SWIM: 2.286k (P)

Changing it up a little bit. First, getting up at 4:30 AM just to compete for a lane is getting a little frustrating. Lanes are open from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM for laps...this is when I swam today, and there was almost nobody there. I'm also going to take a look at the 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM schedule. 

Second, I've plateaued...having a tough time losing more than 40-lbs. If I decrease my distance and increase my frequency, I should be able to start shaving weight off again. And once I plateau again, I can start adding distance back on. 

Today's 2.286k felt a little off, probably because I started at a different time. I also hadn't eaten anything yet, so my body felt a little weak. I'm going to have to start eating something for breakfast every day...maybe egg whites, cheese and whole grain toast.

SWIM: 4.572k (P)

Another busy morning at the pool today, but not quite as bad as Monday. I was inspired by a girl who rolled onto the pool deck in a wheel chair. With the assistance of a chair lift, she was able to get it the pool and complete several laps.

I wasn't sure how far I would swim today, but was able to complete 4.572k in under three hours...a little better than last time I pushed this distance. I'm less that half a kilometer from my 5k goal, something I'd like to be able to complete in under three hours. 

SWIM: 3.658k (P)

I've never seen the pool this crowded. What seemed like a normal morning quickly turned into something that resembled a Soviet bread line by about 5:15 AM.

The added pressure motivated me to push myself to a new personal best, completing my first 2.286k just under 01:25:00 (a five minute improvement). It wasn't that I was swimming that much faster...I just didn't take my normal rest breaks between sets. 

SWIM: 2.743k (P)

Yesterday morning's swim...day late posting. Didn't want to wake up at 4:30 because I got to bed late and couldn't fall asleep. Managed to pull myself out of bed and get 2.743k in. Decided it was a good idea to stop while I still had the desire to keep going so I don't burn myself out. I didn't feel like I pushed myself very hard, but it was still good to get two hours of pool time. 

SWIM: 3.658k (P)

It was an active day at the pool today...people were doubling up in lanes all morning. Some of the swimmers were a little too "chatty". I don't mind a quick "hi, how's it going?", but let me get my work in. Felt really good today. That nagging pinch in my right shoulder returned, but only lasted a few laps. My rhythm was off on my final lap and I ended up inhaling a little water...oops. 

SWIM: 1.372k (P)

Worked on speed in pool today, logging 1.372k in under an hour. Felt great...still no nagging aches and I've gotten use to my new goggles.

SWIM: 3.658k (P)

With Labor Day weekend plus one extra day of the pool being closed for (un)scheduled maintenance, I went four days without swimming. I wasn't sure how today was going to go, but I ended up doing 3.658k without issue. The long weekend even gave that nagging ache in my shoulder time to recover. I though about swimming farther, but I have a busy day ahead of me and don't want to tire myself out.

SWIMMING, STRENGTH & FUEL

SWIMMING: At this point, I think I've found my swimming "sweet spot". Twice a week, I wake up at 4:30 AM to swim between 3.658k & 4.662k (approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours). This is my distance training. I also train a third day on speed, going 1.372k as hard and fast as possible (approximately 1 1/4 hours).

STRENGTH: I've been putting off additional training until my summer "honey-do" list is done. Now that I'm almost there (just a little more wood to split), it's time to incorporate the strength training I found on USA Swimming....

1. Suspended TRX Push-ups (shoulders): Exercise balls can substitute TRX bands.
2. Kettle Bell (hips): Exercise bands attached to a foundation can be a substitute.
3. Planks (core): Front, side, arm/leg raises, reach-under, etc.
4. Suspended TRX Row (upper back): Seated row can substitute for TRX bands.
5. Split-squat to Unilateral Dead-lift (legs): Watch the knee.

I'll do this twice per week.

FUEL: I've done a good job watching my calories and now I'm starting to think about how to optimize my food intake. I'd like to wait until I weigh somewhere between 220lbs - 230lbs before officially starting a fuel regiment because I think the focus should remain on weight loss right now. Based on my weight loss trend so far, this should get me to an approximate start date of early December...just in time for the holiday fat-fest. Waiting until then will also give me time to create a strength training "habit" so I don't overwhelm myself with too much new stuff at one time. Proper fueling will be a process of learning what combinations of pre- and post- training/race nutrition works best for me. My focus will start with the right balance of carbs, fat and protein. 

SWIM: 3.658k (P)

I almost forgot to post this morning's swim....

Felt fantastic in the pool today...swimming stronger and faster. As expected, I'm getting use to my new swim goggles. Only had to adjust them a few times and they fit comfortably.

SWIM: 1.372K (P)

I went into today's swim with the intention of working on speed. Mary had to leave for work before 6:30 AM, leaving me an hour of pool time. It started out great as my first 20 laps were done in less than 34-minutes...6-minutes faster than my typical 0.914k. But my new goggles began to leak and I kept adjusting them after each lap (I purchased a pair of Speedo Hydrocity goggles yesterday). I'm sure I just have to get use to them, so I'll give them a couple more days. If I'm still having trouble next week, I'll switch back to my Speedo Hydrospex. 

