Father of Six

I swam a 2000 yard workout before work on Monday. It was a typical 500 yd warm up, followed by a 2 x 500 yard main set with 15 sec rest between, and where I try to swim the second 500 faster than the first. And finally a 500 yard cool down.

What was different about this swim was that I hit the split function on my watch after each 500, and then again before I start the next one. Here is how my intervals turned out:

10:06 (54 sec rest)
9:49 (16 sec rest)
9:37 (60 sec rest)
10:27 (end of workout)

On August 6th I mentioned that I thought I could get pretty close to a 9 minute 500. These splits indicate that 9 minutes may not be challenging enough. And I have a secret - I’m not doing flip turns! I’ve been practicing my flip turns after each work out, but I don’t feel comfortable/confident enough doing them in a race or time trial type swim. My biggest concern seems to be the breathing deficit/delay - it feels like I’m spending a very long time under the water during a flip turn. I’ll get there, but not any time soon I’m afraid.

I ran 3 miles on a flat course around my home early Sunday morning. Nothing too difficult, and finished comfortably in 30:47.

After our meeting, fellow Headstrong member Matty O. and I went for a 10 mile ride of my neighborhood route. Matty is a former amateur racing cyclist and is definitely a superior bike rider. Riding with him help me improve my average speed, but I was sure trashed afterwards. I still think three things are negatively affecting my cycling performance - #1, my body weight, #2, the weight of my bike, and #3, lack of training. I’m trying to work on all three.

I started the Tri-Swim-Coach nutrition plan today, as well as had my first workout since last Saturday.

To ease back into it, I decided to just do a simple 2000 yard swim. I felt absolutely great, as I just cruised without pushing too hard. I finished in 43:07. Not sure how that compares to other swims of this distance, but I can most certainly say that I haven’t felt this good during and after a swim like this.

I woke up last Sunday morning (Aug.12) not feeling so well. Decided I needed a day off, which turned into taking the entire week off. I felt tired, sore, achy, and irritable all week, so I probably needed a break from strenuous activity.

On Sunday past, we also had a small bbq, and invited Mom and Vern over for dinner. We had a great visit, although Eric and Brit couldn’t make it. Here are a few pictures.

My favorite shot of the late afternoon was of Boomer on the adult-sized tricycle in the backyard. He was convinced that if he tried hard enough that he could ride it.

The rest of my week was consumed with work (another midnight on Wednesday) getting Danielle registered for school, and other domestically related activities.

I also signed up for an electronic triathlon/swimming coaching subscription, which includes some pretty strict dietary recommendations. I’m going to give it a try for a few weeks because I’m convinced that I’ll never be able get faster unless I lose some weight.

I also discovered that the Triathlon I was going to enter was closed for registration. I’m not too disappointed as I’m not so convinced that the event was going to be worth the money. Plus, I can create a course of my own and have Tami and the kids witness, observe, time and photograph as I race against myself. I’m thinking I’ll train real hard between now and late October and then do my Inaugural Solo Triathlon, and do it for free.

Training starts 8-18-07.

There is something about swimming on Saturday mornings that really fires me up. Maybe it is because I know I don’t have to go into work when I’m through. Maybe it is because there are more people at the pool, and I usually wind up “competing” during my work out. Whatever it is, I hope it continues to motivate me.

I did this 2500 yard workout this morning.

500 yard warm-up
1500 yard swim with every 4th length fast/sprint
500 yard cool down

During the 1500 yard, 3 lengths easy, 1 length fast main set, I found the perfect foil in the lane next to me. My adversary came into the pool well after I had started and began cranking out the laps. I purposely swim my warm up at a slow pace, concentrating on my breathing. During the main set, I focus on my form, but during the every 4th length sprints I really focus on power and it feels like I’m just cruising though the water. The first time I had to sprint a 4th length, my rabbit in lane two was about two body lengths in front of me. I told myself to “go get him” and to my surprise, within four or five strokes I had pulled even. I kept that pace to the end of the pool and found that I had finished the length about one and a half body lengths in front. Cool. This scenario didn’t play out for each of my 4th length sprints, but when it did, it was a lot of fun to go catch and power past my mate in lane two.

I went to Arapahoe High School to run a few 440’s at the track. Much to my surprise, and delight, as I got to the track, the football team was just taking the field. I love football and the sights and sounds were inspiring as I did this workout.

I’m not much of a speed guy, meaning I don’t work on speed very much. I put in my miles, but they are usually at the same pace. Since the broken foot episode, I’ve decided to put in meaningful, quality runs, rather than just piling up the mileage. Once a week I’m going to run the very hilly course in Highlands Ranch, once a week I’ll run the flat easy course in my neighborhood, and once a week I’m going to do some speed workouts, preferably at the track.

Here is the “intro to speed” workout I did in the midst of the AHS football team at 6 am.

1 mile warm up
6 x 440 yards at 5k target pace with a 1:20 walk in between each
(2:20, 2:14, 2:12, 2:09, 2:12, and 2:04)
1/2 mile cool down

I swam this 2500 yard workout on Thursday before work.

500 yard warm up
10 x 50 with 5 seconds rest after each set
5 x 200 with 2nd 100 faster than the 1st
500 yard cool down

I really like swimming, and these workouts are more challenging than the straight ahead, lap after lap monotony of seeing how far I can swim without stopping.

I set off to ride a 15+ mile ride on Wednesday morning. I mapped a new route that would give me fewer intersections and corners, hoping that this would help me improve my average speed.

The southerly direction of this new course was all uphill so that higher average speed idea was shot, but I was enjoying the route just the same.

On my second loop, and going up a pretty significant hill, I threw my chain off the chain ring, and it wound up wrapping itself around the crank arm. I couldn’t get the thing loose. So I had to make a 5:45am phone call to get picked up on the road.

Since it was so dark out I didn’t see that I actually broke two links in the chain. I took the bike to Arapahoe Cyclery where Duane fixed it up for me.

The ride turned out to be about 11 miles.

I ran a pretty flat 5 mile course through the neighborhood this morning before work. It’s the same course I use for my bike circuits. It rained most of the evening last night and this morning was very overcast and humid at 5AM. I didn’t push the pace too much and finished at time of 53:03. Average HR was 148. A good run.

After spending almost the entirety of Sunday being a slacker, I found enough willpower to get out of bed and go for my swim this morning. I did this workout.

500 yard warm-up
2 x 600 yards with negative splits
500 yard cool down.

I think I could do a sub-10 minute 500 yards if I had to right now. I’m sure if it were race conditions, and I was anticipating the adrenalin assist, I could probably get pretty close to the 9 minute mark. Not bad for an old middle aged dude who just started swimming again in June after some 25+ years.