Date: Thursday, January 12, 2012
Time: 5:50 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
165 days to Olympic Trials
6x200 free working on breathing patterns
9x75 on 2:00
25 pull choice with pull buoy between ankles
25 scull
25 kick
10x100 on 1:45
5 free, 5 back
Three starts
200 easy
Total: About 3,100 meters (75 minutes)
Today's workout was just what I needed. I wanted to keep my heart rate at aerobic level, and was successfully able to do that. The distance was less than I expected, but I'm not complaining!
I wanted to back off on the intensity today to give my body some rest for this weekend. I don't want to go all the way to Austin and not do well. My only goal is to get a second swim in the 100 breast, and that will be difficult enough.Pulling back on the throttle for a couple of days won't hurt my training.
I haven't worked on starts since my taper meet about a month ago, and was surprised that everything felt good. I even felt like I pointed my toes on the entry, or at least as much as my bad ankles will allow.
Gotta finish packing for the trip! Austin is going to be about as chilly as it is here in Phoenix, so I'm making sure I'm ready for all weather conditions.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Shock the Monkey
Date: Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
166 days to Olympic Trials
1700 warmup
8x25 non-free on :30
Done as 4x25 breakouts
2x25 easy
2x25 breakouts
4x25 free low breath count on :25
2x25 easy on :20
1:00 break
4x25 breast fast on :30 (averaged 15-high)
4x25 easy on :30
4x25 free low breath count on :25
4x25 free easy on :20
Easy 150
Four rounds:
50 fast/50 easy on 2:30
25 fast/75 easy on 2:30
Round 1: 27.1 50 free, 12.3 25 free
Round 2: All easy
Round 3: 32.2 50 breast, 12.3 25 free
Round 4: 32.0 50 breast, 13.1 25 back
100 easy
Total: 3,500 meters (80 minutes)
Some days it's easy for me to be a sprinter. Some days, it feels like my body just wants to swim slow. This was one of those days. I didn't get much sleep last night, and as such I was pretty groggy when I dove in. It took me nearly 40 minutes to feel like I was ready to do something worthwhile in the pool.
Breaststroke times continue to surprise me. To be in low 32-second range is pretty good, considering that it felt like my stroke wasn't fully clicking. I don't know if it's making the transition back to short course or if it's from being sick for a few days, but nothing has truly felt right since Thursday. I'm chalking it up -- for now -- to the long course to short course transition. When I swim short course, I feel like I have to have a faster stroke rate, and while that may not be true, it's what I'm feeling this week. We're supposedly doing long course tomorrow, so I'll be able to get a feel for long course again, which is the format I'll be racing in this weekend.
With the meet this weekend, JR Rosania decided it would be good to work on some explosive exercises, to get my nervous system ready to race. Specifically, these exercises could help me with my starts and turns, as well as get my muscles ready for real sprinting. Doing resistance jumps on a horizontal sled and push-ups with claps were just a few of the things I did tonight. I wasn't as tired as last week, when the goal was to do a lot of work in an hour, but I was pretty tired at the end. I don't mind if I'm sore tomorrow from it.
This afternoon, I got a very good package in the mail. It was an electronic muscle stimulator that is like an angel sent from heaven. This device is working to get my left rhomboid muscle back in working order. I believe that muscle has been in some state of disrepair for many years, though I do not know why. It is the major reason why I believe I got tendonitis two years ago. Because I had limited use of that muscle, I relied on other muscles to do the job of the rhomboid, which was a pathway to injury.
The physical therapy got it into some shape, but I think I needed constant work on my rhomboid to keep it working. That is the goal here. Tonight, I had the device do its thing for 30 minutes, and I can't say for sure if the muscle is better, but I could feel the electrodes shocking the muscle into action, which is a very, very, very good thing. I plan to do this once a week for 30 minutes, and with regular physical therapy work (using resistance bands), I could gain more use of the muscle, which has a major function in swimming, especially in arm recovery on breaststroke and the catch phase of backstroke.
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
166 days to Olympic Trials
1700 warmup
8x25 non-free on :30
Done as 4x25 breakouts
2x25 easy
2x25 breakouts
4x25 free low breath count on :25
2x25 easy on :20
1:00 break
4x25 breast fast on :30 (averaged 15-high)
4x25 easy on :30
4x25 free low breath count on :25
4x25 free easy on :20
Easy 150
Four rounds:
50 fast/50 easy on 2:30
25 fast/75 easy on 2:30
Round 1: 27.1 50 free, 12.3 25 free
Round 2: All easy
Round 3: 32.2 50 breast, 12.3 25 free
Round 4: 32.0 50 breast, 13.1 25 back
100 easy
Total: 3,500 meters (80 minutes)
Some days it's easy for me to be a sprinter. Some days, it feels like my body just wants to swim slow. This was one of those days. I didn't get much sleep last night, and as such I was pretty groggy when I dove in. It took me nearly 40 minutes to feel like I was ready to do something worthwhile in the pool.
