I've put a lot of thought into what I expect from myself in 2012, so hopefully I'm not setting my standards too high. I competed in four events in 2011 and I hope to do at least six or seven this year. Most of them are swim events with a few runs and one triathlon. Of course, all of it depends on what I hear from the doctor next week regarding my shoulder. Depending on what the problem is, I may or may not require surgery, so when I can actually start swimming is up in the air.
Here are the events I absolutely plan on competing in:
Running from an Angel 10k: (10k run) Jan. 8
Salt Lake City Half Marathon: (13.4-mile run) April 16
Great Salt Lake Open Water Marathon: (1-mile swim) June 9
Deer Creek Open Water Marathon: (5k swim) Aug. 13
South Davis Masters Swim Meet: (several swims) Mid Nov.
Weber State Turkey Triathlon: (sprint triathlon) Mid-to-late Nov.
Here are the events I'd like to compete in. But I'll probably only be able to do one or two of them:
Utah Summer Games: (several swims) June 14-16
Escape from Alcatraz: (1.5 mile swim) July 28
Slam the Dam: (5-mile swim) Oct. 1
Golden Gate Bridge Open Water Swim: (1.6-mile swim) Late Oct.
I've also taken into account that other events I haven't yet discovered might pop up, so the optional events list may grow as the year goes on. I've also set many other goals for 2012, some relating to the above events, and some not, such as beating all my times from the events I participated in in 2011.
Here are my goals for exercise totals:
Swimming: 175 miles (did 107 in 2011)
Running: 300 miles (did 213 in 2011)
Cycling: 700 miles (did 303 in 2011)
I hope to lose at least 10 more pounds this year. I doubt I will be able to lose much more, based on my height and weight. My goal is to be at 170 pounds or less by the end of the year. I also want to make more strides in my diet, such as cutting out more fast food, late-night eating and sweets. I think I did a good job in 2011 of adding more fruits and veggies into my diet and I want to take that to the next level this year.
Here we go...
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Cycling milestone on last workout of 2011
Today I finally hit the 300-mile mark on the bike, conveniently on my last exercise day of 2011. I have to work early tomorrow, so I won't be able to squeeze one in. I knew I needed about 15 miles to pull it off, so when I sat down on the bike, my goal was to get it in under an hour. I pushed it pretty hard and ended up getting 17.7 miles. That's a new 1-hour high for me. My previous best was 15.5 miles. And boy, I was sweating all over the place and made a freakin' mess.
I thought about taking a dip after, but I figured two swims in a week would be a little much until I see the doctor next week. I went on Wednesday and did 1,050 yards with 750 of that bilateral breathing freestyle. The rest was just breaststroke. After my bike today, I did some light weight lifting with some ab sets, but not too many, because Jen was with me and was in a hurry to leave so we could go get lunch.
Anyway, here are my 2011 totals.
Swimming: 107.09 miles (started in last week of April and barely swam in November/December)
Running: 213.30 miles (started in late February)
Cycling: 303.10 (started in last week of August)
Tomorrow I'll post my 2012 goals. I'm looking forward to them.
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| 36 seconds into my cool down after 17.7 miles |
Anyway, here are my 2011 totals.
Swimming: 107.09 miles (started in last week of April and barely swam in November/December)
Running: 213.30 miles (started in late February)
Cycling: 303.10 (started in last week of August)
Tomorrow I'll post my 2012 goals. I'm looking forward to them.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Recapping my big 2011
It's crazy to think 2011 is almost over. I know everyone says that about every year, but this year was of particular significance to me. For those of you who don't know, I went and got my yearly check-up with the doctor in February. I knew I had gained a lot of weight since graduating from high school and even more so after I got married. But the doctor told me I was at a dangerous juncture in my life where I could really start to let myself go if I don't makes some changes my lifestyle now. I weighed in at 215, which was technically in the obese category and my blood work showed I had slightly elevated cholesterol, which shouldn't ever be a problem for a 24-year-old.
So, on Valentine's Day, I made a promise to Jen that I'd lose some weight and stop eating take-out so much. The fast food is a problem we've both had since getting hitched. I probably hadn't been to the gym in over a year, so I went and bought one of those "Biggest Loser" living-room workout videos. I was embarrassed to buy it, at first and I was even more embarrassed when I first started doing the 30-minute workouts. I was in such terrible shape and the first day almost killed me (I'm not exaggerating. I almost called in sick to work.). But after a while, doing the video six days a week, it started to get easier. I did those for about six weeks, and immediately dropped 10 pounds.
In April, I started mixing in a little bit of running. I started doing 1-mile runs around the neighborhood once a week, and by the first day of May, I pulled off my first 5k run at the Roy High track on a Sunday afternoon. I honestly almost broke down in tears, I was so excited, but I held them back, because Jen was with me and probably would think I was being over dramatic. Haha.
Also, during May, I wanted to see how I'd fare in a swimming pool. I probably hadn't swam laps in almost two years. It was hard at first, doing only a few hundred yards at a time, but I quickly realized how much I had forgotten about its benefits. I wrote about my exercise exploits on my work blog for the Standard-Examiner and about my renewed love for swimming and a local swimmer named Gordon Gridley (or Gords for those who know him) commented on it, recommending I try swimming in the 1st-annual Great Salt Lake open water marathon, which he was organizing in June. I was on the fence at first, but my friend Kelly wanted to start swimming again, as well, so we decided that would be a fun thing to try out.
Kelly and I registered as U.S. Masters Swimming members, so we could track our exercise progress and get ready for the big 1-mile race. By race day, I was down to 198 pounds and it was pretty fun, so we signed up for August's Deer Creek open water marathon. I met Josh Green, another local swimmer, who organized the 1-mile portion at the GSL race and I got a lot of good swim advice from him and Gordon over the next few months. Open water swimming was entirely new to me, given I swam in the safe confines of a lap pool in high school and the two of them have been a great source of inspiration to me this year.
Kelly and I trained pretty hard for our 5k swim at Deer Creek and that's when my shoulder pain first arrived. It was pretty bad at first, but I got some medication which helped me keep up my training regimen until the race. The race was awesome and my weight was down to 188 by then. I set my sights on the 5-mile race at Lake Mead's Slam the Dam, which was slated for October and I kept pushing through the pain. Unfortunately, a scheduling issue at work wouldn't allow me to take my vacation time and compete in the race. I was so disappointed, I decided to stage a 5-mile swim of my own, since I trained for the damn thing after all. So on Sept. 26, I went to the Roy Recreation Center bright and early, set out some Gatorade and Gel packs on the pool deck and went for it. And to my surprise, it was cake. I did it in just over 2 1/2 hours, but my joy didn't last long, for my shoulder was hurting worse than ever in the weeks that followed.
In late August, I had started supplementing my running and swimming with some work on the stationary bike. I hoped if I took it easy on the swimming and did more biking instead, my shoulder would heal. Unfortunately, it didn't and my doctor told me I needed an MRI to see if it requires surgery. I ignored him, because I couldn't afford it on my health insurance until the new year started (reset my deductible) and I kept swimming until mid November. I participated in the South Davis Masters swim meet, and a week later I did my first sprint triathlon at Weber State with Kelly and Jessica. Both events were a blast, but I finally had to throw in the towel, because it became too painful to swim more than a few hundred yards.
In the past six weeks, I've amped up my running and cycling and I'm training for my first 10k run, which is next week. Unfortunately, I'm now battling foot and knee pain, but that's life, I guess. I did a few light swims this month, but nothing major. My weight loss has slowed significantly, but I'm still losing, not gaining. I now weigh about 180 (35-pound loss so far) and I can see major changes in my body from the weight training I added to my routine about two months ago. I want to start swimming seriously again as soon as possible, but January still may be out of the question. I have an appointment with the doctor on Jan. 5, so I can finally fork out the money and start the process of rehabbing my shoulder. I'm still in the process of setting goals for 2012, so I'll have those ready to post by Saturday.
Thanks again to Gordon, Josh, Kelly, Jessica and most-of-all, Jen for all your support through this long process. It's been a helluva year, and outside of my injuries, which come with the territory, I'm now healthier than I've been in almost seven years. I still have a long way to go, but I'm looking forward to it.
So, on Valentine's Day, I made a promise to Jen that I'd lose some weight and stop eating take-out so much. The fast food is a problem we've both had since getting hitched. I probably hadn't been to the gym in over a year, so I went and bought one of those "Biggest Loser" living-room workout videos. I was embarrassed to buy it, at first and I was even more embarrassed when I first started doing the 30-minute workouts. I was in such terrible shape and the first day almost killed me (I'm not exaggerating. I almost called in sick to work.). But after a while, doing the video six days a week, it started to get easier. I did those for about six weeks, and immediately dropped 10 pounds.
In April, I started mixing in a little bit of running. I started doing 1-mile runs around the neighborhood once a week, and by the first day of May, I pulled off my first 5k run at the Roy High track on a Sunday afternoon. I honestly almost broke down in tears, I was so excited, but I held them back, because Jen was with me and probably would think I was being over dramatic. Haha.
Also, during May, I wanted to see how I'd fare in a swimming pool. I probably hadn't swam laps in almost two years. It was hard at first, doing only a few hundred yards at a time, but I quickly realized how much I had forgotten about its benefits. I wrote about my exercise exploits on my work blog for the Standard-Examiner and about my renewed love for swimming and a local swimmer named Gordon Gridley (or Gords for those who know him) commented on it, recommending I try swimming in the 1st-annual Great Salt Lake open water marathon, which he was organizing in June. I was on the fence at first, but my friend Kelly wanted to start swimming again, as well, so we decided that would be a fun thing to try out.
