31Mar12

Wanted to get something in today and Kim has yet to ever be in the GSL.  So a perfect opportunity arose.  I am not feeling that great so I wanted to keep it short.  Kim wouldn't be able to handle much anyway.  We drove out there and were ready around 1530.  After a quick safety briefing we got in.  I adjusted quickly but my face seemed to take MUCH longer today.  The sides of my head were hurting pretty bad too.  I just thought it was because I didn't have a cap on and my sinuses are a bit stuffy.
Kim did fantastic.  She got in and really did good for her first real cold water swim.  I had put my thermometer in the water and left it alone.  I figured it was around 55 like the past week so I just left it there.
Kim kept moving to stay warm and I kept checking on her then showing her some cool stuff like how easy it is to float out there.  We did get some swimming in but nothing big.  Just easy strokes.
When I got out I checked the temp.  It was 50!  wow  guess it dropped a few more degrees with this storm coming in and all the high winds today.  Oh well  fun regardless!

30Mar12

I forgot to bring a recovery drink with me yesterday for the drive home after GSL.  I did some short sprint sets against the current as fun while there yesterday.  I even ended my swim doing a sprint.  Well this morning when I did my warmup, my shoulders were solid iron.  I felt pain with each follow through.  It was muscle pain so it didn't worry me but man it was tight and sensitive.  Modified my workout since I knew there was no way I was going to make what I had planned.
Did some IM's today nice and easy.  Did some backstroke sets and some hypoxic sets.
Ended up doing 2500.  I'm still ahead of schedule for my weekly yards/miles quota so I didn't feel back cutting back a bit today.  Plus I plan on doing another short swim at GSL today to stretch out some and get some more time in cold water.  It just feels so FREAKING good once I get adjusted swimming in colder water.
2500 today.....for now!

Went out and met Josh today at the Marina.  This will make 3 days in a row I've hit the GSL after work.  I was happy he was able to come and we just did a nice easy mile.  The current was really strong again heading south so going north I just did DPS drills and going south I just relaxed and enjoyed the push.  The water inside the marina read 55 but outside it was definitely colder.  Some currents crossed us that I know were near just 50 degrees.  It got COLD real quick when these came around.  It was real fun when we were heading back in and a boat passed us going into the marina.  That made the entire rest of the swim in freezing cold water.  fun fun.

Another mile in GSL today.

29Mar12

Went to the GSL marina today for our weekly Thursday swim.  It's no longer a polar bear swim but now just a training swim.
I got there a bit late and there were a bunch of people there.  7 total today.  Woo-hoo a record!!

Chad, Josh, me, Jim

Me during my adjustment period.

Swam out with Josh and Chad and we just did a safe buoy route near the marina.  Current was strong heading south.  Going north was a challenge and the current kept Chad and me banging into each other.  He accidentally punched me twice and I knocked his goggles off.  Oops.   We laughed about it since we didn't mean to keep running into each other.  The way back to the marina was FAST.  We got to the last buoy before I even realized we had gone anywhere.  I took a few strokes and tah-dah, THERE!  Fun part was cutting cross current at a severe angle to make it back into the marina.
Water was 55 again and I felt fantastic.  We figured we did around 1300 yards.  I was in longer than 30 minutes so I'm happy more with my ability to handle the cold over time and distance out there for now.
Love these swims...LOVE THEM!!!!

28Mar12

Another good day today.  It doesn't look like Kim will be able to come on Wednesdays anymore so I was solo today.  Considering I'm going to be taking Wednesdays off starting next month, that should solve the problem.
Felt good today but some interval times Marcia wanted me to hit I just could not.  I was doing 100's and going really hard but I was hitting the times that I was supposed to be leaving on.  Oh well!  If I went any faster, I'd be too tired to make the rest of the set.
Got 5k in today though.  I think this might be the next standard for morning swims.  It used to be 4k but if I get there right on time, minimize chatting and with how well I'm swimming, 5k can be done.
One more piece of good news, I hit another milestone in my training.  I am at 20.38% for my yearly goal of 500 miles!  This means that today I hit 100 miles. HOORAY FOR ME!!!  I'm pretty happy about this.  Considering last year I did 278 miles TOTAL, I'm well ahead of where I was before.  This year is already turning out to be a good swim year and I haven't done any major swims yet!

Gordon sent me a text earlier asking if I wanted to join him at the Antelope Island marina for a swim at the GSL this afternoon.  Got permission from the boss and I met him at 1800.  For some reason, I was a bit nervous.  I found it comical really.  Got greased up as he helped his daughter Lucy get the kayak ready.  I got in and felt REALLY cold.  I guess 2 weeks away from cold water swims catches up to you.  My body adjusted really fast except the bridge of my nose.  I was wearing my Swedes today so I get an extremely sharp pain there when it gets in cold water.  It took about 1 minute for my body to adjust and about 8 minutes for the "spot" on top of my nose to adjust.  I felt GREAT in the water and I was completely warm.  Gords and I decided to stick inside the marina area at first and do a lap.  I was pulling well and feeling fantastic.  We kept chatting about how good we felt and despite the fact that it was 55, we could have been comfortable for hours.  We ended up doing exactly one mile.
1 mile in 55 degree water.  I felt really good and wished it was sunnier.  Clouds kept my back cold but in the water I felt warm.

26Mar12

I had a "come to Jesus" talk with my lungs Sunday and I pretty much decided that it's time to start training hard again so they might as well get on board!  The talk worked.
Got to the pool at 0430 and was eager to get in.  I wanted to see if I could get 5000 today since I might have to start making all my morning workouts that distance pretty soon.
Did a long warmup and was feeling really good.  Did several sets of 100's on specific times.  One pull set I was going so strong, I actually cut my rest time down to make my intervals faster.
The 2 weeks of rest/recovery did catch up to me eventually.  Around 4000 my shoulders started to give out.  I was still swimming okay but I could definitely feel that I had not done a real workout in awhile.
My times slowed down and I was nowhere near as strong as I was earlier.  I kept chugging along anyway.  I got to 5000 which made me really happy.
Lungs are 100% and it's a good thing too because next week I add another day of swimming to my schedule.

5000 today

24Mar12

Easy day today.  Got to the pool and just did 5000.  Mainly sets of 500's with some kicking sets and some mixed stroke work in between.  Nothing too strenuous and it was nice to get a decent swim in.  Gords has invited me to join him at the GSL today but wife is out shopping with her sisters so I have kids.  I really wish I could go. 

5000

23Mar12

Better day today.  I got to the pool at 0430 and was ready to go.  Lungs feeling a bit better but I decided not to go crazy yet.
Did 1000 WU of 500 swim 300 kick then 200 pull
10 x 100 on the 1:45
500 pull
500 swim with fins
300 kick then 200 CD

3500 total.  Longest swim since I've been sick.  Didn't cough much during the swim.  Going to take it easy today and maybe....MAYBE hit the GSL tomorrow.