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!

Training week

This week was the final training week on how to effectively wear the hat of an Admissions Representative for Southern Technical College. It was a good experience, and I am ready to rock and roll to help change people's lives by pointing them in the right direction.  The college is under new ownership as of last year and I can see the improvements they have made. Their goal is to help people begin new career paths with hands on training.  I listened to a few program directors discuss the details of the classes offered and they are very passionate about teaching and engaging students.   The instructors are professionals with real world experience in their specialty.   I think this will be a fun job and rewarding work environment. 

For this weeks swimming training it was a mixture of swimming LCM and SCY between FGCU and the San Carlos pool.

Tuesday 8/25

FGCU AM  - felt pretty tired today after Sunday's 10K

Warm

300S/200K/100 FRIM

8 x 150 swim @ 1'

8 x 150 pull @ 

6 x 150 FRIM/swim

100 scull

Wednesday 8/26

Masters San Carlos pool

Warm

500

8 x 50 @ 1' drill/swim

Once

3 x 200@ 3' free 

rest 1'

3 x 200 @ 2:45

rest 1'

3 x 100 @ 1:30

rest 1

3 x 100 @ 1:20

rest 1

Once - pull set

1 x 250 @ 3:30

3 x 150 @ 2'

4 x 50 @ 1' (swam as back stroke)

3 x 100 @ 1:45

1 x 200 @ 3'

1 x 300 cool

Thursday 8/27 FGCU

Warm 

400 swim

300 kick/swim with snorkel

200 pull

100 FRIM

Main:

4 x 100 (fist drill/swim by 50)

3 x 100 (catch up/swim by 50)

2 x 100 (L/R / swim (25/25/50)

100 build 

400 (back/free by 100)

400 (fins kick/swim by 50)

Pull set

50 @ 1'

100 @ 1:30

150 @ 2'

200 @ 3'

200 @ 3'

150 @ 2'

100 @ 1:30

50 @ 1'

200 cool

*I was hoping to get a double swim today by swimming during my lunch break for 30 minutes, however, the lightening cut the swim short and I was only able to get in a quick 300 yards!  

Friday 8/28 Masters - San Carlos pool

- The main set is is the infamous ladder set that I am SURE he (Sam) stole from Fernando Canales!!

Warm 

500

Peset:

6 x 100 (swim/kick/swim/kick)

Main

5 x 100 @ 1:30

4 x 200 @ 3:30

3 x 300 @ 6:30

2 x 400 @ 8' (optional pull)

1 x 500 (optional snorkel, fins, paddles)

cool 200

Happy Laps!!

Wow - it's Friday and it looks to be a full moon out there.  There is a storm brewing over PR which is heading our way.  We'll stock up on water & food just to be safe. We don't own a generator, so hopefully our power won't  go out.  

I'll sign off with a picture of Yigo.....in his teenage years, when he was my running partner. 

10K e Postal Swim

Your probably wondering, what is a 10K ePostal?  It's a swimming event that is organized by any USMS club and can be swum in a 50 meter pool.  Certain rules apply, such as you must have a lap counter that records every lap you must be registered with USMS. Otherwise it's pretty simple. For this particular ePostal, you swim the distance anytime between May and September, then you register on-line that you did it and record your time. Some do it for competition, recreation, fitness, or whatever your heart desires. It's a great opportunity to test your fitness. I decided to participate because I have never swum that distance, and wanted to get a feel for it. I am sure that doing it in a pool is very different than open water. I hope to one day swim 10K or more in open water. 

Last week swim practice attendance was sparse.  The first opportunity I had to get back in the water after last Sunday was Wednesday. Yikes!!  I swam with FGC masters  and the practice was as follows: 

Warm
500
Preset:
6 x 100 (right/left/F/Ez)
Main:
3 times
4 x 75 swim
2 x 50 stroke or free @ 1'
4 x 25 kick fast
600 choice/pull
200 cool

"Plan, Prepare, Succeed"

I am really excited about having a membership for the FGCU aquatics facility. The pool is fantastic and offers 50meters (for now) as well as 25yrd.  

Gorgeous pool - notice the storm clouds!!

So for Thursday's morning practice...keeping it long with a little fast stuff to prepare for Sunday

Warm:
300 swim
300 (50back/50 free)
200 swim
200 (50 back/50 free)
Snorkel/fins/paddles
400
300
200
100
10 x 50 (25ez/25F) @ 1'
100 ez
2xs
200 pull strong @ 3'
2  x 100 moderate @ 1:40
300 cool

"Ride the wave of change"

Friday after work I attempted to get in a swim in the afternoon at FGCU however, mother nature shortened the workout due to lightening within 10 mile radius.  

Saturday morning I made the early trip to Naples to swim there to loosen up for Sunday's big 10K.  Coach Jenna had a great 'sprint' practice for us with lots of 25's. To her dismay, the pool was arranged LCM for Sunday. The group still did the practice as written. I think it's a great speed workout, and she gave me her copy of the practice.   I swam about 2500, and didn't do al the speed work for the 50's to conserve my energy for the next day.

