Chicken or the Egg?

I found fresh eggs in Bonita Springs, FL from a farm called Circle C, Happy Hens.  Truly excited to be purchasing locally harvested eggs.    That's the good news, and the bad news is we still do not have cable or internet at our house.  As my friend Michelle commented when I told her the news, "What do you live in a 3rd. world country?" Basically it has taken Comcast over 5 weeks to service, install, connect and connect any type of cable or internet, and it's still in the works, which means  I have to drive 50 minutes to Naples to watch Le Tour de France at my parents house!

Friday morning practice at San Carlos Park pool with GCswim team, I modified the workout a bit to meet my needs, plus due to the fact that the water is so dang hot!!

Warm 
500 choice
Preset:
5 x 100 (25 kick/50swim/25 kick) snorkel
Main
1 x 200 @ 3:30
1 x 150 @ 2:30
1 x 100 @ 1:30 FAST
1 x 200 @ 3:30
1 x 150 @ 2:30
4 x 75 backstroke (suppose to be 3 x 100 FAST @ 1:30)
1 x 200 @ 3:30
1 x 150 @ 2:30
5 x 100 @ 1:30 FAST

1 x 1000 on 15:00 free or pull or snorkel/fins/paddles

cool 100

Saturday - T2 Naples Masters with Coach Jenna - Great IM workout!

Warm
300 swim/200 kick/ 200 pull
Pre Set Kick:
6 x 75 @ 1:30
Main:
400 pull (:30 rest)
4 x 100 IM @ 1:30/1:35/1:40
4 x 50 FAST stroke @ 1'
300 pull (:30 rest)
3 x 100 IM @ 1:30/1:35/1:40
3 x 50 FAST stroke @ 1'
200 pull (:30 rest)
2 x 100 IM @ 1:30/1:35/1:40
2 x 50 FAST stroke @ 1'
100 pull (:30 rest)
1 x 100 IM @ 1:30/1:35/1:40
1 x 50 FAST stroke @ 1'

Cool 150 - 300

Happy Laps!!

Swimming around town

I've enjoyed mixing up my swim locations between Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, and Punta Gorda. 

Wednesday AM 7/15/15 practice from the FGC Master's team: 
*Sam writes one workout, and it's geared to the slower swimmers, so sometimes myself and a few others need to *add yardage* for the given interval. 

5:00am Warm up begins
1 x 500
8 x 50 @ 1' (drill/swim by 25) (optional fins drill/stroke which is what I did b/c I was very tired)

Main:
3 x 150  (or 200*) @ 3:30 
rest 1'
3 x 150 @ 2:45
rest 1'
3 x 75 (or 100*) @ 1:30
rest 1'
3 x  75 (or 100*) @ 1:20
Pull Set (written as I swam it)
1 x 250 @ 3:30
3 x 150 @ 2'
4 x 50 (snorkel & paddles) @ 1'
1 x 200  (snorkel & paddles )@ 3'

cool 1-300

Happy Laps!

Thursday morning I drove to Punta Gorda, however practice was cancelled due to weather (lightening).   There were many people coming to the house to do various jobs, so I stayed put enjoyed a day of rest. 

After experiencing 4 completely different USMS groups in SWF, I can safely make a grading as to which team has the best coaching and where you will get the most benefit. Drum roll please, that group is the T2 Masters in Naples, FL.  I think I intuitively knew this ahead of time, and I was so very lucky to have spent 3 solid months training with them. I will enjoy swimming with them from time to time, and thankfully I am heading their way this Saturday!  Yeah!   

Now for the negative - we have been in our house for 4 weeks, and still no cable. It has been pulling teeth to get Comcast to install the cables, then install a signal, so the final tech guy can hook up the cable!  I am missing the tour and it's sad. When I do see it, I drive to Naples to watch it from my parents house, which is what I will do Friday morning. 

Until next time.....swim fast!

Wheels and Wings

It's been a hot couple of days and the weeks are flying by!  

