Morning in Boston

Swimmers have an ongoing debate - is it tougher to a) get out of bed in the morning or b) jump into a cold pool? I typically lean on the side of it's harder to jump into a cold pool, but today I solidly stand with the get out of bed crowd. It's October in Boston, which means that there is baseball, and the Sox have kept us up pretty late. And let's face it these games are not your typical baseball games so the emotional energy combined with the sleep deprivation can be a bit harsh. When the alarm went off at 5-something this morning I began the inner struggle/dialogue we all know too well. And who has not fallen back to sleep and dreamed that you drove to the pool and got in? I have had that dream, and it becomes a nightmare if you actually think you swam. But I wrenched myself up and got to the pool, spurred on by the win from last night. We have potentially three more mornings like this. GO SOX!!!

10 x 50 swim/stroke :55/:60
8 x 75 going 25 free/25stroke/25free on :20r
300 pull hypoxic
300 kick/choice
3 x 200  on 3:00
50 easy
3 x 200 on 3:10
50 easy
3 x 200 on 3:20
50 easy

The goal of the set is to get faster as you go, as we had a lot of rest. 

The Human Garmin

Many of my friends train with a Garmin, tracking distance, pace, splits, mood, and whatever else the device does. I just started to use one for my running and it delightfully tells me how slow I am. It even "auto-paused" during a hill repeat yesterday because it detected that I stopped when I didn't. In any case, I'm pretty sure that nobody else has what we at MIT Masters have in the pool - the Human Garmin, also known as Joe Kurtz. You need to hold a consistent pace for an 800? Joe can do that. Need to descend 2 seconds each 100 in a 400? Better have Joe leading. And I think the HG is more accurate than the electronic device, and the battery doesn't run out during the workout. This trusty HG frustrates swimmers who want to blast out the set fast and tend to die at the end. An unscientific poll of my lanemates found that everyone loves to swim with the HG because he is so consistent. It's a good lesson for everyone on how to swim a workout and I'm just grateful that I get to reap the benefits at swim practice!

Today's workout

Warmup (I did zero because I slept in)
8 x 75 drill/swim :15r
Twice thru:
4 x 25 fly
100 kick
800 hold consistent pace
2 x 50 free :60
8 x 25 backstroke :30
400 hold pace on 6:00
400 descend by 100 on 6:00
2 x 50 free
8 x 25 breaststroke on :30

Spinner Fail

I am not at all surprised that the suit spinner in the ladies locker room is broken. For those of you not lucky enough to have a suit spinner in your locker room, it is a neat little device that drys your suit in 3 to 5 seconds. The key to that statement is 3 to 5 seconds. My locker is right by the spinner, so I see it all. Despite the dire warning signs on the lid [DO NOT PUT IN TWO SUITS! DO NOT PRESS DOWN FOR MORE THAN 10 SECONDS} I swear that some people bring their laundry into the locker room to take it for a spin instead of using the traditional clothes dryer. Or, more frequently, they press down on the spinner for it seems like 5 minutes until the motor is sputtering and waning. I can almost hear the little motor in the spinner saying "help (gasp) me (gasp) somebody (gasp)!" People even do this when there is a line for the spinner, oblivious to the fact that others want their 3 to 5 seconds. Truth be told, 3 seconds is perfect, and it doesn't ruin your suit. I guess I am a little obsessed about this as evidenced by an entire blog entry, but oh well.

On the bright side, I recently discovered the absolute best deal in town next door to the pool at LaVerdes Market: A cappuccino and an egg and cheese sandwich combo for $3! That is half the cost of Starbucks and tastes better! I'm also happy that the students have reasonably priced good food.

Thank you Jacki for the workout today...