Kelly and I registered as U.S. Masters Swimming members, so we could track our exercise progress and get ready for the big 1-mile race. By race day, I was down to 198 pounds and it was pretty fun, so we signed up for August's Deer Creek open water marathon. I met Josh Green, another local swimmer, who organized the 1-mile portion at the GSL race and I got a lot of good swim advice from him and Gordon over the next few months. Open water swimming was entirely new to me, given I swam in the safe confines of a lap pool in high school and the two of them have been a great source of inspiration to me this year.
Kelly and I trained pretty hard for our 5k swim at Deer Creek and that's when my shoulder pain first arrived. It was pretty bad at first, but I got some medication which helped me keep up my training regimen until the race. The race was awesome and my weight was down to 188 by then. I set my sights on the 5-mile race at Lake Mead's Slam the Dam, which was slated for October and I kept pushing through the pain. Unfortunately, a scheduling issue at work wouldn't allow me to take my vacation time and compete in the race. I was so disappointed, I decided to stage a 5-mile swim of my own, since I trained for the damn thing after all. So on Sept. 26, I went to the Roy Recreation Center bright and early, set out some Gatorade and Gel packs on the pool deck and went for it. And to my surprise, it was cake. I did it in just over 2 1/2 hours, but my joy didn't last long, for my shoulder was hurting worse than ever in the weeks that followed.
In late August, I had started supplementing my running and swimming with some work on the stationary bike. I hoped if I took it easy on the swimming and did more biking instead, my shoulder would heal. Unfortunately, it didn't and my doctor told me I needed an MRI to see if it requires surgery. I ignored him, because I couldn't afford it on my health insurance until the new year started (reset my deductible) and I kept swimming until mid November. I participated in the South Davis Masters swim meet, and a week later I did my first sprint triathlon at Weber State with Kelly and Jessica. Both events were a blast, but I finally had to throw in the towel, because it became too painful to swim more than a few hundred yards.
In the past six weeks, I've amped up my running and cycling and I'm training for my first 10k run, which is next week. Unfortunately, I'm now battling foot and knee pain, but that's life, I guess. I did a few light swims this month, but nothing major. My weight loss has slowed significantly, but I'm still losing, not gaining. I now weigh about 180 (35-pound loss so far) and I can see major changes in my body from the weight training I added to my routine about two months ago. I want to start swimming seriously again as soon as possible, but January still may be out of the question. I have an appointment with the doctor on Jan. 5, so I can finally fork out the money and start the process of rehabbing my shoulder. I'm still in the process of setting goals for 2012, so I'll have those ready to post by Saturday.
Thanks again to Gordon, Josh, Kelly, Jessica and most-of-all, Jen for all your support through this long process. It's been a helluva year, and outside of my injuries, which come with the territory, I'm now healthier than I've been in almost seven years. I still have a long way to go, but I'm looking forward to it.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Recovery from sickness
Today was my first day back at the gym in almost a week. I went to the gym last Wednesday and did a 15-mile bike ride followed by some weights, but by the next day I was feeling kind of crummy. By Christmas eve I was full-blown sick. I don't know how I made it through work that night. It was the works: stuffy nose, sinus pressure, headache and sore throat. This morning was the first day that I felt I had enough energy to go work out, even though I'm still a bit stuffed up.
I only have a week and a half left until the 10k, and I'm getting nervous that I'm not ready. I'm sure I'll be able to finish, but I highly doubt I'm going to reach my initial goal of finishing in under an hour. Today I just wanted to see what I could manage in one hour on the treadmill and I was only able to do 5.51 miles. That's about 0.75 miles short. It's OK, though. I'm still not at 100 percent and the altitude will be about 2,000 feet lower in Las Vegas. That should play in my favor. If I can finish in 65 minutes, I will be very pleased.
As per the usual, I haven't been doing very well on my food intake, but what can I say? It's the holidays. I'm not feeling too guilty about what I eat until the first day of 2012. That's when the new year starts and that's when my new diet starts. Until then, anything goes...
Total distance: 5.9 miles running (including warm up and cool down)
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| I looked kind of like this over Christmas weekend |
As per the usual, I haven't been doing very well on my food intake, but what can I say? It's the holidays. I'm not feeling too guilty about what I eat until the first day of 2012. That's when the new year starts and that's when my new diet starts. Until then, anything goes...
Total distance: 5.9 miles running (including warm up and cool down)
Monday, December 19, 2011
Pushed it too hard
This morning I woke up at about 9:30, which is unusually early for me. I don't get home from work until almost 12:30 every night and I don't fall asleep until well after 2 a.m., so I generally wake up around 10-11 a.m. before going to the gym.
I didn't have a set plan on what I was going to do, but when I walked into the cardio room, all the bikes were taken and only one treadmill was available. I guess running was my only option. I started nice and easy for about 1.5 miles and then increased the speed a little bit. By the time I hit three miles I cranked it up even more. Just after I reached 4.5 miles I saw a bike open up and I was quick to snag it before someone else did. I usually don't like to immediately stop when I'm running (cooling down with a brisk walk for a couple of minutes is good for your heart) but I didn't want to waste the opportunity.
When I got on the bike, I initially wanted to go for a full 30 minutes, but after running for 45 minutes, my energy was sapped. I only lasted 15 minutes and managed a measly 3.6 miles before I had to stop. My legs were like jello.
Once again, against my better judgement, I immediately crawled into the pool, even though I was already very tired. Here's what I did.
Warm up: (although I was very much already warm)
150 free
Core:
3 x 150 100 free with bilateral breathing & 50 breast
Cool down:
200 breast
Afterward, I was feeling shaky and sick. I don't think the swim pushed me over the edge, because I only did a little bit and it was mostly relaxing breaststroke. I sat in the sauna for about 10 minutes and that seemed to just compound the problem. I knew I was in trouble and possibly dehydrated and I need calories badly. I jumped in my car (probably not a good idea) and sped off to the nearest food joint, which happened to be Wendy's. Once I sucked down some more water and got some food in me, I immediately started to feel better.
I think I need to do a better job of hydrating and eating a small snack before going to the gym. This isn't the first time I've had something like this happen, although it isn't common.
Total distance: 850-yard swim, 4.6-mile run, 3.6-mile bike.
I didn't have a set plan on what I was going to do, but when I walked into the cardio room, all the bikes were taken and only one treadmill was available. I guess running was my only option. I started nice and easy for about 1.5 miles and then increased the speed a little bit. By the time I hit three miles I cranked it up even more. Just after I reached 4.5 miles I saw a bike open up and I was quick to snag it before someone else did. I usually don't like to immediately stop when I'm running (cooling down with a brisk walk for a couple of minutes is good for your heart) but I didn't want to waste the opportunity.
When I got on the bike, I initially wanted to go for a full 30 minutes, but after running for 45 minutes, my energy was sapped. I only lasted 15 minutes and managed a measly 3.6 miles before I had to stop. My legs were like jello.
Once again, against my better judgement, I immediately crawled into the pool, even though I was already very tired. Here's what I did.
Warm up: (although I was very much already warm)
150 free
Core:
3 x 150 100 free with bilateral breathing & 50 breast
Cool down:
200 breast
Afterward, I was feeling shaky and sick. I don't think the swim pushed me over the edge, because I only did a little bit and it was mostly relaxing breaststroke. I sat in the sauna for about 10 minutes and that seemed to just compound the problem. I knew I was in trouble and possibly dehydrated and I need calories badly. I jumped in my car (probably not a good idea) and sped off to the nearest food joint, which happened to be Wendy's. Once I sucked down some more water and got some food in me, I immediately started to feel better.
I think I need to do a better job of hydrating and eating a small snack before going to the gym. This isn't the first time I've had something like this happen, although it isn't common.
Total distance: 850-yard swim, 4.6-mile run, 3.6-mile bike.
Friday, December 16, 2011
200 miles on foot and no self control
Today I finally reached the 200-mile mark for running this year. I didn't set any specific goals for running this year, and I've mostly been using it as an alternate to fill in the days between swimming. But as time wore on and I my totals continued to grow I saw that it was possible to reach 200 this year if I stayed consistent, running between 25-35 miles a month.
Today, I eclipsed that mark while I was on the treadmill trying to run another 10k. However, after about 3.3 miles, I finally caved and went down to the pool. I was watching an older guy do a very fast and efficient breaststroke while I was running and it made me think I could still swim as long as I stick to breaststroke. It doesn't put nearly as much strain on your shoulders, considering you get most of your propulsion from kicking.
So, I jumped in and had just under 20 minutes before lap swim closed. I tried to get in as many breaststroke yards as I could and pushed it hard, getting exactly 1,000 yards with about a minute to spare. My shoulder didn't hurt, I got a good workout and I scratched that itch of needing to swim. All in all, a good day...
Total distance: 1,000 yards
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| Breaststroke: Nice and easy on the arms and shoulders. |
So, I jumped in and had just under 20 minutes before lap swim closed. I tried to get in as many breaststroke yards as I could and pushed it hard, getting exactly 1,000 yards with about a minute to spare. My shoulder didn't hurt, I got a good workout and I scratched that itch of needing to swim. All in all, a good day...
Total distance: 1,000 yards
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Nothing new to report
Today was just an average day. There is nothing interesting or new to report. Today I did a 2.15-mile run followed by 7.7 miles on the bike. Did some light weights, but took it relatively easy. The shoulder pain is still there by becoming less noticeable every day, so I'm not sure if it's genuinely getting better or if I've simply become accustomed to the pain. Hopefully, it's not the latter.
I'm still debating when I should return to the pool. Everyday, resisting the temptation to run down to the pool from the cardio room and jump in for a long swim is getting harder. I've been sitting stagnant at a little more than 105 miles swimming and I don't like seeing that zero in the tens digit. It would be nice to get that to above 110 before the year is out, but I doubt that will happen. Perhaps I'll plan a swim on New Year's Eve to celebrate my year (more like 10 months and some change) of exercise.
Anyway, I'm going to try and rest up. I have this week's 10k run on the treadmill on tap for tomorrow.
