New job, new motivation

I've been in a significant exercise dry spell during the past couple of weeks. I've been stressing as I wade through the hiring process of a potential new job, which would make life so much better for Jen and I. You know, interviews, call backs, waiting and more waiting. I wasn't able to sleep for more than an hour at a time for about two weeks, and it took a devastating toll on my body. Sluggish, tired and absolutely no motivation to work out.

That being said, I ended up getting the job and I start next Monday. It felt like a huge load was lifted off my shoulders and ironically, that night, I still was unable to sleep, this time out of excitement. But I'm back to normal now and today Kelly joined me for a swim at the Roy Rec Center, our first swim in a long time.

Staying true to my 2013 goals, I focused less on yardage and more on quality. Here's what I did.

Warm up
150 yard freestyle
Core
5 x 100 freestyle sprints on 2:00
10 x 50 freestyle sprints on 1:00
Cool down
350 alternating breast and free every 50 (easy)

The sprint sets were very tough. I was sucking wind the whole time, so I knew I was pushing myself hard getting solid bang for my buck without overloading my shoulder with too many yards. It felt great to get back in the pool, though.

Total distance: 1,500 yards swimming

Calorie burner on bike

Final result before calling it quits

I went for a nice bike "ride" at the rec center today. I pushed it pretty hard for 45 minutes and was sweating profusely. I've increased my resistance on the bike up to level 10 now, so I'm really starting to burn calories whenever I use it. Today, I thought about shooting for 700 calories, which I could probably pull off in an hour, but Jen was waiting for me to get home quickly, so I cut it short at about 550 calories and went home. Bleh.

Total distance: 13.5 miles cycling

Crappy weather, nice swim

I was hoping to go for a run today, now that my legs have calmed down a little after last Thursday's hike. They were screaming at me for two days before finally healing a bit yesterday. However, the weather outside this morning was stormy and gross so I went to the rec center for a swim and some free weight work instead.

I lifted first, knowing full well my muscles would be tired when I got in the water. But I pushed it hard on my sets anyway.

Warm up
200 free
Core
4 x 300 free/50 breast

I didn't end up cooling down because I ran out of time, but the breaststroke interval on each set cooled me down some already, so I was OK. I haven't exactly been piling up the yards since Bear Lake, but I've at least been getting in once a week, for the most part. I can't fall out of the habit, but I have to be very careful not to overdo it and let my shoulder get some rest in the next few months. I'm walking a fine line.

Total distance: 1,600 yards swimming

Rare swim day

I haven't been in the pool for over two weeks. I was nervous to even give it a shot today, but I can't keep neglecting the water. It's an itch I desperately need to scratch. I rode the stationary bike first for 30 minutes and got a good sweat on, so swimming after was much more inviting.

When I walked on to the pool deck, Anita said I looked like I've lost more weight, calling me "skinny." I know I haven't lost more, although I've maintained it well for the past three months by not gaining, but her kind words still boosted my ego a bit. I started slow, because I did some weightlifting first, but after a few short sets I felt good and did some speed work for about 20 minutes. Good overall workout today.

Tomorrow's the long-awaited Mount Ogden Summit. I'm so excited!

Total distance: 1,400 yards swimming, 8.5 miles cycling

Back indoors, at least for today

I hit the Roy Rec Center today for the first time in about two weeks. Since I hadn't swam and the weather has been so wonderful, I haven't had a reason to pay to work out there. Today, however, I needed to get some work in on the stationary bike. I'll need to use their machine until Jen's boss lets me borrow his road bike a few weeks before the Turkey Tri. The cycling leg is a 10k, so I set out for that mark and pushed it hard. I ended up cranking that out, plus a little extra in about 22 minutes. The actual bike leg of the triathlon will be a little tougher and likely take me a couple of minutes longer to complete, but that was a good start.

I found another one of these waiting for me at the rec center. It's my fourth one to date, and likely my last for a while.

