Open water swimming

I almost forgot that I signed up for a swim in Sarosota this month at Siesta Key Beach. It's suppose to be one of the most beautiful beaches in FL.  I am looking forward to racing the 5K Oct. 24th. 

In the meantime, last week was a good week of swimming practices......

Monday 9/21 

Warm
600 loose

Preset
8 x 50 descend 1>4 @ 1'

2 x 300 Pull
2 x 200 swim
2 x 300 swim
2 x 200 pull

1 x 200 scull/swim by 50
1 x 200 back/free
5 x 100 swim (50 fast/50 ez)

100 cool

Tuesday 9/22

Warm 
600 loose

Preset:
6 x 75 (K/D/S) @ 1:15
Drills -  Catch up fist, quick breath, double head tap - repeat
8 x 50 1>4 des. @ 1'

Main
10 x 200
1-4 @ 3:15
5 - 7 @ 3
8-9 @ 2:45
10 @ 2:30 :-(  missed it by couple sec. 

200 cool

Thursday - spent time with familia :-)

Friday Masters Practice 9/25/15 – Happy birthday Kathleen!

“Wake up every morning with the thought that something wonderful is going to happen”

Warm

400 swim

300 pull

200 kick

100 non free choice

12 x 25 @ :40

1 Drill

1 Build

1 Kick fast

repeat

16 x 75 rolling speed play @ 1:20

1 – ex

1 – 25 fast/50 ez

1 – 50 fast/25 ez

1 – all fast

repeat

1 x 300 pull (long stretch it out)

4 x 200 broken

#1,2 – 5 sec. At 50, 10 sec. At 150

#3,4 – 5 sec. 50, 100, /10 sec. At 150

200 cool

3800scy

                                              Friendly dolphin have a nice swim

The weekend was a nice relaxing beachy ocean swimming kind of weekend. Saturday I met with a small group of Vanderbilt regulars and we did our normal route to La Playa and back to Vandy beach.  Sunday is the 'regular' staple SWFL open water swimming meeting at Vandy beach.  We had a nice large group of about 11 or so.  One person in particular in the group is Jason Gunter, who is a double amputee and he will be racing in Kona in a few weeks. He is an amazing inspiration to all of us.  You watch a video about his story on Youtube.  Good luck Jason!

Even though I feel like I am swimming easy in the ocean, it seem to sap my energy for Monday's practice. I was not feeling it at all and shortened the 4K workout to 3K.

Missed the super moon on Sunday night due to extreme cloudy weather :-(

Monday 9/28

Warm 
500 loose

Preset: fins and snorkel
10 x 50 odds Drill, evens (K/S by 25) @ :55 

Main:  pace set 1:30 base. you can do this all swimming, but I get bored and need to incorporate toys!

1 x 300 swim
4 x 100  (pull)
2 x 250 swim
3 x 100 (fins kick swim)
3 x 200 swim
2 x 100 snorkel
skipped the rest:
4 x 150
1 x 100

100 cool

The pool deck is in and looks very pretty. I matched the tile layout to the house so there is a nice flow.  The heater was installed yesterday. We are suppose to be completed in about 2 more weeks. The screen will go up this week (hopefully!) and final grading completed on the back side.  Yigo is ready to go for a swim for sure!

Beautiful Glass Tile

The pool construction seems to be moving at a snails pace, so hopefully  we will be able to enjoy it very soon.  The grading for the deck was completed today, with hopes to install the pavers, however the rain put that off, so tomorrow the deck and lanai should be installed. The aquamarine glass tile is very good quality and is an upgrade. It's the same product as our pool contractor has on his very own pool. 

Swimming this week has been good. Been feeling a little tired, but managed some good quality practices.  These workouts are all originals.... :-)

Monday SCY N. Ft. Myers Community Pool

Warm 

400 loose
400 pull
200 (drill /swim by 50)
Preset:
8 x 50 @ 1' descend 1-4, 5-8
8 x 25 @ :30, perfect, breakout, build, fast (repeat)
Main
Swim - pace
2 x 150
3 x 100
Kick/swim by 50 (fins optional) fast kick
2 x 150
3 x 100
break to get gear on
Pull - strong (faster interval than swim set)
2 x 150
3 x 100
Swim - FAST 1st. 50
2 x 150
3 x 100

200 cool
4,1K scy

Tuesday - scy - FCGU

Warm

600 (swim/back by 50)

4 x 100 snorkel (kick/scull/kick/swim)

10 x 75 @ 1:10

8 x 75 @ 1:15 (odds free/back/free, evens 50 free/25 back)

chat with the lifeguards

200 pull

200 cool 

Wednesday -scy - N. Ft. Myers Comm. - IM practice!

