1 hour postal night

I swam the 1 hour postal last evening. No funny stuff this time. I came home from work to a chiropractic treatment and my neck was really bothering me through the past two days and the treatment wrecked me for the rest of the day. I went to the Y after the treatment to swim a 500 to relieve any signs of excess stress hormone cortisol, that I think accumulates in my cells after a shift at work. I took 200mg of celebrex, and then relaxed for most of the day. I took 200mg again at 1500 and iced, which I think helped. I swam without cramping and my neck was pretty much okay, splitting 1000s at 14:48, 29:56, 45:28 and finishing at 3935yards. The 1650 split was 24:32, Tuesday it was 24:21.
John Morales, who I think is the team leader, he is also one of the most gifted swimmers in Santa Rosa, sent an email yesterday saying that he was thinking of a sprint set with fast suits. Several swimmers showed up with suits and we swam some some speed sets.
500warm up
3x100kick
3x100kickswim
6x50fast/slow
4times through
3x50slow/med/fast
2minute rest between reps/100easy between set
2400

Bad Idea

Yesterday I was preparing to do the 1 hour postal swim. Everything was okay until I drank the dextrose/creatine energy drink. I was so good until I made that mistake. The bolus of creatine and dextrose sapped all the water from my system, pumping up my muscles and led to severe cramping of my lower extremities. I knew I was in trouble when I started feeling slight cramps in my thighs less than 15 minutes into the 1 hour swim. my 1000 split was 14:40, I was going slow to see if I could swim through the mild cramping. I swam through 30 minutes and then began to stop at the walls to stretch and relax my cramps. I felt better for about another 500 yards or so and then the cramps were so bad that I had to stop. Lesson learned; no heavy sugar/creatine directly before swimming. I think I have one more chance on Friday. Joe said he will be up to timing once again.
I completed 2700 yards and most of them were a struggle due to the self inflicted cramping effect.
I warmed up about 200 for a meager total of 2900.

I woke at 0420, and arrived in the PHS pool at 0515. I swam 500 before the workout started.
6x100kicking w/o fins
6x1min vertical kicking, streamline 30sec between
75easy
6x50drill/swim
100easy
18x100,best interval,6x3-100 with 20/10/5seconds between(completed12)
Kicking comsumes time
2800yards+6minutes vertical kicking
I need to get to PHS @0500 on work days.
I did dryland training at fire station in AM. Weights routine. Increased weight on reps10-15/with dumbbells

Monday Morning PHS

Monday morning at Petaluma High School. I arrive at the pool and there are already a bunch of swimmers in the water before I get in at 0515. I swim about 700 easy before the 0530 workout begins.
6x50 drill/swim
broken 1650 w/pull bouy 11/10/9 etc.
6x50 drill/swim
200im
8x25drill/swim
8x25 swim
200im
2x25drill/swim
8x25 swim, fly on fastest interval
there are 4 rotations in this set, I must get out after 2 rotations
3300+700
I arrived at Station 2 early, traffic was fairly light. Since we are allotted workout time in the morning, from 0800 to 1000. I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes. I need to think about the 1 hour swim I am planning to do tomorrow evening. I will split the 1650, and I hope I have enough for the Wednesday morning PHS workout.

Maintanence Day

Took a rest today, anticipating workout at pHS tomorrow. Sonoma county Family YMCA(SCFY) for swim down
1500easy
1500 22:30
300 cool down
15 minute ergo,2k 8:21

Drunken brawl

I stepped up today at Ridgeway with the SRM Saturday workout group, affectionately known as the 'hammerheads'. We followed along with John Morales workout set this morning. Quickly, with ample warm up, was
4x100 kick
4x100kick/swim
main set
4x200, broken 45,50,55,60 interval free, fly/free,free/fly,fly/fly
150easy between
rest interval between sets, it seemed brutal, shorter than usual, this is the first workout post 48 hour shift. It was a lactate threshold set. Good for you 200 butterfliers, which is how I used this particular set. I usually take it easier on first day back in the water after a 48 shift, but I got caught up in the brawl. Famous SRM and Tim B. and some younger swimmers like Michael. And Deborah Swain. Bad Karma is circulating the swim community. The city is considering the closure of the Ridgeway aquatic Center, and there is a meeting on Tuesday January 27 at 130PM at City Hall to discuss this matter. Oh, oh.

Marin YMCA

I think I like training with a coach, it is so much easier, even though the workouts may be more strenuous. DeaAnn explains what, how and most importantly the why of the drill/set/workout. Yesterday workout was focused towards finishing the race strong. Today I was on my own at the Marin YMCA, and it was kind of a recovery day. I was only in the water for a bit longer than an hour and I was in the pool just after 0600.
1000 free easy
500 dolphin kick on back
100easy 1arm fly
100kick on side
100breast kick
200over/under free easy
5x100free on 1:30, at 1:15pace
12x50free on 55, at35pace
200 swim down
Total 3300
Dryland session at firehouse in PM
I am looking forward to swimming with the Santa Rosa group on Saturday and Sunday. I will be back to Petaluma Monday and Wednesday next week. I am hoping to do the postal 1650 on Tuesday.

