Swimmingly

I don't really write a ton about swimming and my swim workouts, but I think it's about time, because my swimming seriously ROCKS right now.

Mind you, I still had a hard time convincing myself yesterday, that swimming for 3,550 yards in a pool is a great thing to do. But once I am in the water, it just feels good. Not only good, it actually feels great. It feels different, it feels like something has clicked once again. I don't know how it happened or when exactly it happened, but I am pretty sure that it has something to do with the fact, that I swim more consistent and long this season than I have ever done before.

In previous years, once Coach Katie's tri swim classes are done at the end of April, I went back to swimming once a week (self coached). And seriously, I just never come up with ways to hurt and punish myself like she does. So whenever the swim classes were done, I did one swim between 2,000 and 2,500 yards ("It's not like I am training for an Ironman, so why swim long?") per week and the workouts were pretty unplanned and unstructured.

Right now, I am in the pool at least twice a week and the workouts are between 2,500 and 3,500 yards and have a lot of drills, sprints, endurance, kicking, paddles.... Whatever hurts, it's in there. In July of this year, I already had more yardage logged than in all of 2010 and it pays off.... And you guys.... I do flip turns right now!! FLIP TURNS!! Okay, sometimes, I still miss the wall when trying to push off, but it has gotten so much better... I am thrilled! All of these weeks looking like a fool in the pool finally start paying off!

While I don't wear a watch in the pool, I have been asked lately to provide some splits for my swimming*, so I kept a close eye on the pool watch last night for the main set:

*Does anyone have a recommendation for a decent watch? It should have at least the capability to record 50 splits and preferably under 50 bucks! THANKS!

4x200 around 3:25-3:40
8x100 around 1:30-1:45
16x50 around 0:45-0:47

This got me all giddy!

I will be doing another 3K open water race in a couple of weeks and I am really hoping to break one hour (about a 1:50/ 100 yard pace) this time around. I know, it's quite a stretch from my last OWS race, but with swimming a better line and the improved speed... and a little bit of luck, this should be possible.