Breaststroke times continue to surprise me. To be in low 32-second range is pretty good, considering that it felt like my stroke wasn't fully clicking. I don't know if it's making the transition back to short course or if it's from being sick for a few days, but nothing has truly felt right since Thursday. I'm chalking it up -- for now -- to the long course to short course transition. When I swim short course, I feel like I have to have a faster stroke rate, and while that may not be true, it's what I'm feeling this week. We're supposedly doing long course tomorrow, so I'll be able to get a feel for long course again, which is the format I'll be racing in this weekend.
With the meet this weekend, JR Rosania decided it would be good to work on some explosive exercises, to get my nervous system ready to race. Specifically, these exercises could help me with my starts and turns, as well as get my muscles ready for real sprinting. Doing resistance jumps on a horizontal sled and push-ups with claps were just a few of the things I did tonight. I wasn't as tired as last week, when the goal was to do a lot of work in an hour, but I was pretty tired at the end. I don't mind if I'm sore tomorrow from it.
This afternoon, I got a very good package in the mail. It was an electronic muscle stimulator that is like an angel sent from heaven. This device is working to get my left rhomboid muscle back in working order. I believe that muscle has been in some state of disrepair for many years, though I do not know why. It is the major reason why I believe I got tendonitis two years ago. Because I had limited use of that muscle, I relied on other muscles to do the job of the rhomboid, which was a pathway to injury.
The physical therapy got it into some shape, but I think I needed constant work on my rhomboid to keep it working. That is the goal here. Tonight, I had the device do its thing for 30 minutes, and I can't say for sure if the muscle is better, but I could feel the electrodes shocking the muscle into action, which is a very, very, very good thing. I plan to do this once a week for 30 minutes, and with regular physical therapy work (using resistance bands), I could gain more use of the muscle, which has a major function in swimming, especially in arm recovery on breaststroke and the catch phase of backstroke.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
A Spoonful of Sugar
Date: Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Time: 5:50 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
167 days to Olympic Trials
4x(3x50 on 1:00)
1. fly/back
2. back/breast
3. breast/free
300 non-flutter kick no board
6x100 on 1:50, descend 1-3, 4-6
50 breast/50 free (1:10, 1:08)
8x25 breast on :40 double pullouts
8x75 on 1:20, descend 1-4, 5-8
25 fly/50back (:51, :52)
100 easy
3x100 back kick on 2:00
4x15 backstroke breakouts on :45
3x100 breast kick no board on 2:00
2x15 breast breakouts on :45
1x50 breast fast from push (32.2)
200 easy
Total: 3,500 meters (80 minutes)
At the gym:
Five minutes shoulder warmup
Sitting bench press (15 @ 110, 12 @ 135, 10 @ 155)
Leg extensions (15 @ 100, 12 @ 130, 10 @ 160)
Hamstring curls (15 @ 70, 12 @ 85, 10 @ 100)
3x25 breaststroke strokes with five-pound dumbbells
Ten minutes abdominals and stretching
I felt like I was pretty much over my cold this morning, and hopefully I won't have to take anymore of that horrible cold medicine. It was the generic brand from Walgreens, and though it said "cherry flavored," I didn't notice a soothing aftertaste.
My backstroke felt miserable. The set of 75s were quite tough because I couldn't get my arms moving fast. It felt like I was swimming in molasses, which is partly true because the water was a little too warm.
Breaststroke felt OK, and I was surprised by the time on the fast swim at the end. The stroke felt good but not all that powerful, which could be my body trying to return to normal. It's a good sign for this weekend, but I'm trying not to get too overexcited. I don't want to make this meet to be any bigger than it is: an in-season meet. I would very much like to get a second swim in the 100 breast, and will do my best to make that happen, but I know I will tend to let my mind get too far ahead of itself and psych myself out.
Time: 5:50 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Short Course Meters
167 days to Olympic Trials
4x(3x50 on 1:00)
1. fly/back
2. back/breast
3. breast/free
300 non-flutter kick no board
6x100 on 1:50, descend 1-3, 4-6
50 breast/50 free (1:10, 1:08)
8x25 breast on :40 double pullouts
8x75 on 1:20, descend 1-4, 5-8
25 fly/50back (:51, :52)
100 easy
3x100 back kick on 2:00
4x15 backstroke breakouts on :45
3x100 breast kick no board on 2:00
2x15 breast breakouts on :45
1x50 breast fast from push (32.2)
200 easy
Total: 3,500 meters (80 minutes)
At the gym:
Five minutes shoulder warmup
Sitting bench press (15 @ 110, 12 @ 135, 10 @ 155)
Leg extensions (15 @ 100, 12 @ 130, 10 @ 160)
Hamstring curls (15 @ 70, 12 @ 85, 10 @ 100)
3x25 breaststroke strokes with five-pound dumbbells
Ten minutes abdominals and stretching
I felt like I was pretty much over my cold this morning, and hopefully I won't have to take anymore of that horrible cold medicine. It was the generic brand from Walgreens, and though it said "cherry flavored," I didn't notice a soothing aftertaste.
My backstroke felt miserable. The set of 75s were quite tough because I couldn't get my arms moving fast. It felt like I was swimming in molasses, which is partly true because the water was a little too warm.
