The Party's Ovah

Back to the grind today, both literally (today's workout) and figuratively (work, being responsible, etc). I forgot to ask Dr. Bob today if he could prescribe something for my PVLS: Post-Vacation Letdown Syndrome. I am sure there are a few things that would help this malaise that has suddenly come upon me. The positive news is that it was great to see my lanemates today. Not quite as positive but still okay is that I get to spend this rainy day in my office, warm and dry, checking my 500 emails. In every cloud....

The workout was a grind. Lots of people there today to enjoy it, too.

4 x 50 count strokes
100 50 back 50 choice
4 x 50 drill/swim
100 50 back 50 choice
300 swim :30r
300 pull hypoxic
8 x 100 on 1:40
2 x 50 back
6 x 100 on 1:50
2 x 50 choice
4 x 100 on 2:00
2 x 50 back

The challenge on this set is to not get too bored. We swam the first set even pace, pulled a few of the second set, and with all the rest tried to push the last set. It was hard, and I felt it after being out of practice for over a week. Everyone did great today!

OBX Journal 2009

Greetings from the Outer Banks! I thought I would include a page from my journal this week on the blog. It's pretty much the same, ho-hum, relaxing itinerary each day. If you read this expecting a swim workout, you will be slightly disappointed.

6:30am - wake up. Drink coffee. Sit on upper deck of house overlooking ocean. Check weather. Another 80 degree sunny day. Wonder out loud why I live in a place that isn't like this all the time.
7:00am - still sitting on deck. Play with multi colored play-dough with nieces
8:00am - go for run. Discover national estuarine reserve trail through wetlands. Appreciate this for the rest of my run.
9:30am - sit at pool. more coffee. teach nieces to kick holding onto wall (note swim reference).
11-ish - go to Corolla Lighthouse. Climb up.
1pm - receive calls and texts from home alerting me of bad weather in Boston. Feel sympathy for friends. Feel happy for me.
Afternoon - go to beach. read, build sandcastles, walk, body surf, play "baggo!", throw football, remember that shoulder still hurts, stop throwing football, start thinking about dinner. teach nieces (2.5 and 3 yo) the congratulatory "fist bump."
5pm - return to house. Brother-in-law prepares margaritas. Shower. Sit outside. Remember it's my turn to make dinner. 7:30pm -Prepare and make dinner. Corral 13 adults, 2 children, and 2 babies into dining area. Eat.
Post dinner - walk on beach. Listen to brother play guitar. Play Euchre. Sit around doing nothing. No TV. Wonderful.

As you might guess, I am exhausted from all of this activity. And while I miss all of you terribly, I can't say I would rather be there than here. And in case you are wondering, I am wearing my 30spf.

Mashpee Race Report

We finally got a beautiful day! And not soon enough for those of us who swam the Mashpee 3.1 or 1 mile swim today. Representing MIT Masters were Caitlin, Marla, Matt, and me. This is a summary of the swim.

It was about 64 degrees, which was almost balmy. The water was calm. I was amused when the race director went to take the water temp and put the thermometer in about 1 foot of water and said "68 degrees." I am no scientist, but my guess is that the water right near the shore might be a tad bit warmer than the rest of the (very) large and deep pond. But mentally, that helped a lot, just knowing that somewhere in the pond it was 68. We all discussed how this was only 3 degrees colder than our pool! But we quickly realized it was actually 13 degrees colder. Okay, the course was a triangle, and those of us who did 3.1 went 6 times around and the mile swimmers did it twice. The course looked long, and the final times showed that was the case. The field was probably around 100 - a perfect number.

We started on the opposite end of the beach from the milers. It was a deep water start, and the deeper it got, the colder it got. Remember, if you wanted to compete in this race you could not wear a wetsuit. So we are treading water, waiting for the starting gun. And waiting. More waiting. By the time the gun went off I was pretty cold. Bill gave me a strategy, which was to go out fast and try to stay with the fast group as long as possible. I did that, but we met up with the milers and I lost my draft. I ended up finding a group of guys who seemed strong, so I tried to stay with them. I quickly realized that some of them could not sight their way out of a tunnel with a light at the end of it. As they strayed right and left, I went straight, and met up with them at the bouys where I caught a bit of a draft until they strayed again. My thinking was this: I was more bothered by going off course than I was missing the draft, so while I swam my own race they were cruising. Since we all have to end up at the bouys it all equaled out.

