Training continues, yard-after-yard, and looking forward to getting out of the pool and into the cold lake water for a change. Mentally looking at the same tile bottom is really a bigger challenge than one might think..teaches patience.
The next two months will see yardage volume increase from an average of 25,000 to 27,000 - 30,000 yards per week as well as the tempo of swims continue to push consistently faster. Despite being tired there is evidence of progress. I can consistently swim a couple thousand yards of 100 and 200's around 1:20 pace now and then continue on with the rest of the workout. I pretty much have stopped taking any rest between sets and just keep on going. For me this good as I can put down 5000 - 6000 in 1 1/2 hours which I try to limit workouts to for work and family reasons. As soon as open water starts, I will also start long, multi-hour weekend swims trying to get up to 6-8 range.
Have decided to add the Boston Harbor 8 miler to the swim race (if your can call it that for me, races? Its really more completion thats the goal). I figured between this, which will be very cold, wavy like San Francisco and the bigger Lake Michigan swims, I will be at least physically prepared for the 8 hour qualifier in October (cold water and mental are the big unknowns yet).
Year to date I have swam a tad over 175 miles.
Apr 1, 2010
Mar 18, 2010
So you think your in good physical shape, or is it just wear and tear?
Getting in shape, lets you learn just how out of shape you are (were) and then learning that you are no longer that indestructible 20 year old.
As I have continued to average above 25, 000 yards a week swimming I have also continued to be reminded of my age and the wear and tear this training takes on oneself. Left shoulder specifically has been tender. I have been working on very specific shoulder stretching which is helping greatly but this tenderness just won't go away. Welcome to getting older, Oh the joy??
So, I went to an Orthopod guy who specializes in swimmers. After some x-rays and very specific shoulder movement tests I learned that most likely it is not a torn rotator cuff or muscle issue but likely my old C 5,6,7 compression from a car accident back in college that is raising its ugly head due to the workload and probably improper biomechanics (big word for poor swimming technique). Freestyle as many of you may recall was really never my thing, so this pounding has been noticeable.
Learning to breath on both sides, while sounding simple, after 30 years of breathing only on one side is a challenge for me but very necessary to relieve the stress on my shoulders and neck area. You'll laugh but often times while swimming this leads to gaging on water from not rotating my head (actually rotating my body) efficiently from side to side. But with time this will become better too.
Good news is the training will continue and even pick-up a bit in the next two months to prepare for tentative events: Huntington 5k, Golden Gate to Bay Bridge 6 mile in SF Bay, Lake Minnantonka, MN 5 mile, Harbor Springs Lake Michigan 10k, Lake Superior 2 mile, Big Shoulders 5 k in Lake Michigan, Diamond Lake 10k in Michigan and the US Masters Nationals in Indianapolis at Morse Lake. Good news this all counts towards my training goal total yardage but is really preparing me for the big challenge of a 6-8 hour cold water trial in October.
The Charity efforts continue. I have been in contact with Goshen's A.D. and working on some sort of high school fund for student athletes and the Swim Across America Cancer Charity continues to be interested. The only other one I have considered to date is adding something for military vet's. All this should come into better focus once I finish the 6-8 hour trail.
Thats all for now and thanks for everyones comments and support. Take care of yourselves. Don
As I have continued to average above 25, 000 yards a week swimming I have also continued to be reminded of my age and the wear and tear this training takes on oneself. Left shoulder specifically has been tender. I have been working on very specific shoulder stretching which is helping greatly but this tenderness just won't go away. Welcome to getting older, Oh the joy??
So, I went to an Orthopod guy who specializes in swimmers. After some x-rays and very specific shoulder movement tests I learned that most likely it is not a torn rotator cuff or muscle issue but likely my old C 5,6,7 compression from a car accident back in college that is raising its ugly head due to the workload and probably improper biomechanics (big word for poor swimming technique). Freestyle as many of you may recall was really never my thing, so this pounding has been noticeable.
