leonard jansen - boston light

Originally posted by aquageek Leonard - I'd be interested in how you trained for this. There are a lot of people who could wipe the floor with me, and do so regularly, so I wouldn't take this as anything more than what works for me, given my strengths/weaknesses/time limitations... 1) Technique is critically important, so I try to be sure that I am always aware of it. This is normal in racewalking, so it's second nature. I think this is doubly true in my case since I didn't learn to swim until I was 39. I happen to believe in the Total Immersion School of thought and do a modified version of TI. I also have an annoying back injury, so that dictates how I do things (i.e. no flip turns allowed.) 2) I do some, but not much, non-freestyle. I also don't do much kicking work as my ankle flexibility is that of a racewalker, which makes a runner's ankles look positively limber. 3) I usually start training for open water season at the beginning of November, but given the time demands of the season, things can be sporadic until the beginning of January. 4) I do a decent number of sit-up type exercises, usually while rotting my brain watching TV. I also do "cat sit-ups" where I pickup our one cat, Leith, and hold her to my chest for a few reps - do not try this at home, I am a professional cat wrangler from way back. 5) I do a series of shoulder strengthening exercises to prevent rotator cuff issues. I adapted them from "The Seven Minute Rotator Cuff Solution" book. 6) I stretch regularly, even at work. 7) I get massages regularly. I married my massage therapist, boat crew chief and moral compass - I have been blessed in a way far exceeding anything I deserve. 8) No kids, so no time constraints there. 9) I've only done 3 pool races. That's enough. 10 ) I keep a training log. If you don't know what you did, you can't correct it. 11) Actual yearly training schedule: Nov- Dec: General fitness, technique work, distance, try to survive the holidays and not get too fat. Jan - March: Slower distance, do intervals, but not push them too hard. April - May: Faster/longer across the board. June - Sept: Compete. Training as hard as I think I can without injury. Usually taper for 1 week before a race like Boston Light and then go easy for a few days after. Late Sept - October: Recovery. Swim 3 days a week for 1/2 hour, stretch, do all the things that I promised Deb I'd do and never got to during the season. 12) Here is a "typical" week in late May: Monday - Noon: Swim easy for 1/2 hour at lunch (YMCA is just down the street from work.) Muck horse stalls in PM. Also some situps. Tuesday - Noon: 1/2 hr at lunch done as 10 minutes warmup, something like 10X100 on 1:30 or so, 5 minutes or so warmdown. I emphasize technique/relaxation on these. PM: 1/2 hour technique work (often with Fistgloves) or including some light intervals. Then workout with YMCA masters: This is usually 3500-4000 yards and I don't try to "influence" the choice of workout. i.e. If they want to do stroke work or kicking, I do it without whining too much. Wednesday - Noon: 30-45 minutes of non-stop pace work (42-45 sec/lap for 50 yards). PM: Muck stalls, situps. Thursday - Similar to Tuesday. Friday - Similar to Monday inc. Muck stalls. Saturday - 2 Hours "straight." Usually go about 43-44 sec/50 yard lap. I stop every 30 minutes for 30 seconds to get a drink of Accelerade. Variations on this include: a) swim the first hour normally and then put on a t-shirt and use that as resistance for the second hour. b) Swim the first 22+ minutes of each of the 4 segments straight and then do 5X{50 sprint, 50 pace} for the last 7-8 minutes. c) Swim 30 minutes, then 2000 meters of intervals (typical 100, 100, 200, 200, 400, 400, 200, 200, 100, 100) and then finish with whatever time is left to make up 2 hours. Sunday: Intervals. Usually 5000 yds/meters of swimming that includes 4000 yards/meters of actual intervals. A favorite: 2 x 1650 broken (11 lengths, 10 lengths..., 1 length, 1 length,...10 lengths, 11 lengths) with 15 seconds between each of the 22 segments, then a bunch of 100's to get to 4000 yards/meters.) The pattern is fairly similar earlier in the year, with all sorts of variations. 13) Except for the YMCA masters workouts, I usually train alone. Well, my apologies if that bored anyone. Certainly, I am sure that there are things that I could improve, but I do enjoy it (except in January, when open water season seems impossibly far away.) Fire away. -LBJ

