yesterday 34.1 mi bike
today 8.1 mi run + 575 yd swim


run: 35 min @ 8:41 pace (just over 4 mi) + 2.2 mi at roughly the same pace (8:49, 8:41, picked it up over the last .2)
swim: 4 x 100 on 1:30 + 150 on 2:00 + 25 elementary back c/d

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

2,350 today
w/u
6 x 50
6 x 100 (1-arm, free x 50)
m/s
9 x 150
w/d
100 mixed

Learn a good lesson too. After 2 weeks of no swimming, it's best not to do a large set of pull ups the night before getting back into the pool.

---

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

3000 straight ez. Recovery from Saturday's duathlon where, front door brag, the race age 62 year old was 4th overall. 😊

Nice set this am:
MyMainSet was

3 x 50s :45 breathcontrol every 5 strokes
3 x 100s #1 on 1:30 was NO kick (not using a PB or anything just NO kick..)
#2 on 1:25 was OVERKICKING
#3 on 1:20 normal swim (from a kicking perspective)
3 x 200s on 2:50 dec 1-3
do this set twice through (we did take a bit extra rest after the last 200 on round #1.
The 200s were 219s, 214s,209s

This was scy pool with bubble still up bc its freaking snowing here in mass...

have a great day!
daved

Well done!

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

My workout today was a bunch of IM, but the back stroke was kicking on the back only and breast was legs only....I suck at the latter....back stroke kick only is getting bettere. Also focused on my turns tryinig a hard push off to get to around 6-9 feet past the flags with three-four dolphin kicks!

31st birthday workout! 7.1 mi run easy, 1025 yd swim

10 x 100 on 1:31
25 kick

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Time trial day yesterday. 1000 scy and ended up at 1:38 pace again. Started this IM training block back in December at 1:40. Before that around 1:43 in the fall.

I've been at 1:38 for the last 3 tests. Is that typical with a full IM workload to not gain much speed even though my swim volume is a lot larger (but so is everything else)?

A couple of questions:
1) Are you doing any speed work?
2) Have you had a swim lesson at a place like swim labs?
3) Have you made a masters swim session part of your routine?

Team I'm training with has "masters style" swims several days a week and I usually make a couple. I have that in quotes as I'm typically in the fast lane, so it's not like it's a group with a lot of fast swimmers to keep up with. I've gotten a few tips and pointers from the swim coach at those sessions, but mostly told my stroke isn't all that bad. I had done some higher intensity stuff in the beginning, but the fastest stuff I'm doing now my be 100's at that time trial pace. But most swims are in the 3000 - 4000 yd range to build for the IM, so not a lot of fast 50's or anything lately.

I know one of my areas to work is turnover and just having the endurance at the higher pace. Additionally, I've got 2 beat kick that pretty much provides no propulsion. Not a big deal for IM, but one day I want to be a sub 1:30 swimmer, so I need to work on all of that.

I might just sprout gills this month as any return to running took a big step backward last night. I felt slight (not near as bad as the initial injury) in my groin last night horsing around with my son.

Road 18 miles after work yesterday, planned an easy 4 mile run today, c'est le vie.

w/u
300 easy alt breathing sides x 50
6 x 100 (50 1-arm, 50 free)
m/s
6 x 200, cut short by two intervals as the ab/groin strain was damn sore.
w/d 100 mixed

---

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

my excuse for yesterday's swim workout is Sunday's trail run..
10mi trail run at 9000ft, 95min, forgot asthma inhaler and had to fight it all the way.
On the plus side, saw a mountain bluebird, elk tracks, a big buck mule deer, and everything even at that altitude is starting to green up nicely; dog had a fine run and got his yayas out.

swim 5x200 on 3:30 as 2:42,49,53,57,58 argh
5x100IM on 2:15 as 1:41, up to 1:47
5x50 on 50 as 34,5,6,8,8

HR went to 160s after each set and did not drop below 120 until 2 minutes and more, usually will do that in less than a minute. So I (probably) wasn't just being weak of will..

---

"It is a good feeling for old men who have begun to fear failure, any sort of failure, to set a schedule for exercise and stick to it. If an aging man can run a distance of three miles, for instance, he knows that whatever his other failures may be, he is not completely wasted away." Romain Gary, SI interview

Still dealing with a shoulder issue so haven't been posting as much.. have been doing lots of kicking, all swimming is perfect technique easy to avoid aggravating anything.
yesterday SCM
500 mix with fins w/u
m/s 1 = 8*25 kk on 20/30, 200 (50 bk/fr)
6*50 kk on 45/60, 300 (75 bk/fr)
4*75 kk on 1.15/1.40, 400 (100 bk/100 fr)
2*100 kk on 1.35/2 (1.32!)
200 ez
then snorkel/alignment board on (all kick now)
2x50@ 70, 1 @ 60 hard
2*50 @ 70, 2@ 60 hard
2*50@ 70, 3@60 hard
2*50@ 70, 4@60 hard
2*50@70, 5@60 hard
150 ez c/d - 4k or so with 2250 m kick..
quite pleased as did the first set a month ago and couldn't make any of the fast intervals, and now made them all.. also can't believe how much slower kicking with snorkel and face in the water is vs. using a kick board.. holy moly - solidly ~10 sec/50 and thats getting a flip turn and dolphin kicks..
followed that with a 12k easy mt bike and realized I need to bike more!

I'm not saying don't work on your kick, but you don't need a propulsive kick to swim at a sub 1:30 pace. I can swim a <1:16/100 1650 without much kick.......as evidence by the fact that I can also pull (without paddles) a 1650 at exactly the same pace!

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

1000 warm-up, build
100-200-300-400 @ 1:20 base, trying to hold the same pace as the 100
100 kick
6 x 150 @ 2:00
10 x 100: 1-4 @ 1:20, 5 as 50 kick, 50 swim, repeat
100 easy

4100 short course yards.

I didn't feel good at all today. I thought it was a factor of being in a wall lane, eating Easter candy last night, and being sore from yesterday's 4600y swim (some 100's at threshold). After I finished, one of the guards mentioned that the HVAC units were off and that it was swampy in the pool area. So, I'll blame it on that.

Today was decision day for whether I will be swimming 100 fly or 200 fly at USMS Spring Nationals. I've been working on fly for much of the season, but hadn't yet put a full 200 together. 200 fly TT was item # 1 on my agenda (after the usual warm up, of course)

200 pull, 200 dolphin kick
4x50 build

200y butterfly TT (2:37.22 off the wall)

400 EZ choice recovery

20 x 25 fly @ 200 race effort on :40

300 EZ choice cool down


2000 yards total


200 fly TT wasn't awful until the last 25. A block start would have probably saved me 4 strokes and at least 3 seconds. Rested, shaved, and in a tech suit (assuming I can fit my ass into it), I believe I should be able to break 2:30 at Nationals. I'm going for it.

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

Congrats on your 2:37 200 fly (was that meter or yards).

I have a local swim meet coming up on Saturday, its the second swim meet of my life. I will be doing 100 free, 50 fly, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 free and 100IM. These are all the events at the meet. First week of May I am looking at doing some events at the Swim Ontario Masters Provincials (not to be confused with Masters Swim Ontario Provincials....turns out this is like Ironman vs ITU in this province). Target for that is Friday evening 400IM, 100 fly, and 1500m free (yeah, I know, stupid, but what the heck). Saturday is 100IM, 200 fly and 400 free.

So in prep for that meet, my main "set" today was 5x400 where each 400m was a 200IM going straight into a 200 free. I figure this workout was a good way to practice for IM while getting enough free in for the longer free events, while pacing for the duration.

Today I focused on 3 things only:

1. Super hard wall push off from open turns (Chloe Sutton Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOuJ8xq7i7U)
2. Breast stroke tips from her video video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gw8tbkhKgo
3. Fly In sweep before finishing ( from her video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYBTV9d9Yoo

I found her explanations really good in terms of visualizing and applying them yourself in the water. I find a lot of videos don't really explain well what I should "feel". I think just taking her breast stroke video tips and practicing them before the main set was really useful!

Also two cues from Chloe Sutton for fly: Head before hands (head goes in before hands, head comes out to breath before hands) and the other one she used "kick your hands in and kick your hands out)....again, timing focused. I think this will help me. So many things to learn. I THINK I can eventually get me 200 fly SCM below 3:20 with no additional fitness. Just between timing and better streamline and turns. I don't even think my catch needs to improve much to get there. It's all the fine stuff killing me adding drag to my fly (as well as other strokes).

It's funny because I just started indoor rowing last month and I am able to now get up to wattages that are close to my physiological limit based on knowing that data from years of cycling. In swimming my physiology is no where close to the limiter...people with engines that are 60-75% the size of mine are easily swimming circles around me!!!!

Nice job Gary, not many people choose to do a 200 fly in racing. It is guaranteed pain, and no matter how fast you get, the last lap is always a struggle.

