Silly

I don't work well without motivation. I've decided to sign up for an olympic distance triathlon (1k swim, 40k bike, 10k run) in April which doesn't give me a lot of time to train. I'm especially concerned about the run. I've got a plan and I'm trying to be reasonable and not overdo things early. I've hooked up with the Vandy Tri Club for support. Today was my first two-a-day with them in a while. I spent about 50 minutes in the pool and got in about 2500 yards. Then, I had a spin session that lasted every darn minute of the 40 minute workout. I thought we were done after that. I was wrong. We still had ab work left. It was a great workout and I think I'll sleep well tonight--if I don't wake up with my legs cramping!

Swim Workout

I didn't have a lot of time for a swim workout tonight, but really wanted to do something. I managed 2000 yards in about 45 minutes and a really challenging workout (for me).

• 200 SKPS (800 total yards)
• 4 x 100, descending (1:30, 1:25, 1:20, 1:15)
• 8 x 50, 25 sprint, 30 seconds tread legs-only or 30 water crunches, 25 sprint on 1:30
• 4 x 100, descending (1:30, 1:25, 1:20, 1:15)

Total 2000

I made it through the first descending set, killed myself on the 50s, and missed the last 100 on the last set. I'll get it next time.

Dedication

If my parents had been as dedicated to the success of my athletic endeavors, who knows where I'd be? Or rather, if I'd have survived.

More swimming

Yeah, yeah. It seems that the only workouts that I really post about are the swimming ones. I'll give a little blurb about the muddy softball from yesterday after I post today's swim workout.

• 200 SKPS
• 2 x 50 kick hard
• 4 x 100 @ 1:40
• 3 x 100 @ 1:30
• 2 x 100 @ 1:25
• 1 x 100 @ 1:20
• 100 cool down

2000 yards total. I didn't quite make the 2nd on 1:25 and I had aimed for 1:15 for the single, but it was a good workout anyway.

Muddy softball was...muddy softball. You couldn't see second base. A good time was had by all, though my team lost 5-4 (I think). My batting could have improved, but it was probably better than last time, and my fielding was definitely better than last time. A few more games and, well, the season will be over, but maybe next season. It's been a great time, as little as I've played.

Swim Lessons

While I've disappeared from the blogging for a while, I've not been completely idle. I finally managed to get back in the water this week. I got a quick swim while I was in DC for two weeks, but hadn't been in the water since mid-May. There's some sort of "camp" activity going on in the VU SRC, where every child in the Greater Nashville area descends on the SRC to learn to swim. Even with this, I didn't have to share a lane (yea!). My workout was pretty straight forward:

• 200 SKPS


• 500 Swim


• 10 x 50 Swim (2 of each stroke, then finished with kicks)

Turns out to be 1800 yards, which was respectable.

With all the kids running about, the other activities scheduled for the pool at that time were a little more cramped than usual. About halfway through my workout, I was asked to move over a lane to make room for the water polo club. I moved and was appreciating the added wave action as an addition to my workout--more like open water, right? I was fine until I started thinking about the potential of stray water polo balls flying into my lane...and swimming backstroke. Naturally, as I was thinking about this, a ball landed at my hands. I decided to avoid backstroke for the rest of the workout.

Swimming in Soup

Tonight's swim was one of those where I was sure they replaced the water in the pool with Jell-O or some sort of thickened broth. The latter is probably a more accurate description because on top of the water being a touch too warm, I felt like I had a sack of potatoes tied to my toes. The good news is that I completed 2000 yards. The bad news is that I planned 3000. The good news is that the yards I put in were strength/sprint yards. I'm going to hurt later.

• 200 SKPS
• 4 x 4 x 25 (Each set different stroke)
• 200 kick (butterfly)
• 5 x 100 IM
• 100 Cool Down

So, yeah, that adds up to 2000.

Makin' (tiny) Waves

Swam tonight. I wanted so very much to swim forever, but had to settle for a nice long workout (for me) and accept the fact that I'm not quite able to swim forever, mostly due to time constraints.

• 200 SKPS
• 3 x 500
• Hypoxic 5
• Every other 100 concentrate on stroke
• Swim
• Down the ladder from 400
• 400-Concentrate on turns (no breathing off the wall)
• 300-Butterfly on the 1st 25 of each 100
• 200-IM
• 100-Cool down, last 25 underwater dolphin kick on my back (you know, for fun)

If I count correctly, it adds to 2800 yards. Sigh. Now I'm hungry.

Swim (and a bird of prey)

After almost three weeks out of the water, I managed to get a swim in tonight. I took it easy on myself and did the following:

• 200 SKS
• Up the ladder to 400
• 100 Cool down

1700 yards total.

During one of my breaks, I noticed a little 'un running around with her dad. I assumed that she had come in for a swimming lesson. It turns out that she was also in to get a workout for her lungs. I almost stopped on two of my laps because I heard something out of the ordinary. Was it a guard whistle? No. Bird of prey? No, but getting closer. Future teen-girl-saber-fencer? Ahh...yes, that was the sound. I had no idea how that sound developed. Water torture in form of swimming lessons creates future saber fencers. You learn something new every day.

