Two days of workouts

So I got out of bed late this morning and slowly got to the gym to do today's workout. I am usually in the water swimming by 4 am. I got changed and sat on the deck with my feet in the water and zoned out into a daze. I was staring at the other end of the pool and started to see myself swimming the EC. I stopped for a feed and Gords threw it out to me so I could take it, and the boat captain said what are you stopping for you don't need anything! I shook my head and jumped into the water and started my workout 45 minutes late.

Here is what I did the last two days:

 Advanced

Objective: Streamline off the wall!

Warm-up - 900 yds:

200 easy swim

500 - 5 X 100 on 1:30 (FOCUS ON streamline after flip turn)

200- 8 X 25 @:10 rest [odds drill/evens perfect freestyle]

Main Set- 4,000 yds

**four times through**

200 stroke of choice @:10 rest

2 X 200 free on 3:00

100 stroke of choice @:10 rest

2 X 100 free on 1:30

2 X 50 @:10 rest - drill/swim by 25

Cool Down- 500 yds:

300-4 X 75 @:10 rest [kick, drill, swim by 25]

300 easy choice

Total: 5,500 yards

Focus on endurance and holding a threshold pace.

Before swimming configure your watch to show your pace last interval.  Data field: "Pace- Last Interval" On the 100's you'll have to hit the lap button at the start of the

100 and again at the end of the 100.  Then look at the Pace from the last interval and make a mental note of where it's at.  At the end of each round of 10 x 1OO's take a rough average of what the pace was for that set of 10.

Warm up:

600 free

200 kick

1000 free straight@ 80% (Get time)

10 x 100's@ 90% breath left side only (breath every 2 strokes) (get pace on watch at end of 100) :15 rest  Hit the lap button at the start/end of every 100.

10 x 100's@ 90% breath right Side only (breath every 2 strokes) (get pace on watch at end of 100): 15 rest Hit the lap button at the start/end of every 100.

I had to cut the workout short because I slept in. Normally I would go back to the Gym and finish the workout but today is the day I get my kids.

Sore Shoulders and an Early Morning

I really need to do a better job of keeping this blog up to date. I will try and do a better job of that. I dropped my deck coat off to my moms to get my new patches sewn onto it making sure she left room in between the two for the third Bear Lake Patch I hope to earn this year. Christmas time was rough trying to keep focused on my swimming and I did not do a very good job of it. If I am going to swim the EC this year I have to keep my head in the game. I swam yesterdays work out and I really pushed myself hard to make the times. I made every one and felt it this morning. Chandra kicked me out of bed and said we have to go to the gym. I am greatfull that I have her in my corner and to help push me like I need to be done sometimes. with her going to the gym with me so she can run on the treadmill is awesome. she goes until I get done knowing that I have big workouts from Gords to complete and never complains. I'm proud of what she has accomplished and the goals she has set for herself.

Mondays workout is below:

Focus: Breaking the thumb first entry bad habit:

http://www.feelforthewater.com/2011/02/do-you-ever-get-shoulder-pain-when.html

400 free bi lateral breathe warmup

(Imagine a fish is just below the surface about 16 inches ahead of you at your 1 and 11 oclock.  You're trying to spear the fish with your fingertips.

1000 - 10 x 1OO's freestyle (odd breath left only, even breath right only) on ,

1:45

Imagine your are holding a briefcase on the arm recovery.  It would be difficult to hold that handle at an angle as you enter the water.

200 kick with fins

2100- 6 rounds of the following:

200 free Bilateral Breath focus on hand entry and solid anchor on catch. rest :10

100 free- 50 breathe left/50 breathe right rest :10

50 backstroke rest :10

1000 free straight bilateral breathing

200 kick with fins

1000 - 5 x 200's pull focus on good streamline off the wall looking down and making it past the flags before breath. on 3:15

400 free bi lateral breathe cooldown

6,300 yards total

 Here is today's workout

Focus: increasing your speedN02 max (6,450 total)

500 free warmup

4 x 50's free @ 80% on 1:00

4 x 50's free @ 75% on :50

4 x 50's free @ 70% on :45 (should get less than 5 seconds rest)

4 x 50's free@ 90% on 1:10 (should be hitting :35 or faster)

300 kick with fins

4 x 1OO's free @ 80% on 1:50

4 x 100's free@ 75% on 1:40

4 x 1OO's free @ 70% on 1:30 (should get less than 5 seconds rest)

4 x 100's free@ 90% on 2:00 (should be hitting 1:15 or faster)

I decided to stop here because my shoulders and back were killing me. I will go to the pool tonight and finish this work out.