I finally got over my illness last week, did this workout a couple times, missed 3 days and did it again today. Just trying to get back into a groove;

12x100@1;40 6swim(1;25 to 1;19) 6pull(1;18 to 1;13)
5x100IM kick@2;10(1;54 to 1;50)
6x50-25free/25breast(42 to 39) @1;00
100kick
2100SCY

Yeah, that's why I'm racing it. The field's too deep in all my prime events, no chance at a top ten. But not a lot of guys want to take on the 200 fly, or 1000 free, so I'm doing those both. Thought about the 400 IM, too, but my backstroke's nowhere near "Nationals-worthy."

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

LOL...thiis is why I am doing 400IM, 200 fly and 1500m free in my next swim event. I can come last place in all and at least it still seems like my position was "not that bad".

Let me know what kind of piano you carry for that last 25, ok? Grand, baby grand, upright....

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I don't think you gave all options.

there is option d which is the "all of the above answer"

d. carrying grand piano + baby piano + upright

Happy Birthday Dr. TC!
Let me think way back to the beginning of the month (pretty hard for some of us geezers)
4/1 - well, the day prior started with a 3000 yard ocean swim in 39 minutes. Wetsuited because the water is like 55 degrees. And that was followed by a 10 mile trail run in 1:29. But this morning's swim was more of a cruise, still cold, but low tide, which allowed us to swim through the Portage - a 15 yard swim through a narrow crack in the rocks at Shaw's Cove. Then, we continued on to Seal Rock, where shockingly, there was a seal perched on it. It's been awhile since we've seen seals there. I swam through the Crack, both directions - a sometimes very dangerous thing to do, but so calm this morning, it was nothing. It was so calm, I even swam through the Elbow - an even more dangerous gap between the rocks. We had a post-swim Easter potluck on the beach. I brought my Emilio DeSoto's Dos Almas Craft Tequila to share with those willing to try a 110 proof clear tequila.
4/2 - 3000 yards in the pool:

1000s
4x[200p/50k]@4:00
600IM kwf
2x100IM
100s 1:07
100 cool

And at lunch, a 10 minute warm-up recumbent spin before doing 25 minutes of stretching and hip stabilizer muscle strengthening. After work a good hard session of more stretching and conditioning with my PT.
4/3 - 2700 yards in the pool:

500s


200k


300p


5x100@1:30 ~1:12, last 1:09


800 IM kwf


200IM w/fins


200 cool

And then, a 4 mile trail run which saw some moments under a 7:00 pace (not much, but exciting to see any at all!) Averaged an 8:30 pace though - I took those fast parts a little too fast and paid for it.
I'll have some swim and run tomorrow, just lightweight, though, as the GF and I prepare to fly to North Carolina for the Lake James SwimRun - 13.1 miles running and 6200 yards swimming broken into 14 run and 13 swim segments. The longest run is 7.7 miles and longest swim is 1600 yards. The water has been reported to be 54 degrees.

---

Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

Warm-up: 400m, 200m crawl + 200m with pull buoy

Workout: 3x (100m in 2', 10" rest, 100m in 1'55", 15" rest, 100m in 1'50", 20" rest, 100m in 1'45", 25" rest, 100m in 1'40", 30" rest)

100m chill

2x 300m with pull buoy and paddles

Cool-down: 100m

Total: 2700m

"No Rest for the Weary"


WU:
300 Swim
2 x {200 Free, 200FrIM}
4 x 100 Kick Neg Split


Main Set (Descend 1-4 to Max Speed)
2 x {
4 x 100 Desc 1-4 @ 1:35
4 x 75 Desc 1-4 @ 1:10
4 x 50 Desc 1-4 @ :55
4 x 25 Desc 1-4 @ :30
}


then right into


6 x 100 Pull (2@1:30, 2@1:25, 2@1:20)


WD:
200 Easy


Thought we'd get some rest in between the 2 runs of the Main Set, but we did not. The 6 x 100 Pull right after that was.....fun.

Congrats on your birthday! 10x100 on 1:31 is solid!!! But what happened to the 31x1k repeats at the track? My favourite running workout was Nx200m on my age in seconds. Last time I did that was 48x200m in 48 seconds. 45x200m in 45 seconds was a nice round workout. This year I am building up to 53x100m IM swimming. This will not be possible on 1:53 through, so not sure where to roll in the 53 number. Maybe target 1:53 for the last one!

today 8 mi run: .5 w/u, 5 mi progressive (6.8, 6.9, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2 mph), .5 easy, 2 mi progressive (6.9, 7.0 mph)
then 825 yd swim: 500 + 50 kick + 250 + 25 kick

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

There once was a chik we called Tiger
at the pool was where one could find 'er
she swam lots of yards
didn't find it too hards
so for her birthday did push the yardage higher.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I'm a fish!

OK, so I'm a really terrible fish. My first time EVER going to the pool with the intention of swimming. My level of swim is "I know how to not drown". I signed up for a local masters swim program since I signed up for Wilderman in July. I figured I should learn how to swim.

Coach gave everyone a sheet with the nights work out. After watching me "warm-up" he basically took my sheet away which was good because I didn't understand all of the mumbo jumbo on there anyway.

My workout? I'm not sure. About a 1000m of interspersed "swimming" and hanging on the wall. He also had me do quite a few lengths with the kickboard. Maybe another 400-500m. I'll learn to count eventually.

I considered it a success. I didn't drown, though the two calf cramps at the end did nearly take me out.

Now to go watch the Strange Denizens thread to see if someone posts about me...

Welcome! Your post made me laugh. I'm quite sure I'm a strange denizen right now with my very short swims. I'm a strange denizen at the gym, too.

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Welcome! And hey, not all fish are good swimmers. eg. http://facts.net/clown-fish/

Clown Fish Are Surprisingly Poor Swimmers
One of the more surprising facts on this list tells us that these fish are certainly not the best swimmers in the ocean. They spend much of their time hiding in the sea anemone they live in. When they do venture out, their swim patterns are very erratic. They are known to swim sideways at times and, while they can swim quickly for short burst, they can’t keep up this speed to avoid a predator for too long. They rely on their habitat for protection rather than their swimming skills.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

My breast stroke is in this category. Thankfully in my one and only swim meet in the 400IM I was in lane 8 away from the stands where everyone can laugh. In the 100IM, I was right in front of everyone in lane 1....I completely had stage fright that I might end up on that infamous ST thread!!!

Welcome to the pool! Stick with it and eventually it'll come around.

My swim this morning was good open water practice, dude I shared a lane with this morning created a hell of a bow wave.

w/u
200 easy
200 w/buoy & paddles
4 x 50 kick
m/s
4 x 300 moderate
w/d
2 x 100 mixed (breast kick still very painful)
100 kick

Going to try and run a little this afternoon, maybe a mile, two if I'm lucky.

---

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

7 mi run 60:40
350 swim (kick the last 25)
4 mi bike (errands)

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Got in today to see if it would help my migraine headache, or blow a brain vessel, seems to have helped;

5x100s@1;40(1;24's)
5x100IM kick@2;10 (1;56 to 1;49)
500p@7;00(6;30). 2x100IM kicks(1;56/53)
4x50 broken 100IM's@1;30 fly/bk(39/37) best/free(40/38) 100dolphin(2;11)
2000SCY

5 weeks to USMS Spring Nationals. Today's focus was 200 fly pace work.

200 pull
200 dolphin kick
4x50 build

20x50 fly @ 200 fly race effort (36.9-37.5 for all reps)
(12 on 1:10; extra minute rest, 5 on 1:15, extra minute rest, 3 on 1:20)

400 EZ

2000 yards total

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

Wow....20x50 fly on those paces. I guess this is what I need to do to not have the grand piano land on my back at 150m into a 200m fly event! OK, I am on it on Sunday and will start with 10x50m fly on 60 seconds. so short rest and let's see if I can hang onto pace for the last bunch. Saturday I have my second swim meet of my life (100free, 50 fly, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 free, 100 IM).

Talking as a former 200 flyer, I think that's too much fly. Fly is the one stroke that I don't like form to break down at all in practice, do it right or don't do it at all. But Gary's been around long enough that he can figure out what works for him pretty well.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I took your "quality over quantity" advice for much of the season, doing less volume and/or employing more conservative work:rest ratios when working on fly. But it's getting to crunch time now, and I feel like I need to expose myself to the "Steinway Syndrome" some and try to figure out how to swim through it with the least amount of form breakdown. Because that sucker's falling from the sky onto my back somewhere in that race, no matter how easy I try to take it.

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

It's honestly about general conditioning and race experience more than struggling through monster fly sets. There's a reason that the best 200 flyers are all really awesome 200 freestylers too, because it's a lot of VO2 max freestyle work to get you to through that last 50.

Oh, and kick sets.

When the piano falls, it'll be your legs that go. kick, kick and then kick some more.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Thanks guys. This discussion is quite educational. When the piano falls....is it better to pull less and kind of cut the stroke short and kick hard or finish the arm sweep to the hips and beyond?

