Happy Halloween!

I have no idea what I am going to be for Halloween, and in fact, I don't even like to dress up anymore. But I have been invited to a party and if I want to go I have to come up with something. Most of my best costumes are ones I didn't put much time into. One year I was Miss Congeniality Gone Bad (I am trying to find a photo so I can post it), another year I was a Fembot from Austin Powers, and I even won an award several years ago for my costume of Rose from the Titanic after she jumped, door and all. Last year was lame, I was the Heat Miser, imagine the irony of that. In any case, our Halloween almost got super scary this morning at swim practice when Bill tripped and almost fell into the pool on top of us. I think we all realized just how frightening that would have been.

Warmup - tons of swimming with fins
(I went into the warm pool and swam 500)
4 x 150 pull - odds free, evens stroke
3 times thru:
50 fast on :35
100 cruise on 1:40
150 fast on 2:05
200 cruise on 3:20
8 x 50 going 25 sprint/25 swim off the block

We kind of pulled a masters option today as BB and I defied Bill's authority and did not dive off the blocks. Are we proud of this behavior? No. Would we do the same thing if given a do-over? Maybe. Do we still think Bill is the bomb? Definitely. We gave him a mini pumpkin as thanks. It's really a gourd, but who cares it looks like a baby pumpkin.

MIT Masters Dreaming

Our lane poet, KBB, came up with this for our dreary day:




All the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
I went for a run
On a rainy day
If I was at the pool
I wouldn't be this wet

MIT Masters Dreaming
I should have gone to swim!!

It was a dreary day, but Bill gave us a workout that perked all of us right up, just like that double shot coffee I had afterward.

100 wu
4x50 drill/swim 20sec rest
3x
100IM 20 sec
100free
12x25 kick
1000 (400fr/200IM/400fr-faster than first)
1x50 35sec
1x50 1:05
2x50 35
1x50 1:05
3x50 35sec
1x50 1:05
4x50 40sec
1x50 1:05
600 (200fr/200IM/200fr faster than first)

I tried a new thing today called "kicking." (Notice deliberate use of air quotes, Woods.) BB suggested that I try this more often because I can go "faster." It seems to be overrated, but I'll give it a try.

Proper use of "air quotes"

There is an art to using the air quote. Using air quotes strategically is a skill that, when used properly, can make something funnier, more sarcastic, or place more emphasis on said subject. Yet when they are used incorrectly, they simply make the speaker look ridiculous. Case in point, a conversation I had this morning with someone in reference to loud construction work being done outside. All quotes are actual air quotes in conversation: I can't "believe" that they are doing this right "now". They started this before "dark". I can't wait until it "snows" so they stop making this noise. Not only did I not understand the relevance of how snow would stop construction, the air quotes distracted me. I felt compelled to say have a "good" day!

300 on own
6 x 50 drill
8 x 50 middle of the pool
5 x 100 stroke going free/back combo
5 x 100 stroke going free/breast combo
more swimming, will get from Bill

Not that I am queen of the air quote, but my lanemates would understand perfectly if I said I "swam" masters practice today. Why? Because I got in, did the warmup, and while I technically did swim, I did not do the workout and got out of the pool. I hope to be "back" at it tomorrow.

Fighting to be the caboose

It was definitely a Monday morning, and Lane 3 was well represented. The funny part was that other lanes had one, maybe two people in them while we were trying to cram five or six of us into our lane rather than dividing ourselves amongst the other lanes. Why? Because nobody wanted to lead. The whole "not it" sign just doesn't work when everyone in the lane is doing it. So we had a couple of choices. One, we could hang on the wall until we all got so cold that someone would have to lead. Two, get out and shower. Or three, look for another option. I saw an opening with Bill G. who was swimming alone, so I ducked under the lane line taking C with me. So Bill got company, I got to follow, and C didn't have to lead. Of course IW was none too pleased but swam so strong that it didn't matter.

300 on own
6 x 50 drill/kick combo
8 x 50 fly/back
4 x 75 build on 1:15
4 x (3 x 175) going:
odds 150 swim, open turn, 25 easy on 2:35 (descend within the three)
evens 150 hard, open turn, 25 easy on 2:45
4 x 50 underwater swim, easy by 25

Doesn't look like a lot, does it? But it's 3700 yards! Not bad for a Monday!

Humbled by the visitor

I was on the bench today nursing a bit of a shoulder tweak, but the word on the street was that Pat stopped in for a visit! Yes, you know who I am talking about - Pat, BB's friend from Chicago who likes to drop in to see us once in awhile, get in a good workout, and put a few deposits into his swimming/ego bank account. I had every intention of being there because I always like to see Pat, but from what I gather in piecing together what happened I may be glad I took the day off. This is a family-friendly blog so I can't use profanity, so I'll just use one quote that one of my lanemates, who will remain anonymous, sent to me. "You missed me being completely stomped by another swimmer today."