I'm still debating when I should return to the pool. Everyday, resisting the temptation to run down to the pool from the cardio room and jump in for a long swim is getting harder. I've been sitting stagnant at a little more than 105 miles swimming and I don't like seeing that zero in the tens digit. It would be nice to get that to above 110 before the year is out, but I doubt that will happen. Perhaps I'll plan a swim on New Year's Eve to celebrate my year (more like 10 months and some change) of exercise.
Anyway, I'm going to try and rest up. I have this week's 10k run on the treadmill on tap for tomorrow.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Nutrition is killing me
Metaphorically and literally speaking, my nutrition as of late is killing me. I've done much better overall this year, but I'm still eating too much takeout and too much sugar. I bet my weight-loss would be much more impressive if I took my diet a little more seriously. Perhaps that's the next step. Maybe my 2012 goal will be to keep up my current routine and then work on my eating habits even more.
For example, yesterday I totally pigged out. I usually eat whatever I want most days, and on the weekends I splurge a little more if I had a good exercise week, but for some reason I still feel very guilty about yesterday. I ate cheeseburgers for lunch, pizza for dinner and had some popcorn and chocolate while playing video games with Jen.
I've added more fruits and vegetables this year and cut out a lot of the late-night eating and have switched to diet sodas. I rarely eat white bread and eat a lot of whole grains and wheat, and I've even switched to a tasty vegetable-based pasta that I eat often. Maybe the next step is to cut out more of the sugary stuff and sodas in general, although that's gonna be tough because I LOVE carbonated beverages. We shall see. The holidays are always tough to avoid the sweets, but I'll do my best.
Today, I had a nice workout. Nothing crazy, but I was pouring in sweat, so I suppose that's always good. I did 10 miles on the bike and then did a fast 1.5 miles on the treadmill. And as always, added some abs and weights after. When I got home I cooked up a big bowl of veggie pasta with some cranberry juice and a banana. Not a terrible start to the day...
For example, yesterday I totally pigged out. I usually eat whatever I want most days, and on the weekends I splurge a little more if I had a good exercise week, but for some reason I still feel very guilty about yesterday. I ate cheeseburgers for lunch, pizza for dinner and had some popcorn and chocolate while playing video games with Jen.
I've added more fruits and vegetables this year and cut out a lot of the late-night eating and have switched to diet sodas. I rarely eat white bread and eat a lot of whole grains and wheat, and I've even switched to a tasty vegetable-based pasta that I eat often. Maybe the next step is to cut out more of the sugary stuff and sodas in general, although that's gonna be tough because I LOVE carbonated beverages. We shall see. The holidays are always tough to avoid the sweets, but I'll do my best.
Today, I had a nice workout. Nothing crazy, but I was pouring in sweat, so I suppose that's always good. I did 10 miles on the bike and then did a fast 1.5 miles on the treadmill. And as always, added some abs and weights after. When I got home I cooked up a big bowl of veggie pasta with some cranberry juice and a banana. Not a terrible start to the day...
Friday, December 9, 2011
New look, new milestone
Yesterday, I was pretty busy and didn't have time to update my blog, but I did go to the gym. My legs and knee were pretty sore from the 6-mile run, but I still wanted to get a decent amount of cardio, so I mostly stuck to the bike. I biked for 7.5 miles and then did an easy 1.5-mile run. I followed it with some more weights and calisthenics and called it a day. I didn't push myself particularly hard, but I'm glad I at least got something in. I had a lot of errands to run.
However, when I got home, I stepped on the scale and came up at 179.8. I can't even remember the last time I was under 180, and even though it was only by two ounces, I was psyched to see the No. 7 in the tens digit column. Haha. My goal was to lose 30 pounds by Valentine's Day 2010 and now I've officially lost over 35 with more than two months to go. Awesome!
Also, I finally decided to cut my hair. I probably haven't cut it since July and it grew longer than I had ever let it since I was a little kid. Jen has been complaining about it non-stop for months, suggesting I look like a 'hobo' and she is kind of right. I also haven't shaved in several weeks, probably since the SDRC Meet in November, so I took care of that, too.
I didn't go to the gym today and decided to watch a movie with some friends before work instead. I'm going to try and talk Jen into going with me tomorrow, so I can make it four times this week.
However, when I got home, I stepped on the scale and came up at 179.8. I can't even remember the last time I was under 180, and even though it was only by two ounces, I was psyched to see the No. 7 in the tens digit column. Haha. My goal was to lose 30 pounds by Valentine's Day 2010 and now I've officially lost over 35 with more than two months to go. Awesome!
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| This pleases me... |
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Canned heat in my heels
I've finally found a solution to my motivation issues. I needed to plan for another event. If there is a goal on the horizon, I will have the drive I need to train hard and often, so I am planning on running my first 10k on January 8. My dad and step-mother live in Las Vegas and there is a 10k run at Lake Mead, so I figured I could visit my family and attempt something new, yet again.
I've ran a handful of 10ks on the treadmill this past year, but it's been several months since I've ran more than a 5k in any one session. So, today I stretched and hydrated well and got to training. As previously stated, I'm not a big fan of running, but when I set the pace well and have good tunes in my ears, I can certainly tolerate it. My initial goal today, was simply to see how much I could run in one hour. I managed 5.67 miles but pressed on until I hit six miles, which came at 1:03:.13. Not quite a 10k (6.2 miles), but it was a solid start. I'd love to be able to run the 10k in under an hour, but with only one month to train, that may be an ambitious goal.
After the run, I cooled off with a light jog and drank a half-bottle of water. I followed it with some light weight lifting and calisthenics, but didn't push it too hard in that department. I was already pooped from the run.
Also, Anita came up from the pool deck to visit me while I was running and gave me a new ice pack for my shoulder. She said it's designed specifically for shoulders and she got it for free from her sister's swim shop, because they couldn't get them off the shelves. That was very thoughtful of her, and I'm excited to give it a try tonight. You see a lot of Major League pitchers using this kind of ice pack and I've always been curious about them. My shoulder has still been hurting some, but I can tell that it is getting better since I've stayed out of the water.
Total distance: 6.2 miles running
I've ran a handful of 10ks on the treadmill this past year, but it's been several months since I've ran more than a 5k in any one session. So, today I stretched and hydrated well and got to training. As previously stated, I'm not a big fan of running, but when I set the pace well and have good tunes in my ears, I can certainly tolerate it. My initial goal today, was simply to see how much I could run in one hour. I managed 5.67 miles but pressed on until I hit six miles, which came at 1:03:.13. Not quite a 10k (6.2 miles), but it was a solid start. I'd love to be able to run the 10k in under an hour, but with only one month to train, that may be an ambitious goal.
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| The new ice pack Anita gave me. I'm gonna try it out tonight. |
Also, Anita came up from the pool deck to visit me while I was running and gave me a new ice pack for my shoulder. She said it's designed specifically for shoulders and she got it for free from her sister's swim shop, because they couldn't get them off the shelves. That was very thoughtful of her, and I'm excited to give it a try tonight. You see a lot of Major League pitchers using this kind of ice pack and I've always been curious about them. My shoulder has still been hurting some, but I can tell that it is getting better since I've stayed out of the water.
Total distance: 6.2 miles running
Monday, December 5, 2011
Already miss swimming
Boy, do I want to get in the water in the worst way. Since I decided to lay off swimming in order to let my shoulder heal, I've had a difficult time keeping with an exercise routine. I don't particularly enjoy dryland training and I often looked forward to my workouts in the pool. However, with that no longer an option my motivation is fading fast. I only went to the gym twice last week when I should have gone at least four times. I worked out hard when I went, but I was so disappointed in myself and I have a fear of falling out of the habit.
So, today I decided to kick off the new week strong. I planned on running three miles and biking six, but when I got on the bike, I couldn't get off. I had my book with me, so the time went by very fast. I gradually increased the resistance and finished with 14.5 miles in one hour. So I blew off the run and went straight to body sculpting.
I did a full hour of weight training, ab workouts and calisthenics after the bike. I normally don't go for that long, but with the help of some good tunes (Metallica, Skrillex, Eminem, and MJ) I kept pushing myself.
Oh, and I hit a new low on the scale this morning at 180.6. I don't think I've been that light since I was 18 or 19. That brings my weight-loss total since Valentine's Day (when I had my moment of clarity and started exercising again) to 34.6 pounds.
Good start to the week, I suppose.
So, today I decided to kick off the new week strong. I planned on running three miles and biking six, but when I got on the bike, I couldn't get off. I had my book with me, so the time went by very fast. I gradually increased the resistance and finished with 14.5 miles in one hour. So I blew off the run and went straight to body sculpting.
I did a full hour of weight training, ab workouts and calisthenics after the bike. I normally don't go for that long, but with the help of some good tunes (Metallica, Skrillex, Eminem, and MJ) I kept pushing myself.
Oh, and I hit a new low on the scale this morning at 180.6. I don't think I've been that light since I was 18 or 19. That brings my weight-loss total since Valentine's Day (when I had my moment of clarity and started exercising again) to 34.6 pounds.
Good start to the week, I suppose.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Heartbroken: Swimming goes on the shelf
So I'm pretty sure it's official. My shoulder is shot. The pain has not faded, despite my best efforts to ice and rest it. I'm going to have to see my doctor about it again, but I can't afford the work, x-rays, and God forbid, an MRI at the moment. I'm waiting until the start of the new year, so my insurance deductible is reset before I have it looked at. I truly am heartbroken about it. For anybody who is trying to get in shape and/or lose weight, they know the biggest hardship is staying in a routine. This completely destroys it, so I'm going to have to increase other forms of exercise in the meantime.
With swimming temporarily on the shelf, this is going to have to suffice as a workout blog, rather than a swim blog. My knees had been giving me issues lately as well, so as a preemptive strike, I went out and bought new running shoes. My other ones were torn and beaten and gave me zero support, plus they were starting to smell something fierce. I'm not sure how many miles I put on them, because I owned them for over a year before I began working out again, and they doubled as my casual everyday shoes, as well.
