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.
Former Member
....love that song, by the way......
I agree, I think he mean's "Jackson"....
..."....instead she and got lipo with ya money...."
originally posted by Aquageek
23 could quite possibly be the most coveted number in all of sports.
I believe its also the number of games the Astros have lost over the years in the post season when only one game away from the World Series....j/k of course!.....Untill this year that is!!!....How bout them Stros!!!!
Newmastersswimmer
Hahaha...yes and as a lifelong Chicagoan, I guess I should be proud of my randomness. Although I certianly don't view myself as the Jordan of div3 college swimming ;)!
My friends are obsessed with the song gold digger - ever since I introduced them to Kanye West...hehe. Yet something else tied to Chicago! Kanye is actually from the souuuuth side (where my school is) ...only about 10 or 11 blcoks away.
Newmass - haha..stros...Ahhhhh. I'm a cubs fan - as I was born on the North Side and grew up in the NW suburbs of the city. It's in my blood. However, as a Chicagoan I feel a grudging loyalty to the city and therefore must root for the Sox vs the Astros. At least they're not playing the Cards!
Oddly enough, the first meet we have tomorrow - at IIT - is right accross from Comisky...fortunately we should be leaving just as most of the traffic is getting there for game 1.
First meet today! U of C vs IIT (@ IIT)
Even though I didn't swim, I still had a fun time. Except at morning warmups today..hah. My coach had us come in for a warmup at our pool...we all thought..it'll be easy right...yeah..heh. I mean distance wise, it was easy, but like...effort wise...ow...we had to swim fast! Mehhh.......hehe.
I think I overdid it on my biceps during the week. At least my right one. Today while swimming in the warmup it was just bad. My left arm could do a proper stroke, but my right arm just didn't want to move in a correct way. Sigh.
Injury is still blah. Nothing new there.
After warmups we all got changed into our team gear and got on the bus. It felt pretty cool to walk around in our team warmups...they're so cool looking.
It was a short bus ride because IIT is only like 7 miles away...better than next week (I hear we're traveling 3.5 hours each way to get to our next meet! Yikes!). But it was still fun. Lots of laughs with the other girls, and random sillyness.
Today was one of the captain's (and my big sis in the big sis / lil sis program) 21st birthday. The other girl and I who have her chipped in and got her a Starbucks card with $21 on it. I also made her a card last night in my free time. I think she really liked it...which makes me happy.
The meet was pretty fun, although really short. They kind of blew right through everything. Annoying. I was given the job of videotaping the swims since I wasn't racing. I think I did a good job...hopefully!
We actually ended up winning the meet 113-105! Yey! It looks like it's going to be a good season for the team, which makes me happy...
The guys also won on their end 120-97...but who cares about them right? ;) Haha...
Alright...now it's time for a nap, dinner, first game of the world series, and then the swimming party! Woo party!
Today's warmup/workout:
Warmup:
600 swim
Main:
6 x 100 swim on the 1:45 descend 1-3, 4-6
6 x 50 kick on the 1:05
6 x 50 swim on the 1:00, build
Cool down:
250 swim.
Total: 2250yds
Swim lessons today.....
I was locker room attending again. Yey for having one day where I don't get wet! Haha.
The swim team party last night was pretty fun, although short in duration. Everyone was pretty tired from the meet so we cut it short. That was okay.
I really like swimming, but I'm really tired of being in pain when I do it.
It's just not that fun to have to *struggle* so hard to do things that usually come naturally to me. Regardless of my still being out of shape and getting back into the sport (thus causing my slowness and lesser endurance) having an injury just makes it worse.
I was thinking this morning...when I wasn't able to fully bend over....how much better things would be if I wasn't injured....sigh.
Hey...I'm a cubs fan...I can't control them :p
Morning & Afternoon practice today...
Morning was dry land as usual for M-W-F. Fun. It wasn't so bad...except after our weights she made us get in the water.
Now, I normally don't mind getting in the water.
Normally, we do like a 1200 choice. That's not bad. That loosens me up and makes it easier to deal with afternoon practice.
Normally. Heh.
Today, she was giving us sets. Now the sets wern't hard.....except I had just LIFTED. I was in so much pain in my shoulders / upper arms for the entirety of the sets. It was horrible. Horrible.
Afternoon practice wasn't so bad...I was still sore from the morning, but I dealt with it.
My back managed to last through the entire workout, which I consider a good thing. Hopefully a sign of improvement.