There is no "do this or do that". You just do what you gotta do to stay legal and finish.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

So, I'm a clown fish...

I tried to hop in the local pool last night after a spin on the trainer. I rolled in at 7:50 right before, according to the online calendar, it went from 2 to 8 lap lanes for 8-8:30. Sadly, the kid told me the pool closes at 8 on Thursdays...

I did go get back in at a stupid hour this morning. I figure I'm working on comfort in the water. I have a long way to go.

6 x 50yd
7 x 100yd on 3:00

That was enough. Looking forward to being able to swim more than 100 yards at a shot without having to pant on the side of the pool for 30 seconds.

I'm looking for local help as well, but any recommendations for good online video resources for beginner swimmers? There is a ton of stuff out there, but I can't tell what is good and what is crap.

Hi Dev,

Like you I am also an AOS who is working to become a well balanced swimmer in all of the strokes. So I've been following your posts on the topic, but my approach is a little different. I've been working on the 50's for each stroke, mostly backstroke, for swim meets. Just recently starting in on br and fl.

For getting faster would it not be better to do your 50s on long rest and decend them in sets of 4 rather than do 20 holding a pace on short rest? Maybe the experienced swimmers can chime in on this? Even training for a 200 decending 50s seems like a better approach unless you're an experienced swimmer. No?

Depends on the race distance. To train for the 50, I do long rest 25's. For the 100, short rest 25's. For the 200, shortish rest 50's.

I subscribe to the principal of specificity, and prefer consistent pacing to build neural-muscular memory of swimming at actual race pace. It helps that I have a fairly extensive history of race event results to reference. But descending has been an effective training strategy used by countless swimmers through the years so I'd be foolish to recommend against it. "More than one way to skin a cat" and all that.

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

One of the big reasons for descending (and I mean "proper" descending, not the kind that I tend to do these days which is more of 3 recovery swims followed by a hard one), is that it gets you used to the progressive nature of the fatigue you'll experience in a race. But as you say, there is a place in a well rounded program for short rest intervals, long rest intervals, descending and variable pace intervals, technique work, kicking, pulling, other drills, longer and shorter interval lengths, and so forth.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Aerobic day.

1200 warm up as 200 free, 50 back x 4, plus 200 snorkel as 50 kick, 150 swim
4 x 50 @ :15 rest, mix strokes
3 x {3 x 100 @ 1:40 aerobic
{200 that is faster than 2 x 100 pace (2:40's)
100 easy
16 x 50 @ 1:00 aerobic with equipment
200 cool-down

4000 long course meters

State Masters Swimming Championship is next weekend. I'll be able to swim only on Friday, which I swam fine by me, since that is distance day. 1000 and 1650 free. I might do both, since there will probably plenty of time between each to recover.

Would like you fishies to chime in:

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/..._swim_meet_P6602469/

OK, all good info. I just booked my flights for Calgary for Nationals. The co founder of my company, as it turns out lives 2K from the Repsol pool and we just hired some employees in Calgary, so I have to make a trip there visit them and some customers anyway! Working on the technical aspects of the turns in each stroke and transitioning between strokes to get that down. For me, there is a lot of "free speed" to be had just learning basics of these and getting them down. I will do the 100IM, 200IM, 400IM, 100 fly, 200 fly, 400 free and hopefully the 1500m free. If I can't get into that (as the first time I will do a 1500free is May 4), I will do the 200 free or 50 fly.

Tomorrow swim meet 100 free, 50 fly, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 free, 100 IM. Went through each one multiple times today just going through the motions doing some "surges". Goal for tomorrow is 41 second fly and 1:40 IM. Breast I would like to get to 55...same with back. We'll see.

Jason, I have a question. I can't dive due to my neck/head injuries, but I can do a wall push off and can also do a start from the backstroke block and for breast and fly turn in the air and enter head down. Is this legal for those strokes? For freestyle it is and for back stroke start, I am good to go anyway. I will also ask the officials.

State Masters Swimming Championship is next weekend. I'll be able to swim only on Friday, which I swam fine by me, since that is distance day. 1000 and 1650 free//

Good luck with those two races, it will be interesting to see how the pace differs losing 650 for the 1000. An old friend of mine used to do that and his pace would almost be identical, he had one pace from 500 on up. He is in the 55+ now and I think still did 1;04 pace for the hour swim, like a metronome.


2 days in a row for me, whoo hooo! Was thinking of Dev, so threw some IM in my warm up set;


8x100, evens free@1;50/ odds IM@2;00 free(1;24 to 1;21) IM's(1;28/26/25/23)
8x100IM kixk@2;00(1;51/51/50/50/49/49/49)
2x200p@3;00(2;29/2;26) 100 dolphin(2;05)
2100SCY

I would think the main delta between 1000 yd pace and 1650 yd pace is how fast you do the last 150-200 yards and how that changes the overall average. It's like asking what is the diff between your 10 min power and 17 minute power. It's almost the same other than the contribution that the last 2 min has to the average. At least for older athletes, this would be quite common!

I think the 1650 is first, so I'll probably go for that one, then see what I have left in the tank for the 1000.

True story: the last 150 of my 1650 at the 2015 USMS nationals was faster than my last 150 of the 500 at the same meet. When I try to pick it up, everything falls apart. I did a series of swims this week that confirmed that I'm really just a Diesel engine and more efficient at a constant rate. I did three sets of 10 x 50 over two days. I found that being slightly more relaxed and thinking of my pace as 1000 pace got me just the same times as when I tried to spin it up to 200 pace. Then, I followed that last set with a set of 100's where I was just trying to be aerobic, and my times were pretty quick. Today I did some 200's long course that were easy and fast.

Signed,
The Diesel

I'm not sure since I've never seen anyone attempt it, but IIRC the rule for breast and fly is that you must be on your front at all points in the race. So I doubt that's allowed. What did you do at the last meet?

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I swam yesterday at the Lake James SwimRun. My partner and I placed 14th overall and 5th coed team. The course was fantastic with 13 miles of running on asphalt, gravel, singletrack and no trail whatsoever! The swims ranged from as short as 25 yards to 1600 yards. And, the water was about 54 degrees. Some swim entries and exits were slippery, muddy cliffs as high as 6 feet which they thoughtfully provided ropes to help you climb down/up. This was the best marked course I’ve ever run on with ribbons everywhere. The weather wasn’t much warmer than the lake and we had a bit of rain, but for most, it was tolerable. We briefly met Herbert — his team finished about 10 minutes ahead of us and placed second in coed. In all, a great, fun race.

---

Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

Last meet I just had one hand hanging on wall and pushed off such that as soon as left the blocks my body twisted face down. At yesterday's meet I checked with the meet organizer (Andrea Schwarz Smith who did the 200 fly in the Olympics and coaches a local master team) and she showed me what I can do. I guess one hand hanging off facing starter and then when the gun goes, get on my stomach almost instantly. I will check at Nationals what they will allow. I forgot for my 50 free that I could start from the full backstroke start block position and twist in the air and enter however I want.

These were the times from yesterday's meet, all wall push off. I beat all the times I was hoping for:

• 100 free 1:26
• 50 fly 42
• 50 back 51
• 50 breast 56
• 50 free 39
• 100 IM 1:40

I think I can easily get the 50 fly and free well under 40 seconds with some proper training for going short and hard and get the 100 free closer to 1:20. I'll work on the back and breast a lot this month as this is low hanging fruit to get the 100 IM closer to 1:30 in due course. I got some good tips on my backstroke and beat my target time by 9 seconds!


Also question about last 10m of any of these shorter races....is there any point breathing in fly or free. It just seems like it might be faster to leave head down and hammer since you're just using fast twitch fiber and you don't need oxygen to create force from those muscles for short duration.


Dev

Breathing in fly... it depends on how that affects your stroke timing and rhythm. I "try" to not breathe the last 3-4 strokes, but it depends on how gassed I'm feeling,

50 fly I'll take 3 breaths if I can. One per length and one at the turn.

Free, head down for the last 5 m. Let experience guide if you can do more, but it's hell just doing 5 m when you're already in severe oxygen debt.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Friday
11 mi run w/ 2 @ 8:41 pace then 5 @ 8:34 pace

Saturday
34.2 mi bike

Sunday
10 mi run w/ 4 progressive (8:41, 8:34, 8:27, 8:20) then 2 x 2 mi first mile at 8:34, second at 8:27
1025 yd easy swim

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Yesterday was a spring gravel race here in Minnesota, the Ragnarok 105. Except it hasn't been spring and some of the Minimum Maintenance Roads were covered in snow and ice still and unsafe to be riding so it was the Ragnarok 80. 80 miles and 6,000' of climbing. Add in a high of 30F, some 15mph headwinds for the latter half, and poor pacing, and I was pretty well spent at the end of the day.

Today I went swimming again! Hopped over to my third pool for the week, another local high school pool. I think I'm making progress. Tomorrow morning is back with masters again and I am optimistic I can finish the "warm-up"!

