Pooped

I have a favorite iPhone icon that I used when I describe how tired I am. BB uses it too, but I can't find it so I will use a substitute. But that is how I felt today during my first full practice back. And it was kind of an interesting one. It's amazing how much you take in from the back of the train. We had a random visitor leading the warmup set, but he bailed for faster waters quickly. Then young water polo guy (who annoyed SB during the warmup, uh-oh) blasts out only to completely die in the middle of the last set. Someone mentioned that he "needed a talking to" (the assumption was from me, of course) but I need to get my swim legs back before lecturing the young lad. In any case, everyone is swimming strong, well done.

4 x 100 odds drill/stroke, evens drill/free :25r
2 x (4x50)on :20r
free
back
breast
fly
2 x 50 on :55
50 on 1:10
4 x 50 on :50
50 on 1:10
2 x 50 on :55
50 on 1;10
6 x 50 on :50
50 on 1:10
4 x 150 on 2:35 (head up middle 50 2x sighting)
2 x 50 easy
3 x 200 on 3:35 cruise/fast by 100
2 x 50

Off to Key West tomorrow!! I'll try to post something from the beach if I can muster enough energy to get out of the beach chair.

MENSA membership required

I swim with a lot of smart people. A LOT. Doctors, lawyers, aviation experts, finance peeps, nuclear scientists. But smarts really go out the window when a complicated set appears, like it did this morning. Because we are in long course, 150s and 50s throw us for a loop, so trying to remember distance and interval can be a challenge. But the smartest one in the lane today was Kevin, who simply asked Bill to put the workout at both ends. Brilliant! It's kind of like asking directions when you are lost: nobody wants to do it, but when someone does, we are all relieved.

Here is the workout:

200-400 on own
Twice thru:
2 x 50 free front quad on :15r
100 free focus on extension on :20r
100 going 25 drill/25 free on :25r
6 x 50 backstroke on :15r
100 on 1:45
150 fast on 2:25
200 on 3:35
50 cruise on :55
100 cruise on 1:45
150 cruise on 2:30
200 cruise on 3:35
50 on :55
100 fast on 1:35
150 on 2:45
200 fast on 3:00
50 cruise on :55
100 cruise on 1:45
150 cruise on 2:30
200 cruise on 3:35
A kick set followed - maybe 6 x 50?

Nice job today everyone. Small blip when BB was daydreaming of swimming around Alcatraz, but he recovered nicely!

Happy Birthday, Coach Bill!

Today is a big day in MIT Masters history. It's a BIG BIRTHDAY for our beloved coach Bill. So happy birthday, Bill. We love you!

Ahhh, normalcy

When the alarm went off this morning there was not the usual sense of dread. Rather, I bounded out of bed and practically skipped to my car, delighted that I was heading to the pool. After nearly a month out of the pool, it felt great to feel somewhat normal. I use the term somewhat because my lanemates would never use the word "normal" and "me" in the same sentence. But anyway, I chatted on deck with the lifeguards, caught up with coach Bill, and then dove in. It was at about 75 yards that I realized that this pathway to normal was going to be paved with weeks of hard work and some pain. But that is okay! Carpe Diem! Just a small crowd today, and I will post the whole workout though I didn't stay for the entire set.

Warmup on own
5 x 100 variety of drill/swim
10 x 50 on 1:05
2 focus on arm extension
2 focus on catch
2 focus on pull
2 focus on finish
2 focus on rolling
Or, if you are me: 10 x 50 survival swim
100 fast on 1:35
100 easy on 1:50
100 fast on 1:35
100 easy on 1:50
100 fast on 1:35
200 easy on 3:45
100 fast on 1:35
200 easy on 3:45
100 easy on 1:55
100 fast on 1:35
100 easy on 1:50
100 fast on 1:35
200 easy on 3:45
100 fast on 1:35
200 easy on 3:40
100 fast on 1:35

If there was more, I missed it. See you tomorrow, I hope!

Terrible Twos

The workout wasn't terrible at all, in fact we all really liked it. But "terrific 2's" sounded too corny and the graphic for terrible was much more fun than the graphic for terrific. And let's face it, negativity sells sometimes. In a macabre way, more people will want to read that we had an awful workout than we had a great workout. Especially those who chose not to come to practice today. Well guess what? We had an awesome swim and nobody had a tantrum!

warmup on own
200 swim descend
150 drill/swim/drill
100 kick/stroke
50 fast
100 stroke
2 x 25 fly :25
2 x 25 back :30
2 x 25 breast :35
2 x 50 fly :55
2 x 50 back :60
2 x 50 breast 1:05
2 x 25 fly :25
2 x 25 back :30
2 x 25 breast :35
3 x 200 swim (second 50 fast) on 2:50
3 x 200 descend by 50, :5r at each 50; last 50 on 1:05
3 x 200 pull on 3:00
3 x 200 descend by 50, :10r at each 50 (we only did 2 of these)

I'd say that was a pretty sneaky way to get in 11 200s today, and we all really liked it. We laughed, we cried, it was better than Cats. Good job IW, E, Dr. Bob, and M.

Writer's block

I have to apologize to my lanemates and readers worldwide for slacking on the blog lately. I think I have some post-traumatic stress from all of the academic writing I have been doing and it seems too much just to post the workout. But I will be better, though I don't know if my creativity is 100% back. No matter, I will pledge to diligently post the workouts even if they don't come with some innane daily reflection on my part. Okay? Today's workout was one that I will definitely add to my "favorites" list - nice intervals and good mix of short and long. Here it is:

Warmup on own
6 x 75 odds kick/drill/swim, evens stroke, swim, drill
2 x 100 easy
10 x 25 build
3 x 100 on 1:30
2 x 300 pull on 4:45
3 x 100 on 1:25
2 x 300 on 4:30
3 x 100 on 1:40
2 x 300 on 4:15

I had to bolt before the last 300 so I am not sure what else they did. Good job pace setting by E,and well done by KBB, M, and kind of by SB would left too early. :)

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!