Saturday, December 4, 2010

Yesterday and Today

I need to please learn to log from the ipad, I think I did it once, but as to remembering how, well it is the learning curve issue. Did I swim yesterday? Yes. I swam at the SCFY, Sonoma County Family YMCA. I rather keep a steady mindful set while swimming at this time. I do not do flip turns, nor do I do kicking, or any short axis swimming. I have also experienced lingering effects in the lumbar region after the small amount of speed work I have practiced. I apparently have developed my own theories and techniques similar to the great Texas sprinters such as Garrett and the rest of Randy's sprinters. I believe strongly in speed play, in all forms and variations. Varying speed, including pace and tempo, are vital to developing strength and power in the water.

I have been swimming for time, as I swam over 30+ minutes on Friday.

Saturday I swam for over 35+ minutes.

JBT was a wonderful show at the Fox Theater in downtown Oakland. It was the culmination of their tour. Encore was a complete set. Good guy.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Ramping Up to Rant

But first, yesterday's activities at the Y, which included erging 25 minutes(5K), talking with another rower for the first 10 or so minutes.
Just swim baby, how much, how long, I forget. That is the main reason that I need to log the damn workouts, I forget. My body remembers, but my brain forgets.

Then I went for a quick walk at hte noon hour, just downtown and back. I developed a strained right lateral gastrocnemius. Go Swim.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Purposeful, Mindful,

Quick, I need to log yesterdays swim and then go.

What, 2ooo yards,
Wind sprints, including no breathers, 30 second goes, change of pace, and builds.
Correcting, watching head and hand entry for streamline body position through propulsive actions.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Posting Workout, Do Not Forget

Is today a no swim day? Why yes it has been so far. I did the row ergometer, Concept2, and I went for 30 minutes. Has a partner the whole way too. She then moved on to the eliptical machine, whew.

6353meters

Wind sprints last 10 minutes, 30/30

10%warm down

Pull Ups
6, 7, 8, 5.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Keeping a Weblog

I forgot what I did for a workout yesterday so I need to start keeping track of my swimming and indoor rowing again. Like I said, I forgot what I did yesterday, but think I rowed 6k plus a warm down and then I went to the pool for 1k.

So today I swam first and did a typical fitness workout. I noticed towards the last part of the swim, when I have started doing some wind sprints, my aerobic capacity is back at a high level, but unfortunately, the low back is stressing when I swim with effort.

2200y swim
2k erg

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Works or Not

From here I sit waiting for the battery to recharge, then I will finish the handrail. Tried to set up this email to the blog while I wait.

To Train or Not to Train

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

News To Me

Swam early this morning at the SCFY. I am looking into the possibility of beginning to train for speed soon. I thought about how much fun I had swimming in Petaluma with the Masters group. It is still going well there, I think.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Boston Marathon

Santa Rosa Masters swimmer and all around athlete Karen Frindell ran the Boston Marathon in 3:31.35, that is great. See her results and splits at www.bostonmarathon.org/2010/cf/Public/TrackingIndividual.cfm?mode=multiple&IDList=%24(P'.W %0A

Whoops that does not work so I will just tell cyberspace that she finished 7572 overall, 1498 female and 1151 in her division.

Monday Morning ®ecap

It is Monday morning, and after a fun filled weekend of swimming and jocularity, I am ready to get back to work. I think I will take several dalys away from the pool, but I really want to go to the Y. I am thinking of breaking out the Concept2 again. No excuses, I thought it to be fairly good exercise and look ahead to getting back on the rower.

Wow, apparently there were over 900 entered swimmers this year. Take a look at the results at www.pacificmasters.org.

Santa Rosa Masters had a ball again, as always. Led into battle by Team Cougar, and closely followed by Booty and The Beasts, SRM took center stage again, and I think that they won the team spirit award, again, if ever.

See you in Santa Cruz, long course, real time.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Get In

I needed my swim bag, not the Y gym bag. I had to rewind and retrieve my swim bag from home. I need to put a suit and goggles in the gym bag, now. I remember exactly what i did this morning.

1000 free, stretch out, 16 strokes
400 back
100 free
speed play for 15 minutes including broken swims free

2100 yards

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Keeping Current

It does not work well to try and remember workouts from the past. I have been thinking taper for the past week and I have backed down the yardage. I have been concentrating more on butterfly as I have the opportunity to swim the 100 fly next Saturday. I have only a vague idea of the workouts since Wednesday. Sunday is a no swim day and I went to the Y for a good weight and pull up session. 5, 6, 8 pull ups and 175 lbs on rack 9 and 10 reps.

Wednesday 4/7
1000 kick with fins
500 fist swim
other
3000 yards

Thursday 4/8
No recollection of the workout.
2500 lyards

Friday 4/9
2300 yards,
speed work and fly work

2300 yards

Saturday 4/10
Folsom Aquatic Center
1000 arm up
5x100 back on 2 minutes
5x75 53s 25/swim back
250 fly work
100 swim down

2350 yards

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Monday Morning on Tuesday

Actually, I had a Monday morning on Monday. I had a kink in my right shoulder and it took almost the complete swim to stretch out and begin to feel regular.
I have totally forgotten yesterdays swim, although it was a 2500 yard effort. I

2000 yards
2x100 fly drills
3x100 fly, good pace

2500 yards

Thsi morning I have slight DOMS and I can start swimming good pace.

1000 free, some good pace work
500 back ez
500 kick on back with fins, build
500 free, good pace
6x25 free
6x25 breast
2x25 back
6x25 fly

3000 yards

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter

Saturday workout, 15 people shared 3 lanes. I led my lane, from the rear, swimming in front of me were Mike E., J. Morales, F. Canales, and T. Wilson. Did every one, including D. Hale, have fast suits? Notably not were L. Ourette, P. Canales, and Mike E. I do not wear tech suits. Period. I may be forced to wear it once or twice this season, depending if I do go to Atlanta.

500 swim

3x100 kick, 2:05
2x100 dolphin
1x100 on back with fins
3x100 kick/swim
2x100 breast kick/free
1x100 back kick

16x25 on 30 seconds
4 each stroke/reverse IM order

5 Times
Broken 100s
150 Recovery

25/5sec, 50/5 sec, 25
1. IM
2. Free
3. Free
4. Fly/free/fly
5. Fly/free/fly

200 warm down

2800 yards
A

Friday, April 2, 2010

I Think It Is A Rhomboid Problem

I think I isolated the problem in my scapular region. I think that I used too much weight when I was doing the four position shoulder raises. I used 5 lb hand weights and I have only used 3 lb in all previous sessions. I was back at the Y today, I reinstated my membership and I really missed it. Pull ups did not bother me, neither did any of the other weight related exercises. this hammering on the keyboard kind of bothers it. small movements bother it, probably because it is a m=smaller muscle group.

Thursday is usually my no swim day but I swam because Sunday is a no swim day, Easter. I need to log the workout soon after I do it or I do not remember it too well, such as now.
500 swim
500 kick on back with fins
5x200 IM
10x50 free on 60 seconds, 35s

2500 yards
B-

Today, Friday Iswam at 0900 at Finley and there were many slower swimmers, but by 1000 I had a lane or side to myself.
500 kick with fins
500 fist swim
5x100 back last one 1:26
5x100 free
5x100 fly, with 200 drill
5x25/25 free swim back on 20 sec
8x25fly/25free swim back on fast turn around

3150 yards
A-

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Shoulder Update

The Strawberry Canyon Masters Spring Meet was Sunday at Spieker Aquatics. I swam a good 50 fly in 28.90 and my 100 free was a 00.30. I was not happy with the 50 free at 27.02 and the 100 back was just a bit slower than Rinconada. Total yardage would be 2000 yards for the day.