I followed that up with a fast 1-mile run on the treadmill, before rounding out the day with some push-ups. All-in all, it was a good little workout where I really focused on upping the intensity, rather than the distance. I'll have to improve on that when training for the running leg, because there is brutal 1-mile stretch that goes up a big hill. Tomorrow will be sort of an off day, with just swimming and weights, but Thursday will be a good distance cardio day. Kelly and I are going to finally attempt the Mt. Ogden summit. It will likely take us all day.

Total distance: 6.5 miles cycling, 1 mile running

Sickly swim

I've been battling a bit of a cold that has been going around this past week. I really wanted to work out yesterday, but I was running a fever all day and decided it probably wouldn't be very pleasant if I did. I got plenty of sleep last night, though and I felt much better this morning. Kelly was supposed to meet me for a swim at the Roy Rec Center, but he slept in, also battling that same bloody cold that I have. So I went solo today.

Gyms spread germs, so be sure to wipe the equipment down when you are done.

I rode the bike for about 20 minutes just to get my blood pumping. My cough was starting to act up, so I decided that was a good time to stop and get in the water. I was extra careful to wipe down everything I touched with disinfectant, because I didn't want to spread this shit around. Gyms are common places to catch bugs from other people. The water felt great, though and I really enjoyed the short swim. I only did a handful of sets of 200 yards, doing push-ups and crunches between sets. I got out before there was any discomfort in my shoulder, saving myself for tomorrow. Kelly's going to attempt swimming with me again.

Not a bad little workout, considering I'm still sick.

Total distance: 6.1 miles cycling, 1,000 yards swimming

Sweaty fat f**k

I hit the Roy Rec Center for a long hike on the treadmill this morning. I set the incline to 7.5 (I think the highest it goes is 11 or 12) and walked at 3.4 miles per hour for a full hour. I gradually increased the incline to 9.0 by the time I was done I was absolutely pouring sweat. Seriously, my shirt was soaked. Those "hikes" feel like they burn more calories than regular runs do. It's kind of gross actually, but oddly, you almost are proud of the sweat while you are in the act of working out. It makes you feel like you are actually doing something good and really pushing yourself. It reminded me of an old episode of Jackass dubbed Sweaty Fat F**ks, where the guys stuffed their oversized clothes with bubble wrap and skateboarded around in them.

My crappy low-resolution camera phone couldn't accurately
capture the vast amounts of sweat I poured into my shirt.

The original Sweaty Fat F**ks. I did my best to imitate them.

After that, I did another full hour of weight training and stretching. I really wanted to work on my upper body, given my recent lack of swimming. It was tough, but I was careful to taper my sets and not overdo it on my shoulders.

Total distance: 3.45 miles running (hiking or whatever)

Back in the saddle

Wes joined me at the Roy Rec Center today and it was definitely a good one. The treadmill I wanted to use was broken, so I settled for the stationary bike, but I'm glad I did. My body was itching for a good sweat, so I really pushed it, attempting to break my 1-hour record on the bike, which was 17 miles.

I set the resistance one level higher than normal and went for it, and felt great the whole way. I even had a little extra in me once I hit that 17-mile mark, seeing that I still had about 2:30 left on the clock, so I notched it up two more levels to 12 (I think the max is 15) for the remainder, finishing with 17.75 miles before cooling down. A new high!! And it didn't feel particularly hard. I think the Bear Lake swim really helped boost my overall endurance, even though I've pretty much taken the last two weeks off.

I followed it up with some easy weight work, doing my shoulder tendon exercises and some light bicep/tricep sets. Wes and I are gonna go back at it tomorrow and mix it up a little more. We both are still battling that damn IT band. Perhaps I'll build up the guts to get in the water, too.

Total distance: 18 miles cycling

One with the water

I went to the Roy Rec Center today for an easy swim, just to add a few yards to this week's total. I plan on a long open water swim tomorrow, so I didn't want to push it too hard.