Breaststroke felt OK, and I was surprised by the time on the fast swim at the end. The stroke felt good but not all that powerful, which could be my body trying to return to normal. It's a good sign for this weekend, but I'm trying not to get too overexcited. I don't want to make this meet to be any bigger than it is: an in-season meet. I would very much like to get a second swim in the 100 breast, and will do my best to make that happen, but I know I will tend to let my mind get too far ahead of itself and psych myself out.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
I Got a Cold in My Nose
Date: Sunday, January 8, 2012
Time: 11:15 a.m.
Location: Tucson, AZ
Short Course Yards
169 days to Olympic Trials
400 free swim
300 IM
25 scull/25 drill/25 swim
200 kick
100 breast/100 free
100 breast drill
400 free swim with snorkel
300 IM
25 scull/25 drill/25 swim
200 kick
100 breast/100 free
100 breast
25 underwater breast pull/25 breast pull head out of water/25 breast swim head out of water/25 breast swim underwater
400 free swim
300 IM
25 scull/25 drill/25 swim
200 kick
100 breast/100 free
100 breast swim with double pullouts
200 easy
25 scull/25 kick
4x15 breast breakouts on :45
100 easy
Total: 3,400 yards (70 minutes)
Friday after workout I felt horrible. As I wrote on that day, I wanted to sleep for hours, but day wore on, I started to feel congested in my head and sneezing uncontrollably. By Friday evening, I was so stuffed up that the only way I was going to sleep was to take some cold medicine. It did the trick.
It's a good thing Saturday was my day off. I slept a lot that day, going out briefly to teach swimming lessons. By Sunday morning my stuffy nose was pretty much gone, but I still felt icky. Today's workout was supposed to keep my heart rate down and keep me in shape for the meet next weekend. The last 400 free was a little too hard. I went a 4:43, and my heart rate was about 170, a little too high for that speed.
Having a cold is a minor inconvenience this weekend. I could feel much sicker, and I'm glad that this cold is likely to go away by the time I get on the plane to Austin. Tomorrow is my usual day off, and I'll use it to continue to get better. More cold medicine tonight!
Time: 11:15 a.m.
Location: Tucson, AZ
Short Course Yards
169 days to Olympic Trials
400 free swim
300 IM
25 scull/25 drill/25 swim
200 kick
100 breast/100 free
100 breast drill
400 free swim with snorkel
300 IM
25 scull/25 drill/25 swim
200 kick
100 breast/100 free
100 breast
25 underwater breast pull/25 breast pull head out of water/25 breast swim head out of water/25 breast swim underwater
400 free swim
300 IM
25 scull/25 drill/25 swim
200 kick
100 breast/100 free
100 breast swim with double pullouts
200 easy
25 scull/25 kick
4x15 breast breakouts on :45
100 easy
Total: 3,400 yards (70 minutes)
Friday after workout I felt horrible. As I wrote on that day, I wanted to sleep for hours, but day wore on, I started to feel congested in my head and sneezing uncontrollably. By Friday evening, I was so stuffed up that the only way I was going to sleep was to take some cold medicine. It did the trick.
It's a good thing Saturday was my day off. I slept a lot that day, going out briefly to teach swimming lessons. By Sunday morning my stuffy nose was pretty much gone, but I still felt icky. Today's workout was supposed to keep my heart rate down and keep me in shape for the meet next weekend. The last 400 free was a little too hard. I went a 4:43, and my heart rate was about 170, a little too high for that speed.
Having a cold is a minor inconvenience this weekend. I could feel much sicker, and I'm glad that this cold is likely to go away by the time I get on the plane to Austin. Tomorrow is my usual day off, and I'll use it to continue to get better. More cold medicine tonight!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Thank God It's Friday
Date: Friday, January 6, 2012
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Long Course Meters
171 days to Olympic Trials
400 warmup
12x50 on 1:00
25 kick/25 swim
8x50 on 1:00
25 drill/25 swim
4x(6x50 on 1:00)
Two easy, four hard
Rounds 1 & 2: breast kick (:53 on fast ones)
Rounds 3 & 4: back swim (:36 on fast ones)
200 easy
4x(3x50 on 1:00)
2 easy/1 fast from push
Fly: 30.8
Back: 31.1
Breast: 34.1
Free: 29.7
100 easy
Total: 3,500 meters
I felt like rubber when I woke up today. Nothing wanted to work. When I dove into the pool, I felt a little better, but I had to change up the main set, doing backstroke on the last two rounds instead of breast kick. My legs were not responding well. Even on a good day, though, I don't think I would have been too much faster.
I was very happy with my times on the last set, though my freestyle could probably be faster. My strokes didn't feel smooth, but they did feel strong. I was also happy that the entire workout was 50s, because I wasn't sure I could handle anything longer!
A few hours after workout, I was hit with the strong urge to take an extended nap. If I could have done so, I would have closed my eyes for at least an hour. No nap possible for me today, though when I get home, I will sneak in about 20 minutes of rest before getting into my car and driving the 120 miles to Tucson for the weekend. It took me a while to figure out why I've been so beaten down physically this week, and after I looked at my past workouts did it all make sense.