Learning to breath on both sides, while sounding simple, after 30 years of breathing only on one side is a challenge for me but very necessary to relieve the stress on my shoulders and neck area. You'll laugh but often times while swimming this leads to gaging on water from not rotating my head (actually rotating my body) efficiently from side to side. But with time this will become better too.
Good news is the training will continue and even pick-up a bit in the next two months to prepare for tentative events: Huntington 5k, Golden Gate to Bay Bridge 6 mile in SF Bay, Lake Minnantonka, MN 5 mile, Harbor Springs Lake Michigan 10k, Lake Superior 2 mile, Big Shoulders 5 k in Lake Michigan, Diamond Lake 10k in Michigan and the US Masters Nationals in Indianapolis at Morse Lake. Good news this all counts towards my training goal total yardage but is really preparing me for the big challenge of a 6-8 hour cold water trial in October.
The Charity efforts continue. I have been in contact with Goshen's A.D. and working on some sort of high school fund for student athletes and the Swim Across America Cancer Charity continues to be interested. The only other one I have considered to date is adding something for military vet's. All this should come into better focus once I finish the 6-8 hour trail.
Thats all for now and thanks for everyones comments and support. Take care of yourselves. Don
Feb 26, 2010
Just checking in...open water is creeping closer
Workouts keep coming at +/- 5000 yards a day (a little shy of 3miles) consistently now 5 times a week. So I have jumped from the 20k to 25k weekly average and good news is that its mostly being done in single longer workouts of 90 minutes each. While this step-up has been seemingly small I have found that the winter doldrums are here and I'm tired. Its just another step I suspect but even on days when i don't feel so hot I am still clipping off 1:20 - 1:25 100's pace with little to no rest over the entire distance so not too hard on myself.
The left shoulder is slowly getting better as I have been doing inner and out rotator cuff stretch cords consistently as well as stretching specifically for this. Keep working on other core as well and will add in weights slowly. I am back down to my college weight and eating everything in sight. Been starting taking cold only showers and it was horrible but now peanuts. Its amazing how mental some of this stuff is...
Still planning open waters swims but for sure looks like the US masters nationals in Indianapolis (6 miles but in warm dirty lake water, This could tough as warm water swims very different than cold); training in san fran bay for a week or two & golden gate to oakland bay bride race in July which will be a cold water (<60f); maybe huntington mile in Indiana for kicks; possible harbor springs 10k in upper lake michigan which would be cold; Lake Wawasee double crossing late spring while water is cool; big shoulders in lake michigan in Sept. and then in October my 6 plus hours (actually 8 plus just to really test the meatballs) qualifying attempt for the channel.
Finally, Year to date I have booked 99.73 miles of swimming (175,532 yards)...who could have thunk...keeps me out of trouble.
The left shoulder is slowly getting better as I have been doing inner and out rotator cuff stretch cords consistently as well as stretching specifically for this. Keep working on other core as well and will add in weights slowly. I am back down to my college weight and eating everything in sight. Been starting taking cold only showers and it was horrible but now peanuts. Its amazing how mental some of this stuff is...
Still planning open waters swims but for sure looks like the US masters nationals in Indianapolis (6 miles but in warm dirty lake water, This could tough as warm water swims very different than cold); training in san fran bay for a week or two & golden gate to oakland bay bride race in July which will be a cold water (<60f); maybe huntington mile in Indiana for kicks; possible harbor springs 10k in upper lake michigan which would be cold; Lake Wawasee double crossing late spring while water is cool; big shoulders in lake michigan in Sept. and then in October my 6 plus hours (actually 8 plus just to really test the meatballs) qualifying attempt for the channel.
Finally, Year to date I have booked 99.73 miles of swimming (175,532 yards)...who could have thunk...keeps me out of trouble.
Feb 6, 2010
Kicking, Kicking and more Kicking
Finished the week with just over 25,000 yards (just about 15 miles) and year to date 61 miles under the watchful eye of coach Marcia Cleveland during a nice long 6100 yard workout that included 2000 yards of stressed fin kicking. Needless to say I had my lunch handed to me but kept a good pace throughout.