Here we go:

8x50
Odds: count strokes
Evens: breastroke kick
Transition: twice thru w/ fins
75 fly
25 fly kick fast
25 fly kick
75 back
25 back kick fast
25 back kick
75 free
25 free kick fast
25 free kick
Main set
5 x 500
1st at 7:20
2nd descend by 100 at 7:40
3rd faster than 1st at 7:30
4 repeat 2nd, but faster
5th repeat 3rd, but faster

So Pat, I know I always say this, but even though you should be swimming in Lane 1, come back to visit us in Lane 3. The truth is, we all need a little humbling once in a while.

Name that theme

If you ever played "Name That Tune" as a kid then you are going to love today's blog! Here's how it works: Read each set in the workout and see if you can figure out the theme for today. And no looking ahead! This is the honor system, which will probably work as well as the honor system I had last Halloween when I put the candy out with a sign that said "just take one" as I went off to a party at my neighbors. You don't have to be a genius to know how that turned out. Anywho, here we go:

200 warmup (come on, you would just be guessing here, read on!)
8 x 50 working on your pull, reach, finish on :15r
8 x 25 diving off of the side, working on dives
4 x 200 broken IM at the 100 for :15
100 on 1:15
100 on 1:20
100 on 1:25
100 on 1:30
4 x 25 on :40
75 on :55
75 on :60
75 on 1:05
75 on 1:10
4 x 25 easy
4 x 200 IM on 3:15
50 cool down
3350 total

I won't tell you yet what I thought the theme was. All I know is that at the end of the workout the theme was "tired." Well done everyone.

Calling in the troops

I had no idea that E was so upset about what happened earlier in the week with Woods touching her leg. But apparently she was upset enough to mobilize all of the MIT ROTC troops to the pool today, in full gear. They surrounded the pool, and let me tell you Woods was swimming with some anxiety. But he was not nearly as anxious as some of the guys who came on deck in their flowered/multi-colored or otherwise fashion-oriented speedos. There is probably a no more emasculating experience then to stand next to a military man in full gear while you are in your fancy speedo. I have to say it was kind of funny. But it certainly made those men swim fast!

4 x 100 swim on :20r
4 x 50 descending breath, 9, 7, 5, 3
2 x 150 pull, middle 100 stroke
6 x 50 middle of the pool 50s working turns
8 x 150 pace on 2:20
100 easy
4 x 150 (we pulled) on 2:15
100 easy
2 x 150 fast on 2:10
100 easy

BTW, it was SNOWING this morning, albeit briefly. Nice job by all today. And while we were swimming, the ROTC students were jumping off of the diving board and treading water in full gear. Hats off to all of them!!!

Behind the Glass Curtain

We all aim for transparency, so it should have been no surprise to the swimmers today that they were being watched. In fact, at one point there was an Olympic-size panel of judges up on the treads including me, E and Mike M. I began to daydream that we held the fate of the swimmers in our hands, judging them on flip turns, stroke counts, and speed. I'd give BB a 8.9 on his turns, Kevin a 9.5 and Joel a 9.0. Of course if I were the East German judge I would give Joel a 6 for getting in so late, but then I remembered: There is no more East Germany! We won the Cold War! This is what one thinks about up on the treadmill, FYI.

And here is what they did:

4x(2x50) stroke/drill
300 pull
100 fr 1:15
200 fr 3:10
100 fr 1:15
100 fr 1:45
2x50fr 35sec
100 1:45
6x125 25ez/75sprint/25active recovery(whatever that is) 2:10
50 ez
6x125 25ez/50sprint stroke/50 active recovery 2:20

BB was on fire today, training for some outdoor 3 mile river swim in Connecticut. Bill G. and Joel M. did not get in the water until 6:50! What is that about? And they are so fast, too. Not fair.

It's not how you start...

...but how (and if) you finish. So SB gets the gold star today for staying for the entire workout! I am not sure which phenomenon surprises me more - Joel getting in before the warmup or SB staying until the end. In any case, we did a lot of yards today and this adage was also helpful in thinking about the entirety of the workout, saving some fuel for the end.