It was time to dig out a smaller cassette and stop riding a 27x12 and swap the climbing cassette with a more appropriate flat lander cassette with a 23x12.  The 27 was on there very tight, and there was no way I was going to get it off, so I decided to take it to the Schwinn shop and have them do it, since the gears would need to be adjusted as well. David and Greg are very nice and accommodating, and finished it in one day.  

The next morning I started to go for a ride and explore into Charlotte County, when I immediately noticed that the cassette was making a chunking sound. Dang, it's not tight. Rather than going back to the house and fix it, I thought I'd check out the Bike shop in Punta Gorda and have them look at it.  After an hour ride on a busy highway of 41N I arrive at the Acme bike shop.  The mechanic was not there, but the owner was, and he said he would look at it. He says he has never seen a loose cassette before. Oh geez. He took it off, put it back one, with my help, and still it was a little loose. I said I would figure it out when I got home, and it was probably a spacer that needed changing. He still charged me $10.00 for his 'service.'  I will not use them again for bike repairs.  I fixed the problem with a different spacer. 

On my way home, I visited an area that I was not familiar with but it was a nice diversion off of Highway 41.

All the roads look alike and in between some of the main roads were gravel roads. Basically I was lost and my water was hot as heck, and wanted to get home. I used the smart phone to get me back to 41.  

No I don't have Bell's Palsy!!  I was trying to show a face of being lost. LOL!

The next day was the Wheels and Wings ride. It's a nice organized ride where I met up with a few girlfriends, Liz and Jennifer. Liz's boyfriend was recovery from brain surgery and he was on this really sweet recumbent. He is a strong cyclist who pulled me along at 26mph for a stretch.   I enjoyed talking with him. I stayed with them, and didn't worry about riding with a "faster" group, give the fact that Liz and Tommy warned me that one of the groups I was thinking of riding with was notorious for having a crash every year on this ride. We finished out the day with about 55miles and endured a down pouring of rain, and rode on those same roads that I was 'lost' on the day before. 

The Cape Coral masters group is a nice group, however the water temperature is about 90 degrees and that is no exaggeration!  Putting out any kind of effort is quite a challenge.  

Monday 7/13/15 Steve provided us with the following practice:

Warm
400
Preset: 6 x 75 kick
Main:
4 x 250 pull
6 x 175 (drill on 4th. lap)
8 x 125 (last 25 fast)
10 x 25 @ :30
cool
200

Tuesday 7/14/15, I joined a new group called the Tarpon Masters in Punta Gorda. 
They have a Facebook page, and will post their workouts there as well. Kerry is the coach. They only swim about 2500 a practice, but the water temperature is MUCH better and their pool is pretty. 

Warm 
2 x 200
Pre set:
12 x 25 @ :30
Main (twice) with fins
200
2 x 100
4 x 50 underwater dolphin streamline. 
cool 200

Happy Laps!

Morning Glory

The day started off well with a fun swim with the FGC swim team.  Coming home I took this photo as I was going over the bridge. 

It's at least  a 30min. drive to practice with this team, and even though I arrived at 5 on the dot, I seemed to miss the entire 500 warm up!

Preset:
8 x 50 @ 1' (choice drill/stroke)

Main: 11 times (basically 1 mile set)
1 x 100 @ 1:20
1 x 50 @ 1' (active recovery)
* I was holding either 1:11 or 1:12. I felt good on the last one and did 1:10.

8 x 50 kick (social) chatted with the girl in the lane next to me who is recovering from stress fractures in her tibia from running. 

5 x 200 Pull @ 3:30 
* I did a few 250s and the last one wore snorkel and no buoy. 

cool 100

Happy Laps!

This Sunday there is a ride in Punta Gorda called Wings and Wheels V.  I am sure it will be fun, and I will meet some new friends. 

I have not been riding much, so it will be interesting. My bike is at the shop right now, because I needed them to swap out the big 27 cassette with a normal 23 cassette. Way too flat here to be riding a 27! 

