Failed attempt at 100x100s

 I put together this workout:

But only got to 5000 before having right shoulder issues. So I did 300 more to get 5300 total (3 miles)

Disappointing and concerning that my distance days may be over.

Back to the Grind

 I've been a real slacker.  Last week I gave up my Friday swim because of Summer Sampson's wedding.  Saturday I slept in (no excuse).  So this morning I absolutely couldn't talk myself out of it.  Especially given that at 10am was the joint HS swim practice and immediately following at 11am was the Surfers practice which I signed up for.  So it makes sense to get in my swim right before the 10am kick off. Here's what I did:

Warmup: 

• 300 Easy
• 400 kick

 Main:

• 12 x 100's 
• 1st Free
• 2nd IM
• 3rd Back
• 4th Breast
• 3 x 200's descending 1-3
• 1000 Snorkel Free
• 5 x 100's free pull on 1:30

200 easy cooldown

4,200 yards total

Coaching was fun today.  Had to push the intermediate group since I had three very full lanes (total of about 20 kids).  And then for surfers only had 4 beginner swimmers which was fun.  Worked on Freestyle breathing, kicking, and backstroke.  Fun stuff. 

Christmas Eve Swim

 This morning I was in the pool at 7:30ish and swam:

Warmup:

• 200 Easy
• 400 Kick with Fins
• 400 IM

Main Set:

• 4 x 100's build on 1:45
• 800 Snorkel
• 800 - 4 x 200's descending 1-4 pulling
• 4 x 100's fast on 2:00
• 8 x 50's IM order on 1:15
• 400 Pull

200 Easy Cooldown:

4,400 yards total

The Loss of a Pool Buoy

 This morning I slept downstairs on the couch with the ailing dogs with all the turkey bones and skin they ate yesterday.  Poor Marshy was whining to get let out and after a few times of that, I just slept on the couch to ease the burden of it.  Because of that I missed my 6 am alarm, but instead got up at 7:30 am and was in the pool at 8am.

Warmup:

• 200 Easy

Main Set:

• 16 x 100's - 4 sets of:
• IM
• Backstroke
• Freestyle
• Kick with finsbu
• 4 x 400's
• 1st - Pull with pads, Buoy and snorkel
• 2nd - Pull with paddles and snorkel
• 3rd and 4th - just snorkel

200 Cooldown

Total: 3,600 yards

After the first set of pulling, I threw my buoy up on the deck.  When I got out, it was nowhere to be found.  Someone had to have picked it up mistaking it as their own.  Can't recall if I put "Gords" on it or not, but it's long gone.  It was quite busy today.  Ended up circle swimming about half the time.

Right shoulder giving me grief

 This morning I was in the water at about 8:15 and did the following:

Warmup:

• 400 Easy
• 400 IM

Main Set:

• 8 x 75's Rolling IM
• 6 x 100's Pull Descending 1-3 on 1:45
• 800 Snorkely Free
• 2 x (200 IM, 200 Kick with fins)
• 6 x 50's fast Build on 1:00

Cooldown:

• 100 Easy, 25 Underwater, 50 free easy, 25 Underwater, 50 free easy, 50 Grandpa swimming 

4,200 yards total

My right shoulder was giving me grief near the end of the workout. Make me worried that I might more chronic pain with the rotator cuff.  Glad I'm not gunning for a big swim.  Might have to cut my yards down a bit to like 3,600 on a typical day.  We'll see. Need to keep an eye on that.  I don't want to have to go in for another round of surgery unless I absolutely have to. 

Got up early for a long workout, but ended up being a normal distance

 Got up at 5:30 and was in the pool at 6:15 to do the following:

Warmup:

• 100 Easy
• 200 IM
• 300 Build
• 400 kick with fins

Main:

• 500 Snorkel free 
• 600 - 3 x 200's desc (3:15, 300, 2:45) on 4:00
• 700 2 x (100 easy, 250 strong)
• 800 - 8 x 100's pull large pads on 1:30 (1:12)
• 700 2 x (100 easy, 250 strong)

I prescribed to go all the way back down to 1 which would have given me over 6K, but at that point was at 4.3K so I called it. I was pretty tired at that point and didn't want to push it cause I would like to swim tomorrow.  