Monday I tried to swim but I only swam about 10 laps before I exited because of nagging pain in the left shoulder blade area. This pain is persisting through Wednesday. I swam about 250 yards and then had pretty good kicking session on Tuesday. I would set the total at about 1500 yards but it was mostly all kicking.

Wednesday I swam easy.

1000 swim easy
800 kick on back with fins, mostly alternating
500 free ez

2300 yards
C

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Thursday I Went for A Walk

Right on schedule, Thursday followed Wednesday and I did not swim. Nor did I do any dry land training other than going for a one hour walk.
I waited until the noon swim at Ridgway on Friday but I got there early and got my workout in before the water became too turbulent.
500 swim
2x200 back
100 back
250 kick with fins
10x25 kick with board
100 fly drill
2x100 fly ez
4x50 fly
10x25/25 mixed pace, intervals free, fly
100 ez

2600 yards

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Update

I was purposefully late for swim workout this morning, as I do not need to swim too much before the SCAM Spring Meet at UC Berkeley on Sunday. I do hope that we do not have to spend the day in the locker room as we have in the not to distant past two seasons, at least. I swam till 0800, right to the end of lap swim.

1000 free
5x100 back good, watch form, quick interval, medium pace,1:35
100 kick on back with fins ez
4x50 free, fast turn around, not broken 200
5x50 free, 50-60 sec interval
50 warm down

2600 yards
B+

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

How About DOMS This Morning

Delayed onset of muscle soreness is what I woke up with this morning. I kind of expected it since I was at the Y for an hour last evening. I felt good at workout this morning at Finley. I think that I might invest in a pair of competition jammers. It would make sense, I wear jammers under my shorts at the Y because I like the compression effect. I need to check swimoutlet.com and I think i may try a newer pair of goggles like the pair Don showed me. I think that they are Racetech metalized. The strap appears to be of a better quality and it has an adjustable nosebridge and essentially the same fastening devices for the strap.

1000 swim, 50free/50back
500 kick on back with fins
100 ez
4x50 free on 45 sec, descending from 38-35
3x100 choice
4x50 free on 45 sec, descending from 37-34
3x100 choice
4x50 free on 45 sec, descending from36-33
3x100 choice
100ez

3200 yards
A

Monday, March 22, 2010

Monday Morning, Again

It is an ez day this morning. I know there were many swimmers at the backstroke clinic at Ridgway this morning. I had a lane to myself at Finley. and since I pounded a workout yesterday, I took it easier.

1000 free, choice
1000 back, ez, good form and technique
250 fly drill, one arm, alternating
5x50 fly, ez, on 60 sec
200 IM ez kick
100 IM ez kick

2800 yards
B

Saturday And Sunday Weekend Workouts

Typical, energetic, fun and appropriate. This is how I am to describe the workout sessions that I have been part of for the season. Saturday the group is larger and faster, with more girls. Sunday is long and arduous.

I forget the individual warm up, but I totaled the yardage as 2700, that includes the 1400 main set and 900 warm up set.

250 warm up
3x100 drill
3x100 kick
3100 kick/swim
10x25 choice

Main Set
16x100 on 2 minutes
4 Times Through
3x100 choice
50 fast from blocks
3xfly 32, 30, 30
1xbreast 37

100 ez

2700 yards

Sunday
250 swim warm up
10x75, 50swim/25kick

Main Set
3 Times Through
3x150, IM order, 100 fly/50 back(150fly)
100 back/50 breast
100 breast/50 free
50 free recovery
Kick Set
3 Times Through
4x100 kick, IM order, 2 min, 110 sec, 100 sec

100 swim down

3600 yards

Friday, March 19, 2010

Two Times Friday

I got to the Finley pool a bit before 0700 this morning. I helped another swimmer some technique tips and had a pretty relaxing swim
500 swim
500 kick with fins on back
7x100 back
6x50 back
500 swim

2500 yards

I went to finish what I started this earlier this morning. Ridgway was very nice, caught up with Grounder, hung around and swam a bit.
500 free swim
6x50 back
7x25 back/free 5 seconds on 90
2x100 fly drill
6x50 fly
500 ez

2000 yards
B

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Time Passes

Wednesday is unofficially the broken 200 butterfly set workout. It could be deemed official because I have joined with the other swimmers for several Wednesday noontime swims. Today we did the broken 200 butterfly workout, which has become standard for Wednesday. I probably should have swam 1000 extra before we started.

350 swim
350 kick
250 butterfly warm up, 1 arm/alternating

4x50 fly, 60 sec
250 swim, 100 free/150 back
4x50 fly, 70 sec
250 swim, 100 free/150 back
4x50 free/fly, 80 sec, start fly@20 sec, fly@15sec
250 swim

2300 yards
B

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Looking Ahead

I feel the muscles. They are a bit fatigued, but they are working well. This morning I led myself through a 3000 yard workout while looking ahead to the dry land training at the Y later this morning.
500 swim
500 kick on back with fins, dolphin
2x200 breast
100 breast
2x200 back
100 back
100 free
4x50 free on 50 sec
4x50 free on 60, descending from 35,4,3,2
10x25 on 40 sec, slow/fast
5x50 broken at 20 sec
100 swim down

3100 yards
A-

Monday, March 15, 2010

Swim Update

Saturday was a real pretty day, and th eRinconada Spring Meet was in full swing. there were about 200 preregistered swimmers and it was a very pleasant day. There appeared to be many newer masters swimmers, and not only because of the two novice events.

The best part of the meet was welcoming my younger brother, Vincent, to masters swimming competition. He really enjoyed his first formal meet since early childhood. He swam really well and I believe he will continue enjoying masters swimming for some time.

I felt good for the whole meet. The sun was shining on us all day, although the breeze did pick up in the afternoon. I may have felt good, but I did not swim fast. I will be swimming the exact events at the meet in Berkeley in two weeks. I am now in the second phase of my experiment with changing my workout routine. I have forgone the dry land workouts for about two months, substituting swimming instead of going to the Y for weights, etc. I believe that my swimming effectiveness has been affected because of what I would consider sub par performances at the two previous meets, so I have gone back into the gym and will swim in the meet after including 6 dry land sessions into my routine..

Meet results:
50 Free :26.92
100 Back 1:17.41 PR
50 Fly :30.13
100 Free 1:02.67

1000free warm up
250 warm down
250 warm down
200 warm up

1900 yards

Sunday I did dry land at the Y before I swam. I did 1 complete circuit of nautilus at 60% with 12-15 reps, and 4 pull ups. I swam late, at noon, and was tired, and soreness was already setting in. It was like a swim down, I swam 100 free/100 stroke for 1500 yards and got out.

1500 yards

Monday I was at Finley and started swimming just after 0630. I felt a bit of soreness from the dryland work but it felt good to feel the muscles. I had a comfortable workout, and I already feel stronger!

1000 free
500 kick on back with fins
5x100 free on 1:30
5x100 back on 2 min
500 free stroke work, dps/spl, bi breathing
5x100 free/fly on 2 min

3500 yards

Friday, March 12, 2010

Swimming on Thursday

I am competing at the Rinconada Spring Masters Meet on Saturday, tomorrow. It is one year ago that I first damaged my right shoulder. I swam only one event at the meet last year, I was in too much discomfort to continue. I should look at the history of the incident. It was also a poor day for a swim meet, but I recovered quickly enough to forgo any treatments and I swam well two weeks later at Berkeley and through the end of April.

Thursday has been my typical no swim day since I free to swim as much as I want these days. I went to the warm pool at Finley, only allowing myself about 30 minutes in the pool.