I also discovered a place to buy FRESH eggs from a farm in Bonita Springs. It's called, Happy Hens.  She didn't have any eggs today, so I pre-ordered 2 doz.  to pick up next Friday. 

Happy Friday!

Good luck, good fortune

My dear friend, and second mom, Alma, traveled to China recently and brought back a beautiful scroll and gave it to us as a gift.  It works perfectly with our Asian theme.  The writing means good fortune. 

The Cape Coral masters group is an interesting eclectic mix of beginners to alumni D1 swimmers. Last night I had a taste of swimming with a long distance swimmer who posted some impressive times in his college days (:19, :43) His name is Steve and this is his set:

7/8/15

Self warm up:
600 (free/back by 50)
8 x 50 kick @ 1:05

Main:
10 x 150 @ 2:15
10 x 100 @ 1:30
10 x 50 @ :45

150 cool

The water in the pool is extremely hot and I was extremely thirsty after practice. 

Returned to the pool the following morning at 0500 for a short swim of 2300scy.
Cris gave Chicky and I a re-cycled workout, and I decided to modify it into something a little more interesting.

7/9/15

Warm
400 free

Main - 3 times
2 x 50 kick @ 1:05
2 x 100 (drill/swim by 50) odd free/even stroke @ 1:45
2 x 50 @ 1:00 breakouts

200 pull

16 x 25
1 - build
2 - EZ
3,4 - FAST!
(did the last two of the last set of 4 from blocks)

cool 100

Happy Laps!

Freedom swim across Peace river

The "Freedom Swim" is a yearly tradition that was started by a man name Mike. He is a local attorney, and I am sure he never thought that this event would develop into what it is today. It's a celebration, a right of passage that has no rules, no awards, and no entry fee. Swim at your own risk, and swim with a buddy. You don't have to swim, you can paddle, or even float across the stretch of 1.5m of greenish/brownish water. You can't see the bottom, but you can feel fishy touch your hands every so often.  

It's a point to point swim from the beach of Port Charlotte under Highway 41 to Harpoon Harry's bar and grill in Punta Gorda.  I was so excited to do this swim just because it's a local event, and it gave us the chance to see the adorable Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda. The Village houses a plethora of quaint boutiques that extends for at least 1/4 mile plus a Military museum!

I was happy to have my mascots along with me to meet me at the finish too!

There was a trolley that served as a shuttle to the start on the other side of the river. I rode the trolley to Port Charlotte while Russ and Yigo chilled out in Fisherman's Village.   I sat next to a very nice woman on the ride over, and her name was Danny.  We had a nice conversation as we patiently waited on the beach for the start. 

You might notice that she is holding fins. There were quite of few people that swam with fins,  wore cute costumes, and floated on rubber ducky rafts. It's quite a spectacle, and I can't wait to participate next year!   There was a small team of youngsters from a club swim team which made for a nice group to start the swim with. Eventually I passed the blue caps, and was flying solo.  The conditions were absolutely perfect. Hardly a current to speak of and calm water all the way across. The paddlers served as good navigation guides. Spotting the green building of Harpoon Harry's was not too difficult either.  I knew there were a few swimmers ahead of me, and just as I approached the ladder to the sun deck of the restaurant, I could see a swimmer finishing. I figured I was somewhere towards the front. After I climbed up the ladder, and stepped onto the deck, there was a huge mass of people standing wall to wall. I could not see Russ, and I was not sure which way to go since no one was there directing the swimmers. I decided to go through the restaurant (big mistake, since Russ was on the side deck waiting outside!)  where the band was playing loud music and non spectators were drinking and eating.  I walked barefoot through the entire Village, across the parking lot to the car.  Still no Russ. Where is he?  I walked back, and finally found him. He said he saw me approach the ladder, but he could not see me once I was out of the water, because there were too many people. Next year, we'll have a better plan!  He said I was the 4th. one to finish. The water was very hot!

