January 21, 2013 Two Tough Workouts

Not much commentary this time…I’m tired…here are my workouts for the day:

SWIM:

Warm Up:  500m

EN-1/2:  800m

• 6 x 50 FS on 1:00, 3-Pull, 3-Swim 42sec+
• 3 x 50 FS on 55, swim <40
• 50 Easy
• 6 x 50 BK on 1:05, 3 Pull, 3-Swim 52sec+
• 3 x 50 BK on 1:00, swim <47

Kick: 200m

• 8 x 25 Kick IM seq on 10 sec
• 50 Easy

LAP:  200

• 4 x 25 FL Sprint with turn, 50 Easy on 2:00
• 4 x 25 FL Kick Sprint, 50 Easy on 2:00

Power:  50

• 4 x FL Start with 12.5m Dolphin, Easy rest of 50

LA Tol:  150 (450 Recov)

• 2 x [ 3 x 25 Sprint FL on 10-15 sec – go on 30 sec –  150 Easy ]

Total = 3050m

 

RUN:

• 5kms
• 27:14 total time / 5’27” pace / 458 cals
• splits: 5’40” / 5’29” / 5’24” / 5’20” / 5’20”

STRENGTH:

• Every 90 seconds for 9 Minutes
• 3 reps High Hang Clean Pull / Hang Clean

 

January 18, 2013 Multiple Workouts

Today was a smorgasbord of workouts that started with interval training on the indoor Bike trainer and a strength workout in the a.m., followed by a noon Swim session and Run on an treadmill. Here are the specifics:

Morning Workout

BIKE:

• 20 minutes on the indoor trainer
• 10 minute warm up spin
• 2 x 3 minutes hard / 2 minutes easy

STRENGTH:

• 6 – 6 – 6 Upright Rows @ 115lbs
• 5 – 5 – 5 Hang Clean High Pulls @ 115lbs
• 10 – 10 – 10 Dumbbell Pullovers @ 45lbs
• The exercises selected for the strength component in the next 75 days are specific to the Butterfly stroke in swimming. Focus for the movements are speed / power with perfect form.

Afternoon Workout

SWIM:

Warm Up: 500m

EN-1 + Kick: 600m

• 2 x 50 FS on 1:00
• 2 x 50 BK on 1:05
• 2 x 100 BK on 2:00
• 100 BK Kick
• 2 x 50 BK Kick

LAP for FS: 150 (300 Recov)

• 6 x (25 FS Sprint, 50 Easy on 2:00) most 14’s

LA tol for BK: 275m (625 Recov)

• 100 IM Sprint for time, 150 Easy = 1:12
• 2 x (50 FL Sprint, 175 Easy) = :30 / :30
• 25 BK Sprint for time = :13

 

RUN:

• Another “rehab” run on the treadmill as I try to relieve some pain in my shin
• 3kms
• 16:25 total time / 5’28” pace / 274 cals
• splits: 5’38” / 5’25” / 5’21”

 

January 14 & 15, 2013 Workouts

 

My workouts this week have included some time in the pool as well as some rehab run work on the treadmill and a chilly mountain bike ride.

Monday, January 14

SWIM

Warm Up:  500m

*stiff and tired after racing Saturday

EN-1, EN1/2, Kick: 900

• 6 x 50 IM seq on 1:05
• 4 x 50 FS on 1:00, pick up last one
• 4 x 50 BK on 1:05, pick up last one
• 2 x 50 Kick on 20 sec
• 4 x 25 Kick Strong on 30 sec
• 50 Easy

LAP:  150 (recov 300)

• 6 x (25 FS Sprint with turn, 50 Easy) on 2:00 Cut to 4x through – just no snap to get to sprint speed
• 100 Easy

Power:  50m

• 4 x (max Dolphin underwater, easy rest of 50)

LA Tol: 200m (400 Recov)

• 2 x (50 SP Sprint, 100 Easy) on 3:00
• Easy 100m

RUN:

I’m trying to rehab my shins, so I got on the treadmill for an easy and short jog in an effort to slowly focus on running form and save the speed work for future workouts when I’m pain free.

• 2kms
• 12:59 total time / 6:25 pace / 183 cals

 

Tuesday, January 15

a.m. SWIM:

• early morning swim as civilians are allowed back to practice for 2 one hour sessions per week
• approx 1500m

p.m. BIKE:

• got out on the mountain bike today (much different feeling than the trainer I’ve used for the past few weeks)
• 10kms

 

January 12, 2013 Masters Swim Meet Results

Yesterday marked the first Masters swim meet of the 2013 season. I had never competed in Bowmanville, so I had no idea of what to expect in terms of facility or level of competition. Unfortunately, the pool was an older community pool with limited deck space and a temperature level that would be better suited to seniors and learn-to-swim lessons. During warm-ups, I also had some concerns about the officials as they were getting trained on how to use stop-watches. The average age of the official timers was probably 15, but as long as they could start and stop the watch accurately, I shouldn’t complain since they were giving up a Saturday morning to volunteer.

