Body Image Issues 3/12/07 - 3/18/07

So yes, I have body image issues. Growing up swimming twice a day for as long as I can remember, I always had the best body. A little bit of a 6 pack, could eat anything and loved to exercise. Then college came along and my motivation disappeared. Now I am in my 30s and trying as hard as I can to get back to a body I can be proud of and that I have worked hard with. I exercise far more than most of America, but my eating habits don't allow for me to see any results. So here I am again, back on Weight Watchers and strongly motivated to see what I can do. My buddy Kurt is going to be right there with me, as we help motivate each other for the next two months to watch our diets, exercise enough and achieve our body image goals before we leave for Europe at the middle/end of May. I started my weight at 192 and would like to be 178 or better come June 1st.

MONDAY SCM

Missed morning workout. The time change messed me up as I stayed up too late and decided I would swim after workout. But then I had to work late and then coach swimming so I missed swimming completely. But aside from that, I was successful in my first day of WW, so gold star for Brian!!

TUESDAY

I had planned on swimming after work today, but at the last minute decided to take Drew up on his offer to run a few miles with our dogs. It was good to get running again, but I'm tight in the muscles behind the knee. I'm not sure what those are called, but I need to stretch them more.

The diet is still going good and I was good with dinner tonight. Without a doubt I am swimming tomorrow morning.

WEDNESDAY SCM MORNING

So yea, I made it back to workout. My body just isn't ready to work hard in the morning until at least 30 mins into the workout:

4 X 75s (back / breast / free)
4 X 150s (100 swim / 50 kick)

Main Set
3 X 3 X 100s (descend 1-3, 4-6,7-9) on 1:45

50 float
100 sculling
8 X 50s kick 1:10
3 X 50s spring
3 X 25s sprint
125 cool down
Total = 2,700 meters

So for an hour, 2,700 meters is the lowest distance I would want to swim, but I made the most of it. In the beginning I was feeling like crap (due to it being 5:40am) but I kept on truckin. The main set I started going well. On the descends, they were 1:20, 1:14, 1:08. For yards, the conversion table states that is 1:11.68, 1:06.30, 1:00.93. I am not really sure how accurate this is, because I find them off compared to what Elite Athletes do. For example, on this conversion table, going 1:00.93 SCY converts to 1:10.68 in LCM. Now I would love for that to be true when I swim meters, but let's compare Jenny Thompson or Natalie Coughlin's times. In yards they go anywhere in the :47s. In 50 meters, they are :53 or :54 tops. So that is a 7 second difference. So then why does this table say 10 seconds?
Here is a link to that website:
SWIM TIMES CONVERSION,


OK so an update. I tried to do a :47 and it converted to a :53. So its percentages. Ok that's good. I'll take it.

Thursday - LCM

The original plan was to swim in the morning. Then as the night when on, I decided I would instead swim right after work (instead of going to the Grunion workout later on). Then I would clean the house for a houseguest coming this weekend. But work ran late and then as I was driving home I decided to not swim after work as it was already after 5pm. When I got home and started cleaning, I realized I could finish right around 630, which meant I could make it to swim practice and I left it was important, so I went.

Backstroke night:
500 w/u
3 X 200s (KRLS - #1 back , #2 free, #3 back)
2 X 4 X 50s (descend 1 -3 back, then #4 fun back)
10 X 100s (50 drill / 50 swim of back) on 2:00
Then it was 20 mins of working on turns and streamlines

Good workout. I probably would have liked to have gone further, but it was fine. I got both 50 backs down to a :36, which convets to :30 in yards. The 10 X 100s were decent.

FRIDAY LCM

Tonight I had mixed feelings. Our friend Brad was in town so we decided to all go swim. Then as we got to the pool, the weather looked bad and was cold. Boy our motivation changed but we got in the water anyway. We decided though to only swim an hour as we were meeting a friend for dinner. Here was the workout.

500 w/u
Main Set:

400 IM - 6:10
200 free
400 back - 6:20
200 free
400 IM - 5:59
200 free
400 back - 6:14
200 free
Total - 2900 meters

It was a good workout once I got going. The first 400 IM really hurt and I had a hard time breathing. The 400 back was decent as I started to get my back going. Then I finally got going on the last 400 IM. Its an effort to do an entire 100 fly in a 400 IM on a long course pool. But I made sure to never break stroke as my fly appears to be getting stronger. I was happy with the 5:59 (5:10 SCY). Since it was more a solid effort without really pushing the strokes, I was pleased. The 400 back at the end was good too. I ended up negative splitting it. I was out in 3:11, back in 3:03.

SATURDAY SCM

500 w/u
20 X 25s (25 back / 25 free)
5 X 200s (1-3 swim, 4-5 pull) on 3:00
100 easy kick
5 X 50s free solid swims 1:00
5 X 50s back solid swims 1:00
200 kick
300 pull
5 X 100s on 2:30 ALL OUT SPRINT #1,3 and 5 are free, #2 and 4 are IM
100 cool down
Total 3,700 meters

The 5X200s felt strong. I went 2:34(2:18), 2:33(2:17), 2:29(2:13) and they all felt about 80-85%. The final 2 we did pull. I went 2:25(2:10) and 2:20(2:05). As always, my pulling is crazy fast.
The 100s all out were so so, as I was getting tired. On the three free I went 1:08 (1:00), 1:14(1:06..long story) and 1:05high(:58 high). With the pool being really wavy I was pleased with those times. My IMs were 1:17 and 1:16 about 1:08s.

End of week recap:

I weighed in Saturday after swim practice and I was 186. That was a 6 pound drop since Monday. Yes its huge, but I know its standard for the first week and after this, it will be like 2 pounds a week tops. I put together a fun night on Saturday for Drew's birthday and also St. Patrick's Day. I had about 30 of our good friends meet up at Mick and Mack's in Long Beach. Its a gay restaurant/bar. I got wasted. I mean WAAAAY-STED!! I don't want to drink for awhile. The night was totally fun though and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. Drew was surprised and I think it made his night. But of course with fun, comes consequences. I ate and drank so much that I am sure I gained some pounds back. But starting Monday morning I am back on track. Good thing I weighed in before the festivities!! Today is Sunday at 7:46pm and I am still hung over. I am going to bed soon because if I don't, I won't make it to morning workout. Good night.