Anyway, I hit the gym today and tried them out. I ran 3.2 miles, but just like they used to, my feet started going numb right around the three-mile mark. I'm going to try and loosen up the laces a bit next time, but if that doesn't work, I may have to trade them out for a different brand that specializes in wide feet. The problem is those 'special' brands are VERY expensive. When I bought these shoes, the guy at the store told me this particular brand is popular for those with wide feet, so I hope after I break them in, they will be OK.
Finished off the day with 6.5 miles on the bike and ran out of time before I had to leave, so I didn't squeeze any weights or ab work in. Tomorrow...
With swimming temporarily on the shelf, this is going to have to suffice as a workout blog, rather than a swim blog. My knees had been giving me issues lately as well, so as a preemptive strike, I went out and bought new running shoes. My other ones were torn and beaten and gave me zero support, plus they were starting to smell something fierce. I'm not sure how many miles I put on them, because I owned them for over a year before I began working out again, and they doubled as my casual everyday shoes, as well.
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| The new kicks |
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| The old kicks. Note the shredded heels. |
Finished off the day with 6.5 miles on the bike and ran out of time before I had to leave, so I didn't squeeze any weights or ab work in. Tomorrow...
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Back to the basics
After Saturday's sprint triathlon I gave my body a break for a couple of days. Today I wanted to get a nice workout, but not push it too hard. I started with a little over two miles on the treadmill and followed it up with almost 5 1/2 miles on the bike. I did some light calisthenics (weights, crunches, mountain climbers, etc.) and then went down to the pool.
My shoulder is still hurting, but since I only swam twice last week and they were both very short, very light swims, it has had a little bit of time to rest and heal. I decided I was going to work on my stroke and really try to get to the bottom of the shoulder pain. I know I need to bilateral breathe when I swim and that would take a lot of stress off my left arm/shoulder. So today I did nothing but bilateral breathing when I did freestyle sets. It was very difficult and it's going to take some getting used to, but I have to start somewhere.
Warm up
200 free
Core
8 x 150 (100 free bilateral, 50 breast)
Cool down
100 breast
My shoulder was sore, but it wasn't on fire, so I took that as a good sign. The breast stroke intervals really helped avoid the wear and tear on it and it helped give me a breather in between the freestyle sets, which were very foreign to me. Good start. Tomorrow I'm going to try the same thing but up it to 10 sets.
Total distance: 1,500 yards
My shoulder is still hurting, but since I only swam twice last week and they were both very short, very light swims, it has had a little bit of time to rest and heal. I decided I was going to work on my stroke and really try to get to the bottom of the shoulder pain. I know I need to bilateral breathe when I swim and that would take a lot of stress off my left arm/shoulder. So today I did nothing but bilateral breathing when I did freestyle sets. It was very difficult and it's going to take some getting used to, but I have to start somewhere.
Warm up
200 free
Core
8 x 150 (100 free bilateral, 50 breast)
Cool down
100 breast
My shoulder was sore, but it wasn't on fire, so I took that as a good sign. The breast stroke intervals really helped avoid the wear and tear on it and it helped give me a breather in between the freestyle sets, which were very foreign to me. Good start. Tomorrow I'm going to try the same thing but up it to 10 sets.
Total distance: 1,500 yards
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Call me a triathlete
This morning I completed another item on my fitness "bucket list." Kelly, Jessica and I competed in our first sprint triathlon. It was the Weber State Turkey Tri, a 5k run followed by a 10k bike, then a 300-yard swim. It's not a full triathlon, but it was a challenge nonetheless.
I feared there was going to be a lot of snow on the roads from last night's storm, but the roads were perfect. Kelly and Jess had a hard time getting checked in because the event coordinators lost their registration, so it was a bit of a hectic start. But once they got squared away, we were on.
The run was by far, the most challenging leg of the race for me. In the sprint triathlons, they go in reverse order, so the run was first and I was hoping to finish the 5k in under 30 minutes. I didn't quite get it, and to be honest, cold weather is much harder on your lungs and I was having a rough go at it. I'd been practicing in the cold weather, but this morning it was about 20 degrees cooler than normal because of the snow storm. I crawled into the transition area after about 32 minutes and Kelly's brother Jeff, along with his wife Jenny, were there taking pictures cheering me on. That gave me a needed boost.
I sucked down a gel pack and grabbed my bike, only to go in the wrong direction back out onto the road, so I had to walk back, which cost me about a minute. They changed the bike course at the last minute, due to some icy conditions on the original one, so they had us bike the run route twice for the 10k. Personally, I thought the new course was harder because it had more dramatic climbs and drops, rather than gradual ones, so it was more challenging than originally anticipated. However, I gained some ground on Kelly, who I knew was going to have a very fast run.
Once I got back to the transition area, I stripped off my clothes (had a Speedo on underneath), grabbed my goggles and ran into the pool area. The pool was packed with swimmers, and I probably passed about seven or eight people, but most of the triathletes at this thing were new to it as well, and had little pool experience. So when I tapped them on their feet to move over, they didn't budge. I wish the event coordinators would have addressed that better and made people more aware of pool etiquette. I probably had to stop and stand up about 10 times because I was running into other swimmers who wouldn't move over.
In the end, my watch said I finished in about 1 hour and 9 minutes (final results aren't posted online yet). My goal was to get 1 hour and 10 minutes, so I barely hit my mark. Kelly was waiting for me on the pool deck and he ended up beating me by about two minutes. I wasn't able to make up the huge gap he put on me in the run, but I narrowed it considerably. Then, we waited for Jessica to finish and cheered her on during her last lap. She's a pretty damn good swimmer for someone who has only done it a handful of times. She seemed to have the same problem I did and couldn't get slower swimmers to move out of her way.
Overall, it was pretty fun and a new experience. My shoulder and knees are sore, but they aren't screaming at me like they have been all week, so I'll take that as a small victory. I'll definitely do it again next year and try to best my time.
Total distance: 300 yards (whoopie)
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| On my way up the hill for the second lap of the bike leg |
The run was by far, the most challenging leg of the race for me. In the sprint triathlons, they go in reverse order, so the run was first and I was hoping to finish the 5k in under 30 minutes. I didn't quite get it, and to be honest, cold weather is much harder on your lungs and I was having a rough go at it. I'd been practicing in the cold weather, but this morning it was about 20 degrees cooler than normal because of the snow storm. I crawled into the transition area after about 32 minutes and Kelly's brother Jeff, along with his wife Jenny, were there taking pictures cheering me on. That gave me a needed boost.
I sucked down a gel pack and grabbed my bike, only to go in the wrong direction back out onto the road, so I had to walk back, which cost me about a minute. They changed the bike course at the last minute, due to some icy conditions on the original one, so they had us bike the run route twice for the 10k. Personally, I thought the new course was harder because it had more dramatic climbs and drops, rather than gradual ones, so it was more challenging than originally anticipated. However, I gained some ground on Kelly, who I knew was going to have a very fast run.
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| Kelly and I chatting with Jessica after she finished. |
In the end, my watch said I finished in about 1 hour and 9 minutes (final results aren't posted online yet). My goal was to get 1 hour and 10 minutes, so I barely hit my mark. Kelly was waiting for me on the pool deck and he ended up beating me by about two minutes. I wasn't able to make up the huge gap he put on me in the run, but I narrowed it considerably. Then, we waited for Jessica to finish and cheered her on during her last lap. She's a pretty damn good swimmer for someone who has only done it a handful of times. She seemed to have the same problem I did and couldn't get slower swimmers to move out of her way.
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| First-time triathletes. Take that fit people... |
Total distance: 300 yards (whoopie)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
My crumbling body
I was always under the assumption that your body doesn't start to fall apart until you get older. That doesn't seem to be the case for me. I've been battling shoulder problems for months, but during the past two weeks it's really taken a turn for the worse. I've lowered my yardage totals significantly and cranked up the amount of times I ice it per week, but nothing seems to help.
When I last went to the doctor about it in July, he said it was rotator cuff tendinitis and he prescribed me some meds to lower the inflammation. That didn't work, but after a while, after the meds were long gone, the pain mostly went away, so I kept swimming. But now (especially after the Masters meet on Saturday) it's back with a vengeance and I don't know what to do. I fear if I go back to the doctor he's going to tell me to shut it down. No more swimming. I also fear he will need to x-ray it, revealing a problem that requires surgery, which I cannot afford.
On top of that, my knees are starting to have aches and pains when I walk and go down stairs. When I was heavier, I never had knee issues and ironically, now that I've lost almost 40 pounds, they are starting to hurt. I'm pretty sure it may have something to do with my crappy running shoes or possibly even that I'm springing off the wall to hard when I swim. Just one more problem to deal with ...
I'm only 25, and it's a frustrating feeling when your body is already falling apart. I thought you were supposed to feel like crap when you are overweight and out of shape, but as of late, it feels like the opposite. I'm still a bit chubby, but it doesn't seem fair that I've put in all this work and now my body is paying the price for it. Ughh...
Anyway, here's today's workout. I mostly did kicks, which was slightly new to me, given that I can barely lift my shoulder above my head.
Warm up
100 free
100 breast
Core
3 x 200 kick (alternating free, breast and fly every 25)
300 free (big mistake)
After doing the 300 free, my shoulder was on fire and I didn't even have it in me to attempt a cool down. I'm in a world of shit right now...
Total distance: 900 yards
When I last went to the doctor about it in July, he said it was rotator cuff tendinitis and he prescribed me some meds to lower the inflammation. That didn't work, but after a while, after the meds were long gone, the pain mostly went away, so I kept swimming. But now (especially after the Masters meet on Saturday) it's back with a vengeance and I don't know what to do. I fear if I go back to the doctor he's going to tell me to shut it down. No more swimming. I also fear he will need to x-ray it, revealing a problem that requires surgery, which I cannot afford.
