Tuesday, August 30, 2011

30Aug11

Hit BL on the way home today.  I did the Josh loop in reverse for the first part and I swam around farther than needed.  I basically swam from dock to dock then around the 2nd island.  I went between the islands back to the south dock and followed it back toward the boat ramp.  Once near the boat ramp, I did the actual Josh loop but on the way back, I swung wide again to the south and east docks to add more distance.  I forgot to pack my SSD with me so I did not have a GPS on me.  I"m pretty sure I got over 1.5 miles though considering I did the Josh loop twice which is .7 miles and I swung wide both times.
As usual, it took about just over 1/2 mile to get warmed up.  I feel a severe lack of motivation when I'm swimming lately.  I get up early, drive an hour, and I"m outdoors playing with kids all day in the sun, then all the curriculum and lesson planning I do.  Then a drive for an hour home.  Toward the end of the day, I"m either mentally exhausted which causes me to be tired or the sun has taken the energy out of me.  I am forcing myself to swim but just don't find the joy in it lately.  I need to start swimming in the morning like I did all summer so I can start the day right.  BUT that means going to the pool which I don't want to surrender to yet.............Grrrrrrrr

Thursday, August 25, 2011

25Aug11

Still not in the groove of things yet with getting up early, driving an hour, being out in the sun all day running around with kids, then driving back another hour THEN needing a swim.  I did swing by Bountiful Lake to see what my normal swim time would be for the Josh loop.  The problem is that my timer and gps are not waterproof so I have to start them, put them in a waterproof container then close SSD bag then inflate it then put goggles on, then get in....time time time.
I was not trying for the record.  I don't have the course memorized by strokes like I do in other places and the islands are kind of camouflaged when you are heading out so I wasn't great on staying as close as I should have.  As expected, my arms were stiff for pretty much the entire swim and I hit the bottom and hand to change directions abruptly a couple of times near the islands.  I did pick it up a bit but nothing too much on the way in.  I finished doing .74 miles in 25:05.  Not bad I suppose.
If I ever take a serious shot at the the loop, I'm going to HAVE to be warmed up and be mentally psyched up for it and properly nutrition-ed and rested.  I"m pretty sure I'd be able to break 20 minutes but doubt I could break the record, so calm down Gords and Josh, it's safe from me I'm sure!  :)
I had to just do this one loop because our swamp cooler wasn't working and my wife and 2 kids were pretty much roasting inside without the cool air.
Another day....

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

23Aug11

Went to the GSL after work today and swam the Gridley Straight.  Water felt very warm and it was nice to be in the water again.  I do forget how horribly salty that water is though but after 2 seconds, you ARE reminded.
I did a few speed drills going out and coming back.  It was advised to do 25 strokes normal then 25 strokes hard/fast.  I did these a few times then swam normal for awhile then repeated.  One the way back I did a few 25 normal then 50 hard repeats.  This made my very tired but a good tired.  I got back the buoys in front of the marina and did a few more all out sprints. 
Going back in, there was this HORRIBLE smell near the mouth of the inlet.  I have no idea what it was but it was making me sick and I was holding my breath as long as I could so I wouldn't get sick.  I actually looked around for the rotting shark carcass. :)
One very nice thing is that as I was heading back in, a boat was going out.  This is a RARE occasion to see someone actually leaving the docks at GSL and he spotted me and waved.  He then asked if there were more of me out in the water.  I replied no but was very thankful he asked.  Nice heads up buddy!  Thanks

2 miles today

Monday, August 22, 2011

22Aug11

Back to work!!  This goes for swimming and students returning to school.  I got up at 0430 and was at the pool and getting in a 0455.  Fun way to start an early day.  I did not like being at the pool and I'd MUCH rather be in open water but you do what you gotta do with the time you have.  Hopefully as the weeks go by and my schedule gets more routine, I'll be able to squeeze in open water swims. 
Did about 1000 for warmup then just sets of 500 but no real speed intended, just steady.
I timed 2 of my sets and they were 7:54 and 7:55.  Pretty even paced.  I'm starting to think this "new stroke" is bupkis!  I'm going to play around with it a bit more and probably get some film of it but I'm not sure it's going to be as great as I thought.  We'll see.
I ended up with 3000 yards total.  Not a bad first day back after a week off.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

16Aug11

No swims yesterday or today.  I have to get up early and drive to Lehi which is over an hour away then work at school all day then drive home.  Yesterday when I got home, I had chores to do.  Today I was at work for a very long time and when I got home, I had been gone 14 hours.  So, not really motivated to swim when I get home.  This week isn't looking too good honestly.  Patricia leaves town for 4 days soon also.  I think when I get settled with a routine in my school then I will start working out again.  Till then, I'm getting PLENTY of exercise getting all my stuff organized!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

14Aug11

Just a Post Script from yesterday.  I still am a bit down but I've had a few people write to me today and some even called to talk to me.  All your comments meant a lot and something never occurred to me.