500 swim
500 kick on back with fins
500 swim
250 swim ez

1750 yards
B

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

DOMS

I just was relaxing in my bed this morning, pondering why my left, left arm was sore...and the bell went ring, ring, ring, I played disc golf on Monday. Whoops, again! Just soreness from the DOMS, which is the delayed onset of muscle soreness. I know about it and there is really not much that cam be done except to practice and use the muscles. I think I may be missing the gym too much. I have scheduled my swim for noontime and I will see about which pool when the time comes.

I did get to Ridgway and it was cold. Estimates of 78-79 were bantered about and it was a chilly breeze blowing. John, H., Todd, Harry, me, Dave, Gail, Don, Ethan were present.

500 choice
5x100 free, quick turn around
250 kick on back with fins
10x50 choice on 55 seconds

4x50 free/fly on 60 seconds
250 ez
4x50 free/fly on 70 seconds
150 ez, (pee break)
4x50 free/fly, on 80 seconds, break at 25y, go fly on 20 seconds,
250 ez
8x25 on 40 seconds, free/fly, ez/fast 14s for fly leg
100 back, 1:22

3300 yards
A

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

EZ All Morning

I kind of feel a bit of soreness in the left pec this morning. That is good biofeedback, indicating that I did some training yesterday. It may be of interest that the rest of the left arm is fatigued and sore too. I have been aware of the looseness and popping in the surgically altered right shoulder, but there is not the aggressive soreness as on the left side.

I swam last evening at happy hour. The wind chill was a factor, but the water was very warm. There is also a problem with the ventilation in the Finley locker room. I told the front desk about it this morning. I should record last evening's swim here;
500 free
5x100 back on 2 min, last three-29, 27, 28
250 fly drill, including 50 modified Biondi drill, 2x100 1 arm, no breath/full stroke, breath
5x50 fly, ez/strong
500 choice, including turns, breakouts, mostly free and fly, no clock, various intervals, this is what happy hour is about, relax swim a few rounds, no hurry, hypoxic talking time!

2000 yards
B+


Thsi morning was EZ swim because I am a bit sore from the exercise yesterday.

500 free ez
500 kick on back with fins, alternating
100, 2x200 back
250 breast, dps and spl, wall work but ez pull down, try to lead with navel
4x50 off block, adjusting depth of dive and breakout stroke timing, 1 off side ez
500 fist free
500 lane line assisted backstroke

3000 yards
B

Monday, March 8, 2010

Too Warm? What?

Did I say that? I must have worked out this morning. I felt a bit of the warmth of the fine aquatic environment of Finley Aquatic Center this morning. I did crank it up a bit too. I thought about my options for goal orientation, coached versus self coached, and I will stay with myself and be completely self coached this season.

500 swim
10x50 dolphin kick on back with fins
100 free
4x100 back on 2 min, down to 1:25
5o back@39
100 free ez
9 minutes tread water
50, 100, 100 breast
5x50 breast down to 39
5x25free/25fly on 1 min
5x25free/30-50 fly with turn on 90 sec
100 ez

2650 yards
B+

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Stay Wet

It seems like I have not been swimming that much lately, but if I take a look at my complete log of workouts for the past several months, I would see that it is not so, but I feel that I may need some external motivation other than swimming with the group on select days. I am considering the alternative that I had used for my training last spring. That would be going to the Petaluma High School workouts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. To extrapolate on the possibility, I could swim in Petaluma 25-28 sessions at $5 per session. That is $125-140. Then there is the travel expenses to include and that would be 36 miles per session. That is about equal to 900 miles for the 25 sessions and that is 900 miles, divided by 25 mpg, which brings us to 36 gallons of fuel @ $3.30/gal =$120.00. That, added to the $125 for 25 sessions is $245 for that idea. I can round the cost to $10 per session, and the extra time is non negotiable. This idea appears to be cost ineffective. the other alternative is to join with the Santa Rosa Masters coached workouts for an extra $29 a month more than my monthly pass, which I would need to have if I went to Petaluma. I guess I will talk with the coach, that does seem reasonable.

Saturday I swam at Dolores Bengston Aquatic Center in Pleasanton, but I only swam a 2K.

I went to Ridgway this morning and the pod was splintered and ffairly dispersed. I did my own thing.

1000 choice, all strokes
750 kick on back with fins
250 breaststroke kick
5x100 backstroke, down to 1:23 on 2 minutes
500 free, alternate breathing

3000
B-

Friday, March 5, 2010

Good Friday Swimming

Not much new at the pool this morning. I think I will come back later in the evening for happy hour.

1000 free/back
500 free
1000 kick on back with fins
100 free ez
5x100 free, filler swimming, I forgot what I did for this part
8x50 free on 60 seconds, down to 32

3500 yards
B-

Later in the afternoon I was feeling pretty rough around the edges so I went back to Finley for a therapy swim and it felt really good.

600 swim
3x50 frees no clock, just feel
3x100 fly, ez stretch it out, a bit hard on last laps
3x50 free/fly

1200 yards
B

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Recharged

After slugging it out yesterday, I felt like swimming better this morning. I felt yesterday's effort when I started the warm up, and I felt good through the kick set. I tried a different style of alternating kick where I flexed and bent my knees dramatically. It felt good, and it did not have any adverse effects.

500 swim warm up
750 kick on back with fins
250 breast kick
5x100 back, ez
5x100 free ez
5x100 fly, spl 7-8
5x50 fly/free under 40, 60 seconds
5x50 free/fly under 40, 60 seconds

3500 yards
B

I went to happy hour at Finley in the evening and had a nice time. I swam some too, but I watched the divers after I swam about 1500 yards.

1000 free/back
500 back/ breast easy, working on different aspects of the stroke, especially wall and dps during breast

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Strange As The Weather

There was nothing wrong with this morning but it just seemed that it was not a good swim day. Evidence abounded around this morning because Ridgway had an electrical problem and morning workout was canceled. This was evidenced because several Ridgway regulars were found in the steaming crab pot of Finley Aquatic Center. They are humorous in their own special way, as they can be very dramatic in showing their disdain for the slightly warmer environs of Finley. they had no organization for their workout and they showed little effort, kind of like who I felt this morning. I did go back for a better swim round 2 hours later.

1000 back/free
1000 kick on back with fins,10 laps breast kick
1000 other
That was the first session of a split workout this morning. I could not get it going. I came back after breakfast to swim better.

500 fly/free
20x25 free on 30 seconds/80%
5x50 fly 45 seconds on 1 minute
5x50 fly/back 45-40 seconds on 1 minute

4500 yards
B

Monday, March 1, 2010

Back Up and Go

The workout this morning was very easy and relaxed. there we not many swimmers at Finley this morning, and I was a bit uninspired and I just kind of dragged myself through the swim until the end and I felt better.

1500 swim
250 kick on back with fins
250 back
1000 swim
8x25 dps ez

3200 yards
B

I swam yesterday, Sunday, with W. S. leading the group with 'oreo' sets. I had to modify so I will subtract 300 yards from the 2400 yard set.

I did not do any warm up on my own.

6x75 swim50/kick25

Main Set
8 300 Yard 'oreo', sandwich rounds
free, back, breast, fly
100swim, 100kick, 100swim
100kick, 100swim, 100kick

500 swim down on my own

3050 yards
B

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Swim Fast Saturday

This seems to be a common calling for the Saturday workout and it works for me too.

400 swim warm up choice

3x100 kick on 2:15
3x100 kick swim on 1:45
3x100 swim on 1:30

Main Set

Medley order, 4 times

50 kick
50 drill
2x50 stroke
50 stroke hard 37, 38, 34, 30
100 recovery

2700 yards
B

Friday, February 26, 2010

I did Not Swim Enough Today

I was just warmed up and ready to go when I had to go to the auto shop for an oil change. It was a very nice swim this morning because I arrived early enough to like up with the early birds and on the way out I said hello to the very beautiful and lovely Jessie, who just looked fantastic. Makes the day eh, fellas. The Ridgway swimmers were locked out this morning so many joined us at Finley this morning.