Warm

200 swim

200 pull

200 kick

Preset

8 x 50 (stroke/free IM order) @ 1'

12 x 50 switchers - (fly/back-back/br-br/fr-fr/fly - repeat) @ 1' for first 8, then :55 last 4

Main

400 swim

4 x 100 IM 

300 Pull

3 x 100 IM

200 swim

2 x 100 Im

100 pull

1 x 100 IM

400 cool

Freaky Fast Friday!!

Warm

300 swim

200 drill/swim by 50

100 kick

Preset

10 x 50 (odds build, evens kick/drill) @ 1'

4 x 100 pull - breath 3/5/7/9 by 25 @ 1:30

Main 4 xs

1 x 100 perfect @ 1:30

1 x 75 (FAST/EZ/FAST) @ 1:15

1x 75 perfect @ 1:15

1 x 50 FAST @ 1'

Main 2xs

1 x 200 perfect @ 3:15

1 x 100 EZ/FAST/EZ/FAST @ 1:30

1 x 100 Perfect @ 1:45

1 x 50 SPRINT!!! @ 1' 

Cool 

4 x 100 back/fr by 50 @ 1:45

Happy Laps!!!!!

GCST Masters Program in N. Ft. Myers

An additional GCST Masters location has been added to SWF!!   Starting Monday September 14th,  any USMS member, or USAT member can train at the N. Ft. Myers pool on Monday / Wednesday / Friday from 5am - 6:30am.  In order to train with GCST you are required to join GCST, be a member of USMS OR USAT, and have a Lee county pool pass or pay a drop in fee for the pool $4, plus a drop in fee for the practice,  $5. 

I am really and truly very excited to head up this program!  I have already planned a practice for Monday.   The sessions will be divided as such:
Monday - aerobic, threshold, drills
Wednesday - IM, stroke focused
Friday - Fast sprinting

As soon as we build the numbers up, I will consider adding Tuesday and Thursdays. 

Looking forward to meeting everyone, and be sure and help with the lane line set up and breakdown as needed!  Thanks!

For last weeks swimming practices:

Wednesday IM in Naples - SCY
This was a good set to really wake you up. I will most likely recycle this workout:

Warm
400 reverse IM order easy swim
200 IM kick
200 IM drill

PreSet
8 x 50 @ 1'
1-4 free, 5-8 IM order
25 drill/25 perfect swim

8 x 25 @ :30
1-4 fast, 5-8 fast IM

Main Set
4 x 100 FRIM @ 1:45
2 x 300 (100 fly, 100 free ez, 100 fly) @ 5

3 x 100 FRIM @ 1:40
2 x 300 (100 back, 100 ez free, 100 back) @ 5

2 x 100 FRIM @ 1:35
2 x 300 (100 br/ 100 ez free/ 100 br) @ 6

1 x 100 FRIM

300 cool

Friday SCY - San Carlos pool
Warm
500 loose
8 x 50 (drill / swim by 25) @ 1'

Main 
200 @ 3:30 (snorkel)
1 x 150 @ 2:30 (pull)
1 x 100 @ 1:30  FAST
200 @ 3:30 (snorkel)
1 x 150 @ 2:30 (pull)
3 x 100 @ 1:30 FAST!
200 @ 3:30 (snorkel)
1 x 150 @ 2:30 (pull)
5 x 100 @ 1:30 FAST!

Pull Set with  band
3 x 250

cool 200 mix stroke

Happy Laps!!

Saturday - taught a swimming technique lesson to a triathlete at FGCU.
Did a little swimming afterwards,  but no official workout.  

During the day, we have a neighbor, Ginny, come to the house to take Yigo for a walk during the day while we are away, and one way to show our appreciation was to have her and her father over for dinner.  They are from the seacoast up north and recently moved to FL. 

The dinner was extremely delicious, if I must say so myself.  :-))

The Menu:

Plantain chips encrusted chicken breast
Coconut, lime basil rice, with a coconut, lime, champagne sauce (gravy)
Spicy shelled edamame beans
Mixed salad greens with a tangy citrus dressing
Dessert:
Strawberry upside down cake with fresh strawberries.

So everything except the 'cake' was homemade. 

Wow!  

Our pool is moving along at a giant SNAILS pace!  Really, I think I could have swim around the state of florida (twice!) in the time it has taken our builder to complete this pool. We have pallets of pavers for the lanai sitting on our grass for the past 2-3 weeks. The builder was here two days in a row putting on the coping for the edge of the pool. It looks really pretty.  I need to have a serious conversation with him regarding when he will complete this job. I have been VERY VERY patient with his progress until now. 