I haven't had a day off from exercise since December 26. That's 11 days of some really tough stuff in and out of the pool. I am counting New Year's Day as an exercise day, since I lifted weights and walked a lot at Six Flags. Those who read my blog often know that I do not normally swim on Saturday and Monday, but it was good to do so while in Los Angeles for New Year's. I didn't think, though, that it would have this effect on me today. I even think I'm coming down with a cold and a sore throat. I'm going to work to get rid of this nastiness before I get on the plane to Austin.
Because I have been putting my 37-year-old body through so much in the past two weeks, I've decided to skip the gym tonight. My body needs the recovery, and even a light weight workout could be counterproductive. Sleeping in tomorrow morning will feel soooooo good!
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Long Course Meters
171 days to Olympic Trials
400 warmup
12x50 on 1:00
25 kick/25 swim
8x50 on 1:00
25 drill/25 swim
4x(6x50 on 1:00)
Two easy, four hard
Rounds 1 & 2: breast kick (:53 on fast ones)
Rounds 3 & 4: back swim (:36 on fast ones)
200 easy
4x(3x50 on 1:00)
2 easy/1 fast from push
Fly: 30.8
Back: 31.1
Breast: 34.1
Free: 29.7
100 easy
Total: 3,500 meters
I felt like rubber when I woke up today. Nothing wanted to work. When I dove into the pool, I felt a little better, but I had to change up the main set, doing backstroke on the last two rounds instead of breast kick. My legs were not responding well. Even on a good day, though, I don't think I would have been too much faster.
I was very happy with my times on the last set, though my freestyle could probably be faster. My strokes didn't feel smooth, but they did feel strong. I was also happy that the entire workout was 50s, because I wasn't sure I could handle anything longer!
A few hours after workout, I was hit with the strong urge to take an extended nap. If I could have done so, I would have closed my eyes for at least an hour. No nap possible for me today, though when I get home, I will sneak in about 20 minutes of rest before getting into my car and driving the 120 miles to Tucson for the weekend. It took me a while to figure out why I've been so beaten down physically this week, and after I looked at my past workouts did it all make sense.
I haven't had a day off from exercise since December 26. That's 11 days of some really tough stuff in and out of the pool. I am counting New Year's Day as an exercise day, since I lifted weights and walked a lot at Six Flags. Those who read my blog often know that I do not normally swim on Saturday and Monday, but it was good to do so while in Los Angeles for New Year's. I didn't think, though, that it would have this effect on me today. I even think I'm coming down with a cold and a sore throat. I'm going to work to get rid of this nastiness before I get on the plane to Austin.
Because I have been putting my 37-year-old body through so much in the past two weeks, I've decided to skip the gym tonight. My body needs the recovery, and even a light weight workout could be counterproductive. Sleeping in tomorrow morning will feel soooooo good!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Eyes of a Child
Date: Thursday, January 5, 2012
Time: 4:45 p.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Long Course Meters
172 days to Olympic Trials
Today's workout with the gold group at Phoenix Swim Club reminded me that I am seriously lacking in aerobic conditioning. I suppose I am well-conditioned for a person of my age, but when I'm swimming next to and in a lane with people half my age, it's humbling. I usually gauge my aerobic level based on my Masters teammates. I've been improving on my aerobic base lately because they have as well, but teenagers have seemingly endless resources of energy that they can use for 90 minutes with little problem. Of course, when I was their age, I didn't think much about this wonderful aerobic capacity that I had. I just put my head in the water and swam.
I find that Coley's workouts are the most difficult when it comes to the breath-holding parts. I can handle the short rest and the weird drills. In fact, those are the reasons why I try to make the workouts every Thursday. But when it comes to swimming breaststroke underwater or kicking underwater, I find that my lung capacity is put to the test. That typically elevates my heart rate, which today was high for pretty much all of the last set, which involved lots of breath holding, with some 100s free on 1:35 holding about 1:10 mixed in. That's well above aerobic pace for me, but I think I held up pretty well.
Breaststroke felt good today, though my left shoulder was giving me some trouble. It is probably because I arrived to workout 15 minutes late and did not stretch much before diving in. Lesson learned! Because I was late, I don't think I got more than 3,000 meters in today. But it was a very high-quality workout, and it was not easy in the least.
Gotta shovel some food into my mouth before heading off to bed. Tomorrow's workout is at 5:45 a.m. Maybe I should have just unfolded a cot at the pool and stayed there!
Time: 4:45 p.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Long Course Meters
172 days to Olympic Trials
Today's workout with the gold group at Phoenix Swim Club reminded me that I am seriously lacking in aerobic conditioning. I suppose I am well-conditioned for a person of my age, but when I'm swimming next to and in a lane with people half my age, it's humbling. I usually gauge my aerobic level based on my Masters teammates. I've been improving on my aerobic base lately because they have as well, but teenagers have seemingly endless resources of energy that they can use for 90 minutes with little problem. Of course, when I was their age, I didn't think much about this wonderful aerobic capacity that I had. I just put my head in the water and swam.