300 warmup
8 x 50 going odds drill/swim evens stroke/free on :60
4 x 500 broken going:
200 pull on 3:00
150 swim on 2:10
100 free on 1:30 (odds) and 1:45 IM (evens)
50 on :60
6 x 75 sprint or stroke first 25, 50 easy on 1:15
5 x 50 on :55 going: descend 1-3, easy 4, sprint 5
100 cool down

50 is the new 50

As I got ready to go to practice this morning I heard a story on the news about a recent study that showed that people are happiest at age 50. How perfect for today, when our friend E turns 50! I get a little annoyed at all of these phrases that say (x) is the new (-20 years younger). No, fifty is not the new thirty, 50 is the NEW 50. At some point, we have to say THIS is what fifty is - healthy, strong, wise - and embrace our years not try to push back the clock. I hope I am as fit and strong at 50 as  E is and all the others who have gone before me. :)

We had a special workout for her this morning designed by BB and Coach Bill. Lots of fun, the only time I will actually enjoy 50s.

300 warmup
6 x 100 on :30r
The Developmental Years
10x50 drill/swim by 25's  on 55
Alternate free/stroke
The Experimental Years
10x50 IM order on 55
Last two 25fly/25bk & 25br/25fr
The Racing Years
5x50 free on 45
5x50 alternate stroke/free  on 55/40
5x50 free on 40
The Transition Years
10x50 odds stroke/even free on 50/40
Gaining Perspective Years
5x50 on 50 free  fast odds free, evens stroke on 1:20
Looking ahead
1x50 choice

A special newsletter in honor of E

Just tell me what to do...

I swim with some pretty accomplished people at MIT Masters whose out-of-the pool lives are quite impressive - they are leaders in science, law, engineering, business, and healthcare to name a few. Yet there is one thing that we all have in common, particularly those who awaken at 5am to swim: we all want someone to just tell us what to do. Yep, it is true. I don't know one single person that enjoys swimming alone or who is excited about coming up with their own workout. I have witnessed some master's swimmers attempt to swim on their own and the results are not pretty. If they get in at all (50/50 chance) then they splash around looking up every so often to see if miraculously another swimmer has arrived with a workout. It is kind of sad. Eventually, they bail after adjusting their expectations for the day from swimming 4000 to being really happy to complete a solid 1500. Even if you feel like crap there is something comforting about getting that little slip of paper from your coach (or looking at the white board) and doing what you are told to do. Of course, we all know that this has its limits and some of us utilize the "masters option" when, for example, a kick set is given to us.

Today's workout is now one of my favorites - great job John for keeping it strong the whole workout!

200 warmup
3 x 25 drill :30
75 breast :20r
3 x 25 drill :30
75 back:20r
2 x 25 drill :30
75 fly :20r
4 x 100 kick :25r
400 swim 6:00
400 pull hypoxic 3,5,7,3 on 6:00
400 fast swim
8 x 50 fast on :45
300 swim 4:15
300 pull hypoxic by 75 7,3,5 on 4:15
300 fast

2013 Boston Light Swim Recap

Bye-bye, Boston!

There was a sticker in our race bags that said "8.0 - Boston Light Swim". At the race meeting a few of us relay folks joked that we would need to cut it in half (or quarters) to use it. After the swim on Saturday, it was no longer a joke. The solo swimmers - those who finished and those who Did Not Quit (thank you for that designation, Tom Currier!) - earned every mile. I am particularly proud of my MIT Masters teammates Bob Burrow and Jonathan Gladstone who trained hard and finished strong, as well as all of the swimmers, solo and relay alike. This brief write-up will happily tell the tale of Team Trident, a two person team made up of Bill Geary and me.

Bill and I did not determine our race strategy until the boat ride out to the lighthouse.Thankfully, a key part of Team Trident was our pilot crew, John and Kenny, who are experienced pilots and did the hard work of strategizing the course. Bill's wife Kathy made up the third member of our crew, keeping us positive and warm. As we left the dock, John and Kenny started whispering about wind, chop, currents, etc. but we were blissfully unaware as we marveled at how cool Boston looked as it disappeared behind us. In retrospect, we were like 2 school kids whose parents did not want to spoil the trip by scaring us. In my head all I heard was Greg's promise at the race meeting that "the first 4 miles will fly by"!

