October Swims

[Syndirelah]

Hey ladies!

Just wondering who is swimming this fall/winter. Im toying with the idea of MAYYYBE learning the other three strokes besides freestyle. Still undecided!

I took a few weeks off swimming and oh boy, it's been slow going to get my times back to where they were. For now I'm planning on swimming 3x's/week.
My last work out:

500 WU
500 kick/drill/swim w/ fins

Main set:

200 80%
3x100 :45
4x50 :00

(repeat three times)

Anyone else have some good work outs going on?

[tribogota]

Just giving you the one my team does.

Tuesday:
500wu
500 kickboard

200 x 10, (about 60%)
10 seconds rest between each 200
with paddles and pull buouy

Wednesday ( I love wednesdays)
500wu
500 kickboard
10 x 50, 15 seconds rest

6 x 25 1 minute rest between each 25
6 x 50, 2 minutes rest between each 50
6 x 100, 3 minutes rest between each 100
(as fast as you can, my coach says to swim so fast you leave your bathing suit behind, hahaha),

500 cool down

Thursday
Technique
500 wu
500 kickboard
10 x 50, 15 seconds rest

5 x 100 ondulation one direction, fist closed free returning
5 x 100 zipper, sculling, zipper, sculling, zipper one direction, fist closed free returning
5 x 100, catch up, one arm, catch up, side kick, side kick one direction, backstroke returning
(of course any mix of technique, I do this combo to not get too bored or too frustrated)

Friday
500 wu
500 kickboard
10 x 50, 15 seconds rest

12-20 x 100 (really depending, I can do 20 now, but I started out at 12 and worked my way up), 15 seconds rest

Saturday
500 wu
500 kickboard
2000 in and out, fast one direction and very easy returning

[HillSlugger]

Although my tri season is over I'm still trying to reach 200,000m for the year so I'm still busy doing lots of swimming (if I keep at my current schedule I'll probably near 210K!)

[tribogota]

wow hillslug, that is a lot! how much per session? I had never thought of how much a year...

[HillSlugger]

wow hillslug, that is a lot! how much per session? I had never thought of how much a year...

I generally swim twice a week for at least 2000m per session. I've really come to love swimming (if only I could regain my love for running!)

[zia]

Just got up the nerve to join our local masters team, and I love it! I didn't think it was possible to look forward to swimming as much as I look forward to running... or biking... but I think once I get over the 5:30 am start time, I will!

Here was our Sunday workout.

Warm up
1 x 300 all strokes
Stretch
1 x 200 easy swim

Main Set 1
1x400 pull on 7:30
2x200 IM on 4:30
4x100 kick on 3:20
8x50 stroke on 1:15
4 x (4x25 free) 1-3 sprint, #4 easy on :40

Main Set 2
1x200 stroke easy Rest :30
Xx200 free hard R:30
1x150 IM no free easy R:20
1x150 free hard R:20
1x100 stroke easy R:10
1x100 free hard R:10
1x50 breast easy R:5
1x50 all out

3600 yards total, though we cut a few short and ended up doing 3200, or 1.8 miles!

[fatbottomedgurl]

Nice workouts! I have been lazy in the pool lately. This winter I will devote myself to developing speed. Those workouts you girls posted are nice. Also am looking at swimplan.com.

As far as running I need some speed there too so I started working at the track doing 440s at 8/min pace, jog 220 in between. Its funny, I was walking home and decided that was too slow so I ran instead. I can't believe I did that.

[Selkie]

I swim every day except Sunday and plan on keeping it as part of my routine. With the coming cold weather and darker days, I'm hoping that my time in the pool helps alleviate my SAD and cheer me up when weather/pavement conditions preclude outdoor riding.

Unfortunately, it's gotten more crowded when I swim. I'm a slow swimmer---it's my zen time---so I don't have any structured workouts. I'm adjusting to swimming circles instead of just splitting the lane, particularly since some people who belong in medium/fast lanes like to get in the slow lane (I've become more outspoken about saying "this is the slow lane" when they ask to split/share---I'm the slow lane Nazi! lol).

[HillSlugger]

I swim every day except Sunday and plan on keeping it as part of my routine. With the coming cold weather and darker days, I'm hoping that my time in the pool helps alleviate my SAD and cheer me up when weather/pavement conditions preclude outdoor riding.

Unfortunately, it's gotten more crowded when I swim. I'm a slow swimmer---it's my zen time---so I don't have any structured workouts. I'm adjusting to swimming circles instead of just splitting the lane, particularly since some people who belong in medium/fast lanes like to get in the slow lane (I've become more outspoken about saying "this is the slow lane" when they ask to split/share---I'm the slow lane Nazi! lol).