I find that Coley's workouts are the most difficult when it comes to the breath-holding parts. I can handle the short rest and the weird drills. In fact, those are the reasons why I try to make the workouts every Thursday. But when it comes to swimming breaststroke underwater or kicking underwater, I find that my lung capacity is put to the test. That typically elevates my heart rate, which today was high for pretty much all of the last set, which involved lots of breath holding, with some 100s free on 1:35 holding about 1:10 mixed in. That's well above aerobic pace for me, but I think I held up pretty well.
Breaststroke felt good today, though my left shoulder was giving me some trouble. It is probably because I arrived to workout 15 minutes late and did not stretch much before diving in. Lesson learned! Because I was late, I don't think I got more than 3,000 meters in today. But it was a very high-quality workout, and it was not easy in the least.
Gotta shovel some food into my mouth before heading off to bed. Tomorrow's workout is at 5:45 a.m. Maybe I should have just unfolded a cot at the pool and stayed there!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Steady As the Beating Drum
Date: Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Long Course Meters
173 days to Olympic Trials
1200 warmup
Four rounds:
6x50 on 1:00 hold best average
200 easy
Round 1: free, :35 avg.
Round 2: back, :36 avg.
Round 3: free, :34 avg.
Round 4: breast, :38 avg.
2x50 breast fast from push on 2:00
(33.6, 34.6)
200 easy
Total: 3,500 meters (80 minutes)
I have mixed feelings about best average sets, and it depends on the time of season. They are good in the first half of the season, when you are working on building endurance. These sets test your aerobic threshold, and as such, you are not going at race pace for 100 meters. It's a good set for anyone training for a 200. When I'm in the part of my season when I'm focused on race pace training, they can be a good warmup set, in that I get my heart rate up and usually don't push the pace too fast.
On my breaststroke round, I tried to hold the time I want to have on my breast leg of the 200 IM, and I was pretty consistent, except for a couple in the low-39 range. These sets, if done correctly, can be very taxing, and I tried to hold back a little bit on the freestyle rounds to have energy for the back and breast rounds. I didn't go as fast as I wanted on backstroke (goal was 35 seconds), but the breaststroke felt controlled and smooth.
I was happy to be able to do the fast 50s at the end. I didn't think I would go under 34 today, after that tough set. I think I didn't go under 34 on the second one because I knew I would be very fatigued and therefore tried harder to go the same speed. I should have trusted that the 87 seconds of rest that I got would have given me ample recovery time. I got real tight in the last 15 meters, but that was because I rushed my stroke in the first 25 meters. In the end, those two times are very good, and I'm still trying to figure out why I'm going under 34 consistently lately. Holding steady in the 33-second range is going to be important after the Austin Grand Prix, when the training will be ramped up in and out of the pool. I might not be doing a lot of long course training after this week, but when I do, I have to make it count!
Today's work with JR Rosania was not as tough as last week, but still very intense. The goal this week was to do more volume in an hour than ever before, and I think my body held up well. My legs don't have the same aerobic capacity as my upper body, which is largely due to the fact that I'm primarily an upper body swimmer. I have been trying to focus on building leg strength, and when I'm working with JR, there's no escaping the work we do in that area. When I'm at the gym on my own, I tend to say that I want to put a bigger focus on my core, or simply wimp out when it comes to doing heavy leg weights. I'm happy that I'm adapting to JR's workouts, and he noticed I'm getting stronger, especially on the sled jumps. I'm lying on my back on a sled with pretty heavy resistance (no weights, but rather a few resistance cords), and I emulate pushing off the wall on backstroke. I do feel like I am getting more "air" on the jumps, and can do 10 in a row without taking a very brief break between jumps. Though I feel sore the day after, I know it is paying off.
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Long Course Meters
173 days to Olympic Trials
1200 warmup
Four rounds:
6x50 on 1:00 hold best average
200 easy
Round 1: free, :35 avg.
Round 2: back, :36 avg.
Round 3: free, :34 avg.
Round 4: breast, :38 avg.
2x50 breast fast from push on 2:00
(33.6, 34.6)
200 easy
Total: 3,500 meters (80 minutes)
I have mixed feelings about best average sets, and it depends on the time of season. They are good in the first half of the season, when you are working on building endurance. These sets test your aerobic threshold, and as such, you are not going at race pace for 100 meters. It's a good set for anyone training for a 200. When I'm in the part of my season when I'm focused on race pace training, they can be a good warmup set, in that I get my heart rate up and usually don't push the pace too fast.
On my breaststroke round, I tried to hold the time I want to have on my breast leg of the 200 IM, and I was pretty consistent, except for a couple in the low-39 range. These sets, if done correctly, can be very taxing, and I tried to hold back a little bit on the freestyle rounds to have energy for the back and breast rounds. I didn't go as fast as I wanted on backstroke (goal was 35 seconds), but the breaststroke felt controlled and smooth.
