Lesson Learned

I got trapped in an elevator at work yesterday, and now all my colleagues know it because it was on the campus police blotter. Yet rather than receiving expressions of sympathy for having to endure being entrapped, most of the responses have been something like this: "What was Katie doing in an elevator? Doesn't she swim an hour in the morning? Shouldn't she be taking the stairs"? So much for empathy. I have provided endless seconds of fodder for my colleagues and frankly I deserve it. But I will have you know that there are legitimate reasons why a person would use an elevator: they are injured, they may be carrying a large load, or the top floor bathroom was unavailable and with only a minute until my meeting I knew that there was a bathroom in the basement and thought I would just zip down and back up. See? Totally legitimate. But lesson learned: take the stairs, and always take your phone to the bathroom.

200 free going 50 drill - 50 swim
200 stroke going 50 drill - 50 swim
3 x 100 going 50 stroke -- 50 free
1 x 600 going:
1st 200:  pull hypox: 9, 3, 7, 3
2nd 200: swim focus on technique (pick something)
3rd 200:  pull again... faster pace
2 x 200 im with legal turns :30r
1 x 400 free swim make 3rd 100 fast
4 x 100 IM or stroke on 1:50
1 x 400 free swim  negative split
9 x 50 choice
1-3 on :55
4-6 on : 45
7-9 on 1:05

Knowing when it's time to retire

I had to retire my favorite swimsuit this morning, the one from the 2012 Olympics which had a fun pattern made up of all things London (see photo from catalog).  E2 was there to bear witness to the parting as we thanked the suit for its service and sent it to its final resting place (which is probably and somewhat ironically a barge in the middle of the ocean somewhere). It's good to know when the time is right to say goodbye to a suit and to make the choice on your own rather than to have an unfortunate incident force you to retire it. Put bluntly, when people on deck either point and laugh or shield their children from you as you walk by, it is time to retire the suit. And while you are a good friend when you can gently tell your lanemate that a new suit is necessary, another approach is to send a note to your whole lane and say "hey - I am putting in a suit order - who is game"? My day got started a wee bit late today, but I climbed in a rec lane and swam most of the workout (what I did is below - I missed about 800 yards). It's amazing how many meters you can fit in when you don't chat at the wall.

500 swim
Twice thru:
1 x 100 Going:  25 drill – 25 free
1 x 100 Going:  25 drill – 25 stroke
1 x 200 Going:  1st 100:  Think technique
              2nd 100:  Free build
Once thru:
4  x 200 descend on 3:15
6  x 50 going 25 free sprint – 25 ez on :60
4  x 100 descend on 1:40
4  x 150 pull hypoxic on 2:30                             
2  x 100  ascend on 1:40

Vitamin i

I keep thinking that we miss a great sponsorship opportunity when the pool changes from short course to long course. Everyone complains of muscle soreness, shoulder stress, or general emotional anxiety from the switch from 25 yards to 50 meters. Even those of us who love long course are not immune to the negative effects of the changeover, particularly when it seems our intervals are essentially the same (ahem!). I can envision some pharmaceutical rep with his/her big suitcase full of legal, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs chatting up coach Bill during the workout and keeping a keen eye on those swimmers who appear to be wincing as the meters add up. I really can't think of a more receptive audience. Case in point, it was a 600mg day for me today.

200 swim
6 x 50 count strokes :15r
4 x 100 odds IM/evens free :25r
9 x 100 going
1-3 descend on 1:25 (more like survive)
4-6 descend on 1:30 (more like make interval)
7-9 descend on 1:35 (descend)
10 x 50 kick on 1:15-1:20 (really?)
2 x 150 pull hypoxic on 2:20
3 x 50 free on :45
3 x 50 stroke on :55
100 free on 1:45
100 IM on 1:50
200 pull
100 swim

The Thrill of the Chase?

There is nothing quite like going for something and achieving it - be it in a race, finding a new job, or reaching an important milestone in life. As is often said, much of the excitement is in the journey itself, especially if you have momentum and keep building on that momentum. The same cannot always be said if you are the one being chased, although there are times when it's fun to be chased. In general, though, being chased often causes anxiety, worry, heart palpitations, and a flight mentality. Typically on distance day I embrace the former, enjoying the journey, trying to keep strong and finish strong, happy to make it to the end. But when you happen to swim with someone out of your league then you are relegated to the latter, as was the case today. I quickly realized that my whole goal during the workout was not to get caught, and this brought with it a sense of mild panic that I now know I really don't like. To be honest I'm mostly worried that Phil will show up in my nightmares and will not only catch me, but will touch my toes. The horror.

6 x 25 :15r
Underwater swim
Build up the lane (slow to fast)
Build down the lane (fast to slow)
Cruise
Fast free
Fast stroke

5 x 100 :20r
1. 25 fly/75 free
2. 50 fly/50 free
3. 75 fly/25 free
4. 100 all free
5. 100 all fly

6 x 400
1.Long swim on 5:20
2.Negative split on 5:30
3.Make 3rd 100 fast on 5:40
4. Pull: Hypoxic: 5, 7, 5, 3 on 5:50
5. Descend by 100s on 5:20
50 easy on 1:30
6. Fast on 5:00