Six loops is a LOT. After 3, I was cold and not relieved that I was halfway done. After four loops, I began to feel optimistic. On the last lap, I realized it was almost over. And then it was over. Amen.

So, our own Caitlin was the overall winner at 1:13:21 and she also won the 20-25 age group!!! She beat all the fast guys, and there were a lot of them. I am happy with my swim - third woman overall and 40-44 age group winner at 1:23:32. Marla got third in her age group for the mile, nice job! (I have your medal, Marla.)

Several people came up to me after and asked if I was aware that my lips were bright blue. No surprise. I had the shivers for about 45 minutes after the race, and never really warmed up in the water. But it was a lot of fun seeing old swimming friends and hanging out with my teammates. I am glad it is over - my lanemates know I trained hard for this and am relieved it is over. Now I can go on vacation, which I do tomorrow. Maybe if I am inspired I will post something from the Outer Banks.

Please behave when I am away, Lane 3-ers. I don't want to hear any stories!!! :)

Out of Office Reply

I did not swim today, but I did open up my email to find the following:

Out-of-Office Automatic Reply:

SB is temporarily out of the office… actually, he is under his desk sleeping off today’s swim practice.

Please leave a message and if Steve awakes before 2pm ET, he will return your message.

If this is an urgent matter, please contact Katie O’Dair, Bob Burrow or Carmen Monks who will be alert and at the ready (as they did not attend swim practice).

I guess I picked the right day to miss practice! It appears that it was SB, KBB, and KY.

100 Warmup
8 x 50 on 1:05 Rev IM order
7 x 100 @ 1:45
2 x 50 @ 1:15
6 x 100 @ 1:50
2 x 50 @ 1:15
5 x 100 @ 1:55
2 x 50 @ 1:15
4 x 100 @ 1:40
2 x 50 @ 1:15

That is a lot of 100s! Sounds like it tired everyone out. See you all tomorrow.

Rock me, Amadeus!

This was the theme of the morning, mostly because more than one of us heard this song on the radio driving to swim practice. And as you already know once I get a song in my head it is there for the duration. But it did get us to thinking - some of our new lanemates were not even BORN in the 80s! That means they missed all of the formative music of our high school and college experiences. What are YOUR favorite 80s tunes? I have to go with anything from Duran Duran or Def Leppard. BB likes "I want to be sedated." Hmm. But who can forget Vanilla Ice or MC Hammer? Okay enough.

300 WU on own
8 x 50 various stroke, free, drill
2 x 100 kick
100 easy on 2:00
500 pace on 8:45
100 easy on 2:00
500 going 200 hard, 100 easy, 200 hard
100 easy
400 fast on 7:00
2 x 50 easy on 1:15
400 faster on 7:00
2 x 50 easy

Mad props to SB who not only stayed for the entire workout but swam really strong. And IW found his groove at the right time and was looking very good today. There is something to report which will make us all feel good. One of the 19 year old college swimmers, who is ready to swim in the fast lane for sure, said she didn't want to leave because she likes swimming in L3. Awesome! We did not scare her off! Good job, everyone.

Hair update: Today is a good day - the sun is out, and the frizz is gone.

Bad hair

It's the talk of the town, this awful weather we are having. From talk radio (what bad economy? It's 55 degrees out!) to the grocery store (carrots - 2 for one with an umbrella) it seems this is all anyone can talk about. But what I can't say to the guy in line next to me in Starbucks when he starts to bemoan how terrible June has been is how unhappy I am with my hair in this weather. It is just awful, and many women would agree with me. I can throw on a sweater or raincoat, but nothing can help the hair. Okay, this is a swim blog so I will get to the heart of the matter, the workout today!