My races included the 50m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly, 100m Individual Medley, and my favourite…the 50m Butterfly. I was really only concerned about the 50m sprint races and had goals of winning the events and setting personal best times in the process.

I ended the meet with 4 first place finishes and 4 personal best times! I’m thrilled with my time of 27.55 in the 50m Butterfly as it positions me in the top 3 times in Canada for my age group. It should make some people take notice leading into the Provincial Championships in March.

Here are the results:

• 50m Freestyle 26.0 (First Place)
• 100m Butterfly 1:09.2 (First Place)
• 100m IM 1:09.5 (First Place)
• 50m Butterfly 27.5 (First Place)

I’ll upload a video of my 50m Butterfly race when it’s ready.

 

 

January 6 & 7, 2013 Swim Workouts

In preparation for this weekend’s swim meet, I headed to Milton to use a pool with competition starting blocks. I’m used to the old school style of dive starts and it seems in the time that I’ve been out of competition, everyone else has settled on the “track style” starts for sprints. I noticed everyone at the Olympics using that style of start, so it must be the better way right? Unfortunately, the pool I train in doesn’t have starting blocks, so I made the 90 minute drive to Milton which has a beautiful new pool and nice lifeguards that allowed me to practice my starts. I was able to get in about a dozen solid starts so it’s one less thing to worry about on Saturday’s competition.

Sunday, January 6th Swim:

• 500m Warm Up
• 5 x 50m FR @ 1:00
• 5 x 50m FR Kick @ 1:15
• 200m FR Pull
• 12 x 25m Sprint Starts from Dive
• 500m Easy Swim

Monday, January 7th Swim:

Warm Up:  700m

EN-1 + Kick:  950m

• 7 x 50 FS on 1:00 3 x Pull, 2 EN-1, 2 Desc
• 2 x 50 FS Kick on 20
• 2 x 25 Kick on 20
• 7 x 50 SP on 1:15 3 Pull, 2 EN-1, 2 Desc
• 2 x 50 SP Kick on 20
• 2 x 25 SP Kick on 20

LAP FS: 200 (200 Recov)

• 4 x (12.5m cruise, 25m Sprint thru turn, 12.5m cruise, 50 Easy) on 2:00

Power SP/Mix:

• 4 x (Dive Power Start 6 strokes easy rest of length, 25 Easy)

LA Tol:  100

• 2 x (50m SP Sprint, 125 Easy) on 5:30 (FLY = :31 / :30)

 

January 2, 2013 New Year Workouts Start Now

Happy New Year! I’ve kicked off the year with a big workout and I’m looking to be consistent for 2013 leading up to major swim competitions in March (Provincial Championships) and May (National Championships) as well as triathlons in the summer.

SWIM:

Warm Up:  700m

EN-1 850m:

• 3 x 100 FS on 1:45
• 3 x 50 FS Kick on 15 sec
• 3 x 100 IM on 2:00
• 2 x 50 FL Kick on 15 sec
• 50 Easy

LAP for SP:  500m

• 8 x { 25m SP Sprint on :30, 25m SP Kick on :30, 25m Swim (Recover) on :30, 25m Swim (Recover) on :45 }
• Break after 4 with a 100 Easy

LA Tol:  400

• 2 x 25m FS Sprint, 25 Easy) on 1:30 to get up to max speed
• 4 x 25m FS on 30 Sec) – 200 Easy }

 

RUN:

• 5kms
• 20:02 total time / 5’00” pace / 400 cals / 154 bpm
• Splits – 5’16” / 5’01” / 4’55” / 4’57” / 4’52”

 

December 28 / 29, 2012 Workouts

Got out today for a track workout and got back in the pool yesterday after a little too much holiday cheer. Time to get focused on sprinting since my next race is two weeks away.

December 29:

RUN:

• 1 km warm up drills / jog
• 5 x 1 km Run @ 7:00 (4:39 / 4:33 / 4:33 / 4:36 / 4:38)

I have been experiencing some pain in my left shin which I believe is shin splints brought on by the increase in intensity of my run workouts. I really have to make a conscious effort to warm up properly and use the foam roller to lower the chances of long term injury.

