Good Swim

With most things, there are good days and bad. And yesterday, for swimming, it was a good day. Almost.

Good Day
I generally don't even try to keep up with the former NCAA crowd at masters. I cut yards short on a regular basis and its not because I'm slacking, its because keeping up'd be impossible. But last night was a sprint night and I almost kept up. Warm up was 100 each SKIMPS (swim, kick, IM, swim, pull) and I did the whole 500 (except for the fly, which I did free - I haven't butterflied in at least 14 years, I don't really think I need to start now ...). The next set was 10 x 50 starting in the middle of the pool (ie, two flip turns per 50). I was a bit late starting this set because I was late getting into the pool and therefore late finishing the warm up, but I probably did 5-6 of the 50s on the minute, with flip turns (which, my friends, is a current goal for the championships ... he, he)! Then, on to the main set:

8 x 75 on the 1:20 - I did 6 of them, plus 25 yards for each for the two I skipped (I needed to get to the right side of the pool). So 1:20 per 75 is a bit aggresive for me but keeping up with 6 of 8 is respectable I think. Next ...

8 x 50 on the 1:00. Descending 1-4,5-8. Done. Cake. Mostly flip turns. Although, descending might be a figment of my imagination. I pretty consistenly come in right between :45 and :50. Followed by ...

8 x 25 on the :45, easy, spin, easy, all out. Done. Icing. Although, 'spin' is some sort of hyper backstroke that seems like a recipe for aggravating my bulging disks so I did those free somewhere between easy and all out.

Cool down was 200 kick which I replaced with 50 easy because, seriously, I ran 9 miles on Saturday and I hadn't eaten dinner ...

So yeah, a Good Day. If I had gotten there on time, I would have only been 100 yards short in the main set and I could have done the cool down.

Almost
After, in the locker room, we were discussing the outrageous cost of workout suits and how its particularly hard to participate in the on line grab backs if, like me, you don't know what size you wear because the tag has fallen out of your current suit. We were discussing the sizes we were in high school and how those sizes are no longer applicable. The girl that rubs me the wrong way commented that the first suite she bought in her return to swimming was a size 28 because that is what she wore in high school and now she couldn't fit into it. I commented that a 28 was my race suit size in high school so certainly not something I'd be able to fit into at this juncture. And her response ...? "My race suit was a 26 ..." Ok, honey, I'm 8 years older than you, and my two thighs together aren't the size of one of yours ... why must you counter my "yeah, there is no way I could fit into that suit either" with "I wore a smaller size than you in high school"? Because really, we've all been to the swim meet where the girl that wore a size 34 in practice thought that size 26 would help her win the race. And seriously, it was.not.pretty.

But yeah,
I complain about her, but I find her more amusing than truly annoying, which is good. In fact, I've been in a strangely good mood lately, so its hard to get me down. I even nailed my treadmill speed workout tonight (another goal, my friends), although it damn near killed me. Oooofff.

G'night.

Rock Star

aka, A 15 K.

aka, I think I'm almost back.

In answer to the question, yes. It is crazy to get up earlyish and pay $25 to run 9ish miles in the freezing cold. But, it is fun (for me) to know that I'm slowly starting to get my pre-marathon speed back. My smart friend Dave once told me that you had to run fast to get fast (ie, speed work). I wasn't sure if I believed him, but I've been trying it and it seems, perhaps to be working. So, before the marathon I generally ran between 9 and 10 mpm. Since the marathon its been more liked between 10 and 11 mpm. Yesterday, I ran 9ish miles when I should have been on an 8 mile long run in preparation for a late January 1/2 marathon, which is to say that I wasn't rested or racing, per se. Yet my splits were: 10:10; 9:57 ;10:21 ;10:14; 9:59; 12:28 (bathroom) ;10:13 ;11:14 (walked up a hill that I couldn't bear to run up twice in one day); and 10:07. Most of those splits are much, much closer to 10 than any other number.

So, yeah, pretty much I'm a rock star;)

A few things, though. On mile 7, running up the hill, I really thought I was going to hurl. I think it was low blood sugar (I forgot my gels). I wonder if its weird that having nothing in my stomach makes me want to hurl? Yesterday, under my right knee cap hurt. Alot. Whenever I bent my leg. Its better today. But, I hope that this isn't a new ailment. A new sign of getting old. And today, my legs, or more specifically my IT Bands, especially the right one ARE SO SORE. Is it maybe not a good idea to run 9 miles (when you should be running 8) in the freezing cold and then, after brunch and driving home, crawl up in the bed for the rest of the day without stretching? I might be on to something there;) I think there is some foam rolling in my future!

Question?

Is it crazy to wake up early(ish, for a Saturday), drive into the city and pay $25 to run 9 miles with weather that 'feels like' 22 degrees?

Answer to come in 9-12 hours.