500 swim choice
1000 kick on back with fins, lots of aggressive dolphin kicking
500 back, 100, 2x200
5x100 free last one at 1:15, various interval
100 fly drill
2x100 fly broken
1x100 free/fly
4x25 fly on 30 sec, last one with full rest, 14.9

I am pondering whether to go knock out some sprint work before the hockey match at noon.

3000 yards
B

I must be on the track to something. I went to Ridgway at 1130 and should have been out by noon, but I got a bit chatty, and I missed ALL the USA scoring, because the match did start at noon, not like the other matches that started 30 minutes later than the announced start time. I got home and the score was 6-0 and there were 6 minutes left in the first period! I did get in some worthy 25s and totaled 1350 yards.

500 swim fast warm up
50 free
10x25 free on 30 sec
5x25 free/25 swim back on 1:15
5x25 free , no breathers/ swim back on 1:30 low 14s
50 free swim down

1350 yards
A

4350 yards day

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Good Warm Up Basics

I did leave my suits at IVC on Saturday and I can retrieve them any time. There was a butterfly clinic for masters swimmers last evening, and it was instructed by Coach Warren Lager.

The Maria Carrillo Lady Pumas basketball team was beaten by the Lady Gauchos of Casa Grande High School last night at Carrillo. Final was 51-40. Casa pulled away in 4th quarter after three quarters of solid defense and even scoring by both teams.

I arrived at Finley this morning and I found an open spot next to the pod and Warren was leading this morning. I heard him say there would be lots of rest in the set.

I had a good thorough warm up of about 2000 yards before I got to the butterfly part of the set. I thought that I needed to do the workout this morning because I thought the USA hockey game was at noon. Now it looks like it is on at 3PM.

Medical note: right arm region feels cranky, some point soreness at latissimus, tricep, and neck. Clavicle soreness. The cold seems to be easing up.

500 swim warm up
500 back
500 Kick on back with fins
4x100 5 seconds rest
200 free
16x25 breast kick
5x100 fly, various stroke combinations including alternating 1 arm with full stroke, full stroke lap/free lap
10x25 fly, wall work 4 strokes after turn
5x50 fly ez full stroke good rest
100ez warm down

3600 yards
B+

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Tuesday Morning and I Have to Swim

I am a bit fatigued from the double workout yesterday and the cold that I have been dealing with for a couple of days. I went to Finley this morning to swim it out. I could not swim too hard but it did feel good.

500 swim choice
5x100 free slow with 15 seconds rest
500 kick on back with fins
500 free slow
6x50 free, spl

2300 yards

That is it for the day. I have decided to not swim this noon hour, even though there is a pod of masters swimmers at the Ridgway pool. I just feel like I may need to rest this cold today.

I want to go and see the Lady Pumas basketball game this evening. They play the Lady Gauchos at MCHS in the first round of the North Coast Section D-2 playoffs.

Monday, February 22, 2010

No Need to Push

There was only the thought of a nice morning therapy swim and when I got in the pool it was so nice. Just right, nice and comfy, no chop or turbulence of any kind so I took it easy and did a simple lap swim, some backstroke, no fins or short axis swimming this morning. I entered the pool at 0715 and that allowed for a 45 minute swim, with only one rest stop along the way, and it was later with around 10 minutes left. I swam about 2400 yards. I also have a new cold and I have some strains in weird places and there may be a correlation with swimming LC at IVC on Saturday. Yesterday I swam a bit hard and I felt some of the same strains. here are new strains this morning, I will swim this evening.

2400 yards
B

I had a pretty good swim at Finley in the evening.

500 choice ewarm up
500 dps work
1000 kick on back with fins
4x50 kick on back with fins on 60 sec near 45-7 each
5x100 free dps work
2x100 fly, slow
3x100 free/fly/free/fly
200 ez
12x25 spl work down to 10 spl

3700 yards

6100 yards today

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Sunday with Dave

Warren advised us that he went skiing yesterday and he was soemthing or other so Dave came up with the workout this morning.

400 warm up

Main Set
5 times 600

500 free/100fly/back
400 IM, 100breast/free, 100fly/back
300 free, 100breast/free, 100 fly/back, 100 breast/free
200 IM, 100fly/back, 100breast/free, 100fly/back, 100breast/free
600 swim, including 400 choice and 4x50 fly ez

3400 yards less 50 on first 3 sets

3250 yards
B

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Indian Valley 50 Meter Swimming

I was invited to swim with the Marin Pirates Masters this morning. They swim at Indian Valley College in Novato California. We swam long course this morning and I really enjoyed it. I think I only swam long course two times last season. i really like swimming in a long course pool. There is much to like. The main advantage that I find in swimming long course is ther is a greater length of time to get in the proper rythym and focus without having to think about turning so much. There is a whole seperate thought process when turning and since half of the turns are eliminated from a long course workout, I find this to be advantageous.

Cokie Lepinski was the on deck coach this morning. I counted 15 swimmers at one time during the middle of the workout. There were 4 other swimmers in the lane with me. Ron Emhoff from TOC and Kent from USF as well as two other swimmers were with me in the lane.

200 warm up

Coached workout
4x100 on 1:35

6 times through
5x50 each round decending interval, 30,25, 20, 15, 10, and 5 seconds, choice
100 recovery

200 swim down

2900 meters
A

Friday, February 19, 2010

1650 Postal in the Morning

I had a pretty good swim this morning. I swam the 1650 and am submitting my time to the TAM 1650 postal event. TAM has named this event to honor Jon Steiner, the TAM swimmer that was very active in Pacific Masters and local masters swimming for many years. It is now officially called the Jon Steiner Memorial 1650 Postal Swim. It is contested in January and February and has been on the schedule for some time.

500 warm up choice

1650 swim 23:02.24. I swam 17 seconds faster thn last year. I held pace, only wavering a bit during some lost thoughts around 1200 yards. I am happy with the swim.

During warm up, I noticed that my spl was up and my rate was also fast. I carried this over to the swim, and I only reduced my spl towards the middle of the swim. I am not sure why this was so. I did not swim yesterday because Thursday has been my typical off day. I usually have fairly good dps after a day off but that was not the case today. Perhaps this change is stroke rate/distance can be attributed to the anticipation of the swim being contested competitively and I was a bit pumped.

200 warm down

2350 yards
A

I went to Ridgway for the noon swim and although the hammerhead pod was in the water I stayed on the periphery and did my own thing, due to the above workout in the morning.

500 free, try to increase stroke length
500 kick on back with fins
5x100 back all near or under 1:30, last 3 at 1:29
500 free ez
9xspeed play, 25 frees with wall work, break out stroke work. I started to get sloppy and a bit fatigued so I ended the effort.

2450 yards
B

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

One Workout at a Time

I thought I would get to the swim center at Finley a bit earlier and I got there at 0615 but I had nowhere to swim. I got in to circle and the other swimmer went to another lane to join in the workout being led by Warren. I stayed to form and did a B+ workout, tailoring it to my specifications. Today I cannot swim at noon. I have been joining the group swim on Wednesdays to swim broken 200s and butterfly workouts and I may still be a butterflier, so I did some fly work this morning.

500 swim choice free/back
5x100 free 5 seconds rest
500 kick on back with fins, dolphin
100 free
4x100 fly 200 pace
5x100 free smooth
5x50 fly/free on 90 sec
100 free
5x50 free/fly on 60 sec
200 warm down

3300 yards
B+

Late and Split Workouts Tuesday

I had to do an errand Tuesday morning and I could only get to the pool by 0900. I had to then decide to split the workout because another very important errand needed my attention at 1100. I had to sign my final retirement document at MCERA in San Rafael. Yeah. I went to Finley and swam a mini workout before I went to San Rafael. I went back to Finley at 5:30 and finished up for the day.