It was hard not to, though, because for some reason I felt particularly good in the water. Most swimmers will tell you there is something about the water that makes athletes feel more involved in their particular sport. More so than running or cycling. Unlike those sports, your body is literally 100 percent involved and 100 percent stimulated by the water. You can feel it all around you, because it is covering your skin. And some days, like today, you just feel one with the water. It almost seems like you are moving through it effortlessly and your stroke feels (although I'm sure it isn't) perfect. Sorry to get all zen about it, but I felt very relaxed and was enjoying my laps a great deal.

That was until it started to get crowded. There were three or four people to a lane and it didn't help that a very attractive gal jumped into my lane. She wasn't a very good swimmer, but it was difficult to concentrate on my stroke every time we passed. I only lasted about 500 yards or so once she got in, and then I decided to call it. I had already done more yards than I wanted to anyway.

Total distance: 2,150 yards

Wannabe Michael Phelps set...

I went to the Roy Rec Center this morning to get a decent swim in to start off the week. I know I'm going to have to focus on open water for the next few weeks before Bear Lake, but today was a nice kick start.

I only had a bit over an hour, so I tried to get in as many yards as possible. I just finished reading Michael Phelps' book "No Limits," and I came across a perfect pool set to train for Bear Lake. He said whenever his coach Bob Bowman was pissed at him, he'd make Phelps do this set.

This surprisingly, turned out to be a very
good read. He's a very good writer and not
entirely full of himself.

1 x 800
2 x 700
3 x 600
4 x 500
5 x 400
6 x 300
7 x 200
8 x 100

That comes out to 12,000 yards, or roughly 6.8 miles, which is dang close to my 7-mile crossing. I decided to see how much of it I could do in about 65 minutes, giving myself 30-second rests between sets. Here's what I pulled off.

1 x 800
2 x 700
2 x 600
1 x 400

I wasn't able to finish the third and final 600 because I ran out of time, so I had to settle for only a 400. It's nowhere near what I need to be at, but I figure if I get up early one of these days and hit the pool where I have plenty of time to swim, I can try and finish this set at least once before the big swim.

Total distance: 3,800 yards

P.S.: I'm so effing excited for the Olympics to start next week, I can't stop thinking about it. Watching the swim competitions is easily my favorite sporting event during the games.

Quick gym workout

Jen and I were in a hurry today, because we are going camping with her family for a few days. I wanted to get one last workout in, just in case I don't end up doing anything while we are up there. The good thing is, it's near Causey Reservoir, so perhaps on Saturday when we leave, I can get a nice long swim in.

I just did the bike and some light weightlifting today. I ended up working particularly hard on my legs, trying to strengthen that damn knee.

Total distance: 13.3 miles cycling

McDonald's guilt = Long bike ride

Normally, I don't feel guilty about the junk I eat. I try to make good decisions some times, but often I just don't care, knowing that I'm exercising enough to make up the difference. However, after eating McDonald's for lunch today, a strange guilt came over me after and I immediately went home, changed and went to the Roy Rec Center.

Camera phones don't focus very well when moving. Bleh...

Lap swim hours were long over, so I hopped on the stationary bike and cranked out 17 miles in just over an hour. I was pouring sweat and felt crummy, probably because of the extremely fatty food in my system. I followed it up with some free weights. According to the machine, I burned just under 700 calories on the bike, probably enough to cover half the meal I ate earlier in the day. Yuck....

Total distance: 17 miles cycling

No Pineview, but a nice pool swim

I was planning on going for a solo open water swim at Pineview Reservoir this morning, but when I woke up, it was really windy outside. Choppy waters usually make swimmers less visible and if I went by myself, it probably wouldn't be the safest idea. Instead I hit the Roy Rec Center for a nice easy swim.

Warm up
200 free
Core
2750 free
Cool down
200 breast

I felt great the whole time and I even picked up my stroke a bit for the last 500 yards or so. With race day on Saturday, I probably will only swim once more this week before giving my shoulder time to rest. Hopefully, it's an open water though.