Now I just have to avoid developing a shoulder injury in the process, hahah.
After the practice was done we were all just goofing off during our cool down. It was pretty funny. Dolphin dives and just random swimming...kicking backwards...fun stuff. Those times with the team is what makes it worth comming back everytime. Even if the pain is really intense.
Right now I've taken 600mg of ibuprofen, slapped two bengay patches on each of my shoulders, put an ice pack under my back, and am drinking chocolate soy milk. I'm not sure how the chocolate soy milk speeds my recovery, but it sure does taste good......
Workouts for today:
Morning (after weights):
Warmup:
600 swim
300 IM order 25 swim, 25 drill, 25 kick
Main:
8 x 125 on the 1:45, build, 1-4 free, 5-8 stroke
8 x 25 on the :30 build
Cool Down:
200 choice
Total: 2700yds
Afternoon (long course):
Warmup:
4 x 150 Reverse IM order, 50 stroke, 50 drill, 50 stroke
4 x 200 pull w/ paddles, snorkel
Main:
4 x 100 Stroke on the 1:15 descend
300 free swim on the 6:00
3 x 100 Stroke on the 1:15 fast but relaxed
300 free swim on the 6:00
2 x 100 Stroke on the 1:15 fast
300 free swim on the 6:00
1 x 100 swim on the 1:15 CRAZY FAST
100 easy
8 x 50 kick on the 1:15, odds normal, evens fast
8 x 50 swim on the 1:00 drill down, build back
Cool down:
400 choice/swim
Total: 4,300m
My advice is to be clear to your coach that you'd like to swim in the meet. It's her call, but she needs to know you want to swim. Also, you should tell her you want to go on the training trip. These trips tend to be a real team bonding experience and missing it would almost make you an outsider on your own team.
I think this will also go a ways to ensure to your coaches that you aren't slacking.
You make some good points swimlong..
You're right about the venting, I was just in a very bad mood at the end of practice. I've just been so frustrated lately because my progression with this injury seems to be of the two step forward, one step back variety. I know I'm getting healthier...it's just not as fast as I'd like.
So when I'm then accused of being a slacker (even if it's not said so directly) I get a little bit angry. Believe me, if I could wave a magic wand and heal this injury I would. I want to swim. I want to practice. Yes, it's true I may not like the hardest sets we do.....but I still do them. And part of the reason I don't like some of our sets is because they cause me pain. I think it's one of the worst feelings ever when you put a lot of effort into something and then get the feeling that someone else thinks you're not trying hard enough.
Right now I'm a little bit afraid.
There are two issues on my mind...one is the meet this weekend, the other is the winter training trip for the team.
I'm worried that the coach won't swim me in the meet this weekend.
I feel so useless when I'm at a meet and not swimming...and I'd really like to swim. At the same time, I know it's not really my decision. I know I could talk to her about it, but I'm really afraid to do so..I'm not sure why.
The other issue that's been dominating my mind is the winter training trip. During our winter break the team takes a trip to some location (this year it happens to be florida) for a week and trains like insanely hard.
Now I'd been wanting to go...if nothing else for the bonding experience with my teammates, and also to improve myself.
So over e-mails between the coach and I I've learned that she and the assistant coach are debating whether or not I should go. Because I'm not healthy, they are concerned I would not be able to keep up with the intensity of the training that occurs on the training trip (given that it is "soooo" (direct quote from my coach) much harder than what we normally do).
I mean, if this injury progresses as it is supposed to, I should be absolutely healed by mid november at the latest.
The training trip is the first week of december.
So I guess for me the question is...if I am healed by mid november...is it smart to go on a trip that is of insane training difficulty? Am I putting myself at risk for a reoccurance of my injury?
If I'm still not healed by the time the training trip occurs, or if I'm almost but not quite ready...then I think it's obvious that I should take the 3 week winter break and do regular-light swimming to make sure I'm completely healthy for the last part of the season.
I'm all angsty over this...because I really want to have that bonding experience with my teammates, but I'm afraid I won't be able to take the training intensity...and I just don't know.
Anyone have any advice for me at all?
Tell her that muscles are stiffer in the morning and in the afternoon movement all day long makes them more supple, so less pain. She should KNOW this. My afternoon swims are ALWAYS better than my morning swims. My afternoon work-outs are ALWAYS better than my morning work-outs. The body just performs better after moving around.