We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging around the pool in Naples. The next day we needed to move a large piece of furniture from out of my parents house. I insisted we needed the following: 4 guys, ropes, a truck with a ramp, and or a professional mover. 

Well - it turns out our trusty little truck was able to handle the job with just the two of us.  I am confident that the piece of furniture is worth more than the truck! 

I am missing training with the T2 master's group. :-)  I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to be apart of there group for a few months. Their practices are creative and actually have a purpose, and will improve your swimming.  

Since we were still in Naples on Monday morning, I enjoyed a good practice with coach Kevin. 

7/6/15

Warm
3 x 300 (all rest :15)
#1 - 75 swim, 25 stroke drill 
#2 - kick
#3 - 75 swim, 25 breakout

Preset (drills)
4 x 25  under water breast stroke pull out (3 or max) @ :35
4 x 25 human stroke (evolving to normal stroke) @ :30
4 x 25 catch up pause

Main (four rounds) 
1 x 150 pull (long) @ 2:15
3 x 50 @ :50
6 x 25 using chutes @ :30
2 x 75! go for it @ 2:15

200 cool

Compare the T2 practice with this one I did with Cape Coral Masters:

Tuesday 7/7/15

Warm
2 x 200 swim

Set
4 x 200 @ rest :15
odds -  swim with buoy for 100/ditch the buoy and swim with high velocity kicking
evens - pull 150/swim with strong kick 50

10 x 75 @ 1:15
5 x 50 @ :50

10 x 75 kick (last 25 fast) @ :10 rest

300 cool

I am happy to find a group in CC to swim with, however, the practices will be different. The pool is very warm, but it is very salty creating more of a floating sensation which is nice. 

Happy Laps!

San Carlos Swim

Moving can be very stressful, so I am very grateful that swimming is a good stress reliever. 

We are settled into our new home, and looking forward to having our pool completed. I found out today that when it's summer in FL, pool and ocean water gets VERY warm. 

Monday was my last T2 practice until I visit them on a weekend. 
I can't remember the exact workout, but it went something like this:

Warm
500 choice
4 x 75 (kick/drill/swim) @ :15 rest

Main
4 x 50 (4,3,2,1 breaths per 50) @ 1:00
400 pull
4 x 50 (4,3,2,1 breaths per 50) @ 1:00
300 pull
4 x 50 (4,3,2,1 breaths per 50) @ 1:00
200 pull
4 x 50 (4,3,2,1 breaths per 50) @ 1:00
100 pull

cool 200


This morning I drove 30 minutes to San Carlos Park to swim at 5am with a the Gulf Coast Swim Team Masters group. I am familiar with this pool, because I swam there one time when I was in Ft. Myers one winter during Colgate's winter training camp.  The person in charge of the group was also swimming the workout, and his name was Sam.  I must say that I was really spoiled by having the luxury of an on deck coach combined with thoughtful practice sets.  The main set was a little boring, and not too difficult. Intervals were for everyone, so I had lots of rest. That's okay - the water felt warmer than bath water!  

Wednesday with GCST Masters (I was late, and missed the full warm up)

Warm 
500 free
4 x 100 @ 2' kick

Main
4 times through - progressing through the fast 50's
4 x 50 @ 1:00 (1st 50 fast)
2 x 200 strong @ 3:15
4 x 50 @ 1:00 (1-2 fast)
2 x 200 strong @ 3:15
Pull choice
4 x 50 @ 1:00 (#1,2,3 50 fast)
2 x 200 strong @ 3:15
4 x 50 @ 1:00 (all fast)
2 x 200 strong @ 3:15

cool 300

Happy Laps!

I made a glass lamp. It's kind of cool!

I considered filling it up with shells, but I did not want it to look too tacky. The bottom has tiny square glass mirrors adhered around it. 

The table is pretty sweet too. We found it at a consignment store!

Until next time - Adios!