50y - 1:16
100y - 2:17
350y - 7:58, Thought it was 500, but clearly I can't count lengths yet
500y - 11:28, Longest continuous swim ever!
50y - all out... 59.1
50y - all out... 56.6
3x100y - 2:15, 2:11, 2:12
250y - 5:41

Total of 1650y... or a swimmers mile I take it. What the hell is up with that?

Anyhow, I was pretty stoked to be able to swim without feeling like I was drowning. I'm slower than a log floating in a lake, but its progress.

Glad you enjoyed the experience. So did I.

I actually gave up my master swim classes on Wednesday and Friday last week and only did a mellow 750 Meter swim on Thursday to get ready for Lake James. :-)

Back to the grind this morning:
10x300 as
wu/fr/fr/k/p/p/p/br/im/cool


3000 sc yardages

---

Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

I am going back on Wednesday :-)

Masters this morning. And I even got to do a significant portion of the workout.

600m choice w/u (everyone else did 800)

6 x 50 drill - 25 kick, 25 fingertip drag

6 x 200 on 5:00 (everyone else did 8x on substantially less than 5!)

6 x 25 all out

100m c/d

Another longest swim ever (also known as my fourth swim ever)

A swim session from my (very brief) ITU days, our squad did this almost weekly.

Warm-up (1k)
100 Free
50 Back
50 Free
50 Kick
Through 4 times

Main Set (3k):
500 Finis Freestyle Paddles easy on 7.30
5x100 Tyr Contour (I think they're called that) Paddles on 1.25
10x50m on 40s
x2

C/D
200m Easy

The 50's can be pushed back to a 50s cycle, but then the intensity of that has to go from short rest high end aerobic, to above race pace work.

---

__________________________________________________
http://twitter.com/willrc91 --- instragram.com/willrc91

Missed a few days in Ye Old Thread.

4/5
2,100 yards
w/u
200 easy
200 w/buoy & paddles
4 x 50 kick
m/s
4 x 300 moderate
w/d
2 x 100 mixed (breast kick still very painful)
100 kick


4/9
2,200

w/u
300 easy alt breath x 50
4 x 100 1-arm
3 x 100 bound
m/s
5 x 200
w/d
4 x 50 kick



4/10
2,100

w/u
50
100
150
3 x 100 1-arm, free x 50
3 x 100 bound
m/s
6 x 150 w/50 water running in between

---

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

Finally got back to the ocean. So nice to taste that salty water again. Temperature was 58-60 degrees. A trip to Seal Rock from Shaw's Cove plus a little extra credit. 2300 yards in just under 25 minutes.

---

Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

I am eyeing the St. Croix 5 mile Buc Island to Buccaneer swim at some point in the next few years in terms of Ocean swims. I just enjoy warmer water!!!

OK question for the fish.

If I get my 50 fly down below 40 seconds (I think that is possible), what does this translate to for 200 fly
Also what do I meed to get my 100IM down to, so that I can get below 7 minutes for 400IM.

Generally my problem is not endurance (some of the coaches at the last swim meet were joking that I was probably the fittest guy on the pool deck coupled with the worst technique+experience) so if I can get faster at 50-100m, it will translate to 200-400m events. I can basically go all day plowing through way more water than I need to catching very little water along the way.

yesterday 37.2 mi bike
today 8.9 mi run (7 @ 8:49 pace), 1875 yd swim

500 w.u
50 kick
100 swim, 50 kick, 150 swim, 50 kick, 200 swim, 50 kick
3 x 100 stroke
400 goofing off
25 kick

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

1200m warmup set (4-3-2-1 s-p-k-d followed by 2x. (4x25 sprinters game)

Main set 2x (
6x100 @ 2:10
300 ez)

Round 1 was best average - held 10's for the first 4 then faded to 13 and 12 for the last 2

Round 2 was as fast as possible. There were only 3 in our lane tonight, so I made a deal with myself that if I did sub 1:05 on the first one then I could swim the rest easy. Did a 1:04 ! So I swam 50 east for repeat 2 then 1:15's after that.

Pretty pleased with that

ETA -

Abandoned trying to recover with a pretty bent elbow and all that jazz, and went back to a straight arm recovery. Much more effective for me,

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

There's really no way of using a 50 fly to estimate a 200 fly. There's just too much going on, too many variables. The list is long: how long a swimmer has been swimming; is the swimmer an endurance athlete or sprinter; what kind of training has been done; how many 50s at pace have been done in practice; was the test 50 off the blocks; breathing pattern; kicks off the wall; experience relaxing somewhat during a long fly attempt; shoulder flexibility/stability/strength/endurance....

I started a partial "taper" for events ts Friday. I registered for both the 1000 and 1650 on the same day. Doing a bit of estimating, and based on several different ways of seeding and conducting the events, I could have anywhere from 2h:00 to 3h:20 or more between. Time enough to rehydrate, eat, maybe have a beer, take a nap...

I have a good gauge on my attitude, and today, I just didn't want to go too far and get a micro burnout before Friday. I want to keep it fresh.

"Taper" is best seen as "staying sharp" or "sharpening." Doing the stuff that sharpens and focuses your ability to reach your goals. Less yardage, yes, but not just going slowly. Doing pace work to keep the body sharp. Garbage yardage at this point is just garbage and not needed. The hay is in the barn, in terms of aerobic capacity and threshold. Work the turns and streamlines, do the technical stuff at pace.

Warmup: 3 x 300 as 100 free, 50 back, 50 breast, 100 free
100 kick

6 x 50 @ :55, as easy/smooth as I could to hold 1000-1650 pace (:32)
50 swim + 50 kick
Repeat

4 x 75 @ 1:20, hold easy pace (:48-:49)
50 swim + 50 kick

3 x 100 descend to pace @ 1:30 (:08, :06, :04mid)
100 easy

2500 yards

7.2 mi easy 65:42
575 yd swim

100 swim on 1:30
50 kick
2 x 100 swim on 1:30
50 kick
100 fast 1:13
75 easy kick the first and last 25

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

My OCD is not happy about this....

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

because of the ending with a 75?

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Yup.

It's not right.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Next time I report a practice, I'll report it as something like xy62.5 yards. I'll swim half a 25 and get out on the side of the pool.

Take a deep breath...

On a related note, I swam in a pool that was 100' (~30.5m) when I was in youth summer league swimming. By the time computerization of meet programs came along, a race would be written in the heat sheet as "Girls 10-under 100 back" or "Boys 18-under 400 IM." No units specified, but understood as feet. We used to have a true 100y race, which was three lengths of the pool. Starter and swimmers on one side, timers on the other. I wish I could report one of those wrkts here. Imagine me writing some total like 4090m or 13,419'?

When I was a club swimmer way back when, we'd swim outdoors at various pools around the city during the summer. One of them was 20 yards, and another was 33 1/3 yards (i.e. 100'). There was another one that was neither of those, don't remember exactly but it was no distance I had ever seen since.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I exited the ocean this morning with 2990 yards. Turned around and jumped through some waves, swam a short bit and exited again with 3060. Just HAD to get that 3000 in.

---

Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

When I was in high school, one of the nearby blue blood swim schools hosted a "Freshman Invitational" meet annually. It was a tradition that went back to the early 60's or maybe even late 50's. I'm pretty sure they still do it to this day. While there were no 3 length events, I did have to swim the 150 yard free and 400 yard free instead of the usual 200 yard and 500 yard events. Stroke events were 50s instead of the usual 100, and the IM was 100 yards instead of 200.

~90% of the time, the winning team at that meet went on to win the state championship 3 years later. We finished 2nd at that meet, and 2nd at state our senior year, although to a different team each time.

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

Back to the club pool today, got some pretty good road rash on my arm too, forgot which was the front brake on my MTB ride..)-;

3x(100/100free@1;40/100 breast@2;00/100fly/free@1;40/100IM kick@2;30)

100's free(1;24/23/22/21/20pb/19pb)100 breast(1;37/35/35) 100fly/free(1;23/19/18) 100IM kick(1;56/54/58)

5x100IM kick@2;00(1;54/54/53/54/50)
2000SCY

2017 FINA top 10 are out


.... 9 swims in there for me...

5 SCM / 4 LCM

---

___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

taken from FINA

MSW 3.2 When using the forward start, the referee's whistle shall indicate that the swimmers may take their positions with at least one foot at the front of the starting platform or pool deck, or in the water with one hand having contact with the starting wall.

---

___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Peace River Alberta had a 100' outdoor pool... I remember seeing heat sheets like that

---

___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhcdRqQBOnR/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhce4PZB-VZ/

---

___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Thats awesome!

Congrats and amazing times in events I have no interest in swimming! haha
Super swims tho. Wow.