For anyone interested in why I post odd-lot distances: My pool is measured in yards. Each length is 25-yards, or 50-yards per lap. Most of the events I swim are measured in kilometers; I convert my distances so I know where I stand. Once I get up to miles, I also include the standard US measurement...some races are measured in miles.

SWIM: 4.663K (P)

Felt great for the first 3.658k, and then my shoulders started burning. Kept pushing harder as I needed to get my 4.663k in before 8:00 AM...that's when I lose to pool. Sore. Exhausted. Bed.

SWIM: 1.829K (P)

Today was speed training. My swim time improved from about 10 minutes to about 6 1/2 minutes per every 10 laps (not measuring exact seconds yet). But my overall time in the pool didn't improve because of increased recovery time between sprints. I expect my quicker recovery time as my conditioning progresses. 

SWIM: 3.658k (P)

In spite of getting only 5 1/2 hours of sleep, waking up was fairly easy. I felt a little lazy in the pool today and didn't push myself hard enough. My excuse was great, though; I split wood from 10:30 Am until 5:00 PM yesterday. My shoulders were sore. We'll call that my strength training session. My total time in the pool was about 02:40:00...a bit longer than usual.

Found some weight/strength training exercises for swimmers on the USA Swimming website. Once that wood is all chopped, I'll start doing (1) Suspended Push-ups, (2) Kettle Bell, (3) Planks, (4) TRX Row, and (5) Split Squat / Uni Dead-lift.  I'll do these twice a week at the gym.

SWIM: 3.658k (P)

After this past weekend's race in the Presque Isle OWS...well, let's just say I'll never complain about how cold the pool water is again.

It's been a week since I've gone this distance, so I felt just a little tired near the end. But that also could be because I improved my 3.658k time by nearly ten minutes (finishing at about 02:20:00). I don't usually keep time to exact minutes and seconds, but this was a significant improvement. My shoulder was also a little sore, especially during the breast stroke.

Going forward; I will be progressing toward my 5k distance goal 2x/wk and working on strength/speed swimming 1x/wk. I will also be working on strength training outside the pool 2x/wk. I need to be able to do 5k in under 3 hours. I'd also like to significantly increase my time in the 1/2-mile, 1-mile and 2.5k.

PRESQUE ISLE OWS

What the heck happened to summer? I was greeted at the venue with an outside temperature of 43*F.  Hoping things would warm up before my 9:00 AM swim, I stuck around. Volunteers showed up wearing ear muffs.  It was cold.

My intent was to swim the 1-mile race, but I honestly considered dropping. Nearly everyone showed up wearing wet suits...a handful of us came armed with only swimsuits and goggles. Pride took over and I decided to go through with it, but I opted for the 1/2-mile. I didn't think I would last in this cold much longer than 45-minutes.

Many theories were flying around, and everyone seemed to agree that the water would be warmer than the air. Of course, nobody was willing to test this theory before the race started. The horn went off and we all jumped in.  Those earlier theories were quite wrong. The cold was such a shock to my system that I couldn't  catch my breath...actually swimming was out of the question. At least in the beginning. Withing a few minutes, my body adapted to the low temperature and I was able to get my breath. I kept remembering an instruction I read: "Calm down and swim".  And that's exactly what I did.

Once I got into it, I was fine. Although many other racers were well ahead of me. Their wet suits gave them a nice advantage.  This is something I need to consider, as water temperatures are very unpredictable. I'm not suggesting I would have won if I had a wet suit, but I wasted a lot of time trying to catch my breath...nearly 25% of the race. I could have significantly closed the gap between myself and the pack.

It was a photo-finish for 6th/7th place, with me finishing only a few seconds behind another racer wearing only a swimsuit (my way of saying "I got my ass kicked"). The [young] guy who took 6th did not want to give it up, and I was happy to see him push so hard toward the end. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy winning and question what happened when I don't. But I also enjoy sharing in the victory of others, especially when we push/pull each other forward. I wasn't winded at all after the race, and I wasn't cold anymore. I had a great time and can't wait to do this one again next year. It was a beautiful venue and the water was very clean.

LESSONS LEARNED:  (1) Train more in open water, (2) invest in wet suit, and (3) start strength/speed training. The fact that I didn't medal and wasn't winded means I need to go "harder" not "farther".

SWIM: 1.829k (P)

Today's swim was nice and easy because tomorrow is race day. I'm swimming in the Presque Isle OWS (1-mile). My freestyle is starting to feel stronger and I have a lot more energy.

Today was a little weird.  About 25 minutes into my swim, a much older gentleman asked to share my lane. This normally wouldn't be out of the ordinary...but there were two open lanes.  I didn't want to be rude because I may need him to return the favor some day if the lanes are full. At first, I figured he was just really attached to this lane (it was an end-lane by the stairs).  But after some time, I noticed he was doing more talking than swimming. I guess he wanted to be by his buddy in the next lane?