4 x 25 swim
150 swim
4 x 25 swim
150 swim
8 x 25 fly
2 x 500 swim on 7:30
400 IM break at 100 for :10
300 swim on 4:15
300 going 100 stroke, 100 free, 100 stroke on :30r
300 pull on 4:15
300 going 100 stroke, 100 free, 100 stroke on :30r
12 x 25 4 on :30, 4 on :35, 4 on :40

Kind of a weird workout, but it worked. Steady pace on the 500s, keep it for the 400IM and then work the 300s. In some ways we don't know what is coming next so you have to hold back a bit when you know it's distance day. Woods got a little fresh today (yeah, Mo, it's true!) when his leg "accidentially" found its way into our lane and somehow touched E. Some things are accidental, others suspect. We'll give you a free pass this one, but I pity you if it happens again...please don't ever say we didn't warn you. :)

Account credit request

Dear NSTAR:

I am writing to request a credit to my sleep account for the work you decided to do last night in my neighborhood. While I am sure there was a good reason for it, using a jackhammer between midnight and 2am, followed by some kind of whizzing loud drill from 2am - 4am, accompanied by a large spotlight which made 3am look like noon, kind of interrupted my sleep. While I have not taken a poll of my neighbors, I am guessing we are all walking around like zombies today. I made it to the pool okay, had to get out early for a meeting, and it's been all downhill since then. I figure that sleep is worth about $50 an hour, and since I was finally able to fall asleep right before my alarm went off, it will only be $250. I love when that happens. In any case, I'll just deduct this from my next bill, thanks. I suppose I should just be thankful and appreciate that some huge disaster was averted, but I am tired and cranky so that will have to wait.

Katie "even earplugs did not help" O'Dair

300 warmup on own
4 x 25 snap hip (practicing for swimming with the stars, Bill?)
4 x 50 back/breast
4 x 75 swim on 1:15
2 x 100 kick
4 x 25 free
4 x 150 pull hypoxic on 2:20
8 x 125 broken IM on 2:15
50 fly, 25 bk/br/free
25fly, 50bk, 25 br/free
25fly,25bk,50br/25free
choice, repeat
10 x 100 descending 3,6,9 on 1:40

I missed the 100s, unfortunatly, but I trust that my lanemates descended them!

Wonder twin powers - activate! Form of...

..a speedboat! That's what BB was this morning, and I took advantage of the draft. Only a few of us will recognize this cultural reference, but did you know that the Wonder Twins were the originators of the fist bump? Yep. But the difference is that once bumped, they can transform themselves into any animal or even weather pattern. That, my friends, would be "way cool" as the kids say. Imagine how fun it would be to create a blizzard at the Z Center and then be a polar bear walking around. Kenny would freak. And we do have our own wonder twins in L3 these days, former college swimmers who took "two years off" but we can tell that those two years will melt away very quickly as they are speedy. And if you add their ages together, they equal BB's age. :) Here is the workout:

4 x 50 swim on :60
4 x 75 (50 breast, 25 free) on 1:35
4 x 100 on 1:45
a kick set, I forget it
Main:
5 x 200 on 2:50
4 x 25 easy
5 x 150 on 2:20
4 x 25 easy
5 x 100 on 1:30
4 x 25 easy

The L3 suit got rave reviews, and I think there will be a market for L1s, L2s, L4s, L5s too. So E, you might just have a new career designing swimwear! Stinging Bee was the fave, for sure.

Have a great weekend everyone!

I'm totally cereal about that!

Bill threatened to make us do the 400IM over if we didn't do our turns correctly. And to make a point, he wrote "I'm cereal" underneath. Apparently he had been watching Jerry Springer (I didn't ask) and some woman used this instead of "I'm serious". I got this immediately, and apparently got points from Bill for getting his joke. What he doesn't know is that I have a weird fascination with malapropisms, and get a big kick when people use them. The best part is that people are trying to sound really smart. Like when Dan Quayle said that Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child, or when someone puts out a fire with the fire distinguisher. My own personal favorites include when Michelangelo painted the Sixteenth Chapel or when a former colleague saw someone choking and gave him the heineken maneuver (I am NOT kidding). Okay, I could go on, but here is the workout.

400 warmup on own (we either were that early, or Bill was that late)
5 x 50 drill various
400 pull work the evens
6 x 50 count strokes
8 x 75 descend 2,4, 6, 8
1-2 on 1:05
3-4 on :60
5-6 on 1:05
7-8 on :60
400 IM
400 free descend by 100
4 times thru:
50 fast on :45
2 x 25 easy
some kicking

On the top of the sheet it said "distance day" but it didn't feel like it. Apparently this was just a pigment of my imagination.

From the upper deck..

While I was not in the pool today, I was with my lanemates in spirit. Actually, I was watching them from above, on the treadmill. IW, Dr. Bob, and C swam in lane 1, the latter two not getting in the water until 6:40am, and C getting out at 7am. I don't blame him, given what I saw them doing for a workout. I will do my best to capture what I saw, but it will be skewed by my own emotional reaction to what I was seeing. The twin powers were back in L3, likely ready for L2 action soon!