Total distance: 3,150 yards

Descending 1,000

The Roy Rec Center's hours have officially changed for the summer, severely limiting when I can get in the pool. I now have only a one-hour window to swim every day during the week, but that's OK, because it's about time I start open water season. I'm planning on FINALLY joining Utah Open Water for a group swim at the Salt Lake marina on Thursday to christen the new year of outdoor swimming for 2012. Anyway, here's today's short swim.

Warm up
250 free
Core
2 x 1,000 free (17:03 and 16:31)
300 kick with fins
Cool down
300 easy (alternating breast and free every 50)

I'm still really trying to work on my pacing over long distances, especially after my disappointing one-mile time last Friday, so I tried to do a moderate 1,000 followed by another 1,000 negative split on only 30 seconds rest. I knocked off 32 seconds from the first one, so that's a good start. Getting a good sense of pace and then picking it up down the stretch is a tricky beast in marathon swimming...

Total distance: 2,850 yards

Swim golf with Kelly

Kelly joined me for a swim today and we both decided to try something I read in "Swimmer." It's called swim golf, where you count your strokes and your seconds, add them together and that's your score. We did it in 50's because counting any more beyond that is just a pain in the ass. 

We take our swims very serious

At first I had a score of 79. After 10 attempts, I was able to get it down to 66 a few times, but I couldn't beat it. It really helps with getting more out of every stroke, also teaching you to maximize your kicking. Every time I swam I faster 50, my stroke count went up. Every time I took longer, stronger strokes, my time went up. I couldn't win. It seems like an effective training tool. We also just kind of screwed around and did some other random stuff.

Warm up

150 free

Core

500 free

10 x 50 golf

2 x 100 golf

500 kick

500 free

50 butterfly

Cool down

100 free easy

As you can see, it was quite a random assortment today. My shoulder is hurting (AGAIN!), so I didn't want to push it too hard, but my ice pack will still get full use for the remainder of the day. 

Total distance: 2,500 yards

Empty pool and disappointment

Getting a late start to the pool always seems to burn me. It usually gets busiest at the Roy Rec Center during the late hours of lap swim. However, when I got there today, it was completely empty. It might be the first time this year I've had an entire pool to myself. With nobody around except a lifeguard, I decided to test my mile swim again.

The empty pool just after I finished my swim. Note the ripples still in the water.

Warm up

200 free

Core

1,750 free (hard)

Cool down

1,000 free (alternating 150 free easy and 50 breast)

It felt like I pushed it very hard and I was pretty gassed by about 1,000 yards. The last 250 yards were very tough to muscle through, but I still went hard to finish the set. When I looked at my watch, I was shocked to see 28:56. I swam it nine seconds faster during my last mile test and I felt like I went much faster and harder this time around. I'm about 75% sure I did an extra lap, because I recall losing count for a minute there right around 1,200 yards. Because I can't know for sure, I can't bring myself to knock off 45 seconds or so and count it as my new best mile time. It's a shame, but it just wouldn't feel right. I'll have to make sure I don't lose count next time and really smash my old record.

I did a nice and easy 1,000-yard swim as an extended cool down. I was hoping to go to the Salt Lake Marina and join Gords, Josh, Goody and others for an open-water swim, but once again, I couldn't make it. I have to cover a prep soccer game this afternoon. Hopefully I'll get in a nice nap after, because Jen surprised me with midnight showing tickets for The Avengers tonight. Should be fun...

Total distance: 2,950 yards

Raccoon Man!

Jen makes fun of me whenever she sees me after a swim. I keep my goggles on pretty tight, so for about an hour after I get home from the pool, I have a dark outline around my eyes from them. She says I look like a raccoon. So obviously, after longer swims, the outline sticks on my face for a little longer. And today, I set two new 2012 marks for distance, so I should just be called Raccoon Man for now.