This is what I will finish tonight to get the complete workout done!

600 pull bilateral breathe

2 x 200's free @ 70% on 3:00 (should get less than 5 seconds rest)

2 x 200's free @ 80% on 3:30

Rest an extra minute

1 x 200 free sprint (get under 2:30)

300 easy recovery

1 x 400 free @ 70% focus on streamlined pushoff the wall and thumb first hand entry.(get under 7 minutes)

1 x 200 free @ 80%  get under 2:45

1 x 100 free@ 90% get under 1:15

1 x 50 free @ 100% get under :35

600 cooldown

Back with Gord's

I went to bed early last night in hopes of getting some rest for this mornings workout. I slept like a baby, in other words I was up every hour and could not sleep. I finally crawled out of bed a 3 am to get ready to head to the pool to meet Gords. On the way to the pool I got 2 texts from Gord's saying he was going to be late, dead car battery. The second text was to let me know he was on his way. I promised Chandra that I would stop texting and driving so sorry Gord's no reply from me. I got to the pool and from memory this is what I did.

2 x 200's free warm up
1 x 100 kick

played in pool until Gordon showed up

11 x 100's free
1 x 1000 free
20 x 50's one arm fly back breast free (each stroke 5 times)
3 x 300's pull ( agility paddles freestyle paddles and finger tip paddles)
20 x 100's descending
200 cool down

I needed to get to work so I shorted myself 5 - 100's and the 200 cool down. So i will be going back to the pool tonight to finish my work out. Also Gord's asked if I was working Wed. or not and that I should come to South Davis where he coaches that morning. It looks like I will be seeing you twice this week.

New Watch New Beginnings

So I’m back in the pool again starting to get back into shape for my EC attempt in September. I had a short conversation with Gord’s about what he would like to see me swim this year in preparation for the EC and with that conversation it looks like I will be swimming from Black Rock beach to White Sands Beach in the GSL or the other direction depending on the wind. HE said that if I can complete that swim it would more than ready me for the EC because of the high salt levels. With swimming in the GSL I also get the waves, swells, and Current pretty close that I might see in the Channel. So it looks like sometime in May I will be swimming this course. It will be 20 miles in the GSL.

My workout from yesterday is below, I forgot how out of swimming shape I would be in and push thru the workout. My legs are on fire today from all the kick sets, but I'm really going to push myself for the next 9 ½ months to be the best I can be in the channel.

Objective: Focus on an efficient pull, avoid any kind of cross-over.

Warmup: 800- 400 free easy, 200 kick, 200 choice

Main Set:

400 free @ 75% - count your strokes per 25 and maintain that count through the whole set

250 - 10 x 25's kick on :30

350 free @ 75% - Maintain the same count per 25

250-5 x 50's kick on 1:10

300 free @ 80% - Maintain the same count per 25

200 - 8 x 25's kick on :30

250 free @ 80% - Maintain the same count per 25

200-4 x 50's kick on 1:10

200 free @ 85% - Maintain the same count per 25. If you're not, especially focus on a tight streamline off the wall, (Head down)!

150- 6 x 25's kick on :30

150 free @ 85% - Maintain the same count per 25. If you're not, especially focus on a tight streamline off the wall, (Head down)!

150-3 x 50's kick on 1:10

100 free@ 90%- You guessed it.  Keep the same count.

