A little extra yardage

I did the 5:30am master's workout at Highlands Ranch and then a few extra yards. Dave Galli and I have a weekly yardage challenge as we are gearing up for Catalina and I'll admit it was competitiveness that got me out of bed at 5 and prompted me to do an extra 1000 after a low yardage practice...

100 warm-up
10 x 50 (4 build/ez, 3 ez/fast, 2 drill/swim, 1 fast)
1 x 400 pull
1 x 300 (every 3rd length stroke)
6 x 100 (3 IM descending on 1:45, 3 free descending on 1:30)
1 x 400 (2oo pull, 200 free)
6 x 100 (3 IM descending on 1:55, 3 free descending on 1:40)
1 x 300 "strip" (150 paddles/buoy, 100 buoy only, 50 free)
6 x 50 kick (3 fly descending on 1:10, 3 free descending on 1:00)
1 x 100 easy
6 x 50 kick (3 fly descending on 1:10, 3 free descending on 1:00)
1 x 100 easy
4 x 25 no-breathers on 1:00
1 x 1000 ladder (50,100,150,200,200,150,100,50)
=5,100 yards

Yeah- and another "rare" Pacific shark attack and death yesterday ;)
http://www.surfline.com/surfnews/article_bamp.cfm?id=15109

Sprints at Altitude

Susan Williams called this mornings set at Highlands Ranch Northridge Recreation Center. I was still a little sleep deprived from yesterday's travel from Orange County to Denver:

10 x 100 yds (4 on 1:30, 3 on 1:25, 3 on 1:20)
12 x 25 yds (3 sprint, 1 easy, all on :30)

Repeat 3 times:
1 x 100 yds (25 sprint, 75 easy on 1:30)
1 x 100 yds (50 sprint, 50 easy on 1:35)
1 x 100 yds (75 sprint, 25 easy on 1:40)
1 x 100 yds (100 sprint on 1:45)
1 x 100 yds (100 easy on 1:45)

Repeat 3 times:
1 x 250 pull (breath every 3,5,3,7,3 on the 50)
1 x 100 butterfly kick on the back
1 x 50 easy

200 warmdown

=4,200 yards

Shark Free Workout in Irvine

Dave and I did the Novaquatics workout this morning at 7:30 instead of Corona Del Mar. RJ called the set at WAC in Irvine under sunny skies and temperatures approaching 90 degrees.

400 warmup
6 x 200 (pull, kick, swim, 1st round free, 2nd back)
6 x 500 (descending 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, last 100 back) on 7:00
6 x 75 (stroke, 50 drill, 25 sprint) on 1:30
Ladder: ascending 50,100,150,200 pull
descending 200,150,100,50 free
200 warmdown
= 6,100 yards

Triathlete Eaten By Shark

Well, it finally happened. A triathlete swimming with a group in North San Diego County was bitten by a shark and bled to death this morning. This attack followed an abnormally high number of shark sightings in LA and Orange Counties in the past couple of months:

http://www.sharkresearchcommittee.com/pacific_coast_shark_news.htm

The recent increase in seals at CDM, the cooler water and more fish, and CDM's proximity to the Solana Beach attack (about 50 miles to the north), Dave and I decided to do some extra pool yardage for the next little while.

Lots of 200s

Never gets easier to get up before 5:30am...

Today's set was called by Coach Susan Williams:
1 x 400 yds (100 free, 50 back , 100 free, 50 back, 100 free)
1 x 300 yds (3 x 100IMs)
1 x 200 yds (4 x (25 fast, 25 easy))
1 x 100 yds kick
12 x 25 (3 Fast, 1 easy) on :30
6 x 200 yds (3 on 2:40, 2 on 2:35, 1 on 2:30)
6 x 50 yds (1 easy, 2 fast , 1 easy, 2 fast) on 1:00
4 x 200 yds (on 2:40, 2:30, 2:40, 2:30)
6 x 50 yds (2 easy, 1 fast , 2 easy, 1 fast) on 1:00
2 x 200 pull on 3:00
200 warmdown
=4,500 yards

An 80 degree day in Denver

The 6-8 inches of snow last Thursday melted away days ago and now the weather is getting hot. I slept with the window open last night and hardly needed a jacket at 5:15 as I headed to swimming practice. The set:
4 x 150 on 2:00
4 x 75 on 1:30
4 x 50 on 1:00
4 x 25 on :40 fast

400 pull - even hundreds stroke

Repeat 2 times:
4 x 50 on 1:05 IM order
1 x 200 on 2:45
4 x 50 on 1:15 IM order - faster
1 x 200 on 3:00 middle 100 fast