Warm up:
300 swim, 200 kick, 200 pull

Kick: (fins)
4 x 100 (75K/25S)
4 x 75 (50K/25S)
6 x 50 (odd: kick, even: swim)

Main:
16 x 25 @ :35
e/f  f/e  e  f 

8 x 50
odds sprint flags to wall
events sprint flag to flag

8 x 75
e, 50e/25f, 25e,50f, f

8 x 100
75e/25f, 50e/50f, 25e,75f, f

Warm
200

"It takes the same amount of energy to be unhappy as it does to be happy"

I was fairly nervous about swimming the 10K, since it was the longest distance I have ever swum at one time.  I had the fortunate opportunity to speak with Fernando and asked him his advice about the distance, and he suggested to think of it as one of two ways. #1 swim it as 100 x 100 on a set interval such as 1:30 or 1:45, or #2 to swim 30 minutes straight, then take a water break, and repeat.    I decided that swimming for time was going to work for me, and upon further contemplation, I decided to swim 2000m at a time. Which will break it up to 5 x 2000. That seemed simple and a good way to break it up, as well as a loose way to measure it for water intervals. 

My mom and I shopped at Whole Foods for what I thought would be good nutrition during the swim. I decided to bring breakfast bars, animal crackers, and two servings of baby food fruit puree as well as two bottles along with a bottle of mango orange juice.  That should be PLENTY of fuel!  I hate using 'GU' because it's really not that healthy for the intestinal track in the long run. 

This type of event is kind of like running a marathon, since it's almost a 3 hour event, and what we put in our body days before is just as if not as important than the night or morning before. I had a nice dinner of salmon, potatoes, and veges.  Breakfast consisted of oatmeal.  Fernando suggested oatmeal as the fuel of choice.  

The swim began at 7am, which was great, so that the sun would not be a huge factor.  I liked the fact there there was a disco ball suspended in the middle of the pool, however, I am not quite sure as to why it was put there. If the sun hits it just right in the evening it can be quite a distraction to the swimmers.  It is pretty though when the lights reflect on the bottom of the pool. 

I show up to the pool with my little cooler full of fuel and water at 6:40am feeling confident yet confused as to which suit I should wear, my 'race' suite or my regular stretched out training suit.  Fernando advised I wear what is most comfortable, so I went with the training suit.  A few of the ladies swimming the 5K opted to wear their 'race' suit in order to prevent a wedgie effect from their regular suit. I didn't think I'd have that problem, and didn't want my straps to dig in to my shoulders.  I made sure to put bag balm on my lats just in case.

About 6 people signed up for the 5K and 2 people (including myself) signed up for the 10K. I was lucky that John showed up to volunteer as a counter, otherwise I would not have found one!  Kuddos to John, I owe him a six pack for sitting on the side of the pool for almost 3 hours watching paint dry!  LOL!  

We took a group photo, got into our lanes (we each had our own lane), and off we go!  I started off so easy that I felt like I was floating and it was the fastest 1st. split of all my splits by 1 second.  As I said, I'd swim 2000m, then take a water break.  You'd think that counting 20 x 100 is easy, but it's easy to day dream in the middle, and wonder if that was lap  3 or 4??  My first break was at about 35 minutes, and John informed me that was 2200. Okay, I mis counted, not a surprise.  The next break was at 4200m, and the third water break was at 6400m. During this break I told John that my mom will be coming and that she looks just like me, but she will be limping. At 8500m I saw mom and was so pleased!  I then realized that I was the only one in the pool!  All the 5K swimmers had gone home, and the other 10K swimmer decided to call it quits at 5K.   So here we were, John, my mom, the lifeguard (thank you), and me, just swimming up and down a long lane line. 

It was not as hard as I thought is was going to be to complete the distance. Maybe I needed to go faster or harder?  I was happy with how I felt, and my time.  My splits were fairly even and ranged from 1:35-1:37.  Although, there were two times that I posted 1:42 and not sure where that came from!?  I could feel my shoulders get sore, especially since I have lots of grinding in one from a bad bike crash, and it's not the shoulder that has the grade IV separation.  The weird thing is my foot bones (metatarsals) feel painful after pushing off the wall during the last 2K.  

At the end of the swim, John was ready to make alike a bird and fly.  I was ecstatic to finish, as was my mom. We were a little unsure of my final time, so it was up to me to count up my cumulative splits once I got home. After I added them all up according to what John recorded, I finished the 10K in 2:43.22.X9 and my 5K split was 1:22.15.

That's a fairly event split!  

For a long time swimming, what does one think about?  Most of the time I was thinking about my stroke, my hand placement, my catch. I'd say to myself, "am I catching the water like Michael Phelps would?"  Probably not.  The rest of the time, I'd just check in with how I was feeling to make sure that I would not bonk or cramp, or just enjoy the sensation of swimming. 


It's all good and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Happy Laps!!