100-4 x 25's kick on :30

50 ALL OUT- DON'T LOSE YOUR STROKE QUALITY!

100- 2 x 50's kick easy (recovery)

Drills: 600-8 x 75's- Scull/Drill/Swim by 25 :15 seconds rest

400-8 x 50's left arm only, right arm only by 25 :10 rest

Warm down: 300 Choice

5,300 yards total

Playing with the Monster

After taking a couple of day to let my swim sink in I figured I better do a report of it. I went up to Bear Lake Tuesday morning after I got off work to check on water temps. When I got there I took a temp from the marina and it read 63 degrees. I walked over to where we started the 7 mile swim and waded out to knee deep water and it read 61.8 degrees. I walked back to the truck and called Gords. he said lets do it. I then sent out texts to my crew and drove home to get things ready. On the way up to the lake I was picking up Sara and Gords, Sue met me and Chandra at our house. we were talking about swimming and other things and drove right past the exit to get Sara and had to turn around to get her. I was then smart enough to get off the exit to get Gords and we headed straight to the marina. We got everything loaded into the boat and I went over my feed schedule and asked Gords if he wanted to be in charge. I told him that if I needed to be pulled to not second guess himself and to pull me. with the colder water temps hypothermia was an issue. I asked Sara for a prayer and we launched the boat and were off to the north shore. when we got there the bank was perfect if I was going to go duck hunting but not good to start a swim. Gords looked at hid GPS and we were about 1 mile away from the marina and headed that way. it was really dark the night sky was only lit by the stars and we almost hit the break wall. Sara turned on a light in just the right time. we decided this is where I was going to start and I started to grease up. I got out of the boat and pushed them off and crawled over to where I thought I could get in easy. I started my watch and stepped into the water to fall down, so much for easing into it. I stood back up and walked to where it was deep enough I could swim and took off. my first feed was scheduled for an hour away and I got myself into a good groove and at the first feed I said has it been an hour already? swimming thru the night was quite fun with every breath I could see the sky full of stars and the Milky Way was lit bright. my feet got cold but with every swim I do they tend to get cold, so no worries there. every 30 minutes I would take a feed and try to get back into a good groove. the lake was smooth as glass for most of the swim until I got into the middle. there was some good chop but nothing like I haven't swam thru before. I got thru the chop and the lake returned to glass. I remember saying at one of my feeds that it was a great day to be swimming. At my 6 hour mark for the EC qualifier I asked how the temps were doing and Gords said not good. I was kinda pissed off that the water was not cold enough but I was here to swim the length of Bear Lake, so I stuck my head in the water and kept knocking off the miles one hand in front of the other. Towards the end of the swim I knew my stroke had gone away and I was slapping the water and not getting a good pull. I was getting tired. After a feed Gords told me anchors and made a stroke motion and it sunk in what I needed to do. My lower back was killing me and my right shoulder was now trash and my left hand was numb. Gords yelled 1 and 1/4 miles to go. I said no more feeds.  Gords got in the kayak and was going to paddle the rest of the way in with me. the wind picked up and started blowing right into my face and I was swimming thru white caps. I raised my head and told Gords that I didn't thing I was going anywhere. I could see the bottom, I could not touch it and it looked like I was moving 1 inch per stroke. My mind was all over the place then I thought scuba, if its rough on the surface go under water. I tried to swim under water but that didn't work either, so I pushed with everything I had. I finally made it to where I could stand up and started walking out. while I was walking out I ran into some broken off reeds and fell down a few times trying to get thru them. Gords told be 20 yard away was a clearing to head that way. I finally made it out of the water and walked up to the beach and sat down. I had just swam the length of Bear Lake in just over 13 hours. Gords came over to me and gave me a High Five, it was one of the best high fives I have ever had.

here is my information from the swim stolen from Gords!