Originally posted by aquageek Leonard - I'd be interested in how you trained for this. There are a lot of people who could wipe the floor with me, and do so regularly, so I wouldn't take this as anything more than what works for me, given my strengths/weaknesses/time limitations... 1) Technique is critically important, so I try to be sure that I am always aware of it. This is normal in racewalking, so it's second nature. I think this is doubly true in my case since I didn't learn to swim until I was 39. I happen to believe in the Total Immersion School of thought and do a modified version of TI. I also have an annoying back injury, so that dictates how I do things (i.e. no flip turns allowed.) 2) I do some, but not much, non-freestyle. I also don't do much kicking work as my ankle flexibility is that of a racewalker, which makes a runner's ankles look positively limber. 3) I usually start training for open water season at the beginning of November, but given the time demands of the season, things can be sporadic until the beginning of January. 4) I do a decent number of sit-up type exercises, usually while rotting my brain watching TV. I also do "cat sit-ups" where I pickup our one cat, Leith, and hold her to my chest for a few reps - do not try this at home, I am a professional cat wrangler from way back. 5) I do a series of shoulder strengthening exercises to prevent rotator cuff issues. I adapted them from "The Seven Minute Rotator Cuff Solution" book. 6) I stretch regularly, even at work. 7) I get massages regularly. I married my massage therapist, boat crew chief and moral compass - I have been blessed in a way far exceeding anything I deserve. 8) No kids, so no time constraints there. 9) I've only done 3 pool races. That's enough. 10 ) I keep a training log. If you don't know what you did, you can't correct it. 11) Actual yearly training schedule: Nov- Dec: General fitness, technique work, distance, try to survive the holidays and not get too fat. Jan - March: Slower distance, do intervals, but not push them too hard. April - May: Faster/longer across the board. June - Sept: Compete. Training as hard as I think I can without injury. Usually taper for 1 week before a race like Boston Light and then go easy for a few days after. Late Sept - October: Recovery. Swim 3 days a week for 1/2 hour, stretch, do all the things that I promised Deb I'd do and never got to during the season. 12) Here is a "typical" week in late May: Monday - Noon: Swim easy for 1/2 hour at lunch (YMCA is just down the street from work.) Muck horse stalls in PM. Also some situps. Tuesday - Noon: 1/2 hr at lunch done as 10 minutes warmup, something like 10X100 on 1:30 or so, 5 minutes or so warmdown. I emphasize technique/relaxation on these. PM: 1/2 hour technique work (often with Fistgloves) or including some light intervals. Then workout with YMCA masters: This is usually 3500-4000 yards and I don't try to "influence" the choice of workout. i.e. If they want to do stroke work or kicking, I do it without whining too much. Wednesday - Noon: 30-45 minutes of non-stop pace work (42-45 sec/lap for 50 yards). PM: Muck stalls, situps. Thursday - Similar to Tuesday. Friday - Similar to Monday inc. Muck stalls. Saturday - 2 Hours "straight." Usually go about 43-44 sec/50 yard lap. I stop every 30 minutes for 30 seconds to get a drink of Accelerade. Variations on this include: a) swim the first hour normally and then put on a t-shirt and use that as resistance for the second hour. b) Swim the first 22+ minutes of each of the 4 segments straight and then do 5X{50 sprint, 50 pace} for the last 7-8 minutes. c) Swim 30 minutes, then 2000 meters of intervals (typical 100, 100, 200, 200, 400, 400, 200, 200, 100, 100) and then finish with whatever time is left to make up 2 hours. Sunday: Intervals. Usually 5000 yds/meters of swimming that includes 4000 yards/meters of actual intervals. A favorite: 2 x 1650 broken (11 lengths, 10 lengths..., 1 length, 1 length,...10 lengths, 11 lengths) with 15 seconds between each of the 22 segments, then a bunch of 100's to get to 4000 yards/meters.) The pattern is fairly similar earlier in the year, with all sorts of variations. 13) Except for the YMCA masters workouts, I usually train alone. Well, my apologies if that bored anyone. Certainly, I am sure that there are things that I could improve, but I do enjoy it (except in January, when open water season seems impossibly far away.) Fire away. -LBJ