Long. Ass. Set.

Swim Day

1 x 150 Warm-up
LADDER
100yds- 1:30
200yds- 3:00
300yds- 4:30
400yds- 6:00
500yds- 7:30
400yds- 6:00
300yds- 4:30
200yds- 3:00
100yds- 1:30
1 x 150- Cool down

Total Yardage- 2800yds

In case you're wondering, yeah, that's a long ass set. The ladder was 2,500 yards long. It took nearly 40 minutes to do, which is kind of a long time to swim when you're only getting 10-25 seconds rest max between each distance. This set did teach me something that Swimmer Dirtbag (who I was for about a ten year span from before high school through my freshman year of college) finds very strange and Triathlete Dirtbag (me for the last few months) is, while not please by it, not unhappy with either. The lesson is that I am no longer much good at short distances. The 100s by far were the most disappointing distances of the set. While the longer swims, the 300s, 400s and 500, felt pretty right. I've screwed up my stroke for sprinting. Ruined. I know, I know, who cares? I don't swim in meets anymore. It's not like I'll be challenging anyone to a 100 yard race any time soon. But I was really good at the 100 and 200. I could sprint with the best of them (at my level). Now my stroke totally comes apart when I try to speed it up for a short swim. While I was trying to stretch it and have long, strong strokes, which are more efficient over a longer distance, the stroke came right together.
Also, the shorter the distance, the less rest I got. I know this makes sense if my pacing is as good as I think it is. I realize that if I'm throwing down a 1:20/100 pace then I'm only going to get 10 seconds rest off the 100, but that rest will increase as the distance does assuming my pace stays regular and there is little fade. Knowing that only helps a little. But the rest/pacing really came together on the 400s and the 500. This is good. I know this is good. But Swimmer Dirtbag still lives in my head and he's making me write this.
Long ride tomorrow. Lets all hope for no rain. Everyone rain dance backwards.