Marcia tells me that stressing kicking now will have big pay-off later. Now it lets me work through big yardage without over stressing my shoulders (which my left is still tender but getting better with stretch cord work on the interior rotator muscles) but also helping me become more balanced in my freestyle stroke when breathing on both sides.
Continue planning open water swims for 2010 leading up to my 6 hour cold water qualifier in October. In July there is the Golden gate bridge to Oakland Bridge race that is 6 plus miles (but and this is a big but...its with a flood tide of almost 4 knots, which in open water swimming is like flying) so you end up swimming a little over 3 miles. The water is expected to be 55f to 61f and without a wetsuit possibly a good early look at some extended cold water time in rough SF Bay.
May 1st if water is above 50f its time to "take a dunk" a begin the cold water...CRAZY. I figure April no more warm showers should be a good start...
Marcia tells me that stressing kicking now will have big pay-off later. Now it lets me work through big yardage without over stressing my shoulders (which my left is still tender but getting better with stretch cord work on the interior rotator muscles) but also helping me become more balanced in my freestyle stroke when breathing on both sides.
Continue planning open water swims for 2010 leading up to my 6 hour cold water qualifier in October. In July there is the Golden gate bridge to Oakland Bridge race that is 6 plus miles (but and this is a big but...its with a flood tide of almost 4 knots, which in open water swimming is like flying) so you end up swimming a little over 3 miles. The water is expected to be 55f to 61f and without a wetsuit possibly a good early look at some extended cold water time in rough SF Bay.
May 1st if water is above 50f its time to "take a dunk" a begin the cold water...CRAZY. I figure April no more warm showers should be a good start...
Feb 1, 2010
US Masters 1 Hour "Postal" Race
During the month of January the US Masters Swim organization sponsors a 1 hour national race (i.e. swim as far as you can in 1 hour) which I participated.
I enlisted my daughter, Rachel, in a little pay-back effort to keep track of all my splits for each 100. I ended the hour swimming 4350 yards or just a hair shy of 2.5 miles (similar to an ironman tri-athlon distance). This was a good distance for me, so happy. Goal was to swim 100's at a steady pace below 1:30's and ended up clocking them off at a modest 1:24 per 100 in a very comfortable, long and steady swim. Could have easily kept on going.
Focused on breathing ever other side or rotating sides (not easy for me) to learn how extended periods of doing this lesson stress on my shoulders. It worked great, plus it was a nice distraction from going back and forth for an hour. As for the mental "blaa's" of going back and forth this was not what I expected. Once I got going, I was trying to track distance but simply gave this up and just relaxed and swam. I was comfortable enough to not look at the clock all but 3-4 times. This was good practice of "letting go, mentally" but I suspect much more of this will come in the months ahead.
We'll see how I stack up against others nationally when the results come out in March. I'll bet my coach, Marcia Cleveland and some of her fellow swimmers kicked my butt... They are very accomplished and this makes for good training goals although I am learning this is really just about "me".
On the fund raising/charity side, appears I have good interest from one national organization and keep working or organizing others. I would hope formalize these after I complete my successful 6 hour "qualifying" channel swim later this year.
I enlisted my daughter, Rachel, in a little pay-back effort to keep track of all my splits for each 100. I ended the hour swimming 4350 yards or just a hair shy of 2.5 miles (similar to an ironman tri-athlon distance). This was a good distance for me, so happy. Goal was to swim 100's at a steady pace below 1:30's and ended up clocking them off at a modest 1:24 per 100 in a very comfortable, long and steady swim. Could have easily kept on going.
Focused on breathing ever other side or rotating sides (not easy for me) to learn how extended periods of doing this lesson stress on my shoulders. It worked great, plus it was a nice distraction from going back and forth for an hour. As for the mental "blaa's" of going back and forth this was not what I expected. Once I got going, I was trying to track distance but simply gave this up and just relaxed and swam. I was comfortable enough to not look at the clock all but 3-4 times. This was good practice of "letting go, mentally" but I suspect much more of this will come in the months ahead.