WU 200 on own
8 x 50 on :50 varied free/stroke/drill
4 x 50 kick
1 x 50 breast on 1:10
1 x 50 breast on 1:05
2 x 50 breast fast on :60
1 x 50 free cruise on :60
1 x 50 free on :55
3 x 50 free fast on :50
1 x 50 back cruise on 1:05
1 x 50 back on :60
2 x 50 back fast on :55
1 x 50 free cruise on :60
1 x 50 free on :55
3 x 50 free fast on :50
1 x 50 choice cruise on :60
1 x 50 choice on :55
3 x 50 choice fast on :50
3 x (4x100) going:
100 fast on 2:15
100 faster on 2:00
100 wicked fast on 1:50
100 easy

BTW, where were all my old friends? And by old friends I mean anyone who has been voting/drinking legally for 2-3 decades and swims in Lane 3. Nobody was there! I started out with the 19-20 year old college swimmer crowd, which made me feel on one hand good but on the other hand old. So I moved over to lane 2 (now lane 4, go figure) and hung on for dear life. I was shaking at the end of the workout which I suppose is a good thing.

Why we love Bill, Vol. 1

There are many reasons why we love our coach, but a short conversation on the pool deck today made me even more appreciative of his coaching style. We had a visitor from Palo Alto today, a guy who swims in this 16 lane outdoor pool, probably with olympians and likely without 30spf. He introduced himself to Bill and asked "are you doing a tempo workout today?" And Bill, in typical Bill fashion, said "sure - we'll do a tempo workout, along with a bunch of other things." He then looked at me and said "I am not sure that I have ever named one of our workouts a tempo workout but what the heck." That there, my friends, is just one example of why Bill rocks the pool.

Workout
150 drill/swim
150 stroke/free
50 free build
50 stroke build
2 x 100 kick
5 x 200 on 3:20
400 pull hypoxic
5 x 150 on 2:30

I think I may be forgetting something. Got to swim with R, J, and K today - very fun. I hope that this awful rain stops soon because our May flowers turned into June showers which turn into huge puddles on Mem drive. Happy weekend, all!

Nice or not?

The caption of the billboard photo says "always be a little kinder than necessary." Courtesy BB's IPhone

That was the question that Kevin, BB, and I pondered on the pool deck this morning. The question was are all swimmers nice, or do nice swimmers attract other nice swimmers? We could not make a sweeping statement that all swimmers on the planet were nice, because some of us had experiences in high school or college that prove otherwise. However, we did think that a place like MIT attracts similar-minded people who choose this community because it is a community. Otherwise, we would be happy swimming by ourselves. Maybe we just got lucky at MIT Masters, but my experience on other teams is that people are pretty darn nice. Discuss amongst yourselves, because I have a workout to post!

100 WU on own (or, as Bill describes, it is like rats scurrying into the pool when he walks on deck)
3 x 200 series of drill/stroke/swim
300 kick or pull or combo
2 x 50 stroke on 1:05
4 x 50 free on :60
6 x 50 stroke on 1:05
4 x 50 free on :60
2 x 50 stroke on 1:05
3 times thru:
150 pull on 2:40
50 easy
3 x 50 descend
50 easy pull

It was a fine workout, not my favorite. But I have to mention that we have a new lanemate, C2, who is in college and thus half our age. So we were feeling pretty darn good about ourselves when we found out she was a college swimmer. Let's face it, you take the highs when you can people!

Law and Order: Special Aquatics Unit

I have been thinking: if our lane was a TV show, what would it be? There are so many choices! Of course the obvious is a soap opera (The Old and the Restless), a sitcom (Diff'rent strokes - what you talkin' bout, coach Bill?) or a reality show (Survivor: Z Center). The problem with the latter is that reality may hit too close to home, with all the talk about chemicals in the pool, signs in the locker room about MRSA and making sure you locker is clean, etc. So for now I will settle on trying to woo NBC to pick up Law and Order: SAU. Truth is, the story lines are usually ripped from the news, and heaven knows we have plenty of intrigue and drama right here in Lane 3. Who wouldn't watch an hour about foot tapping? Or the disappearance of a pull bouy? Come on, that is compelling stuff. And just like the show we have guest stars, like Pat who made a triumphant return today. Today is Wednesday, which means we did distance (times are for long course meters as a reminder for those of you at home).