Swim of the Day

I managed to convince myself that swimming was a good idea for the workout tonight. The pool was relatively crowded and I had to wait for a few minutes before a lane opened up. This is one of the benefits of having around fourteen lap lanes in a pool. I have yet to have to share a lane. The workout is below. I felt pretty good after the first time through the main set, but getting there was a struggle. The first time 'round, I went on a 2:30 cycle, but was able to cut that down to 2:15 for the second set.

• 200 SKPD
• 2 x (5 x 150 in the following order)
• Moderate (to establish pace)
• Hard, Easy, Hard (by 50's)
• Easy, Hard, Easy
• Build up intensity
• Moderate, trying to match the time from the first 150 (should be kinda hard)
• 200 Cool Down

2500 yards total.

Swim du Jour

I managed to drag myself to the pool tonight and got wrapped up in a set that took me longer than I expected, but was good, nonetheless. Basically, I did a ladder, building from 100 yards to 500 yards in 100 yard increments, then working back down. I've done a simple breakdown of what I was working towards below.

• 200 Warm up
• 100 hard -- I did this in about 1:15, which is not bad for an old lady like myself.
• 200 concentrating on finishing the stroke and not breathing off turns
• 300 relax and enjoy the swim--no breathing off turns
• 400 I was going to relax, then a guy in the lane next to me started at the same time and I decided that I couldn't let him be faster than me, so I swam the first 250 faster than expected, then I relaxed for the rest.
• 500 hard. My legs were cramping as I was pushing off the walls (still not breathing until the third stroke). I think my time for this was 7:05, which isn't fabulous, but I'll take it.
• 400 easy
• 300 relax and concentrate on quickly deteriorating form.
• 200 IM--I was bored.
• 100 cool down

2700 yards total.

A note from the "relaxed" swims where I wasn't breathing off the walls: This involves taking a breath when you see the flags (5 m from the end), usually 3-4 strokes, the flip turn, a glide, then 3 strokes before taking another breath. I can feel the lack of oxygen as I'm coming out of the turn, but can usually control myself long enough to finish the extra strokes without the extra breath. In contrast, when I'm running, I panic when I start breathing hard and usually let up a bit rather than get that "I can't breathe and I might keel over right now" feeling. To me, they're completely separate--one is scary, the other is not. I think it's odd that the one that has the potential for me drowning is not scary. There's got to be a way to get over that feeling when running.

Yes, friends, when I'm not trying to keep track of laps, this is what I think about when swimming.

Workouts...a bit late

I haven't been a complete slacker, just the blog posting part of me has been slacking. The workouts since the last post are below.

Thursday--did a quick core workout video from the set that Mom and Dad gave me for my birthday. It's an off-season cycling training program that came with yoga and core DVDs. I'm planning to start the 12-week cycle on Monday and try to stick with the program in hopes of improving my bike for the tris. The workout I did was a "bonus" on the core DVD, which included various crunches, leg lifts, and other terrible things that your body isn't intended. Owwww....

Having sorta recovered from that, I had a bit of time on Friday to get a bit of a brick workout in before heading to the Friday Night version of the Grand Ole Opry for the evening. I ran to the gym at a good pace (about 3/4 mile), swam 1200 yards (200 warm up, 1000 swim), then ran back. I think the workout continued when I got home and was ready for the show in 20 minutes. The long swim for the evening was nice in that I was relaxed and I tried to concentrate on finishing my stroke and not breathing off the walls, that is to say that after my flip turns I was trying to not breathe for two strokes into the length. It was a good workout.

Saturday morning, I finally got back on the bike (on the trainer) and did about 45 minutes of spinning at 90-100 rpm while listening to Car Talk. It was an unremarkable workout, but made me tired enough to necessitate a nap in the afternoon. I'll not mention that I was feeling the core workout from Thursday in a pretty major way all day. Gotta love the two day pain delay.

I'm taking today off. I think.

Tonight's Swim

I managed to make it to the pool tonight. It was a struggle that lasted all day. I wanted to go, but the sleepits were out and I was terribly hungry, having forgotten to take snacks with me to the office (a six-inch sub evidently is not sufficient sustenance for a full day). It seemed that no one wanted me to swim today, having received an article about a guy who thinks it's a good idea to swim down the Amazon. Even when I got to the gym, I was freezing and took a hot, hot shower before going into the pool and was still considering just heading home.

When I finally convinced myself that I couldn't just stand there and I took the dive in, the water felt great. I wasn't necessarily "gliding" as I would have liked, but it felt really good.

The Workout:

• 200 SKPS
• 5 x 200 (easy, medium, easy, hard, easy; 10 seconds rest; last 50 of each hypoxic 5)
• 4 x 50 kick on a minute
• 500 swim

2500 yards total.

I then went home and ate everything in sight. I'm much better now.

Today's Workout -- Swim

I finally managed to make it back to the pool. Last week didn't go so well in the swimming arena, but tonight worked out fine. Below is the workout.

• 200 SKPDS (200 each of Swim, Kick, Pull, Drill, Swim)
• This set has a name, but I can't remember it for the life of me:
• 4 x 25 Fly (10 seconds rest)
• 100 IM (30 seconds rest)
• 4 x 25 Back
• 100 IM
• 4 x 25 Breast
• 100 IM
• 4 x 25 Free
• 100 IM
• 200 Cool Down

2000 yards total.