Tuesday, August 10, 2010

In the Swim of It

Swim Day
Recommended: 500 yards
Yeah, my ego wouldn't let me do that, even though it's my first swim workout in I'm not sure how many years. But I didn't do much more, really.

Actual Workout (all freestyle unless otherwise noted)
5 x 100yd on the 2:00 (all done in 1:30, not pushing, 70% intensity)
1 x 50yd drill
1 x underwater (because I'm still Courson at heart and no workout can go by without one)
1 x 100 IM
1 x 50yd sprint (0:35...*sigh* total stroke technique breakdown)
1 x 50yd cool down
Total Yardage: 725yds

I'm not thrilled with how I swam, but I'm being smart about it and shouting down my ego. Because my ego still vividly remembers killing myself for two hours five days a week, plus morning workouts and knows that compared to that this was a warm-up. But I'm not in that kind of shape any more. More than anything this reminded me that the best training for swimming is swimming. Nothing else really does. You can maintain with weights and cardio, but it's not the same.
My core felt weak, droopy, which made it feel like my hydrodynamics were non-existent. This means that on non-swim days I'll be hitting core exercises to tighten that up. My triceps also weren't as enduring as they need to be. But when I've been lifting I haven't been doing light weight/high rep so that makes sense. I knew that was going to have to change when I start working out with weights again. I was also breathing way too much. These three things worked together to make it feel like my stroke feel like it was breaking down very quickly.
But it's there. The technique is still in my body, it's still in my head. It's good to know that I can still analyze my stroke like I've done because that means I can fix it.
On the up side, I didn't even break a sweat. (Har har har, little swimmer humor there)
Also, I have two possible leads on bikes and I'm waiting with baited breath to hear back from one or both of them. (Addendum: One lead now, the other just fell through. Bummer.)

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4 comments:

  1. I'm so excited for you! The fact that you could do 5x100s right now seems crazy to me, but you're in much better shape than me. I miss swimming :-(

    Keep it up!!

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  2. Good workout. Make sure you add some longer distances in there, since your swim will be an endurance thing, not a "sprint". Maybe start and end with a 200 all technique, long and loose, breathing every 3 or 5. Get used to the feel of the water again.

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  3. Yup. Exactly what Summer said, that's what I was gonna say, mmm hmm.

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  4. Yeah, soon the total distances will get larger and as they do my distance training will increase. But since the first day was only supposed to be 500yds I didn't. Friday is slated for 600 and there will be two 200s in it.

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