Being nice and missing Masters

So a while back I was nice and picked up a shift for Wednesday 5-7am.  Which means I miss the masters workout.  But at least I was able to get in at 7:15am and get in 4 miles:

1000 free on 15:00
2000 pull on 30:00 (bank as much as possible cause you're a slow kicker.....)
1000 kick with fins (perfect bank amount as I was able to start the next 1000 on 45:00)
1000 free on 15:00
2000 - 1900 pull, 100 with fulcrum paddles (see review)
200 - 100 back, 100 IM

7200 yards total

I love it when other fast swimmers are in the next lanes.  It makes me pick up the pace a little and really focus on strong long strokes instead of just a high stroke rate.

Review of Forearm Fulcrum Paddle

So with part of the $40 I won from winning the Lake Huron race, I bought these Forearm Fulcrum Paddles.  They were reviewed in USMS Masters Magazine as being more intended for beginners to learn proper hand/wrist orientation, but also pretty good for advanced swimmers to drill with.  I'm here to tell you that this piece of equipment is pure crap.  First of all the paddles came with no instructions whatsoever.  No picture, no written instructions, just the paddles in a bag.  Lame.  So I tried to put them on using what I thought was correct logic.  I noticed that the hole for the forearm is too small.  I have relatively large forearms so the only possible way I could wear the fulcrum paddle was to position it as far up my forearm as possible without cutting my circulation off.  Here's how far I could get it up:

This picture is actually from the Finis Blog (the makers of the paddle).  Notice that the guy who is wearing it has very girly forearms.  Mine fill the hole so much that I can't fit it any further up my arm.  So I end up not getting my hand all the way in on the other side.   This next picture is the proper way it should be held.....

Notice that there is still plenty of room for this very skinny swimmer.  He probably has a pencil neck too.

At any rate.  When I swam with this thing it hurt.  Well after visiting the Finis website, come to find out I'm holding the stupid thing wrong.  I was doing it like the INCORRECT PICTURE ABOVE.  So after trying it further holding it correctly, (See picture to the right) it doesn't hurt AS MUCH.  But still forces my hand to go down at an angle which is really weird when you push off from the wall cause it takes longer to surface.  I just thought the paddles were plain goofy.  Sure it's nice to make sure your hand is pulling back properly, but I don't think the paddles are something you would want to use as a drill.  Their probably better for correcting some REALLY BAD HABITS that have already formed by new swimmers.  Advanced swimmers most likely don't have the poor hand position that these paddles claim to fix.  So I'm going to try to sell them on Ebay as they really aren't conducive to my training at all.

Hopefully I don't lose too much money on them.  Sucker!

4 mile swim in 1:50

Got in the pool at 7:10am after lifeguarding for a couple hours:

2000 free on 30:00
1000 free on 15:00
1000 - 10 x 100's on 1:45 (odd IM, even free)
2000 free on 30:00
1000 free on 15:00
200 - 100 back, 100 IM cooldown

7200 yards total in 1:50

3 hr swim

Got in the pool at 5:15am and swam:

2000 free on 30:00
100 free on 15:00

then joined the masters:

300 easy
500 - 10 x 50's kick w/fins 25 flutter back, 25 dolphin back
1200  6 x 200's free fast on 2:45

Craig Barnes ended up getting about 10-15 yards on me by the end of each set.  That's one great swimmer.

1000 - 10 x 100's pull w/ankle strap on 1:40

The others did IM / free no pull etc...  So since I was spoiled with so much rest I forced myself to go strong on these.  Kept all of them under 1:09. 

Then moved to the north end of the pool since masters was over and did:

4000 - 2 x 2000 free strong on 30:00

100 easy

I love how some people get in and try to race me.  I just focus on long reaches with a good glide and a strong pull.  That keeps me going strong and effortlessly.