On top of that, my knees are starting to have aches and pains when I walk and go down stairs. When I was heavier, I never had knee issues and ironically, now that I've lost almost 40 pounds, they are starting to hurt. I'm pretty sure it may have something to do with my crappy running shoes or possibly even that I'm springing off the wall to hard when I swim. Just one more problem to deal with ...
I'm only 25, and it's a frustrating feeling when your body is already falling apart. I thought you were supposed to feel like crap when you are overweight and out of shape, but as of late, it feels like the opposite. I'm still a bit chubby, but it doesn't seem fair that I've put in all this work and now my body is paying the price for it. Ughh...
Anyway, here's today's workout. I mostly did kicks, which was slightly new to me, given that I can barely lift my shoulder above my head.
Warm up
100 free
100 breast
Core
3 x 200 kick (alternating free, breast and fly every 25)
300 free (big mistake)
After doing the 300 free, my shoulder was on fire and I didn't even have it in me to attempt a cool down. I'm in a world of shit right now...
Total distance: 900 yards
Sunday, November 13, 2011
South Davis Masters success!
Today was the big day. I got just enough sleep and was able to get up at a reasonable hour and eat a good breakfast before Jen, Jessica, Kelly and I drove down to Bountiful for the South Davis Masters meet. Right off the bat I was a bit stunned as to how many swimmers were there. I was a little intimidated at first, but settled down after my first event.
I swam the 50-free first, the event I specialized in during high school, but I was realistic with my seed time, aiming for less than 30 seconds. I felt good, got a good start and when I hit the wall, I had no idea what place I was in. I looked up at the board and saw I finished with a time of 28.41, second in my heat, losing to another swimmer by one-hundredth of a second. Yes, you read right. ONE HUNDREDTH OF A SECOND! Sheesh. It was still, a personal best since I took up swimming again, but nowhere near the time I pulled off when I was 16.
The second event was the 100-IM. I was particularly excited for this one, because I had been practicing it a lot. I was in the third of four heats and got off to an OK start on my butterfly. I kind of had tunnel vision and didn't pay attention to any of the other swimmers around me until I pushed off the wall during the freestyle leg and saw I was out front by an arm-length or so, so I really turned it on and ended up winning my heat with a personal-best time of 1:13.91. My previous personal best was about 1:18.00. Not too shabby. Here's a video of me holding on for the win.
By the time the 500-free came around, I was feeling a bit tired. My shoulder was killing me by this point, despite being loaded up with ibuprofen. Kelly and I had a nice long break between events, so we ate a bagel and warmed up again. We ended up being in the same heat for the first and only time during the meet, so that was fun. However, he was in Lane 2 and I was in Lane 8, so we werent' exactly able to compete neck-and-neck. I was already hurting by about my fourth lap and I feared I pushed it too hard right out of the block. I gutted it out though, and ended up smashing my previous best (7:51.00) with a time of 7:09.64. I was completely shocked.
My last event was the 200-free. Being fairly satisfied with my first three swims, I was just swimming this one to get my money's worth, because my shoulder was shot after the 500. Kelly, Josh and I were going to swim in the 200-free relay to finish the meet, but couldn't find a fourth swimmer, so this ended up being my last event. I tried keeping up with a very fast swimmer from Utah State during my first 100 and I paid for it, running out of gas on my last 50, but I still beat my seed time (2:30.00) with a time of 2:28.85. I count it as a personal best only because I have never swam the 200 before and simply guessed my seed time. And I barely beat it.
Whew... What a meet. Kelly and I were both pretty happy with our results and we met a lot of good swimmers from around the area. Jessica and Jen were great supporters, even though the meet kind of dragged on down the stretch when we had less events. I hear there is another Masters meet in St. George in January and I'm tempted to sign up. We shall see.
Next up, the Weber State Turkey Triathlon next Saturday...
Total distance: 1,050 yards
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| Me coming into the wall during the 500-free |
By the time the 500-free came around, I was feeling a bit tired. My shoulder was killing me by this point, despite being loaded up with ibuprofen. Kelly and I had a nice long break between events, so we ate a bagel and warmed up again. We ended up being in the same heat for the first and only time during the meet, so that was fun. However, he was in Lane 2 and I was in Lane 8, so we werent' exactly able to compete neck-and-neck. I was already hurting by about my fourth lap and I feared I pushed it too hard right out of the block. I gutted it out though, and ended up smashing my previous best (7:51.00) with a time of 7:09.64. I was completely shocked.
My last event was the 200-free. Being fairly satisfied with my first three swims, I was just swimming this one to get my money's worth, because my shoulder was shot after the 500. Kelly, Josh and I were going to swim in the 200-free relay to finish the meet, but couldn't find a fourth swimmer, so this ended up being my last event. I tried keeping up with a very fast swimmer from Utah State during my first 100 and I paid for it, running out of gas on my last 50, but I still beat my seed time (2:30.00) with a time of 2:28.85. I count it as a personal best only because I have never swam the 200 before and simply guessed my seed time. And I barely beat it.
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| Kelly and I after finishing the 500-free. I was spent. |
Next up, the Weber State Turkey Triathlon next Saturday...
Total distance: 1,050 yards
Friday, November 11, 2011
Resting for the big day
Ice, heat, drink, repeat. That's how my day has been going so far. Tomorrow's the swim meet I've been looking forward to, so I'm trying my best to physically and mentally prepare myself today. My shoulder is still aching a great deal, so I've been icing it off and on and jumping in and out of a hot bath all morning for about 15 minutes each. I was supposed to swim in the 1,650 free tonight, but I couldn't get the night off from work, so I'm going to have to settle for the 50 free, 200 free, 100 IM and 500 free tomorrow. Perhaps even a relay.
I've also been inhaling water like it's my job. Hydration and carbo-loading are key the day (or even days) before a race. It's really bringing back memories from high school. I can't believe I was able to eat whatever junk I wanted, drink soda and practice hard the day before a race. Not anymore, though. Today is strictly water, fruits, veggies and complex carbohydrates with low fat. I'll throw in a little bit of grilled chicken for my protein.
Speaking of high school, I went and watched Roy High take on Bonneville and Bear River yesterday in a tri-meet. It was fun to watch and genuinely got my blood pumping. I was even getting butterflies in my stomach watching them race. I can't believe it's been almost nine years since I last competed in a swim meet. I'm almost certain I'll hardly sleep tonight. Hopefully I'm not stuck at work too late and can get into bed at reasonable hour. Anyway, thanks for reading my "Uncle Rico" moment.
I've also been inhaling water like it's my job. Hydration and carbo-loading are key the day (or even days) before a race. It's really bringing back memories from high school. I can't believe I was able to eat whatever junk I wanted, drink soda and practice hard the day before a race. Not anymore, though. Today is strictly water, fruits, veggies and complex carbohydrates with low fat. I'll throw in a little bit of grilled chicken for my protein.
Speaking of high school, I went and watched Roy High take on Bonneville and Bear River yesterday in a tri-meet. It was fun to watch and genuinely got my blood pumping. I was even getting butterflies in my stomach watching them race. I can't believe it's been almost nine years since I last competed in a swim meet. I'm almost certain I'll hardly sleep tonight. Hopefully I'm not stuck at work too late and can get into bed at reasonable hour. Anyway, thanks for reading my "Uncle Rico" moment.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Polar bear swim and tri training
I haven't hit the pool all week until today. Partly because I'm trying to taper for my swim meet on Saturday, but mostly because my shoulder pain has returned. It came out of nowhere over the weekend, which baffles me, because I haven't been logging a ton of yards.
Anyway, I finally hit the pool again today, but took it easy on my shoulder and simply worked on my turns and starts. I haven't been slacking off in the cardio department, though. Kelly and I ran the 5k course for our sprint triathlon on Monday and then we ran the same course on top of doing the 10 bike course yesterday. I did another easy 4 miles on the stationary bike today along with some light weight training before going down to the pool.
Also, I participated in my first polar bear swim with Josh, Gordon and Jake later in the evening at Bountiful Lake. The sun was almost set and I was pretty nervous. Josh measured the water at about 46 degrees and Gordon measured it at about 43. It didn't end up being much of a swim, for I jumped in and simply couldn't bear the cold and I got right out. Not Gordon though. He just dove in and went for it, swimming the 200 yards from the dock to the boat ramp. Yeah I know, I'm a sissy. It was nice to get to meet Gordon and Josh for the first time in person though, although it was under chilly circumstances.
On a negative note, I had my goggles on top of my cap when I jumped in. I must have been too caught up in worrying about the cold that I forgot to strap them over my eyes. I couldn't find them afterward and looked at a video Jen recorded, revealing that I lost them when I took the plunge. I loved those goggles, but they now rest at the bottom of the lake. Sad day....
Total distance: 600 yards
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| I was scared to death of the 46 degree water. |
Anyway, I finally hit the pool again today, but took it easy on my shoulder and simply worked on my turns and starts. I haven't been slacking off in the cardio department, though. Kelly and I ran the 5k course for our sprint triathlon on Monday and then we ran the same course on top of doing the 10 bike course yesterday. I did another easy 4 miles on the stationary bike today along with some light weight training before going down to the pool.
Also, I participated in my first polar bear swim with Josh, Gordon and Jake later in the evening at Bountiful Lake. The sun was almost set and I was pretty nervous. Josh measured the water at about 46 degrees and Gordon measured it at about 43. It didn't end up being much of a swim, for I jumped in and simply couldn't bear the cold and I got right out. Not Gordon though. He just dove in and went for it, swimming the 200 yards from the dock to the boat ramp. Yeah I know, I'm a sissy. It was nice to get to meet Gordon and Josh for the first time in person though, although it was under chilly circumstances.