4,300 yards total

This evening is the last swim meet for HS before the Christmas Break.  I issued a challenge to the new 500 swimmers tomorrow.  If they do all 19 flip turns they can win $10, if they do not breathe on the breakout for all 20 lengths they get double that.  It's a fun little challenge that if they can do it, definitely deserve.  

My Wife, the Martian astronaut swimmer

This morning I woke up just having a very interesting dream.  I dreamt that Elon Musk chose my wife to be one of the first members of the crew to first visit Mars.  Well I dreamt she arrived there with the crew, and they discovered a pool of water (which was red water like the north side of the Great Salt Lake).  

She got in the water and was swimming breaststroke with her space suit on.  She was the first person to ever swim on Mars!  I was as jealous as ever hearing this news.  What a find! Wow, my wife not only discovered water on the surface of Mars, but also had the guts (or foolhardy) to get in and swim in it without understanding if there was a Martian monster under that water.  

Here is an AI-generated image of what I saw from her perspective (within my dream).

Got up a little later than I wanted and had to cut my swim short as a result.

Warmup:

• 300 easy
• 400 kick with fins/snorkel
• 400 IM

Main Set:

• 1000 Pull with snorkel
• 100 strong
• 8 x 100's alternating kick/freestyle
• 8 x 25's backstroke focus on far underwater on my back and seeing if I can get at least half way before surfacing. 

3,200 yards total

Descending 100s

 Today I did the main set of yesterday's workout I gave my HS kids:

Warmup:

• 400 Easy
• 400 Kick with fins

Main Set:

• 12 x 100's desc 1-3
• 1st under 1:30 on 2:00
• 2nd under 1:25 on 2:00
• 3rd under 1:20 (1:12) on 3:00
• Repeat 4 times
• This had me totally maxed out.  I was breathing hard for a good 45 seconds before I could get back to somewhat normal.  Good thing that last set calls for an extra minute.  Was pushing it just to get 1:12s on those sprint 100s
• 4 x 200's
• Odd IM
• Even finger paddle freestyle
• 1200 Snorkel Freestyle

200 Cooldown

4,200 yards total

Inspired by my HS kids

 Today's workout and a lot of it was spent thinking about the various HS kids and their inspirational work ethic and drive.  Found myself trying to work on various things as a result.

Warmup:

• 300 Easy
• 200 IM
• 400 kick with fins/snorkel

Main: 

• 2 x 5 x 50's freestyle fast on :50
• Work on reaching and maximizing each stroke while keeping a fast pace.
• 6 x 100's odd - IM, even - non free stroke on 2:15
• 4 x 200's pull on 3:15 
• work on strong 1st quadrant swimming and keeping stroke count to 7 cycles per 25
• 400 kick with fins
• 800 snorkel free
• Thinking about awards banquet and what/whom should get recognition for what....

200 Easy cooldown

4,200 yards

Yesterday's meet went well.
Here are some details with video

Coach's Coin

 So apparently Clearfield closed their comp pool for a month, cause this morning there was a larger group of swimmers.  There was a group of 4 youth that were all in one lane being coached by their Dad.  Here is what I did this morning:

Warmup:

• 300 Easy
• 2 x 200's IM
• 6 x 50's free on :50

Main:

• 1500 Pull
• 100 easy
• 1500 snorkel free

100 cooldown

4,200 yards total

My Coach's Coins came into today.  They turned out pretty good.  Here is what I am prepared to share with the Seniors tomorrow during a private coaching chat with them before the swim meet:

35 years ago, I was at the same stage in life as you are today. I had a coach who motivated and inspired me to dream big. At that time, many seeds were planted in my mind about what I wanted to do with my future.