That's me, looking fierce after a swim

Warm up
200 free
Core
4,000 free (1:11.24)
Cool down
150 breast

My shoulder felt FANTASTIC during my swim (I apologize for using all caps). At first, it felt like I was swimming through glue, but after about 2,000 yards I got into a groove and actually increased my pace for the tail end of my set, really focusing on a long smooth stroke. My last high was 3,300 straight and I only planned on doing 3,500 today, but said, "What the hell," and went for 4,000 while my shoulder still felt OK. Good day.

Total distance: 4,350 yards (new 2012 high)

Mock hiking

I wasn't able to make it to the gym today in time for lap swim, so I decided to try something a little different. My knee has been hurting when I run lately, so instead I put the treadmill on a fast walking pace and amped up the incline. I started it out on a 5.0 gradient and gradually worked my way up to 11.0. After 48 minutes, the machine said I covered only 2.75 miles, but I burned 411 calories. I normally burn around 100 calories per mile, so that's a pretty significant increase. And I sure felt it. After the mock hike on the treadmill, I did some shoulder work with free weights to work on my tendinitis issues... you know... strengthening the tendons and all.

After getting all hot and bothered from today's workout, I am pretty excited to "cool off" and hit the pool for an intense swim tomorrow morning.

Total distance: 2.75 miles running (well, kind of)

A hair over two miles

I'm not feeling terribly wordy today, so I'm going to keep it short. My shoulders were still feeling sore from last Friday's weightlifting, but I went for a swim anyway.

Warm up
250 free
Core
3,300 free
Cool down
100 breast

I didn't plan on going for a new 2012 mark today, but after the first 1,200 yards or so -- during which my shoulders were very tight and felt like bags of sand -- I felt like I could go the distance and up my distance a bit. I finished strong with 3,300 yards, which was 300 yards longer than my last mark, and I probably could have kept going. I didn't want to press my luck, though, and I am currently icing the crap out of my shoulder now.

Total distance: 3,650 yards

Baby boomers bouncing on my last nerve

I was in a good mood when I showed up at the pool today. I was planning on a nice short swim before meeting Jen for lunch. However, I let something that's been irritating me for a while boil to the surface when I walked out on to the pool deck. The water aerobics class is supposed to end at 9:30 every day. The time window is very narrow after that for those of us who want to get in some laps. But almost every day, five or six old people continue to do additional water aerobic exercises after their time is up, clogging up half the lanes in the pool, when their is a perfectly good shallow section off to the side for them to do any of that stuff.

Water aerobics is over, now get out of the bloody lap swim lanes...

It's usually just a mild irritation, because the remaining lanes aren't always full, so I can at least squeeze in and share a lane with a few others until the oldies clear out. But today, there were a few of us waiting to get in and lap swim and we asked the ladies if they'd move over to the shallow section to 'finish' up their workout so we can lap swim. They all kind of scoffed at us and one had the nerve to tell us to "be patient, we don't have too much more left." At that point, I sort of snapped and pointed out that lap swim goes from 9:30 to 11 and it is now 9:40 and I'm getting in whether you like it or not. I jumped in the water and plowed ahead and two of them slowly scooted out of my way as I approached. They gradually flocked to their designated area after that.

I don't mean to generalize, but I often find that senior citizens have a false sense of entitlement and a very jaded view on their role in society. Every person is different, but some act like I should coward at their feet and kiss their asses at all times just because of their age/status. The whole respecting your elders thing is a terrible quote, because I'm a firm believer in showing respect to everyone, even though I will always have room to improve in that department. Their attitude sometimes mirrors a disrespectful teenager, who also thinks the world owes him/her everything. I wonder if people in their 30's, 40's and 50's look at younger folk and older folk in the same annoying light. Meh...

Anyway, here's what I swam after bullying the old ladies out of the lap swim lanes

Warm up
200 free
Core
1,750 free (29:31)
5 x 100 free sprints
Cool down
200 breast

I knocked another 31 seconds off my one-mile pool time this year. My best time last year was 28:36, and I hope to smash that before June. The GSL open water race is inching closer every day.

Total distance: 2,650 yards