Thursday 07/14-Swim

Thursday's Workout:

OYO Swim

Swim 1000m easy focus on form.  Keep pace consistent and effort level easy.

Run 2 miles out of the pool at Long Run Pace.

Notice that the title has no mention of the run... It's not "OYO Swim/Run"and it's the same swim as completing the crossing of Lucky's Lake and back! Some recovery! I headed to the pool after breakfast on Thursday morning to meet with T who had called to let me know he was already there. We warmed up with a few laps after which I commented that T made swimming "look so easy", he replied "Dude, you make it look so hard!". That set the stage for the remainder of our workout. I soon discovered that T was a member of one of the best public school swim teams in the state of Florida, (he's from the Florida Keys) and had the benefit of 2 olympic coaches on staff... I had known him for a year and never knew this. While I swam T alternated laps with me and watched me in the water, occasionally giving me pointers along the way. While it was not a continuous 1000m swim, I did pick up a few pointers.

I worked a little more on breathing to the left side, which again helps me regulate my breathing, taking more time in general before breaths and slowing down. We also worked on keeping my elbows high and as Coach Ryan always says, "using [your] whole arm as a paddle". T ALSO came to the conclusion that I just DO NOT float...We ran a barrage of tests/exercises to determine my best "floating position" based on the theory that once I had established that, I should have an easier time gliding through the water and slowing down to rest. With each exercise the result was the same... my legs just SINK, like jointed anchors. "No wonder more black people don't swim..." T remarked jokingly, "You have this big ass and legs and they just sink!" What he noticed happening was one of two things... I either had to kick my legs continuously to keep them up in the water, making me tire quickly or worse:cramp; or, if I didn't kick my legs enough they would pull my whole body below the water line while I swam. The result of which is me arching my neck up and THEN to the side whenever I come up for a breath because simply turning to the side won't suffice. This in turn forces my legs to sink even more and the cycle then continues. Now we've identified a problem.. how do I fix it? Oy Vay.

I practiced the breast stroke a bit as a way to allow myself to stop and rest if I get tired in the water... my legs still sink then however and so it's more like a way to regulate my breathing than anything... problem is, I have to kick like hell to get my legs back up when I'm ready to start moving forward again. I need leg floaties!

after we finished our workout, T drove me to my place and I went inside, refueled and prepared to relax when it dawned on m that I had forgotten my 2 mile run... So back outside I went, tired as I was to do my two laps around the complex... my legs were a bit tired but that just made it easier to stay closer to my 10 minute mile pace (9 minutes).

07/09- 500 (1000) Meter Open Water Swim (Test)

I didn't quite make it into the pool for my Thursday "on your own" swim because of thunderstorms and decided to save my energy on Friday for the Epic workout I would have on Saturday for our open water swim test at Lucky's Lake Swim. 500 hundred meters each way... I could barely sleep Friday night because my nerves got worse with every passing hour.

Ibelis made me breakfast in the morning and drove me to the lake. It was a nice morning for a swim, and from the beach, looking across the lake; it didn't seem all that far. "I can do this.” I told myself.

When we finally got into the water, Coach Ryan and Coach Beth stayed close to me, I felt good at the start, but the feeling didn't last too long... The second I started breathing heavily, the nervous energy returned, which as it turns out just makes it EVEN more difficult to breathe. I found myself scanning the water for Coach Beth and the red buoy of salvation. That wouldn't be the last time I found myself doing the same during this swim.

Coach Beth, merciful as she is, gave me a reference point... a floating red buoy in the middle of the lake. I'm quite goal oriented and the marker gave me something to aspire to... I made it there; then she said "Okay, time to head back to the cabana." Oy...

Another few reaches for the red buoy of salvation and a bit of zigzagging later as I was still pulling to the right, I was about 50 meters out from where I started (By the way, I just learned that zigzagging is a real word). "Let go, we've got 50 more meters, you've done this a hundred times, you can do it in your sleep" Coach Beth was shouting... Meanwhile my brain was shouting at me "Why the heck are we doing this, I can't breathe!", and my arm screamed "I'm NOT letting go, you're crazy!!!". "C'mon, you can puke when we get there". How did she know? I let go and swam for dear life, I could se Coach Beth next to me and it helped, I would stop when she did.

The next thing I heard was her telling me to watch out, I looked up and saw people standing, I warily let my feet fall and was relieved to finally feel solid ground. I stumbled up and just sat. My head was pounding, my lungs burned and my legs were weak. I just wanted to lie down. Coach Beth, always the awesome coach she is told me to get up and have myself a recovery drink. I pulled myself together and got up to get myself a Mix 1.

By the way, if you haven’t yet, you should try this stuff... It's amazing like a perfect smoothie with just about everything you need before or after a workout, or anytime really. I say this as I hold up a mental sign saying, "Will work for Mix 1".

Now back from our commercial break...

I asked Ibelis to accompany me to the restroom. I could barely walk, it felt like someone was hammering a nail between my eyes and my stomach was doing cartwheels. I had to sit halfway there. I got my relief after a while and returned to the group to fill out paperwork... I still wasn't feeling 100% but the worst was over...

Or so I thought...Let’s just say that it resumed once I got home…

WHAT A MORNING!