I was happy to be able to do the fast 50s at the end. I didn't think I would go under 34 today, after that tough set. I think I didn't go under 34 on the second one because I knew I would be very fatigued and therefore tried harder to go the same speed. I should have trusted that the 87 seconds of rest that I got would have given me ample recovery time. I got real tight in the last 15 meters, but that was because I rushed my stroke in the first 25 meters. In the end, those two times are very good, and I'm still trying to figure out why I'm going under 34 consistently lately. Holding steady in the 33-second range is going to be important after the Austin Grand Prix, when the training will be ramped up in and out of the pool. I might not be doing a lot of long course training after this week, but when I do, I have to make it count!
Today's work with JR Rosania was not as tough as last week, but still very intense. The goal this week was to do more volume in an hour than ever before, and I think my body held up well. My legs don't have the same aerobic capacity as my upper body, which is largely due to the fact that I'm primarily an upper body swimmer. I have been trying to focus on building leg strength, and when I'm working with JR, there's no escaping the work we do in that area. When I'm at the gym on my own, I tend to say that I want to put a bigger focus on my core, or simply wimp out when it comes to doing heavy leg weights. I'm happy that I'm adapting to JR's workouts, and he noticed I'm getting stronger, especially on the sled jumps. I'm lying on my back on a sled with pretty heavy resistance (no weights, but rather a few resistance cords), and I emulate pushing off the wall on backstroke. I do feel like I am getting more "air" on the jumps, and can do 10 in a row without taking a very brief break between jumps. Though I feel sore the day after, I know it is paying off.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Billy Don't Be a Hero
Date: Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Long Course Meters
174 days to Olympic Trials
300 warmup
16x50 on 1:00
odd: 25 free swim/25 free kick or drill
even: 25 stroke kick or drill/25 stroke swim
4x(4x100 on 1:40)
1. 25 breast/25 free (1:24 avg)
2. 50 back/50 free (1:22 avg)
3. 100 back (1:19 avg)
4. 100 free (1:14 avg)
100 easy
@ mid-pool:
8x50 on 1:10 (25 free easy/25 stroke fast)
400 breast distance per stroke (12 strokes per length)
100 easy (with stretching)
Total: 3,500 meters (80 minutes)
At the gym (5 p.m.)
Incline chest press (15 @ 90, 12 @ 110, 10 @ 130)
Leg extensions (15 @ 90, 12 @ 115, 10 @ 130)
Standing lat pull (15 @ 50, 12 @ 60, 10 @ 75)
10 minutes abdominals
Bicep curls (15 @ 15 each arm, 12 @ 22.5, 10 @ 30)
I wasn't trying to be a hero in the pool or at the gym today. My glutes and groin were still sore from Sunday's weight workout and trip to Six Flags, so I figured I needed a day to hold back when I could probably pick up into another gear. The pool workout was pretty tough, and holding those averages on the 100 back and 100 free were not easy. But, on the other hand, I was glad that I didn't have to do a 400 IM!
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Long Course Meters
174 days to Olympic Trials
300 warmup
16x50 on 1:00
odd: 25 free swim/25 free kick or drill
even: 25 stroke kick or drill/25 stroke swim
4x(4x100 on 1:40)
1. 25 breast/25 free (1:24 avg)
2. 50 back/50 free (1:22 avg)
3. 100 back (1:19 avg)
4. 100 free (1:14 avg)
100 easy
@ mid-pool:
8x50 on 1:10 (25 free easy/25 stroke fast)
400 breast distance per stroke (12 strokes per length)
100 easy (with stretching)
Total: 3,500 meters (80 minutes)
At the gym (5 p.m.)
Incline chest press (15 @ 90, 12 @ 110, 10 @ 130)
Leg extensions (15 @ 90, 12 @ 115, 10 @ 130)
Standing lat pull (15 @ 50, 12 @ 60, 10 @ 75)
10 minutes abdominals
Bicep curls (15 @ 15 each arm, 12 @ 22.5, 10 @ 30)
I wasn't trying to be a hero in the pool or at the gym today. My glutes and groin were still sore from Sunday's weight workout and trip to Six Flags, so I figured I needed a day to hold back when I could probably pick up into another gear. The pool workout was pretty tough, and holding those averages on the 100 back and 100 free were not easy. But, on the other hand, I was glad that I didn't have to do a 400 IM!
Monday, January 2, 2012
California Dreamin'
Date: Monday, January 2, 2012
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
175 days to Olympic Trials
I spent New Year's weekend in Los Angeles with my partner, Geoff Glaser, and it was great to get a change of scenery for a few days. I did a search of the various Masters programs in the area, and I came upon UCLA Masters. They were doing their Saturday workout at the new Spieker Aquatics Center, and since I had always wanted to check it out, I decided that was the place to be.
Unfortunately, the GPS in our car could not recognize the pool's address, and as such, it took us through Beverly Hills, which I was confident was not the way to go as we were driving. When the guidance system ended the trip in an alley, I was livid. It was 10:45, and workout started at 11. It took us another 40 minutes to make our way to campus, find a parking spot and get into the pool. Here's the workout we managed to get on New Year's Eve:
(Short Course Yards)
Four rounds:
4x125 free on 1:35
4x50 stroke descend on :50
Rounds 1-2: backstroke descended to :31
Rounds 3-4: breaststroke descended to :33
200 easy
Total: 3,000 yards (45 minutes)
That was a tough workout! If we had gotten to the pool in time, that set wouldn't have been as difficult as it was. To dive in and do 125s on 1:35 was tough, but after two rounds, I was ready to go.
