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
Originally posted by hmlee
It'll be exactly a week today that I've had this head cold. Fortunately, I think it's starting to turn around...I've been feeling a lot better today than I have in the past few days.
Who knows, maybe the chorline flushed out my sinuses! Glad to hear you are feeling better.
I picked up a cold last night which is putting a damper on my wedding anniversary plans for tomorrow night and will also most likely postpone my training plan to swim the 200 Free. Getting sick is just part of having kids I guess.
Originally posted by 330man
Glad to hear you are feeling better.
I picked up a cold last night which is putting a damper on my wedding anniversary plans for tomorrow night and will also most likely postpone my training plan to prepare for swimming the 200 Free. Getting sick is just part of having kids I guess.
Originally posted by hmlee
We did a pretty "easy" workout today (since practice was informal)
Boy, I'll say!
When do you start officially? I'm surprised you haven't already. The teams at the university I swim at have been training officially for the last couple weeks or so. This is Div I, though, DIII could have a shorter season I suppose.
Get well soon.
EDIT: I see you start next week according to your post a few up, so nevermind!
At my college pool there was a blackboard on deck that would have a "Suggested Workout for Lap Swimmers" posted on it everyday during pre-season. For some reason the day that swim practice started no more workouts were posted.
I haven't really decided if I should go to the SCC yet...I do have mild exercise induced asthma, and it tends to make any chest colds I get a lot worse than they usually are. I've cleared up a little bit today....so I'm not really sure what to do.
Originally posted by hmlee
Short update:
The swim team had a time management meeting today...as one of my friends remarked "Probably a good thing that you went since you won't have anymore time after this...". Haha.
My first real practice is on Monday at 3:30pm. I'm scared. Scared out of my mind.
Swimming informally with the other members of the team was one thing.....but getting in and doing a full workout under the supervision of a coach? Yikes!
At this point I'm trying to convince myself that I won't get kicked off the team for being too slow. I'm not sure if I'm the slowest one right now, but I'm down near the bottom for sure. Not getting in the water for much of the past week due to my persistant illness has hurt me too.
So...anyone have any advice for me in getting ready (mentally and physically) for this first
practice?
Main thing: give yourself some leeway. You're just starting off and the coach knows you were away from it for a while. Do the best you can but don't beat yourself up if it's not as fast as you want or as fast as the others are going. Your fitness level will be improving as you go along, and I wouldn't put too much stock in early practices.
I was reading about Kate Fonshell, an elite runner. When she first started at Villnova, she struggled, She was (subtly) pressed by her coach to quit. However, instead, she turned the coach's expectations upside down by winning the Oly. Trials 10k several years later. If she'd gone by her initial practces, she might have quit but instead recommitted herself and pulled it together. So hang in! The best is yet to come!
Short update:
The swim team had a time management meeting today...as one of my friends remarked "Probably a good thing that you went since you won't have anymore time after this...". Haha.
My first real practice is on Monday at 3:30pm. I'm scared. Scared out of my mind.
Swimming informally with the other members of the team was one thing.....but getting in and doing a full workout under the supervision of a coach? Yikes!
At this point I'm trying to convince myself that I won't get kicked off the team for being too slow. I'm not sure if I'm the slowest one right now, but I'm down near the bottom for sure. Not getting in the water for much of the past week due to my persistant illness has hurt me too.
So...anyone have any advice for me in getting ready (mentally and physically) for this first practice?
hmlee,
I know the feeling. I was away from swimming for 10 years and decided to join masters swimming at 29. I was very nervous that first day. I am still no where near where I used to be (time wise). The only advice I can give is that you need to look at you accomplishments and compare yourself to yourself, not anyone else.
Do your best its all anyone can ask.
Besides you get to spend time in the water doing what you love. Sharing it with a team just makes it that more sweet.
Side note:
It is backstroke week for my team. Just thought it was kind of ironic in light of your backstroke statement a few posts back.
First practice was today from 3:30pm - 5:30pm.
Ow. Ow. Ow.
As I reported in a different thread, I strained a muscle in my lower back on Sunday with a bad coughing fit. I got in the water today with the hope of looseing up my back, but I'm not sure I was succesful. The coach let me take it as easy as I wanted, but I still think I pushed myself a little bit.
I've discovered that fly and *** (especially fly) are murder on my back. Even during free/back I can...feel...every single kick. My kick, which was already weak, is now weaker because my back is so stiff. I was also forced to do open turns for the entire workout. I flipped once or twice, but the pain it put my back through made me decide to stop that. That probably slowed me down a bit.
The better news is that I'm not the slowest one on the team. I'm more like the 2nd slowest, and that's with a back injury and lingering respiratory cough. Hopefully once my back heals I'll be able to go a little faster. The rest of my muscles are a smidge sore right now.....nothing too bad. It'll probably get worse later in the week...we'll see.
I had trouble making my intervals today...although whether that's a factor of my back or my general out of shapeness I'm not sure. I had some doubts as to whether or not I'm capable of this in the middle of practice, but I think that's just because my performance was suffering. Right now I've resolved to show up every day until I either drop dead or am told not to come back.
Here's about what we did today: (I might leave some things out...my memory isn't that great)
(it was LCM setup today)
WU: 400m
12 x 50s on the 1:15 (I don't understand why this was functioning as a sprint...1:15 for a 50 is *not* a bad interval, and yet I had barely any rest at the wall)
1 x 400 IM (drill down, swim back - this was where I discovered that for my back right now, fly = bad)
4 x 300 on the 6:00 (again, not a terrible interval, but for some reason I had difficulty making it...I was hitting at about 6:30...)
12 x 50s IM order (25 hard, 25 easy)
1 x easy 50
1 x 500 pull (w/ corkscrew..6 strokes free, 6 strokes back, 6 strokes free...etc)
1 x 500 cool down
Total: About 4,300m
(I may have left something out, but that's as best as I can remember.)
Why don't you go to the training room? You're a varsity athlete now; athletic trainers exist solely to cure sports related injury and illness so that you don't have to stay in bed when you could train.
