5000! Warning--swimming related thread

Originally posted by sibleyclan I envy the lot of you!! I'm still working up to doing 2,000 in one workout. I've done it in a day with @1,500 in the morning and again in the afternoon but not yet in one session. I've only been at it for about a month & a half (missed 1 week sick, another for family vacation) so I figure I *might* get there consistantly by the end of the month. Don't push yourself. I find if I try to increase distance or intensity too rapidly, I end up getting sick -- sometimes even flu-like symptoms. If I were you, my goal might be just to get to 2000 yards per workout by the end of the year. A guy I work with is training to get into triathlons. He's strong and fit, but not a big swimmer. At present he is happy to do 800-1000 yards after several months. Ignore the 4000 yard people for now. Keep in mind that if you develop the capacity and endurance to do 2000 consistently, there will be others in the pool who will envy you, just as those who do 4000 yards regularly might envy the capabilities of people who do 6000 yards. There is always someone faster and stronger. For some people, you are that faster stronger one! Sometimes we fail to revel in the successes we have achieved.

Thanx Guvnah! I intend to tell my daughters (twins) this evening that they are *my* heros. They just moved up to the senior group this week. They called me after practice this morning to tell me they had gone between 8,000 & 9,000 yds. this morning alone! This after they were scared of 3,000 (meters) for an open water swim this past weekend. The only way I got them to do that was challenge them - if they would, I would too (only I got to swim 800 instead of 3k). As for *my* practice, I'm basically letting my body call the shots (I'm a firm believer of no pain = no pain. :D). I know I've been out of shape *way* too long to push it too far too fast. I'm just happy to be back in the water at 50!

I think SOME pain is okay. Whenever I change my routine I'm sore ... For example, I just started lifting again this week after a few weeks off, I'm sore ... I'm also doing some doubles ... so I'm going to be sore ... but PAIN is different Congrats to your daughters! Guvnah is right, I'm jealous they went that far this morning, I went over 6,000 total yesterday and was proud of that ... now 8,000 ... hmmm ... :rolleyes:

Originally posted by SwiminONandON Congrats to your daughters! Guvnah is right, I'm jealous they went that far this morning, I went over 6,000 total yesterday and was proud of that ... now 8,000 ... hmmm ... :rolleyes: Thanx! But then again, they're only 13 and believe me, they don't do it without complaint! They have to be there at 5:50 (AM!) and don't like getting up that early on summer vacation!! Every time they complain, I tell them they are free to quit. They go off to practice muttering & then come home feeling great. I'd like to know how they forget about the feeling great part by the next morning.:confused: And Guvnah *is* right, be proud of your 6,000!! I'm not sure I'll have the dedication (or possibly even the desire!) to go for that at this stage. (Maybe after the six year old leaves the house?!? :D )

Good advice here in this thread....Remember that it is ALL realtive! Heck, when I was in shape at 50...five years ago....I swam Hell Day with my son's age group team with my Masters Team as well and the 4th of July Hell Day was 100 X 100 LCM Free on 1:45.... I made each 100 up too the 7500 to 7800 range and then swma them all together until 9500 when I held the 1:45 pace to the end...back then I was swimming 4000 to 7000 a day in two workouts....Today, I am blessed to make the 2000 I swim and I could not swim 100 X 100 if I had a boat...My point, it is all relative... And sibleyclan, welcome back to swimming....

Anyone that knows me really well would have bet against me ever getting up early to swim. But I love proving people wrong. It's not that bad. By the time I actually get to the pool at 5:45 I'm almost conscious. I love those morning workouts, in some ways more than my night workouts ... I'm going to see how much I can crank out Sunday ... hmm ... 100 x 100 ... that is seriously a goal of mine though I think 1:45 would be a bit rough. Ok, real rough after the first 20 or so ...

Oh and going back to the whole relative thing ... my coach told me that my kick was week and I should work on it more ... ok, so I started doing a regular kick workout (which I need to get back to) anyway ... this same coach told me I was one of the best kickers on the team (doesn't say much for my team) but that I could improve a lot in my kick. I didn't believe him (in terms of being a good kicker) and he asked me to name 5 people that were better kickers than me I did. He said you know what all those people have in common? They have all been swimming their entire lives. You started less than a year ago. (oh and that story was not meant to toot my own horn but ... toot)

Gull and Aquageek, yes, I absolutley feel that way as well. The first few sets usually have me more winded than the last. and I also feel much smoother and more efficient after about 2000 yds.. and yes.. many days I just can't seem to get a feel for the water.

I envy the lot of you!! I'm still working up to doing 2,000 in one workout. I've done it in a day with @1,500 in the morning and again in the afternoon but not yet in one session. I've only been at it for about a month & a half (missed 1 week sick, another for family vacation) so I figure I *might* get there consistantly by the end of the month.

*** dog makes a very valid point though he forgot to add play pranks, tell stories, laugh till your belly hurts, and cuss ande PS sometimes I go more than 4,000 a practice but I'm just following orders. will that excuse work? Originally posted by TheGoodSmith People.... people.... people....... Remember, this is just Masters Swimming. If you are going over 4,000 a day in the pool, you need to get out of the pool and go home to your family. Hell, if you don't have a family, then get out and go home to hold the remote control. Holy cow..... that's serious yardage Rule of thumb: People who go more than 4,000 a day are usually under the age of 30 and swim USS. Let's stay focused here. We are old and we drink beer. John Smith