Hot Tub! Gonna make me sweat-tah.

Previous night's temps were into the mid 80's.  Luckily, that means the outdoor pool was bearable even at 112 outside temp.  I hit the pool right around noon time. 

Work has been in a slow phase prior to our large seminar in Orlando next weekend.  Travel to Laguna Beach area on Tuesday, Monday with the family - hopefully a water park or something before the summer officially ends on the calendar.  We'll still have another 2 months of hot to very warm weather before it turns in to paradise around here.

The water was great - I swam 66 laps (converts to 3000 meters from yards) in :50 (under 1:42 / 100 meters)  which I really liked - very strong feeling (the first 500m was a bit of a warm up). 

Working on my feeding schedule a bit.  I know I can go 8km without anything, but the last mile is a chore.  I plan on going 3k - eat, another 3k eat and then finish.

Finished another 2km - this is 44 laps so I divided into 4 x 11 swims - descended the first, stroke drill on the 2nd (thought it was especially beneficial since I was fatigued), then finished the last 22 laps in with varied efforts so I could work on mentally engaging a faster pace combined with a more easy effort.

The total time for the 5KM was 1:30 - including rests and goggle fixes puts me at 1:48 / 100 meters. 

Noon Swim:

3000m - strong pace (1:42)
4 x 11 laps (500m)
1. descend
2. stroke drill
3. pace work
4. pace work / cool down

Total 5KM - 90 minutes

Little golf, lots of swim.

Thanks to Logan for getting me out on the course a couple times this week.  Played as usual, some greatness, lots of miss hits.  Not bad for the first few games in a long time.

Great swims this week / weekend

Friday:

Golf in the AM - shot 93 (legit scoring)
3000 yards - with current working on stroke

Saturday:

3000 yards
Some sprints for fun

Sunday:

AM:  3000m (converted from 3300 yards)
(50:00) 1:42 / 100 m
2000m - with current - attacked the upstream

PM: 500 warm up

5 x 400 yards - descend

6 sprints

Africa Hot.

Wow.  I never want to be somebody who rambles on about the obvious, but it's hot outside.  Just dry heat.  To anyone who has never felt the Phoenix summer heat, imagine a hair dryer blowing in your face as you peak into the oven.  It's just inescapable.

Honestly, I don't really mind it until mid September through October.  Especially the few years the heat has crept all the way through the end up to Halloween.  I mean, it's just weird to be in the 90's with costumes on.  And the oh-the-humanity of melted candy.

The outdoor pool absorbs this heat and easily creeps into the danger zone.  Our gym does a pretty good job of not having it excessive (as I felt last year when they kept pumping the solar heating system even in July).

The bottom line is that it's a specific challenge to push out many yards when you're basically immersed in a hot tub.  The muscles relax and it plays a real game with your head to stay focused.  Kind of a Wizard of Oz poppy field feeling.

I vastly prefer the outside to indoors.  Would love to have the lakes be more conveniently located as they were in our last home.  So I try to endure the outside as much as I can.  Then when I slip into the much cooler water of inside, it's absolutely refreshing.  Like a cooling mint feeling that can really recharge.  I'm better at finding that balance now - before I would go too long outside and just be spent even with relatively fewer yards.

Interesting to me that I'm learning how to adapt and train in warm water when the goal is the exact opposite for my long term.

Had a great swim, even if the yardage is still well below what my mind is telling me I should be doing.  I know I can do 8 to 10k per workout.  Though it would just be reinforcing weak habits in my stroke.  I'm getting better at believing the more focused swims are ultimately better.

Tried to hit my inside swim right at my goal race pace for the 8k.  I want to be under 1:40 / 100m which would put my time at 2h : 13m for the Vegas race.  This would represent a 57 minute decrease on my first year's swim!  Anything under 2:20 I will be very happy.

Just as I pushed off my 4th lap of 30 for a 1500 timed, another guy went out right with me.  His pace was just a touch ahead of mine, so it made me step up.  I was not going to be beat by anybody on this one.  He must have done a respectable 700 or so - it was the kick I needed to really feel good about that swim.  I could imagine myself holding this pace through the first 2 miles, then focus on pure efficiency through the middle of the race, then give it a good fight for the last mile and a half.

Outside (no current):

2000m (2200 yards) 36:00 ish (1:48 / 100m)
500m - stroke work

Inside

1500m timed at appx race pace (25:35) (1:42 / 100m)
Felt very strong - long pulls and relaxed speed

Birthdays, clean house and swimmin'

A great long weekend with my awesome family.  Taressa's birthday was Saturday.  We kept it simple with breakfast in (bagel sandwiches with home made guac, of course).  Dutch apple pie a-la-mode for birthday 'cake'.