On a negative note, I had my goggles on top of my cap when I jumped in. I must have been too caught up in worrying about the cold that I forgot to strap them over my eyes. I couldn't find them afterward and looked at a video Jen recorded, revealing that I lost them when I took the plunge. I loved those goggles, but they now rest at the bottom of the lake. Sad day....
Total distance: 600 yards
Saturday, November 5, 2011
First snow ... first Saturday morning swim
This morning, Kelly and Jessica met me at the pool for some Saturday morning swimming. I don't usually swim on Saturdays, but Kelly wanted Jessica to get some more pool time in preparation for our sprint triathlon in two weeks, so I gave it a go.
However, when I woke up, there was snow on the ground. SNOW! Damn it. I didn't realize it was that time of year already. At least there was none on the roads. Snow is so much more enjoyable when you don't have to drive in it.
Anyway, since I normally don't swim four times a week, I considered today to be bonus yards, although it gave me a chance to make up some missed yards from yesterday's swim when I worked on my stroke.
Once again, I didn't do any specific sets, but I did have fun watching Kelly try to teach Jessica how to swim. She was doing surprisingly well for a newbie. Once lap swim ended, we all went upstairs to run and lift weights. I ran 1.8 miles with another hill incline at the end and then did some serious calisthenics. Crunches, pull-ups, push-ups, mountain climbers, Arnolds, bicep curls, lateral lifts, planks, swimmers, etc...
Nice little Saturday workout....
Total distance: 0.57 miles
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| I woke up to this outside my house this morning. Ugh.... |
Anyway, since I normally don't swim four times a week, I considered today to be bonus yards, although it gave me a chance to make up some missed yards from yesterday's swim when I worked on my stroke.
Once again, I didn't do any specific sets, but I did have fun watching Kelly try to teach Jessica how to swim. She was doing surprisingly well for a newbie. Once lap swim ended, we all went upstairs to run and lift weights. I ran 1.8 miles with another hill incline at the end and then did some serious calisthenics. Crunches, pull-ups, push-ups, mountain climbers, Arnolds, bicep curls, lateral lifts, planks, swimmers, etc...
Nice little Saturday workout....
Total distance: 0.57 miles
Friday, November 4, 2011
Experimenting with technique
Once again, I slept in this morning. Bad idea. When I do that, I usually end up feeling more tired than if I was going on little sleep. So when I got to the pool today, I wasn't feeling too hot. So I figured I'd work on my technique instead of trying to plow through some serious distance.
I normally do a 'grab-and-pull' stroke, which works fine for longer distances, but I wanted to try out the 'bicycle' stroke which is more of a continuous motion and improves times on sprints. I did a bunch of sets of those, although nothing too formal.
Then I went upstairs and did some more serious cardio, since I didn't do a ton in the pool. Finished with 5.6 miles on the bike and 1.8 miles on the treadmill. I did a dead sprint on the highest incline available for a little less than a quarter mile to finish and it destroyed me. I haven't felt my lungs burn that bad in a long time.
Total distance: 0.85 miles
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| The bicycle stroke, which I need to work on badly. |
Then I went upstairs and did some more serious cardio, since I didn't do a ton in the pool. Finished with 5.6 miles on the bike and 1.8 miles on the treadmill. I did a dead sprint on the highest incline available for a little less than a quarter mile to finish and it destroyed me. I haven't felt my lungs burn that bad in a long time.
Total distance: 0.85 miles
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Powerhouse Thursday
Today I felt like a machine. I didn't make it to the gym during the past two days, so I felt like I had to do a little extra today in order to make up for it. So I got up early and boy, did it hurt.
First I hit the bike and pedaled 9.5 miles in just under 35 minutes. Then I jumped on the treadmill and did 2.3 miles with the last mile or so on a heavy incline. Finished that in about 25 minutes. Then I did some weight training and calisthenics. I did some squats, lunges, bicep curls, mountain climbers, Arnolds, push-ups, sit-ups and toe touches.
Finally, after all that, I crawled into the pool with the little bit of energy I had left.
Here's today's swim.
Warm up
200 free
Core
250 free (ladder build up with 30 second rests)
300 free
350 free
400 free
450 free
500 free
By the time I finished my last 500 I was barely moving through the water and called the quits. I was already going so slow by the time I ran out of gas, so I didn't feel like I needed to cool down. What a tough day. I ended up covering 13.2 miles between the bike, treadmill and pool.
Total distance: 1.39 miles
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| I felt like this guy at the gym today. |
Finally, after all that, I crawled into the pool with the little bit of energy I had left.
Here's today's swim.
Warm up
200 free
Core
250 free (ladder build up with 30 second rests)
300 free
350 free
400 free
450 free
500 free
By the time I finished my last 500 I was barely moving through the water and called the quits. I was already going so slow by the time I ran out of gas, so I didn't feel like I needed to cool down. What a tough day. I ended up covering 13.2 miles between the bike, treadmill and pool.
Total distance: 1.39 miles
Monday, October 31, 2011
100 MILES! Happy Halloween!
Today I hit my yearly swim goal. I started swimming in late April and set a goal to swim 100 miles by the end of the year. It's kind of cool that I did it on the last day of the month and on Halloween no less. Now I need to see how much I can surpass my goal by in the final two months of the year. I'm gonna shoot for 30 more miles.
Anyway, today Jen went with me to the gym again and I pushed myself fairly hard. First I ran a 5k on the treadmill, while cranking up the incline for the last mile. Then I jumped straight on the bike and sprinted 4.5 miles as hard as I could. By the time I was done with that, I was pretty exhausted. I knew I needed to do at least 1.5 miles in the pool in order to hit the 100 mark, but I wasn't sure if I'd have enough energy. Fortunately, I did, but I truly felt like a zombie (pun absolutely intended) in the water. Afterward, I was wrecked. A little bit of barbecue with Jen after the gym pepped me right up, though. Here's todays' totals.
Warm up
200 free
Core
2,400 free
Cool down
100 breast
I was running out of time and had to really gut through the last 400 yards or so in order to get the yardage I needed to hit my yearly goal, but I finished just as lap swim ended. Great way to finish the month!
Total distance: 1.53 miles
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| Me in the pool today. I was exhausted and truly felt like a zombie. |
Warm up
200 free
Core
2,400 free
Cool down
100 breast
I was running out of time and had to really gut through the last 400 yards or so in order to get the yardage I needed to hit my yearly goal, but I finished just as lap swim ended. Great way to finish the month!
Total distance: 1.53 miles
Friday, October 28, 2011
My wandering mind
Sometimes, when I swim, I have a hard time focusing on my stroke when I'm thinking about other stuff. Today was one of those days.
When I got to the gym I pumped out a quick eight miles on the bike and did a few light abdomen workouts. Then, I jumped in the pool, warmed up and started my sets. About halfway through one of my 500s I lost count of my laps because I couldn't stop thinking about things. By things, I mean life in general, such as bills, work, Jen, football, the World Series, etc. Anyway, here's what I did today.
Warm up
200 free
Core
250 free
2 x 500 free
1,000 free
2 x 50 sprints
Cool down
200 breast
I didn't finally get focused until about half-way through my 1,000-yard set, so by the time I felt like I had a nice efficient stroke I was already running out of gas. It ended up being a productive day in terms of total yardage, but I don't think I really improved my conditioning or stroke all that much. I need to focus better.
Total distance: 1.56 miles
When I got to the gym I pumped out a quick eight miles on the bike and did a few light abdomen workouts. Then, I jumped in the pool, warmed up and started my sets. About halfway through one of my 500s I lost count of my laps because I couldn't stop thinking about things. By things, I mean life in general, such as bills, work, Jen, football, the World Series, etc. Anyway, here's what I did today.
Warm up
200 free
Core
250 free
2 x 500 free
1,000 free
2 x 50 sprints
Cool down
200 breast
I didn't finally get focused until about half-way through my 1,000-yard set, so by the time I felt like I had a nice efficient stroke I was already running out of gas. It ended up being a productive day in terms of total yardage, but I don't think I really improved my conditioning or stroke all that much. I need to focus better.
Total distance: 1.56 miles
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A sweaty afternoon
I got up earlier than I normally do today, so I could get a head start at the gym. I wanted to have enough time to do a long bike workout before I swam. I'm glad I did, because today was fairly productive.
Normally I bike anywhere from 3-10 miles at a leisurely pace, but today I wanted to crank it up a notch in preparation for my sprint triathlon. This way, I could simulate some of the more difficult hill climbs that I'm not accustomed to. I set a hill climb program and it absolutely kicked my butt. I usually sweat a great deal when I do land training, but today it was at a whole new level. I was seriously pouring. The cardio and weight rooms have a nice view of the pool below us, so that provided extra motivation to power through my workout as quick as possible. The cool water never looked so inviting.
I finished with about 8.8 miles after my cool down and I was very relieved to hit the pool. Here's what I did once I got in.
Warm up
200 free
Core
250 free (ladder build up)
500 free
1,750 free (one mile)
2 x 50 sprints
Cool down
100 free easy
100 breast
Overall, I'm starting to feel a little more confident heading into the Masters meet. My speed hasn't increased significantly, but my cardio feels solid and I'm still dropping pounds, so the workouts are starting to get a bit easier.
Total distance: 1.70 miles
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| My view from the stationary bike upstairs. |
I finished with about 8.8 miles after my cool down and I was very relieved to hit the pool. Here's what I did once I got in.
Warm up
200 free
Core
250 free (ladder build up)
500 free
1,750 free (one mile)
2 x 50 sprints
Cool down
100 free easy
100 breast
Overall, I'm starting to feel a little more confident heading into the Masters meet. My speed hasn't increased significantly, but my cardio feels solid and I'm still dropping pounds, so the workouts are starting to get a bit easier.
Total distance: 1.70 miles
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Working off the long weekend
Today was a tough day. I didn't end up making it to the gym as many times as I wanted last week, partly due to a power outage on Friday that kept me from getting in the pool. Also, my wife and I celebrated our two-year wedding anniversary over the weekend, so I ate a lot of crap, drank a few beers and celebrated with reckless abandon.