MyMainSet this am: (also a fun insta acct to follow as I build it up)

1 x 100 1:20
4 x 25s fast on :30
2 x 75 1:00
3 x 25s fast on :30
3 x 50 :40
2 x 25s fast on :30
4 x 25 :20
4 x 25 fast on:30
easy 50 on 1:00
Do this 3 times through.
We did fly on the 25s the first round, then back on rnd 2 and brst on rnd 3

This was SCY

daved

WOW! Congrats.

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

OK thanks for that. I will register for Nationals this weekend!

Today's swim was 4200m at the Nepean sportsplex....main set 5x400m

as

4 x (100 fly-50 back-50 breast-200 free)
1x400 IM

I may go to the Swim Ontario Masters Provincials meet in Barrie on 4 Mar. If I got, 400 IM + 100 fly + 1500 free on Fri and 100 IM, 200 fly and 400 free on Saturday.

Another option is 200 breast rather than 400 free. I don't think I can get out of last place in the W75-59 age group in that event though.

well done, realAB!

5.6 mi run w/ 5 @ 8:34 pace
625 yd swim: 6 x 100 on 1:30 then 25 kick c/d

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

 
2,200 SCY this morning. Felt stuck in one speed. Tried some more water running, which feels just fine on the groin, but the lower abdomen hurts like a bastard.
w/u
300 alt breath x 50
3 x 100 bound
4 x 50 kick
m/s
400
300
200
100
w/d
8 x 50 alt running and easy free

---

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

So to all the fishes here I have some news that may or may not be helpful, but I finally had a breakthrough yesterday. For a long time now(since underwater dolphin off turns) I have been struggling with the timing on this, especially on breaststroke. I have watched 100's of breaststroke folks and each and every single one does their dolphin kick first, then the pull down. It felt so uncoordinated to me and I was doing both pretty much at the same time. I could not for the life of me figure out why either.

So yesterday I just said to myself, just do the kick and dont even think about the breakout, and there it was. I always had the breakout in my head and it kept me from the proper timing of the dolphin kick, so when I just put it out of my mind, there it was as plain as day. then I did the same for all the other 3 strokes, and they too had bad timing, just not as noticeable as the breast. My breakouts are now stronger, further down the pool, and there is no pulling before I'm on the surface now and actually pushing myself back because of a bad breakout..

I bring this up because no one has ever said to do it with this in mind, and now of course it seems so simple. But I struggled for years with this, most recently with the breast when they allowed that big dolphin off the wall. I expect to be faster now, but of course age is slowing me down, so I better race soon so that I can take advantage of it!!!

I'm sure a lot of you just got this right away, but keep in mind that I was hard wired long before there was anything like this, so I have had to reprogram a lot of deep pathways. And of course old bodies are not really built to take full advantage of this newer style, but it is still an advantage I want to exploit to the fullest while I can...That's all, very excited yesterday when that light bulb went off...

Hey Monty, I just learned the underwater sequence for breast stroke this month and I have had 'real swimmers' telll me how awesome mine is.....I think because I had no historic baggage like I do with freestyle and it was completely new and I got the timing pretty decent out of the gate just watching Kitajima do these on youtube!!! I have to maximize this as my overwater breast stroke sucks so badly due to my leg/disc limitations!!!

I switched to dolphin kick first quite some time ago. It didn't seem that hard to convert. But, my dolphin kick isn't that strong, anyway. The big issue I have now is optimizing the big UW pull and kick timing to reduce the feeling I come to a dead stop in the water. That's from doing the big pull recovery the same time I draw my legs up for the kick. Mike Collins says to draw your legs during the big pull... I'm struggling with this.

---

Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

The big issue with the underwater dolphin then pull, as opposed to the simultaneous dolphin kick and pull method, is lack of air. You're underwater a Looong time, which is fine in shorter events but is hell in the 400im. Last time I did a 400IM I didn't even bother doing the pullout on the final 2 breaststroke turns, the oxygen debt is just so high in order to gain what, half a second? Which I feel like I'm losing substantially more than that trying to recover from the lack of air.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

is lack of air//

Oh I get this, I get it good, but that was not my problem before. Even just going slow with tons of air, my timing was just off. Now it is on and I can actually feel how all those other people look.


Speaking of which, what ever happened to that world class female breastroker that used to just pop up off the turn and begin swimming? I was in a discussion on the paddle thread with someone about outliers, she was definitely one not to emulate. I'm sure in workouts at her home pool she kicked everyones ass doing this, she was just plain a lot faster than everyone in the small pond. But how silly did it look when she would do it in the finals of a big meet? Unless she had some lung thing where she only had one at birth or something, it just made no sense at all and was painfully obvious that she was an outlier outside the bell curve.. Anyone else remember this gal???

OK no wonder I am dying after I come up. So for 400 IM, just push and do simultaneous dolphin kick+pull and break out for 200 IM or shorter do the dolphin first then pull then break out? Also I kind that my first breast stroke push off after back stroke, my legs are so dead that breaking out earlier is better (for me). The later ones, I can manage. I think my legs are so full of lactate after back stroke that they need oxygen quickly so that long breast push off+dolphin+pull out + break out seems to just go on forever (plus I am just slow at it to start off).

That's gonna be an individual decision. I'll probably do the long underwater version for the 100 IM, medium version for the 200, and skip the pullout altogether for the 400

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I am thinking that at my pathetic level of breast stroke maybe a micro oxygen pause to get a massive breath and a hard push from the wall and a pull plus dolphin and then break to the surface gains me more since once i am actually swimming my progress is near negative since i am otherwise a 56s 50m person in that stroke given my left leg generates almost no power and i get lopsided because of that sucks to have this "disability"... Hopefully not forever.

4.3 mi run, 36 min, w/ 2 x 1.5 mi (1 @ 8:20 + .5 @ 8:13, 1 @ 8:13 + .5 @ 8:06)
625 yd swim (see below)
4 mi bike


100 swim
50 kick
100 fast 1:13
50 kick
200 fast 2:27
100 easy
25 kick

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Come on, yer KILLING me here....

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I know. Even in a short course pool, I don't like finishing on a "50," much less a "25" or "75."

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

Speaking of lack of oxygen: I swam both distance events today in one session at a masters meet at a pool near Denver. The Mile High City, 1550m altitude. 11:14 for the 1000y free, 18:57 for th 1650y free a few hours later. I hope that's decent for a 46 year-old dude who has lived in Colorado only since last August.

Edit: USA Swimming has a document that says I can subtract :10 from my 1000 time and :23 from my 1650 time. That puts me faster than my (made up) entry time in the 1000, and just :01.24 off my (made up) entry time for th 1650. Based on my flat-land times.

This behavior requires effort. It means getting out on the other end of the pool from your stuff. I say we give her credit for the extra effort!!!!

CONGRATS....with you 18:57 1650 free at altitude, you just beat Lionel Sanders' 18:50 1500m LCM at sea level!!!!

I may be in Boulder for a biz trip end of month for my startup (seriosuly, I did not concoct a biz partner in Boulder because I am an athlete, they just happen to be there) so will let you know how much slower my times are relative to sea level. When I used to go from sea level to Denver area, my track run splits were typically 93/94 seconds on 400m at the intensity I would run 90 seconds at sea level.

Yesterday I had a hard rowing and gym session for an hour and then hit the pool.

My main set was 4 x "400IM"

8x50 as 25 fly-25 back, then 25 breast-25 free (virtual 100 IM) each 50 on one minute

Virtual total 400 IM time was 8:15 as I took an extra 15 seconds after the 4th 50

Then

4x100 as 50-fly-50 back, then 50 breast-50 free. each 100 on 2 minutes

Virtual total 400 IM time with rest was 8:00

Then

1x400 IM standard format, 7:48

then

4x100 IM on 2 min,

combined time with rest, 8 min

I was totally cooked after the workout, but I think 2 hours (between gym and rowing) and then swim with no nutrition caught up.

I enjoyed breaking things into fly+back and breast+free sets. Never did that and Monty had posted something like that a while ago.

"CONGRATS....with you 18:57 1650 free at altitude, you just beat Lionel Sanders' 18:50 1500m LCM at sea level!!!! "

Not quite, gotta convert from scy to lcm, which with the altitude correction is a 19:02 LCM. But regardless, that's a damned solid swim,

and you know I'm totally gonna be targeting that time at provincials next month ;-)

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Don't forget to factor in a 1000. I did that a few hours before my mile.

BTW, my lower back hurts like a b!tch today. I had trouble sleeping last night. Maybe it was the two races, then sitting in a car for the hour-long drive home.

OK OK....if Lionel is in the same lane beside him, then I think the "race is on" and it's a mano mano smackdown!!!!

I am intending to do the 1500m at Ontario masters on May 4th. I think it is too late to get a time though to get a slot to do it at Nationals Masters. Events of Swim Ontario masters = 400 IM + 100 fly + 1500 free Friday evening, Saturday 100IM, 200 fly, 50 fly, 400 free. I won't be able to stick around for Sunday.

