First summer swim on Crystal Lake

The lake is exceptionally warm this year. Who says global warming isn't real? First we get half as much snow as Washington and New York, and now Crystal Lake is over 60 degrees before Memorial Day? Until I have ocean front property, I guess global warming is working for me.

Gary, John and I did 3 miles and it felt good. Also along for the ride were Jaime and Liz who went about 1.5 miles. It was crisp (read cold) at first but then felt good. The last 1/2 mile I did start to get cold again and get that numb lip almost slurry speech thing going on, but we were done so it didn't matter. I recommend the two bathing cap and one hoodie approach until it gets a bit warmer.

Looking forward to some more lake swims before the big race June 13th. Next training swim with my friend 'al fresco' ---> Friday 5/28 @6am. Cheers!

Distance training

Basically to me this just means space out for an hour and keep swimming. I've taken the intensity down a gear and am just trying to get my body used to swimming without stopping (and save my shoulder). So far this week 6300 and tomorrow this is the workout. Not sure I'll get it all done but some is better than none.

warm 500 pull alt breath every 3

10 x 200

# 1 swim free :15 sec rest between 200's

# 2 kick fly on back

# 3 back swim

# 4 descend 50's free

# 5 descend 25's free

# 6 Negative split 100/100

#7 all out

# 8 ez pull

# 9 allout

# 10 ascend 25's

1500 mile swim each 500 10 sec faster

10 x 100 super set @ 1:25

sd 500

total 5500 yds

Going the Distance

Enjoyed my first distance workouts this week. It is a huge shift for me from the intense rapid fire sprint training I have been doing all year. In fact I almost never have made this shift. Swimming the 1000 last week was eye-opening for me. I really enjoyed it. So much time to think and stretch out and just "be" in the race as opposed to have it "happen".

Yesterday I swam 5500 yards... The longest I have ever swum in a workout I think. It was rather nice although I do not think I could have done it without some good company.

Thought about zooming in on the tiles. Lots of time to really think about being in the water and just get into the rhythm of swimming. Feel the cadence of my breaths. Enjoy the bubbles underwater on turns. Stretch out and streamline.

My shoulder held up okay which I am very happy about. I took my speed down a whole gear so to speak and I think this not only allowed my shoulder to make it but also made the whole workout more enjoyable.

Goal for the GBSwim in June ... go the distance... long and strong.

Zones 2010: Short version

I came I went I swam. After sitting in 90 minutes of traffic to go 10 miles that is. Got to love the city life. Got to the meet with 15 minutes to go before the first heat. Had to talk our way in. It worked! Needless to say I had lots of adrenaline revved up for the 1000.

12:31.33 in the 1000

39 MAINE MASTERS SW 12:30.00   12:31.33                    

31.97      1:07.05 (35.08)         

1:43.13 (36.08)     2:20.44 (37.31)         

2:58.29 (37.85)     3:36.38 (38.09)         

4:14.91 (38.53)     4:53.09 (38.18)         

5:31.68 (38.59)     6:10.61 (38.93)         

6:49.40 (38.79)     7:28.23 (38.83)         

8:07.02 (38.79)     8:46.30 (39.28)         

9:25.19 (38.89)    10:03.66 (38.47)        

10:41.99 (38.33)    11:19.91 (37.92)        

11:56.52 (36.61)    12:31.33 (34.81)

56.6 in the 100 (bad turns and slow 2nd 50)

DQ in the 200 back. (If you miss a wall you miss it, there's no going back I learned).

I had the kids the whole time so that was interested.

After the 1000 on Friday night I let them get in the warm down pool which was in a separate room from the 2 main competition pools. No one was in the shallow end (4 feet or something). They were having a blast. Life was good. I was in the hot tub immediately adjacent "warming down". Two men commented how nice it was to see kids learning about competition and splashing around in the pool at the same time. Don't hear comments like this from men too often. And yet... the aquatic center manager kicked the kids out as some members of the general public thought it was unfair that they couldn't swim too. What?? I had paid for this. They were with me. He wouldn't even let them sit on the bench on the side of the pool. Umm... do you have a babysitting service or something. Like they are mine and are with me....

Anywho the meet was good. Got to meet Rob Butcher. Very cool.

Here's the nice pic we got. (Thanks Son!)

Son, Rich, Me and Rob Butcher

The Warm-Up Pool is Open: Future MESC recruits?