However, I did go running with Kelly and his wife Jessica up at Weber State on Saturday, pumping out three miles in preparation for my first sprint triathlon, which is scheduled for November 18, just a week after my big swim meet.
That being said, I hadn't swam in almost a week when Kelly and I hit the pool today and I was definitely feeling it.
First we ran for a while, but all I could manage was a measly 2.4 miles before my knee started hurting.
Here's today's workout.
Warm up
200 free
Core
5 x 300 free on the 6:00 descending
100 IM sprint
2 x 50 sprint, 25 hard, 25 easy
Cool down
200 free
I was sucking wind on my warm up and knew I was in for a long swim, but on the 300s I started to loosen up and picked up my pace a bit. Eventually, Kelly and I ran out of time when lap swim ended before we could do additional sets.
Total distance: 1.20 miles
However, I did go running with Kelly and his wife Jessica up at Weber State on Saturday, pumping out three miles in preparation for my first sprint triathlon, which is scheduled for November 18, just a week after my big swim meet.
That being said, I hadn't swam in almost a week when Kelly and I hit the pool today and I was definitely feeling it.
First we ran for a while, but all I could manage was a measly 2.4 miles before my knee started hurting.
Here's today's workout.
Warm up
200 free
Core
5 x 300 free on the 6:00 descending
100 IM sprint
2 x 50 sprint, 25 hard, 25 easy
Cool down
200 free
I was sucking wind on my warm up and knew I was in for a long swim, but on the 300s I started to loosen up and picked up my pace a bit. Eventually, Kelly and I ran out of time when lap swim ended before we could do additional sets.
Total distance: 1.20 miles
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
NEW PERSONAL BESTS!!
Today was a very encouraging day at the gym. I personal bests in both my one-mile swim and my one-mile run. I slept in and wasn't feeling particularly great, but once I got in the pool that all changed.
Here's today's swim
Warm up
200 free
Core
1,750 free (1 mile)
500 free easy
4 x 50 sprints on the 1:00
Cool down
150 free easy
150 breast
My previous best on the one-mile in a pool was 29:51. I was really sucking wind after the first 1500 and really pushed it down the stretch. I ended up finishing in 28:36. I knew I was going to beat the time, but I was shocked to see that I shaved off a full 1:15.
After a few easy sets, I hit the bike for a little over 4 miles and then jumped on the treadmill. I was feeling sort of euphoric from my swim and decided to try and run my fastest mile, although my previous plan was to run a slow and steady 5k. In the end, I did it in 8:36 which was 21 seconds faster than the last run I timed it in a few months ago. That's not very fast and probably not my all-time personal best (I'm confident I ran it much faster in high school), but it's the fastest since I began my weight-loss regiment eight months ago.
Great day!!!
Total distance: 1.68 miles
Here's today's swim
Warm up
200 free
Core
1,750 free (1 mile)
500 free easy
4 x 50 sprints on the 1:00
Cool down
150 free easy
150 breast
My previous best on the one-mile in a pool was 29:51. I was really sucking wind after the first 1500 and really pushed it down the stretch. I ended up finishing in 28:36. I knew I was going to beat the time, but I was shocked to see that I shaved off a full 1:15.
After a few easy sets, I hit the bike for a little over 4 miles and then jumped on the treadmill. I was feeling sort of euphoric from my swim and decided to try and run my fastest mile, although my previous plan was to run a slow and steady 5k. In the end, I did it in 8:36 which was 21 seconds faster than the last run I timed it in a few months ago. That's not very fast and probably not my all-time personal best (I'm confident I ran it much faster in high school), but it's the fastest since I began my weight-loss regiment eight months ago.
Great day!!!
Total distance: 1.68 miles
Monday, October 17, 2011
Swim/bike combo
Last night I stayed up way too late reading a book I've been caught up in, so I was a little sluggish getting to the pool today. It only took a cold shower in the locker room to wake me right up and I was ready to go.
Here's today's swim.
Warm up
200 free
Core
500 free on the 9:00 (10 second break in between sets)
200 free
150 free
100 free
50 free
500 free on the 9:00 descending
100 free
100 free
100 free
100 free
100 free
4 x 50, 25 head out, 25 three breaths
4 x 50, 25 hard, 25 easy
Cool down
200 free/breast
I did my first 500 in 8:25 and my second in 8:14. They aren't great times, but the fact that I could still descend and cut that much time on the second ladder was encouraging. Some time this week I'm going to time my 500 and really push it to see what a realistic seed time would be for the South Davis Masters Meet in a few weeks.
Right after swim I went upstairs and sat on the bike and did 5.5 easy miles in about 25 minutes. Admittedly, I was reading the same book I stayed up all night with and didn't focus on pushing myself terribly hard.
Total distance: 1.59 miles
Here's today's swim.
Warm up
200 free
Core
500 free on the 9:00 (10 second break in between sets)
200 free
150 free
100 free
50 free
500 free on the 9:00 descending
100 free
100 free
100 free
100 free
100 free
4 x 50, 25 head out, 25 three breaths
4 x 50, 25 hard, 25 easy
Cool down
200 free/breast
I did my first 500 in 8:25 and my second in 8:14. They aren't great times, but the fact that I could still descend and cut that much time on the second ladder was encouraging. Some time this week I'm going to time my 500 and really push it to see what a realistic seed time would be for the South Davis Masters Meet in a few weeks.
Right after swim I went upstairs and sat on the bike and did 5.5 easy miles in about 25 minutes. Admittedly, I was reading the same book I stayed up all night with and didn't focus on pushing myself terribly hard.
Total distance: 1.59 miles
Thursday, October 13, 2011
No breakfast = Sucking wind
Jen and I hit the gym for the third time this week and I made the mistake of not eating anything before we left the house. I usually just eat half a Clif bar so I have some calories in me, but I don't do anything heavy or else I cramp like crazy. Today I ate nothing except some Vitamin Water and I paid for it.
First, I ran on the treadmill. I ran steadily for about 2.5 miles and was feeling pretty good and then I tried some alternating walks/sprints. Basically I walked a minute than would sprint for a minute. I lasted for 10 minutes before I ran out of gas and ended up finishing with 3.4 miles.
By that point my body felt like it had nothing left to give. Not having any calories in my system was causing a major crash, so I sucked down a gel pack, which thankfully, I had stored in my gym bag for such occasions. That gave me a needed boost so I could at least log a few yards in the pool. However, I didn't last too long, for those gels only pack about 100 calories each.
Here's today's swim
Warm up
200 free
Core
200 free (sprint ladders, 10 second rest in between)
150 free
100 free
50 free
500 free (easy)
4 x 50 sprints (on the :45)
Cool down
100 free
100 breast
During my warm up it felt like I was swimming through honey. It didn't feel like I was getting anywhere, but eventually I started to loosen up and was able to gut out a ladder set and a few sprints. By the end I was out of gas though. Jen and I treated ourselves to some Warrens right after we left and I inhaled a french dip sandwich. Yumm.....
Total distance: 0.91 miles
 |
| Thank you, Gu Gel. You saved my life today. |
By that point my body felt like it had nothing left to give. Not having any calories in my system was causing a major crash, so I sucked down a gel pack, which thankfully, I had stored in my gym bag for such occasions. That gave me a needed boost so I could at least log a few yards in the pool. However, I didn't last too long, for those gels only pack about 100 calories each.
Here's today's swim
Warm up
200 free
Core
200 free (sprint ladders, 10 second rest in between)
150 free
100 free
50 free
500 free (easy)
4 x 50 sprints (on the :45)
Cool down
100 free
100 breast
During my warm up it felt like I was swimming through honey. It didn't feel like I was getting anywhere, but eventually I started to loosen up and was able to gut out a ladder set and a few sprints. By the end I was out of gas though. Jen and I treated ourselves to some Warrens right after we left and I inhaled a french dip sandwich. Yumm.....
Total distance: 0.91 miles
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Bonus workout
I generally don't work out more than four times a week, but today Jen and I went to the gym together again. Given I'm on pace to work out every day this week, I took it relatively easy today and considered it all a bonus workout. Extra, if you will.
My shoulder was still in significant pain from yesterday's swim, so I figured I'd just try and establish a seed time for the 1,650-yard freestyle at the South Davis Masters meet in November and call it good.
Warm up
150 free
Core
1,650 free
Cool down
100 breast
I swam the 1,650 in 28:03.75, which I consider to be a so-so time, but it was still encouraging given my shoulder was on fire for the first 800-900 yards or so. That should give me a decent goal for the big meet. I hope to do it in under 27 minutes.
After the swim, I joined Jen upstairs for a light session on the bike. I did 5.5 miles in 25 minutes and then we both worked on some core/abdomen exercises for about 10 minutes. Nice little workout indeed....
Total distance: 1.08 miles
My shoulder was still in significant pain from yesterday's swim, so I figured I'd just try and establish a seed time for the 1,650-yard freestyle at the South Davis Masters meet in November and call it good.
Warm up
150 free
Core
1,650 free
Cool down
100 breast
I swam the 1,650 in 28:03.75, which I consider to be a so-so time, but it was still encouraging given my shoulder was on fire for the first 800-900 yards or so. That should give me a decent goal for the big meet. I hope to do it in under 27 minutes.
After the swim, I joined Jen upstairs for a light session on the bike. I did 5.5 miles in 25 minutes and then we both worked on some core/abdomen exercises for about 10 minutes. Nice little workout indeed....
Total distance: 1.08 miles
Monday, October 10, 2011
Shoulder pain with an audience
Today is the first day of my week off from work. Jen and I took some vacation time to just relax and she came with me to the gym today, even though she has a membership at a different gym.
First I jumped on the treadmill. I ran about 1.5 miles before my shins were starting to hurt from the impact, so I lowered the speed significantly and raised the incline a bunch, so I was still increasing my heart rate without the smashing on my legs. I ended up finishing with about 2.7 miles.