We'll see how I stack up against others nationally when the results come out in March. I'll bet my coach, Marcia Cleveland and some of her fellow swimmers kicked my butt... They are very accomplished and this makes for good training goals although I am learning this is really just about "me".
On the fund raising/charity side, appears I have good interest from one national organization and keep working or organizing others. I would hope formalize these after I complete my successful 6 hour "qualifying" channel swim later this year.
Jan 18, 2010
2010 Swim Plans
Planning 2010 training and swims: well underway and have spent time with my distance coach, Marcia Cleveland, laying out an increased base load of yardage during these winter months with the goal of larger benefits later in the year. Can you say boring.... Beginning this week I start a slow ramp-up of yardage with the goal being 30,000 yards per week come the end of May. This is when open water season begins and cold lake michigan swims. I have a 1 hour postal event sometime this month (thats a swim as hard as you can for 1 hour to see how far you can go activity. I'm betting somewhere over 4000 but we'll check back and see how that goes). In July, I will try the 10k US Masters Nationals in Indianapolis, its the open water championships in Morse lake and between now and then sprinkle a number of 1.2 and 2.4 mile races for fun and probably a couple lake Wawasee crosses for an excuse to go to the Frog. Later in the fall, I'll be back at San Francisco for the Alcatraz race but this time maybe a 3 miler around the island and back or possibly the "bridge to bridge" (from golden gate to oakland bay bridge, a tough one for sure). Most important however will be my English Channel qualifying swim likely in October when the water is 60f (location yet to be determined) and I will need to go a minimum of 6 hours, likely 7 or 8 so I can learn about "hitting the wall physically and mentally in cold rough water. I do have some reservations, but not scared, just need to take this one step at a time and learn from the successes and failures...
On the charity front, finally making some progress. I have hooked up with the "swim across america - Cancer charity folks" and am hoping some type of relationship for fund raising either locally or nationally but have yet to learn of their interest. I have also received positive news from the Goshen School district for further discussion on how this might apply to the Dollars to Scholars Program. The biggest challenge is finding the mechanism to track and raise the funds and then marketing it without this becoming its own job. So if anyone has ideas please let me know.
Finally, for you old Goshen swimmers heres a laugh. A few events sprinkled in to remind the old muscles that sprinting, if you can call it that, is good physically happened this past weekend. Had a local masters swim meet and did the 1000, 500 free consistently clipping 1:17's per 100 which for my current long distance was good and then to remind me of old swim club days I tried backstroke and IM's. Well my 50 bk was a 29.6 and 100 was pathetically a 1:05 and same for my 100 IM. I guess its ok, just that old competitive thing... The longer races were good from a pace and practice stand point. I did find however that in a 25 yard pool under race conditions you tend to use your legs much more pushing off the walls, turns etc. More leg training will help this.
On the charity front, finally making some progress. I have hooked up with the "swim across america - Cancer charity folks" and am hoping some type of relationship for fund raising either locally or nationally but have yet to learn of their interest. I have also received positive news from the Goshen School district for further discussion on how this might apply to the Dollars to Scholars Program. The biggest challenge is finding the mechanism to track and raise the funds and then marketing it without this becoming its own job. So if anyone has ideas please let me know.
Finally, for you old Goshen swimmers heres a laugh. A few events sprinkled in to remind the old muscles that sprinting, if you can call it that, is good physically happened this past weekend. Had a local masters swim meet and did the 1000, 500 free consistently clipping 1:17's per 100 which for my current long distance was good and then to remind me of old swim club days I tried backstroke and IM's. Well my 50 bk was a 29.6 and 100 was pathetically a 1:05 and same for my 100 IM. I guess its ok, just that old competitive thing... The longer races were good from a pace and practice stand point. I did find however that in a 25 yard pool under race conditions you tend to use your legs much more pushing off the walls, turns etc. More leg training will help this.
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