Mile	Time	Elapsed time this mile	Temp	Stroke rate	Feed *	Conditions	Notes
1	1:18 am	33 min	62° F	65 spm	None	Glassy	Sue learning to drive and doing well
2	1:51 am	33 min	62° F	65 spm	Liquid mix	Glassy	Sue is an awesome pilot! Chad looking smooth
3	2:24 am	33 min	63° F	63-64 spm	Liquid mix	Glassy	Chad is a machine! Gords concerned about the higher than desired water temps, but no reason to stop.
4	2:58 am	34 min	65° F (two separate readings)	64 spm	Liquid mix	Glassy	Water almost feels warm to the touch. Extending the thermometer to about 2 feet down. Same reading on thermometer
5	3:33 am	35 min	63° F	62 spm	Liquid mix + Swiss Roll	A little breeze from the north (tailwind)
6	4:10 am	37 min	64° F	61 spm	Liquid mix	Air temp is 62°, water is warmer than air temp.	Chad says his back hurts.
7	4:50 am	40 min	64° F (two separate readings)	61 spm	Liquid mix and aBuzz Bite	Wind from the south, getting choppy.	Like a doofus I accidentally stepped on the mercury reading thermometer and it broke. I will submerge my watch to get a digital reading. I'm getting really sleepy. Asked Sarah to resume observing duties while I sleep for one hour and I should be good.
8	5:29 am	39 min	65° F	60 spm	Liquid mix	Still pretty choppy	Chad's stroke rate is dropping, but he is in good spirits. Doesn't say much. Feeds are very quick.
9	6:15 am	46 min	64° F	59 spm	Liquid mix	Less wind, chop turns to ripples now.	Light on the horizon. When I awoke from my 1 hour nap I feel very. Chad's stroke rate is slowing. Says his feet are cold, but his core feels fine. His speech isn't slurred. Will continue to monitor his condition at feeds for hypothermia.
10	7:02 am	43 min	63° F	59 spm	Liquid mix, Buzz Bite and Swiss Roll	Less wind, chop turns to ripples now.	Chad asked what the temp was. We told him and he seemed a little disappointed. I explained we still submit, and if it isn't accepted as a qualifier we try a different swim at the needed temp. He went right back to swimming.
11	7:53 am	51 min	62° F	59 spm	Liquid mix	Hardly a breeze now, just some ripples	The sun is up and it feels great.
12.5	8:59 am	N/A		61 spm	Liquid mix, Buzz Bite, Ibuprofen	No wind now, nice and smooth!	I ask if Sue wants to pace swim with him so I take over piloting the boat while she changes. The throttle has a little "click" that takes it into first gear and then after only a few seconds of steering throttle to neutral and coast. Chad is now at a point where he's never swam this far before. Chad tells Sue he is feeling a little cold. He puts on his tinted goggles.
13	9:23 am	N/A	63.1	62 spm	Liquid mix	Glassy	Sue pace swims. Chad's stroke is less efficient. Sue is making him increase his stroke rate though, so that is good.
14	10:06 am	43 min	63	62 spm	Liquid mix	Glassy	Chad comments "What a beautiful day!" I think I saw him smile. That is extremely rare. Sue got out a while, ago but I continue to drive. It's kinda fun. Easy to observe him and pilot cause I gotta keep the boat right at his pace.
15	10:53 am	47 min	63	64 spm	Liquid mix, Buzz Bite	Glassy	Chad's stroke rate is up. He asked how much further. Seemed to like the "3 1/2" response. In good spirits. Air temp is toasty!
16	11:36 am	40 min	64	60 spm	Liquid mix, Swiss Roll	Slight ripple	Sarah gets in to pace swim. She has to slow down. Chad seems tired, but steady. Chad requests Advil next feed. Beach is visible from here. Sue takes over piloting.
17	no reading	N/A	no reading	no reading	Liquid mix, Ibuprofen	Slight ripple	At this feed Sarah accidentally loses the pen and it floats away while Chad takes his liquid and Advil. I untie the kayak and jump in to get the pen. We're close enough now that I can paddle and be ready to capture some video.
18	no reading	N/A	no reading	no reading	none	See Notes	Had a slight tailwind breeze, notice up ahead that the water has serious ripples, once we get there the wind completely shifts from southerly to northerly and we have some serious headwind. Very windy. Chad comments to me that he feels like he isn't going anywhere. Wind is directly at our 12 o'clock and we have white horses!
19 (Finish)	13:55:16	N/A	no reading	no reading	none	See Notes	I paddled into shore and noticed a small black patch. When he arrived there he started walking and the black patch were a bunch of reeds that made it really hard for him to walk over, I noticed that the patch ended about 20 yards off to his left and encouraged him to walk around instead of straight in to avoid them. He fell a couple times cause they hurt to walk over and too thick to navigate through. When he arrived on the beach he sat down to soak it in. I let him soak in his success without smothering him. I gave him a high five and he got lots of cheers from the girls on the boat waiting about 200 yards off shore.

below are some pictures from my swim.

Me and Gords Looking at the weather before the swim

Somewhere on the lake

Night swimming

Sara taking notes

The Main Man on a girls boat

Captain Sue

Awesome wife and feed maker

Getting close to done

Made it