I skipped the bike, because Jen was using the only good one at the rec center so I went down to the pool. Here are the sets I did.
Warm up
200 free
Core
500 free on the 9:00 descending (did it in 8:36)
200 free (10 seconds rest between sets)
150 free
100 free
50 free
500 free on the 9:00 descending (did it in 8:10)
200 free
100 free
100 free
100 free
4 x 50 (25 head out, 25 three breaths only)
4 x 50 (25 hard, 25 easy)
Cool down
200 alternating breast and free easy
Overall, I felt pretty good and recharged from the weekend. My shoulder was hurting quite a bit during the first 500 and I had to sub out for a few breast stroke sets on my first ladder in order to give the pain a rest. But it felt better as I kept going.
During my second ladder, I looked up and saw Jen on the pool deck chatting with Anita and taking pictures of me in the water. It feels strange swimming in front of my wife, and on some sort of subconscious level, I feel like I need to show off and push myself harder, which I think may have helped a little today.
Total distance: 1.59 miles
First I jumped on the treadmill. I ran about 1.5 miles before my shins were starting to hurt from the impact, so I lowered the speed significantly and raised the incline a bunch, so I was still increasing my heart rate without the smashing on my legs. I ended up finishing with about 2.7 miles.
 |
| Jen snapped a photo of me on her phone just as I finished cooling down. |
Warm up
200 free
Core
500 free on the 9:00 descending (did it in 8:36)
200 free (10 seconds rest between sets)
150 free
100 free
50 free
500 free on the 9:00 descending (did it in 8:10)
200 free
100 free
100 free
100 free
4 x 50 (25 head out, 25 three breaths only)
4 x 50 (25 hard, 25 easy)
Cool down
200 alternating breast and free easy
Overall, I felt pretty good and recharged from the weekend. My shoulder was hurting quite a bit during the first 500 and I had to sub out for a few breast stroke sets on my first ladder in order to give the pain a rest. But it felt better as I kept going.
During my second ladder, I looked up and saw Jen on the pool deck chatting with Anita and taking pictures of me in the water. It feels strange swimming in front of my wife, and on some sort of subconscious level, I feel like I need to show off and push myself harder, which I think may have helped a little today.
Total distance: 1.59 miles
Friday, October 7, 2011
Sprints with Kelly
Today my friend Kelly joined me for a workout. He and I had been swimming together regularly for most of the year before he started school this fall, so it was nice to get in and do some sets with a partner.
First we went upstairs and I biked for 5 miles at a nice easy pace. Then I ran three miles on the treadmill with a gradual increase of speed until I was going all out for the final quarter mile.
By that point I was already beat, plus we didn't have a ton of time before lap swim ended, so Kelly and I decided to work on some sprints, although I already did that once this week.
Here's what we did:
200 free warmup
100 IM sprint (1:16.11)
500 free on the 9:00 (much slower than earlier in the week)
200 free
150 free
100 free
50 free
4 x 50 25 head out, 25 four breaths
2 x 50 25 hard, 24 slow
50 cool down
Kelly was looking pretty good, but I think he had a hard time with the sets due to his long absence from the pool. Hopefuly, he can swim with me more often.
I might do some more running tomorrow, but I only managed 3.24 miles in the pool this week. That's well off my normal pace, so I'm gonna have to go above and beyond next week to make up for it. Perhaps I'll just do the distance sets and cut out the sprints, so I can pile up some yards.
Total distance: 0.94 miles (whoopie...)
First we went upstairs and I biked for 5 miles at a nice easy pace. Then I ran three miles on the treadmill with a gradual increase of speed until I was going all out for the final quarter mile.
By that point I was already beat, plus we didn't have a ton of time before lap swim ended, so Kelly and I decided to work on some sprints, although I already did that once this week.
Here's what we did:
200 free warmup
100 IM sprint (1:16.11)
500 free on the 9:00 (much slower than earlier in the week)
200 free
150 free
100 free
50 free
4 x 50 25 head out, 25 four breaths
2 x 50 25 hard, 24 slow
50 cool down
Kelly was looking pretty good, but I think he had a hard time with the sets due to his long absence from the pool. Hopefuly, he can swim with me more often.
I might do some more running tomorrow, but I only managed 3.24 miles in the pool this week. That's well off my normal pace, so I'm gonna have to go above and beyond next week to make up for it. Perhaps I'll just do the distance sets and cut out the sprints, so I can pile up some yards.
Total distance: 0.94 miles (whoopie...)
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Wake-up call
Yesterday, I received a pleasant surprise in the mail. I opened up the envelope and it was a new swim cap from U.S. Masters Swimming. As a U.S. Masters member you get free stuff in the mail for reaching certain milestones in the pool.
The cap was an award for swimming 50 miles, a milestone I reached on August 8.
Anyway, today my plan was to work on my starts. I haven't done them since I was in high school and boy, I forgot how hard those suckers are to master. Anita probably helped me work on them for about 30 minutes before I did a few sprint sets, so I didn't pile up very many yards in the pool today.
However, because I didn't get too many yards done in the pool, I went straight upstairs and knocked out six miles on the stationary bike before running two miles on the treadmill. Overall, I feel like I got a solid, although not great cardio workout today. My technique on the starts and my times on the sprints weren't encouraging, though, so I know there is still a ton of work to be done.
Today was quite a wake-up call.
Total distance: 0.6 miles
Anyway, today my plan was to work on my starts. I haven't done them since I was in high school and boy, I forgot how hard those suckers are to master. Anita probably helped me work on them for about 30 minutes before I did a few sprint sets, so I didn't pile up very many yards in the pool today.
However, because I didn't get too many yards done in the pool, I went straight upstairs and knocked out six miles on the stationary bike before running two miles on the treadmill. Overall, I feel like I got a solid, although not great cardio workout today. My technique on the starts and my times on the sprints weren't encouraging, though, so I know there is still a ton of work to be done.
Today was quite a wake-up call.
Total distance: 0.6 miles
Monday, October 3, 2011
Long distance training ... kind of.
For most people, finding motivation to do things is usually hardest on Mondays. Not for me, though. I tend to fall apart by the end of the week and after taking a breather during the weekend, I look forward to starting my weekly exercise goal on Mondays.
Today, however, I did get off to a late start. I had to take my car to get the windshield replaced at 9 a.m., so I didn't get to the Roy Recreation Center until about 11:15. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I will usually run, bike and swim, but given my late start, I skipped the run and bike and hopped straight in the pool (lap swim only lasts until 1 p.m.).
I'm currently training for the South Davis Masters Swim Meet in November and it will be my first official swim meet since I was in high school. Although I've been swimmming a lot during the past 6-7 months and have already competed in a few open water marathons (1 mile and 5k), I'm still incredibly nervous and feel somewhat unprepared.
My events are the 1,650-yard freestyle on the first day of the meet and the 500-yard free and 200-yard free on the second day. All three are short distances compared to what I've been doing (1-2 miles per swim), but my speed and technique are a major concern, not to mention I haven't done a start or a flipturn in almost nine years.
Anita -- a lifeguard at the Roy Rec Center, who also happens to be the Roy High swim coach -- gave me a few workouts to increase my endurance over short distances, as strange as that may sound. My long-distance endurance isn't too bad, but to cut out two-thirds of my normal swim and increase the pace ten-fold, it requires a different type of training and endurance.
Here's what I did today.
Warm up
400 free
Core
500 free broken set time: On the 8:00 rest 10 seconds after each distance
200 free
150 free
100 free
50 free
500 free broken descend time from above time
200 free
150 free
100 free
50 free
4x50 pull 25 head out, 25 two breaths only
4x50 free 25 hard, 25 easy on the 1:00
Cool down
200 free
Eventually, I'm supposed to be able to do the 500 broken sets three times, but right now, I can only pull off two and still finish the other sets. I did the first 500 in 7:58 and the second barely a second faster at 7:57. The 50 pull, head out, 25 two breaths only completely gasses me. Sprinting and swimming at a much harder pace is something I'm certainly not used to. Low and slow is usually my game. We'll try it again tomorrow.
Total distance: 1.7 miles
Today, however, I did get off to a late start. I had to take my car to get the windshield replaced at 9 a.m., so I didn't get to the Roy Recreation Center until about 11:15. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I will usually run, bike and swim, but given my late start, I skipped the run and bike and hopped straight in the pool (lap swim only lasts until 1 p.m.).
 |
| Roy Recreation Center pool, my home away from home |
My events are the 1,650-yard freestyle on the first day of the meet and the 500-yard free and 200-yard free on the second day. All three are short distances compared to what I've been doing (1-2 miles per swim), but my speed and technique are a major concern, not to mention I haven't done a start or a flipturn in almost nine years.
Anita -- a lifeguard at the Roy Rec Center, who also happens to be the Roy High swim coach -- gave me a few workouts to increase my endurance over short distances, as strange as that may sound. My long-distance endurance isn't too bad, but to cut out two-thirds of my normal swim and increase the pace ten-fold, it requires a different type of training and endurance.
Here's what I did today.
Warm up
400 free
Core
500 free broken set time: On the 8:00 rest 10 seconds after each distance
200 free
150 free
100 free
50 free
500 free broken descend time from above time
200 free
150 free
100 free
50 free
4x50 pull 25 head out, 25 two breaths only
4x50 free 25 hard, 25 easy on the 1:00
Cool down
200 free
Eventually, I'm supposed to be able to do the 500 broken sets three times, but right now, I can only pull off two and still finish the other sets. I did the first 500 in 7:58 and the second barely a second faster at 7:57. The 50 pull, head out, 25 two breaths only completely gasses me. Sprinting and swimming at a much harder pace is something I'm certainly not used to. Low and slow is usually my game. We'll try it again tomorrow.
Total distance: 1.7 miles
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