Want a good swim workout? Try this...
Main set:
12 x 50's @ 1:00, every third one ALL OUT SPRINT
straight into
12 x 100's @ 1:45, every third one ALL OUT SPRINT
100 easy, then
1 x 200 ALL OUT SPRINT
It doesn't look all that hard on paper, does it? The intervals are pretty roomy... shoot, there are only 4 fast 50's and 4 fast 100's... and then just 1 x 200... how hard could that be?
Nalani and I did that as a main set this morning and I just have one word. Brutal. I guess though it's only really brutal if your ALL OUT segments are actually ALL OUT. I read Ange's blog yesterday where she talks about getting out of your comfort zone and really pushing it when you have the green light to go hard... and you better believe that's what we did this morning. It's funny too- when you're sprinting like that in the water... with each repeat the piano starts falling on your back earlier and earlier... by the last 100's I was carrying that damn piano after only about 25 meters. Anyone watching from the side of the pool probably could have seen it pounce on me too. Man, I can FLY for a good 25 meters of the wall and then boom! The piano falls, and my pace did too.
And last week when I was sitting at my computer writing that workout, the 200 fast at the end sure seemed like a good idea. Ha! Let's just say it was a better idea last week than it was this morning after those 100's. I went for it though. It might not have been pretty, but I went for it.
Then I got back on my bike (again) for the last of my official Bike Week workouts. Having my mom here this past week gave me a ton of free time and I used it accordingly. It is clear to me that Bike Week really boosted my cycling fitness up to a nice level. I feel quite strong right now on the bike and I like that. The vast majority of the 300+ miles I rode in the last 9 days were steady zone 2 stuff... though I did sprinkle a few well timed intervals and hill sprints in there to keep myself feeling poppy. I felt great today while pushing a handful of 2 minute intervals. Now I get to sit back and relax for a couple of days to let my body absorb all that good work. Ahhh...
Or... maybe there will be no sitting back... Moana was spoiled in a big way by all that undivided attention from Grammy. Now Grammy is gone (boo!) and it's up to me to be the attention giver again. So much for recovery... ;)
13 comments:
There is never recovery with kids, is there? I wish I had, like, 1/4 of your swimming power! Really! I'd be thrilled for that. Swimming is still so hard for me. Running and biking, I can do with no fear. Swimming, man, when I get out of breath I panic and everything falls apart!
good post to read 15 minutes before i leave for the pool! i'm going to try to work hard enough so that the piano finds me...
You are right! There is no recovery with kids :-)
wow, 300 miles!! yikes! i really need to find my pedals and get them on my bike before it forgets what road feels like!
enjoy the recovery! you've earned it!
it doesn't sound crazy on paper but when you are swimming it, 12, especially with the all outs in there, definitely a great and hard workout!! the piano idea is neat.
I think my swim coach must be channeling you because she had me do something very similar to this the other day. Painfully similar. It was very tough!
about the rolling side to side...thank you for mentioning that (and the fact that it slows you down, too, at least i got that pat right!). occasionally i would roll (by accident) and it felt good! i just can't remember to everything all at the same time!
For my birthday I've asked David for 4 days of guilt free training and for time after my training to RECOVER. I never get to recover. As soon as I walk back in the door he's like "Here's Zach" and I'm lucky if I can get a shower in with Zach standing outside the door yelling "Shower. Shower. Shower."
Hope Moana is adjusting to grandma being gone. It's always an ugly transition period here.
You mean I can't sleep all afternoon with kids? Crap, NOW you tell me!
I am a swimmer and I cringed alittle at that one. I know I would go out too hard on those 50's leaving little gas for those 100's
Ouch! To novice swimmer me, that looked painful even on paper!
I read that line about intervals and hill sprints too quickly and thought, "keeping herself feeling poopy"? I went back and read it again...ah! poppy; makes more sense.
Anything with "all out fast" in it is going to get hard at some point :)
Oh! It's always the suspiciously "easy" sounding swim workouts that are the worst! Like Charisa said, anything with "all out" is evil!! HAHA!! Great job on all the training Michelle!!
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