February 2, 2010 Morning Practice - Reality Strikes

I had to do a bit of extra work at Navy this morning, so when I was finished, I decided to jump in with the team and swim a few sets.  I've done this before, and usually do alright at keeping up with some of the guys.  Of course, the last time I did this was at the beginning of the season, while they've been working, and progressing, I've been on the sidelines watching, and hopefully helping.  Now that I have a couple goals for the summer, I'm back in, but they're just about at their peak.  Oh the difference.

I feel so much when I swim, and when I jumped in this morning, I actually felt pretty good.  My pushoffs were strong, my stroke felt pretty good, and after a few hundred, the rust was shaken off the shoulders.  Didn't really matter though, because no matter what I did, I simply couldn't keep up.  Their pushoffs have improved so much, what was great yesterday swimming with my masters friends, was like an age-grouper swimming with Roque Santos, or Jason Lezak.

Reality finally reared it's ugly head when the dryland group was getting in.  I decided to switch groups and swim with them, maybe I'd have better luck with a different group.  As they jumped in the pool, with tennis shoes and t-shirts with the instructions coming for a 100 with 15 meters underwater dolphin, then sprint to the end, smooth 50, then 15 meters underwater dolphin, sprint to the end.  While this was just part of the set, I was having a tough time keeping up with James on the underwater and sprint... AND HE WAS WEARING A T-SHIRT AND TENNIS SHOES.

I think I officially became an old man this morning, but was very pleased that the swimmers I work with had advanced so far in a couple months.  In reality, if I HAD been able to keep up, I would have been pretty disappointed.  I did, however, do what any mediocre swimmer should do in this realization.  When they got out, I swam another 2,000 meters.  :)

Warm-up
9 x 100 - 100 kick on 1:50, 100 pull on 1:20 - 100 fast on 1:45 (I was late getting in, so I was using their set as my warm-up, my fast wasn't very fast)

I also started to modify the practice as they were working on very specific things... I was just trying to survive.

2 x 50 on 1:00 working on stroke
2 x 75 on 1:00 trying to maintain a solid pace
2 x 50 on 1:00 working on stroke
2 x 75 on 1:00 trying to maintain a solid pace

4 Sets of the following:
4 x 50 on :45 breathing every 3rd
1 x 100 on 1:30 trying to keep up with the swimmers wearing all the clothes. ;)

300 kick alternating flutter and breaststroke by 50 - no interval, all alone now, sulking.

500 pull with pull-buoy and BIG paddles.  Working on pushing the shoulder up to the cheek during the catch.

8 x 100 kick with fins on 1:45.  Odds with board, evens on back no board.  Alternate 50 flutter, 50 dolphin, working on this weeks drill.

Now I was playing like I was Roland Schoeman.
4 x 100 free with fins on 1:30 - hold all under 1:10
4 x 100 free with fins and paddles on 1:20 - hold all under 1:10

200 easy loosen.  Looking forward to 4 months from now. :)