At my pool nobody bothers to mind the lane speed markers so if it comes time to circle swim it's nearly impossible because everyone is swimming a different pace.

[roadie gal]

I'm going to TRY to swim twice a week at the local rec pool this winter. But... I really hate swimming laps, so I may "settle" for once a week... or so...

[kacie tri-ing]

2000 slow and all together. First swim since my half. I felt pretty good, but pretty slow :cool:

[Shiraz]

So glad to see this thread. This is my first year of swimming and finishing tri's so I was not sure what to do during the winter months. I was scoping out swim workouts and here it is! I am still trying to work up to longer swim distances and speed. I guess it is like running or biking... it will come with practice and time in the saddle and shoes.

Newbi question: What book or website you experienced swimmers recommend to read and study that has the simple definition of terms/ abreviations of your workouts? I really want to understand the definitions so I can do the intervals and drills and not just log distance.

[Selkie]

At my pool nobody bothers to mind the lane speed markers so if it comes time to circle swim it's nearly impossible because everyone is swimming a different pace.

For the most part, people are pretty good and most of the folks who swim when I'm there are "regulars," some of whom have been going there since the early 1970s. There are a handful who are jerks (people who started coming in the last couple weeks), but I found that being vocal about the fact that it's a slow lane usually discourages them.

But you're right. When people ignore the lane speed markers, it's extremely difficult to circle swim.

[HillSlugger]

So glad to see this thread. This is my first year of swimming and finishing tri's so I was not sure what to do during the winter months. I was scoping out swim workouts and here it is! I am still trying to work up to longer swim distances and speed. I guess it is like running or biking... it will come with practice and time in the saddle and shoes.

Newbi question: What book or website you experienced swimmers recommend to read and study that has the simple definition of terms/ abreviations of your workouts? I really want to understand the definitions so I can do the intervals and drills and not just log distance.

The off season is a great time for working on form and improving the stroke and to get in that time in the pool.

Yes, following a swim plan can be very confusing (maybe that part of why I don't); hopefully someone else can point you to a good website to understand this stuff.

For learning techniques I like Go Swim: drills & videos (http://www.goswim.tv/). I learned my open turns from there.

[colby]

I have fallen off the swim wagon the last couple weeks. This week I was at a conference, last week just plain busy. I think I'll put in some time this weekend, it's supposed to be super cold outside. I have a 12-miler to put in in the ol running shoes, but because of the conference travel I had to do last week's run on Saturday which gave me an extra day of rest (tomorrow) back to back instead of before/after my long run.

Anyway, I hope to get back on the wagon so that when I start the cycle over at the end of December it's not as big of a gap. I really liked doing 2x/week at ~2000 and a longer swim on the weekend. My swim buddy should be back on the wagon at least once a week now, too. ;)

[zia]

Back to 5:30 am swims with the masters. 2700 yards yesterday. Running 5 miles a few hours later was probably a mistake. I woke up in the middle of the night starving!

[Reesha]

I've been swimming at my school for the last month or so 5 days a week at 5:30 am-- beginning as a self-described poorly trained swimmer and within a month, the woman who runs the morning swim session has told me I have some of the finest natural form she's ever seen (even though I'm not particularly fast yet)

I've gone from swimming barely 10 laps consecutively (and then switching to kickboarding with fins and hand paddle thingies) to currently being about to swim 1000 freestyle and 500 breaststroke without feeling like I'm dying. I can't do that each day consecutively yet-- must give my weenie shoulders a break, but I'm doing significantly better!

Huzzah :D

[Fujichants]

I just started swimming (training for my first tri, yay!) and all these workouts you ladies post is like a different language to me! Are there any links online that can explain what it all means? I'm trying the total immersion technique...so far so good, I can swim freestyle without feeling like i'm dying.

[Fujichants]

I spoke too soon! I found a thread that explains it all.

[Reesha]

Another week, more swims!

Today

1000 freestyle
250 breaststroke

Freestyle is hard when it feels like you're going to choke on your phlegm (I had an allergy intensive morning). I think I was going fast though this morning and my arms felt better than they did the first time I did 1000 freestyle.

[zia]

Freestyle is hard when it feels like you're going to choke on your phlegm (I had an allergy intensive morning).

I hear you. Horrible cold, very stuffy nose. Took a little blast of Afrin before I left this morning (chased by saline, because I hate the feel of Afrin so), which seemed to take care things today... Hello, cough and cold season. Congestion does not make swimming fun!