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, I wasn't actually sure if the 50 back was ever an event, but you never know. Between the two, I'd much prefer to swim the 100 anyway...at least when I'm healthy enough to do a proper turn. Oddly enough though, at this meet I don't think they're even running events like the 100 ***...I'm not sure why.
Afternono practice today......
I made all of my intervals! Yey! Granted, they were generous intervals...but I was making them by a good portion of time. That makes me happy. And doing it while having no ibuprofen in my system? Even better!
I've noticed that something kind of odd happens when I'm at practice. When I'm going to and getting ready to swim I'm always kind of like "Blagh...workout...I have so much work to do! I'm so stressed", but as soon as I get the cap and goggles on that vanishes for the most part. I stop worrying about the papers I have due, the econ problem sets, or the german midterms...and I just kind of swim. It's nice.
Today's workout was not bad...although I was tired after this morning's dry land.
I attribute my rather constant beating of my intervals today to something kind of silly. As soon as we started the medium distance set, my mind started looping the Franz Ferdinand song "Do You Want To". That was entertaining. It's up tempo enough to keep me on pace...although I got kind of tired of hearing "aaaand I'm gonna make somebody love me...." everytime I pushed off the wall. Haha.
I did experience quite a large load of cramping during my last set. I cramped in my calves and in the area where I'm injured. I'm not sure if it was the use of the fins during that set or the side kicking, or just the total work load we did during the course of the day. I chugged some advil as soon as I got home and I'm icing all the areas where I cramped uo. Hopefully I won't be too tight to swim tomorrow.
Today's Workout:
Warmup:
600 swim
400 pull (w/ paddles for everyone else)
400 swim w/ snorkel
Main:
4 x 400 (our interval was the 8:00...pretty generous!)
1st 400: Straight through, aiming for 130-140bpm heart rate.
2nd 400: Straight through, aiming for 150-170bpm heart rate.
3rd 400: Broken at the 200 - 15 sec rest - aiming for 180-200bpm heart rate.
4th 400: Broken at the 100 - 5 sec rest - aiming for 200-220bpm heart rate.
100 easy swim recovery
10x50 (w/ fins) on the 1:00 ...side kick drill down, swim back (nice interval, but I think this is what caused the cramping in my injury)
100 easy swim recovery (alternate 25 "L" backstroke drill, 25 swim)
Total: 3700yds
At this point, she had everyone combine into three lanes to do some flip turn drills. Since I can't do turns right now because of my back, I hopped out and observed for a little while so I could understand what she was trying to teach us.
I did try to do a flip turn during warmup today. I was able to succesfully complete it, but the sensations I felt led me to believe that doing more than a handful of them would not have been a good thing.
It's really frustrating having to do open turns in practice. I lose a lot of time on my intervals, and I also get bored of the break in the continuity of my swimming. The smidge of extra rest I pick up at the wall isn't even worth it.
Yeah, I wasn't actually sure if the 50 back was ever an event, but you never know. Between the two, I'd much prefer to swim the 100 anyway...at least when I'm healthy enough to do a proper turn. Oddly enough though, at this meet I don't think they're even running events like the 100 ***...I'm not sure why.
Afternono practice today......
I made all of my intervals! Yey! Granted, they were generous intervals...but I was making them by a good portion of time. That makes me happy. And doing it while having no ibuprofen in my system? Even better!
I've noticed that something kind of odd happens when I'm at practice. When I'm going to and getting ready to swim I'm always kind of like "Blagh...workout...I have so much work to do! I'm so stressed", but as soon as I get the cap and goggles on that vanishes for the most part. I stop worrying about the papers I have due, the econ problem sets, or the german midterms...and I just kind of swim. It's nice.
Today's workout was not bad...although I was tired after this morning's dry land.
I attribute my rather constant beating of my intervals today to something kind of silly. As soon as we started the medium distance set, my mind started looping the Franz Ferdinand song "Do You Want To". That was entertaining. It's up tempo enough to keep me on pace...although I got kind of tired of hearing "aaaand I'm gonna make somebody love me...." everytime I pushed off the wall. Haha.
I did experience quite a large load of cramping during my last set. I cramped in my calves and in the area where I'm injured. I'm not sure if it was the use of the fins during that set or the side kicking, or just the total work load we did during the course of the day. I chugged some advil as soon as I got home and I'm icing all the areas where I cramped uo. Hopefully I won't be too tight to swim tomorrow.
Today's Workout:
Warmup:
600 swim
400 pull (w/ paddles for everyone else)
400 swim w/ snorkel
Main:
4 x 400 (our interval was the 8:00...pretty generous!)
1st 400: Straight through, aiming for 130-140bpm heart rate.
2nd 400: Straight through, aiming for 150-170bpm heart rate.
3rd 400: Broken at the 200 - 15 sec rest - aiming for 180-200bpm heart rate.
4th 400: Broken at the 100 - 5 sec rest - aiming for 200-220bpm heart rate.
100 easy swim recovery
10x50 (w/ fins) on the 1:00 ...side kick drill down, swim back (nice interval, but I think this is what caused the cramping in my injury)
100 easy swim recovery (alternate 25 "L" backstroke drill, 25 swim)
Total: 3700yds
At this point, she had everyone combine into three lanes to do some flip turn drills. Since I can't do turns right now because of my back, I hopped out and observed for a little while so I could understand what she was trying to teach us.
I did try to do a flip turn during warmup today. I was able to succesfully complete it, but the sensations I felt led me to believe that doing more than a handful of them would not have been a good thing.
It's really frustrating having to do open turns in practice. I lose a lot of time on my intervals, and I also get bored of the break in the continuity of my swimming. The smidge of extra rest I pick up at the wall isn't even worth it.