Over 20 years later, one of those seeds flourished. I trained hard and maintained a high level of discipline to achieve my goal. An inspirational man once said, “Nothing great is easy.” Today, I want you to plant seeds in your minds about where you want to go with your lives. I am giving each of you a token to remind you that you can achieve anything you set your mind to if you embrace three things: dream big, work hard, and stay disciplined.

Plant this coin in a deep coat pocket where it won’t fall out. When you find yourself in a dark place, needing encouragement, or searching for warmth in life’s cold moments, reach into that pocket. Feel this coach’s coin, and let it spark hope and determination within you—a spark you can nurture into warmth and motivation.

Later in life, when you have the chance to share your talents and skills with the next generation, seize that opportunity. Help them fulfill their own dreams so the cycle of greatness can continue.

The Fumes Are Killing Me

 Today I got to the pool late cause I had to drive Cathi to the Jr High. Yesterday I put a "Choose your own adventure type of workout where the swimmers got to choose whether they were in a speed lane, or an endurance lane.  Link to the workout.  Today's workout was patterned after the sprint option from that workout:

Warmup:

• 3 x 50's kick on back
• 3 x 50's kick on side focus on streamline on both

Main:

• 5 x 100's free on 2:00 (get under 1:30 on all of them)
• 5 x 100's Back on 2:30 (get under 1:50 on all of them)
• 5 x 100's Breast on 2:30 (get under 1:50 on all of them)
• 10 x 50's free fast on 1:00 (get under :38 on all of them)
• 10 x 25's bilateral breathing fast on :30 (get under :17 on all of them)
• 10 x 25's sprint with minimal breathing on :45
• 1000 snorkel free pull

400 IM cooldown

4,200 yards total

Halfway into the workout I smelled like a glue smell and remembered that yesterday they were repainting the "No Running" signs on the cement deck with red spray paint.  The fumes were pretty bad on the east side of the pool.  Reminded me of this scene in one of my favorite movies.  On A Clear Day

No breathing off walls

 Another day of thinking more intently on taking no breaths off the wall.  

Warmup:

• 3 x 100's easy

Main:

• 4 x (200 free strong, 150 IM (50's of stroke, no free), 150 kick with fins/snorkel
• 500 pull focus on no breaths off wall.  Got mentally lazy and forgot on one turn. But got it in 7:19

Cooldown:

• 400 IM

Total: 4,200 yards

I'd rather see a sermon, than hear one any day

 There was a poem that as a student of Coaches Corner Pickleball school I had to memorize.  Here is a little video I put together to help with the strategy to memorize it.  That poem is all about not being the kind of coach who doesn't practice what he preaches.  I mean it's like a spiritual leader who commits serious transgression while preaching to people about the damnation of it.

\

Yesterday I really expressed how strongly I feel about breathing right off the wall after doing a flip-turn, or right off the blocks and into the finish.  With all that in mind, I made sure that I followed that same charge for every single turn in today's workout.  My mind was soft on one turn and I had one goof up.  Which out of over a hundred flip turns, is a 99%.  Need to do better and get 100%  But here is today's workout:

Warmup:

• 300 easy
• 300 kick
• 300 IM
• 100 Build

Main Set:

• 10 x 50's free fast on 1:00 (Under :38)
• 12 x 100's free all on 2:00
• 1-4 descending (1:30 -> 1:23)
• 5-8 Pull w/large paddles (1:20 -> 1:14) 
• 9-12 IM on 2:00
• 1000 Snorkel Freestyle

Cooldown:

• 100 Trudgen
• 100 Back
• 100 Breast
• 100 one arm fly
• 100 Free

Total: 4,200 yards

Isaac stood me up

 This morning I was supposed to swim with Isaac for the first time, but he stood me up.  Here is the workout I did starting at 7:30

Warmup:

• 400 IM
• 400 kick with fins and snorkel

Main:

• 10 x 200's
• 1-3 free on 4:00
• 4-6 Pull free on 3:30
• 7-10 - stroke IM order with fins (fly kick on breast)
• 1000 snorkel free

Cooldown

• 400 IM

4,200 yards total