Under the weather (2/26/07 - 3/4/07)

I started feeling sick yesterday and thought about passing on swimming this morning and calling in sick to work. But instead I swam and here I am now at work. If I am not feeling any better tomorrow, I may call in sick.

MONDAY - SCM

16 X 25s warm up = 400 meters
7 X 150s (3 on 2:20, 2 on 2:15 and 2 on 2:10) = 1050 meters

50 sculling
50 exaggerated kick
50 breast (no more than 6 strokes per 25)
50 breast hard
Do 4 times = 800 meters

5 X 100s pull on 1:30

The workout was a little light in meters, but since I am not 100%, I took breaks when needed. The 150s were decent as I only applied 80%. I went 2:00 on all of them, which is averaging about 1:11s/100 in yards. The sculling and breast were drills and I tried to maintain good strokes. The 100s pull I started going better. I went 1:16s on the first two, but then got into my typical pulling grove and did 1:12s for the last 3 (1:04 yards).

WEDNESDAY - SCM

I'm feeling better, so I thought I would give swimming this morning a try.

6X75s (50 swim / 25 kick)

2 rounds of 5 X 50s ( I went 50 fly / 50 free / 50 back / 50 free / 50 breast) on :60

3 X 3 X 100s (Rounds 1 and 3 I did IM, Round 2 I did free) on 1:40

50 float

3 X 50s breast drill

8 X 50s kick on 1:05

200 cool down
Total - 2,650 meters

The workout was good, but I was off. Nothing spectactular, but since I am still a little sick, I was ok with everything. The 50s of stroke felt good. I went :34s on my fly, :39s on my back, :42s on my breast. They weren't all out, so being SCM, I was pleased. My 100 IMs were 1:20s - 1:22s, which is about 1:11s - 1:13s in yards. My 100 frees were 1:11s - 1:13s, which is about 1:03 - 1:05 yards. The kick set I didn't really start off well on the first two, then I felt I needed to make the intervals and proceeded to do so.

I'm still a little sick today and drained. I think I will work a 1/2 day and then go home and rest. Probably for the best.

THURSDAY - LCM

The water tonight was HOT HOT HOT. A scorching 86 degrees. This made it very difficult to work hard. Here was the workout:

500 w/u
500 pull
5 X 200s on 3:15
50 easy
10 X 50s kick on 1:15
5 X 100s hypoxic (breath 8 for entire 100)
200 cool down
Total - 3,250 meters

As I began the 200 pull, I felt I was going strong but after seeing my splits at the 100 and 200 realized that wasn't the case. I was going slow! So I picked it up and got down to my normal pacing of under 1:20s (normally I am 1:15s). It wasn't anything impressive but with the warm water, it was the best I was going to do. There was only Ken and myself in the pain lane tonight, so we worked off each other on the 5 X 200s swim. The first one we came in around 2:48 and I was burning up. I figured that would be the best we would do. One #2 I stayed with Ken as well, but he decided he wanted to work the last 50 and took off from me. He went around 2:45, and me 2:47. So he wants to play, huh? After talking, he told me he doesn't know how to pace himself and that is why he goes faster when I am next to him. So I figured if he was going to use me to pace, I would play his game of going stronger throughout the 200s. So on #3 we both went 2:44, then 2:41 then 2:37. Surprisingly, none of them felt anymore difficult than the previous and really not that difficult at all. The only difficulty was the warm water. The 2:37 wasn't too fast, but it converts to a decent 2:15 in yards. The kick set was more recovery and to get some fresh air. Then final set of 100s breathing were a good challenge. I did what Ken did and decided to breath every 8th stroke which was just enough.

Oh I forgot to mention that this Sunday I am doing the Cal Tech Pentathlon. It should be fun. Its a 50 of each stroke and a 100 IM. Of course for me, I'd rather do 100 of each stroke and the 200 IM, but this will be fun anyway.

FRIDAY - LCM

Yea the water was a little cooler. It was probably around 82 or 83, which is still warm, but not as bad ad Thursday. Here was the workout:

500 w/u
4 X 800s (400 , rest 15, 400 again on 12:30) - negative split
1 and 3 were pull
300 cool down
Total - 4,000 meters

It was a good set for the warm water. I need to get used to doing longer sets like that since those will be my events in Paris. On both pulls I went out in around 5:35 and came back on 5:20s for 400 pace. The last 800 swim surprisingly felt good. I started off breathing every third (which I never do) for the first 200. I tried to keep it as easy as I can with still more effort than all the previous ones. The third and fourth 100 I switched over to breathing every stroke. I came in at 5:37 which I felt was good (1:24s/100 which in yards is 1:12s high). Then on the 2nd half of the 800 I made sure I was going faster than the first. I started off breathing every stroke and then tried to go back to every other third. I came in going 5:30 which also felt strong (1:22s/100 which in yards is 1:11s low). So when I convert to yards, its not too impressive. Oh well it was a good time.

SATURDAY - SCY

500 w/u
6 X 50s - drill down / build back

Then it turned into a 50, 150 and 250 X 5. But it was way overcrowded so we only got through 2 of them, one free, one back. Then we did some 50s sprint and 100s sprint. My 50 free sprint was 27 mid, 50 fly sprint was 29.1, and my 50 back sprint was 29.1. My 100 IM was 1:04 and my 100 fly was 1:05 or 1:06. That's all I really remember.

SUNDAY - CAL TECH PENTATHLON

The meet went over pretty well. The results still aren't posted (slackers) but since its now 3/14, I will have to go off memory:

50 fly - Goal was faster than Vegas (26.67) and to be as close to 26.0 as I can. I went right around 26.3 or 26.2, so I was pleased. Its always difficult to sprint fly (or any stroke)

50 back - Goal was be as close to my best (28.23). I went faster (28.07) so I was pleased. I was especially pleased because 5 minutes earlier I had already done the 50 back but they screwed up the start and I chose to do it over.

50 breast - Goal was under 32. I went 31.6. I should really be closer to 30.9, but I will have to work on that.

50 free - Low 24s. Bad start, missed my turn. Nothing. Horrible. I went 25.0. Oh well.

100 IM - Since I went 1:00.8 a few weeks earlier, I figured I'd aim for that. Since there were so many events back to back, if I was close, then it was a good sign. I went 1:01.1, so I was pleased. I should really be under 1:00, so maybe I will swim it at the Mission Viejo meet or the Santa Clarita meet.