200 WU on own
2 times thru
50 drill/stroke
3 x 50 descend
100 drill/swim
8 x 50 free 2 on :55, 2 on :60 2 on :50 2 on :60
500 free easy on 9:00
400 200 pace, 200 fast on :60 rest
5 x 100 on 1:50
400 pace (or pull) on :60 rest
500 fastest of the day

Pat and BB led the set out - there was no getting in the way of their friendly competition (admit it, boys.) Bill gave us easy intervals today b/c apparently people have complained about the intervals being too tight, but not from our lane I am sure. My small claim to fame today was hanging on to Pat on the fast 500 for almost a full 100 before getting dropped. Final time 7:06 for Pat and 7:23 for me with BB right behind and everyone finishing strong.

Usually not at a loss for words...

Sometimes people wish I was at a loss for words, but that is never good on a blog! There were so many things going on this morning that I can't come up with just one theme, so I have settled on "Olympic spirit." My inspiration for this theme was a quick conversation on deck by BB and SB who were harkening back to the 80s Olympics, where there was drama, competition, boycotting (remember?) and peaceful protests. It was definitely crowded today, with seven of us, two who were visiting. The drama started before practice when E found Mr. T's dead pet bird and had to bury it. The competition was in the form of the order of the lane, which was eventually established. The boycotting was SB leaving to go "run." And the peaceful protests were in the form of peace signs on E's earrings and BB's new suit. First, here is the workout:

2 times thru:
100 drill/stroke by 50
100 drill/swim by 50
100 swim
Main:
400 pull on 6:40
400 swim on 6:30
400 fast on 6:20
300 pull on 5:00
300 swim on 4:50
300 fast on 4:40
200 pull on 3:40
200 swim on 3:30
200 fast on 3:20

Admittedly, it was a little chaotic today. Bill even scolded the lane for some transgressions, but truth be told I thought we all swam well and today made me realize how much I like the people I swim with. We have mojo. But it did remind me of a few more "lane etiquette" tips that come up occassionally, so here are two more:

1. If you are new, observe before inserting yourself. Some lanes are made up of people who swim together all the time – if you are there for the first time, take a chill pill and go to the back. If you can confidently move up, politely ask to do so.

2. Keep your sense of humor while keeping the intensity up. This is often tough, but keeping a friendly demeanor while kicking serious butt during practice is important.

3. Practice Good Lane Karma. Karma is one of those things that you either have or you don’t.You know when the lane is working well, and you know when it’s not. That is lane karma. Try not to bring bad karma, and realize it when you do and self-correct.

4. Thank the coach. Sometimes coaching is a thankless job, full of complaints and problems. Don’t forget to thank your coach. Even when he scolds you.

5. Have fun. I know I have said it before, but it is true. We are so lucky to have great coaches and a beautiful pool to swim in, so make the most of it.

How many Dr. Bobs does it take...

to make a swim workout? That would be two. Dr. Bob 1 and Dr. Bob 2! I think I should write a Suess-like children's book about our lane. And how many Dr. Bob's had a birthday this week? That would be one - Dr. Bob 1 to be precise. I won't say how old he is but it's within 4 years of our President. I came to my first Saturday practice today because nobody would take me up on my offer to swim Friday afternoon. Today was the Bobs, Joel, Marla and Me. Mariah was the coach - so yes it was tough.

300 WU on own
400 pull hypoxic
4 x 100 drill/stroke
4 x 50 build within 50
Three times through:
4 x 50 with fins
50 (25 fast stroke, 25 easy)
100 (50 fast stroke, 50 easy)
150 (75 fast stroke, 75 easy)
200 (100 fast stroke, 100 easy)

I did this all free and it was still tough - by the third go-round we were all pretty spent. But I am glad I went.

Guest Blogger BB: Not chicked..Chicked!

Our guest blogger today is BB, who is apparently representing the male voice in the lane.