100 easy
1000 pull on 1:15 pace
400 warm down

Total = 4,700 yards

Running @ 6,000 feet

Got up at 4am to head to Denver this morning, but a step on the scale during my preparations made it clear that my excercise/food balance since the Half Ironman 3 weeks ago had resulted in 10 new pounds. Additionally, Dave and I decided we needed to start upping our yardage in the pool as we gear up for Catalina. We decided a little friendly competition was in order. Also, the OC register confirmed what Dave and I felt on Friday- a northwest swell is expected to drop water temperatures to the low 50s, cooler than January!

So I ran. Did 5 miles after work around the Denver Tech Center area.

Monday Morning in California

Instead of flying to Denver, I had a 9am meeting in Seal Beach, leaving me enought time to do the 5:45am workout in Aliso Viejo at Soka University. It was nice to see the old workout buddies. The workout- long course meters was:

4 x 100m (Free, Back, Free, Breast)
15 x 150m (descending 5 seconds 1-5, 6-10, 11-15)
500m kick (last half of return sprint dolphin kick)
100m warmdown
= 3,250m (3550 yards)

Saturday with RJ

With Mike and Ahelee in Perth, Australia coaching and participating in the 2008 FINA World Masters Championship, RJ called the set at 7:30:
200 warm-up (breath every 4th stroke on weak side)

Repeat 4 times:
5 x 25 kick on :30 descending

Repeat 4 times:
4 x 25 swim (right arm, left arm, build, fast)

Easy 100

Repeat 4 times:
4 x 100 IM (descending) 15-20 seconds rest

Easy 50
4 x 250 pull on 3:30

300 swim on 1:15/100 pace

100 cool down
=4,250 yards

Cold Ocean Swim

After a crazy adventure to get home from Denver that involved being booked or standby on 3 different flights, flying into another airport, taking a shuttle bus to Orange County and arriving home at 1:30am, I was still determined to do an swim with Dave Galli at Corona Del Mar this morning at 7am.

Online reports of the Sea Surface Temperature indicated that the morning swim would be a relatively comfortable high 50s. I'm not sure what the real temperature was, but for the first time this year, it was painful to enter the water. I had a difficult time catching my breath and felt pain as my head cut through the water. With my choppy stroke, I struggled to keep up with Dave during the first quarter mile. I actually got a little worried being a couple hundred yards offshore. I determined to keep up with him and finally caught my breath and rhythm. After a 3/4 a mile, we decided to head for shore to figure out how much more we should try to swim. On the way in to shore, we hit a cold water upwelling and felt the temperature drop another 5-10 degrees. We decided 1 mile was good for today.

I came home in time to walk/jog a few miles to Soka University and back with my wife.

Late April Snow

Yesterday afternoon the snow started falling here in Denver and there were a few inches on the ground by morning as seen in the picture of Highland's Ranch Northridge Recreation Center before my swim.

We had a written workout that we followed:

10 x 100 yds (4 on 1:30, 3 on 1:25, 2 on 1:20, 1 on 1:10)

2 rounds of:
2 x 50 drill on 1:00
2 x 100 build on 1:30
2 x 25 FAST on :30

600 swim, 50 Fast, 50 med, 50 easy on 8:30
4 x 150 yds pull gear on 1:55
400 yds steady swim on 5:20
4 x 100 yds (50 kick, 50 swim- descending 1-4) on 1:50
200 yds swim/drill
4 x 50 Fast on 1:00
100 easy
200 warm down
= 4,400 yards

Tax Day Swim

I got back to Orange County late on Sunday night and had to get up at 4am on Monday to catch a flight back to Denver. On Monday, I was up late doing expense reports and taxes, but I was determined to get to swimming workouts Tuesday morning even though I was exhausted from 2 nights of little sleep when the 5:15am alarm went off.

Coach Susan Williams called the set:
5 x 125 (100 swim, 25 drill)
4 x 75 (50 swim, 25 kick)
4 x 50 (25 fast, 25 easy)

5 x 50 (FAST- Best possible average) on :55
100 easy
4 x 100 (50 Fast, 50 moderate) on 1:45
100 easy
3 x 150 (50 Fast, 100 moderate) on 2:45
100 easy
2 x 200 (50 Fast, 150 moderate) on 3:30
100 easy
1 x 250 (50 Fast, 200 moderate)
100 easy

4 x 100 pull (first 25 2 breaths) on 1:30

200 warm-down

=3,850 yards

Last Day in Denver

Needed to head back to California this morning. We decided to do the laudry before we packed. I was able to sneak in a run during the wash cycle- only 2.5 miles, but it was good to get in my first run since the the California Half Ironman. My knees and foot were a little achy for a few hours afterward. I guess I'm still healing from last month's 2 half marathons.