Felt Great!
10,100 yards total

Lost 5 IQ points

Today I got in the pool at 5:30 am and swam:

2000 yards free
Then swam with masters:

300 - 100 free, 100 kick, 100 IM
500 - 10 x 50's kick alternate IM and free on 1:00
800 - 4 x 200 IMs on 3:10
800 - 4 x 200's free pull on 2:45
400 - 4 x 100 IMs on 1:40
400 - 4 x 100s free pull on 1:15
100 easy

Then moved to the north side and swam:

2000 free easy

Then Stephy asked me if I could work.  I told her I only was going to swim for another 20 minutes and then go to work.  But then I remembered that I had to get off early from work.  If I actually took her 7-2 shift then I could get home a little sooner than planned.  Plus I already worked extra this week, I could work on Saturday and make up for some lost hours today.  I called in to work and got the OK so I took the shift.  Talk about boring!!!!  Stephy had to take a class and was going to miss it, so that's why I felt charitable.  I hope she gained IQ points, cause I was so bored that I'm sure I lost some.  I think it's the last time I'm going to do that!

During one of my breaks I swam an additional 1000 yards


Total yards: 8800 yards

Easy swim

Today's swim was very refreshing!  I didn't worry about going fast, just focused on a long strong stroke, consistent bilateral breathing.  Relaxing my arms, doing a good bend, and exhaling.

6000 - 3 x 2000 free on 30:00
1000 - 1000 free build

7000 yards total

Swimming with drag suit

When I get on the pool deck, I don't just walk around in my speedo.  I wouldn't want other swimmers or normal folk have to endure the unsightly memory.  So I usually just wear some long running shorts over the top until I get in the water and then take them off.  But today I decided to swim with them for the first 1000.  Boy it felt like I was dragging a parachute full of water behind me.  

1000 free with drag suit

1000 free normal

100 breast easy

150 - Helped get lane lines in and then

400 - 6 x 75's on 1:20 (breath 3,5,7 by 25)

1400 - 2 x (100 free, 200 IM, 400 free ) :30 ri 

750 - 15 x 50's pull on :40 

These were fun!  I went after Tim.  I ended up only getting like 2 seconds rest between these sets,  It was MOVE MOVE MOVE!  Loved it!

100 - 2 x 25's sprint off block, 25 easy back

Moved over to the north end of the pool since our time was up and did:

1000 free
900 - 3 x (100 kick, 100 IM on 1:45, 100 free on 1:40)


 6800 yards total

2011 One Hour Postal - 4535 yards

So this morning I worked from 5-7 and then hurried in to the pool, did a 350 warmup and then started my one hour postal.  I had a fellow SDRC lifeguard, Brynnlee Wanlass as my counter.  She filled out the split sheet as I swam each 50.

Here it is:

I was aiming for a 1:20 pace and I got under it (1:18.5 average).  Last year I did 4255 yards, this year I beat that by almost 300 yards, so I'm very pleased with that.

Then I did 650 yards cool down, and then

1000 free
1000 - 2 x (200 IM, 100 free, 200 IM)


7000 yards total

Bonk!

300 free easy
450 6 x 75's swim, kick drill
200 - 200 KPS
200 - 2 x 100's all out on 3:00
200 pull
300 - 4 x 75's all out on 2:30
200 pull
300 - 6 x 50's all out on 1:30
200 pull
200 - 8 x 25's all out on 1:00
200 easy

Then got out, went to the other side of the bulkhead and planned to swim long, but I wasn't feeling it.  Only did:

250 easy

3000 yards total

Those all out sprints really took it out of me.  I'm not used to going all out like that.  I'm hoping tomorrow when I do my distance set, I don't bonk like I did today.  So I'm carbing up today.   With good carbs too. No more junk.

Happy New Year Swim

This morning I got in the pool at 6:20am and there was NOBODY else in the water.  That was a first for me.  I've never been at SDRC with nobody else in there.  Strange.

I did 3 x 1000's free on 15:00.

Then helped get lanes in for masters and then swam the following with them:
200 easy
1000 - 10 x 100's free on 1:30 (was holding 1:10)
900 - 9 x 100's back on 1:45 (was holding 1:30)
800 - 8 x 100 IM's on 1:45 (was holding 1:23)
700 - 7 x 100's pull fast on 1:20 (Was holding 1:08)


6600 yards total

I had to get out at this point cause I had to guard from 9-noon today.  Not the longest workout, but I was pushing it with the Masters and I felt great the whole time.