AM Finley
1600 straight swim

PM Finley
300 swim choice
10x100 on 1:45 with lane partners
5x(50, 50, 100)200 60 sec, 60 sec, 90 sec
100 swim down

2400 yards

4000 yard day
B

Monday, February 15, 2010

Monday Later Than Usual

Instead of going to Finley early this morning, I headed to Ridgway at 0930. I had heard that the weekend group with Warren, Morales, et al, were swimming. I said hi, and then did what I usually do on Monday and that is a recovery workout, or lap swim. Sundays with Warren usually are long and hard, so it has been appropriate to use the Monday morning workout as a recovery or short day.

1000 free/back
500 free/breast
500 dick on back with fins
500 free
700 choice, stroke work spl, dps, ez, feel the water

3200 yards
B

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Valentine Sunday

Special kisses to all the swimmers today. We had a special guest swimmer this morning who is not a regular on Sundays. I thought that we would be good for about 4 K today and I think I guessed about right. Let us see what we did this morning...

450 swim choice
6x75 2swim/1kick on 1:40

Main Set
4 times 1:50, 1:40, 1:30, and 1:20
modified last set with 75 back and 75 breast

100back
100breast
100free
2x50 free slow

12x50 kick no toys, IM order
12x50 kick on back with fins

150 warm down

3850 yards
A

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Saturday Morning Go Fast Day

Wow, tlhere were 15, 16 swimmers doing the ad hoc Santa Rosa Masters workout led by John M. this morning at Ridgway. The water was really good, but I did miss my warm up shower because the Neptune swimmers use all the hot water after their workout, which coincidently ends just before we get in the water. So we had 4 lanes and a swimmer swimming in a lane by himself.

500 swim choice warm up
3x100 kick 2 min
3x100 kick swim, breast kick/free 1:50
3x100 swim 1:40
6x50 IM on 60 sec

Main Set
4 times through

2x100 choice
100 IM hard 1:26, 1:27, 1:18, 1:13

200 warm down

3100 yards
A

Friday, February 12, 2010

A Nice Hour Swim

After a forced off day that I will tell about shortly, I was back in the pool this morning. I know that if I got to the pool too sooon, I would be swimming in the short lane, I mean shallow lane, and so I just hung around and talked with Mary, the lifeguard, for awhile. I got in that shallow lane to start swimming at 3 after the hour so the hour swim was only 57 minutes. For more details, I took a break after 1000 and I really needed another break shortly thereafter, but I kept swimming until 0800.

1000 swim
break
500 swim continuing to a full uninterrupted 30 minute swim of
1900 yards in 29:35
no warm down swim

3400 yards
B+

During the last 30 minutes of the session, I tried to stretch it out, spl, and tried to add some kicking. I had to pee for over 15 minutes and I was kind of distracted so I had a bit of a problem keeping my mind on my stroke form and count.

Yesterday I did not swim. I went for a walk in the morning around the time that I would usually walk and my back was sore from the beginning. I am going to walk now, after swimming this morning, and try to determine if there is any difference. I hope to be back in the water today, probably this evening to do some speed work.

I did make it back to Finley in the evening, and I did do some speed work. I ended up pretty tired. I met up with a group of swimmers swimming together, another ad hoc, spontaneous workout group, and it sounded like they were exactly that, a pick up workout group. It was cool seeing and I swam some with them.

500 warm up
5x50 free on 50
200 free
4x50 choice on 60
300 swim down

1450 yards
B

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Split Workout

Instead of calling the two swimming sessions for today a double workout, I will technically define the two sessions as a split workout. I swam the morning session at Finley as an aerobic workout, easy, but with purpose. I went to Ridgway at noon as we have been doing broken 200 workouts. We did the same today, although the group was very small and there were only 4 swimmers

Finley
1000 swim back/free
500 swim breast/free work the wall on breast turn including breakout stroke
500 kick on back with fins, alternating and dolphin
200 ez warm down

2200 yards
B

Ridgway

600 warm up

4 times through
200 broken at 60, 55, 50, and 45
1. fly
2. breast
3. back
4.fly, fly, free, fly
300 swim recovery, I missed about 300 total due to talking or slowness

4x50 fly on 45
100 ez warm down

2600 yards
A

4800 yards

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The Need to Swim

Just as runners need to run, I, a swimmer, need to swim. That is what I did this morning at the Finley Swim Center. We as runners did not have the need to go to facility to pursue our passion for aerobic fulfillment. Sometimes I need to swim hard, sometimes I need to swim with analytical mindfulness. Several times during the season I need to swim fast.

500 free warm up
750 kick on back with fins/alternating
250 breast kick
100 free
4x100 back down to 1:36 on 2min
100 free
4x100 fly, down to 1:36 on 2 min
5x100 fly/choice/fly/choice, including back and breast
600 warm down, including many stroke/length drills. Got down to 11 for 25 and 23 for 50.

3600 yards
B

Monday, February 8, 2010

Just Swim Monday

I just wanted to swim today. I did not want to do any hard work this morning so I just swam some laps and thought about where I was in the water. Funny thing happened this morning. My timing was not too good and it was going to be circle swim for a while. Ir just so happened that the nice lady, Dorothy, saw that I was thinking of taking the last half lane in the shallower end and she offered me her spot circling with Brian and another swimmer. She kind of tricked me and I thought it was kind of funny. We laughed, and soon then she told me that she owes me one. It made the morning that much more fun.

I remembered again as I did yesterday that my 50 free turn was not very good on Saturday. I went into the wall tentative and I had a weak push off the wall. I did not have hardly any kick off the wall either. 1 breath down, 2 coming home, maybe 1.

This morning at Finley.

1000 swim
1000 kick on back with fins
500 back
500 breast
600 free
out ez

3600 yards
B

I want to go and work on my turns this noon.

Which I did, at Finley. I was only in the water for about 45 minutes and I did just what I went to do, I worked on my freestyle turns, including turning closer to the wall, which involves a tighter tuck. This technique differs from a distance freestyle turn because explosiveness in required during the push off the wall into streamline, followed by power kicks, either dolphin or alternating kicking into the breakout stroke. I did 12 power turns, followed by strong turns at the 50.

500 warm up free

12x50 free, power turn at 25, followed by strong turn at 50

10xmodified Texas 25/50s. I modified by allowing 1 breath before the turn, and swimming until hypoxic, then cruising into the wall. 8 and 9 were 1 breath 50s and the 10th was 50 no breather.

1600 yards
A

5200 yards

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Aftermath

The sun feels really good today, it has been winter time for several days. I think we should enjoy the sun today because it is still winter in California and more rain please. We need the water. Fill up the reservoirs, lakes and aquifers, now. Good day at the Ridgway, some talk about yesterdays meet, and then we got right to it and Warren led the way for about 8 of us. Thank you.
500 warm up, choice
8x50 free on 50

Did he call it a Hale set, hail?
400, 6 min
2x200 2:45
4x100 1:15
6x75 recovery

Kick same
400 kick, 8 min
2x200 kick 4 min
4x100 kick 1:45
That is what was the prescribed workout. I had to modify the swim set by 200, and I seriously modified the kick set to just kicking 1000

200 swim down

3300 yards, or so
B+

Santa Rosa Masters Roster at USF

How many of my teammates can I recall seeing and swimming at the meet yesterday. It starts with me,Todd W., Hermine the coach, Jenny the newbie, Joel B.,Hilary H., John M., Christine, Don F., and...I think that is it. And Sara J. And Iris. 11 total.

