm usually 24 strokes! I have no idea what that was all about. Could it be I am stronger? Maybe.
After the main set, I noticed the great breaststroke coach Joszef Nagy strolling the deck. Joszef coached Mike Barrowman to numerous world records and Olympic gold in the 200 breast in 1992. He also helped Roque Santos make the Olympic team in 1992 and currently is world record holder Annamay Pierse's coach. I asked him to look at my stroke for 25 meters, and he obliged. Watching with him was Coach Tako, who was timing me on the main set. After the swim, Joszef said my upper body was very good, but my kick needed fixing. He said I shouldn't kick at a downward angle on the finish, but kick straight back and up a little bit. I tried to maintain my composure as he talked, because it was Tako who suggested that I kick downward! Joszef said kicking straight back will put my body at a better angle, which I agree with completely. I worked on it a little in warmdown and will refine it more tomorrow.
All in all, today's main set was surprisingly good. I wasn't feeling strong in my legs, mostly because I've been standing a lot for work. And it was even better that I got to swim in the pool that hosted the 1996 Olympics!
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Location: Atlanta, GA
Long Course Meters
206 days to Olympic Trials
300 warmup
6x100 :20 rest
25 scull/25 dolphin kick on back/25 breast with double pullouts/25 free breathe every 3
8x50 on 1:05
odd: 25 fly/25 back
even: 25 breast/25 free
4x150 :30 rest
50 breast kick drill/50 free/50 breast distance per stroke
4x15 breakouts on 1:00
Three rounds:
50 breast underwater swim on 1:15
50 breast fast on :45
3x50 easy on 1:30
(Times on fast 50s: 34.3, 34.7, 34.8)
200 warmdown
Total: 3,100 meters
Today's workout was approved by Coley Stickels, who is here with several members of the Phoenix Swim Club, including Michael Nelson, who is newly qualified for Olympic Trials in the 100 breast! He went 1:04.22 in prelims today, which means he is now seeded faster than me for Trials. I have no plans to shave and taper for a long course meet before Trials, so he'll be in a later heat in Omaha than I will. I know Coley will like that. He wants to be able to watch both of us equally in the race.
The point of the main set was to work on my endurance in the final 50 of the race. I was still a little out of breath from the underwater swimming when I pushed off for the fast 50, so I did feel the fatigue in the final 15 meters. Not only was I under 35 seconds on all three of them (which doesn't usually happen) but I took 21 strokes on all the fast swims! I'm usually 24 strokes! I have no idea what that was all about. Could it be I am stronger? Maybe.
After the main set, I noticed the great breaststroke coach Joszef Nagy strolling the deck. Joszef coached Mike Barrowman to numerous world records and Olympic gold in the 200 breast in 1992. He also helped Roque Santos make the Olympic team in 1992 and currently is world record holder Annamay Pierse's coach. I asked him to look at my stroke for 25 meters, and he obliged. Watching with him was Coach Tako, who was timing me on the main set. After the swim, Joszef said my upper body was very good, but my kick needed fixing. He said I shouldn't kick at a downward angle on the finish, but kick straight back and up a little bit. I tried to maintain my composure as he talked, because it was Tako who suggested that I kick downward! Joszef said kicking straight back will put my body at a better angle, which I agree with completely. I worked on it a little in warmdown and will refine it more tomorrow.
All in all, today's main set was surprisingly good. I wasn't feeling strong in my legs, mostly because I've been standing a lot for work. And it was even better that I got to swim in the pool that hosted the 1996 Olympics!
Now it's time to go to work! But first, some food...
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Breaking Away
Date: Thursday, December 1, 2011
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters/Short Course Yards
207 days to Olympic Trials
(Short Course Meters)
300 warmup
6x150 on 2:40, last 50 kick
12x50 free on :45, breathe every 5
(Short Course Yards)
6x100 back on 1:30 aerobic
400 kick breast
6x50 on 1:15
25 scull, five seconds rest, then 15m breakout
200 with underwater turns
Total: 1,800 short course meters/1,500 short course yards (80 minutes)
This morning was the first official taper workout of the season! After the set of 50s free breathing every five, I decided to move to the other part of the pool and do some aerobic swimming. Everyone else did 6x300, odds on 4:30, evens on 5:00. I didn't think I needed to do that, so I broke away from the pack and worked on backstroke technique while maintaining a steady heart rate.
Every day in my taper, I will do something fast. Most days, it will be nothing more than a few breakouts. Other days it will be a longer test sprint set. Keep following the blog and you'll see how I plan out the days when I swim fast for a longer period of time.
I am keeping this blog short because I'm quite tired. I'm writing this from my hotel room in Atlanta, where I'm covering the USA Swimming nationals for Swimming World. It's been nonstop for me since I landed in Atlanta, and it is almost midnight here. I arrived at the pool 10 minutes before the finals started tonight, and spent the next 15 minutes trying to find the mixed zone for media. Apparently, it's just a space on deck that the media took control of this morning. Works for me! After the meet I still had work to do, and finally feel like I'm settled in.
Can't wait to dive into the pool at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center tomorrow! It will be my first swim in the pool that hosted the 1996 Olympics. Tomorrow's workout will likely be a longer sprint set, but I haven't officially decided yet.
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters/Short Course Yards
207 days to Olympic Trials
(Short Course Meters)
300 warmup
6x150 on 2:40, last 50 kick
12x50 free on :45, breathe every 5
(Short Course Yards)
6x100 back on 1:30 aerobic
400 kick breast
6x50 on 1:15
25 scull, five seconds rest, then 15m breakout
200 with underwater turns
Total: 1,800 short course meters/1,500 short course yards (80 minutes)
This morning was the first official taper workout of the season! After the set of 50s free breathing every five, I decided to move to the other part of the pool and do some aerobic swimming. Everyone else did 6x300, odds on 4:30, evens on 5:00. I didn't think I needed to do that, so I broke away from the pack and worked on backstroke technique while maintaining a steady heart rate.
Every day in my taper, I will do something fast. Most days, it will be nothing more than a few breakouts. Other days it will be a longer test sprint set. Keep following the blog and you'll see how I plan out the days when I swim fast for a longer period of time.
I am keeping this blog short because I'm quite tired. I'm writing this from my hotel room in Atlanta, where I'm covering the USA Swimming nationals for Swimming World. It's been nonstop for me since I landed in Atlanta, and it is almost midnight here. I arrived at the pool 10 minutes before the finals started tonight, and spent the next 15 minutes trying to find the mixed zone for media. Apparently, it's just a space on deck that the media took control of this morning. Works for me! After the meet I still had work to do, and finally feel like I'm settled in.
Can't wait to dive into the pool at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center tomorrow! It will be my first swim in the pool that hosted the 1996 Olympics. Tomorrow's workout will likely be a longer sprint set, but I haven't officially decided yet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)