On New Year's Day, we had no plans to swim. We had fallen asleep at 11:15 p.m. on New Year's Eve and woke up at 7:30 the next morning. We used the gym at the Westin hotel, which isn't fully stocked with all the amenities, but was adequate enough for some free weight chest presses, free weight lunges and a few sets of breaststroke strokes with five-pound dumbbells while laying on the therapy ball.
I probably shouldn't have done the lunges that morning. We spent about seven hours at Six Flags Magic Mountain on New Year's Day, which was a great thing to do that day. The weather was 80 degrees during the day, and all the rollercoasters were thrilling. I'm like a kid in a candy store at amusement parks, especially Magic Mountain, which has the most rollercoasters in the world. The best one in the park was Green Lantern: First Flight. We did a lot of walking around that amusement park, including up a fairly steep hill.
When I woke up this morning, my glutes and hamstrings were very tight. This is the price I pay for having loads of fun at Six Flags. I did some dynamic stretching as soon as I got out of bed to get the blood flowing, since we had to be at the UCLA rec pool for a final California workout at 10 a.m. Just to be on the safe side, we got there 30 minutes early!
Here's a photo of the pool:
Does this pool look familiar? It should be if you've seen the movie "Minority Report." This pool was part of a crucial scene in the movie that I probably shouldn't reveal, but if you see the movie, you will recognize it. I swam in this pool back when I was in college. We had a dual meet against the now-defunct UCLA men's team in early January, I believe. I remember it being in the early afternoon and being somewhat warm.
UCLA Masters is coached by two-time Olympian Erika Hansen, and she's very committed to the team. She spent the entire time encouraging every swimmer, and didn't exclude me just because I had "experience." I enjoyed swimming with the team, and might come back on a future trip to LA!
Here's today's workout:
(Short Course Meters)
500 warmup
5x100 with :10 rest
75 free/25 kick fast
Six rounds:
1x150 free on 2:40
2x25 free no breath on :30
3x100 free on 1:25
3x50 fly descend on :55 (descended to :34)
2x100 free on 1:25
3x50 fly descend on 1:00 (descended to :34)
1x100 free on 1:25
3x50 fly descend 1:05 (descended to :33)
200 warmdown
Total: 3,350 meters (65 minutes)
Lots of butterfly today! This was a typical Monday workout for UCLA Masters, which was not what I was expecting. Most Masters team make Mondays their distance day, and on the drive to the pool, I was mentally preparing for a long set of 500s. My legs weren't as sore as I thought they would be when I pushed off the walls, but the kicking was tough on my glutes. On the whole, the workout wasn't too bad, or at least as bad as I was expecting. It was a good way to say goodbye to southern California.
Now, it's time to get back into the rhythm of real life. I've got to get ready for the Austin Grand Prix, which is a little less than two weeks away!
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
175 days to Olympic Trials
I spent New Year's weekend in Los Angeles with my partner, Geoff Glaser, and it was great to get a change of scenery for a few days. I did a search of the various Masters programs in the area, and I came upon UCLA Masters. They were doing their Saturday workout at the new Spieker Aquatics Center, and since I had always wanted to check it out, I decided that was the place to be.
Unfortunately, the GPS in our car could not recognize the pool's address, and as such, it took us through Beverly Hills, which I was confident was not the way to go as we were driving. When the guidance system ended the trip in an alley, I was livid. It was 10:45, and workout started at 11. It took us another 40 minutes to make our way to campus, find a parking spot and get into the pool. Here's the workout we managed to get on New Year's Eve:
(Short Course Yards)
Four rounds:
4x125 free on 1:35
4x50 stroke descend on :50
Rounds 1-2: backstroke descended to :31
Rounds 3-4: breaststroke descended to :33
200 easy
Total: 3,000 yards (45 minutes)
That was a tough workout! If we had gotten to the pool in time, that set wouldn't have been as difficult as it was. To dive in and do 125s on 1:35 was tough, but after two rounds, I was ready to go.
On New Year's Day, we had no plans to swim. We had fallen asleep at 11:15 p.m. on New Year's Eve and woke up at 7:30 the next morning. We used the gym at the Westin hotel, which isn't fully stocked with all the amenities, but was adequate enough for some free weight chest presses, free weight lunges and a few sets of breaststroke strokes with five-pound dumbbells while laying on the therapy ball.
I probably shouldn't have done the lunges that morning. We spent about seven hours at Six Flags Magic Mountain on New Year's Day, which was a great thing to do that day. The weather was 80 degrees during the day, and all the rollercoasters were thrilling. I'm like a kid in a candy store at amusement parks, especially Magic Mountain, which has the most rollercoasters in the world. The best one in the park was Green Lantern: First Flight. We did a lot of walking around that amusement park, including up a fairly steep hill.
When I woke up this morning, my glutes and hamstrings were very tight. This is the price I pay for having loads of fun at Six Flags. I did some dynamic stretching as soon as I got out of bed to get the blood flowing, since we had to be at the UCLA rec pool for a final California workout at 10 a.m. Just to be on the safe side, we got there 30 minutes early!