Making excuses already for when I CRUSH that 18:57, eh? ;-)

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

The women's locker room opens to the 'wrong' end of the pool. I put my stuff on the wall near the door, walk to the side of the pool that I like to start on (I push off on my left side and this is the side that allows me to see the clock best), and then if I grab my flip flops and kick a 25 at the end, I get in 25 more yards. So it satisfies my OCD.

Today: 10.6 mi run and 1475 yd swim. The run had a small local 5k and I nabbed first FOV.

I woke up and felt like chasing people at a local 5k. I won in 24:02 . It was 38 degrees and 22 mph winds.
I led for about a tenth of a mile, got passed by two women whom I suspected were going out too fast, caught them eight minutes in and passed them, speeding up so they wouldn't try to stay with me, tried and succeeded in making a gap, passed a couple men, and zoomed into the finish line (perhaps not with the best kick).

.5 mi w/u on gym treadmill
race 24:02
half an hour standing around waiting for awards and getting chilled to the bone
half an hour at the sauna to warm up
7 mi treadmill easy 62:48
1475 yd swim

swim
500 w.u 6:55
50 kick
5 x [100 swim + 50 kick] desc 1:22, 1:20, 1:14, 1:12, 1:13
150 swim
25 kick :-)

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Sunday 11 mi run 92:40 with the final 4.5 @ 8:13 pace; 15 km bike
today 2 mi run + 1075 yd swim... quick workout so I could watch the Boston start

10 x 100 on 1:30
75 kick c.d

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

So no workouts the past 3 days, felt on the verge of something, dont know what. Sometimes you just get that feeling you are one workout away from getting sick, I tend to pay attention to that feeling these days. So only 3 days off instead of 2 weeks by actually getting sick, or maybe not. I hate being old, well old if fine, just an old immune system:

So felt pretty good(probably tapered) and decided to see if I could keep up with Daniela Ryf for just some of her workout she posted up the other week. Pulled my own water, so if I was in her draft I could easily have done this SCM, but it was SCY in my club pool with no lane lines or gutters:

3x(300/200/100swim/pull--150/100/50 IM kick@1;05 base) first set swim @1;30 base/ next 2 sets pull @1;20 base

(swims-4;22/2;50/1;22) Pulls(3;51/3;54/2;35/2;34/1;16/1;15). IM kicks(59 to 49 for 50 paces)

100 dolphin(2;08)

2500SCY

SO made 1200 in this workout with Daniela, will go for more later on...(-;

Going to see a surgeon tomorrow to try and figure out why this supposed "groin strain" and "lower abdominal strain" have not gotten any better after 8 weeks. I haven't participated in any activity that caused aggravation, other than a couple of short run tests, to see if things were feeling any better. I can swim and bike with general soreness but no breath stealing, stabbing pain unless I try breast stroke. My gut tells me I gave my self a hernia, inguinal or femoral, who knows. Flip a coin, hell it could be both for as bad as I feel.

w/u
300 easy alt breath x 30
6 x 150 (100 1-arm + 50 kick)
m/s
400
300
200
100


BONUS!
300 yds straight water running, oddly enough water running doesn't aggravate the groin at all, and only slightly the abdominal area, so long as my right leg doesn't slip out from underneath me, if that happens, I whelp out like a kicked dog.

---

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

I hope the MD can solve whatever's going on.

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

100 run in 100 days strikes again.. thanks dev!! (sarcastic)
But ran myself into a stress fracture on my right femoral neck.
UBER painful but Ill survive.

Rode 86miles friday and swam 5k on sat morning.
Today I swam 4400
Main Set: SCY (this was one of two main sets)
10 x 150s alt 1 on 2:10 1 on 1:50 FAST
Managed on the fast ones:
134
133
135
136
135 (high) . wink wink we all know how that works! couldnt see the clock, foggy goggles, coasted in etc etc.. so ok it was a 136

This was a good "second" main set
The first was
4 x { 1 x 50 on 40 1x100 on 1:30 breath control
3x { 1 x 75 on 55 1 x 75 on 110 breath control
2 x { 1 x 100 on 115 1 x 50 on 1
1 x { 150 fast

So a lot of 150s today. good group. Focus was on executing fast turns with what was discussed in the forum yesterday about turns and using that as free speed.
Any lazy turn, push off and breakout meant increased HR during the faster main set. Better turns and breakouts even with not grabbing a breath on the first stroke cycle meant easier and faster.

daved

today 7 mi run: splits 26:45 at 3 mi, 53:06 at 6 mi, last mile 8:09
825 yd swim:


500 w/u 7:02 (this felt like it took eons)
50 kick
100 fast 1:14
50 kick
100 fast 1:12
25 kick c/d

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

5000y @ 65:00
(1:16.92 average)

5000 short course yards

300 swim
8 x 25 @ 30 kick w/fins (dolphin on back)
2x50 @ 60 w / fins fly drill
4x75 @ 1:05 3 holding 1:07/100 pace, 1 easy
4x25 fly @ 40 w/small drag chute
50 easy

5x
100 Fly (goal under 1:05) average ~ 1:04.4
100 easy
First 3 rounds on 5:00 per cycle, then 6:00

50 easy

2100m

---

___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Lionel is only 1 second ahead of our top 12 year old girl for the 1500 LCM... for now. She'll drop more time in the summer :) we have a pair of grade 9 boys who went 17.01 and 17.03 at Western Championships and they made Jr Nationals (17:31 for 15 year olds)...

The open Qualifying time for Easterns in the 1500 is 17.09 LCM. The standard for 14 year old boys is a little easier at 18:22.

300 swim
8 x 25 @ 30 kick w/fins (dolphin on back)
2x50 @ 60 w / fins fly drill
4x75 @ 1:05 3 holding 1:07/100 pace, 1 easy
4x25 fly @ 40 w/small drag chute
50 easy

5x
100 Fly (goal under 1:05) average ~ 1:04.4
100 easy
First 3 rounds on 5:00 per cycle, then 6:00

50 easy

2100m

---

___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Nice speedwork. That will get you ready.

I REALLY wish the USA had got on board with the metric system. I'm not all that fast, but I feel like I'm a Ping-Pong ball in a 25y pool. I would have liked to see all the pools built after the late 1970's in the USA be either 25m or 50m. Canada and GBR got their act together and built all the pools metric.

A 25 yard pool is 22.82m. 25 yards is 75 feet (a foot is 12 inches, an inch is "three barleycorns"). What??!?! A "mile" is 1650 yards in a swim race, but 1760 yards in ground measurement. With metric, it all seems so well-packaged and even: a kilometer is 1000m: no finishing somewhere in the middle of a pool for an odd measurement.

When I find myself in a 25m pool, my freestyle stroke pattern is off. It's too long for one extra half-cycle, and too short for a full cycle.

was this LCM or SCM?
(not that it matters bc thats waaaay fast!!!)
Just curious.
That is an awesome speed set for sure.
GOOD LUCK in your meet

Masters swimmers should do more of that.
daved

My surgery consukt had to move to Friday.........

w/u
300
8 x 100 alternating between bound/unbound
m/s
6 x 150 build x 50

Finished off with more water running
2 x 300

---

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

SCM pool... we only have 3 LCM pools for a city of 1.25 million ( University and Repsol has 2). A new 10 lane one opens in less than a year. It's hard for me to be available for the times they are set up long course...

---

___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Being in Alberta there were very few yards pools built and all but one maybe 2 are gone. Ontario has a few old ones...

Those 100s were all from a push as well...

---

___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

yesterday 6.7 mi easy run, 375 yd swim (350 swim + 25 kick)
today 4.5 mi easy run, 425 yd swim (400 swim + 25 kick), 5 mi easy run

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

4 x {600 @ 8:00
{4 x 100 @ 1:20
{:40 rest

7:45, 7:30, 7:28, 7:28
100s were avg 1:11

2 x {4 x 25 @ :30, kick fast, swim fast by 25's
{150 @ 2:05

3 x 100 @ 1:20 smooth
4 x 50 @ :45 Smooth

5000y

all free - every other stroke sucks. No kicking.


500 w/u
10x100 on 1:30
5x200 pull on 3:00
10x50 on :45
200 w/d
3200yd

2.5 mi easy run, 1025 yd swim, 5.1 mi easy run

3 x 100 on 1:30
200 on 3:30
5 x 100 on 1:30
25 kick

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

main set at masters last night

3 x 100 desc 1-3 on 2:00 (last one was a 1:06, but felt like an easy 1:06 :-)
100 drill/swim recovery
4x75 @ 1:30 build each 75 and descend 1-4
100 easy drill swim
5 x 50 @ :60 descend 1-5 (down to :31)
100 ez drill swim
20 x 25 @:30 every 3rd one fast (fly).

