Today's Workout

Up at 4:30 AM, it's like sleeping in. Abs (390 crunches, 200 situps).

Off to the gym to swim with the masters class today. I'm placed in the fast lane (laughable). I'm the slowest of the group but it makes me swim faster to try and keep up with everyone. Warmup was 200 back kick (danger: I always slam into the wall, not sure why I can't figure out it is approaching), 200 free kick without fins (kind of like watching a snail crawl), 100 backstroke with fins. Today was t-shirt day to make us appreciate being streamlined. With the t-shirts and fins on 3 x 200 freestyle, 200 free kick, 200 freestyle. Trust me the drag from the t-shirt is exhausting. Discarding the t-shirt we moved on to 300 pull, 400 free kick (the even efforts were slow down, fast back), 200 pull, and then 200 fly kick.

We also did no breathe-ums. With fins on you dive to the floor and kick until you hit the other wall. First time out I had a major calf cramp and had to pullup mid-pool--that happens anytime I push off the wall. It took about a minute to calm my calf down. I tried again, this time without pushing off the wall to avert the calf cramp and I did not make it to the other end. One of the guys told me that in scuba lessons they teach you to relax your kick to conserve oxygen and that he thought I was kicking too hard. That didn't make much sense to me but I'll take any advice so I tried it and made it to the wall.

Two pieces of information that my coach talked to me about today which hopefully lead to a better result in the pool. First, my legs are too wide when I kick so I went back to focusing on making sure that my big toes hit one another. Second, she said I had a beautiful stroke--hear that, beautiful--but unless I wanted to injure my shoulder I need to relax my entry more. She made some joke about my being type A.......so untrue. Anyhow, something to focus on next time I am in the pool.

Next up, just a ride tomorrow. No combined ride and run per the usual Friday routine.