Warmup - a bunch of swimming
500 free steady pace
some 50s easy
some 50s sprint
1000 kick (it seemed like that, it might have been 100)
some 100s swim
50s kick
50s fast
more kicking
not much more distance swimming
more kicking

I am supposed to mention that Bill is doing the 3000 swim on Sunday at practice - 10:30am! Also, I have been asked when the L3 suit is debuting. Given the disintegrating state of my current suits, I'll pick Friday. So to my L3 friends, if you want to see you name in chlorinated glory, come to practice on Friday.

Guest Blogger BB: Too much time on his hands

I had about a nanosecond of free time today, so BB graciously posted our workout!

Some of you may remember this oldie but goody from Styx from the early 80's. With the age demographic of L3 at practice this morning I am guessing we were all in high school when this song was popular. The possible exceptions to this are SB and Dr. Bob. (BB, that wasn't nice!)

Well, today I made a passing comment to KT that I was feeling under
utilized at work and that I had too much time on my hands so she suggested, only in the way that KT can, that I write the blog. I will be quick as I think the mere mention of being under utilized got the Work God's frowning upon me.

The tenor of the day was set when E said that Coach Bill wasn't prepared
for practice today as he was bit tardy in providing us our second set. It
all went downhill after that.

Warm up: Oops, no warm up - nobody was IBB
3 times thru 100 swim/drill, 50 free, 50 fly (back/breast)
A bunch of 25's fly with Coach Bill blowing that darn whistle--thanks E!
200 pull on 3:05
150 swim on 2:15
4x100 free on 1:25
200 pull on 3:05
150 swim on 2:15
4 x 100 free on 1:20
150 pull on 2:15
100 free on 1:40
4 x 75 on :60

We were a bit fractured as were split between L1 (E, BB) and L3 (KT, IW,
Dr. B). Even separated we still maintain a strong L3 identity. Time to go back to work and to become Mr. Roboto-domo arigato Mr. Roboto.

...another Styx classic

Punishment and reward?

Today, each lane had a little sheet stuck to the wall which said "On time for practice? Yes or No" with one of the two circled. And for those who were not on time? An 8 x 25 fly set. For those who were? 8 x 25 fly (or choice.) Woods wondered to me just who is being punished and who is being rewarded? We all thought this was a little hypocritical, too, given we are ALL on deck when our coach walks in, of course talking intensely about swimming, or strategy for practice, and/or appropriate swimwear designs. Even Joel was on deck, but that is a matter for another day and another blog entry. :) So instead of kicking us all out of practice like other coaches might do, Bill pretended to be mad and gave us fly and kick sets. Don't you know you can catch more flys with honey, Bill?

8x50 swim/drill
200 front quad
4x25 fly kick fins
100 free
4x25 back kick
100 back
4x25 free kick
100 fly
8x25 fly 30 sec
50 40sec
100 1:30
150 2:20
2x200 2:50
150 2:20
100 1:30
50 40
4x100 1:35 1-2 pace 3-4 descend
4x100 1:40 same as above
4x100 1:45 same as above
50 ez

Phew. That was hard to remember. Thankfully BB remembered it for me. Special thanks to Mike from the meat department at Whole Foods for buying me coffee this morning. It's the little things....

Fashion Line

Following in the footsteps of cultural icons like Jessica Simpson (footwear), JLo (handbags), and Pamela Anderson (beachwear?) I have decided to start my own line of fashion swimwear. And to do this, I have contracted with our own resident fashionista Elaine to design Lane 3 swimwear. We realize that this has a limited audience (3 women, 7 men) but I have a feeling that we will expand it to other lanes and come up with catchy slogans for each. For instance, "Lane 1: No talking, just swimming" might be an apt phrase, one worthy of a suit. Let me think about other slogans, ideas welcome. I actually am in possession of the suit in the photo, so will be debuting it next week.

200 on own
3 x 75 kick,drill,swim on :20r
25 underwater
3 x 50 build speed
3 x 75 stroke
25 underwater
3 x 50 build speed
2 times thru:
100 kick
2 x 50 kick
Main:
5 x 125 on 1:45
4 x 25 easy on :40
4 x 125 on 1:50
4 x 25 easy
3 x 125 on 1:55
4 x 25 easy
warmdown set

The key to this is not to go too fast on the first set - a 1:20 pace is sufficient - so that you can hold a faster interval on the other sets because you get the rest. Well done by BB today, he left it all in the pool. And while at first I resented the "no kick sets" phrase on my suit (nobody wants to be called out on misbehavior publicly) it's true. I did not do the kick set today, I opted for masters choice.