I wasn’t feeling too well today… a bit dizzy for some reason, but I decided to go swimming anyway, because I usually feel better afterwards. Tonight was no exception. I felt better after swimming, but I certainly didn’t feel great during the workout. It was pretty rough.
Warm-Up (1600):
12 x 100 Free on 1:45 using 6-beat kick
16 x 25 Free on 0:30 using 6-beat kick
Main Set (2300):
5 x 400 Free on 7:00
1 x 200 Backstroke Easy
4 x Power Turns
Tonight we were able to video ourselves swimming. Kulani brought his underwater camera and Dave filmed each of us from a couple angles. We should be able to watch the video and get critiqued next week.
At the end of the night we played a new game called Pirates Attack. Each person has a noodle that they need to get to the other side of the pool. The problem is that there is another team coming from the other side headed toward your side… and each team needs to steal noodles and/or people and bring them to the wall. I didn’t do very well. I was ganged up on and captured every round. But it was still a lot of fun (and my arms are sore).
Warm-Up (1800):
1 x 500 Free
1 x 400 Kick
1 x 300 Pull
1 x 200 Free/Back
1 x 100 Back
1 x 300 Free easy
Waiting Set (600):
6 x 100 Free on 2:00 (25 Free, 50 Drill, 25 Free)
Video Time (50):
2 x 25 Free Sprint
Pirates Attack!
We took a couple weeks off for various reasons, including a trip to San Diego, but we were back in the pool again tonight… and it was tough.
Warm-Up (1500):
1 x 500 Free
1 x 400 Kick
1 x 300 Pull
1 x 200 Free/Back
1 x 100 Back
Drill Set (1600):
32 x 50 Free Drill on 1:00
( 4 x 6-Kick Switch, 4 x Stretch-Up,
4 x Russian Free, 4 x One-arm Free,
4 x 6-Kick Switch, 4 x Stretch-Up,
4 x Russian Free, 4 x One-arm Free )
Relays (150):
2 x 25 Free Sprint
1 x 25 Underwater kick
1 x 25 Free Sprint
1 x 50 Easy
This month we’re working on Freestyle. At least that’s what we’ve been told. So far it just seems like we’re doing a lot of kicking. We had 17 again tonight, so that meant 5 people in my lane. I had a good time with Paul, Gordon, Chelsea, and Andrea.
Warm-Up (1250):
1 x 400 Free
1 x 200 Kick
1 x 200 Pull
6 x 75 Free on 1:10 (2 white, 2 pink, 2 red)
Drill (450):
8 x 25 Drill on 0:30 (both arms to your side, kicking on one side at a time)
1 x 100 Drill (same as above)
4 x 25 Drill on 0:30 (one arm in front, kicking on your side)
2 x 25 Drill (same as above)
Banjo Kazooie (1650):
1 x 25 Kick fast on 0:40
1 x 25 Kick easy on 0:40
2 x 25 Kick fast on 0:40
1 x 25 Kick easy on 0:40
3 x 25 Kick fast on 0:40
1 x 25 Kick easy on 0:40
4 x 25 Kick fast on 0:40
1 x 25 Kick easy on 0:40
5 x 25 Kick fast on 0:40
1 x 25 Kick easy on 0:40
6 x 25 Kick fast on 0:40
1 x 25 Kick easy on 0:40
7 x 25 Kick fast on 0:40
1 x 25 Kick easy on 0:40
8 x 25 Kick fast on 0:40
1 x 25 Kick easy on 0:40
9 x 25 Kick fast on 0:40
1 x 25 Kick easy on 0:40
10 x 25 Kick fast on 0:40
1 x 25 Kick easy on 0:40
Warm-Down (100):
1 x 100 easy
We’re really starting to be a huge group. We had 17 people there tonight and we counted at least 5 missing. We’re so big that our coach has started to bring in an assistant coach to help out with practices. I hope we continue to grow; that’s what makes it fun.
I had a hard time getting my lungs going tonight. I was having a really hard time breathing during the warm-up and almost convinced myself to get out and sit in the hot tub. But after the 6 x 75 Free/Back, I started to feel better. By the end of the 6 x 100 Free on 1:45, I was feeling pretty good. Then the kicking sets just about killed me, but I’m sure they made me stronger.
Warm-Up (850):
1 x 400 Free
6 x 75 Free/Back on 0:10 rest
6 x 100 Free on 1:45 (2 white, 2 pink, 2 white)
Kick Set (1400):
8 x 100 Dolphin Kick on 2:00 on our backs with fins
8 x 50 Backstroke Kick on 1:00 with fins
8 x 25 Free Kick on 0:40 race pace without fins
Warm-Down (150):
1 x 150 Easy
Tonight I finally figured out why my coaches have been telling me not to breathe my first stroke off the wall. All these years I thought it was purely a style thing… getting used to not breathing so much. No! There’s actually a reason behind it. And, as it so happens, it coincides with the things I’ve been practicing lately. I’ve had a problem with sloppy flipturns, but I’ve been working on it. Specifically, I’ve been working on flipping over straight, then pushing off on my back and rotating back to normal during the push-off. Well, as we worked on our break-outs tonight (first stroke as you come up from a push-off), Coach Durant showed us why you shouldn’t breathe on your first stroke. You see, your first pull from streamline position should be with the deeper arm while you are on your side. It makes a huge difference. And that’s why this is so funny to me. For years I’ve been trying to not breathe off my first stroke, but I think I’ve been pulling with my shallow arm, completely defeating the purpose of not breathing that first stroke.
