Last Saturday

I'm excited that today is my last Saturday working as a Lifeguard.  

Got in the pool at 6:05 am and did:

2000 yards free

2000 pull

500 Choice easy

Then joined Masters:

300 - 100 free, kick, pull

200 - 4 x 50's free easy

900 - 3 x 300's on 4:00

100 kick

900 - 6 x 150's on 2:10

100 kick

800 - 4 x 200's pull on 3:00

100 kick

800 - 8 x 100's free on 1:20

25 kick

8725 yards total

Had to get out early to get on duty on time.  

Only one more week of being Mr. Nice guy

On my way to my swim this morning real early I was texted a request to cover a 7-9 shift.  My initial response is no way, that's my swim time, but then I though well, I only am going to be working there for one more week, and I'll already have about 7000 yards at that point, so what the heck!   Doing something like that really puts pressure on me to hurry and not dilly dally.

2000 yards free strong :15ri go right into:
2000 yards pull strong

Joined Masters and did:

800 - 4 x 200 IM's
200 - 4 x 50's free on :45
300 - 3 x 100's free on 1:30
300 - 2 x 150's free on 2:15
200 - 1 x 200 free on 3:00

300 - 2 x 150's free on 2:15

300 - 3 x 100's free on 1:30

200 - 4 x 50's free on :45

6600 yards total

Less than I wanted in yardage, but I pushed the Masters workout and swam fast.  Only 5 more days of being a lifeguard there, then I will go back to getting like 2 texts a month and no more phone calls or emails requesting to guard.  I'll be in the water swimming the workouts that I want to get!

Treading during feeds

Today I got in after a two hour shift of lifeguarding.  Started at 7:06am and did:

6000 - 3 x 2000 free :15 ri just enough to get water while treading and go!
1200 free

7200 yards total

Felt great!  Did the whole thing in 1:45

APB for Utahn Marathon swimmers

So the Antelope To Blackrock Beach race on June 11th already has 4 registered swimmers, 3 from California and 1 from Colorado.  We need some Utah representation!  This morning I slept in a bit and started right at 6am with the Masters:

300 - 100 Swim, 100 Drill, 100 kick
500 - 2 x (25 drill breast, 50 build free, 75 drill fly, 100 build back)
600 - 4 x (100 pull, 50 kick)
200 - 4 x 50's drill/free fast on :45
600 - 3 x 200's fast on 3:40
800 - 200 IM, 4 x 100's free on 1:20, 4 x 50's free fast on :50
200 easy

Then did 2 x 2400 free only stop for quick drink between sets.


8000 yards total

Lifeguarding Too much strain

I realized today that lifeguarding at SDRC is putting too much of a strain on

1. My training (I'm only getting about 70% of the yardage I really want
2. My career.  Because I've been trying to get as much yardage as I possibly can in the measly 2 hours I have after my shift, I'm often right on time for work or a little late.  I'd rather get in earlier to work.
3. Scouts - I have a campout once a month with the boys and oftentimes the inservice training is the same weekend as scout camp and I definitely can't miss scout camp, so then I have to go to remediation.

I'll still plan to get up early to get there when it opens so I can get my full yards in AND still have plenty of time to get to work early so I'd rather just pay the yearly membership fee and not have to worry about being tied to the job.  It's nice being trained though.  It'll be nice to have should something happen while I'm at the pool, or at a scout camp to be prepared properly in the event of an emergency.

I thought about this decision the entire time during this morning's swim and felt great about the decision:

7200 - 2 x 3600 yards :15 ri just long enough to get some water and GO!

7200 yards total

How to avoid bonking for a super long swim

In preparation for this summer's GSL 6 day staged swim.  I started looking for information on what to eat during the 6 day swim.  I found this great article and I think I'll need to do more research on what EXACTLY I'll pack and plan to eat for the week.  I'll need to plan on taking plenty of carbs and eating up to 7,000 calories a day.  Dave Shearer warned me especially of the need for hydration.  He told me many times that the salt water actually pulls the water out of my skin so I'll need to hydrate much more in order to keep the fresh water inside me.

I can't think of a tougher endurance sport than cyclists who bike for 8 hours a day for weeks.  If I can get a clue of what they do to keep their energy bank filled, and follow it, I should be much more prepared.  So I sent an email to Jared Eborn who is probably the best resource I know personally for advice on this issue. I really need to have a plan for this event and be confident that my food choices and quantities will fuel me for the entire length of the swim.  I would really hate to bonk 4 days into it.

Breakfast with Austin

Since the kids are out of School today for Martin Luther King Day, Austin wanted to go to the Table Tennis Club in Salt Lake.  I told him he could if he could hang out all morning until it opened.  So I got in the pool at 5:15 this morning while he slept up in the stands with his pillow and blanket.  I did:

1000 free strong

An older guy who was pretty fast was doing 100's and trying to race me so I picked up the pace a little.

1000 free easy
500 choice
Then swam with masters:

300 free
300 - 6 x 50's kick
400 - 4 x 100's alternate free, IM, Pull, kick
400 - 4 x 100's kick
400 pull
400 IM
400 - 4 x 100's free fast! on 1:15
400 easy

Then I moved to the north end of the pool and swam:

500 free

I was going to do my normal 9000 yards, but I kept thinking of Austin up there on the concrete floor sleeping uncomfortably.  I felt bad so I decided to cut my swim short and take him to Denny's for breakfast.  We both had a French Toast slam.  Yummy!

No more excuses the rest of the week.


6000 yards total

Waterpolo and long Saturday swim

This morning I got in the water at 6:15am and swam the following:

2000 yards easy
1000 kick
1000 Temp trainer at :97
2000 pull
1000 - 5 x 100's IM on 1:45, 5 x 100's free on 1:30
2000 free

Then I got out and lifeguarded for three hours.  The south end of the lap pool was closed because of some waterpolo practice that was going on.  They finished at 12:30 and my shift ended at 12:00 so I went and finally got my employee pass to SDRC.  No more looking at the front desk people and trying to look official.  Now I'm legit!  At 12:30 I got in and did a quick 2000 yards more:

11,000 yards total

Totally inappropriate song stuck inside my stupid little brain

Heard a song on the radio a few days ago and then again yesterday,  Black Eyed Peas - My Humps.  What a crappy song.  It is totally inappropriate and retarded, but at the same time a little catchy.  So my goofy little section in my brain kept playing it over and over in my head and I was singing along underwater,  "Whatcha gonna do with all that junk, all that junk, inside your trunk......"  What a doofus.  At least my swim went well.  I swam strong, focused on a long extended reach and a pull that stayed in line and away from midline.  I slept in a bit so I didn't get in 10K like I wanted, but better than missing it all together:

2000 free strong
1000 kick w/fins
2000 pull
1000 free with tempo trainer at :97
1000 - 10 x 100's on 1:45 alt IM and free (well under 1:30 on IM, and 1:15 on free)
1000 easy

8000 yards total - Good strong swim.

Broken 1000s

1000 Free easy on 15:00
1000 - 2 x 500's on 7:30
1000 - 5 x 200's on 3:00
1000 - 10 x 100's on 1:30
1000 - 20 x 50's on :45 alternate free/back
2000 free build
200 - 100 back, 100 IM

7200 yards total in 1:45

Met with Dave Shearer and Chris Haramoto yesterday.  The Great Salt Lake Antelope Island to Blackrock event is starting to solidify.  I updated the webpage with details and a history of the swim.  Excited.