Nicholas and Nathaniel were great helpers on Sunday's power clean of the house.  Did the hard wood floors (clean and polish) and cleaned a few messy corners where things were beginning to take over.  Kids bedroom will have a short lived moment of clean.  I'm sure Addison's desire to take things with order and turn them into things of disorder will change all that.

Good swims after a day off.  It's just so funny how mental swimming can be - not only the continual dedication to lap after lap, but the feel of the water can be so elusive.  You hear top athletes talk about it.  It was great to really feel confident in the water and get some decent distance in per workout.  Rotation is better and my left arm continues to be better, but not great.  Against the current I'm feeling much more streamlined and efficient.  Also realized, however, that with the current, I'm cheating and not rotating or getting a full kick/reach action.  Probably a little to do with the fact that I'm using the against lap as a focus.  Must put the two together.

Still need more distance.  Remind myself:  good distance - easy-fast.

Friday:

Distance swim - with current
5000 straight - moderate (1:22)
1:38 / 100 pace

Saturday:

2000 stroke work
5 x 100 free/breast
*short workout with Taressa's birthday
Total: 2500 yards

Sunday:

50 laps (2500 yards)
400 with some speed work
1500 fast-ish
Total: 4400yards (4000m)

Feel like $100.00

So another year and some reflection:  very blessed with the family I have.  The love they give me makes anything doable.

Maybe not in the best shape of my life, but feeling very strong, motivated and proud of the work I've done with the swimming.

Today marks exactly one month before the Open Water Fall Series at Saguaro.  This will be a great set up for the Vegas swim.  Need to hit the water with some quality distance and begin working out my feeding schedule for that distance and that pace.  I can go 8K without anything, but the last 2000 are definitely compromised without something in me beforehand.

Very excited for this year's race.  Still have an eye out for a kayak deal that fits our tight budget.  There are rental options, but I think adding a kayak workout for the fall will be great.  Being able to either swim alongside Taressa or simply take the boys out with me is something I definitely would value.

Swim tonight:

8000 yards straight

The Chris Powell Weekend

My super sexy wife has been a huge Chris Powell fan since we've watched his weight loss series.  I have to admit the stories are very touching.  Happy to see people turn their lives around especially when they've gone so far.

So Chris puts a notice on his Facebook that all are invited to a hike up 'A Mountain' in Tempe (it's the one you see overlooking the football stadium for the Sundevils).  I still remember watching football games and seeing students watching the game from the mountain and thinking I would love to live there (here).

Taressa is nervous before that morning and gets up at like 4:30am to be there on time. 

She meets a girl who trained with Chris, gets to know her and she ultimately becomes the 'in' for Taressa to get an introduction.  I could tell she was so happy to not only conquer her fears, but to be rewarded with he and his wife's kindness on that morning. 

Then, on Sunday - while grabbing the most awesome BBQ Pork Salad the world will ever know - who would walk right by, but Heidi and Chris and Cash (their 2 month old baby boy).  I quickly introduced myself and thanked them, especially Heidi, for their kindness and appreciation that Taressa had.

UPDATING SWIM

Well, it's been a long time to update and I've generally battled a bit of a plateau mixed with a frustration with my stroke.  My left arm has been weak since even high school.  Though it has improved, I still have to think about each stroke or miss my catch and end up pulling too wide.  I've realized that my right side is much more flat than the left.  This is caused and results in a weak pull.  Sooooo... when I fix the rotation, I get better - a win/win.

Breaking through the mental side with some decent swims - focus on technique.  I struggle to get past the idea that I need to be swimming more yards/meters rather than 'waste time on technique'.  But I know it will all pay off.  My distance has decreased from a consistent 6k/practice to about 4k.  But I have worked in some pace work.

It was nice to be able to swim on my last trip.  There was a Lifetime gym right next to my hotel.  It felt eerily similar to our Gilbert, AZ gym.  I even used the same locker I always use.  Habits and routine define me in regards to my swim workouts.  The Houston air was thick and hot and the pool there only had 3 lanes compared to 8 at our gym - much less respect for swimmers.

Last Few Swims:

8/13 Saturday - 2000 swim (32:00) + 5 x 400 descend
8/14 Sunday   - 2000 swim (with current) 3 x 50 breast/free sprints