Good swim today.

SWIM: 3.658k (P)

I thought today would be another "sleepy" practice, but got right into it.  The pool was active for the first two hours, with people constantly shuffling in and out of lanes.  I wasn't sure I'd go much further than 2.743K...ended up logging 3.658k (4,000yds) in about 2:35:00.  Still physically buzzing from a great swim!

SWIM: 2.743k (P)

The Y doesn't open until 6a on Saturdays, so I got an extra hour of sleep.  In spite of this, it was still tempting to turn my alarm off and stay in bed.  I didn't want my day to be filled with regrets over missing my practice, so I found enough motivation to get out the door by 5:45a.

I was exhausted today, even after a good night's sleep.  I usually wake up after a few laps...not today.  There were only a few people at the pool this morning.  Not having to compete for a lane was nice, but I missed having other swimmers to measure myself against.

My fitness level was about the same as Wednesday...other than being sleepy, I felt good.  I could have kept swimming well beyond my 2.743k (3,000yd) goal, but time was up and they needed the pool for other scheduled Y programs.  I improved my overall time by another three minutes.

Breakfast is usually a few cups of coffee, but I was starving today.  Scrambled eggs with turkey breast, green & yellow peppers, onion, shredded cheddar, breakfast sausage, Kashi multi-grain waffles and a small glass of Sunny-D really hit the spot this morning!  It was about 956 calories (including coffee), but I can afford it after today's swim.  Still exhausted as I write this...I see an afternoon nap in my future.

SWIM: 2.743k (P)

Felt a little tired when I woke up this morning, but quickly snapped out of it when I got in the pool. I've been taking Motrin PM to help me sleep...waking up frequently with sore legs and back.

Another good swim today. Left shoulder felt a little tender at about 1.5k, but was able to work through it. Changed it up a little...took 30-second breaks after every 1k instead of 1-minute breaks after every 500m. This helped me maintain a consistent heart rate and improved my time by 9-minutes at the 2.286k mark!

Again, I felt as if I could go on for quite a while but decided to stop after completing 2.743k. I'll be ready for those 5k races way ahead of schedule.

SWIM: 2.286k (P)

Waking up at 4:30 AM to swim is getting much easier. The pool was closed last week for scheduled maintenance, so I practiced in Lake Huron a couple days.  Considering my events will be mostly OW, I need to make a point to get in the lake at least once a week...weather permitting. They weren't quite ready when we got to the Y this morning, but a few swimmers helped out and we were all in the water by 5:05.

My swim started out a little slow. Withing the first five laps, my arms were beginning to tire and stiffen up. I kept pushing forward and finally got into a groove at around 500m. Everything started to fall into place...I felt good, had a nice breathing rhythm and my time was slightly improving. Overall, I had a very positive attitude.

I thought I would feel tired around 1.5k, but I wasn't...just kept going and going. It was about 1:50:00 and 2.286k when I finally decided it was time to get out of the pool.  I wasn't tired at all and felt I could go at least another 1k, but we had company and I was really craving my morning coffee.

I feel great!

SWIM: 500m (OW)

Another easy swim in Lake Huron today.  Didn't measure my exact distance, but swam strong enough to resist the current flowing into the St. Clair River...total effort was the equivalent of a 500m swim (+/- 20 minutes) in the pool.  Need to remember to bring my swim goggles to the beach so I can use my sight of land as a marker (no lines at the bottom of the lake to keep me swimming in a straight line). 

IT'S OFFICIAL

Instead of racing in the Traverse City Triathlon on August 19th, I will be swimming in the FOPP Open Water Swim on August 18th near Alpena.  It's only a short (1 mile) fundraiser, but perfect for introducing me to longer distance open water races in the Great Lakes. SUPER EXCITED!

NEW JOURNEY

This is the beginning of a new journey for me.  In 2010, I sustained a tibial plateau fracture and completely blew my knee out plying rugby.  I lost my ACL, MCL, PCL and Meniscus.  Two reconstructive surgeries later (including new ligaments from a thoughtful donor), I found myself training for the 2011 Traverse City Triathlon. This was a hard race for me, but I was able to push through the pain of a healing knee and osteoarthritis to finish.

Training for the 2012 Traverse City Triathlon began in June, but my knee is not improving.  I haven't yet decided if I'm going to do this event...it all depends on my level of discomfort.  But even if I decide to go for it, this will likely be my last triathlon.  Either way, I have no regrets because it reacquainted me with my first passion...swimming.

This is where my new journey begins.  I've started training for long distance Open Water Swim marathons which will be held throughout the Great Lakes region.  My goal is to compete in events in each of the five Great Lakes.  I'll start with shorter distances and then progress toward 10k races as I achieve my goals.  iSWIMgreatlakes will be a record of my journey.  I don't expect anyone to follow this, but if they do...comments and encouragement are welcome.