So since at least two people on this board are interested in my adventures in joining my University's team I thought I'd create a thread (much like ande's swimming blog) to detail all of it. Yeah.
Since the season doesn't actually start regular practice for another week and a half, this is mainly an intro post - and I'll update it with what happens when I go meet the other girls on the team and such! Stay tuned! It'll be better than any general hospital or passions!
Today I actually swam for the first time (since my freshman swim test last year) in the University pool. It was huge. And cold. Over the summer I got used to swimming in health club pools with water hovering around 80-85. Not exactly the most comfortable water at times, but at least nice and warm. The Ratner pool here is...freezing by those standards. I'm guessing the water temp is 75 at the warmest. Gives new meaning to the term "warm up".
I was really nervous when I first got in - the girls and guys returning members were having informal practices and I was sort of afraid they'd notice me. Although, I don't think they did. Or maybe they did and I just didn't hear what they said about me. Haha.
I also swam a 600 for the first time in a long time. I mostly stuck to 400s and below in my summer workouts (yeah, I know, I'm a little bit of a wimp). Unfortunately, that couldn't last. The coach suggested when I met her that I get in the water and swim 6-800 straight every day this week as part of my workout. It kind of hurt. Actually, it was one of the odder experiences of my life. For the first 200 or so my chest was tight from my asthma and I was freaking out about the distance (I was also really cold). Then all of a sudden I started to get really into it and just kept on going. I probably could have done 1000 if I wanted to.
The workout was cut short - only about 2300yds - because I promised my friends I'd come home and cook dinner for them tonight. And that's where I leave it tonight.
Background: For those who didn't see my posts on the board throughout the year, I'm a soph. in college who has been going through the prepartion to join my school's team. I attend the University of Chicago (a div 3 school) and was a competitive swimmer for seven years before high school. Burnout put me out of the water for almost 5 years, however, and I'm only recently getting back into it.
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Yeah, the UAAs were held here last year! They won't be here again this year, but I think they might be here again during my Jr. year. We'll see....
Well, I had morning practice today. I woke up and I wasn't feeling all that great. I ran out of my muscle relaxer prescription the night before, so I didn't have any last night. I really didn't get a lot of sleep because there were a lot of poeple comming back from bar night - a local frat party that's held every wednesday - and being extremely loud in the hallways at like 1-3am.
So I woke up pretty groggy and sore but decided to go to practice and swim anyway. I got in the water and I was feeling alright..today was sprint day. Yey....er not. I'm not really a sprinter, so long sets of sprints are just evil. Especially with my injury.
After we finished the main set the coach had us hop out. Since our first meet is a week from Saturday, she wanted us to get up on the blocks a little and swim events as though we were in a race. I haven't done a start in five years, but all the same I was thinking I might try it.
Until she told us the event...
She wanted us to swim the 200 free on a race pace.
At that point after the high intensity workout we had had I was thinking that it probably wasn't a great idea for me. I wasn't at the point where I needed to get out of the pool...I probably could have swum more. I just didn't know what a full start + fast 200 would do to my back which was already aching.
So I opted out.
My coach seemed to understand, although I felt kind of bad about it. I know that I have to get up on the blocks over the next week (probably a lot) because I need to get a decent start down if I'm going to swim in our first meet (which I'm not sure that I will...but probably...). I'm thinking that the next time we do that (maybe tomorrow morning?) if I don't swim the event with the other girls I'll at least start with them or something.
Did I make the right call here? Or was I too conservative?
Today's workout:
Warmup:
300 free swim - alternate 25 swim, 25 drill
300 IM swim - alternate 25 kick, 25 swim, 25 drill
300 back swim - alternate 25 swim, 25 drill
Fins on:
8 x (3 x 25 fast focus on technique on the :40; 1 x 50 six side kick / 3 stroke free or back recovery on the 1:00)
Fins off:
300 pull
12 x 25 on the :30 alternating build/sprint
50 easy swim
...Block part...(I didn't swim this)
Cool down:
200 easy swim
Total today: 2,950yds
Yeah, the UAAs were held here last year! They won't be here again this year, but I think they might be here again during my Jr. year. We'll see....
Well, I had morning practice today. I woke up and I wasn't feeling all that great. I ran out of my muscle relaxer prescription the night before, so I didn't have any last night. I really didn't get a lot of sleep because there were a lot of poeple comming back from bar night - a local frat party that's held every wednesday - and being extremely loud in the hallways at like 1-3am.
So I woke up pretty groggy and sore but decided to go to practice and swim anyway. I got in the water and I was feeling alright..today was sprint day. Yey....er not. I'm not really a sprinter, so long sets of sprints are just evil. Especially with my injury.
After we finished the main set the coach had us hop out. Since our first meet is a week from Saturday, she wanted us to get up on the blocks a little and swim events as though we were in a race. I haven't done a start in five years, but all the same I was thinking I might try it.
Until she told us the event...
She wanted us to swim the 200 free on a race pace.
At that point after the high intensity workout we had had I was thinking that it probably wasn't a great idea for me. I wasn't at the point where I needed to get out of the pool...I probably could have swum more. I just didn't know what a full start + fast 200 would do to my back which was already aching.
So I opted out.
My coach seemed to understand, although I felt kind of bad about it. I know that I have to get up on the blocks over the next week (probably a lot) because I need to get a decent start down if I'm going to swim in our first meet (which I'm not sure that I will...but probably...). I'm thinking that the next time we do that (maybe tomorrow morning?) if I don't swim the event with the other girls I'll at least start with them or something.
Did I make the right call here? Or was I too conservative?
Today's workout:
Warmup:
300 free swim - alternate 25 swim, 25 drill
300 IM swim - alternate 25 kick, 25 swim, 25 drill
300 back swim - alternate 25 swim, 25 drill
Fins on:
8 x (3 x 25 fast focus on technique on the :40; 1 x 50 six side kick / 3 stroke free or back recovery on the 1:00)
Fins off:
300 pull
12 x 25 on the :30 alternating build/sprint
50 easy swim
...Block part...(I didn't swim this)
Cool down:
200 easy swim
Total today: 2,950yds