Here's a photo of the pool:
Does this pool look familiar? It should be if you've seen the movie "Minority Report." This pool was part of a crucial scene in the movie that I probably shouldn't reveal, but if you see the movie, you will recognize it. I swam in this pool back when I was in college. We had a dual meet against the now-defunct UCLA men's team in early January, I believe. I remember it being in the early afternoon and being somewhat warm.
UCLA Masters is coached by two-time Olympian Erika Hansen, and she's very committed to the team. She spent the entire time encouraging every swimmer, and didn't exclude me just because I had "experience." I enjoyed swimming with the team, and might come back on a future trip to LA!
Here's today's workout:
(Short Course Meters)
500 warmup
5x100 with :10 rest
75 free/25 kick fast
Six rounds:
1x150 free on 2:40
2x25 free no breath on :30
3x100 free on 1:25
3x50 fly descend on :55 (descended to :34)
2x100 free on 1:25
3x50 fly descend on 1:00 (descended to :34)
1x100 free on 1:25
3x50 fly descend 1:05 (descended to :33)
200 warmdown
Total: 3,350 meters (65 minutes)
Lots of butterfly today! This was a typical Monday workout for UCLA Masters, which was not what I was expecting. Most Masters team make Mondays their distance day, and on the drive to the pool, I was mentally preparing for a long set of 500s. My legs weren't as sore as I thought they would be when I pushed off the walls, but the kicking was tough on my glutes. On the whole, the workout wasn't too bad, or at least as bad as I was expecting. It was a good way to say goodbye to southern California.
Now, it's time to get back into the rhythm of real life. I've got to get ready for the Austin Grand Prix, which is a little less than two weeks away!
Kick It
Date: Friday, December 30, 2011
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Long Course Meters
178 days to Olympic Trials
300 warmup
8x200 on 3:45
odd: 100 swim/100 kick
even: 100 kick/100 swim
12x50 on 1:15
odd: 25 kick underwater/25 swim
even: 25 swim/25 kick underwater
8x150 on 2:30
1-3: easy with breakouts
4: 50 back/50 breast/50 free fast from push (1:53)
5-8: recovery
50 easy
50 breast fast from push (30.0)
100 easy
Total: 3,900 meters (80 minutes)
I needed a little bit of recovery today, which is why I did not work the set of 150s as they were originally written. Everyone else descended 1-4 and 5-8, but I just swam number four fast and thought it would be good to finish up with a fast 50.
I did not expect to go under 34 again in my fast 50 breast. Everything felt good, but when you add up all the hard work I've put in this week, both in and out of the pool, I didn't think I had another great 50 in me. I know there are a few tweaks I could experiment with to see if they work. First and foremost is getting rid of the slight hesitation in my stroke after the insweep. I tend to do that when swimming fast, but oddly, not so much when swimming slower. Tako was our guest coach this morning, and he noticed that, as well as a little tip on holding water in the kick during the finish. As I noted before, I'll listen to every recommendation people give me about stroke changes, but I'm going to be very cautious about adopting them just because someone thinks they are best for me.
As you may have noticed, I did not lift weights this week. This was not by design. I planned to lift on Tuesday and Thursday, but life caught up with me, and other responsibilities took priority. Thankfully, I was able to my work with JR, and I should be back on schedule next week.
I hope to swim this weekend. I'm off to Los Angeles through Monday!
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Long Course Meters
178 days to Olympic Trials
300 warmup
8x200 on 3:45
odd: 100 swim/100 kick
even: 100 kick/100 swim
12x50 on 1:15
odd: 25 kick underwater/25 swim
even: 25 swim/25 kick underwater
8x150 on 2:30
1-3: easy with breakouts
4: 50 back/50 breast/50 free fast from push (1:53)
5-8: recovery
50 easy
50 breast fast from push (30.0)
100 easy
Total: 3,900 meters (80 minutes)
I needed a little bit of recovery today, which is why I did not work the set of 150s as they were originally written. Everyone else descended 1-4 and 5-8, but I just swam number four fast and thought it would be good to finish up with a fast 50.
I did not expect to go under 34 again in my fast 50 breast. Everything felt good, but when you add up all the hard work I've put in this week, both in and out of the pool, I didn't think I had another great 50 in me. I know there are a few tweaks I could experiment with to see if they work. First and foremost is getting rid of the slight hesitation in my stroke after the insweep. I tend to do that when swimming fast, but oddly, not so much when swimming slower. Tako was our guest coach this morning, and he noticed that, as well as a little tip on holding water in the kick during the finish. As I noted before, I'll listen to every recommendation people give me about stroke changes, but I'm going to be very cautious about adopting them just because someone thinks they are best for me.
As you may have noticed, I did not lift weights this week. This was not by design. I planned to lift on Tuesday and Thursday, but life caught up with me, and other responsibilities took priority. Thankfully, I was able to my work with JR, and I should be back on schedule next week.
I hope to swim this weekend. I'm off to Los Angeles through Monday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)