I asked Brian Andrews, whom I consider one of the meet directors, about the number of entries and he said that there were 400 or so swimmers. I believe that number exceeds last years turnout and it also represents one of the largest 1 day masters swim meets in the nation. I will have to do research, especially in New England and Arizona.

Another new direction was tried after the 200 free. The rest of the meet was mixed seeded heats, meaning men and women swam together. I like it. Some people do not. Elmer the meet director, was looking for feedback and I gave him some positive. I heard there were people in the other locker room that were totally against the idea of the men and women swimming together. The meet did move along extremely efficiently, since mixing the heats definitely speeds up the whole meet. I think it was over by or around 2:30.

I swam all but one of my events in a new Speedo brief, right out of the grab bag. I put on the fastskin for 200 butterfly, only because. I gotta head to the pool to see who is back in the water this morning. I can not have an accurate total of the yardage for yesterday, but I will do a pretty conservative guesstimate.

500 free warm up
200 free 2:19+
200 warm down
250 fly warm up
200 butterfly 2:59+
200 warm down
50 breaststroke in relay 34.high
50 free 26.90
200 IM 2:44+

1850 conservative yards
A-

Time to go swim

Friday, February 5, 2010

Donut Friday

I went by the doughnut shop without stopping this morning and I went straight home anticipating a bacon and egg extravaganza, but instead I went to the old standby, mush. Now I am being harassed by Joe. The USF Masters swim meet is tomorrow so I am ready.

500 choice, over half fist swimming
15 minutes kicking on back with fins, dolphin(750)
14x50 choice, all strokes

1950 yards
B+

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Two a Day The Easy Way

I think that my idea of swimming instead of going to the gym, rowing, lifting, or some other dry land activity is going to be easier than I think. It is swimming. I really like to swim and I will probably feel really good. I felt really good this noontime. I swam earlier in the morning, but just a bit.

Finley
1500 free/back, last 500 good back
good aerobic work easy
1500 yards
B

Ridgway at Noon
400 free swim
4x100 back swim

4 times
4x50 fly on 60, 55, 50, 45(broken 200)
300 free recovery
200ez

3000 yards
B

4500 yards total

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Good Day to Oversleep

That it was, I was zonked. I went to the 0900 Finley session and while I was warming up I realized that I totally messed up yesterday's entry. I did 3x200 fly and then some 50s. I do not think that I recorded such, I am going to revise yesterdays entry if needed. While I am here ia am going to record todays workout. My brain is telling me that it was bit warmer than necessary in the water, but I slugged it out.

1000 swim warm up
5x100 back
5x100 free
500 kick
100 free
20x50,
5x50, 60 sec
5x50 holding 37, 45sec
5x50, 60 sec
5x50, free/fly, 60sec, 38s
150 ez warm down

3750 yards
B

This evening, as I normally do, I went to another workout. In the past, I have mostly opted for a dry land workout of some sort, and I have experience with doubling up on the swimming as I have done double swimming workouts in the past. I am now seeing what changes, if any, will come about because of this change in the philosophy. This is one reason that my yardage is really climbing.

6:15PM at Finley
500 swim
5x100 back on 2 min
12x25 kick with board
5x100 free on 1:30
200 ez

1950 yards
B

Monday, February 1, 2010

Grade or Quality Rating Scale

I think I am going to start grading or rating the workouts. I thought of a pretty good scale by which to rank the intensity and quality of the workout.
A-prescribed workout, like a coached workout, well thought out sets,
B-self coached moderate intensity workout
C-aerobic, low intensity workout , lap swimming, drills
Below average workouts should be considered rest days, or therapeutic swims

This morning would be a B workout. We worked harder at the Warren inspired Sunday workout and I have been using the Monday workout as a recovery day with less yards and lower intensity swimming. Last Monday I think it was a C workout, as I was feeling the previous day's workout. I was feeling pretty good this morning, although I could still feel residual soreness. I also held the yardage back a bit.

400 back swim
600 free swim
100 free
500 kick on back with fins, dolphin
100 free
10x50 free/fly on 60 seconds, last 3 on 90
100 ez free

2800 yards
B-

I need to revise this workout. I was starting the workout on Tuesday and I remembered that I swam 3x200 fly this morning the above workout, so perhaps I swam an additional 600 yards, I don't know. I will keep the total yardage as entered here and on the FLOG and I will try to be more accurate in the future.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Late to Open

Can a person that has a current lifeguard certification be allowed to watch a group of fellow swimmers until the swim facility calls in another guard? What are the liability issues and it is not really a problem. We did get into the pool about 10-15 minutes late but it is of no issue.

500 swim warm up
6x75 swim50/kick25

Main Set, 4 times
5x100, reverse IM order, 1:45 interval

100 swim
75 swim/25kick
50 swim/50 kick
25 swim/75kick
100 kick
4x50 on 60 sec
To stay close to the interval, I need to modify at times. The last set, butterfly, is appropriate at the end of the main set. I think I dropped 2x50, so I will modify total yards to 4050.

8x50 back on 60 sec

4050 yards

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Warm Up Early, Dual Meet Today

I went to Finley at 0900 this morning. I used the time for a good warm up session, I am going to Petaluma this afternoon to participate in the dual meet that has been arranged between the two masters workout groups there. I am looking forward to this afternoon, I hope the weather is compatible with outdoor swimming in January.

500 free swim
5x100 free, smooth
250 kick on back with fins
250 inverted breast kick
10x50 choice

2000 yards

We headed over to Petaluma High School for the dual meet that turned out to be only a scrimmage due to the fact that the other team did not come. i do not know the ins and outs of the story, but it sounds like it may be ugly. Anyway, it was a lot of fun. There were about 9 of us and Dea Ann ran the event as a swilm meet, real time. She acted as starter/referee and did a fine job. She is a really good coach. We had whistles, and a start horn. I swam my events, 100 fly-1:11.5; 200 free-2:23; 100 IM-1:19; and 50 back-39.3. I figure that I swam another 500 or so for warm up/warm down so I can put down another 1000 yards for today.

1000 yards

Friday, January 29, 2010

Kvetch Master

It is too warm, like the Y, this morning at Finley AC. Why can't the pool management keep the pools a constant temperature? Not to kvetch, okay, I kvetch every day, mostly about water temperature variation, sometimes about clarity issues or turbulence and tidal actions at Fridgway. Kvetch appears to have found its way into the common American lexicon; I notice that this the proper spelling for the Yiddish word. It did seem a bit warmer than usual this morning, but it beats Ridgway in more ways than one. It was a nice swim, I had no idea what the plan for the day was but I decided I am not going to swim with the noon group today.

500 free warm up
500 back, purposeful
500 breast, body awareness
5x100 free
20x50, various paces, intervals, strokes, most on 1 min, 1 broken 200@45 sec, 8x50free/strokes

The practice dual meet is at Petaluma High School tomorrow at 1 PM. I signed up for the 100 fly, 200 free, 100 IM, and 50 back. USF Valentine Affair is next week. I have entered 200 free, 200 fly, 50 free, and 200 IM.

3000 yards

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Day of Rest

Thursday has been the no swim day for quite a while. I made a decision to put the Y membership on hold for a few months so I will now supplement the swimming with more swimming instead of Y dry land workouts. There are two or three reasons, first being the economics of a month pass at the pool and the Y dues. I also want to see if my swimming speed declines without the dry land work. I also want to have more time so I can pursue riding the bicycle with more effort. So today, Thursday, I swam easy.
250 free
250 back
500 free
250 kick with fins
250 back
500 free

2000 yards

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Therapy and a Workout

I held up pretty good today. I was thinking about going to PHS but reality set in around 0415 and I swam at Finley. I used the time at Finley to do more of a therapy swim, which means that I did not swim very hard in anticipation of the workout at Ridgway with Morales at noon.

