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

Hammer Time

The water was nearly 100 degrees today, and by that I mean it was actually 84, which is insanely hot for our pool and for the workout we did today. Coach Bill thought we needed to toughen up, so seemed blissfully unaware of the carnage that was happening with swimmers gasping for air and sitting out to cool down in the middle of the set. This is MIT, and I simply cannot buy that "we put a work order in over 10 days ago" or "they left a side door open during the heat wave". This is the place that invented the disposable razor, the link between cancer and genetics, and the World Wide Web for heaven's sake! Turn the spigot on cold and let's get this done! Special thanks to Hubbard for reuniting me with music from the early 90s as we started the tough part of the set. We were definitely 2 legit 2 quit (hey, hey).

100 warmup

6 x 25 free focus on extension and catch
6 x 25 free focus on power (pulling motion)
6 x 25 free focus on 'finish'
4 x 50 free drill
4 x 50 stroke drill
4 x 50 free build

A.
1 x 75   1:20
1 x 75   1:15
1 x 75   1:10
5 x 75   :60

B.
1 x 75  1:20
1 x 75  1:15
1 x 75  1:10
4 x 75   :55
1 x 25 ez  :50

C.
1 x 75   1:20
1 x 75   1:15
1 x 75   1:10
5 x 75   :60
1 x 50 ez   1:20

D.
1 x 75  1:20
1 x 75  1:15
1 x 75  1:10
4 x 75   :55

Report: Nubble Light Challenge

MIT Masters and friends at Nubble Light Challenge

The 2013 Nubble Light Challenge is in the books, and definitely lived up to expectations. This was my first NLC, and I joined nearly a dozen other MIT Master's swimmers and friends in York, ME last Saturday. I did not know what to expect and when I gazed out to the lighthouse so far away I must admit I was a wee bit nervous. My teammates, many who were veterans of the race, assured me that it would be fine, and the conditions were excellent. I was in wave 2 of 5, and as I watched the large and very fast wave 1 depart, I felt like a preschooler who was watching her big brother leave for kindergarten. I wanted to go with them! Why can't I go with them? I was a newbie at the NLC. It was not to be. Two minutes later, my wave went off. The good thing about a small wave is that you have lots of room and clear ocean in front of you the whole time. The bad thing about a small wave is that you have lots of room and a clear ocean in front of you the whole time. My strategy to find a faster swimmer and draft went out the window. It was cold (60/61) at the start but felt good after standing on the hot beach in black neoprene. The race was well marked, so much so that if you went off course, there was nobody to blame but yourself (or if you were drafting, the person in front of you). The organizers said there were 2 to 4 foot swells, which look like cute, calm little waves when you are standing on the beach. But when you are swimming it feels more like an outtake from A Perfect Storm but there is no boat or George Clooney. One of the coolest parts of the swim was going through the gut, where the temperature dropped to the 50s and we all became Jacques Cousteau for about a quarter of a mile, as you could see crabs, fish, rock formations, and other cool marine life in between the island and the mainland. I loved that so many spectators were out there watching, and I gave them a wave and a smile in appreciation. After the gut, it was a long slog back to land, and my neck was starting to burn from my wetsuit. The finish was not like those highlights you see in other races, it was more like watching someone who drank too much try to run, stumble, and eventually careen their way over the line. Not pretty. Several of my teammates had on GPS devices and said that it was 2.75 miles total. In the end, I was happy to have finished strong and felt like I kept my stroke the whole time. A fantastic job by the race organizers and some impressive swims by MIT peeps and friends. I think this race will continue to grow and attract some of the best swimmers in New England.

Me and E trying to locate the first bouy

P.S. A special shout-out to Elaine Howley (E2) who swam without a wetsuit and was 3rd non-wetsuit woman! Elaine is in Scotland right now preparing for the North Channel Swim. More on that later.

Lighthouse in the distance

About a dozen members of MIT Masters are competing in the Nubble Light Challenge this weekend in York, Maine. The swim is a 2.4 mile ocean swim that takes swimmers out by the Nubble Lighthouse and through the gap between mainland and the lighthouse island. The majority of my teammates who are racing have done this before, but this will be my first time and I am very excited! Conditions vary by year, and I am hopeful that we have some warm temps this year. Coach Bill gave us a distance set to get us geared up for the race. Here is the website: Nubble Light Challenge.

300 warm up
2 x 125 going:  75 free -- 50 stroke
2 x 100 going: 25 drill - 25 choice swim
3 x 50 free on :45
3 x 50 free on :40
4 x 100 going:  50 fly - 50 back
1 x 800 free on :50r
*  long strokes
*  watch your 200 splits
*  Hold consist pace
2 x 400's on 6:10
* Make sure you 'Finish' each stroke long
* Negative split
1 x 600 free on :60r
*  long strokes
*  Faster 200 splits
2 x 300's on 4:15
* Think about Roll, and 'Elbow Pop'
* Negative split

Let the Yelling Begin...

There is a  man who coaches (loosely defined) his son in the mornings while we are at practice. He paces back and forth gesticulating wildly and usually screaming at the kid. In the past, a number of us have complained because, let's face it, anyone who swam AAU as a kid remembers being yelled at by a coach and nobody wants PTSD at master's practice. Lately, however, the guy has been quiet during practice. But I discovered this morning that the moratorium of screaming apparently stops when we leave the deck, because I could hear him from the locker room today. Let me assure you - screaming at a kid to "kick, kick, KICK" will have the opposite effect and I am exhibit A. Thank goodness we swim master's where a 100 kick can magically turn into 100 drill with nary a raised voice.

400 warmup
4 x 75 kick/drill/swim :15r
6 x 125 going 50 stroke/25 kick/50 free :15r
2 x 300 on 4:20 each 100 faster
200 IM on 3;15
3 x 100 on 1:25
4 x 50 stroke on :60
4 x 75 descend on 1:15
3 x 100 on 1:50