3000scm total.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Did my first 2 hour day a couple ago, last workout was an easy type swim of 2k. Today was a good medium hard effort, feeling fitter and fitter as I up the yardages a bit;

15x200- 3swim@3;15(2;52/51/50)2IM kick@4;15(3;56/53)8pull@2;45(2;36/36/35/35/35/34/34/32)2IM kick@4;15(3;54/49)
8x25 fly@;30/breast@45(fly 16/17's//breast- 22/23's)
3200SCY

Yesterday

2x500yds
2x400yds
2x300yds
2x200yds
2x100yds

3000 yards total

Today 1x3500yds :)

Thats a beaut!! Nice work. Good set.

Today we did 2 main sets again. Ill take the second one as the first one had drills in it.

1 x 150 on 2:00 at 80%
1 x 50 on :50 at 70%
1 x 100 on 1:30 at 90%
1 x 25 ez on :35
3 x 100 recovery 1:20 (just make the interval)
1 x 25 ez on :30
And repeat the set 3 times.
150s by round 1:37, 136, 135
50s by round 33,32,33
100s by round 101, 100, 100 (tried to break 1 but couldn't !!ugh)
On the set of 3 x 100s my goal was to ave 110 or better. I was close. The final 100 was a 114 so I admittedly shut down.
----
Good set after some fast 100s in the first main set.
again, admittedly I was higher than 90% on those 100s but today, fatigue had set in. Its been a couple good weeks of swimming since the 100runs in 100 days gave me a stress fracture in my femoral neck and I cannot run so ive upped the swimming intensity and biking.

Good focus today on faster flips during my turns. Trying to get my feet on the wall as fast as possible from the moment I tuck my chin. I was also playing with a massive over-balance before initiating the flip and that really helps.

daved

ps workout was done per usual in a 25 yard pool
Ill prob head to harvard in the coming weeks as they are now LCM... thank god

Main set today

200m IM at 400IM effort followed by 100 free steady.

Repeated the above 8 times. Mainly working on turns and tactics. I am finding pushing off the wall really hard for backstoke and then just coasting in a streamline emerging past the flags is probably faster for me vs dolphin kicking under water because I am less gassed when I emerge from oxygen. Or maybe what that says is my backstroke is so bad, I go into so much oxygen debt that I need the walls to rest from the stroke, because on freestyle I can do 4-6 dolphin kicks off the wall and be more or less fine when I emerge

Had the surgery consult yesterday, on the first test (the old turn your head and cough type), the surgeon said, "yep, you have a hernia". It's in a place where the scrotal nerve splits, which is why I felt pain in the groin, thinking it was a groin pull. And just like the hernia I had in 2015, no outward bulging at all. Surgery is scheduled 4/25, so I'll be on the shelf for a while, and my racing season is shot, no nationals.

4/19
w/u
300
8 x 50 bound (26 SC, 25 hard)
4 x 50 kick
m/s
100
200
300
200
100
w/d
200 mixed, tried some breast stroke, still hurts like crazy
600 straight, water running

4/20 (if I keep getting injured I may need some 420)
w/u
6 x 50
8 x 100 alt bound/free
m/s
4 x 200 w/paddles
4 x 50 kick easy
w/d
100 mixed
3 x 300 water running

---

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

Wow. Good luck on surgery and recovery.

This afternoon:
500 Swim
1500 snorkel as 500 no equipment, 500 pull buoy, 500 no equipment
2000 Swim (29:50)
5 x 200 @ :08-10 rest, alternating no equipment and pull buoy
1000 paddles (100 kick and 100 breastroke in the middle of the 1000)
1000 Swim
800 as 50 back+150 free

7800m long course

I raced at the Surf City Tri. Huntington Beach at low tide (and probably at any other tide) has a double break, and in between the breaks is a massive cross-current. Many, including pros got caught swimming against it to reach the first buoy. They had us self-seed and released 6 at a time (5 second intervals). I seeded at 25 minutes, but passed hordes of swimmers along the way. Also for AG, they set up cones 100 yards down the beach and made us run down there before entering. I think for most part, that wasn't enough. I had a chuckle at those that aimed straight for the buoy, while I swam straight out and let the current carry me to it... actually, it was strong enough that I had to swim against the current just a bit to make the buoy, I also had fun seeing those beside me lose a good 10 feet diving under the waves. On the return, I hit murky water and realized the rip I hit, so I swam to the right a bit, where the water cleared and continued on in. Many stayed, & swam in place, more or less, while battling that! It's good to have been a lifeguard and understand these things! The top racers swam in the 19-20 minute range, while I hit it in 22. I was very happy with that.
I haven't been cycling as much as I should, but held a fairly decent 21.4 mph for the nearly 25 miles. Somewhere during that, Chris Vargas (a beast) passed me. Otherwise I held 2nd into T2. A 'brilliant' transition setup with no equalizer run out from the bike in, so the racks closest to the gates was the shortest run through transition, which is where I was racked. A bit slow, though, in T2 as I put socks on... hate blisters!
The run sucked for me with my jacked up back, torn something in my hip. I could only muster an 8:41 pace and couldn't even get my heart rate up that much. I got passed by another in my AG at around 4 miles in the 1/4 mile sand stretch. I thought maybe my legs would open up once back on the asphalt and I might catch him. Didn't happen and I wound up third. First place gets a free Alcatraz entry while second and third get a full-price offer ($750) to the otherwise closed event. Thanks, but umm, no thanks.

---

Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

Thats awesome Steve, seems like your body should have done the sprint instead??

And that guy that beat you, I used to play water polo with him in a summer league in our youth, he was world class along with his brother. I started seeing his name pop up in AG races in his 40's, and it seems he has held and bettered his times over the years. One of the advantages of not having been a pro, where you go downhill around 40..(-;

He also does OW swim races, see him once in awhile at the Hermosa to Manhattan pier to pier swim. It was good you beat him in the swim, he is very good, but seems he is running very well now as a 60+ year old too.

Heal your body up there dude, breaking something now could mean forever..

I would have loved that swim, maybe could have kept up with the men pros even with some wave luck coming in!!!!

congrats on your 3rd place!

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Saturday a 10k race, first FOV 47:14, felt good and just had an awesome run in enough rain to have some parts of the course flooded.
Sunday off
today 6.7 mi easy run, 525 yd swim (500 swim + 25 kick), 30 min stairmaster, and a km walking.

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Congrats on the race, you would've smoked me as I can take about 10 steps in a running gait before I crumple to the ground.

Knowing now I have a hernia I stayed away from any breast stroke this morning.

Short and sweet this morning.

w/u
300
4 x 100 (bound w/paddles)
m/s
2 x (3 x 150 = 50 k)
w/d
200 back/free x 25

May try to to squeeze an hour in on the bike this afternoon.

---

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

Swim today seemed tough, I did tighten up the intervals on the 300's, but could recover somewhat on the kicking:

6x(300s/150 IM kick@3;30) 1 swim@1;30base(4;17)1 pull@1;20 base(3;52) 1 breast@1;40 base(4;56) 1pull@1;20 base(3;50)1 fly/free@1;30 base(4;26)1 pull (4;02) kicks(2;59/53/50/50/59/56) 50 SD

2750SCY

loving all the IM kicking you do. Thats strong. I dont think I could handle that.
Our second of 2 main sets today was this:
9 x 50 on :50 dec 1-3 (x3) easy-mod-fast
Then right into
15 x 50 on :45 all fast -- similar to the last 50 of the dec set previous.
---
This was scy and some of the younger guns showed up this am. Super impressed with how hard they can push themselves! on the dec 50s (the fast ones) I was going 31s and this kid (18 year old) beside me was ripping off 28s.
But I had to smile when he asked if we were taking extra time before the 15x 50s... of course I said NO! and then it was on.
We managed to hold 29s and 30s for the most part on the first 5.
After 5 he asked how many left and I had to chuckle as I told him we still had 10 to go.
We both suffered more holding 30's and 31s through #10
And oddly once past 10, the last 5 felt pretty good. Managed to get back to 30 range choosing to do 30s with tech and engagement than slashing through 28s or 29s.
----
Its been a pretty good couple weeks of swimming, whatwith the femoral neck stress fracture and all. And mother nature is smiling on the NE finally, so maybe a long easy ride tomorrow with... oh jeez.. sunscreen??? nahh.. ill take the burn.
---
Time to get the watch out and post some times for the virtual meet!

all the best,
daved

Monty, I am getting better at IM kick sets. I think this will be the key to improving all 4 strokes for me, especially with the challenges controlling my left leg with my disc issues. When I just to leg kick sets, it forces me to isolate my left leg. Yesterday after lane swim, they have public swim, and I just spent 30 extra minutes doing IM kick sets of widths of the pool. Perfect use of my time and I don't get in the way of everyone like doing it in the actual lane swim with the slow pace of my kick.