Suits,swim suits, some swim in traditional Speedos or speedos made by other companies like TYR, Finis, Arena, and others. They are all known as spedos in the sports world and for that matter the traditional competition swim suits used for decadesare collectively known as speedos. Well, I went to Finley last evening ready to do the 1650 postal swim. Joe was my timer. I forgot my Speedo slkuit, and I forgot it in the morning along with my goggles at the YMCA. I had a feeling,,,found my gogs, I'm going there soon to get my suit. I ran out of time to do the swim, and I only swam about 1500easy at the Y that morning. I felt good this morning in Petaluma.
Warm up until 0530
6x100 kick, w/f, front, side, back, side(fsbs)=3x4
16x100 2 min
4 sets
3x100 stroke(free/fly), 100free,easy
50free easy
8x50free, Texas style
(no breath until after turn)
6x100, over/under 2min
4 stroke rotations then underwater kick, kick count 12free/back, 8dolphin, 4 breast, repeat 4 strokes, then underwater kick
12x25 on 30, 2easy/1hard
3600yards, plus warmup
This was a good one, I did not havve to cut it short. Worked on fly today. Got some atta boys from the coach.

back to back

I entered the locker room at Ridgeway on Sunday morning with my former teammate Dave Hale. The Sunday morning workout group was forming and Warren had a pretty good workout plan. After an approximately 500 warm up, the set was thus:
8x75, 50 swim/25kick, on 1:30, warm up some stroke laps too
Main set
3x4x100,IM order
1@2min, IM order
1@1:45, lots of fly, 1 arm
1@1:30, 100IMs
3x50 easy in between 400
4x150 back
total workout 3000+500 warm up

And then I woke up at 0420 to swim at Petaluma this morning. I was in the pool at 0515 warm up over 500 yards and then begin workout at 0530
Start with 500, 100easy, 300kick, 100easy
800 free
4x200 on 3:15 at 2:45
500 easy,same as above
600 free
4x150, on 2:15 at 1:55
the rest of workout was as follows, but I did not have the time to complete,
400
4x100
200
4x50
It appears that the toatal yards swum by me this AM is 4000, good job, but I needed to do some speed work, and that appears at the end of the workout. That is enough. I would like to do the Postal `1650 tomorrow.

Station 2

I am at work today. I swam with the Petaluma workout group. Arrived in the pool with enough time to swim about 750 for warm up. The set was then:
Tread water 10-15 minutes
3x200, swim 150, sprint 50 stroke
2x500, 4x25 on30,3x50 on60, 2x75 on 90,1x100 on 2min, reverse on fastest interval
1x100 easy
2x200, 6 and 2
200 warm down
Yard total approx 3000

It is an easy commute this Friday. I left the pool at 0636 and left Peets at 0645, arriving in San Rafael at 0705. I should have managed my time better, I could have swam for an extra 15 minutes. there were fewer swimmers this morning than Wednesday. I walked on the wall for 30 minutes before we came downtown. I will be posting images of the fire stations soon. It is a real treat to be stationed at Station 5. It is directly across the street from San Pablo Bay. You'll see.

Finley @0630

Into the pool at 0645 to swim down yesterday's workout. I did a 30 minute session on the Concept2 rower at the Y 12 hours ago. Good session. We are here to swim though and I loosened up with 1500 easy.
5x200 butterfly
1easy, alternating 1arm
1easy alternating arm/full stroke
1medium, alternating/full
1medium 25stroke/25free
1medium free/stroke
5x100IM, start w/back end w/fly
200 swim down

Swimming along the 101

Apparently all of my local swimming pools, which I call my home pools, are conveniently located within a mile or so of US highway 101 in Marin and Sonoma Counties. As I will be reporting from any one of the dozen or so along the stretch of 101 from Healdsburg to San Rafael, we will notice that there are a number of options for the avid masters swimmer in this part of the country. I am planning on making an effort to swim with the group that works out under the supervision of DeaAnn Joslin at the Petaluma High School pool. The workout is from 0530-0630 with ample time for a lengthy warm up, and plenty of time, if you have it, to swim down or continue your workout until 0700. I talked with DeaAnn and mentioned my goals of swimming QT for 200free and fly. That is my job this season. I plan to make an effort to swim at least 2 of the 3 morning workout sessions, as work scheduling allows. I will try to describe the workout as best I can, without the warm up or swim down.
8-50kick/fins 8kicks on side, 8streamline/8 on side
5-100, swim 75, 10rest,25sprint
10-50free, 60
8-50fly/free, free, 55
6-50fly/free,50
4-50 ?, 45
2-50fly, 40
100easy
2-200 hypoxic drill

DOMS set in yesterday from the double circuit monday. I tried some light plyometric exercises at Y in early evening .

report on conditions, code red

I tried to swim at the Y this morning, in 86degree water. That is unhealthy. I got a warm-up, and three 100s, then got out before I overheated. On to Finley at 0915 to finish something.
10 200 free
6/200pace, on 4:00
1/200fists
3/200, broken at 45, 40pace
Done for a 3000/3500

We went to the Y last evening for dry land training.
2 complete circuits,
15minute ergo meter. Good session, but I ate too many cookies for dessert..

New year, same strokes...lHappy

Good scm season, I may have top 10 first ever. Swam easy thru December and into january. Now, scy is upon us, I have switched affiliation back to Tamalpais Aquatic Masters ,TAM. Goals are still the same, 50s, 100s and 200s free and fly. No IM this year. I need to qualify for 200s, starting now, first meet 2/7USF,200free, 200fly and a 50 in between. It will be an interesting transition back to TAM. I should probably email the SRM and tell them I am leaving. No emailing allowed. If I should see her I will tell her. It is a love story..I need to get faster. One arm butterfly , alternating, 100s
2000free warm up, dps
1000kick, on back, w/fins, dolphin/25br kick on back,25breast/small wave
5=100free,3@130,2@200
5-10025long fly/25catch up free
10-25free/25free on60 to low 15
Sorry , Jason lezak, but none of it is junk yards, I may go at a slower pace, but I am working on technique, and symmetry, I slowed it down a bit today towards the end, after I thought about hat your teammate Weber Grill says about going slow to go fast. Deliberateness and technique seem to be key to going faster. Let's go to the Y.