One of the coolest parts of the day was seeing all the boats arrive in front of the lighthouse. It made me proud and happy to be a swimmer, and to have the privilege to participate in this event. It was a beautiful day and people were in good spirits in all surrounding boats. As we had been warned, a boat zoomed up on us, poles and nets ready, asking what was going on. After we explained, they looked at us and said "people are swimming? To Boston?"

After consulting with the crew, we decided to do 25 minute pulls and leapfrog the course, which roughly equates to a mile at a time. The second coolest part of the day was when the horn went off and everybody jumped in. After a few expletives, Bill went off first. It took a good bit of his first pull to find clear water, but he looked strong and kept a great pace. Kathy kept time and we had a five minute signal (a waving towel) and I jumped in when Bill climbed the ladder. I was so happy to be swimming and was surprised that it was not super cold but a bit choppier than I expected given this supposed "quick trip" in the first 4 miles. The most wonderful part of this swim is that we never really had to sight - our pilots kept us on track, at times with the boat on our left and then when the current shifted on our right. I was swimming in the middle of the Harbor Islands and never felt safer. As everyone has reported, it got rough after the bridge and between Spectacle and Thompson Islands, and in the last 2 mile slog to the finish. Knowing that we could push it and then rest made it a fun event. I kept thinking about the solo swimmers and how they were faring in the conditions. I also questioned whether I could do 8 miles myself in the rough water, and honestly I don't know if I would have been able to do it.The temperature, which I worried about most, was a non-factor.

Bill and I finished together and truly enjoyed our experience. We are so grateful to our crew John, Kenny, and Kathy for all of their hard work. Greg O'Connor is an extraordinary race director, always keeping safety at the forefront. On the beach he was visibly upset that so many swimmers who trained so hard had to be pulled because of the rough conditions. All of the volunteers worked a very long day and put in many hours the night before and week before the race. They often say that it's easier to compete than it is to volunteer from a time and exhaustion standpoint, and I think that is true. A heartfelt thank you to all volunteers.

This was the most fun swim event that I have ever participated in.The camaraderie with the swimmers and volunteers, the support of the local yacht clubs and pilots, and swimming in my favorite city among the beautiful islands made for a lot of great memories. While I will wear my BLS tattoo and t-shirt with pride, I'll hold the "8.0 - Boston Light Swim" sticker for when I swim the 8 miles. Maybe next year?

The boats gather at the start

Bill swimming strong

Check out those waves!

All done!

Ready, Set, Go! Boston Light Swim

The historic Boston Light Swim is this weekend and four swimmers from MIT Masters are participating. Bob B. and Jonathan G. are doing the 8-mile journey as solo swimmers (an incredibly impressive feat), while Bill G. and I are taking part as a two-person team. We also have crew members helping out the solo swimmers on their boats: Heather (BB) and Coach Bill (Jonathan) and our most famous teammate, Elaine Howley, will be on the safety boat helping out friend of MIT Masters Greg O'Connor, the race director. All of this is to say there will be lots of good karma out there. The Boston Light Swim is the oldest open water swim marathon in the United States and dates back to 1907. I won't go into all the details as doing so makes me a wee bit nervous, so if you want to know about this fun event you can check out the Boston Light Swim webpage for more info. Bill G. and I have not exactly set our strategy yet (read: we like to wait until the last minute) but thankfully our trusty boat pilot/lead strategist John is all over the planning. The forecast looks good, but as we know that can change at any minute. I have to say I am pretty excited to participate in this epic swim in the city I love so much, with people who embrace open water swimming. Godspeed to all the racers!

Today's workout:

400 drill/swim by 25 :15r
4 x 50 stroke on :60
200 kick
6 x 75 IM order no free 1:20
Three times thru: Broken 600s going:
400 easy pace :20r
200 fast on 3:20
7 x 100 working each part of the stroke on 1:40