Great day at MIT Masters today. The morning started with three "aging bulls" SB, C, and BB lingering on the deck and diving in the water just as Coach Bill walked in so we could get a 100 warm up in. When we realized that it was just "the guys" and we weren't going to get chicked today the language became a bit more coarse and off color. It was looking like a day where our bruised egos would have a chance to heal from the utter domination of "the women of lane 3"....but to no avail. R came sauntering in around 6:35 and put us back in our place. Here is the work out:

100 warm up
8x50 drill/swim

3x thru
2x200 3:20
1x200 3:20 fast
100 ez 2:00

2x100 stroke/free 20rest

Yes, by the third set of 200's R was leading the lane. Ladies, please remember beneath the machissmo the "aging bulls" exude on deck we have very fragile egos and need constant reassurance of what studs we are (were). I love the dynamics of Lane 3.

Editors note: We prefer the term "Divas."

Moving Day

I know this is a swim blog, but my focus today was on my new job and moving into my new office! Me and my trusty bright blue parakeet (see photo of my move.) I only had to move about a mile down campus, but that still meant that I had to pack up my entire office and, by the way, start the job at the same time. So this morning I only got through about 75% of the workout, but in that time I prepared myself for a crazy day, told myself a few jokes, and got in a nice swim. I hope I remember the workout!

Warmup
3 x 100 drill/stroke drill/swim
4 x 100 50 gallop/50 swim
500 on 7:30 fast
2 x 50 on 1;15
500 on 8:00 200 fast, 100 easy, 200 faster
2 x 50 on 1:15
500 on 8:00 fast
2 x 50 easy
500 on (unsure, but I think 8:15) 200 fast, 100 easy, 100 fast
2 x 50 easy

Great job on distance day to those who stuck it out - E, BB, IW.

A friendly public service announcement from our coach: there is no practice Friday a.m. because of MIT Commencement. You can always try Walden!

Color my pool

Some days I am inspired to blog (see yesterday, I cracked myself up which is always fun) and other days it just doesn't happen. That is where my brother Dan comes in to inspire me. He posed this question to me: how would you describe the color at the bottom of the pool? I say aqua, but I am sure LL Bean would call it tropical island or some weird name. And why is it always blue? Why not purple? Or yellow? Would it be gross and feel slimy to have it green? It seems stereotypical to always say blue when water isn't blue at all, it is clear (correct me if I am wrong here.) It is something to ponder, for sure, especially since I had nothing else today. But, my favorite part of the workout was seeing the look on KBBs face when he saw the workout, or the intervals, or both. It was a mixture of disgust and resignation. But he did JUST fine and ended up strong!

Here we go:

4 x 100 alternating drill/swim
4 x 50 twice thru free/back/breast/fly
2 x 50 on :45
50 easy
3 x 50 on :45
50 easy
4 x 50 on :45
50 easy
Main:
8 x 200
1-4 on 3:15
5-8 on 3:25

Bill G. joined us on the first four, and we held 2:55s, then eased into the last four (he had to go and "lift" - I hope we can double check that!)and held 3:00 with the rest. It was just KBB and the gals, nice job by all.

Lima beans

I remember walking into the Evening Street Elementary School cafeteria and smelling that dreaded smell. It was the vegetable of the day and it was called "succotash." The primary ingredient was lima beans. I think it was served with a dish called "johnny marzetti" but I can't recall. In any case, my little 11 year old heart would drop because I truly hated lima beans - they made my stomach churn. Now to all of those who love lima beans, I am sure they are nutritious and delicious, but they are not for me. Why am I even talking about this? Because this is just how I react when I look at the sheet coach Bill posts and see that we are doing 100s. Just like those dreaded lima beans, I just don't like them: never have, probably never will. Why can't we have corn (200s) or carrots (300s)? 100s are too short to get a rhythm going and too long to sprint. But unlike my response in elementary school, I took my knocks and went ahead and did the workout. Here it is:

6 x 50 alternate drill/stroke
4 x 150 on 1:35
Main
4 x 100 on 1:40
200 working on breathing 330
5 x 100 on 1:45
200 breathing
4 x 100 on 1:45
200 breathing
8 x 50 stroke/choice warm down

Ok, the 100s were fine, I tried to play mental games and descend the last two sets by a second each within the set. I generally did that and the rest helped. A fine job by all today: E, IW, BB, and C (who both made triumphant returns.)

Health tip of the day: don't forget to moisturize after every workout!