Favorite workout

I have lots of favorites in my life - my favorite pair of jeans (old), my favorite food (ice cream), my favorite running trail (Lincoln Woods), and my favorite font (Calibri). I also have a small list of favorite workouts, and today was one of those. Unfortunately, I did not get to swim with all of my favorite people because the lanes were getting crowded. But my favorite pool setup (long course) is coming in one month, so all will return to normal then.

Warmup 150 on own
2 x 100 drill swim
50 underwater/swim
2 x 100 stroke/swim
50 underwater/swim
Main set: 5 x 500 going:
500 swim steady on 8:00
500 pull hypoxic by 100 3,5,7,3,choice on :60r
500 negative split on 7:45
5 x 100 IM or stroke on 2:00
500 fastest of the day

The generous rest helped a lot. Pacing was important on this set so you could really fly on the last one. Great job by all - BB did something like a 6:05 on the last one!

Carpe Diem?

We all get up very early for swimming. Some of us, like SB, around 4:30am. So when we get to the pool we're all pretty tired and logey. It is at that point that our day can take one of two paths: The good path or the bad path. The good path is when you jump in and the refreshing water wakes you up, you begin to sieze the day, looking forward to the challenges ahead. Your lanemates are funny, have good lane etiquette, and coach Bill's workout is just what you needed to get going. Then there is the bad path. That's when you jump in and realize that your body is exhausted, that the water isn't refreshing at all but feels more like swimming in oil, and the workout is a chore. Worse, you get out and are more tired/sleepy than when you got in. On the spectrum of good and bad, today was a little more on the side of bad path than good path for me. Or, to repeat a phrase I heard recently, I was more of the statue than the pigeon.

Here is our workout! I may have missed a part of the warmup.

150 swim
8 x 25 scull/swim
8 x 25 drill/stroke
6 x 50 count strokes
400 going 25 fly/75free, 25 back/75 free, etc. on :60
400 negative split pull on :60
400 going 50fly/50free, 50 back/50 free, etc. on :60
4 x 100 on 1:40 fast
4 x 100 going 25fly/25free/25fly/25free, back, breast, etc. on :60
16 x 25 fast down, easy back

Happy weekend, everyone!

Down by the river...

I recevied a sign today that I need to return to blogging. I was driving into practice and the Standells' "Love that Dirty Water" was on the radio just as the sun was coming up along the Charles. Days before, we got word that the Charles River swim is on for July. So if that weren't enough to motivate me to get to practice and post our workouts, my friends have become confused. I get emails like "how many yards did we do today?" and "what was the workout on Monday?" and "how did Sputnik motivate research and technology in American higher education?". Wait. Maybe I am the one who is confused. So to help me return to normal I am back after taking a few weeks off to focus on schoolwork. A little worse for the wear, but excited to start getting back in shape!

300 swim on own
200 drill/swim by 50
200 stroke/free by 5-
2 x 150 drill/swim
2 x 200 pull on 3:10
Main set: 22 100's!!
1-5 fast on 1:20
6-9 fly/back by 50 on 2:00
10-14 free going fast 3rd 50 on 1:25
15-18 breast/free on 2:05
19-22 hold pace on 1:30

Tiring!!! But a good job by all. Enjoy the 85 degree day ahead.

"If you fail to prepare...

...you're prepared to fail." Mark Spitz

Truer words were never spoken. Mark Spitz was the Michael Phelps of swimming even before Michael Phelps was born, and only in 2008 was his record of 7 gold medals broken. I remember being a tiny age group swimmer, maybe 8 or 10, and going to this big fancy swim meet in Indianapolis. The highlight of the meet was meeting and getting an autograph from Mark Spitz. I had a Mark Spitz poster and of course we ALL had the Mark Spitz American flag speedo. It was only after my age group coach began to look like Mark Spitz that I took everything down and lost my crush. My age group coach made me kick, so you can probably figure out where that relationship went. In our lane, KBB is taking this seriously as he is in the pool at 6:15 and swimming very strong! Ironman Germany here he comes!