The thought of quitting NEVER came to me.  Not once did I ever consider touching my kayak or swimming to the side to stretch or just throwing in the towel.  Even when I thought my legs were going to cramp out I still was considering how I was going to get on my back and do the "monkey, airplane, soldier (elementary backstroke) to the finish.  The mental part of it, besides thinking how slow I am, never got to me and that is a HUGE thing to be happy about.
I'm still in serious consideration about a coach and getting work done on my new stroke but that will sort itself out in the coming weeks.  I have another swim in October for 7-ish miles and I'll focus on that for awhile.  My wife agrees with me that after GSL, I stopped training and only swam.  I need to get back into training again where it's what I think about first thing in the morning and I am constantly focusing on what is next for me.  THAT is where I need to be if I want to get better.

13Aug11

Deer Creek 10 miler!
I got to the Reservoir at 0700 and was surprised at how cold it was outside.  Great job Goody, you don't have anything to keep you warm!  Oh well, suck it up and deal with it!  I chatted with a few people before Josh got me registered and marked up.  It was nice seeing Josh and Gords there.  I like doing races and seeing friends there I can chat with.  Unloaded my kayak with Patricia then she demanded we wait in the SUV until it gets closer to race time so she can stay warm. 
Once it was close to race time, we headed down and I greased up as Jim was giving the instructions.  Patricia and I kept wondering where to turn but then it dawned on me, "Just follow the people in front of me".  I knew there was no chance in hell I would be in the lead so just following others would work!
I got to chat with Gords, Alicia, Scott Kunz and a few other friends before the 10 mile start.  There were 2 women there that are going to swim the Straight of Gibraltar in a month...very cool!

Once we got going, I had a hard time getting into a breathing rhythm.  I was trying to bilateral breathe but the best I could do was 2-3-2 for the first few miles.  This annoyed me a bit.  I was in the lower half of the group of 10 mile swimmers and this is where I normally fit in.  As the miles went on, I got passed by everyone then slowly but surely dropped by everyone.  By the turnaround point, I was at least 20 minutes behind the 2nd to last place person.  This did not go well for my spirits!

I hit the 5 mile mark and punched the buoy out of a bit of frustration and for fun.  One of the people taking pics for the race asked me to do it again so he could get a picture of it.  I was happy to oblige.  Turning the corner coming back from the turnaround point was NOT fun.  There was a strong wind and current directly against me.  I kept chugging along but was barely moving.  I yelled up at my wife, "Are we moving"?  She replied, "Not really"!  Great, I had to pick up the pace and swim in a small 'Z' formation to make progress. 
This wasn't bothering me as much as the Coast Guard guy on a jetski near me.  He stayed near me to keep an eye on me which I"m sure he was told to do.  What he was NOT told to do was get bored then jet around me real fast to make MORE waves or rev the engine so I chocked on his fumes.  He was unaware of this until Patricia paddled over to him and asked him to stop moving around us because it's messing her up too.  He backed off a bit but after 30 minutes he was back at it again.  I called him over and politely asked, "Pretty pretty pretty please, stay as far away from me as you can.  I know you need to look at me but you can do that from BEHIND me.  I'm sick of chocking on your fumes.  I'm slow enough as it is"!!!  He got the hint and I pretty much never saw him again anywhere near me.

When I got to the 8 mile point, my legs started to get tight, very tight.  I kept my feedings VERY short because every time I stopped, my legs wanted to cramp.  At the 9th mile, I felt like my thighs were constantly on the verge of a major cramp.  I quit kicking and even pulled my legs up a bit and did the dead leg drag in order to keep them relaxed.  This added some drag but it relieved the scare that was dominating my mind.
There were a few times when I got into a really nice rhythm and was moving really fast.  One time was between the 8th and 9th mile when my legs were "behaving".  I was moving very smooth and very fast.  This is the new stroke I've been trying to work on.  The biggest problems are: 1) my kick is HORRIBLE when I do it.  2) I can't seem to hold it very long.  I need to train better with it so I can hold that good smooth stroke all day instead of the one I'm using now.
After I passed the 1/2 mile to go buoy, I kept looking up more than I should wondering where in the world the finish was.  It just stays hidden until you are only 200 yards away.  I finished and I came in DEAD LAST!  First one in the water and last one out.  A lot of boats there started to blow their horns for me which was kind of cool.  The 2 women that are doing the swim in Spain next month finished ahead of me and were waiting for me and they were a nice cheer.  Thanks ladies, it did help. 
The place had pretty much cleared out and Jim was there to give me my medal and some Go-Gurt.  Amazing how good it tasted.  Great after swim treat!
I finished in 6 hours and 16 minutes.  Here are the things I'm happy about: 1) I set a new longest continuous swim for myself.  2)  I never stopped and never quit.  3)  This gives me a bit of confidence to increase my distance if I want to really consider doing Catalina.
Things I'm NOT happy with:  1) I swam VERY slow.  2) I came in DEAD LAST, That has never happened to me before.  I don't like it.  3)  I could not keep a consistent stroke pattern.  4)  I was hoping for a time around 5.30 but was no where near that. 
Honestly I'm a bit embarrassed at my performance and I feel a bit of personal shame on how I did.  I expected more from myself but I never did any speed work this year and after the GSL swim, I mainly did maintenance work and not any real training.  Well it showed.  I felt pathetic and swam pathetic.  If I want to be serious about distance swimming, I can't let myself swim like that ever again.  Maybe it's time I hired a coach or start killing myself during workouts again.  I don't know yet but all I know is if I swim like that again, I'm going to have to make some major evaluations on what I want to do with swimming.  I got out of the water feeling like a complete loser and it is still with me today as I write this.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