500 free swim
500 back swim
10x25 breast kick
250 kick on back with fins
10x50 bilateral breathing swimming, easy

2000 yards

I had to go to the Ridgway workout at noon because it is butterfly day.

4x100 free on 1:30
12x50 choice on 55

Main Set
4 Times

Broken 200 breast/fly 60, 55, 50, 45 interval
300 free(250)

breast/fly relay
3x50

2950 yards

4950 yards total for day

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Ringer Status

I think that it is a hoot that I have bn invited to swim at a dual swim meet between the two masters workout grouops in Petaluma. The meet is at the Petaluma High School pool this Saturday, January 30 and it looks like that there are all the events at a regular swim meet, minus a few. I have entered 200 free, 100 fly, 100 IM and 50 back. I hope to capture the essence of this meet in images and I will make sure I have a good post after the meet.

I need to log the second workout I did yesterday at Finley at the noon hour swim.
500 free
5x100 free
5x100 back
500 free
200 warm down

2200 yards

This morning I was at Finley to swim some yardage. I felt a bit of yesterday's workout.

500 free
10x100 back, straight swimming
500 kick on back with fins, alternate/fly
500 free, good pace
10x50, breast/free, free/fly
200 ez

3200 yards

At noon I walked to the Ridgway pool, hoping that the water temperature had come up to be tolerable, and more comfortable. It is back to normal now. There is a masters workout today, but there was an open lane, and then I shared a lane later in the swim.

7x100 IM,
7x100 IM, reverse order
200 free
6x25 fly with 25 swim back

1900 yards

Monday, January 25, 2010

Warm Up Morning

I spoke with an aquatics professional this morning and he stated that the other pool, Ridgway, was very cold yesterday. He said it was 75F and they probably should have not opened because it was too cold. This morning the water temperature is perfect at Finley.

500 free
500 kick on back with fins/alternating
500 free, moderate pace
500 kick on back with fins/dolphin
500 free, better pace
500 free/back
500 free/breast
500 free/fly,
200 warm down ez

4200 yards

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Cold Water Training

The pool is very chilly this morning. Estimates were anywhere from 75-78 degrees F. but after workout I was not hypothermic as I was the previous time the Ridgway pool was cold. Maybe I swam a bit harder today. Perhaps it really was not as cold as first perceived.
Again, Warren S. led the group

500 choice warm up
8x50 choice on 55 sec

Main Set-Purple Haze
4 times through

6x100 on 1:30, kick on 2 min
1, 3, 5, free
2 kick
4 IM
6 stroke

200ez

3400 yards

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Tornado Warning, Contra Costa County

That is the first tornado warning I have ever heard. There are tornadoes in California. Several years ago, we saw several funnel clouds during severe weather along the I80 corridor near Fairfield. I have witnessed funnel clouds in Southern California many years prior. They happen, although they rarely appear in the media as eventful weather, just more like freak storms. They do not approach the ferocity of twisters in the middle of the continent either.

I walked to the pool this morning. I did not get an accurate count, but Susan N. swam with us, as she is no longer swimming with the morning group at Ridgway. I am wondering if the main guys, John an Warren are going to the quadrathon at SI tomorrow, hence the shortened workout. Saturday workout is usually shorter and more sprint oriented. I did a 500+swim before I joined the group.

500 swim, choice
6x25 build ion 35
28x50, choice on 1 minute, 3 ez, 1 hard, -150 talking
1000 free swim

3100 yards

Friday, January 22, 2010

Average Workout with Butterfly

Good morning, good water, and it was not too busy today. It was a good morning to swim, it was not raining, the water was warm and I just felt good. The old cold is no longer an issue, the shoulder talked to me this morning and the back is normal.

250 warm up free
250 warm up back
250 kick with board
250 breast kick w/o board
10x100 free 5 seconds rest
10x100 fly/free; free/fly
100ez
10x50 on 60, free/stroke, 4 flys

3600 yards

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

USMS 1 Hour Postal Swim

3910 yards

I would like to thank Debbie Lamb for timing this evening.

Technical Racing Suits

I just received the email newsletter from United States Masters Swimming. They have set forth a ruling about the technical swimsuit issue. Effective immediately, the suits are no longer allowed in SCM and LCM events. The ruling takes effect on June 1, 2010 for SCY. I am reading that they will be tolerated for the rest of the United States short course yards season.

Why is USMS making the exception for the 2010 short course yards season? I can speculate that there is some money behind this decision. I reason this because of the situation that USMS got into with BlueSeventy, and also because of the elitist attitude of American Swimming, considering that short course yards is not recognized by FINA. I was just about to regain my faith in the swimming community but USMS seems to have gone astray for the moment.

Is USMS going outside the box on the swimsuit issue for the benefit of the majority of its members, or is this ruling an attempt to appease some of the elitist masters and one of the main sponsors of the organization?. Is it a wise move to have 2 uniform standards? Double standards send a mixed message and I think that we all should abide by the rules set forth by the overwhelming majority of the world swimming community.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Swimming in the Rain

I actually arrived at Finley before the doors opened this morning. I could not wait to get in the water. I could not sleep very much this morning, that explains why I swam so early. I was out just a bit after 7.

500 free/back warm up
1500 free
20x25 free, build and watch form
5x25 texas 25s with turn, rest until read

2750 yards

Monday, January 18, 2010

Not a Good Day To Swim

I changed the routine a bit this morning and I do not like it. I rowed before I swam again and combined with the cold I did not swim well.
300 swim
500 kick with fins
10x100 free last 4 with 5 seconds, but sloppy, sore and tired.

2000 yards

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Not a Sick Day

I have a cold. Big deal. I went to the pool this morning and I arrived earlier than I usually do. I tried to get a good warm up.

600 warm up swim, free/back
12x50 kick/swim on 55 seconds

Main Set
3 Times
3x200, 3:00, 2:45, 2:30
100ez between sets

I was pretty much done after the first two rounds. My alternate workout was as follows
3x200 on 3:00
100 ez
3x150fly/back/breast
100 ez
6x50 free/fly
5x100 free/fly
250 warm down

3500 yards

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Count This as Training

I think I am on to something, as about 17 other swimmers are this morning. There are 4, 5, 4, and 5 swimmers to a lane. John M. led the workout this morning.

Warm up of 400 swim

3x100 kick 2 minutes
3x100 kick/swim
8x25 ez/hard on 40 sec

4 times through
3x100 on 2 minutes(250)
75 swim fast 47 free, 60 breast, 60 back, 57 back

100 ez

2600 yards

Friday, January 15, 2010

Slow Down, I Moved Too Fast

Thursday came and passed without any cause for alarm..I was back in the water this morning. Remember Wednesday noontime, my body did, especially yesterday..I took it pretty easy on oneself. I only used the clock during the last segment..

500 free
500 breast, ez
500 back
250 fly
5x50free/fly, some effort
250 swim
250 kick
8x50 free, on 60sec, 25/25 at 20sec

2900 yards

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Butterfly Wednesdays at Noon

Ridgway is where I wanted to swim today. I went to the Y and did some dry land training this morning because I heard that Morales and the bunch do a fly set on Wednesday at the noon hour. They do. I showed up early enough to have a significant warm up before I joined in with the ad hoc workout group today. These are some of the most gifted masters swimmers around, some compete, some don't and I am just happy to be able to swim with this group.