As for the quote today, it's strangely appropriate as I am going to take a couple of weeks off from the blog. My doctoral comprehensive exam is two weeks from today and I don't want to fail, so I will spend the time preparing. Thank you, Mark, for your inspiration! Guest bloggers welcome - no experience needed!

200 on own
4 x 100 drill/swim :20r
2 x 200 stroke/swim :30r
2 x 50 easy on 1:05
4 x 150 fast on 2"05
2 x 50 easy
4 x 100, rest 5 sec, easy 50 on :60
2 x 50
4 x 150 pull on 2:10
2 x 50
6 x 75 IM order perfect turns

Lane King

Today was a special day in the lane, BB (and Carmen's) birthday! Since only BB was able to make it, we crowned him Lane King for the day. This comes with extra special benefits like leading the lane, eating a lion cupcake, and getting to boss everyone around. (It was tough for me, SB, but I was happy to do it for the day) :) I don't dare say how old either one is, but with technology these days you just have to look at race results to know someone's age. And if you're perceptive, you might just wonder why we all wanted to do 4700 yards today. But I'll never tell.

Here is the regular workout:

300-500 on own
5x100 swim/drill
8x50 kick-what a waste
500 swim 60sec rest
2x50 1:00 ez
500 swim stroke/free/stroke/free/stroke
2x50 ez 1;00
500 pull
2x50 ez 1;00
300 fr/stroke/fre
2x50 1;00
500 fast
2x50 ez 1:00

That's 3900-4100 for most of us. But BB got in at 6am and so he did an additional 725, which not only achieved his goal of 4700 but exceeded it. Carmen, we missed you, but we're ready to swim your 4500 when you come back. ;)

Children of the pool

There is a big age group meet at the Z Center today, it was all roped off and officials are scurrying around with clipboards and worried looks on their faces. Even coach Bill, usually calm and mild mannered, started in on us early. "The kids are coming in at 7:30, so if you want to consolidate your bags on one bench, do it now." We looked at him, bemused, and kept swimming. He then apparently bumped up the time and told us they were coming at 7:15. After each set, he would intently remind us to move our bags, his anxiety increasing with each minute that passed. We didn't really know what he was so concerned about, so none of us moved our bags. They're just kids, we thought, what's the big deal? Then they arrived. All 1000 of them. All at 7:15, just like Bill said. All with bags. They came from Boston, they came from the North Shore, they came from Western Mass. Sure, we kept swimming, but it was a little scary. I got really worried when Bill G, in a frantic state, said to coach Bill "where's my bag??" and he wasn't joking. BB and I looked at each other and acknowledged that coach Bill was right. We should have moved our bags.

4 x 150 going:
odds 50 drill/50 swim/ 50 drill
events 50 stroke/ 50 drill/ 50 stroke
10 x 25 stroke on :30
6 x 100 on 1:25
6 x 100 stroke on 1:50
4 times thru:
50 stroke on :60
75 free on 1:05
25 easy on :30
3 times thru:
50 free on :60
75 stroke on 1:20
25 easy

Happy weekend to all!

Two spa towel day

Among the great things about swimming at the Z Center (in addition to the best pool in town) is the fact that we have a towel service. Yet it's a little like playing the lottery every time you walk up to the desk. Some days you might get a normal towel, other days you'll get the kind of towel that you would clean you car with (because it looks like it cleaned a car), but then there are days like today. Today I got not one, but two of what we like to call "spa" towels. Those are the big, fluffy, new towels that are the envy of everyone in the locker room. Sometimes I feel so guilty if I get two of these that I will give BB one and take his normal or car towel so I don't come across as too greedy. It's like winning $20 on a $1 scratch ticket. E had two car towels today but it was too late to switch. Anyway, the problem with this is that I expect the facial, manicure, and pedicure afterward but that never happens.

200 on own
4 x (4x25)
25 build up
25 build down
25 easy
25 hard
8 x 50 middle of the pool working turns
5 x 100 descend on 1:40
5 x 300 on 5:45 going:
1: 1st 100 fast
2: 2nd 100 fast
3: 3rd 100 fast
4: cruise
5: all fast
12 x 25 going easy/fast

E, SBB, M, and I swam with new guy Joe who set a good pace. Great job, everyone.