After the Storm

Woke a little late on Thursday to a spring blizzard here in Denver. There was almost a foot of snow on the ground, more coming down, and a good wind too. I decided to spend a few more minutes with the family. It was still coming down at lunch, though a little lighter. My little California brood wasn't accustomed to the wet and snow and I ended up carrying some of my open shoed kids through the slush filled parking lots.

On Friday, I was out the door at 5:15am to get in another swim of about 4,000 yards. Coach Paul had to leave after less than 3,000 yards, so me and another masters swimmer of the similar speed, Joe, threw in another 1,200 yards at the end keeping a 1:15 per 100 pace. Plans this afternoon to visit Colorado Springs, the USAT, and Olympic training center among other things.

Wednesday with new coach

Did the 5:30 workout at Highlands Ranch with the new coach Paul.

200 warm up
12 x 25 (4 x free, 4 x IM, 4 x stroke)
Repeat 2X, first time drill, second time kick
16 x 50 ?
300 pull, every 3rd non-free
16 x 100 on 1:25, 1:30, 1:40, 1:40 (free, IM, stroke, fast)
200 kick
1000 pull
200 warm down

= 4,900 yards

Building Insulation Without Even Trying

I drove with my family from Orange County to Denver over the weekend. A thousand miles of sitting and eating fast food and snacks without exercise allowed me to become noticeably "thicker" (6-8 pounds) in just a few days. My pants were a little tight and I was anxious to get back in the pool. I could feel the difference that the extra weight, lack of exercise and lack of sleep had made since Friday.

200 warm-up
Coach Susan Williams called the set:
4 x 250 (150 moderate, 100 pull, kick, pull, drill)
6 x 100 (25 Fast, 25 moderate, 50 easy) on 1:40

1 x 500 (200 moderate, 100 fast, 200 moderate) on 7:00
1 x 300 (100 moderate, 100 fast, 100 moderate) on 4:30
1 x 100 fast on 2:00
repeated 2 times

100 easy
6 x 75 pull on 1:15 (25 1 breath, 50 moderate)
200 warmdown
=4,350 yards

Back in the Pacific with our Animal Friends

I headed to Corona Del Mar for a 6:45am dip with Dave Galli. I arrived a little early and had a chance to watch a little dog on a barge in the Newport boat channel guard his domain from a group of playful seals. One watched us from the surf as we headed down the beach, but disappeared as we entered the water.

We got into the 50-something degree swells and swam 4 laps of the buoys (~2 miles) in about 50 minutes. The water was murky with only about 5 feet of visibility. Right after we got out of the water, a pod of dolphins swam back and forth about 50 feet offshore of where we came out of the water.

Swimming and Snow

It was snow mixed with rain at 5:30am as I headed for the Northridge Althetic Center in Highlands Ranch. Susan Williams called the set:
100 yds warm-up

200 swim
100 back
200 swim
100 IM
200 swim
100 drill

4 x 25 kick fast on :35
50 Easy on :50
100 butterfly kick on the back on 2:30
Repeated 2 times

4 x 25 no / 1-breathers with pull gear on :35
50 easy pull on 1:00

200 pull tempo on 2:30

Repeated 2 times

300 (25 Fast, 25 Medium, 25 EZ, 4 times) on 4:30
2 x 200 yds on 2:30
4 x 100 yds (odds easy, evens fast) on 1:30
Repeated 2 times

200 warm down

=4,600 yards (2.6 miles)

I was feeling exhausted on the last set and even missed some intervals...not good. Not sure if it was the altitude, sleep, or lingering effects of the half ironman, but regardless- I need to get the yardage up so that I can easily maintain a 1:15 pace for 10,000 yds.

Swimming at 6,000 feet again

Got myself up at 5:15 am Mountain Time and down to the Highlands Ranch Pool for the Triathlon swim workout. Sue Williams called the set:
100 yds swim
100 yds drill
100 yds kick
Repeated 2X
4 x 50 (stroke down, free back, IM order)
2 x 50 kick
Repeated 3X
4 x 25 drill
2 x 50 moderate
1 x 100 fast
Repeated 5X
200 warm-down
=3,200 yards