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

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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.

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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!

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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

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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

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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..

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"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!

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"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.

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"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."

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"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....

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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.

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