December 28:

SWIM:

Warm Up:  700m

EN-1:  600

• 4 x 50 Kick on 1:15
• 4 x 100 SP or IM on 2:00

LAP:  200 (200 Recov)

• 2 x (25 FL Sprint, 25 Easy) on 1:30
• 3 x (50 FS Sprint, 50 Easy) on 2:30

Recov:  200 Easy with fins

LA Tol:  350 (550 Recov)

• 50 FL / 50 FS Max, 150 Recov on 5:30+
• 25 FL / 75 FS Max, 150 Recov on 5:30+
• 25 FL / 50 FS Max, 125 Recov on 5:30
• 25 FL / 50 FS Max, 125 Recov on 5:30

Swim Down:  200

• 200 Easy with Fins

Total = 3000m

December 18, 2012 More Sprint Work in the Pool

Too tired to write much detail…

SWIM:

Warm Up:  600m

EN-1:  800m

• 3 x 100 FS on 1:40 – Pull, Fins, Swim
• 4 x 50 Kick on 1:15
• 3 x 100 IM on 2:00 – Pull, Fins, Swim

LAP:  250 (250 Rec0v)

• 6 x (25 FS Sprint, 25 Easy) on 1:30

Power:  50 (recov 50)

• 4 x (Dive Start Power w Breakout, easy rest of 25)

LA Tol:  250m (recov 450)

• 2 x (75m IM Order FL / BK / BR Max, 125 Easy) on 5:00 (:55 / :58)
• 2 x (50m FL Max, 100 Easy) on 4:30 (:30 / :32)

Swim Down:  100m

Total = 2800m

 

 

December 17, Sprinters Amnesia

Heading to swim practice today, I knew it would  involve some Lactic Acid Tolerance work and I was dreading it. I took yesterday as a rest day so at least I knew I would have some energy for the workout, but I was still just preoccupied with the pain involved with the last set of the day…all out sprints 2 x 100m Freestyle and 2 x 75m Freestyle for time.

Once the time came for sprints, I went into drop-dead-sprint mode, pushed off the wall and went all out for the full 100 meters. I touched the wall at 1:03 and realized in order to be good at sprinting, as soon as the race starts, you have to forget about how much it will hurt.

I followed today’s swim workout with a 5km treadmill run where I tried to start at an easy pace and build up the speed with each kilometer.

SWIM:

Warm Up:  600m

Kick:  200m

• 100 Kick Choice Continuous on 20
• 50 Kick on 15
• 2 x 25 Kick (up tempo) on 10

EN-1:  400m

• 3 x 50 IM Seq on 1:00
• 50 FS @ EN-2 on 1:00
• 3 x 50 IM seq on 1:00
• 50 SP @ EN-2 on 1:00

Power I: 50m (50 recov)

• 4 x (12.5 Power Dolphin, easy rest of 25)

LAP: 150m (300 Recov)

• 6 x (25 SP Sprint with turn, 50 Easy) on 2:00

LA Tol:  400m (550 Recov)

• 2 x (100 FS Max, 150 Easy) on 5:30+ (results = 1:03 / 1:05)
• 2 x (75 FS Max, 125 Easy) on 5:30+ (results = :50 / :49)

Swim Down 100m

 

RUN:

• 5kms
• 27:14 total time / 5’27” avg pace / 382 cals / 140 bpm
• Splits:
• 5’53”
• 5’37”
• 5’23”
• 5’16”
• 5’04”

 

December 10, 2012 Workouts – Embrace the Suck

I’m almost halfway through the current phase of my program and the workouts now involve some really tough sets. They’re the kind of workouts that challenge you mentally and bring the lactic acid, burning sensation in your muscles that generally sucks. But if you can “embrace the suck” and power through the pain, you’ll be way ahead of the other athletes already coasting into the holidays (at least that’s what I tell myself.)

Noon Workout

SWIM:

Warm Up: 600m

EN-1, Kick:  100m + EN-2 100m

• 4 x 50 FS on 55 sec (12-15 sec rest) 3 @ EN-1, 1 @ EN-2
• 2 x 25 FS Kick on 45
• 4 x 50 IM Order on 1:00 (12-15 sec rest) 3 @ EN-1, 1 @ EN-2
• 2 x 25 FL Kick on 45

LAP:  150 (150m Recov)

• 3 x (50 FL/FR Sprint, 50 Easy) on 2:30 (actual – 31, 32, 32)

Power I:  50m (recov 50)

• 4 x (12.5m FS Power Start, rest of 25 Easy)

LA Tol:  325m (recov 525m) – this is the set that hurts

• 100 FS Max, 150 Easy on 5:30 (act 1:05)
• 100 FS Max, 150 Easy on 5:30 (act 1:08)
• 75 FS Max, 125 Easy on 5:30 (act :50)
• 50 FS Max, 100 EAsy on 5:30 (act :30)

Swim Down:  50 Easy

Total = 2400m

 

Evening Workout

BIKE:

• Intervals on the Bike Trainer
• 5 Minutes Warm Up (Build)
• 2 Rounds of the following intervals…
• :20 Sprint / :40 Easy Spin
• :40 Sprint / :20 Easy Spin
• :60 Sprint / :60 Easy Spin
• :40 Sprint / :20 Easy Spin
• :20 Sprint / :40 Easy Spin
• 5 Minutes Cool Down