Warm-Up (1450):
1 x 400 Free
6 x 75 Free/Back (5 strokes, switch, 5 strokes, switch, etc.)
6 x 100 Free on 1:45 (2 white, 2 pink, 2 red)
Open Turn work (10 x 25)
Break-Out work (10 x 25)
Final Set (400):
16 x 25 Free Sprint on 0:45 (one direction to the feet, the other direction from a dive)
True to its name, the Icebreaker Triathlon was cold. I was ill prepared for how cold it was to come out of the pool, soaking wet, and get on my bike and ride fast in the wind. It wasn’t actually windy, but it was still cold. I had a really hard time breathing the cold air and at one point I noticed my arms and legs had turned completely red. But it sure was fun.
I am definitely rusty when it comes to knowing what to do for these things. I started things off by trying to check-in without my ID. Luckily, Charmaine had reminded me to bring it, so I only had to make an extra trip to the car. Then I went to start warming up in the pool and realized I was the only one without a timing chip. Woops. So I went back to the check-in station and picked up my timing chip… and noticed that I was the only one without body marking, so I fixed that as well.
Warming Up
Zig-Zag Overtake
I think my swim-to-bike transition may have been longer than my actual swim. I should probably work on my transitions someday. The cold definitely added to my slowness, plus I was really breathing hard after swimming hard then running from the pool out to the transition area. I took several minutes putting on my helmet, gloves, socks, and shoes.
Fat Man Riding
Running Home
Tonight we worked on sculling. My arms are hurting just thinking back on it. I hope I recover before the Icebreaker Triathlon on Saturday. After all the sculling, we did some more head and body position work in the shallow end until time ran out.
Warm-Up (700):
1 x 400 Free
4 x 75 Free on 0:10 rest
Main Set (1400):
6 x 100 Free on 1:45 (2 white, 2 pink, 2 red)
4 x 50 Sculling (head-forward, hands in front)
1 x 100 Pulling
4 x 50 Sculling (head-forward, hands at hips)
1 x 100 Pulling
4 x 50 Sculling (feet-forward, hands under hips)
Head and body position work in the shallow end
We spent about half the workout tonight working on head and body position in the shallow end of the pool. One of the key things most of us were doing wrong was rotation. Unlike walking, in swimming your arm matches the leg that is moving forward. When your right arm extends, your right leg goes forward; when your left leg extends, your left leg goes forward. It felt awkward at first, but I think it started to help us improve our stroke count by the end. Another thing I need to work on is keeping my head down and not looking forward all the time.
After our work with head and body position, we finished things up with a killer relay. I went in lane 1 with Paul and Gordon (a new guy that is quite fast — swam for Timpview in ’93). All the other lanes had 4 people, so we were fortunate enough to get to go 4 times for every 3 that the others went… and somehow we still won.
Warm-Up (700):
1 x 400 Free
4 x 75 Free/Back (5 strokes free, 5 strokes back, repeat)
Head and Body Position work in the shallow-end
Main Set (400):
8 x 50 Free on 1:00 with fins (counting strokes)
Relays (200):
4 x 50 Free sprint on 1:15
It’s been so warm lately that I have been riding my scooter to work and tonight I rode it to practice. Charmaine’s brothers Rob and David are in town and they all went to Ogden to surf the standing wave. It was a little cold on my way to practice, but it wasn’t bad on the way back. I’ll probably ride it every time Charmaine misses practice (which isn’t often).
We finished up practice with a set of relays. It was a lot of fun, but it really took everything out of us. I guess that’s the whole point. We push ourselves harder when there’s a little friendly competition. I led our lane, followed by Sean, then Mark, then Sabrina, and Dagon brought it home. We each swam two 25s each race, so we had a slight break, but it wasn’t enough… especially by the third race. Our lane won the first race, but we got spanked on the next two. And for that, we don’t get treats next practice, but everyone in the other lane does. We’ll have to find a way to win next time. I don’t know how I’m going to beat Paul though. He is fast.
I split lane 3 with Paul. I could barely keep up, especially on the monster kicking, but somehow I managed to leave on time, every time. If that wasn’t enough, Sabrina and Chelsea were doing the same thing in lane 2, on the same interval, and both of them were killing me too. I guess my kick is really weak. I’m glad I have these guys to push me along.
Warm-Up (1000):
6 x 100 free/back (5 strokes free, 5 strokes back, repeat) on 0:10 seconds rest with fins
1 x 400 pull/scull (75 pull, 25 scull, repeat)
Main Set (1925):
12 x 50 monster kicking on 1:10 (last time my interval was 1:20, so this was a big step up for me)
12 x 100 drill/back (50 vertical ice, 50 full-stroke backstroke) on 1:40 with fins
1 x 125 easy
Relays (150):
2 x 25 free (5 people, each swimming 2 x 25 free)
2 x 25 free, back (1 x 25 free followed by 1 x 25 back)
2 x 25 corkscrew (this made everyone sick)