Live and Laugh

Laughing will keep you young and I truly believe that.  My dear friend and mentor, Fernando, told me something, "It takes as much energy to be angry as it does to be happy."  Why not choose the later?   I was looking through old picture books that my mom has kept over the years and I noticed something in the photos that struck a cord. Most of the photos that she took of me, my brother and sister, we are laughing. I think my mom  loved to carry her camera around and take pictures of whenever she saw us playing or carrying on. There are pictures of us dancing around a tree in the yard. Opening Christmas presents, playing in the pool, having a birthday party, having a picnic in the backyard while the dog sits with us, and walking along a trail during a family vacation. It seems as if almost every photo, except for the ones where we might be crying because we didn't get our way, paints a picture of that perfect childhood growing up. I have so much to be thankful for. 

As I browse through the photos and see my little sister, who is no longer with us, I get sad, and wish I knew why and what happened.  It will always be a mystery to be and many times I think that I could have done something, like been there for her or TALK to her!  It is painful, and even easy to bury that pain of missing her. As I continue on with my merry day, I smile when I think of her knowing that she is looking down on me and protecting me from harms way. Especially those times when I have crashed on my bike to the extent that it is a miracle I am still walking around! Thank you Kathleen!  I hope to see her face in my dreams, but not as of yet.  Her birthday is this month.

This weeks swim training for Tuesday - Labor Day
Thursday I tried to get in a lunch time swim and managed 20 minutes in the FGCU pool. It was a 15 commute from my office, and with an hour lunch that was all I had time for. It was better than nothing. 

Tuesday - LCM at FGCU
400 swim
300 pull
200 kick
6 x 50 kick (fast /ez with snorkel)
Main
6 x 100 @ 1:45
200 pull @ 3:15
4 x 100 @ 1:40
200 pull
2 x 100 @ 1:35
200 pull
1 x 100 @ 1:30
200 cool

Wednesday - SCY w/ GCST
500 loose
5 x 100  breath 3,5,7,9
Main - 3xs
4 x 75 @ 1:10
2 x 50 @ 1'
4 x 25 kick fast @ :40
1 x 100 ez
Pull
6 x 200 @ 3' descend
100 cool

Freaky Fast Friday with T2NM, SCY
Special treat to have coach Paul Yetter coaching us!
Warm
1  x 400
1 x 200 kick
1 x 200 pull
Breath Control w/ Pull Gear
8 x 75 @ 1:20 odds breath every 5th, evens breathe every 6th. 

Speed Play
8 x 50 @ 1:10
5 strokes no breath free (fast), then easy free to 25 wall, second 25 build to sprint.

Walls Work
4 x 75 @ 1:20
No breath (2strokes in, 1 stroke out) OR (1 in, 2 out) on all lengths

Swim Down 4 x 50 free/back w/ under H2O turns.

Saturday, FGCU, LCM with a folks from GCST
500 Warm
Pre Set 2xs
2 x 100
6 x 50
4 x 150 
Main
200 
3 x 100 (pull)
200 swim
3 x 100 (pull)
400 drills, kick.
100 cool

Sunday - Vanderbilt Ocean Swim 
2 miles to and from La Playa.

Labor Day with GCST, SCY
500 Loose
6 x 150 @ 2:45 (free/stroke/free, IM order)
Main
(I kicked this set, but you can swim it)
1 x 200
2 x 150
4 x 100
Pull
1 x 200
2 x 150
4 x100
Main #2
10 x 25 kick @ :40
10 x 25 swim fast @ :30
100 cool

Happy Laps!

Great news - I am going to lead a Master's swim group in N. Ft. Myers at the N. Ft. Myers Community Pool under the Gulf Coast Florida Swim Team.  This area needs an AM swim practice for masters and now is the time!  Yeah!  Once the paperwork is completed we can schedule the first practice. We will probably start out with M/W/F and go from there.  

Sunday ocean fun swim

This post was meant to be published two weeks ago!  Oops.

Thank goodness that hurricane Erica was downgraded to a tropical depression! Unfortunately the effects of the storm devastated most of the Dominican Republic. 

The conditions however at Vanderbilt beach were very ideal for a nice 2 mile swim. 

Tuesday's  LCM workout:

Warm

400 swim

400 (back/swim by 50)

400 pull

Preset:  Kick

6  x 50 (25 fast/ 25 ez)

Main:

6 x 100 @ 1:45

200 pull @ 3:15

4 x 100 @ 1:40

200 pull @ 3:15

2 x 100 @ 1:35 

200 pull @ 3:15

1 x 100 @ 1:30

200 pull

6 x 50 back

200 cool

Happy Laps!