Today's swim was awesome

400m warmup
2000m continous 50m fly-100m free up to the 1400m point at which point I launched into a 200 fly-200 free+ 100 fly - 100 free
short rest, then easy 400 IM

Monty I know you said that with the 200 fly the "piano on the back" is limited by arm pulling, but I THINK my problem is I have not been kicking hard enough. Today, the 200 fly I did was in the middle of the a long set with no rest, but what I did was 2 really hard kicks for every pull. I just treated it like a hard dolphin kick set. When I kick harder, my upper body comes up ever so slighly more out of the water giving my shoulders more room to clear the water in recovery mode and "dive down" into the next stroke. I have been going on the "low undulation" fly, but it's too "flat" and I am pushing too much water instead of riding and getting on top of a wave.

I am cautiously optimistic that my events in my swim meet next weekend will be better.....400IM, 100 fly, 1500 free Friday PM, 400 free, 100 IM, 200 fly on Saturday. At the surface the lineup looks stupid, but I know that no matter how cooked I am, I can do a 1500 free, it's just "how slow will I go".

 but what I did was 2 really hard kicks for every pull. //

I think without seeing you that you are doing kick, kick, pull fly. Are you pausing even for a millisecond on your reach out to make sure you are getting the kicks in? If so, then that is the drill I was talking about to be able to do a lot of fly without too much failure.


Today I did that 300 fly/free, and my whole core was screaming at the end, like I said, you have to do fly to be able to race it. My arms felt like they were hitting way outside, but at least I was not up and down, that is the final failure posture in fly...

Monty, I am going to try the folloing today:

50 fly with 4 kicks and one pull with breathing
100 fly with 4 kicks and one pull with breathing

If I can do the above, I will try to do this for 200m.

This would simulate what you would do if you breath every second stroke, but without the second fly stroke pull, just all 4 kicks. Once I am done all that I will try to some real fly breathing every second pull and every pull.

mck414, so, surgery to fix it?

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

AM
5.2 mi easy run 45:36
875 yd swim

500 swim
50 kick
300 swim
25 kick


PM
1625 yd swim

300 w/u
50 kick
12 x 100 on 1:30 avg 1:19
25 kick
25 back
25 kick

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

scy
500 tempo untimed
6x100 IM on 2:15 as 1:40,42,43,42,41,39
100 hard 1:08
5x50 on :50 as 35,6,6,6,5
250 easy mixed stroke

squeezed it in between two conference calls at work, would usually try to do more of a warmdown..
these times are as good as it gets when swimming just once or twice a week. More swimming always gets me faster, just don't have time..

---

"It is a good feeling for old men who have begun to fear failure, any sort of failure, to set a schedule for exercise and stick to it. If an aging man can run a distance of three miles, for instance, he knows that whatever his other failures may be, he is not completely wasted away." Romain Gary, SI interview

those are impressive times..

never realized I could get :23 for free off a 1650 at altitude.. but I'm still at 23-something ;-)

4500y @ 59:00

(This part is for Dr Tigerchick):
25 easy C-D

4525y

Running late, missed the first 20 mins of masters. So what I ended up with:

100 ez warmup
4x100 pull desc 1-4
100ez
4x75 kick with board, no fins every other one fast (1:10 and 1:05 dolphin)
100 ez
4x50
100 ez
3x (6x25 every 3rd fast, 100 ez). Mixed strokes on the fast ones)

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Nice! And 4500 yd in 59 min is rocking.

today - very tired
3.1 mi run 28:25
825 yd swim (500 swim + 50 kick + 100 swim + 25 kick + 125 swim + 25 kick)
4.5 mi run 40:30

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Dr,

I suggest you get in the pool by the change rooms, swim a 25 to get to the good end, then do your intervals from there.

My OCD is being triggered bigly, and this insanity that you promote seems to be spreading.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Nope. My OCD requires starting with a push off from the starting-block end of the pool. I can't start with a 25 from the wrong end.

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Sitting here at surgery day D+1, I've reached the point of thinking, "was surgery really worth it, the pain is far worse now!" I'm not sure this NORCO isn't just a placebo.

---

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

sorry you're in so much pain :-(

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

4 mi easy 35:42
1125 yd swim

100, 200, 250 on a 1:30/100 base
50 kick
100 fast 1:16
50 swim
50 kick
100 fast 1:14
50 swim
50 kick
100 fast 1:13
25 kick

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

recovery from surgery sucks. My wife just recently went through it (gall bladder) and she was VERY "uncomfortable", to say the least., in the days following the op.

It does get better though...

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Big double for me, MTB ride this morning and this noon swim:

3x(3x150s/150IM kick@3;30) swims@2;20(2;10/09/08)pulls@2;10(1;56/55/54/53/53/52)IM kicks(2;55/50/45)
300 steady pull@4;10(3;51)100 dolphin(2;02) 100SD
2300SCY

2x500yds
2x400yds
2x300yds
2x200yds
2x100yds
1x800yds
1x400yds

My 1st 4200yd swim!

Swim time 1:25. Tiatal time 1:35

Hey get better...sometimes its a case of "gotta get worse before we get better".

Dev

Thanks Dev. Quite a bit better today. Have gone all day without any pain pills. Might take one to help sleep tonight.

May try to mow the lawn tomorrow. We'll see.

---

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

4.1 mi easy run
775 yd swim (500/50 kick/200 swim/25 kick)
4.2 mi easy run

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Last bunch of workouts, I have been doing a 40-60 minute weight + rowing circuit (typically 25 min of reasonably hard rowing) and then 60-70 min in the pool. I have not had a really good swim in terms of times/splits the last 5 days on account of all the weights and rowing, but trying to mix up how my body gets stressed. Probably most of it is from the last part of the swim being well into the second hour of exercise, but I'm using the opportunity of running my own startup for a long mid day break as otherise it is pretty well 7 am to 11 pm of working in some form or the other. In any case, the stroke that gets the slowest after rowing is free. Fly and breast seem to be unaffected!!! Then again, my breast stroke is so bad, that nothing makes it slower or faster. I think could do 800m breast stroke as fast as 50m!

2 mile swim race in a lake. 68° water and I wore my Huub wetsuit with is not nearly as warm as my DeSoto, so it was perfect fore these conditions. Anyway it’s a two-loop course with a beach entry and a short 20 foot run between loops. After about 50 yards I found second place and watched the antic of the leader who would stop and adjust his goggles, then backstroke next to me and then flip over and race ahead, only to repeat essential the entire race. Another passed me about 200 yards into the race and the three of us took on a good 20 yard lead at about 700 yards. We finished the first loop with the two leaders 10 yards ahead. But I caught them at the far end of the rectangular course only to both of them play those same antics the leader was earlier. They finished together about a minute ahead of me and I came in 3rd overall. 3687 yards in 47:57. Turns out they’re two high school swimmers swimming for fun before state championships – that’s what I heard. The winner can do a 500 SCY in 4:30 something.

---

Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

kids these days ;-)

on Saturday I went for a 45 min very easy walk
on Sunday I ran a half in 1:54:42


today
AM
I ran 5.6 mi w/ 2.7 faster (8:27, 8:20, last .7 @ 8:13), swam 300 yards JUST FOR JASONINHALIFAX, then did hip exercises.

PM
1400 yd swim in the outdoor pool! My first outdoor swim of the year.

PM was
2 x [500 swim, 50 kick]
2 x [100 swim, 50 stroke]

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Got held up at work, and got to the pool late this afternoon. Only had 42 minutes before the age groupers came in and took over all but one lane, but I needed 3000 yards to get to my training distance goal for the month (50k yards). I spontaneously decided to just do a straight 3000 pull, no paddles. Started out at a ~1:19/100 pace, but descended from there. Ended up going 38:19, and felt like I had a fair amount of gas still in the tank. All I could think of when I was done was, "My God, I can't wait to actually race in a wetsuit." I have one, and swam one short workout in it in a very choppy lake. It felt pretty good then, but I'd really like to try it again now that I've spent most of the winter working on my mile pace.

---

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

Friday 5
WU (1000)
500 sw
300 pull
200 K
100 drill

main set (900)
25 ez/25 all out on 20s
50 ez50 all out on 45
100 ez/100 all out on 1:30
200 ez/200 all out on 3:00
100 ez/100 all out on 1:30
50 ez50 all out on 45
25 ez/25 all out on 20s

WD
500 ez/drill

My April swim training has been in the tank due to some biz travel.

On a plus note, I have run 8 days out of 8. At the rate I am going, I will get kicked out of the fish thread, between my crap technique and running so much....but my running gait is starting to flow again after 4+ years of endless frustration. At the rate I am going, I could do an Olympic tri this summer....I ran 15km this morning.....10x4min "running" followed by 1 min jogging.

I think I will just resign myself to my longest swim hiatus of 2019 (5 days) and wait till Thu afternoon when my flight gets back from Europe and go straight to the pool on the way home and ignore my family in favour of swimming, like any proper fish. I am sure my family will understand and if I am lucky they will boot me back out and tell me to just move permanently onto the pool deck for the trangression of insufficient swimming in April.

Dev

You do realize Dev that you are posting to last years April fishes thread? I'm sure there is a current one, but I have been sick for 9 days now and completely shattered because I may have to miss my nationals because of this layoff..)-;