1000 swim
400 kick with fins

12x50 choice on 55
Main Set, 4 times
100 fly on 1:30
2x50 fly on 60, 55, 50, 45
300 swim, (-100, -100, -100, -100)

200 relay leg/free
100ez warm down

Note: I swam free/fly and only 200 recoveries

3900 yards

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

It Was Too Warm, But Not Today

I am too lazy to have an outstanding masters swimming blog like Tony A. or Rob D. They put extra effort in their pursuit of good blogging. G. John Mullen has started a newer blog called Swim Science. Is he related to P.H. Mullen, who wrote Gold in the Water, the story focusing on the Santa Clara elite team, Coach Dick Jochums and Olympic Champion Tom Wilkins. See the list of blogs for the latest links to other good swimming blogs.

It felt much better in the water this morning. I know the water temperature was cooler today.

1000 free swim

1000 backstroke swim

100 butterfly drill
2x200 fly, last 100 @1:45, not paying too much attention.

2500 yards

Biofeedback.
1. Water Temperature
2. No pain at injection sites
3. No extra relief, same stiffness
4. Right Clavicle irritation with backstroke
exertion

Monday, January 11, 2010

Too Warm, Too Tired

What was it this morning. I felt pretty good when I got to the pool and remembered that I forgot my towel and suit at home. I returned and there was still a half lane, so I got in and started swimming. It was tough going this morning. Was the temperature of the water a bit elevated? Was I really tired from Sunday's workout(4200)? A little of both, or neither? My left shoulder was sore, tired.

1000 reverse IM order
5x100IM slow
1250 free slow, I could not get going this workout. Time constraints and forgetfulness contributed t o a poor workout.

2250 yards

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Sunday with Warren

They always are so profitable, I get to add up so much yardage, and the intervals whew, they are good for extra swift swimmers, but a bit narrow for me. I think I probably fell off about 200 yards off the official total, but I was happy to be with these gifted athletes.
Get in the water earlier if you want more time to warm up on Sunday.
50 ez swim
6x75 30swim/25kick

4 times
2x125 on 1:45
150

4 times
2x125 kick on 2:15
100 kick

quick set backstroke on :45 interval
alternate free/back

6x50 breaststroke on 1:30, dolphin kick
100ez

4400 yards total minus 200

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Speedsuit Suite Workout

We were asked to bring our tech suits to workout this morning to do some kick swims. Okay, I did not wear any of those old fashioned, now illegal for competition, tight, ill fitting, suits that are now at the bottom of my swim bag decomposing. Bah, I did not like the idea of speedsuits from the get go, but I had to go along with the trend fearing that I would be left in the wake of everyone. Moving on to the guts of this mornings workout:

600 swim warm up
5x100 kick with fins
8x25 free, build
3x200 kick/swim on 3:15, on back with fins/free
100ez
200 kick/swim for time 1:36kick/1:16swim; 5sec transition
100ez
3x100 kick
100 kick on back with fins/dolphin; 1:36
100 ez warm down

2800 yards

Friday, January 8, 2010

Go to Ridgway Today

I went to Finley this morning, because that is usually what I do after I wake up, have some coffee and check the morning news. It is nice, but I was kind of bored today.

1000 swim
100ez
500 kick on back
100ez
6x50 breast long pulldown/breakout
10 minutes treading water

2000 yards

We will see if I swim Friday noon madness at Ridgway today.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Butterfly Made Easy

I woke up a bit confused this morning. I forgot what specific instructions I was to follow before this mornings procedure. I did not have to go to bed hungry either. I made a fair pot of coffee, did I tell you that the coffee maker that I am presently using is a piece of garbage. I told the manufacturer, but my complaint seems to have fallen on deaf ears. It was just an email. I was looking forward to a post workout meal too, it seems a light meal before the procedure was called for in the instructions.

The warm up was a bit different this morning in that I pretty much did alternating 50s of backstroke and freestyle for the
1000 swim, alternating 50back/free
1000 kick, last 250 breast kick on front/back

100ez

100 fly drill(warm up)
2x200 free/fly

500, quick set, free/fly

100ez

Butterfly felt good. I want to do some more butterfly. Tomorrow, Thursday, has been my usual no swim day of the week. It will be sustained as a day out of the pool again tomorrow. It actually feels like I am getting in shape. I think I am going to wait a bit longer before sprint training. I will continue training at the same level I am at until I feel more comfortable to be able to sprint train. My recent goal at USF will be the 200 free, 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke, and possibly the 200 IM.

3200 yards

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Lazy Tuesday

I had to get to the pool at 0600 and I was in the water 8 minutes later. No one was swimming hard today, including me. I tried to put a bit of oomph into the latter part of the morning, but I seem slightly tired.
1000 warm up
500 kick on back with fins, dolphin/free
5x100 free on 1:45
10x50 free
5x50 back/free
5x50 breast/free

3000 yards

Monday, January 4, 2010

Log This Workout Now

Not much going on today in the water. I waited until 1000 to get in the pool at Finley. I was at the Y earlier in the morning. Look at my rowing log at http://www.Concept2.com/rankings, and I am attempting to log my swim yardage at the USMS Go The Distance webpage. Do I need to log anything else? I got in the habit of doing this type of record keeping when I was a marathon runner. I think I may still have some of my old training logs from the days of long distance running.

1000ez free/back
4x100 kick/kick,drill
700 free pick it up

10 minute drill
20x25, 5sec rest/10sec rest; free/stroke; stroke/free

2600 yards

22,500 YTD

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Let's Kick Again

Why not? We swam enough on New Years Day to have earned back to back kicking workout sessions this weekend. Warren came up with the set sequence, as follows:
Kick pyramid
100 dolphin
200 100dolphin, 100back
300 100dolphin, 100back, 100breast
400 100dolphin, 100back, 100breast, 100free

3x50 free

400 100dolphin, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle
300 100dolphin, backstroke, breaststroke
200 100dolphin, backstroke
100 dolphin

3x50 free

hypoxic set
6x50 free, 3,3; 3,2; 2,2; 2,1; 1,1; 1,0(breaths per lap)

Thank you Warren.

500 quick set, butterfly, ez

300 yard warm up included before the set commenced

3400 yards

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Abbreviations for Weekly, Monthly and Yearly Yardage

The abbreveations for weekly, monthly and yearly totals are thus:
WTD-week to date
MTD-month to date
YTD-year to date
I will try and use these abbreviations during the course of this log.

Continued

I sent an email to DeaAnn Joslin this morning telling her about the swimming opportunities here in Santa Rosa. It seems that the Petaluma High School pool is on the fritz again. The pool is having water supply issues, so I invited all Petalumans that are affiliated with DeaAnn swimming groups to swim in Santa Rosa.

Swimming this morning at Ridgway, it seemed to be a rather lightly attended, probably due to the fact that many swam the New Years Day Challenge. We(John Morales, led the workout as it seems he usually does on Saturday mornings) mostly did a kicking workout.
300 yard warm up
3x200 kick on 4 minutes
100ez
3x150 kick on 3 minutes
100ez
3x100 kick on 2 minutes
100ez
3x50 kick on 3 minutes, descending
200ez warm down

2300 yards

YTD 8500

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year

Wow, there are so many people on deck, just getting in as I walk into the pool area and ante up plus a tip for the lifeguard! I estimate that there are 35, upwards to 40 swimmers and the goal is to complete as many 100 yard intervals on 1:30. Now I am now clear as to exactly how much time is alloted, but it would take 2,5 hours to complete 100x100 on 1:30. I found a lane with Frank, Gail, that other guy and Fred joined us soon thereafter. I swam for about 2000 and then swam on pace for the next 1400. I then continued on a 1:30 pace for the next 2600 and then finished with about 200 warm down. It looks like a total of 6200 yards for New Years Day. We met at J and E. Morales for a wonderful brunch and get together after. Great way to start the New Year. I need to check out the USMS distance log, although I usually keep a fairly accurate web log when possible.

YTD 6200 yd