10Aug11

Met with Alicia this morning at PV for 1 mile.  Nice and easy.  I think there is something new going on with my stroke and I need to do some experimenting and have a knowledgeable person observe me before I make any permanent modifications.  But I seem to be going a LOT smoother and a LOT faster!  We'll see

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

9Aug11

Was at the lake at 0630 this morning and did 2 buoy routes with a little extra.  As usual, it took over a mile for me to get comfortable but even then, I did not push myself at all.  Tomorrow will be a very easy mile and that will be it until Saturday.  I do have a little worry in my mind considering I did not train as hardcore for this as I did for the GSL 8 miler but I should still be fine.  I'll just be last!  :)

2 miles today.

Monday, August 8, 2011

8Aug11

Met with Kim this morning at 0600 and we were off to Pineview.  I wanted to do 3 miles but for some reason, we got in around 0640.  Kim had to be at work at 9 so 3 miles was unlikely.  I felt slow and sluggish the 1st mile and we chatted a bit longer than necessary at the turnaround.  We were doing about a 32 min mile pace and we chatted a bit more after the first loop.  I got warmed up after about 1 and 1/4 miles and started to pick my pace up a bit.  After the turnaround, I got into a really good groove and started swimming a lot faster.  I did not feel like I was pulling any harder but my stroke just felt amazing for awhile.  I know I was doing a sub 30 min mile easy.  My Walkameter thing I have on my phone says my average pace was 37 min mile but that was including stops for drinks and longer than needed chats at turnarounds!  One the way back in, there was a group of rubbers that were heading out and one of them had the funniest thing I've ever seen on a swimmer.  He had a gigantic inflatable shark mounted on his back.  This thing was bright blue and was the same size as him.  I have no idea why he put this thing on his back considering he was wearing a wetsuit but it took Kim and I over a full minute to stop laughing at him.
We only got 2.11 miles in this morning but I'm feeling a TON better than how I did Saturday so that made me feel better. 

Saturday, August 6, 2011

6Aug11

Met with Gords today with the hope of getting 5 miles in.  We met at Pineview at 1800 and his son with a kayak.  We took off and even though the lake was very busy with boats, we were able to swim past the "no wake zone" into the middle area of the lake to cross it.  I was feeling good the first mile but as soon as we got to the other side, I started to fade.  My energy just slowly drained out of me.  I know that 95% of it is because of jet lag and little sleep last night.  It did not help make me feel better.  Worse yet, I was holding Gordon up BIG TIME.  He kept switching to backstroke so I could catch up or he would just stop swimming completely and wait for me.  He's normally faster than me anyway but this was ridiculous.  We did not get to do 5 miles mainly because the time slipped away due to my slow butt!  How I performed today puts a 1% doubt in my head about my 10 mile swim next Saturday but I think it's just the travel and time etc etc that got to me.

Distance was 3.43....sorry Gords!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

3Aug11

Another swim shorter than I wanted.  I set the alarm for 0530 and when it went off, it was still pretty dark outside.  I was hoping for a longer swim of at least 5 miles.  For some reason, there was a voice in my head telling me not to swim right now.  It wasn't the lazy voice I hear but more of a warning feeling.  Hard to describe but you know it when you hear it.  I went back to bed and slept a little longer.  Hit the water around 1000 and only got a mile and a half in.  Still happy that I'm swimming in the ocean but disappointed on how short these swims are. 

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

2Aug11

Got 2 miles in today.  The water temp is 84 and I feel very hot swimming in the Atlantic.  Swimming in the ocean is great but the heat of the sun, humidity in the air, and the high water temp quickly sap my energy.  I was pretty tired after only 2 miles.  I'm glad I got a swim in but I need to swim earlier if I want to get some distance in without feeling I'm overheating.

2 miles today.