"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.

The beavers are watching you, Dr. Bob

During the warmup today Dr. Bob mentioned that he felt paranoid that all these "teddy bears" were watching him. I was confused, but quickly put on my best counselor hat and began to assess if he was alright. He then pointed up to the wall where dozens of cute little cut-outs of animals were pasted up. But they weren't teddy bears, they were beavers, "nature's engineers", also konwn as the MIT mascot. That didn't really make Dr. Bob feel any less paranoid because they had sharp teeth and menacing looks on their faces. I am sure the swim team did it to psyche out the competition during swim meets. If so, it works because Bob had the shakes all morning long. We did a positive mental imagery exercise at the end of practice where he was alongside the beavers building a dam to save a small town. Nice job, Dr. Bob.

200 on own
100 swim
2 x 25 drill
100 swim
2 x 25 drill
100 swim
2 x 25 drill
100 swim
2 x 25 drill
4 x (3x50)
1-3 kick on 1:10
4-6 descend stroke on :55
7-9 kick on 1:10
10-12 free on :45
2 x 100 working turns
50 stroke on :60
2 x 100 on 1:20
150 stroke on :20r
2 x 200 fast on 2:45
2 x 200 IM on 3:30
2 x 200 fast on 2:45
150 stroke
2 x 100 on 1:20
50 stroke

Great group today, and we swam a lot of yards! BB, IW, KBB, SB, Dr. B, and me. KBB gets prize for most yards and in earliest.

The sun will come out...

tomorrow? Maybe Friday? It was such a harsh change this morning from our beautiful Monday, where we could practically feel spring coming as we saw the sun rise at 6am. Not today. Not only did the sun not make an appearance, it was so dark after practice that I wanted to climb back into bed. But just stare at the photo to the left for 30 seconds and you'll get all the vitamin D you need today. That's a bright pic. We had a hearty group today - IW and KBB in their suits and me and E just trying to keep it together.

200-250 on own
2 x 150 #1 free, #2 stroke
8 x 25 Odds drill, evens build
1 x 300 75 stroke 75 free
8 x 25 all kick
2 x 50 on :55
4 x 50 on :50
6 x 50 on :45
6 x 50 middle of the pool fast into turns and off wall
Twice thru:
3 x 225 descend going 200 swim, get time, 25 easy on 3:30
1 x 25 on :30

We pulled the second set. First set descended by 3-4 seconds per 200, second set by 7 and 8 seconds. Well done, everyone! Stay dry today.

Where everybody knows your name

Masters practice is a little like the sitcom Cheers. For those of you under 30, you might want to look it up so you can follow me here. We meet up to swim, chat, drink gatorade, and have fun. We've got our regulars (us), our Sam (Bill, who "serves" us workouts) and are comfortable enough with each other that we no longer bother with common pleasantries before launching into the workout. And, just like on Cheers, there is always an issue/drama of the day, enought to build an episode around. Sometimes it is between two people (usually me and Carmen), sometimes we all make fun of Steve and his pull bouy, or we razz Bill, or we collectively get perplexed when a new person shows up. It was the latter today, and it made me wonder: are we a friendly bunch that welcomes newbies or are we a hard group to break into? The truth is I'm not sure, really. Sometimes I think we are friendly, other times I know we just get lazy and would rather deal with the devil we know (ourselves) than one we don't (newcomers.) There is definitely a mojo to each lane, a sense of just "getting" each other like an old married couple. I guess it all comes down to how the newcomer swims, understands our etiquette, is aware of their own actions, and fits in. You swim well, you pace yourself, you meet the interval, you avoid E's feet? You're good.

200 going 100 free/100 stroke
150 drill/swim
100 stroke
50 fast
200 kick
6 x 25 free
6 x 25 breast
6 x 25 back
6 x 25 fly
6 x 150 free going:
1 on 2:25
2-3 on 2:15
4-6 on 2:05
6 x 200 going
1 on 3:00
2-3 on 2:55
4-6 on 2:50

Good day, everyone!